It is easier to find a traditional sewing machine for home sewing needs but when it comes to the best leather sewing machines or the thick material, we have to be very careful when choosing one.
With not so many choices, it sometimes becomes very troublesome to find good options for sewing heavy materials such as denim, canvas, leather (real or faux), etc.
But if you are reading this article, you need not worry about the same as we, being experts have put together a list of the best sewing machine for leather which you can purchase from your favorite offline store or online.
We have put together this list after intensive secondary research and analyzing real reviews of the people who purchased them and shared their views about the same.
If you have to sew through less thick leather, some of the best sewing machines can do the job but if you need to sew thick leather or other heavy material, you would need a sewing machine specially designed for the leather.
Because the home sewing machines are not heavy-duty sewing machines and may cause problems if you use them for sewing thick leather.
Though, being a heavy-duty sewing machine doesn’t mean, they are good for sewing leather.
There are several things one should pay attention to before purchasing the best sewing machine for leather. Want to know what are those features?
keep reading this article till the end…
We’ve discussed some very important points towards the end of this article that you should keep in mind to deciding on your sewing machine for leather.
Why do you need a Leather Sewing Machine?
Those, who know a bit about different materials (for any good reason, for example, if they have shops to sell different kinds of fabrics or have studied textile engineering, etc…) under that leather is a sturdy material and meant to last longer.
Leather is the most durable fabric which is used for making ladies’ handbags, purses, men’s wallets, shoes, dresses for men & women, etc.
It is not like other fabrics like Linen, Cotton, Polyester, Silk, Satan, etc. where you can make the mistake of sewing wrong, because such materials get back to the same look if you have to rip the stitches but this is not the case with the leather.
One mistake of making wrong stitches can cost you much as once a needle passes through the leather for making stitches, it makes a permanent hole in the leather.
Hence, if you have mistakenly sewn wrong, you will make a hole equivalent to the thickness of the needle in your leather project.
This is not only the person who can do this mistake, many times, its the sewing machine which is accountable for moving in the wrong direction (of course, I am talking about how the sewing machine pulls material through the presser foot not the sewing machine as a whole) and makes wrong stitches.
Also, leather is a costly material and such mistakes can result in a loss to a person. Hence, to avoid such things, it is very very important that you chose the best sewing machine for leather.
We understand that for a normal person, selecting the best sewing machine for leather can be a daunting task, hence we have decided to write this article today to help the reader with making the right choice.
A quick list of the Top 5 Leather Sewing Machines
| IMAGE | SEWING MACHINE | RATING | CHECK PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Janome HD3000 | 9.95/ 10.00 | |
 | SINGER 4423 | 9.97/ 10.00 | |
 | Brother ST391HD | 9.90/ 10.00 | |
 | SINGER 4411 | 9.90/10.00 | |
 | TOYOTA J34 | 9.85/10.00 |
Factors to consider for buying a Sewing Machine for Leather
Selecting a sewing machine for leather and other heavy material is not as simple as choosing a traditional sewing machine.
We need to take several specific factors into account while purchasing the best sewing machine for leather.
Moreover, such types of sewing machines come with a price tag, so if you don’t want to end up buying the wrong sewing machine, do thorough research.
However, since you are reading this article, you need to look nowhere else, just read this article till the end and you will have several great options to choose from.
Before we head over to review those best sewing machines for leather, take a look at the important factors to consider.
Purpose (home/business)
First of all, you need to analyze the need. Why do you need the best sewing machine for leather? would you be sewing lots of heavy material stuff on a regular basis or it will be occasionally?
Do you need a sewing machine to sew leather for home purposes or for your business?
If you need one for home, you can go for the less costly sewing machine because we understand that there will a requirement to do heavy-duty tasks.
However, if you anticipate heavy usage of your sewing machine and you need to perform heavy-duty tasks on a regular basis, you must go for the industrial sewing machine for leather.
Such type of sewing machine is specially designed to handle a heavy workload.
Machine Body (Frame)
The sewing machine designed for handling heavy materials such as leather, denim, canvas, etc is required to do extra work than traditional sewing machines.
Hence, the better the frame or the body of your sewing machine, the longer it will last.
Such type of sewing machine generally has a metallic frame which ensures you get good stitches and doesn’t move from its place at the time of sewing.
The metallic frame of these types of sewing machines makes them heavier than traditional sewing machines which account for greater stability.
Needle
To sew through the leather and heavy material, you need a special type of needle that penetrates through the leather with ease and helps you get good stitches.
Look for a sewing machine that lets you change the Needle with ease as different materials need different types of needles.
For the leather alone, you need a compare a few needles and find the best one as per the fabric.
Also, leather is a heavy material, and gets the needle becomes dull very quickly (compared to the general material). Hence, you will have to change the needle on a regular basis as well.
Presser Feet
The Presser’s feet are an important part of a sewing machine, especially for those which are being purchased for sewing fabrics like leather.
