Hand embroidery is fascinating and beautiful but it is a lot of hard work. It is time-consuming and labour-intensive. This is why you need an embroidery machine to get the job done with the utmost ease.
Embroidery machines come with a lot of possibilities to help you handle different embroidery projects. These machines handle delicate embroidery designs with a lot of accuracy and precision. With the machine, you can easily personalize, embellish and decorate any type of fabric to your satisfaction. The best part of it is that it saves you time, money and energy.
Modern embroidery sewing machines are computerized with an LCD touchscreen for easy design and stitch selection. But choosing the best computerized embroidery machine can be a tough task. You don’t have to worry because we selected some of the best Brother products for your informed choice.
Our picks are based on functionality, durability and sturdiness. Read on to see the 7 best computerized embroidery machines.
Our Picks of the 7 Best Embroidery Machines
Check the Comparison Table Below for Featured Products Available for Review.
Table of Contents
Brother SE1900
The advanced needle threader is a big relief for people with bad eyesight and shaky hands. Just push the thread through the eye of the needle with the touch of a lever and your needle is threaded. It is that easy. It has a drop-in top bobbin that is resistant to jams. This is a quick-set bobbin which means you don’t have to pull the bobbin by yourself. The machine does that automatically.
The large 3.2-inch LCD is a touchscreen. With the screen, you can preview your designs and edit them without any hassles. You don’t have to struggle when handling dark fabrics since the machine work area is backlight with LCD light. When it comes to sewing speed, the machine sews at 850 stitches per minute.
If you would like to import your favorite designs into the machine, you can do that using a USB drive. With the built-in USB port, designs can be imported into .pes files.
The 5×7 inches embroidery field is great when you need to handle larger projects. The machine is backed by a 25-year limited warranty.
- The advanced needle threading system
- LCD color touchscreen display
- 240 built-in stitches
- 138 built-in embroidery designs
- 850 stitches per minute
- Jam-resistant drop-in top bobbin
- Embroidery designs can be imported
- Needles may break on high speed
- No automatic thread cutter
- A bit pricey
Brother SE600
Both beginners and experienced sewers can handle the sewing speed at 710 stitches per minute. The large 3.2-inch color touchscreen allows you to preview your designs before you start to stitch. There is no manual needle threading since the machine comes with an automatic needle threading system. This means goodbye to eye strains and frustrations that come with manual threading. The drop-in top-loading bobbin is also resistant to jams.
Dimly-lit areas won’t stop you from working since the machine has built-in lighting. The LCD lights around the needle area are bright enough to illuminate the work area for great visibility even at night.
The free arm is excellent when you want to sew cylindrical pieces such as cuffs, pants and sleeves. There are loads of accessories such as embroidery foot and arm, 3 pre-wound bobbins, buttonhole foot, button sewing foot, overcasting foot, zipper foot, monogramming foot, twin needle, disk-shaped screwdriver, scissors, power cord, machine dust cover and more. You will have peace of mind with a 25-year limited warranty.
- The automatic needle threading system
- Plenty of stitch options
- Many embroidery patterns
- Your designs can be imported through a USB
- Automatic thread cutter
- Quiet and smooth operation
- Portable and easy to use
- It is expensive
- No embroidery software included
- Frequent needle breakage
Brother PE800
It comes with a USB port that allows you to easily import designs since the machine comes with built-in memory. The large 3.2 inches color touchscreen lets you preview your designs before you do the stitching.
The embroider-only machine has a 5×7 inches embroidery field that is suitable for the stitching of large designs. There are additional design editing features that give you the flexibility to rotate, mirror images and also increase and decrease the size of your embroidery designs.
You cannot go wrong with the automatic needle threading system that saves you a lot of time and stress. The sewing speed of 650 stitches per minute makes the machine perfect for beginners. There is a 25-year limited warranty.
- The automatic needle threading system
- Extremely bright work area
- Great for beginners
- 138 embroidery designs
- Built-in thread trimmer
- USB port for computer connectivity
- Versatile and easy to use
- Too expensive
- It doesn’t sew. It is for embroidery only
Brother PE770
The large embroidery area of 5×7 inches gives you the flexibility that you need to handle large designs. This means you can do monogramming, lettering and embroidery on items like pillow covers, jacket backs and handbags with the utmost ease. With the built-in USB port, it is convenient for you to import your designs into the machine.
You can preview any of your designs with the color LCD touchscreen to be sure you are okay with the design before the embroidery is done. There are two LED lights to adequately illuminate your work area when working with dark fabric or in a dark area.
The sewing speed is great for beginners at 650 stitches per minute. If you find the speed too fast, you can control it with the speed slider. It is backed by a 25-year limited warranty.
