Best Embroidery Machines for Hats, Shirts & Hoodies

Are you in search of the best embroidery machine for hats, shirts, or hoodies? Well, I have explained everything about choosing the best embroidery machine and reviewed 10+ embroidery machines in detail for both beginners and experts out there. You can choose one of our top picks in the list or decide your companion own by reading this whole guide. When you want an embroidery machine for hats, shirts, hoodies, pants, shoes or bags, or such other stuff, this guide will cover everything. So, keep reading!

There are many Embroidery Machines available in the market but a few of them are the best Embroidery Machines for Hats, Shirts & Hoodies. You are going to invest a lot in an embroidery machine that’s why you have to do research on it. If I can remember I ordered my first embroidery machine after deep research of almost 4 months.

And, you might be thinking, that was the right decision to wait for so long and do research for just a machine. Well, it was proved the right decision because I was aware of almost all of the features that a good embroidery machine must have in it.

Before starting this in-depth review, I want to tell you that this is completely my own opinion and review that I am going to share with you. I have tried my best to include everything that you need before buying an embroidery machine for you. Also, all of the machines mentioned on the list are for mid-level and high-end embroidery and may have high price tags. So, you might consider some Best Cheap Embroidery Machines if you just want a very cheap embroidery machine as a beginner.

Best Embroidery Machines for Hats, Shirts & Hoodies in 2022

Below is the list of Best Embroidery Machines that you can use to embroider hats, shirts, or hoodies. Below given embroidery machines are based on the overall rank and are our top picks if you want to have an embroidery machine for hats, shirts or hoodies.

1. Brother Persona PRS100 (Read our review)
2. Melco Amaya Bravo (Read our review)
3. Singer Legacy SE300 (Read our review)
4. Bernette B79 (Read our review)
5. Juki Tajima SAI (Read our review)

Cheap Embroidery Machines To Embroider Hats, Caps, Shirts, Hoodies & Shirts

• Brother SE1900 (Read our review)
• Brother SE600 (Read our review)
• Janome Horizon Memory Craft 14000 (Read our review)
• Bernina’s Bernette B79 (Read our review)
• SINGER Legacy SE300 (Read our review)
• Brother PE800 (Read our review)
• Brother NQ3600D (Read our review)

Commercial Embroidery Machines To Embroider Hats, Caps, Shirts, Hoodies & Shirts

• Brother Persona PRS100 (Read our review)
• Juki Tajima Sai (Read our review)
• Melco Amaya Bravo (Read our review)
• Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic (Read our review)
• SWF MAS 12-Needle

I have added almost every embroidery machine that can be used to embroider hats, shirts, or patches and also fulfill the quality criteria. Let’s now discuss each machine in detail and check which one is best for you.

Affordable Embroidery Machines

Brother SE1900

Brother SE1900 is a perfect sewing and embroidery machine for those who want a versatile machine that can be used for sewing and embroidering perfectly.

The reason why I am placing it on the top of the list is its stitching quality and the extremely smooth experience that people get after using this machine. Unfortunately, I don’t have this model but one of my friends had this sewing machine. So, I tested my friend’s sewing machine and it was really a great experience. The way we can interact with this sewing machine is way easier.

Don’t you think that its swing speed of 850 SPM (Stitches Per Minute) and 240 built-in stitches are enough to provide a smooth sewing experience to you? You might say that its sewing speed isn’t so good but let me tell you that 850 SPM is a good sewing speed for average projects. 

If you want something higher than this sewing speed then you can consider other machines like the Juki TL-2000Qi which can provide you a speed of 1500 SPM. You are not bound to 240 built-in stitches but you can also create your own stitching style by using the “My Custom Stitch” feature.

You can also do quilting with Brother SE1900 and of course embroidery too. To provide you with the best embroidery features, it offers you 5” x 7” space for embroidering. You can also use your own custom smaller hoops if you want to design something smaller. And, it comes with a dedicated presser foot for embroidery including 7 other presser feet for sewing. 

There are 11 fonts available in this sewing and embroidery machine. 7 of them are English Fonts and you can use these fonts to create some basic designs. You can monogram also with these basic fonts and you do not need to pay or spend a lot of time just creating the design as long as you need basic designs only containing letters.

It also comes with 138 embroidery designs; you can use any of these built-in designs for your projects. To be honest, these 138 embroidery designs would not quench your thirst for creating an amazing craft. And, that is where its design importing feature will come from. You can connect this machine with your PC or laptop and can import your design from the .pes file directly with this machine. 

Also, you can use a USB device to import your designs to this machine. Another important thing that an embroidery machine must have is storage to save the embroidery design. And, Brother SE1900 comes with built-in space to save your embroidery designs when you transfer them to your machine.

After importing your embroidery design, you can also make some basic edits to your design on your machine’s LCD screen.

Features of Brother SE1900 

Here below is the list of complete features that the brother Brother SE1900 Sewing and Embroidery machine offers, 

• Sewing Speed: 850 SPM (Stitches Per Minute)
• Built-in Stitches: 240 for Sewing
• My Custom Stitch feature
• Built-in Embroidery Designs: 138
• Built-in Fonts: 11 in total (7 for English)
• Touch LCD has a wide area (3” x 1.6”)
• Adjustable LCD Screen Brightness
• 7 Presser feet for sewing
• 1 dedicated Presser feet for Embroidery
• Embroidery Designs Combining feature
• Automatic Needle Threader
• Embroidery Designs Editing on the LCD screen
• 7 Feed Dog points
• Upper Thread Sensor
• Bobbin Thread Sensor
• Knee Lifter included
• Speed control feature
• Stitch length up to 5mm
• Machine weight: 22.05 lbs.