The leather sticks to presser feet or the cover plate and doesn’t move easily. It generally happens in the case of thicker material because there is a thickness limitation that the presser feet do well with.
If you need to stitch even thicker material, you might need to consider industrial heavy-duty sewing machines.
Built-in Stitches, Length, and types of stitches
The longer the stitch length, the better will be the seam, and will last longer before it gets ripped. It keeps two layers of the material attached to each other for comparatively a longer period.
Hence, you should look for sewing machines that offer stitch adjustment.
Also, look for the built-in stitches of your favorite sewing machine which you are going to purchase. The more the number of built-in stitches, the better the machine will be (more stitch choices).
Also, check if you need a straight stitch or zig-zag stitch pattern as well. Most sewing machines are meant for leather and the heavy material is a straight stitch.
Stitches speed
The other important thing you should consider before making a purchase is the stitching speed. It is pretty easy to understand that, if a sewing machine can sew faster, you can finish your project much earlier.
Hence, the higher the stitching speed, the better the machine will be. Some best sewing machines for leather have a stitching speed of 1,100 stitches per minute.
Work area light
Since you don’t want to make any mistake that can make a permanent hole in your leather project, it is necessary for you to check the sewing machine for proper lighting conditions.
It helps you sew the items even in dim light as in dark areas. Some sewing machines for heavy material come with two or three LED lights that brightly illuminate the work area and let you stitch with ease.
Budget
Last but not least, the budget! You need to decide how much you want to spend on a sewing machine.
Remember, heavy-duty sewing machines which are specially designed for materials like leather, denim, and Canvas are costlier than a regular sewing machine.
Hence, make up your mind that you have to spend a little over what you had spent on a traditional sewing machine (if you have ever purchased it before).
Best Leather Sewing Machines: Our Reviews
In this section, we will individually review the sewing machine which we have included in the list above so it helps our readers decide which sewing machine is good for them.
We reviewed them based on our expertise and the opinions of the consumers. Let’s go ahead…
Janome HD3000 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine– Our Choice
Janome is our first choice when it comes to heavy-duty sewing machine for leather and other thick material. They are specialists in making such types of sewing machines.
Talking particularly about the Janome HD3000 sewing machine, it comes with lots of great features including ones that are especially good for sewing leather.
- Good for sewing leather items and heavy materials.
- 18 built-in stitches.
- Needle threader built-in.
- Free Arm.
- Automatic Bobbin Winding.
- Thread tension adjustment.
- Reverse stitching.
Janome HD3000 is a powerful, reliable, and durable sewing machine which will last for years to come.
It can pretty much sew through several layers of denim fabric without any problem. It comes with 18 built-in stitches that let you make different stitch patterns.
The features like a built-in needle threader, automatic bobbin winding, and thread tension adjustment with a button make boring tasks easier.
These features are really helpful for those who still learning to operate a sewing machine.
It comes with an automatic reverse stitching feature as well which is used to reinforce the stitch.
It is an important feature of a sewing machine for leather because leather is a thick material and easily gets ripped if you don’t reinforce the stitches.
Janome HD3000 Pros & Cons-
- Powerful.
- Durable.
- Less built-in stitches.
SINGER 4423 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine
SINGER is a renowned company known for making some really good sewing machines. They have some of the most popular sewing machines in the market such as SINGER 9960, and SINGER 7258 which are traditional sewing machines and really good for home sewing purposes.
When it comes to the best sewing machine for leather and other thick material, they have another great model SINGER 4423.
This heavy-duty sewing machine is all metallic, solid, and one of the most durable sewing machines out there. See our post SINGER 4423 Vs 4432 to compare it with SINGER 4432.
- Heavy-duty metal frame.
- 23 built-in stitches.
- 1,100 stitches per minute.
- Automatic needle threader.
- 60% more powerful motor for stitching thick material with ease.
- Top drop-in bobbin.
- Fully automatic 1-step buttonhole.
- Adjustable stitch length and width.
- Auto-reverse sewing.
- Free Arm.
This sewing machine is pretty good with heavy material. With a 60% more powerful motor, SINGER 4423 sews leather and other thick materials with ease, unlike other similar sewing machines.
It comes with 23 built-in stitch patterns and selecting one of your choices is a cup of tea.
Just choose the one with a dial and you are good to go. It also has a single style of a fully automatic 1-step buttonhole.
The other important thing to note about this sewing machine is its stitching speed. It is capable of sewing with a speed of 1,100 stitches per minute which even the high-end sewing machine is not able to do. It comes with an automatic needle threader, auto-reverse sewing, and Free Arm.
SINGER 4423 Pros & Cons-
- All metallic body for longer durability.
- Faster stitching speed (1,100 stitches per minute).
- Manual controls.
Brother ST371HD sewing Machine for Leather
Brother is one of the best sewing machine companies around the world with lots of award-winning sewing models, CS6000i is one of them.
