Best Sewing Machines for Canvas & Leather

Best Sewing Machine For Leather

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According to our tests, the best sewing machine for leather is the Janome HD3000. It provides strong power and is easy enough for beginners to use effectively. 

To see more of the best leather sewing machines that caught our eye, keep reading. 

Sewing  Machine

Summary

Editor's Choice

Janome HD3000

Janome HD3000

This sewing and embroidery machine gives you high-quality designs. Even a beginner can easily use this model.

With a strong motor and a heavy metal frame, not to mention an incredibly high stitch speed, the Singer 4423 is practically made to handle leather. Just plug it in to get started.

Brother ST371HD

Brother ST371HD

The Brother ST is made of plastic, meaning that it’s easy to carry around with you. It can adjust to all fabric weights, including—you guessed it—leather.

SINGER Quantum Stylist 9960

SINGER Quantum Stylist 9960

Computerized, high-speed, and with lots of stitches: that’s the Singer Quantum Stylist. Use this machine for all the detail work you have in mind.

Brother CS6000

Brother CS6000

Adjust your sewing speed quickly with the Brother CS. You won’t need to spend as much on this, but you will be able to use this lightweight machine anywhere.

Singer 7758

Singer 7758

Let the Singer 7758 work for you. You can allow it to set itself automatically, or set it yourself for the stitch, thread tension, and length that you need.

Singer 4411

SINGER Heavy Duty 4411

The Singer 4411, as well, heavy duty. It's made to stitch quickly and efficiently, going through all thick fabrics effortlessly.

Our Top Sewing Machine Choices For Leather Sewing

Once you figure out how to sew basic stitches, you can improve your sewing skills not only on basic materials but on even more complicated materials. One of the most complicated is leather sewing.

Leather is one material that everyone has questions about since it’s thick and can be difficult to shape. Yet everyone loves to make leather goods. Learn to sew leather yourself, and pick out one of these sewing machines for leather to help you.

Picking the best leather sewing machine can save you a ton of headache and save you money in the long run. Here are some:

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Janome HD3000

Janome HD3000

Pros:

  • Can really sew through anything within bunching or hesitating
  • The needle will stop as soon as you lift your foot, so there are no accidental stitches
  • Fairly quiet with a strong feed

Cons:

  • No ability to shift the needle for the stitch length

More About The Janome HD3000

Your sewing will be easy with the automatic needle threader and jam-proof top-loading bobbin system in this sewing machine by janome. You won't need to worry about messing up your leather because of the bobbin, or about messing up your stitches with the easy stitch selection. Just turn the stitch dial and adjust the pressure on your walker's foot with another dial. Sew even thick fabrics like leather with ease.

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Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • There’s no need to adjust the tension when dealing with differently weighted fabrics
  • Works quietly and is easy to learn
  • Durable and strong for the price

Cons:

  • The automatic is a little bit finicky

More About The Singer 4423

Choose from one of 23 possible stitches with the Singer. Let the automatic needle threader do its work before the high-speed sewing machine gets going. It can go at 1,100 stitches per minute, and with a 60 percent stronger motor, it can go through leather like butter. It helps that there’s a heavy metal frame to handle heavy fabrics.

This is one of the best leather sewing machine options because it is heavy duty, reliable, and comes with great features for the price point.

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • Strong and uniform stitches once you adjust to the machine
  • Work well with sewing thicker seams
  • Lightweight for storage

Cons:

  • Made of all plastic, so it isn’t as heavy duty as others

More About The Brother ST371HD

The Brother ST is meant to be heavy duty, durable, and able to handle high volumes of fabric with precision. It’s able to handle a wide range of fabric thicknesses and weights, meaning that it can handle leather without a problem. With the sturdy metal chassis, it will remain durable even while working at fast speeds.

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • Includes a high amount of stitch possibilities
  • Great embroidery options
  • The manual is very extensive for instructions

Cons:

  • You are not able to use the quilting bar with the walking foot, making it more difficult to use

More About The SINGER Quantum Stylist 9960

The computerized Singer Quantum Stylist is a portable sewing machine that includes many stitches and fonts to help you personalize any project. Use the automatic needle threader to get started at a high speed of 850 stitches per minute.

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • Lightweight, user-friendly, and an excellent workhorse
  • Quiet, with strong brightness for your projects
  • Lower price, but threading is a breeze

Cons:

  • There can be a problem with adjusting the tension for heavier fabrics

More About The Brother CS6000

The Brother CS is simple to use for sewing and quilting. All you have to do is choose your stitch and let the automatic needle threader do its work. You can adjust the sewing speed as you go along with the 5mm stitch length. The wide table helps for larger projects while the built-in free arm will help you sew any cylindrical items.

