Whether you’re a keen crafter or just need to make some basic repairs to clothing, it is crucial to have the best hand sewing needle on hand. A good quality needle can help you to avoid fabric snagging and damage, to make short work of any sewing project.
Our team has reviewed over twenty hand sewing needles to determine which offers the best performance for any sewing project. Our editors’ pick, the WellieSTR 50PCS Special Packing Needles offers great versatility with several different types and sizes of needles to suit practically any sewing task. We’ve also ranked other hand sewing needles of different types and price points to ensure a great pick for everyone.
Our research team has taken a great deal of time to research the best hand sewing needles. Whether you’re a beginner wanting to learn to sew or an experienced crafter, you need high-quality needles. We’ve explored the different needle types, but we’ve also assessed the different sizes and materials to help provide insight. First and foremost, we’ve looked at the versatility of the packs, so you can have needles to meet your specific requirements, but we’ve also assessed the quality and manufacturer standards. We have presented our data as a basic overview table with a list of detailed reviews. We have also included a buying guide to help you make your purchase decision.
Other features: 50 needles, needles for sack gunny bag/package
WellieSTR needles are special packing needles that have a curved point to make it easier for sewing gunny sacks or other heavy duty materials. There are 50 needles in the pack that are six inches long with a neat curved point.
These are more specialist needles that may not be required in every sewing kit, but if you do work with heavier materials such as canvas, they can make lighter work of these heavy duty tasks. The needles have been constructed to withstand this heavier use that would compromise lighter needles to be the best hand sewing needles for upholstery.
Other features: 55 mm long, made in England
This is a set of 25 glovers beading needles made in England. The needles are size number ten and each needle measures two inches in length with a thin diameter.
English beading needles are designed to be long, thin and flexible that allow fitting of even the smallest beads. These are the most common type of beading needle that can be used for beadwork and beading stitching including netting and brick stitches.
Other features: 1.7 cm long eye, random color, 500-pack, great for crafts and stitchery
This is a mammoth 500 piece pack of plastic sewing needles that are great for all types of stitching. The needles are approximately 2.75 inches long and feature a long eye, making it easier for threading. The needles are also supplied in bright colors, so you should have difficulty losing them.
While plastic needles are cheaper and may not be suitable for more delicate work, where they may snag the fabric, they are an excellent choice for children. While children may struggle to grip and use a metal needle, plastic needles can be a little more kid friendly. So, if you want to teach your little one the basics of sewing, these needles are a great choice.
Other features: each package contains 30 assorted hand sewing needles (2 pcs pack) and bonus 2 needle threaders
Cashmina House offer an assorted selection of sewing needles in a handy storage compact. You can “dial a needle” by lining up the circle above the compartment to allow your selected needle to slide out. Each of the packs contain 30 sewing needles of various sizes and two needle threaders to make it easier for those who struggle threading.
This selection of needles ensures that you have a variety on hand for any sewing project, from sewing canvas, cloth, upholstery, carpet or even leather. These stainless steel needles are good quality, providing a multi-purpose tool that is handy to keep in your sewing kit that is the best size needles for hand sewing, quilt binding and other general purposes.
Other features: triangularly-polished tip, leather, suede, vinyl and soft plastic suitable, large needle eye, needle bottle
Its perfect ratings of 5 out of 5 stars makes it an ideal choice for its users. It is a durable appliance made of stainless steel. It has a product dimension of 4.78 in × 2.25 in × 1 in and an item weight of 5.3 ounces. It is well organized and all the needles are properly arranged in a needle bottle. This offers you a safe place to keep your needles.
It comes in various sizes, such as 4 pieces leather craft needles in 4 sizes, including 2 pcs 0.86*44mm, 2 pcs 1.25*52mm, 2 pcs 1.63*58mm, 2 pcs 1.83*70mm. These different types of needles suit your demands. It is also worth noting that these leather needles are durable, sturdy and easily pierce through fabrics. It is ideal for all kinds of embroidering sewing, threading, stitching, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, decorative stitching, and other craft projects. With triangle pointed these leather sewing needles won’t widen or crack the hole of the leather, the needle tips are deliberately designed to reduce the resistance.
It is made up of a triangularly-polished tip. These leather triangular needles are practical leather craft tool. Furthermore, the three sided, triangular point is very sharp, allowing it to penetrate thick layers of fabric without tearing. If you hand stitch leather the triangle point of these needles cut right into the leather. Easy and quick.
Other features: the set includes sewing needles #9 (x8), milliners needles #8, 9,10 (x2), quilting needles #10 (x6), applique needles #10 (x6), embroidery needles #7, 8, 9, 10 (x2), patchwork pins (x60); made in Hiroshima
The Tulip needle set includes the best-selling styles to provide versatility in your sewing kit. There are Milliner’s, quilting, applique, embroidery needles in multiple sizes. The set also includes 60 glass headed pins.
These needles are produced by the well regarded company Tulip in Hiroshima, Japan. This area has a rich history of needle making and you can tell that each needle has been made with superb attention to detail. While this set may not be supplied in a fancy gift box, it makes a solid addition to any sewing kit and is our pick as the best general purpose hand sewing needles.
Other features: 1 3/8″ long, super thin, small eye, come in a little foil package
The Japanese TEC Tokyo needles are very sharp and super thin, making them easily glide through multiple layers of fabric. Whether you’re working with wool, silk or cotton, you’ll find these needles can move smoothly without a risk of shredding your thread. The pack of 25 needles are wrapped in a foil package, so you will need a container to keep them in, once you open up the package.