Pros

Here below are the advantages of Brother SE1900,

• You can edit your Embroidery Designs on LCD Screen with basic options (Rescaling, Resizing and Rotating, etc.)
• 240 built-in stitches for sewing need
• 138 Embroidery Designs for basic crafting
• You can combine embroidery designs with it and some parts of the designs too
• It can store up to 15 custom created stitches with the My Custom Stitch feature
• 8 Presser feet with 1 dedicated to embroidery
• 11 fonts to create a basic design for embroidery
• This machine provides you a signal on the LCD screen when your Bobbin Thread is going to end
• 25 years warranty

Cons

What are the reasons to avoid this Brother SE1900? Well, here the following are the cons of this machine,

• No extension table included
• It does not come with a Free-Arm Configuration
• 5″ x 7″ embroidery hoops are not enough for large projects
• No setting available to set embroidery speed
• This is a single needle machine and requires a change of thread for different colors in a design
• There is no automatic thread cutter

Brother SE600

Brother SE600 is a great choice if you are low on budget and you know, this great machine is offering you some great features under $600. You can understand the difference on your own between an Embroidery Machine costing $10,000 and this one which only costs $600. To be honest, this is also not a bad deal for home embroidering. Obviously, you will not get a Free-Arm configuration because this is a Sewing and Embroidery Machine. But, still, you can embroider simple designs on Hats, Shirts, Hoodies, etc. Obviously, you have to compromise its quality because a machine costing $10,000 has something extraordinary and on the other side, you can not expect the same from a machine costing only $600.

Brother SE600 offers you the sewing speed of 710 SPM (Stitches per Minute). It is an average sewing speed but it is good if we compare it with its price tag. Well, to make this review as short as possible so that you may not feel bored, I am moving towards its features and other details.

Features of Brother SE600

Here are some salient features of Brother SE600,

• Speed of 710 SPM (Stitches per Minute)
• 80 Built-in Embroidery Design
• 6 Fonts to create cool monograms
• 103 Built-in Stitches
• 10 Auto-size Buttonholes
• USB Port to import designs
• 3.2″ LCD Screen
• 1 Embroidery Hoop (4″ x 4″)
• 7 Sewing Feet
• Automatic Thread Cutter

Pros

Why am I saying that this is the perfect machine for people who have a very tight budget and are beginners in embroidery? Well, here is the answer,

• Low-Priced Machine: Well, it is one of the cheapest and most affordable machines to embroider hats, shirts, and hoodies. Also, you can embroider small pockets, shoes, bags, and socks very well with it but still, it is a good machine to start a business from your home.
• Designs Import Feature: Brother SE600 allows you to import your Embroidery Designs from a USB Stick as long as the designs are in .PES format. You can create beautiful embroidery designs on any designing software or can directly download them online from ibroidery.com and can import them to your machine.
• Best for Beginners: It is the best embroidery machine for beginners because of its price and also simple interface. Although, its computer interface may be a bit difficult for some people they would love it as soon as they get hands-on with it.

Cons

Although I recommend this machine for simple embroidery designs and home-based embroidery, still you can avoid it if you want these below-mentioned features.

• Only single Hoop: Yes you can only use 4″ x 4″ hoops to embroidery your Shirts, Hats, and Hoodies. You can also make patches with this hoop but you can not attach a larger hoop with it. 4″ x 4″ is the maximum embroidery area that you get with this machine. So, you can not embroider large stuff with it.
• On-Screen Editing: It will not offer you the on-screen editing feature on its medium-size LCD Screen (3.2 inches). But you can create words with 6 included default fonts.

Janome Horizon Memory Craft 14000

Up till now, you have seen some basic combo machines. I mean you were not getting some advanced embroidery features that come with a sewing machine also. But, Janome Horizon Memory Craft 14000 is a perfect machine for those who want to embroider hats, shirts, caps, and hoodies but not at a commercial level. Still, it has some limitations and that’s the reason I am not listing it as a perfect commercial machine for embroidery.

If you want an embroidery-focused machine then this is not the best choice for you. You can consider other machines reviewed here like Melco Amaya Bravo, SWF 12 Needle Embroidery Machine and Juki Tajima Sai, etc.

Check below the features, pros, and cons of Janome Horizon MC 14000,

Features of Janome Horizon MC 14000

Here below are the salient features of Janome Horizon Memory Craft 14000.

• The sewing speed of 1000 SMP (Stitches per Minute)
• 350 Built-in Embroidery Designs
• 11 Built-in Fonts (*with European characters)
• USB Connectivity Port
• Speed Controller (600-1000 SMP)
• Stitch Length 0 to 5 mm
• 13 One-step Buttonholes
• Automatic Thread Tension
• Automatic Needle Threader
• LCD Full-Color Touch Screen (7.7 x 4.7 inches)
• Start/Stop Button
• Vast Embroidery Area (9.1” x 11.8”)
• Weight 62.7 lbs. (28.4 Kg)
• 7-piece feed dog

Pros

Here are some reasons to consider this machine for embroidery.

