Best Portable Sewing Machine: Top 7 Picks
Are you starting to learn to sew and looking for the best portable sewing machine that you could easily carry to your friend’s house who teaches you to sew?
Or you know the sewing but looking for a portable sewing machine that is lightweight, a bit smaller in size, and doesn’t come at a substantially higher price?
Well, if are among these people or because of any other reason looking to buy a portable sewing machine, you’ve arrived at the most relevant article on the internet.
We have a list of handpicked portable sewing machines that will serve the purpose.
We have set certain criteria and created this list of these criteria.
Most of these sewing machines are under 13 pounds or so, which makes it easy to move from one place to another.
They aren’t as costly as other sewing machines.
However, if you foresee that you just don’t need a sewing machine to do basic occasional jobs, but you will be taking your sewing passion to the next level or making it your hobby, you can go for the sewing machines for beginners.
What Makes a Sewing Machine Portable?
Sometimes we ourselves get confused if we really need a portable sewing machine.
To help them understand, we are highlighting three important points that make a sewing machine portable in general.
However, it may vary from person to person who has different parameters to decide upon the portability of a sewing machine. Take a look:
- They are compact in size (dimensions) as compared to others.
- They are Lightweight.
- They are easy to maneuver.
- They are less costly.
- Easy Storage.
Some people may include sewing machines that do basic sewing jobs in their list of portable sewing machines.
Quick List of the Best Portable Sewing Machines
Take a quick look at our list of the best portable sewing machine which you can purchase for yourself from the online or offline store. They are easily available!
We will discuss each and every sewing machine from the list in detail later in this article.
Hence, we recommend readers to read this article till the end.
[table id=2 /]Our Reviews
In this section, you will see the features and what our reviews have to say about the sewing machine which we have included in the list above.
Our reviews are done by the experts after thorough research and utilizing their expertise.
Let’s go ahead…..
Janome Lady Lilac Basic Portable Sewing Machine
Janome is a well-known brand for sewing machines but if you are looking for a portable sewing machine from Janome Company, get Janome Lady Lilac’s basic portable sewing machine.
It is a great sewing machine for those who want to do some basic stitching work at home. It is suitable for kids as well.
Features:
- 12 built-in stitches.
- Zig-Zag, Straight stitch a few more.
- Reverse Sewing.
- Only 5 pounds in weight.
- Free Arm for Cuffs and sleeves.
- Good for Kids
With 12 built-in stitches and a price of less than a hundred bucks, this sewing machine serves the purpose it intended to.
It has a Free Arm feature which lets you sew cuffs, sleeves, and collars. It also comes with a reverse sewing option.
The sewing machine is only 5 pounds in weight, so you can carry it anywhere with you. Also is very easy to store this sewing machine in a cupboard.
For those who want to spend the lowest money on their sewing machine, the Janome Lady Lalic portable sewing machine is a nice option.
Check more Features and Price on AMAZON
SINGER Start 1234 Portable Sewing Machine
For someone who is looking for an option within the SINGER company, the SINGER Start 1234 portable sewing machine is a great choice.
It is a beginner-friendly portable, lightweight sewing machine that comes with several accessories to get you to start from the very next moment you take it to your home.
Features:
- 6 built-in stitches.
- 4-step buttonhole.
- Free Arm for collars, cuffs, and sleeves.
- Storage compartment for storing accessories.
- Portable and lightweight (only 7 pounds).
- Automatic Bobbin Winding.
- Easy threading.
- Adjustable tension settings.
- Heavy-duty metal frame.
This sewing machine is a good sewing machine to get started for beginners as it has all those basic features to get them started.
Its built-in 6-stitch patterns give enough choice to decorate your item. It also comes with Free Arm features for making sleeves and hard-to-reach areas.
SINGER Start 1234 sewing machine is a very lightweight sewing machine at 7 pounds, hence you can easily move it from one place to another.
Also, it is a portable machine that makes it easy to store.
It comes with automatic bobbin winding and easy threading features that let beginners get started with no hassle.
It has a metallic frame which is meant to last longer than other sewing machines.
Check more Features and Price on AMAZON
Brother XM1010 Portable Sewing Machine
Brother XM1010 comes with many interesting features which I’ve discussed below.
However, it is not just a regular sewing machine, it can be used for quilting as well.
With a plethora of features, Brother XM1010 comes with 4 presser foot- Zig-Zag, Zipper, Buttonhole, and Button sewing.
Despite having so many features, this sewing machine can be purchased for about a hundred bucks.
Features:
- Lightweight & Portable.
- 10 built-in stitches.
- Zig-zag, Straight, and other stitches.
- 4- step buttonholes.
- Automatic Bobbin winding.
- Easy stitch selector.
- Free Arm for collars and cuffs.
- Adjustable thread tension
Among the notable features of Brother XM1010, 10 built-in stitches, 4-step buttholes, Free Arm, etc are important.
Apart from that, it comes with an Automatic Bobbin Winding, an Easy Stitches selector which lets you choose the stitch of your choice, Adjustable thread tension controller to set thread tension for optimum outputs.
I think if anyone goes with this sewing machine, it has the brand name BROTHER attached and it comes with all those necessary features needed for home sewing purposes.
Check more Features & Price on AMAZON
Brother XM2701 Lightweight full feature Sewing Machine
Brother XM2701 is an upgraded version of Brother 2600 XLi which was one of the most popular sewing machines.
It comes with several interesting features for the price it can be purchased for such as an easy threading system, brightly illuminated work area, etc.
It can be purchased for less than a hundred dollars.
