Best Sewing Machine For Automotive Upholstery 2024

In today’s world, when car dine-in is getting common due to pandemic situations. The upholstery gets ripped with the sharp wooden tips of the dine-in table served in the car or in the back seat of the car.

We often experience such defects in our cars. And to counter such issues we have them for an automotive upholstery sewing machine.

A pet owner can often experience ripped upholstery in his car too. If you have a cat or a dog, whom you love taking out in your car then you can relate to this scenario. Pets bruise the upholstery in chaos and leave a heavy expense of repairing on the owner’s shoulders.

Therefore, you might consider getting it repaired by any professional but let me tell you that this is not necessary. Repairing upholstery can cost you around 1000$ which is way more money than you can spend and get your own Best sewing machine to repair your ripped seats. All you need is a little practice and the Best sewing machine for automotive upholstery.

Best Sewing Machine for Automotive Upholstery 2023

After spending days searching for the best suitable sewing machine for automotive upholstery, we have shortlisted a few and it was worth sharing the list with everyone. Therefore, without further ado, let’s check out our top picks so you won’t have to spend any extra money on such expenses and will surely be able to get upholstery repaired by yourself within a few practices.

SINGER 9960 (Sewing & Quilting Machine)- An Outstanding Performer!

If you are thinking of repairing your automotive upholstery by yourself but don’t have an idea about how to use a simple sewing machine. Then this machine by Singer is ideal for you. It is specifically designed for sewing and quilting but it has all the elements featured to establish working on upholstery projects.

Check Points:
  •     Walking foot presser foot
  •     Allows mirror imaging and stitch elongation as per choice
  •     120-volt machine
  •     Computerized Sewing Machine

All these features make it the best suit for repairing or making your automotive upholstery. But that’s not it, there’s way too much to this machine.

Specifications:
  •     Automatic needle threader
  •     600 Built-in stitches
  •     5 Alpha-numeric fonts
  •     13 (1-step) buttonhole styles
  •     High stitching speed; 850 spm
  •     A bunch of bonus accessories.
Benefits of Quantum Stylist 9960:
  1. Easy-to-use
  2. Feature-loaded 
  3. Not limited to upholstery tasks only
  4. Automatic stitch settings
  5. Speed controlling feature
  6. Beginner-friendly
Short Review of the product

Generally, we just do not want to spend so much on a machine that can serve a single purpose. So why not buy a machine that can tackle several tasks individually? And here is Singer 9960 that allows quilting options and sewing specifications combined to deal with all of your projects alone.

This machine is a space-saving, beginner-friendly, and easy-to-use sewing machine. You can easily mend your ripped upholstery or can even try producing one for yourself. Additionally, the sewing machine is packaged with a bundle of bonus accessories.

Bonus Bundle
  •     7-segment feeding system
  •     Automatic locking stitch function
  •     Automatic bobbin winding clutch
  •     Direct stitch selection
  •     Automatic tension adjustment
  •     Automatic presser foot pressure control
  •     Center zigzag tapper
Con's

Being an all-rounder, this product is a little extra for those who are just looking for a repairer for their automotive upholstery. But if you want to perform some extra projects with your sewing machine then this one is remarkable.

JANOME HD1000- A Powerful Booster!

Those who are only looking to manufacture automotive upholstery or mend should give this durable product a try. This is an easy bunch of all the convenient features required to make or mend an upholstery.

Check Points
  •     Adjustable Stitch Lengths
  •     Heavy duty machine
  •     Walking presser feet
  •     Leather needles
  •     Free arm or Drop feed for free-motion sewing

These are the features that make the Janome HD1000 stand out from the rest of the sewing machines in manufacturing upholstery.

Specifications
  •     14 stitch applications
  •     4-step buttonhole
  •     Built-in needle threader
  •     Removable free arm
  •     3-piece feed dog system
  •     Zigzag width adjustment
  •     Drop feed
  •     Durable metallic frame
Benefits of Janome HD1000
  •     Powerful motor to tackle heavyweight fabrics
  •     Covers all features needed for upholstery
  •     Industrial machine
  •     Easy-to-use and convenient
  •     Easy control panel
Short Review of Product

Janome has always been known for its easy-to-use sewing machines that are durable and long-lasting. HD1000 is one such machine that is feature loaded yet simple. It has all the advanced specifications that a beginner or any sewer looks for like front loading bobbin, easy bobbin winding, easy threading, and desirable adjustments to stitch lengths and width.

