Not all fabrics are the same, implying the fact of being light or heavy. Mine and your concern right now is dealing with those heavy fabrics that give us a pretty tough time while sewing.
Luckily enough, some sewing machines can deal with heavy fabrics perfectly, and that’s what I will do in this article! I will list some of the best sewing machines for heavy fabrics to check out! Let’s start!
A quick Glance at My Favorite Sewing Machine for Heavy Fabrics
| Image | Product | Features | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
Best Budget  | 9.7 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Best High-End  | 9.5 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Best Mid-Range  | 9.1 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Best Runner-Up  | 8.8 | Check Price on Amazon | |
Best Overall  | 8.6 | Check Price on Amazon |
Key Takeaways
- Heavy fabrics or a thick fabric require robust sewing machines, and heavy-duty machines are the best to check out!
- Give the fantastic Juki TL-2000Qi sewing machine a try if you enjoy speed.
- The most excellent overall choice for the best sewing machine for heavy fabrics is SINGER | 4423.
- You may be confused by heavy fabrics, but burlap, denim, and canvas are the most well-known.
The Top 5 Sewing Machines for Heavy Fabrics
5. Brother ST371HD – Best Budget
Brother ST371HD is one of the most affordable sewing machines to help you easily deal with heavy fabrics. It comes as a series, with the name being Strong & Tough, and I don’t think it will give anyone a hard time.
Black and white is the best combination of colors, and this machine comes covered in that. You will be thrilled to notice its rugged build quality regarding its whole metal frame and the compact form factor.
Brother ST371HD is full of features! The first one is the automatic needle threader that will not allow you to lose time or struggle when trying to thread. It automatically pushes the thread to the needle and is ready to start working. You will also find the free-arm feature on this machine, so you can easily do the sleeves and cuffs of garments.
Are you thinking of working in different stitch combinations? Well, this machine allows that as well. There is a considerable number of built-in stitches that include zig-zag, straight, and buttonholes as well. This machine’s speed is neither fast nor slow, so you get an average spm.
If you need to overlock the edges in the best way possible, there are six feet that this machine comes with, and all of them have their main purpose. Zig-zag, zippers, buttonholes, buttons, and blind stitches are done as they should!
Summary
Key Specifications:
- Type: Mechanical Sewing Machine
- Shank Type: Low
- Stitches: 37
- Speed: 800 spm
- Feet Included: 6
- Material: Metal
- Dimensions: 15.3 x 5.8 x 12 inches
- Weight: 15.87 pounds
What I Like About It
- Affordable
- Automatic Needle Threader
- Works for Quilting
- Sturdy
What I Dislike About It
- No Speed Control
- Not the Best LED Light
Why Should You Buy It?
Brother ST371HD is the machine for people who are strict about spending! As you know, sewing machines aren’t the most affordable things to buy but based on every sewing machine in this article; Brother ST371HD is surely the one with the lowest price.
4. JUKI TL-2000Qi – Best High-End
Juki TL-2000Qi is the most basic sewing machine you can find, and yet again, it is one of the most famous ones when it comes to sewing thick fabrics. By the way, this machine is one of many people’s most used mechanical sewing machines.
In terms of design, Juki TL-2000Qi is one of the simplest design machines on the market. You should know that it is a bit heavy and occupies quite a place in your atelier. The aluminum frame of this machine makes it durable enough to work for many years.
If you are considering using just one stitch, this machine has the main one: straight stitching. Even though it doesn’t offer any other or doesn’t allow combinations, straight stitching is undoubtedly the best, especially when sewing canvas fabric, which is a heavy one.
Juki TL-2000Qi is surely a high-speed machine regarding the stitching part! It works at 1500 spm, one of the highest stitching abilities in a sewing machine. Also, I adore the automatic needle threader most, which surely eases my whole job. You don’t have to squint your eyes anymore because it works properly.
This sewing machine from Juki owns something worth mentioning: the low-vibration bed! When working in a sewing machine, the noise and the vibration will always annoy you, but not on Juki TL-2000Qi, because this feature will lower the vibrations that may come out when working.