Features:
- Lightweight.
- Full-featured
- 27 built-in stitches.
- 1-step automatic buttonhole.
- 6 Sewing Feet.
- Needle Threader.
- Backlit work area.
- Quick set top drop-in bobbin.
- Easy threading system.
- Easy Bobbin winding.
- Stitch selector.
This is my second runner-up on our list of the best portable sewing machines if anyone asks for my preference.
Because it is a very inexpensive sewing machine and has all the necessary features.
Apart from that, it is a very lightweight, portable sewing machine, though fully featured.
It comes with 27 built-in stitches, a 1-step automatic buttonhole (you find a 4-step buttonhole in many portable sewing machines), a stitch selector dial to change, and choose the stitch of your choice, a quick setup top drop-in bobbin and an easy bobbin system.
It also comes with features like a Needle threader, and a brightly illuminated work area to do the sewing tasks in low lighting conditions.
Check more Features & Price on AMAZON
SINGER Simple 3232 Portable Sewing Machine
SINGER Simple 3232 is yet another ideal choice for those who are willing to buy a portable sewing machine.
However, being portable doesn’t mean it comes with a few features, it is a great sewing machine for beginners and comes with several great features.
The major attraction of this sewing machine is its speed.
SINGER Simple 3232 sewing machine can stitch at 750 stitches per minute which is pretty awesome for a portable sewing machine.
Features:
- Beginner-friendly.
- Portable Sewing Machine.
- 32 built-in stitches.
- 19 decorative stitches.
- Automatic needle threader.
- Free Arm.
- 1-step auto buttonholes.
- 750 stitches per minute stitching speed.
- Auto Reverse stitching.
- Stitch length and width adjustment.
- Heavy-duty metal frame.
Don’t go by its same “SIMPLE, PORTABLE”, it is more than that. It comes with 32 built-in stitch patterns which include 19 decorative stitches to decorate your crafting item.
It also comes with an automatic needle threader, an easy threading system, and auto-reverse stitching.
Its heavy-duty metal frame ensures it lasts longer than other beginner sewing machines.
The other features include a Free Arm, Adjustable Stitch Length & width, 1 step automatic buttonholes, etc.
Check more Features & Price on AMAZON
Brother CS6000i Feature-Rich Sewing Machine – Our Choice
Brother CS6000i is one of the most popular sewing machines of all time, including all the brands because of its versatility and the features it comes with for this price range.
It is a feature-rich sewing machine that can be used for making quilts as well. It has a long list of features that we have discussed below.
This award-winning sewing machine has several positive reviews on various popular e-commerce websites. IT IS OUR CHOICE AS WELL.
Features:
- Versatile sewing & quilting machine.
- Portable, feature-rich with a detachable extension table.
- 60 built-in stitches.
- 7 styles of 1-step automatic buttonholes.
- Quilting table.
- Hardcover.
- Stitch length and width adjustment.
- LCD screen display.
- Start / Stop button to sew without the foot controller.
- Jam-resistant, top drop-in bobbin.
- Stitch speed controller.
- Brightly illuminated work area.
- Automatic needle threader.
- Easy threading.
- Easy bobbin winding.
- Free arms for sleeves and collars.
- Award-winning sewing machine.
Brother CS6000i sewing machine comes with 60 built-in stitches including 7 styles of 1-step auto buttonholes.
It serves dual purposes, regular sewing as well as quilting requirements.
It has a fairly large LCD Screen display which shows details about the stitches you have selected.
If you want to change the stitch, you can do so by pressing a button just below the screen.
It has a brightly illuminated work area so that you can continue with your crafting project in dark areas.
The other features include adjustable stitch width & length, a free arm for cuffs and sleeves, a start/stop button, and a stitch speed controller.
It also comes with an automatic needle threader, an easy threading system that makes it a great choice for beginners as well.
Check more Features & Price on AMAZON
What NOT to expect from Portable Sewing Machines?
These are the basic sewing machines and only be good for doing very light sewing jobs.
Hence, do not expect them to let you sew stuff the whole day long or to sew heavy or thick material.
There are other sewing machines that are intended to serve different purposes.
If you see the requirement for a heavy-duty sewing machine to stitch material like Canvas, Denim, Leather, or layers of material, there are sewing machines specially designed for the same.
Therefore, you need to analyze the requirements like how often will you sew, what material you might have to sew, what features you need in your sewing machine, etc.
Since they are portable sewing machines and priced very low compared to other high-end sewing machines, they come with fewer features, you wouldn’t have many built-in stitches, and there might not be automatic features such as automatic needle threader, thread cutter (though some portable sewing machines have them), etc.
As I said, they are good for very basic sewing jobs at home.
NOTE:
Brother CS6000i is an exception, you can expect a lot from this sewing machine. It is a versatile sewing machine great for beginners as well as intermediates. So if you choose this sewing machine, go ahead and get it right away.
We’ve included this sewing machine in our post “Best Sewing Machine for beginners” and “Best Sewing Machine for Quilting” and many other posts. Check out other articles on this website, it is included in most of them
Our Say
The portable sewing machines are good for doing basic home sewing work and hence do not expect them to perform as well as other sewing machines.
We have seen some people complaining about missing features but we must understand that they are low-end portable sewing machines and meant to do some basic stitching jobs only.
If you see there will be a requirement for regular stitching, it is advisable to check out the different articles we have shared on this website.
A great place to start is to check out the best sewing machine for beginners.
If could increase the budget, there are several great sewing machines such as SINGER 9960, Brother HC1850, SINGER 7258, etc.
