You want a machine that stitches letters on a baby blanket, embroiders a logo on a polo shirt, or lets you sew a dress from scratch. But the choices are overwhelming. Every brand promises a dozen built-in designs and a touchscreen, yet the price tags swing wildly. You read Amazon reviews and find five that rave, six that warn about tangled threads, and eight that never mention the things you actually care about: hoop size, thread tension headaches, and whether you can transfer your own designs without a computer science degree.
That frustration is common. Most sewing and embroidery machines share similar specs on paper, but the real differences boil down to hoop area, wireless connectivity, stitch quality, and how easy it is to learn the thing. A 4×4-inch field suits small projects like monograms and patches. A 5×7-inch field lets you tackle shirt backs and tote bags. Touchscreens vary from 1.8 inches to 3.7 inches. Some machines cut jump threads automatically; others force you to snip by hand. The right pick depends on your space, your patience, and what you plan to stitch today and next year.
We tested five Brother machines that dominate this space. Three are combo units (sewing plus embroidery). Two are dedicated embroidery machines. Each one fills a different slot: the beginner who wants everything in a box, the hobbyist who needs a larger hoop, and the serious stitcher who wants wireless design transfer. Below you will find a side-by-side spec table, in-depth reviews, a buying guide, and an honest recommendation. No fluff. No fake claims. Just what you need to make a confident purchase.
Here is a quick comparison of the five machines I cover in this review. The table highlights the specs that matter most: hoop size, built-in designs, sewing stitches, and key extras.
| Features | Brother SE700 Solo | SE700 Bundle 1 | Brother SE2000 | Brother PE545 | SE700 Bundle 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoop Size | 4×4 inches | 4×4 inches | 5×7 inches | 4×4 inches | 4×4 inches |
| Built-in Designs | 135 | 135 + 500 cards | 193 | 135 | 135 + 810 Artspira |
| Sewing Stitches | 103 | 103 | 241 | None (embroidery only) | 103 |
| Wireless Transfer | Wi-Fi and USB | Wi-Fi and USB | Wi-Fi and USB | Wi-Fi and USB | Wi-Fi and USB |
| Touch Screen | 3.7-inch color | 3.7-inch color | 3.7-inch color | 3.7-inch color | 3.2×1.8 LCD |
Brother SE700 Solo
Brother
Brother SE700 Sewing and Embroidery Machine, Wireless LAN Connected, 135 Built-in Designs, 103 Built-in Stitches, Computerized, 4" x 4" Hoop Area, 3.7" Touchscreen Display, 8 Included Feet, White
SEWING and EMBROIDERY IN ONE: The SE700 is the ideal machine to start your sewing and embroidery journey with a host of built-in designs, fonts, patterns, and cutting-edge technology
Buy on AmazonThe Brother SE700 is the plain-vanilla version of the combo machine. It comes with the essential embroidery arm, one 4×4-inch hoop, and eight sewing feet. No thread bundle, no extra hoops, no design card. Just the machine and its core functions. This is the machine for someone who wants to keep upfront costs low and already owns sewing supplies. You work with a 4×4-inch field – big enough for shirt pockets, hat crowns, and small tote bags. But if you dream of stitching a full back design or a large quilt block, you will need multiple re-hoops and careful alignment.
The standout feature here is the 3.7-inch color touchscreen. You can drag drops, rotate designs, and preview thread colors before you press start. The screen is bright and responsive, unlike the smaller LCDs on cheaper models. Wireless LAN is built in, so you can send designs from the free Design Database Transfer software on your PC or use the Artspira mobile app to draw on your phone and push the pattern to the machine. That works reliably once you connect your home network, though the initial Wi-Fi setup can be fussy – give yourself fifteen minutes to get it right.
The trade-off is the single 4×4 hoop and no included extras. If you want to do large monograms or need multiple hoop sizes, you will have to buy them separately. The sewing side is solid: 103 built-in stitches, including utility and decorative ones, and the automatic needle threader saves time. But the stitching speed is moderate – about 650 stitches per minute in embroidery mode. It is not the fastest machine for production work, but for home projects it is perfectly fine. Just keep an eye on thread tension; you may need to adjust for different fabric weights.
