Which sewing machine should I buy as a beginner?

Sewing machines are marketed on the number of stitches they offer, which is close to irrelevant. Most sewing uses two stitches, and the rest of the list is there to fill a box on the packaging.

Step by step

1. Decide what you will actually sew.Repairs and simple garments need very little. Quilting wants a larger throat space, dressmaking wants good buttonholes, and heavy fabric wants a machine with real weight and a strong motor.
2. Prioritise straight stitch, zigzag and a buttonhole.That covers the great majority of home sewing. A one-step buttonhole is genuinely worth having over a four-step one.
3. Pick up the machine before you buy.Weight roughly tracks how much metal is inside. A light plastic-framed machine vibrates and creeps across the table on heavier fabric.
4. Ignore the stitch count.Two hundred decorative stitches is a marketing number. Almost nobody uses more than a handful, and the money is better spent on build quality.
5. Check adjustable stitch length and width.Continuous adjustment rather than fixed presets gives you far more control, particularly on stretch fabric and topstitching.
6. Consider mechanical over computerised at the low end.A mechanical machine has fewer things to fail, is cheaper to service and is easier to use. Computerised machines earn their money higher up the range.
7. Look seriously at second-hand.A serviced machine from a sewing machine dealer, with a warranty, frequently outperforms a new machine at the same price. Older metal-bodied machines are often extremely durable.
8. Check the feet and accessories included.A zipper foot and a buttonhole foot as a minimum. Check that generic feet fit — a proprietary fitting makes accessories expensive later.
9. Find out where it can be serviced.A machine needs a service every few years. A brand with a local dealer is worth more than a marginally better specification bought online.
10. Try threading it in the shop.Some machines are noticeably easier to thread and to load a bobbin into than others, and that is what you will do most often.

Tips

• Weight is the most useful proxy for quality at a given price.
• A one-step buttonhole is worth more than a hundred decorative stitches.
• A serviced second-hand machine from a dealer beats a new budget machine at the same money.

Common mistakes

• Buying on stitch count — Almost all sewing uses straight stitch and zigzag. A machine with 200 stitches at a budget price has spent that money on electronics rather than on the frame and mechanism.
• Buying the lightest machine available — Low weight means a plastic frame, which flexes and vibrates. The machine creeps across the table, struggles with denim, and wears quickly.

If it doesn't work

Questions people ask