Whether you’ve been sewing since childhood or you’re a recent convert, the joy of stitching spans generations. It’s the ultimate well-being boost, saves you money and gives you the freedom to craft unique creations, provided you get the right equipment for your needs.
A quality pair of scissors, measuring tape and cutting board are all prerequisites for producing your best work, but a stitcher’s best friend is a good sewing machine.
Finding the best sewing machine for you depends on what you’re looking to achieve. For some, a sewing machine just needs to manage basic dressmaking tasks, while others need to cope with more complex tasks, such as embroidery or quilting.
Why choose a Brother sewing machine
With over 100 years of experience in making sewing machines to tackle every task, Brother has a wide range of products to suit everyone. It’s no coincidence that the company is one of the most popular manufacturers of sewing machines on the market, with a variety of options to suit different budgets.
We’ve selected a range of seven of the best Brother sewing machines, comparing prices and features to ensure you make the best purchase for the crafts you love.
Main image: Innov-is NV1800Q sewing and quilting machine
8 of the best Brother sewing machines
Innov-is A16 sewing machine
Best for: Beginners
Price: £399
Key features: 16 built-in stitches; advanced 1-action needle threading system; jog dial; back-lit LCD screen; lockstitch button
The Innov-is A16 is the perfect introductory machine for enthusiastic beginners. Fuss-free features include stitch length and width controls, quick-set drop-in bobbin and slide speed control.
There are 16 pre-set stitches, which can be selected by jog dial, plus an automatic 1-step needle threading system. Trust us, you’ll be grateful for it! As a budget-friendly machine, it can tackle multiple layers of fabric, and denim too.
Innov-is F420 sewing machine
Best for: Experienced stitchers on a budget
Price: £699
Key features: 140 built-in stitches, including 10 buttonhole styles; plus 5 styles of lettering; advanced needle threader; lock stitch button; Square Feed Drive System
If you’re ready to take on more advanced projects, including quilting, then the Innov-is F420 sewing machine has several features designed to tackle increasingly complex designs.
With 140 built-in stitches including 10 buttonhole styles, there is plenty to flex your creative muscles. The knee lift function is great for getting extra control and the Square Feed Drive System can handle any fabric. We love the memory function, too.
Airflow – Easy to use Overlock with Air threading
Best for: Ease of use
Price: £899
Key features: Electronic air threading technology, advanced needle threader; 2, 3 or 4 thread stitching; differential feed; quick change levers; bright LED working lights
This is Brother’s fastest electronic air threader that allows for stitching speeds of up to 1,300 spm! The stitch choice is varied and it includes a rolled hem for instant perfection on light and sheer fabrics.
With a differential feed ratio between 0.7 to 2mm you’ll get an outstanding stitch finish on every fabric. It comes with a trim trap, and gathering and piping feet.
Innov-is F560 – Sewing machine
Best for: Creative sewing
Price: £899
Key features: 241 sewing stitches, plus 5 lettering fonts; 190mm workspace; advanced needle threader and auto thread cutter; multi-directional sewing with sideways feeding enabling extra-large decorative stitches; My Custom Stitch
Stitchers fizzing with creative inspiration will love the F560 sewing and quilting machine. Its colour LCD touchscreen, 241 utility and decorative stitches plus five lettering fonts and on-screen editing function allow ideas to flow. Using the My Custom Stitch function you can also design and save your own decorative stitches.
Brother’s Square Feed Drive System means you can achieve strong stitching on any fabric. The four-way side feeding makes precision stitching for decorative designs a breeze. The knee lift function also allows you to quilt with ease.
Innov-is M380D Disney sewing, quilting and embroidery machine
Best for: Combined sewing and embroidery
Price: £1,199
Key features: 200 built-in embroidery designs (inc 65 Disney); 11 built-in fonts; 100 x 100mm embroidery area; colour touchscreen; advanced needle threader; wireless LAN connected; Artspira creative app; My Custom Stitch
If you’re spellbound by Disney, then your wishes will come true with the M380D – a combined sewing and embroidery machine. There are 200 built-in designs, 181 built-in stitches, including 10 buttonholes, plus 11 built-in embroidery and four lettering fonts.
My Custom Stitch means you can design and save your own stitches easily using the colour LCD touchscreen. On-screen editing gives you clear visuals to work with, and we love the wireless LAN connectivity that allows you to download designs and connect to Brother’s new creative hub, Artspira.
Innov-is NV1800Q sewing and quilting machine
Best for: Sewing and quilting
Price: £1,499
Key features: Large 8.3" (210 mm) work space; 232 built-in stitches; Advanced needle threading system
Pivot function; My Custom Stitch; Multi-directional sewing - sideways feed; Includes large wide table.
The NV1800Q is a high-quality feature-packed machine with a budget-friendly price tag. With 232 stitches to choose from, you won't be short of creativity! This machine also allows you to combine stitches and even create your own with the My Custom Stitch software.
We haven't even got to the best part yet, the NV1800Q includes a full set of quilting feet, so if you're a keen quilter, this is the one for you!
Innov-is Stellaire XJ2
Best for: Advanced embroidery
Price: £7,499
Key features: Extra-large embroidery area; 889 built-in embroidery designs (including Disney); 26 embroidery fonts (24 alphabets and 2 Cyrillic); 760 built-in sewing stitches; 1,050 spm embroidery speed; 10.1” high-resolution LCD touchscreen.
This powerhouse of a machine was built with creativity in mind! The machine is bursting with the sewing, quilting and embroidery features that make every project unique. With 889 built-in embroidery stitches and 760 sewing stitches, you'll never be short of choice.
When you need a professional finish the Stellaire XJ2 will get the job done. Precision is guaranteed with an LED drop needler pointer and enhanced LED lighting. A super-sized embroidery area of 360 x 240mm allows you to work on larger projects.
Text editing, colour shuffling, and enhanced thread colour palettes allow for creative expression. The Stellaire’s My Design Snap app means you can convert images, photos or line drawings into unique embroidery data, plus with wireless connectivity you can access Brother’s new creative app, Artspira.
PQ1600S straight stitch sewing machine
Best for: Sewing
Price: £1,249
Key features: 1,500 stitches pm; Expanded work area; Heavy-duty construction; Up to 7mm stitch length; Unique flexible presser foot; Wide table included.
If you want a strong and sturdy machine for all your sewing and quilting projects, this one is for you! You'll be able to power through any project in no time with 1500 stitches per minute.
It's a great machine for projects of all sizes, in particular larger ones, thanks to the wide table which is included in the price!
This machine prides itself on smooth stitching, tackling even the toughest, or most slippery fabrics with ease, making it a great all-rounder.
A range of machines across price points for precision sewing
The Brother range of sewing machines incorporates a world of variety, tailored to the experience of the user.
Whether you’re taking your first steps into stitching, or you're creating your own unique designs, Brother has machines to suit you.
Find the best fit with Brother sewing machines
All Brother sewing machines are brim-full with features but take the time to have a thorough read of what each machine offers to make sure that you’re getting the right one for your crafting needs.
Explore the range now with Brother.