Sewing Machine Review

Sewing machines grow in popularity

Sewing is making a comeback, owing to the reality show hit "Project Runway" and the trend toward DIY crafting. The economy may also be influencing more people to try sewing and mending their clothing. The best sewing machine reviews have been slow to include the new crop of inexpensive, simple machines catering to beginners. Even so, we found plenty of user reviews to supplement gaps in coverage at ConsumerReports.org, Choice magazine and other publications.

Experts say that before buying, it's helpful to assess your skills and needs. Experienced sewers looking to buy tried-and-true sewing machines can turn to reports with the best testing -- found in ConsumerReports.org, Choice magazine and a handful of online forums. For beginners, we found more helpful guidance by reading user reviews on retail websites, such as Joann.com, Sears.com, Amazon.com and Walmart.com. There are many forums and blogs where sewing machines are discussed, but unless you have a good idea of what you're looking for, searching on those sites is cumbersome and time-consuming.

There are thousands of sewing machines on the market, ranging in price from $100 to $6,000; the reviews we found just scratch the surface. In every review, experts agree that test-driving machines is a must, and although ConsumerReports.org's or Choice magazine's favorite sewing machine may not ultimately be the machine you buy, these comparative reviews based on solid testing practices help us shorten the list. The models in the ConsumerSearch Best Reviewed section are a great place to start.

One important note: for sewing machine brands sold only through dealers, such as Bernina, Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking and Janome, our report lists the manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP). Dealers say that machines typically sell for less than MSRP, but none would say how much less. The customer must visit their local dealer to find out about promotions that may be going on, trade-in value on an old machine and any other offers the dealer may have. In fact, this lack of transparency is the main complaint we found about the shopping process; users report getting different prices from different salespeople. And although customer service and free lessons are touted as the big benefit of buying from a sewing-machine dealer, the run-around on pricing is what's driving more consumers away from local stores and into big-box discount stores like Sears, Jo-Ann and Wal-Mart.