The Japanese Tec Tokyo needles do have a relatively small eye, but most types of needle threaders will still work. These are high quality needles that can make light weight of any sewing task and are our pick as the best sharp hand sewing needles.
Other features: 30 assorted hand needles per pack; for most sewing works; max cable for 9 mm-width ribbon
The Tong 30 count needle set provides an assortment of sizes in a convenient dispenser. You simply slide the circle around to select your desired size and the needle will simply slide out. These needles include a variety of sizes for different uses, making them suitable for different fabrics including cotton, silk, denim, leather or canvas. This makes it easy to have the ideal needle on hand for any repair issue or sewing project.
Each needle is made of metal for easier glide through most sewing works including quilting, crafting, darning or embroidery.
Other features: large blunt eyes, easy and safe to use, 1000 pieces
D Dolity needles are made of durable, high quality plastic that are great for crafts. The needles feature large blunt eyes to make them easier and safer to use. The needles are approximately 2.75 inches long, making them a perfect size for both children and adult sized hands. This makes this our pick for the best hand sewing needles for kids.
The needles are made from a mixture of ABS and POM resins for a durable finish. Additionally, the 1000 piece pack will ensure that you always have a needle on hand for any repair task or sewing project.
Other features: nickel finish, 38 – 47 mm long, 0,6 – 0,7 mm in diameter, golden eye, set 10 pc
Czech Beads Exclusive needles have a length of 1 ½ to 2 inches long and a diameter of 2/10 of an inch. The set of 10 provide sharp needles that are ideal for regular hand sewing. The needles are good quality and feature a golden eye for easier threading and smoother sewing.
The Czech Beads Exclusive needles have a nickel finish for durability and avoiding the potential for fabric snagging or thread shredding.
Other features: come with 2 needle threaders and 1 stitch remover in the package
We can all agree that large eye sewing needles need to be strong, sharp, and flawless. Our expert review team chose the Yahong set of 30 large eye sewing needles as the best in the category because of their superb strength and durability.
We tested the whole set of needles on all kinds of materials, from wool to denim to boat canvas to simulate regular rough usage. All but the smallest in the set performed excellently, while one of the smallest needles broke when we attempted to push it through some layered denim.
Yahong mades its needles from tough iron alloys that are both very strong and quite malleable to give them some flexibility. We were really impressed at how long they can keep their sharp edge and resist corrosion, make them some of the best overall sewing needles for home use.
Whether you are a keen crafter or just want to be able to make simple repairs, good sewing needles are a vital tool for your sewing kit. However, with so many different types of sewing needles, making your purchase decision can be a little tricky. Here we’ve supplied a buying guide with the things you should consider and features to be on the lookout for. We’ve also provided some answers to common questions to aid you to make your final purchase decision.
Hand sewing is not only portable for quick repairs, but it can also offer some benefits compared to machine sewing. Hand sewing can improve your coordination, requiring that your fingers and brain work together. Sewing by hand is also a quiet and relaxing pass time, so if you’re looking for a way to switch off from your hectic everyday activities and want to produce something beautiful, hand sewing may be the answer.
Hand sewing is also better for certain projects compared to machine sewing. Delicate fabrics can be vulnerable to snagging or damage during machine sewing, but you will have better control with hand sewing. Additionally, hand sewing can be used to preserve the stitching on vintage garments.
With so many different needles, it can be challenging to select the best one for your requirements. Here we’ll explore the features you should consider to narrow your choices and find the best one for your specific needs.
There are several different types of sewing needles that are better suited to specific tasks.
Sharps: These are often referred to as a general purpose needle that are medium length with a sharp point and round eye. As the name suggests, the point of these needles is very sharp, so you need to be careful when sewing thin or delicate fabrics. However, sharps can be used for a variety of different sewing tasks in a similar way to universal machine needles.
Quilting: These are needles specifically designed for quilting. The needle is short and have a smaller, round eye. This allows for more precise stitches with greater speed, making it a good needle choice for any detail work.
Ballpoint: These needles are designed for knit fabrics and have a smooth, rounded point that can pass between the fabric threads. The ballpoint will protect your knit fabrics; preventing damage or runs to the fabric.
Darners: As the name would suggest, these are for darning and have a long eye and sharp point that is ideal for mending most types of woven fabrics.
Embroidery: These have a similar point as a sharp, but have an elongated eye that can accommodate thicker threads or embroidery floss. This allows these needles to be used for general stitching that needs thicker thread.
While needles can vary in size and length, generally speaking larger number needles are both finer and shorter.
As we touched on above in the different needle types, needles can have different points and eyes. Larger eyes allow for thicker threads, with smaller eyes being easier to use with thin threads, but they can be harder to thread. The needle point is an important consideration for the type of sewing task and the fabric you’re working on.
If you are working on knit fabrics, you should opt for a ball point, like the Leader-Sewing Needles, while regular points are better suited to light to heavyweight fabrics.
The needle material can not only influence the cost of a needle, but also impact sewing performance. Generally, metal needles such as stainless steel or nickel can offer greater glide through fabrics. However, there are benefits to plastic needles, such as they are more child-friendly, like the D DOLITY. Again, you will need to assess the types of sewing tasks you plan on completing to determine the best needle material for your projects.
While we have explored some fantastic options, there are several standouts among the best hand sewing needles. The WellieSTR needles are special packing needles that have a curved point to make it easier for sewing gunny sacks or other heavy-duty materials. The FindingKing 25 Needles is a set of 25 glovers beading needles made in England. The needles are size number ten and each needle measures two inches in length with a thin diameter.