• 350 Built-in Designs: You can embroider any designs from these built-in designs without any hassle. Just select a design and start embroidering it on Hats, Shirts, and Hoodies.
• USB Connectivity: Yes, you can import any of your favorite designs right from your USB stick as long as the design in .JEF, .JEF+ or .JPX format.
• On-Screen Editing: You can also do basic editing to your embroidery design. This machine provides you with some more options on editing like resize, combine, duplicate, rotate, flip, arc, group, drag & drop, zoom, trace, and user color choice. You can combine more than one design too and also you can trace one. Color-changing feature in editing is also a good choice.
• Special Connectivity with PC: You can also have a real-time connection with your PC and this machine by Horizon Link Suite. Obviously, you can transfer your designs from your PC to your machine directly after this connection.
• Vast Embroidery Area: This is something really amazing, it provides you with an Embroidery Area of 9.1 x 11.8 inches. You can embroider large stuff easily with it and helps you to make large patches too.

Cons

Here are some disadvantages of Janome Horizon Memory Craft 14000 (MC 14000).

• Flatbed Configuration: It does not come with a Free-Arm configuration and that’s why you can not embroider perfectly small corners and small things where a machine with Free-Arm can. And, that’s the reason you can’t go on a commercial level with this machine.

Bernina’s Bernette B79

Bernina’s Bernette 79 is a great choice for beginners and the people who want something high quality but also are low budget. Bernette B79 comes with a sewing speed of 1,000 SPM and an embroidery speed of 850 SPM. The best part of Bernette B79 is, that it does not require any special file format for your own imported embroidery designs. Embroidery machines from other companies require a special file format otherwise the machine will not be able to read the design detail as Brother machines use .PES format for embroidery designs.

If you do not have enough budget and still want Bernette Embroidery Machine then you can consider Bernette 70 Deco Embroidery Machine.

It works well with many formats and you can import any kind of embroidery design by using your USB Flashdrive because it has a USB Port. It also comes with a vast embroidery area which is 260 x 160 mm (Almost 10.2 x 6.2 inches) and that’s a great feature to deal with large stuff like a bag.

Bernina and Bernette Sewing Machines are of high quality and they are worth buying even some users complain about their high prices. Bernette is a subsidiary of Bernina and always maintains quality in its machines. And, after having a look at its features you will also realize how affordable this machine is. Let’s have a look at other details of Bernette B79.

Features of Bernette B79

Here is the list of features of the Bernette B79 for which I am considering it the most affordable and quality embroidery machine.

1. The sewing speed of 1000 SPM (Stitches Per Minute)
2. Embroidery Speed of 850 SPM (Stitches Per Minute)
3. 3 Embroidery hoops
4. 500 Built-in stitches
5. Custom Stitch Feature
6. 5 inches full-color LCD screen
7. 7 1-step Buttonholes
8. Automatic thread cutter
9. Semi-Auto Needle Threader
10. 208 Embroidery Designs
11. 7 Embroidery Fonts
12. On-screen editing of Embroidery Designs
13. Bernina Toolbox
14. 10 years warranty
15. 47 lbs in weight (= 21.3 Kg)

Pros

Here are some advantages of this machine,

• Most Affordable: It is priced very appropriately and worth its price. All of its features and stitching quality look great. Some machines on this list are a bit high priced as per my opinion but this is not the case with this machine.
• Custom Stitches: Although it is a feature for sewing still it is worth mentioning. If you want to buy it for both sewing and embroidery then this will cover your back. It provides you with 500 built-in stitches and above all you can create a custom stitch by Custom Stitch feature.
• On-screen editing: You can your designs on your screen and do some basic editing with your designs.
• File Format: You need .PES file format of an embroidery design to import the design to Brother machine and similarly you need .JEF, .JEF+ or .JPX format file to import to Janome machine. But, this is not the case with Bernette. You can import any embroidery design with any file format, it will be accepted. It accepts almost every famous format of Embroidery Design.
• Bernina Toolbox: It comes with special software that is Bernina Toolbox- it offers you 300 more embroidery designs and 100 fonts to create beautiful designs. Do you have a graphic tablet and want a design to edit there? Well, you can edit your embroidery designs either on your PC or Tablet because it provides you a feature of editing on the cloud.
• USB Connectivity: You can also import your embroidery designs from your USB Flashdrive by using the USB port on Bernette B79.

Cons

Here are some cons of Bernette B79.

• Automatic Needle Threader: It does not come with an automatic needle threader. An automatic needle threader can save your time but many people are handy in a manual way and is not a problem for them. It is a drawback of this machine and I am mentioning it but it is not a solid reason to avoid this machine.
• Flatbed Configuration: If you want to embroider small shirts pockets, bags, shoes, and other small stuff thus this is not a perfect machine for it. It does not come with a Free-Arm configuration but I would also like to mention that no machine is available with Free-Arm in this price range. So, if you want a machine for embroidery in its price range then this is a perfect one.

Singer SE300

Singer SE300 also has the complementary functions of sewing, but the machine primarily focuses on the embroidery function. The machine comes with a large embroidery working space, so it’s easy and convenient; for you to do embroidery on this machine.

Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the skill level to use this machine as certain automatic features and the easy-to-understand interface of the LCD screen make it easy to operate even for newbies.

Singer SE300 Embroidery Machine comes with an embroidery speed of 700 SPM and there are 250 built-in stitches because it is a combo sewing machine (sewing and embroidery machine).

You’ll get an automatic needle threader, automatic needle threader, automatic thread tension control, speed control, adjustable stitch, and width length as prime features in the machine. Singer Legacy SE300 has around 200 embroidery designs for you to get creative with your embroidery projects.