Brother CS6000i is a traditional sewing machine but can also do a light heavy-duty tasks as well.
Anyways, I am not going to discuss this model (Brother CS6000i) but Brother ST371HD which is specially designed to handle heavy-duty material.
You can pretty easily sew leather purses, and handbags, and attach leather decorative items to your dresses with ease.
It comes with several great features needed in a sewing machine used for sewing leather. Take a look.
- Strong and Tough sewing machine.
- 37 built-in stitches.
- Versatile. Can be used for lighter fabrics.
- 6 sewing feet included.
- Metallic needle plate.
- Heavy-weight needles.
- 1 step automatic buttonhole.
- Free Arms for sleeves, collars, cuffs, etc.
- Automatic Needle Threader.
- Easy threading system.
This particular model from the Brother company is a great choice for those who want to use it for leather and other types of heavy material.
Though it is good for light materials as well. It comes with 37 built-in stitches with 1 step automatic buttonhole and 6 sewing presser feet.
The presser feet are non-sticky and hence resolve the problem that other sewing machines have.
It also comes with heavyweight needles needed to sew through the leather. The other features included an automatic needle threader, an easy threading system, and free arms.
It is a versatile sewing machine that is not only good for leather, denim, and canvas but other light materials too.
Brother ST371HD Pros & Cons-
- Non-sticky Presser foot.
- Heavyweight needles.
- Easily handle heavy fabrics such as Canvas, Denim, Leather.
- No speed controller.
- Not computerized.
SINGER 4411 Heavy-Duty Sewing Machine
I couldn’t stop myself from including this particular SINGER sewing machine model good for sewing leather items. This is again a heavy-duty sewing machine with many good features.
It is an ideal choice for home purpose where the need for sewing leather and other heavy materials doesn’t arise often.
It is not a good choice if you have to use a sewing machine to sew leather items on a regular basis.
- 11 built-in stitches.
- Sturdy body.
- The metallic frame makes it durable.
- Steel bedplate.
- 1,100 stitches per minute speed.
- Stronger motor for handling thick material.
- Adjustable stitches Length & Width.
- Reverse stitching.
This is the lowest version of the sewing machine SINGER 4423 which we’ve reviewed above. There is not much difference between the two.
While the SINGER 4423 sewing machine has 23 built-in stitches, this model has only 11 built-in stitches.
The other features such as the sewing speed are the same as SINGER 23. It is also able to sew with a speed of 1,100 stitches per minute which is way higher than other sewing machines for leather.
It also comes with a stainless steel bedplate which helps in handling leather with ease.
The other features include adjustable stitches’ length and width. For the leather, it is said the seam will be stronger and more durable if the stitch length is fairly good.
With the dial, you can easily adjust the length and width of the stitches.
It has the upper models as well, SINGER 4432 & SINGER 4452 which come with additional built-in stitches and a few added features.
SINGER 411 Pros & Cons-
- The sewing speed of 1,100 stitches per minute.
- Metallic frame for durability.
- Stainless steel bed plate.
- Less built-in stitches.
TOYOTA Super Jeans J34 Sewing Machine
TOYOTA is a brand known for making Cars, hence I am sure everyone has heard about this company. The sewing machine model I am going to review in this section comes from the TOYOTA company only.
The company got into sewing machine manufacturing in 1945 and by today, they have a wide range of sewing machine models that serve different needs and requirements of different people.
TOYOTA sewing machines are durable and good for heavy materials ie. Leather, denim, etc.
- TOYOTA Maker.
- Can sew several layers of thick material.
- Easily glide over multiple layers.
- 34 built-in stitches.
- Automatic Needle Threader.
- Free Arm for cuffs & sleeves.
TOYOTA Super Jeans J34 sewing machine is yet another option for those who are looking for the best sewing machine for leather.
It can also sew up to 12 layers of soft denim and 10 layers of hard denim with ease. It comes with 34 built-in stitches that let you decorate your leather item differently.
The best feature of this sewing machine is, comes with a gliding foot which helps in gliding over many layers of fabric. The other feature includes an automatic Needle Threader, Free arms for cuffs, sleeves, collars, etc.
Toyota Super JeansJ34 Pros & Cons-
- Backed up by the world’s well-known machine (car) maker.
- Sew up to 12 layers ko thick material easily.
- It relatively has a slower speed.
- Sometimes becomes very noisy.
Conclusion:
With so many companies out there and so many models available, sometimes it becomes confusing which one is the best sewing machine for leather.
In that case, most of the time we end up purchasing the wrong one.
But our list of the best sewing machine leather has some really good handpicked sewing machines that are good for home use.
For heavy usage, I’d advise going with the Industrial sewing machine for leather. The heavy-duty industrial sewing machines for leather are way costlier than these domestic sewing machines.
For those who anticipate the need for an industrial sewing machine, I’d recommend Juki DNU 1541S Industrial Walking Foot OR ConSew 206RB-5 walking foot sewing machines.