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • Easily sews through layers of thick fabrics with ease
  • The machine is very durable and able to last for a long while
  • Great for both beginners and more seasoned sewers

Cons:

  • Clogs up really easily for most people

More About The Singer 7758

Push just one button to adjust your stitches on the Singer 7758. You’re able to adjust the settings for length, width, and tension on your own, or you can let them be set automatically by the machine. You have up to 100 built-in stitches to choose from before you begin sewing your leather.

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D Sewing Machines

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Pros:

  • Goes through multi-layered seams without a problem
  • Handles heavy fabrics like leather and denim without a problem
  • Relatively quiet and sews fast

Cons:

  • There’s a somewhat more difficult learning curve

More About The Singer Heavy Duty 4411

Use one of the many built-in stitches on the Singer 4411 sewing machine. The needle position is completely adjustable and can be changed to any of the three possible positions, allowing you to add details and new fabrics. Let it sew at 1,100 stitches per minute as you adjust the presser foot for more control when you go along.

This is one of the best heavy duty machines on the list. Its been around for a while, and has a great reputation for quality. 

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Brother PE550D Leather Sewing Machines

Brother PE550D

Singer Futura XL400 Sewing Machine

Singer Futura XL400

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Brother Computerized Leather Sewing Machine

Janome MB-4S

Janome MB-4S

Features to Consider When Choosing The Best Leather Sewing Machine

Before you pick out your desired machine, consider what you plan to use your machine for. If you plan on doing just a few leather projects, you might not need something so strong. 

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Speed and Speed Control

Sewing leather is difficult because it’s an unforgivable type of fabric. You can’t make mistakes since they’ll be too visible on your final product. You also need a really heavy duty or industrial sewing machine to effectively make the stitches.

This means that you might want a machine that allows you to control the speed using the presser foot so that you don’t go fast enough to make a mistake, and is powerful enough for this type of material. Once you get the hang of higher speeds though, you can sew without worrying.

You will want something that lets you slow the number of stitches per minute so that you don't damage or break your needle. Heavy duty or industrial sewing machines generally range from about 1000 to 5000 stitches per minute, which may be too quick to actually sew leather properly.

Work Area

You need to be sure that you can use your leather sewing machine comfortably, meaning that the size and lighting of your work area should be helpful to you. For bigger projects, you may want to consider an industrial sewing machine. An industrial sewing machine has the power to work with leather, and the extra space offered is good for bigger projects. 

Pick out a machine with a long arm to help you sew larger leather goods. Make sure that it has enough lighting to help you see your stitches.

Power Source

Of course, you’re using electricity when you sew. So make sure that your sewing machine is energy efficient. Usually, heavy duty leather sewing machines require more voltage than others and may need to have a converter to be properly used with your sockets.

Stitch Type

You usually have seven built-in-stitches in your sewing machine. These are the most common stitches like the plain stitch or the chain stitch, which should be fine for simple leather projects. There are higher-end options that you can choose which offer as many as 600 stitch types.

Sound and Noise Level

The stronger the machine, the louder the noise. You can still get a strong machine that doesn't break the sound barrier if you choose an option that has a quiet working motor rather than a machine that would be more at home in a working factory. 

Motor Type

Speaking of noise level, consider your actual motor. You have two options: the clutch motor and servo motor. The clutch is the type that makes a lot of noise, and are generally in factory-level industrial sewing machines. There are still a few on the market in residential sewing machines though.

Then there’s the servo motor, which will be quieter, but which generally works better on light to medium weight fabrics. These motors are better for adjusting the speed of your stitching and for noise level.

Your Presser Foot

Think about the presser foot you’d like. The type of foot will impact how you’re able to sew leather. You can first try a Teflon or non-stick silicone presser foot, which will prevent the leather from sticking when you’re feeding it through the machine. 

Then there’s the roller presser foot, which is also non-stick. It also has rollers that feed the leather through the machine with more ease. 

Finally, try the walking foot. This foot works best if you have multiple layers of leather.

Adjustability

Find a machine which helps you adjust your stitch length, since the longer your stitch is, the better it will sew the leather. The maximum length there should be 3 to 4 mm. Anything shorter than that will cause tears.

Control Features

A computerized sewing machine has a few unique controls that allow you to fix the machine to work with your specific requirements. These types of machines are great for beginners because of the control they have to help you slow your stitch.

Conclusion

Sewing doesn’t have to be difficult when you have a sewing machine that successfully runs through thick materials like leather. Use any one of these machines to handle leather, and make sure that your machine has all the features you need. Once you have your machine at hand, you’ll be able to begin your project with ease.

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