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5 Best Sewing Machines Under $300 in 2024, Tried & Tested

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Best Sewing Machines Under $300
Credit: Shanta Roy

Looking for the top sewing machine under $300? Read our article for tips on how to pick the best product in addition to the reviews of the best-selling sewing machines under $300.

Affordability is the biggest attraction for frugal minds. If a product is affordable, the prudent sense is ready to compromise a lot, with pleasure, of course.

However, the manufacturer cannot take a chance on the quality of the product. 

That is another thing that is the main criteria for an economical and wise person to invest their tight budget on.

Not just the frugal minds, affordability is crucial for beginners as well. The beginners who are just thinking of starting something have to be thrifty too.

So when we had to talk about sewing machines, we decided to focus on the best sewing machine under $300 for all those frugal minds and beginners who are naturally on a tight budget. Every well-revered brand makes a budget-friendly yet good-quality sewing machine because the brands know their consumers pretty well.

If they have advanced, high-end sewing machines to attract skilled couturiers, they have a few to offer to their tight-budget beginners as well. And we are presenting you those offerings right below with the utmost details we have with us. These are from renowned brands.

So, just glance at which one attracts you the most concerning the features because price and quality are not what you will have to worry about.

Best Sewing Machines Under $300 – (Editors’ Top Picks)

TOP PICK
Janome 2222 Sewing Machine

Features At A Glance:

  • Convenient dials for stitch and its width and length selection
  • 22 built-in stitches and a 1-step auto buttonhole
  • Compact, lightweight, easy to use
  • Includes seven presser feet
  • Built-in needle threader
  • Front-loading bobbin
{ This Rating Provided Is Personalized }
Heavy Duty 4.4/5 Versatility 4.6/5 Durability 4.6/5
Easy to Use 4.7/5 Easy to Learn 4.8/5 For Beginners 4.6/5
Why We Love It? It has a front-loading bobbin which means the vertical oscillating bobbin loads from the front. Some might find it a tad bit difficult, but with practice, it gets easier, and you can have all the advantages of the front-loading bobbin.

Product information:

Brand Name Janome
Stitch Count 22
Thread Tension Manual
Max Stitch Width 5mm
Max Stitch Length 4mm
Needle Threader Built-in
Included Presser Feet 7

Product Description:

Starting with the renowned brand Janome, it has a compact yet good quality entry-level sewing machine for all you beginners. Not just compact, it’s lightweight and super easy to use. It is a mechanical machine that offers you 22 built-in stitches to make your projects look unique and pretty looking.

The three convenient dials on the machine for conveniently and quickly choosing the stitches and setting the stitch width and length to a maximum of 5mm and 4mm add ups to your fun learning experience. You can adjust the thread tension manually according to your preference too.

The compact, sturdy machine has a free arm for easy storage of accessories and sews the small stuff like collars, and pant hems without messing them up.

It’s one 1-step automatic buttonhole, integrated needle threader, drop feed mechanism with 3-piece feed dogs, and seven presser feet with a snap-on facility that takes the expediency of the sewing machine a couple of notches high.

TOP RATED
SINGER Sew Mate 5400

Features At A Glance:

  • Auto needle threader and auto thread tension
  • Ensure even stitches regardless of the fabric
  • 60 built-in stitches
  • Stitches at a speed of 750 SPM
  • Four 1-step auto buttonholes
{ This Rating Provided Is Personalized }
Heavy Duty 4.6/5 Versatility 4.5/5 Durability 4.6/5
Easy to Use 4.2/5 Easy to Learn 3.9/5 For Beginners 4.1/5
Why We Love It? This compact sewing machine has a sturdy heavy-duty metal frame. The frame holds the mechanism with perfect alignment no matter how long and rigorously you are using the appliance on your projects. Each stitch the machine leaves on your project shrieks perfection and evenness.

Product information:

Brand Name SINGER
Stitch Count 60
Thread Tension Automatic
Stitches Per Minute 750
Max Stitch Width 6.5mm
Thread Cutter Manual
Needle Threader Automatic
Included Presser Feet 3

Product Description:

We will talk about sewing machines, and one from Singer will not pop up; that’s never going to happen. It’s the ‘OG’ brand and makes the ideal entry-level sewing machines for beginners, and this time it is their Singer Sew Mate 5400 that caught our attention with its relevant features.

You can create a lot with this sewing machine because it offers you 60 built-in stitches. Start with the 8 essential stitches, 40 decorative stitches, and 8 stretch stitches, choose what you want from the vast options and make the buttonholes different and stand out as well with all four automatic 1-step buttonholes. The convenient push buttons and the chart for selecting the stitches are right on display.

Whether your fabric type is delicate or thick, the auto thread tension always helps you maintain even stitches. Then you have the auto needle threader, which saves your time and eyes from straining.

