Buying the best commercial embroidery machine can easily take your business to the next level. While some embroidery machines designed for casual, home use can do some of the things you would expect from a commercial machine, you can’t rely on them to handle big project that need to be done in a specific period of time. With a high-quality commercial embroidery machine, you can complete your orders from customers in a fraction of the time, whether you want to sell embroidered clothing online or have your own embroidery shop.
Commercial embroidery machines are more powerful than home machines designed for enthusiasts and hobbyists, and there are numerous features you need to consider when shopping for one. Some of the important characteristics to look at include the embroidery speed, USB connectivity, embroidery size, number and type of needles and much more. To find the best commercial embroidery machine for a small business, consider the way you intend to use it as well as your budget.
To make your search simpler, we spent days reviewing the best commercial embroidery machines on the market and reading hundreds of reviews from business owners and professionals who tested them. We selected the six best commercial embroidery machines out there with the Juki Tajima Sai as our Editor’s Choice and reviewed them comprehensively. You can find our in-depth reviews below, together with a comparison table and a buying guide at the end that will offer you all the information you need to make the right choice. Let’s have a look at the six best commercial embroidery machine for home businesses.
Extra features: 13 languages, 6” Full Color Touch Screen Display, file format .dst, .tcf, LAN connectivity
For light commercial uses, the Juki Tajima Sai is a compact embroidery machine. The 8 needles commercial embroidery system, comes with easy-to-use software which lets you start embroidering names instantly. Using the laser positioning system, you can line up your starting point.
The embroiderer is a piece of sewing equipment, just like the sewing machine and the serger. It is complementary to them, concentrating on the visible decorative aspect, where the other machines worry about laying solid seams and perfect finishes.
This device embroiders fabrics in the desired patterns. The embroidery machine is therefore aimed at creative seamstresses who wish to personalize their work, whether they are amateurs or professionals, beginners in the field, or already experienced. All kinds of patterns can be embroidered with this machine: alphabet, numbers, symbols, flowers, objects, logos, images, photos, and more.
The embroidery machine works at a gentle speed of 800 stitches per minute. It has USB connectivity for transferring your embroidery patterns. It supports file formats such as .dst and.tcf and also has LAN connectivity.
Extra features: 50 built-in designs and 10 fonts, 6 LED lights for bright working area, comes with accessory pack which includes 3 hoops
This seven-needle embroidery machine is designed for home-based businesses, but users also mentioned that it works well in professional embroidery studios as well. One of the first features that you notice on the Janome MB-7 Embroidery Machine is the remote computer screen, which offers the users a visual image of the built-in designs and monogramming fonts. You also get a read-out of the thread colors, as well as the total number of stitches required for each thread color and the total time it takes to complete the design.
Most of the users who reviewed this embroidery machine noted that even though this machine is not a suitable choice for those who are only starting out in the world of embroidery – it takes a bit of practice to wind and insert the bobbins – it can still be learned by anyone. What most users liked is the fact that you can connect the Janome MB-7 Embroidery Machine to a laptop or computer via the USB cable provided, so you can see all the embroidery design and other data on the remote computer screen.
This embroidery machine is a suitable choice for multiple types of fabrics, including natural ones such as cotton or linen, denim, upholstery, knits, canvas, plastic and more. It comes with a selection of accessories such as a seam reaper, spool pads, USB cable, as well as a comprehensive manual with everything there is to know about operating the machine correctly.
Extra features: 4 LED lights for bright working area, large 3MB memory capacity, allowing you to store up to 1,500,000 stitches or 100 designs, automatic thread cutter, supports .JEF+, .JEF, and .DST formats, comes with 4 hoops
The Janome MB-4S is a suitable choice for people who are only starting their home-based embroidery business, but also for more established business thanks to the versatility of designs and the existence of multiple useful features. With embroidery speeds of up to 800 stitches per minute and 50 built-in design, this machine also comes complete with 2 and 3-letter monogramming and 10 different fonts to allow you to unleash your creativity. Users mostly liked he automatic thread cuter and the 5.7-inch remote computer screen that makes it easy to see the design and make changes in real time.
The dedicated bobbin winding motor of this embroidery machine winds new bobbins even during use, something that is not often found in professional embroidery machines. The on-board storage includes 3 MB of storage memory, which is enough for 100 designs or 1.5 million stitches. Another thing users liked about the Janome MB-4S is the fact that it comes with an extra-large bobbin that is 1.4 times larger than regular ones you can find on similar machines.