- Easy to thread with the automatic needle threading system
- Supports the importation of your designs
- Comes with an automatic thread cutter
- LCD touchscreen for viewing designs
- Plenty of design options with 138 built-in designs
- Well-lit work area with two LED lights
- Large space to handle larger designs
- The LCD screen is black and white
- Bobbin issues
Brother PE550D
Designs can be previewed from the LCD color touchscreen before they are worked on. Your chosen designs can be imported into the machine through the USB port. The 4×4 inches embroidery field is great for implementing your desired design.
The bright LED lighting around the needle area improves visibility when working in a dark area.
Loading your thread is a breeze with the automatic needle threading system. With the touch of a lever, the thread is put through the eye of the needle. There is the additional embroidery editing feature that allows you to move, re-size, mirror image and rotate any embroidery project before it is started.
The machine comes with an instructional DVD and bilingual user manual to help you understand how to use the machine. A dust cover is included in the package to help keep the machine dust-free when not in use. It is backed by a 25-year limited warranty.
- Multiple design options
- LCD color touchscreen
- The automatic needle threading system
- Easy to use and operate
- Quite compact and budget-friendly
- Designs can be imported through the USB port
- Includes Disney patterns
- Embroidery-only
- Comes with no basic software
Brother PE535
The versatility of the machine is not in doubt with 80 built-in designs and 9 font styles. You can adjust the embroidery lettering fonts in different ways to your satisfaction. There is access to iBrodery.com designs where you can download numerous designs like Pixar, Marvel and Disney designs.
No more eye strains and frustrations when threading the needle. The automatic needle threading system conveniently threads the needle with ease.
With the built-in memory, you can import your embroidery designs into the machine via the built-in USB port. The large LCD color touchscreen lets you see the designs before you begin to stitch. There are instructional DVD and user manuals to help you operate the machine perfectly. There is a 25-year limited warranty.
- USB port support for the importation of designs
- The automatic needle threading system
- Easy to use for beginners
- 80 built-in embroidery designs
- Large LCD color touchscreen
- Compact and portable
- Built-in memory
- Embroidery only
- No automatic thread cutter
Brother SE625
If you require more designs, you can import them into the machine through the USB port. There are also built-in monogramming fonts to handle new projects effectively. The machine has a maximum sewing speed of 710 stitches per minute.
With 103 built-in sewing stitches, it means you have plenty of stitch options. It includes 8 styles of one-step auto-sized buttonholes. Using a finger touch, you can move and position your embroidery design with the Drag and Drop feature.
There are three buttons to control the functions of the machine. The start/stop, reverse and needle up/down. The adjustable speed slider combines to make the machine operate foot-free. You can use the foot pedal to manually control the machine if you prefer the option. The automatic features like the automatic needle threading system and bobbin winding are beginner-friendly.
The LCD color touchscreen helps you to view your designs before the stitching begins. The 7 presser feet include buttonhole foot, zipper foot, blind stitch foot, overcasting foot, button sewing foot, monogramming foot and spring action zigzag foot. It is backed by a 25-year limited warranty.
- Instructions are displayed on the screen
- Full-color LCD touchscreen
- 103 built-in stitches and 280 built-in embroidery designs
- The automatic needle threading system
- A USB port allows you to import designs
- Built-in bright LED light
- 710 stitches per minute speed
- No automatic thread cutter
Buyer’s Guide
To choose the right embroidery machine, there are some factors that you will have to consider. Here are some of the considerations:
Would you Like to Sew?
This is the first question you would have to answer. If you need to sew, then, you would need a combination machine that sews and also do embroidery. The combination machine comes with a lot of versatility. But if you already have a sewing machine, you can go for an embroider-only machine.
Brother makes it easy to differentiate a combination machine from an embroidery-only machine. For instance, SE1900 stands for Sewing Embroidery, which means a combination of sewing and embroidery while PE800 is Personal Embroidery, which is for embroidery-only.
Is it for Home Use or Business?
This is another important question you would have to answer before purchasing an embroidery machine. If you would like to do embroidery as a business, it is recommended that you go for an industrial embroidery machine. But if you are just starting and you want to do embroidery as a hobby, then, a home embroidery machine is ideal for you.
Computer Connectivity
You should be able to import designs from the internet into your machine. If the machine can’t import from the internet, it should have a USB port so you can import through the USB. This helps to increase your design options.
Stitch Speed
You would need a decent amount of speed to complete embroidery work in time. This is why speed is of the essence. The minimum sewing speed should be 400 SPM while the maximum speed should be 1,000 SPM. There are machines of 1,600 SPM but it must be stated that these types of machines are for professionals.
Embroidery Designs
Of course, an embroidery machine comes with built-in designs. The more the designs, the more options that you have. Some have 80 built-in designs while others have 138. It is the more, the merrier.
Built-in Stitches
For those who would want to choose a combination machine, the built-in stitches are an important factor. A model like the Brother SE1900 has 240 built-in stitches. This gives you a lot of stitch options.