Features of Singer SE300

• Embroidery Speed of 800 SPM
• Sewing Speed of 700 SPM
• 200 embroidery designs
• 250 built-in stitches
• Automatic thread cutter
• Automatic thread tension
• Automatic needle threader
• Start/Stop button
• LED lighting
• Drop feed system
• LCD screen
• 2 snap-on embroidery hoops
• Bobbin winding feature while embroidery
• 10 snap-on presser feet

Pros

• High Embroidery Speed: Most high-end and commercial embroidery machines may give you an embroidery speed of 1,000 SPM. Singer SE300 provides you with a high embroidery speed of 700 SPM.
• Portable: It is easy to carry anywhere because of its compact size and low weight.
• Beginners Friendly: It is very easy to use and handle while working on your projects.
• Large Embroidery Area: It does come with a large embroidery area of 10.25″ x 6″.

Cons

• High Price: Singer Se300 is a bit high-priced sewing and embroidery machine.

Brother PE800

Next on our list of best cheap embroidery machines is the Brother PE800. Brother PE800 is an embroidery-only machine which means you won’t find the added function of sewing in this machine, thus making it specialized equipment for embroidery.

This machine has several embroidery designs, fonts, frames, and borders. Plus, its remarkable feature of transferring designs from computer to machine ensures no end to your creativity and the variety of options available to bring your ideas and designs to life.

Furthermore, the large working space of 5″ × 7″ makes your big embroidery projects easy to handle and efficient. This is not the perfect embroidery area but not bad also. Brother PE800 comes with 138 embroidery designs which are less than Singer’s SE300, but it is fully dedicated to the embroidery machine.

Plus, Brother PE800 has a colored touchscreen, unlike Singer’s SE300, hence concluding to the fact that all of the mentioned machines will have several features and most of them may be distinct from each other, so it’s up to your requirements and preferences as to which one suits you the best. Apart from this, Brother PE800 has many automatic features like an automatic needle threader and automatic thread cutter to provide you with convenience.

Features of Brother PE800

• Embroidery Speed of 650 SPM
• 7 embroidery letter fonts
• 138 built-in embroidery designs
• Drag and drop editing available
• 10 frame designs
• 1 Hoop inlcuded
• 5″ × 7″ embroidery area
• Color LCD screen
• LED lighting
• Automatic needle threader
• Automatic thread cutter
• USB compatibility
• Quick set bobbin

Pros

• Reliable computerized embroidery machine
• Inexpensive

Cons

• Embroidery only: Brother PE800 doesn’t come with additional functions like sewing and quilting like other machines in its price range.

Commercial Embroidery Machines

Brother Persona PRS100: Single Needle Embroidery Machine

You might know how to machine embroider shoes, bags, jeans legs, hats, shirt pockets, and hoodies but let me tell you that not all embroidery machines do it. You need a special kind of embroidery machine which is capable to reach small and tiny spaces where other machines can not reach.

So, if you want to machine embroider hats, hoodies, shoes, bags, shirt pockets, and any other small things then Brother Persona PRS100 is a perfect match for you. It is the most versatile embroidery machine which you can use for any kind of stuff that I mentioned earlier as it comes with a tabular free arm configuration. Some people do not want to stick with only one type of stuff, they want to embroider almost every kind of stuff that is possible. So, in this case, Brother Persona PRS100 covers your back being a versatile embroidery machine.

Although Persona PRS100 is a single-needle machine it supports many features that you can only find in multi-needle embroidery machines. It provides you a speed of 1,000 SPM (Stitches per Minute) and it is quite good for embroidery. Oh, I forgot to mention its size. It is only 18 inches wide which helps you to save some room if you do not have much space for the machine. And, it also comes with 405 built-in embroidery designs and most of them are really useful and people use them frequently.

Other than 850 built-in embroidery designs there are 20 built-in fonts too. 8 of these fonts are monogram fonts; you can create minimal and cool logos to embroider with them. Now, let’s have a look at its features, pros, and cons.

Features of Brother Persona PRS1000

Here below are the salient features of this embroidery machine,

• Embroidery Speed of 1000 SPM (Stitches per Minute)
• Monochrome with a single click
• 6 Embroidery Hoops (8″ x 8″, 4″ x 4″, 2″ x 2″, 1.3″ x 3″, 3″ x 1.3″, 1.25″ x 1.75″)
• 7″ bright LCD Display (Exact size: 3.6″ x 6.0″)
• 18 inches wide (Space-saving)
• Space Handling between alphabets
• Screen zoom up to 200%
• LCD Screensaver
• On-Screen Editing
• Adjustable Screen Brightness
• Automatic Thread Tension
• Advanced Needle Threading System
• Easy Bobbin Winding
• Adjustable Bobbin Thread Winding Speed
• Upper & Bobbin Thread Sensor
• Automatic Thread Cutter
• Vertical Bobbin
• USB Connectivity
• Computer Connectivity
• Upgradable Software

Pros

Check the following reasons to consider this machine for embroidery hats, shirts, hoodies, bags, or shoes.

