Many of the models below would make the perfect Christmas gift for a new sewer, with their simple features. The Singer Heavy Duty range may make a particularly good present for a fashion design student due to the sturdy construction and faster sewing speeds.
Popular Machines from Brother
The machines listed below have been consistently in the bestselling sewing machines on Amazon.com for the last few years, and have consistently rated highly with sewers. For example, the Brother CS6000i and the Brother XM2701 are consistently high up on the Amazon.com rankings, with prices that hover at or around $100. They have an impressive range of features for the price, especially when you consider that the Brother CS6000i is an entry-level computerised sewing machine. These two machines often sit around the #1 and #2 spots on Amazon, probably due to the fact that they hit a sweet spot between features and price, and usually are reviewed at between 4 and 5 stars by sewists.
The Brother sewing machines released as ‘Project Runway’ Limited Edition versions, are often high in the rankings, with a great range of features. The current model which is ranking highly and getting great reviews is the Brother XR9550PRW which was a winner of the Women’s Choice Award for 2019. This model often comes with an extension table to give you a greater workspace and a hard cover for easy storage.
Popular Brother Sewing Machines for the US
Compare Popular Brother Sewing Machines for the US
Popular Machines from Singer 2019
If you prefer the Singer brand, and especially if you want a more utilitarian looking machine, there are a few Singer models marked as ‘Heavy Duty’ that come in a more minimal looking grey colour. Popular models include the Singer 4411, Singer 4423 and Singer 4432. These machines also often sit in the Top 10 bestselling sewing machines on Amazon.com, and are regularly rated at between 4 and 5 stars by sewers. If you are the sort of sewer who likes to have lots of control over setting up your machine the way you like, then the thread tension, presser foot pressure, and stitch length and width are all adjustable on these machines.