Embroidery Area
Most embroidery areas are 4×4 or 5×7. This is the area where you will do your embroidery work. A larger embroidery area like that of 5×7 gives you more space to handle a variety of embroidery designs.
Responsive LCD Touchscreen
The LCD touchscreen could be colored or black and white. It makes sense to choose a colored LCD screen so you can view your designs in full color. Apart from that, you have to be sure that the touchscreen is responsive to touch. It could be frustrating if the touchscreen is not responsive.
Auto Functions
The auto functions make the machine a lot easier to use. These functions include an automatic needle threading system, automatic bobbin winding, automatic thread cutter, etc. It is important to look out for these auto functions when purchasing an embroidery machine.
LED Lighting
You don’t have to stop working when the area is dark. If the machine comes with built-in LED lighting, there would be visibility when working in the dark. Make a deliberate effort to choose a machine with bright lights.
Editing Software
The machine should come with editing software. The software is also important if you want to convert from one file format to another. For instance, Brother Embroidery machines are compatible with .pes files. So if your design is in .jpg, then, you will have to convert it to a .pes file.
Ease of Use
A complicated embroidery machine will cause you a lot of pain. This is why you should look for a machine that is easy to use. The machine should come with an instructional DVD and a user manual written in a language you can understand. Also, ensure that the manufacturer has functional and responsive customer support.
Single or Multi-Needles
Single needle embroidery machines are similar to regular machines. They have one head that comprises thread, needle, bobbin and other metal parts. They have a single point of hoop attachment and are unable to handle a larger embroidery hoop. The largest hoop they can handle is 8×12 inches.
A single needle embroidery machine will get the job but if you want to operate professionally, the multi-needles machines are a better option.
The multi-needles machine has more capabilities, enhanced efficiency and better speed. They have between 4 and 10 needles. Each of the needles holds a different thread color. This helps you to have different colors at once. This is something the single needle machine cannot do.
The multi-needles machine has two points for hoop attachment and can handle larger hoop sizes up to 14×14 inches.
Budget
There is no doubt cost is an important factor when choosing an embroidery machine. You must also choose a machine that gives you value. Embroidery machines are more expensive than regular machines. It is a long-term investment. As such, you must have a good budget for an embroidery machine that can meet your needs.
back to menu ↑Frequently Asked Questions
What embroidery software can be used to convert images to an embroidery file format?
You can choose the PE-DESIGN 11 software
Is there free embroidery software for home use?
Yes, you can use free embroidery software like BES Embroidery Software 3. The software is from Brother. Another one is the TrueSizer. It can be used on Apple and Android devices.
What is the embroidery file format supported by Brother Embroidery machines?
It is a .pes file.
How can I repair a Brother Embroidery machine?
You would love to make creative embroidery designs all the time. But what happens if the machine breaks down? Will you call in an expert or handle it yourself? Here is a basic tip on how to repair your Brother embroidery machine:
Step 1: Get Your Facts Correct
Check the machine thoroughly to make sure that the problem is not human error. After that, check the needle to be sure it is properly inserted. Change the needle if necessary.
Step 2: Check the Threading
Ensure that the machine is properly threaded. Threading issues usually occur when you switch thread or needle in the middle of the work.
Step 3: Thoroughly Do the Cleaning of the House
Remove the bobbin case and take compressed air to remove the dust. After that, make sure the bobbin is properly wound. Work on the tension setting and use a piece of scrap fabric to test the setting.
Step 4: Update the Machine
Next is to update the machine to the current version.
Step 5: Do a Recheck
Check the machine again to be sure everything is fine.
back to menu ↑Maintenance Tips for Embroidery Machines
Embroidery machines require constant maintenance to keep them in good condition. Here are the tips to follow to ensure that the machine keeps performing optimally:
- Check the machine regularly. This helps to expand its life span.
- All the threads in the thread path should be removed. Always clean or dust the machine before it is used.
- Look beneath the needle where the O-ring is and remove all the dirt so that replacement needles will not get damaged.
- Remove the bobbin plate and look for dirt and surplus threads.
- Run your fingers over the tension disks, throat plate, needles and bobbin case. If you feel some grooves around these areas, use a cloth to carefully remove the grooves.
- Use a magnifier to examine the throat plate’s hole where the needle and thread meet. Nicks can shred the thread and make the machine not function properly.
- Check the motor and filters. The buildup of thread and dust can cause the machine to overheat.
Conclusion
If you are still finding it hard to choose a product after reading this review, then, we advise you to follow our recommendations.
If you want a combination machine, we recommend Brother SE1900 or Brother SE625. But if you are looking for an embroidery only machine, you should go for the Brother PE800 or PE550D. Any of these machines are tested and trusted.