• Tabular Free-Arm Configuration: This feature can also be the reason to buy this embroidery machine. With this Free-Arm Configuration, you can embroider the places where another machine can not perform well.
• Space Saving: As I mentioned earlier that it is only 18 inches in width and this makes it the best embroidery machine for those who are short on space and want the machine to cover the minimal room.
• On-Screen Editing: You can edit your embroidery design with some basic settings and also can combine more than one design into a single design. You can also manage space between the alphabets. It helps you to create unique designs and monograms for your projects.
• Advanced Needle Threading System: Although it is a single-needle embroidery machine still it uses the Advance Auto Needle Threading System which you can only find in the multi-needle machines of Brother. You can thread your needle by just pressing a button within seconds.
• Monochrome Functionality: Do you want to avoid multiple colors in a design and want to only embroider with a single color? Well, you can convert your design from multi-colors to monochrome with just one click.
• Large and Tiny Embroidery Hoops: Maximum large Embroidery Hoop you get with Brother Persona PRS100 is 8″ x 8″. And, this helps you to finish the large projects at ease and with less time. And, some tiny hoops help you to embroider small projects like pockets and sleeves.
• USB Connectivity: There are two USB ports on the machine and you can connect your USB Stick and Laptop to this machine by using these ports. Although you can not attach a mouse to control movement on-screen it is really helpful to send your embroidery designs from Flashdrive to your machine by the use of a USB Port. And, you can also connect your Laptop to the machine by the use of another port.
• Time-Saving: This machine can be time-saving for you while finishing your projects. It offers you to wind the bobbin on side of your machine without opening any case. And, you can wind the bobbin while doing embroidery. It also offers Advance Needle Threading System and Automatic Thread Cutting which helps you to save time.

Cons

By reading up till now, you might say that this is a perfect embroidery machine for you. But, this might not be the case because it has some disadvantages also. Check all of these here.

• High Price Tag: Although, Brother Persona PRS100 is offering you great features but do not forget its high price. It is an embroidery machine for under $5,000. So, if you are investing this amount of money I think that your machine either be multi-needle or have an Advance On-Screen Editing feature. It is a single-needle machine and also does not offer you to edit your design in vector or create a custom design on your screen.
• No Extention Table: Extention Table is not included with this machine and there must be an extension table for it in my opinion because of its shape. Although, there is a compatible table included as an optional accessory if you buy it from SewingMachinePlus.
• Single-Needle Machine: If you want to start embroidery on a commercial scale then it is time to avoid this machine because of its single-needle feature.

Juki Tajima Sai: 8-Needle Embroidery Machine

Juki Tajima Sai is a heavy-duty embroidery machine that can be used for your commercial purposes. But, there are some other things to consider too. Although, it is a multi-needle machine and users are very satisfied after its purchase. But, personally, I have seen some issues which are refraining me to call it the best embroidery machine in its price for embroidering Hats, Shoes, Shirts, and Hoodies with it.

Juki Tajima Sai is an 8-needle embroidery machine and also comes with a free arm type to embroider small things like pockets, shoes, and hats. It also offers you the speed of 800 SPM (Stitches per Minute) and this is where it needs to make some improvements in my opinion. Although, 800 SMP is a good speed while you are doing embroidery but still at this price tag it is not provided that much high speed as we can find in other machines having very low prices compared to it.

It also comes with an LCD of 6″ and it provides you a full-color display. The most interesting thing that I like about Juki Tajima Sai is its own digitizer software (Tajima Writer Plus). It will know your needs and also knows how to be compatible with this machine because the software is specially designed for embroidery by Tajima.

It comes with 31 built-in fonts and 1000 plus embroidery designs by Pulse by default. Yea, you saw correctly, 1000 plus embroidery designs are provided by Pulse, and there are 200 more embroidery designs that come with it by default. That is also a great plus point of it and another great feature is, the conversion of TTF to Embroidery Designs. This is a worth mentioning feature too. Like, you have a font in TTF format (Any font) and you want to embroider alphabets from that font in its same design, well you can do it by simply converting that TTF format to its embroidery design format i.e., .dst or .tcf.

Let’s now have a look at its features and other details.

Feature of Juki Tajima Sai

Below is the list of features of the Juki Tajima Sai 8 Needle Embroidery Machine,

• Speed of 800 SPM (Stitches per Minute)
• Multi-Needle (8 Needle Machine)
• Full colors LCD (3.5 x 6 inches)
• Cylindrical Free-Arm configuration
• Vast Embroidery Area (11.8 x 7.8 inches)
• 82 lbs. in weight (=37.2 Kg)
• LED Lights
• Laser Positioning System
• Thread Sensor (Needle Thread, Internal & Bobbin)
• 13 built-in languages
• Tajima Writer Plus
• 2 Embroidery Frames (200mm x 300mm, 100mm x 100mm)
• 2 Supported File Formates (.dst, .tcf)
• 5 Years Warranty from Juki
• Auto Thread Trimmer
• LAN Port to connect Laptop and Tajima Sai

Pros

Here are some features that I really found very helpful in Juki Tajima Sai.

• Multi-Needle Machine: It is an 8-needle machine and I appreciate this feature because it will save a lot of time. You do not need to change the thread again and again. You can use 8 different colors in each needle as per your design and I think 8 colors can cover almost every design.
• Free-Arm Configuration: It comes with a Cylindrical Free-Arm configuration and this feature enables it to embroider stuff like socks, bags, sleeves, hats, caps, shoes, wristbands, etc. Also do remember that you can find this same configuration in Brother Persona PRS100 which is almost half of this machine by price.
• Tajima Writer Plus: It comes with digitizer software for all of your editing needs named Tajima Writer Plus. You can edit your embroidery designs with this software and also can convert any TTF font to an embroidery design. Read more about this software here.
• Thread Sensor & Trimmer: It comes with a Thread Sensor. If there is any kind of thread blockage in your machine’s internal side or in your needle thread or anywhere in the machine; the machine will stop automatically. Also, it can trim the thread automatically after a design is finished by a particular thread.
• Quality Stitches: I would not forget to mention users’ experience with its stitch quality. Although, I think this is not a perfect machine users are not complaining about it. Even, I know personally my friend who had once this machine and I asked him about its performance. She gave a positive signal.