The Janome MB-4S is compatible with all standard Janome hoops, which means that you can transfer the ones you may have from a Janome machine for home use. Users also loved that the machine can work with just about any of the formats used by industry professionals.
Extra features: 200 embroidery designs + 6 alphabet options, 250 built-in stitches, automatic needle threader, snap-on embroidery hoops
The Singer Legacy SE300 is built on the company’s years of experience in this field and it is a solid entry into the new digital era of sewing and embroidery. The SE300 features an LCD touch screen that is preloaded with useful software to provide 250 built-in stitches and a large embroidery area that gives you plenty of flexibility for larger projects. This is a combo machine, it is suitable for sewing and embroidery work and it has an auto needle threader and auto thread tension to boost your efficiency and productivity. The sewing space measures 7.8” and the two embroidery hoops are 10¼” x 6″ and the 4″ x 4″ to work easily on small and large projects with precision.
The Legacy SE300 comes with 10 different presser feet that can be changed quickly to match your needs. The speed of the machine can be adjusted with a single button press up to a maximum of 800 sewing stitches and 700 embroidery stitches per minute. The needle can be halted in the up or down position with a button press or automatically if you’ve set the needle position as part of your sewing program. The stitch width and length are full adjustable and you can also set the spaces between those stitches. A built-in thread cutter allows trimming at the touch of a button which means you can trim the upper thread and bobbit and start sewing again without adjusting or removing anything. The SE300 has a choice of 200 embroidery designs, 69 are preloaded on the machine and a further 131 are supplied on a USB stick.
Extra features: 208 built-in designs, 5” color touch screen, Deluxe software package
The Bernette B70 Deco is an affordable embroidery machine with a color touch screen for easier editing. The position of the 5” touch screen is optimized for the sewer and you have a set of multi-function knobs for even more control. This makes it easy to carry out fine tuning of the positioning, sizing, stitch selection and much more. It is true that this can be a complex machine to learn but there are many tips and tutorials available online to help you get the most out of your machine. The embroidery module has 3 different sized hoops and auto hoop detection to help you find the exact hoop to match your embroidery design. It’s possible to embroider a motif up to 260 x 160 mm with no need to hoop your project. The hoops operate with a quick release system, the embroidery area is set with the touch screen and this allows you to adapt your embroidery design as desired.
The B70 Deco comes with a large number of creative options right out of the box. The machine comes with 208 embroidery designs, 7 embroidery fonts and a huge selection of motifs. All the motifs can be edited with the touch screen with common functions, such as: move, rotate, filip and combine. This machine comes with a USB port so you can easily upload your own designs with the Bernina Toolbox software. The B70 Decon is compatible with a wide variety of embroidery design formats so you won’t need to convert your files in software. However, the Bernina Toolbox software adds a great deal to the package, with 300 extra embroidery designs and another 100 embroidery fonts included.
There are upper and lower thread sensors to detect when a bobbin runs empty and stop the machine. This allows you to continue your embroidery project once the bobbin has refilled. The presser foot pressure and thread tension can be adjusted to suit the material that you are working with. As an example: If you’re working with a thin or lightweight fabrice you may want to adjust the thread tension and foot presser foot pressure individually to get the optimal results. The Bernette B70 Deco is packed with useful features, the stitches are precise and beautiful and this would be a good purchase for any embroidery enthusiast.
Extra features: Smart Embroidery System, free-hand stitch function, 10.4-inch touchscreen LCD panel, WiFi setup
The SWF MAS 12-Needle Embroidery Machine has a relatively small footprint of 2’ x 2’ and it weighs only 90 lbs. This is a light and compact machine that can handle most embroidery tasks, including: full jacket (front or back), left chest designs, monograms, precise caps and more. You get a great deal in this package, including: a tool kit, spare parts, a Wifi router, an adjustable heavy duty stand, Sierra Lettering and Editing software, 5 sets of hoops, square hoops, a Large Cone Thread and Supplies kit (needles, snippers, backing and bobbins) and a Quick Change Cap Frame Driver with Hoops and Gauge. If all this wasn’t enough the MAS-12 comes with lifetime support!
As you can see, this machine is an excellent choice for a business embroidery machine. However, there is far more to get excited about, including: laser guidance to ease placement, 12 needle auto color change, auto thread tensioner, a massive 14” x 9” sewing field, a WiFi connection, an exclusive applique mode, a 10” high resolution LCD screen, auto trimmers and a 7 year warranty. Although it is true that this machine has a steep learning curve it is a great machine for an intermediate to professional user.
