How we research embroidery machines
Every spec comes from the maker's own product pages and manuals, checked against at least one more source, with the date we checked shown on the page. We do not claim to have tested machines in person, and we never invent numbers: if a maker does not publish a figure, we leave it blank.
Sources we use
- The maker's product and spec pages (for example brother-usa.com, babylock.com, janome.com, singer.com).
- The maker's PDF manuals and product guides, which give the exact embroidery area, hoops and readable file formats.
- Established dealer spec pages, only to confirm. When sources disagree, the manual wins.
Embroidery field vs hoop size
We record the embroidery field: the largest area the machine can stitch in one hooping, in millimetres, as the manual lists it. That is different from the outside size of the hoop. A larger third-party hoop never lets a machine stitch beyond its field.
Prices
We show a typical new price range seen at large US retailers, with the month we checked. Prices change often and we do not show live prices or "deals".
How lists are ordered
Unless a page says otherwise, machines still sold new come first, then by how many people search for each model on Google in the US (from Google Keyword Planner). Budget lists go lowest price first and large-hoop lists go largest field first. Nobody pays to be listed.
The Will it fit? checker
The checker compares a design with each machine's field as drawn and turned 90°. Designs within 3 mm of an edge are marked tight. For designs that are too big, we count hoopings with parts overlapping by 10 mm, in the better orientation.
Corrections
If you spot an error, tell us. We check it against the maker's documents, fix it and update the review date.