Bonus Bundle
  •     Hard aluminum cover
  •     4 presser feet
  •     Needles
  •     Bobbins
  •     General purpose foot
  •     Zipper foot
  •     Blind Hemming foot
Con's

The speed is similar to any regular machine. It won’t be an injustice to consider it as a medium-speed stitcher.

Brother PQ1500SL (Sewing & Quilting Machine)- A Speedy Worker!

Third, on the list is PQ1500SL by Brothers. This one is also a multi-purpose sewing machine that can sew, quilt, and handle any hard project easily. It has got all the features for producing automotive upholstery.

Check Points
  •     A wide extension table as a workspace
  •     Powerful motor, 120V; Treadle powered
  •     Built-in knee lifter
  •     4 built-in feed dog
  •     High-speed Stitching; 1500spm

All of these special features are available in PQ1500SL that allow you to produce excellent automotive upholstery all by yourself.

Other Specifications
  •     Fast-speed sewing and quilting ability
  •     Precision pin feeding system
  •     Jam resistant Drop in top bobbin
  •     Automatic needle threader
  •     Automatic thread cutter/ trimmer
  •     Built-in knee lifter that is removable
Benefits of PQ1500SL
  •     Its speedy stitches get your task done in no time.
  •     Its automatic needle threader and thread trimmer save you from eye strain.
  •     Its four built-in feed dog positions allow completely easy sewing to every fabric material; either lightweight to leather or heavyweight fabrics.
  •     Its drop-in top bobbin makes the machine jam-resistant and easily manageable.
Short Review of Product

PQ1500SL is a speedy companion in times of urgency. It’s completely worth its cost as it is feature-loaded with all advanced specifications. Brother has packaged all the necessary tools required along this product so you can experience the best possible creative moments while sewing.

Bonus Bundle

Accessories included are

  •     7 pressure feet
  •     A wide extension table
  •     A machine cover
  •     A fabric separator
  •     Knee lifter
  •     5 bobbins
  •     Needles
  •     Cleaning brush
  •     Lining plate screw
  •     2 screwdriver
  •     An instruction manual
Con's

If you are particularly interested in elongated stitches then this product might not be able to produce more than 5mm stitch length and 7mm stitch width.

Buying Guide for the best sewing machine for automotive upholstery

Upholstery is hard to mend with any traditional or standard sewing machine which is why commonly heavy-duty machines are preferred. But this information is not enough for spending your money or making any purchases. There are a couple of features to check out before buying a sewing machine for automotive upholstery and they are listed down here.

Power & a small wheel

The first priority is to consider the power of a sewing machine. A small wheel along a powerful motor makes movements and changing of direction easier. That is why a wheel with a heavy-duty motor is essential for sewing thick fabric or layers of fabric. 

The majority of industrial sewing machines offer a separate motor that is attached to the machine through a pulley and is not in the body of the machine.

The sewing bed/ extension table

The sewing bed as apparent from its name is the area under the presser foot or needle. This specific area is assigned for sewing and different machines have different capacities for it. Depending on the projects, one can infer the area required for making projects.

The sewing machines specifically for automotive upholstery require a little extra space as a sewing bed. That is why a spacious bed is good for such tasks. And if your choice of machine is not meeting this bed criteria then you can attach an extension table too.

A walking foot

As automotive upholstery goes along thick layers of fabrics, we need a type of presser foot that can lift up high and can manage thick layers of heavyweight fabrics under it conveniently. A walking foot is good for moving fabrics in a direction and sewing as needed. The walking foot works well with an industrial machine and rotates fabrics and sews it flawlessly.

Stitch elongation

Automotive upholstery requires lengthy and durable stitches that is the reason why you should look for the stitch lengths offered by different machines. Industrial sewing machines are capable of producing 13 to 14-mm stitch lengths which is quite good for upholstery. 

 Final Verdict!

When searching for the best sewing machine for automotive upholstery, one surely needs a heavy-duty machine with a perfect Powerful motor, maximum lifting presser feet, and surely a jam-resistant machine. Therefore, you can’t spend your money on a single-time usable product so it’s better to invest in a machine that can do several jobs so you can enjoy it with different experiences. And that is why all of the above-mentioned are multi-purpose sewing companions.

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