Cons

Tajima Sai is not a perfect machine to embroider Hats, Shirts, Caps, Hoodies, Bags, Shoes, or something like this because it is missing some great features. Check all of those missing features here,

• High Price Tag: Juki Tajima Sai comes with a price under $10,000 and this is not the perfect price for this machine in my opinion. I would just say that it is a bit high priced.
• Speed of 800 SPM: You might see in the advertisement that it is a very fast embroidery machine because it offers you the speed of 800 SPM. But, this is not true; Brother Persona PRS100 is offering a speed of 1000 SPM and that is only half of it by price.
• Connectivity with Laptop: It offers you only a LAN port to connect this machine with your computer. You can use this LAN port to connect its own software (Tajima Writer Plus) from your PC or Laptop to this machine. Also, this software is only for windows and does not offer connectivity with Mac.
• No USB Port: Yes, you can not import your favorite embroidery designs directly from your USB Stick because it does not offer a USB port. So, it was better if it can connect to a Flashdrive to import some embroidery designs.

Melco Amaya Bravo X: Commercial Embroidery Machine

So, here is my highly recommended embroidery machine for all of the people who want to take embroidery seriously and want to embroidery on a commercial level. If you want to start your embroidery business then Melco Amaya Bravo is a perfect match for you if you want a completely computerized and advanced embroidery machine.

Have you read 16 Needle in the heading? Yea, Melco Amaya Bravo X offers 16 Needles and I do not think that you need more needle machines than this to go on a commercial level. 12 needles are also a good choice but 16 needles are something extraordinary. Actually, there are 3 versions of Melco Amaya Bravo and they have many things in except Embroidery Speed, Digitizer Software, and some other things. Here below are those 3 versions of Melco Amaya Bravo,

1. Melco Maya Bravo- Design Shop Vector (Full Professional version)
2. Melco Amaya Bravo-Design Shop Sizer (Intermediate version)
3. Melco Amaya Bravo- Design Shop Editor (Lite version)

So, I will be reviewing its Full Professional version. Actually, they have a lot of common things, almost everything in common except some other things. I will discuss those things in detail below also.

I forgot to mention that Melco Bravo comes with an Embroidery Speed of 1100 SPM (Stitches per Minute) and this is the speed of a professional variant while the other two variants come with an embroidery speed of 1000 SPM (Stitches per Minute). So, you are getting a great embroidery speed and 16 needles in a single place- that’s why I recommend this machine for professional embroidery.

Above all, its stitching quality looks great and it saves a lot of time too because of its 16 needles and computerized operations. I also want to mention that you will miss a lot of functions in its Lite Version. Although you can save your money by considering this variant you will miss many features too like Advance Editing, Embroidery Speed of 1100 SPM, USB connectivity, and other features. Increase your budget a bit more and invest in its Full Professional version to get the full power of Melco Bravo.

There is a large difference in Digitizer Software that you get with all of these variants. Design Shop Vector version which comes with a professional variant is way more powerful than the other two versions. You can read the full compersion of all of the variants of this Design Shop Software here.

My Choice

If I have to decide on one machine between all of these variants then obviously I would go for a Full Professional one. I know it will cost you more but it will be worth it, what you will get. And, honestly, Lite Version is not worth buying because of its very limited features. If you can not afford a Full Professional one then I advise you to choose the Intermediate one because it is almost similar to the Professional one but very few features are not in it.

Features of Melco Amaya Bravo

• Embroidery Speed of 1100 SPM (Stitches per Minute)
• Multi-Needle (16 Needles)
• Create a Network of up to 4 Machines
• 4 Round Hoops (3.5″, 4.68″, 5.85″, 14.25″ x 11.75″)
• 1000 Embroidery Designs
• 175+ Fonts & Monograms
• TTF and OTF Fonts Support
• 3D rendering of Embroidery Designs
• DesignShop (Sizer, Editor & Vector version)
• Bravo OS (Operating System)
• Aluminum Frame
• Thread Blockage Detection
• Auto Thread Cutter
• Power Cord, Ethernet Crossover Cable
• Cold Bright LED
• Weight 210.3 lbs. (95.4 Kg)
• Warranty 3 years
• Classroom training for a machine of 2 days

Pros

Why am I recommending this machine to you? Well, here are some reasons for this,

• Multi-Needle: It is a multi-needle machine and you do not need to change the thread in the needle for any kind of design. 16 needles are enough to carry the thread of every color a design may have. Most embroidery machines offer you at most 12 needles or 10 needles but this is at an extreme level and offers you 16 needles for embroidery.
• High Speed: I already mentioned that it comes with a speed of 1100 SPM (Stitches per Minute) and this is really amazing especially when you want to finish your projects with less time. And, in the embroidery business, your time is money and you need to finish your projects in less time and this is where it helps you.
• Large Hoops Size: You might have seen above that it gives you a maximum Hoop size of 14.25 x 11.75 inches. So, you have a great embroidery area and can embroider larger stuff also without adjusting the object again and again.
• DesignShop Software: It comes with DesignShop software which is a perfect digitizer software in the true sense. You can easily create embroidery designs and edit them with full features with this software.

Cons

Here is what I do not like about Melco Amaya Bravo.

• No LCD Display: Yes, you saw correctly. It does not come with an LCD Screen for display which is a really bad thing in this machine. I myself consider LCD display a must part of embroidery machine but this machine does not offer you this facility. If there is no LCD display then how can you control this machine? Well, it needs a dedicated Laptop to run. You have to connect it by Ethernet Cable and you are then good to go. You can connect with a PC too if it meets the requirements. Here are the details of the requirements that a Laptop must bear to get connected with this machine properly. If you buy this machine from SewingMachinePlus, they will also offer you a FREE laptop for it which will be fully compatible to run it.
• Too Heavy: Have you noticed its weight above? It weighs 210.3 lbs. which is almost 95.4 Kg. This is a very heavy machine and needs the support of some solid hands to get it to shift from one place to another. If you often shift the machine from one place to another and want a portable embroidery machine then this might not be for you.