Summary
Key Specifications:
- Type: Mechanical Sewing Machine
- Shank Type: High
- Stitches: 1
- Speed: 1500 spm
- Feet Included: 3
- Material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 17.8 x 8.6 x 13.8 inches
- Weight: 25.4 pounds
What I Like About It
- High-Quality
- Fast
- Works Perfectly
- Big Working Space
What I Dislike About It
- Only One Stitch
- The Price
- Bit Heavy
Why Should You Buy It?
Are there straight stitch lovers? I am sure there are, and the best representation for one stitch is Juki TL-2000Qi! This machine offers robust and secure stitching on any heavy fabric you use.
3. Janome HD1000BE – Best Mid-Range
From Juki, I am moving on to another great name in the sewing industry: Janome! As some of you may know, Janome brings some amazing heavy-duty sewing machines, and indeed Janome HD1000BE is one of them. The HD letters on the name stand for heavy-duty and the perfect job this machine does with heavy fabrics.
Janome HD1000BE (BE- black edition) is the machine to check out if you are searching for the most good-looking sewing machine ever made. It comes covered in shiny black, making your atelier look impressive. Worth mentioning about this machine is also the metal and aluminum combination in the making! That mixture only shows how durable this sewing machine is.
For regular sewing, Janome HD1000BE brings out the automatic needle threader and the adjustable stitch width and length, meaning when you stitch with this sewing machine, you have control over what you are doing. The speed is average; Janome HD1000BE works at 850 spm.
This sewing machine works for quilting as well! It brings out 3-piece feed dogs that allow movement of the fabric you might use so that you are free to work as you want. There’s the free-arm feature as well, and it is detachable. Do you need it? Use it! Don’t you need it? Leave it hanging around!
Summary
Key Specifications:
- Type: Mechanical Sewing Machine
- Shank Type: Low
- Stitches: 14
- Speed: 850 spm
- Feet Included: 4
- Material: Metal + Aluminum
- Dimensions: 15.6 x 6.3 x 12.4 inches
- Weight: 16 pounds
What I Like About It
- Good-Looking
- Durable
- For Beginners and Professionals
- Free-Arm is Detachable
What I Dislike About It
- Complicated Automatic Needle Threader
Why Should You Buy It?
Janome HD1000BE is a machine that looks very beautiful and not only! It offers features for everyone that loves sewing. With the ease of use, the control you have, the features it owns, and being heavy-duty, this machine is one of the best for heavy fabrics.
2. Brother ST150HDH – Best Runner-Up
Yes, here goes another Brother sewing machine that comes again of the series Strong and Tough! The amazing Brother ST150HDH machine will always work correctly for whatever you need, such as heavy fabric sewing.
Design-wise, Brother ST150HDH is a cute and small sewing machine with a very accurate LCD screen on the front. Based on that, this machine is computerized and offers controls using the screen.
As for the build quality, ST150HDH is a metal-made sewing machine that many people have used for a long time, and it never disappoints regarding durability in general. It may be a bit heavy, but if you use it in a working shop, it will fit everywhere as it is not very big.
This sewing machine works with a very powerful motor and drives it in the best way possible. I have worked with this sewing machine for years now, and I mainly use it for jeans and leather. Yes, leather and jeans fabrics are heavy.
Fifty stitches are more than enough to use in any fabric! The LCD screen will show your combinations, some of the greatest and the highest in number. As for the speed, Brother ST150HDH is an average sewing machine that works at 850 spm.
As I mentioned, jeans, you know that hems on them aren’t done easily, but with this machine’s free-arm attachment, that problematic thing becomes easy quite quickly.