Stitch your projects at a moderate speed of 750 SPM, adjusting the stitch width to a maximum of 6.5mm.

You get three presser feet, snap-on ones, a free arm for easy sewing of the sleeves, cuffs, collars, pant hems, and several other accessories and features to work on your fashion sewing, quilting, heirloom, crafts, home, and decorative sewing.

EDITOR'S CHOICE
Brother ST371HD Sewing Machine

Features At A Glance:

  • Heavy-duty metal frame, needle plate, and needles
  • Jam-resistant quick-set drop-in top bobbin
  • Six feed dog points and presser feet
  • Metal finger guard for safe use
  • 800 stitches per minute
  • 53 built-in stitches
{ This Rating Provided Is Personalized }
Heavy Duty 4.6/5 Versatility 4.6/5 Durability 4.8/5
Easy to Use 4.5/5 Easy to Learn 4.8/5 For Beginners 4.1/5
Why We Love It? It’s a strong and tough sewing machine with 53 built-in stitches with a maximum of 5mm stitch length and 7mm stitch width, a beginner-safe metal finger guard, and flaunts an 800 maximum sewing speed.

Product information:

Brand Name Brother
Stitch Count 53
Stitches Per Minute 800
Max Stitch Width 7mm
Max Stitch Length 5mm
Needle Threader Built-in
Included Presser Feet 6

Product Description:

If you can put your money on one sewing machine that can sew lightweight, delicate silk fabrics to napped finish suede and six layers of denim with equal ease and perfection, then this is that machine. The sturdy metal frame aligns the perfect mechanism, and the equally sturdy needle plate ensures the supremacy of stitches with smooth fabric feeding.

Not comfortable with front-loading bobbins, then it is your ideal option as it flaunts the quick-set drop-in top-loading bobbin. When it says quick set, you know it takes only a couple of seconds to load the bobbin, and when you put the bobbin in its slot, it will not budge, ensuring it even stitches all the time.

All sewing machines include needles, good quality ones, but this one deserves a special mention due to the heavyweight sewing needles it comes with that can sew water-resistant canvas.

The six feed dog points, along with the spring action zigzag foot, handle the thick fabric feed smoothly. Other than the mentioned foot, you receive five different presser feet, including a button sewing foot.

The needle threading is auto as well. The LCD is simple, and the work area is always bright and easy to work on due to the LED lighting and free arm.

BUDGET PICK
Brother FB1757T Sewing Machine

Features At A Glance:

  • Ideal for repairing hem with the built-in blind hemstitch
  • One 4-step buttonhole style and 4 presser feet
  • Includes a large extension table
  • 800 stitches per minute
  • Top-loading bobbin
  • 17 built-in stitches
{ This Rating Provided Is Personalized }
Heavy Duty 4.5/5 Versatility 4.4/5 Durability 4.5/5
Easy to Use 4.6/5 Easy to Learn 4.7/5 For Beginners 4.4/5
Why We Love It? It’s a machine to mend projects as it provides the facility of blind hem stitch, which lets you stitch professional-looking hems. Then it allows you to try free motion quilting too on its vast quilting table and brightly lit sewing space.

Product information:

Brand Name Brother
Stitch Count 17
Thread Tension Manual
Stitches Per Minute 800
Max Stitch Width 4mm
Max Stitch Length 5mm
Thread Cutter Manual
Included Presser Feet 4

Product Description:

All this while we were talking about affordable sewing machines that were compact and had a free arm to make working on small projects or difficult-to-reach areas of the bigger projects more accessible.

Now, Brother has a sewing machine with a free arm equally compact but with the exception of an extension table for quilting. So, turn the sewing space into a comparatively larger one locking the extension table to the relatively compact but sturdy Brother FB1757T.

You have 17 built-in utility and decorative stitches and four presser feet to work with, and the buttonholes you make might be a tad tough as it has one style of a four-step buttonhole. For smooth fabric feed and even stitches, you have six feed dog points, and you can work on your projects pretty quickly as it sews 800 stitches per minute.

The manual thread tension and needle threading will need little practice to subsist, but the top-loading bobbin and bobbin winding by pressing the vertical shaft will save you time and energy. Select the stitches with the convenient dial and adjust the stitch length and width up to 4 and 5 mm, respectively.

So, it is basically the quintessential easy-to-use, compact, lightweight sewing machine with some very basic features, but the large extension table, along with a few other estimable features, pretty much makes up for the ostensible lackings.