Husqvarna Viking Epic Design

The Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic is a professional embroidery machine. It has the latest features that make it one of the best mid-priced sewing and embroidery machines on the market today. The Designer Epic comes equipped with 651 embroidery designs, 807 built-in stitches, and 1294 stitch types including letters and characters. The embroidery machine is able to create up to 54mm width fabrics using a straight stitch plate with a sensor that allows for precise sewing.

This also provides the ability of side-motion sewing where you can sew different designs in one go, which is perfect for sewing clothing. The Designer Epic can also sew with a machine embroidery unit attached, which means you can use the machine to do both types of sewing without having to change anything on the equipment.

The Designer Epic also has many features for embroidering designs such as stitch position option (length, width), twin needle with automatic tie-off function, snap-on presser foot attachments, and 29 needle positions. The Design-select option on the machine allows you to choose one or many embroideries for editing and touch & hold makes it easy to handle designs, files, and more. The Design-select function also includes a grid that can be used when placing your design in order to get perfect placement every time!

The Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic is an excellent choice for those looking to purchase a professional embroidery machine at an affordable price.

Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic is a great choice for home embroidery because it offers you all the features which other machines on this list are offering. It has a flatbed configuration, built-in carrying handle, and adjustable sewing foot pressure that will give you ultimate control over your design placement and accurate stitching line-to-edge accuracy. If we talk about its price then it is also not a bad choice for the home embroidery machine.

And this is also a good choice for professional use because it has an LCD screen with a touchpad and built-in programmable fonts that will give you ultimate control over your design placement and accurate stitching line-to-edge accuracy. It can be used in various modes such as free motion or straight stitch. Moreover, it can be used with a wide range of fabrics and materials such as wool or leather that will help you to create unique designs for your projects.

It is also important to mention its embroidery features and specifications in this regard because the Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic has an LCD screen that helps you to view stitch size, placement, and design on the screen.

Moreover, it has a built-in embroidery software that is easy to use where you can add designs directly from mySewnet™ Cloud storage or USB stick with groupings of designs which are important for any professional project. You will also find helpful features such as “smart save” which remembers your edits and placement in various embroidery edit and stitch-out features.

You can also change the order of design stitching with a tapering function that will help you to create professional-quality designs for any project.

This machine is surely not perfect, but it has all the necessary qualities for good home use or small business crafting.

Features of Husqvarna Viking Designer Epic

• 807 built-in stitches
• 1294 stitches types
• Stitch width, 7mm
• Permanent memories: mySewnet™ Cloud
• 8 Programmable sewing fonts
• Stitches on screen, starting point of stitch indicated on the screen
• Sew with or without foot control
• Fix Tie-Off Function
• 29 Needle positions
• 651 designs included
• 8 multi-size embroidery fonts
• Selective/Automatic Thread Cutter with Automatic Jump Stitch Trim
• Embroidery customize on screen
• Smart save function
• Undo/redo while creating embroidery designs
• Thumbnail preview of designs
• Go to the exact embroidery stitch number
• Load and view multi-format designs
• Colour editing of the design
• mySewnet™ Cloud storage of designs
• Saving designs to USB Embroidery stick

Pros

• Cloud storage to save your embroidery designs
• On-screen editing
• One-click color editing

Cons

• No free-arm configuration, it comes with a flatbed configuration

Things to consider for an Embroidery Machine for Hats, Shirts, Caps & Hoodies

Do you want criteria to decide which Embroidery Machine is best for you to machine embroider T-shirts, Hats, Hoodies, Bags, Pants, Shoes, Wristbands, and Caps? Check here below for tips to check whether a machine is for you or not.

Price Tag

You need to consider your price range before choosing the best machine for you. Let me help you with this, you can only buy an embroidery machine for a home in the price range of $500 to $2000. And, if you want a complete commercial machine then consider the price range of $7,000 to $12,000. You might think, what is the difference between a machine costing $400 and another costing $11,000? Both are on the same list and also advertised as Embroidery Machines.

Well, keep reading on and you will find the factors that make the embroidery machine best. In short, first set your budget and start looking for the machine in that budget.

Single or Multi-Needle

Yes, you need to consider whether the machine under your consideration is a single needle or multi-needle. Obviously, multi-needle machines perform way better than single-needle embroidery machines. If you want to compare single needle vs multi-needle then the multi-needle machine has a lot of things to offer you.

In a single needle machine, you can thread your needle of a single color. If your embroidery design has more than one color obviously it will time because each time the color changes in the design, you have to change the thread in your needle also. It takes more time to accomplish a design and you will not also feel good changing the thread again and again.

On the other side, with multi-needle and single-head machines; you can achieve your final design without changing the thread. If you have a Juki Tajima Sai or Melco Amaya Bravo and you want to embroider the design on a shirt. Time taken will depend on the design size but believe me, it will not take long even design is complicated and has more color because your 12 or 16 needles are working at a time and you do not need to change the thread.

Also, with a single needle machine, you can embroider ready-made socks, bags, shirt pockets, and stuff like this. For example, If you want to embroider a small pocket on a shirt with a single needle then you need to first remove that pocket from the shirt and then stitch it again with the shirt after embroidering it.