Summary
Key Specifications:
- Type: Mechanical/ Computerized Sewing Machine
- Shank Type: Low
- Stitches: 37
- Speed: 800 spm
- Feet Included: 6
- Material: Metal
- Dimensions: 15.3 x 5.8 x 12 inches
- Weight: 15.87 pounds
What I Like About It
- Versatile Usage
- Twin Needle Ability
- Great Built-In LED Light
- Great Computerized Sewing Machine
- Accurate LCD Screen
- 9 Feet Included
What I Dislike About It
- Expensive for Some
- No Automatic Needle Threader
Why Should You Buy It?
The computerized Brother ST150HDH is the best sewing machine for its accurate and correct job. It is one of the most durable sewing machines and perfectly works in heavy fabrics.
1. SINGER | 4423 – Best All-Embracing
Whenever you search for Singer 4423 heavy duty sewing machine, you will encounter the phrase: the sewing machine for any level, and I couldn’t agree more! This sewing machine is one that you can use for any purpose. It is Singer’s best heavy-duty sewing machine and will offer an impressive job regarding heavy fabrics.
As a heavy-duty sewing machine, there’s no doubt that it is durable! Singer 4423 is made of metal, like most sewing machines, and offers excellent durability. I want to mention that Singer 4423 is the machine many tailors love, and I know that it is found in many tailor’s ateliers.
The manufacturer of this sewing machine says that the motor that Singer 4423 works with is 60% more potent than most sewing machines you have ever encountered.
As for the features, Singer 4423 is known for its steel bedplate and easy bobbin threading. You can thread bobbins and put them in place quickly, as you can do it from the top, and there’s the clear cover through which you can see what you do. The drop feed feature is also worth considering, making this machine usable for quilting.
The 23 built-in stitches work in any heavy fabric you may have in front, and also you have the 1-step automatic buttonhole feature that will surely help you sew the best buttonholes ever made with impressive edges. Also, you can easily work on positioning the needles you use, as this machine includes three of them.
Summary
Key Specifications:
- Type: Mechanical/ Industrial sewing machines
- Shank Type: Low
- Stitches: 23
- Speed: 1100 spm
- Feet Included: 4
- Material: Metal
- Dimensions: 15.5 x 6.25 x 12 inches
- Weight: 14.5 pounds
What I Like About It
- Reasonably Priced
- Easy-to-Use
- Fast as Light
- Durable
- Compact and Well-Built
What I Dislike About It
- Plastic Bobbin Case
Why Should You Buy It?
The Singer 4423 sewing machine is a beast when used for heavy fabrics! As it is a heavy-duty sewing machine, it offers impressive work with any material you might use and have to sew. Its powerfulness (regarding the motor) and its features show everything on the fact why one should buy Singer 4423.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best sewing machine for heavy fabrics?
I wouldn’t like to mention a direct name here, but as you know, sewing machines come in different types. Based on the machines I mentioned in this article, the best sewing machine for heavy fabrics is a heavy-duty sewing machine. They are the ones that make the job easier when dealing with heavy fabrics.
Which fabrics are considered heavy?
Every tailor knows the division in the fabrics one uses; the main types are light and heavy fabrics. The heavy fabrics are canvas, denim, suede, polyester fleece, burlap, and others that are hard enough just by touching them. Also, heavy fabric is any combination of the fabrics mentioned above.
Should I use a heavy-duty thread for heavy fabric?
Now you know that you need a heavy-duty sewing machine when sewing heavy fabrics. Something heavy that you need is also a thread. So, yes! Using heavy-duty thread when you sew heavy fabric with a sewing machine is better. I want to mention that nylon is one of the heaviest threads.
Final Words
There you have it! Quite a long article regarding the best sewing machine for heavy fabrics! I am pretty sure that you have noticed that all the machines I included in this article are heavy-duty sewing machines, and that’s because these types of machines can deal perfectly fine with different heavy fabrics.
I want to assure you that all the sewing machines I mentioned are the best ones you can find, and if you choose to purchase any of them, you will be using the best sewing machine for heavy fabrics! Good luck!
I graduated from London College of Fashion, and I’ve been working for a Fashion Design company for 10 years. My other hobbies are going to the gym and reading.