BEST OVERALL
Juki HZL-353ZR-C Sewing Machine

Features At A Glance:

  • 1-step auto-sized buttonhole and 4 presser feet
  • Free arm and drop feed system
  • Auto needle threader
  • 21 built-in stitches
  • Sews 750 SPM
{ This Rating Provided Is Personalized }
Heavy Duty 4.4/5 Versatility 4.6/5 Durability 4.7/5
Easy to Use 4.7/5 Easy to Learn 4.8/5 For Beginners 4.8/5
Why We Love It? HZL-353ZR-C compact sewing machine by Juki. It stitches at a speed of 750 SPM. It’s a compact, lightweight sewing machine that allows you to take it anywhere you want to work on your projects and learn sewing-related stuff.

Product information:

Brand Name Juki
Stitch Count 21
Stitches Per Minute 750
Max Stitch Width 7mm
Max Stitch Length 4mm
Needle Threader Automatic
Included Presser Feet 4

Product Description:

Make your projects stand out with the 21 built-in stitches and make buttonholes the exact same size in all your projects super quickly with the help of its one 1-step auto-sized buttonholing. The threading of the machine is quick, too, as it’s auto.

You get four presser feet, and you can adjust the pressure of these feet on the fabric manually depending on what type of fabric you are stitching at the moment. The machine lets you set the stitch width as high as 7mm and the length to 4mm.

The drop feed system not only lets you lower the feed dogs for sewing buttons but also allows you to try free-motion quilting. Just move the lever and start free-motion quilting.

Remove the free arm to work on sleeves, cuffs, and hems and perfect the awkward sewing jobs. Fix the arm again to work on larger projects lighting up the needle entry area with the white LED backlight.

Your long working hours will not heat the light or sewing space up. Neither will you have eye fatigue, so continue working on your projects as long as you want to.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) 

1. Which sewing machine is the best when it comes to inexpensiveness?

Any of the above five will be the best because they are inexpensive and reasonable. Affordable, yet all sturdy, from well-revered top brands with all the necessary features. Not just that these are easy to use, but complete your projects in no time with perfection, and let you carry them to your classes, hence perfect for apprentices.

The manufacturers distinctly knew what an entry-level machine should be like and produced these sewing machines accordingly. Therefore, they are the best

2. Can I get a computerized sewing machine for under $300?

It’s tough to get a computerized sewing machine, a good one that meets all the high expectations from such a machine, at this affordable budget. And even if some brands make some at such a tight budget, the basic features you get might not be enough for you when you match your expectations with the computerized machine.

All the technology that goes towards an automated sewing machine quite evidently increases its price. Hence, if you are willing to purchase one, better to skip the idea and instead go with a manual one first and keep the computerized one for your next expensive buy.

3. Why is a sewing machine under $300 best for beginners?

A sewing machine under $300 is not a cheap sewing machine. Inexpensive and affordability don’t imply cheap when it comes to quality, and neither the $300 is a low price to invest in a sewing machine. It might not be high-end but can give your project a high-end finish.

You will not get hundreds of stitches, and you might not enjoy many automated facilities from it. But such machines will provide you with the best of the basics to make your projects look perfect at a price that you can actually afford. Also, these machines don’t have complicated features, so amateurs will not get overwhelmed with all the complex options.

Rather they will be able to learn the important stuff with ease. Last but not least, such machines are mostly compact and lightweight, hence easy to take to sewing classes. Therefore, a sewing machine under $300 is always the best for beginners.

4. How speedy my sewing machine has to be at entry-level?

A slow machine is always a nightmare to work with, whether you are a beginner or a skillful professional. The perfect speed not only finishes the projects quicker and absorbs less energy from you, but also plays its part in smooth and even stitching.

So, your sewing machine must work at a decent to moderate speed. The sewing machines we have discussed have a sewing speed between 750-800 SPM. So, it’s pretty evident that in our opinion, at an entry level, you will need a sewing machine at least that speedy to continue working on your skill to learn sewing with full fervor.

5. Will a sewing machine under $300 and its features complete my projects with finesse?

It will as they are some of the best in the market. Not just in terms of mechanism, and sturdiness but with auto features, speed, and accessories as well. The finesse mostly comes with smooth fabric feed and even stitches on the material, which you will get from these machines in full force thanks to the feed dog points, sturdy build, and perfect alignment of different mechanisms.

Conclusion

When we had to talk about the best sewing machine under $300, along with the price and quality, we emphasized compactness. A beginner has a lot to consider, and taking the sewing machine to classes and practicing sewing or working on mini-projects in any corner of a room is a common sight for any beginner.

The focus is to make things work for them to hold on to their interest with full zest continuously. So, if you are buying one on your own, keep that point in your mind. An easy, compact sewing machine will not bind you with its size and features.

Neither such machines, due to their parsimonious price, will be near advanced or automated. Your learning journey will be convenient and fun for sure. Hopefully, our choice has helped you to choose your sewing companion for the next couple of years.

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