In short, if you want to start an embroidery business, multi-needle machines are worth buying because each penny spent will be worth it. It is not easy to go on a commercial level with a single needle machine.

Free-Arm or Flatbed Configuration

If you are looking for a versatile embroidery machine not just to embroider Hats, Caps, Shoes, Bags, Small Pockets, Socks, T-Shirts Sleeves, Pants Pockets, and other stuff like this, then you do not need to consider this kind of particular configuration. But, as I am writing this article to embroider stuff like Hats, T-Shirts, Shoes, Caps, Bags, and Socks so you need to consider the Free-Arm configuration in a machine for this.

Why Free-Arm configuration? And, why not Flatbed Configuration? Well, you can not embroider small pockets on a shirt with a Flatbed machine in the best way because it does not offer you a free-arm embroidery area. You have to embroider it by removing it from shirts and then again stitching it to the shirt and I know how strange it seems to first remove it from the shirt just to embroider it. A similar case is with Small Bags, Shoes, and Socks.

Brand

You need to check the brand of embroidery machine that is under consideration. You need to consider only trustworthy brands. You can check brand reviews online and also check which are the best embroidery machine brands. I also tried to list only trusted brands and did not include any embroidery machine from a brand that does not have a history track. Best sewing and embroidery machine brands include Singer, Brother, Juki, Janome, Bernina, Elna, Jaguar, Baby Lock, Husqvarna Viking, Pfaff, and some others.

There are many brands on the market that have similar names to trusted ones and they are mostly Chinese brands so you need to take care of the Brand name.

Embroidery Area & Hoops

Always check what is the dedicated area for embroidery on a machine. More area you get more beneficial is for you, you can embroider large stuff easily if you have considerable embroidery area.

There are many embroidery machines that can only offer you a maximum of 4″ x 4″ hoops. So, you will not be able to embroider larger stuff than this hoop size. If you want to go on a commercial level and start an embroidery business then make sure that you have an embroidery machine with a vast embroidery area and larger in size hoops to offer you.

Embroidery Speed

You can finish your projects at high speed if your machine embroidery speed is good. Normal embroidery machines are providing you with the embroidery speed of 700-800 SMP (Stitches per Minute) but this is a speed of a good machine.

Your time is money if you want to start an embroidery business. Look, if you want to machine hats, shirts, hoodies, caps, bags, shoes, or just want to make patches using a low-speed machine then it will take a lot of time to finish the project, and obviously it will use more of your resources too.

There are some reputable embroidery machines having a speed of 1000-1400 SPM but these machines will cost you higher too. And, also do remember that high-priced machines are not always better so you need to consider other factors too.

Editing & Software

You have to check whether a machine is providing On-Screen editing or not. There are many affordable embroidery machines that can embroider hats, shirts, bags, shoes, caps, socks, pants, and wristbands and offer you on-screen editing. Although on-screen editing may offer you some basic features only but still it is worth it. For example, if you want to rotate your embroidery designs so that it fits upon your embroidery fabric and if you do not have rotate feature in your machine then you have to first edit it through your designing software and then again import it into your machine.

Sometimes, you want a very basic edit to your design like resizing it and you will feel great if it can provide this feature right on your screen. Do you know that Melco Amaya Bravo provides you the full advanced editing right on your screen? Booyah! it is a great feature that you are getting at an affordable price. Even you can edit your design in vector.

And, the second thing you need to check is its Design Software. Check whether it comes with special and dedicated design software or not. If it does not offer you its own software then obviously you have to look for third-party embroidery editing and digitizing software. But, a default and customized software can better understand your machine’s needs.

Connectivity

I already mentioned above for each embroidery machine that how many designs do you get with it by default. Usually, you get 300-500 embroidery designs right in your machine. Is that enough to fulfill your needs? Honestly, these would not be enough for me at least. And, sometimes you want to embroidery your own custom design so for that same you need your machine connectivity to your computer or USB.

There is an embroidery machine that offers you many great features but unfortunately does not offer your a USB port to import your own custom designs by using a USB stick. I have reviewed Juki Tajima Sai 8 Needle Embroidery Machine above and it offers you many great features.

It comes with a Free-Arm configuration, you can easily embroider small shirt pockets, pants pockets, hats, caps, and hoodies but it does not offer you a USB port. So, you can import any custom design with your USB but it comes with LAN port connectivity. You can connect your PC or Laptop by LAN port and can import your own design.

Other Things

You do need to consider other things before considering an embroidery machine. Check which accessories are included with your machine. Check how many embroidery designs come with your machine and the fonts you are getting with it. The more embroidery designs and fonts you get, the more beneficial it is for you. It is a small factor to consider because you can also make your own embroidery design if your embroidery machine does not have any to offer or you do not like any of the available ones.

Make sure to check the embroidery machine needle types, sizes, and other stuff because your needle plays a very important role while you are working on your embroidery project.

You need to consider some other basic things like warranty and repairing service. Make sure to check things like Automatic Needle Threader and Automatic Thread Cutter. And, also consider the embroidery machine screen, large LCD screens provide you with a better experience during embroidery.

Final Thoughts

So, this was all to choose the best embroidery machine for embroidery stuff like Shirts, Hoodies, Hats, Caps, Bags, Socks, and other similar stuff. You can choose a cheap embroidery machine from the above list if you do not have enough budget or if you are a beginner. A normal commercial embroidery machine may cost you $5,000 and I think a beginner can not afford such a machine as I could not. Beginners are not recommended to get a commercial embroidery machine even if they have enough budget.