Whether you are looking to purchase a commercial embroidery machine for a start-up business or to improve the logistics of a business that is already up and running, it’s important to consider the type of wok you intend to do with them, as well as your understanding of the process before parting with your money. With a commercial embroidery machine, you can computerize and optimize your workflow for outstanding results, which is why it’s very important to make an informed choice. Below you will find everything you need to know before investing in a commercial embroidery machine for your business.
A commercial embroidery machine is just the right kind of machinery you need to get your business to the next level. While you can technically get good results with an embroidery machine for home use, a model that is specifically built for large volumes of work can help you achieve the desired results in less time and with enhanced accuracy. Because they are capable of reproducing designs perfectly, the best commercial embroidery machines on the market can follow every stitching detail flawlessly and require less babysitting than machines designed for home use.
The key features you need to look for when shopping for a commercial embroidery machine range from the amount of built-in memory to computer connectivity, and from the number of needles to the embroidery speed. Here is an outline of some of the most important features to look for in a commercial embroidery machine.
The main types of embroidery machines you can find on the market are those intended for home use and those designed for commercial purposes. Both of them may be embroidery machines only or they may be a combination of sewing and embroidery machines. When choosing the right type, consider whether you need a machine for large scale use, as home models may not be able to support embroidering dozens of designs per day or more, which may be essential for embroidery shops.
The number of designs and stitches you get with a commercial embroidery machine is essential for those who want to be able to create various designs that suit the preferences of as many customers as possible. You can expect to get an average of 50 built-in designs with commercial embroidery machines, but some models, such as the Bernette B70 Deco come with more than 200 of them.
The embroidery speed of commercial embroidery machines is generally higher than that of machines designed for home use.
For best results, look for a model with at least 600 stitches per minute.
Most of the commercial embroidery machines on the market come with several needles, ranging from universal point ones to metallic needles and topstitch needles. When choosing the right needle for your project, you need to consider both the needle point and determine whether it’s suitable for your type of fabric, and its size, which determines the tension of the top thread.
The size of the embroidery field area determines the size of the projects you can tackle with your commercial embroidery machine. From 4 x 4 to 10 x 6, there are lots of sizes available, with machines such as the Juki Tajima Sai featuring very large fields of 19.6 x 16.5 inches.
Some commercial embroidery machines can be connected directly to a PC or laptop so you can upload new designs instantly and edit existent ones as well. Other models come with USB ports so you can import designs on an USB stick.
Various manufacturers use different file formats, so you should make sure you check for compatibility when buying a new embroidery machine if you already have a portfolio of designs in a specific format.
Most of the commercial embroidery machines we reviewed come with a wide range of accessories, ranging from extra hoops to suit different projects to multiple needles and thread attachments. Check whether the model you intend to buy comes with all the accessories you need to complete your particular projects.
Unlike machines designed for home use, commercial embroidery machines tend to be on the large side, which means that you need to consider whether you have enough room to fit the machine comfortably.
Because of their dimension, commercial embroidery machines tend to be quite heavy, which means that you need to consider whether you have a spot to support it well.
Commercial embroidery machines generally come with extended warranties, which are longer than those you would expect from a machine intended for home use. For example, the Janome MB-7 Embroidery Machine has a warranty of 25 years, which means you get a long-term investment for your business.
Most of the commercial embroidery machines we reviewed are quite expensive and their price may act as a deterrent for new businesses. However, you should also keep in mind that you’re investing in a quality product that is bound to increase your productivity and take your business to the next level.
Some of the important things to keep in mind when choosing an embroidery machine for a home business are the correct software for your needs and making sure you keep the machine in good working condition by keeping it oiled. You should also make sure you invest in a high-quality machine and that you use high quality threads for all your projects for best results.
Choosing the best commercial embroidery machine is no easy task, particularly because there are so many features to take into account. The type and quality of machine you choose will determine the quality and look of your embroideries, so it’s essential to choose wisely. Our editor’s choice, the Juki Tajima Sai could be the perfect option for your needs. Those who are more interested in a wide range of accessories and a remote LCD touchscreen may find the Janome MB-7 Embroidery Machine a perfect choice. Finally, the Janome MB-4S is a suitable choice for people who are only starting their home-based embroidery business, but also for more established businesses thanks to the versatility of designs and the existence of multiple useful features. No matter which model you may end up choosing, remember to consider the type of work you intend to do with the machine before making a decision.