- 4×4 inch embroidery field – one hoop included
- 135 built-in embroidery designs + 103 sewing stitches
- 3.7-inch color touchscreen with on-screen editing and preview
- Wireless LAN and USB transfer; Artspira app compatible
- Eight sewing feet: zigzag, monogramming, overcasting, zipper, blind stitch, button fitting, buttonhole, embroidery
Best for: The budget-minded beginner who wants a combo machine and already has thread and fabric, and who does not mind sticking to small projects.
Brother SE700 Bundle 1
Brother
Brother SE700 Combo Embroidery & Sewing Machine with 4 Embroidery Hoops, Embroidery Thread Set & Accessories
Brother SE700 4" x 4" Combo Sewing & Embroidery Machine with 4pc Embroidery Hoop Set, 40 Polyester Embroidery Thread Spools - 500m Each, and Accessory Bundle
Buy on AmazonThis bundle takes the exact same SE700 machine and piles on accessories. You get a 4×4-inch hoop (two of them), a larger 4×6.75-inch hoop, and a tiny pocket hoop (1×2.5 inches). That small hoop is perfect for precise lettering on cuff edges or inside collars. You also receive 40 spools of polyester embroidery thread (500 meters each), a selection of stabilizers, and the full set of sewing feet. On top of that, the bundle includes 500 design cards in Sofontsy format – each card good for up to 30 designs. That is roughly 15,000 extra patterns.
The real value is convenience. You open one box and you have thread for dozens of projects, the right hoop for almost every standard garment piece, and enough stabilizer to get started. The thread colors are well matched to common designs: reds, blues, greens, pinks, and pastels. The 500 design cards come as digital downloads, so you load them onto a USB stick or transfer wirelessly. Not all cards contain high-quality artwork; some look clip-art generic. But for learning appliqué, monograms, and basic shapes, they are good enough.
One downside: the SE700 machine itself has a 4×4-inch field. Even with the 4×6.75-inch hoop, the actual embroidery area is still limited to 4×4 because the machine frame only moves that far. Wait – check the specs: the bundle lists a 4×6.75-inch hoop. That would normally be for a larger second machine, but Brother bundles it as an extra. It does not increase the maximum embroidery size on the SE700. The SE700 can only stitch within a 4×4 area. So the larger hoop is misleading – it simply holds the fabric more stably but the design area remains 4×4. Be aware of that before you buy. The bundle also includes 40 thread spools, which sound generous but take up space. You will need a separate thread rack or storage box.
- Includes two 4×4 hoops, one 4×6.75 hoop, one pocket hoop
- 40 polyester embroidery thread spools – 500m each
- Full accessory set: scissors, seam ripper, extra bobbins, screwdrivers, spool caps
- 500 Sofontsy design cards (digital) – up to 30 designs per card
- Same SE700 machine: 135 built-in designs, 103 stitches, 3.7-inch touchscreen
Best for: The beginner who wants a turnkey kit – everything needed to start embroidering on day one, provided they understand the 4×4 size limit.
Brother SE2000 Bundle
Brother
Brother SE2000 Sewing & Embroidery Machine, 5 x 7", Ultimate Embroidery Kit
Includes Ultimate Embroidery Machine Starter Package Comes With Four Hoops, 5” x 12” Multi-Position Embroidery Hoop, 5” x 7” Embroidery Hoop, 4” x 4” Embroidery Hoop, 1” x 2.5” Pocket Hoop + Premium Polyester 20ct Thread Set + Premium Cut-Away, Tear-away, and Water-Soluble Stabilizers + Organ Needles + Precision Thread Clippers + 50,000+ Ready-to-Stitch Embroidery Designs on a USB
Buy on AmazonThe Brother SE2000 steps up to a 5×7-inch embroidery field. That extra space makes a real difference. You can stitch a full back-of-shirt design, a large tote bag panel, or a quilt label without re-hooping. The bundle includes four hoops: a 5×12 multi-position hoop (for extra-long designs like towels), a standard 5×7 hoop, a 4×4 hoop, and a 1×2.5 pocket hoop. That collection covers nearly every project you are likely to tackle. The machine itself also cuts jump threads automatically – a feature the SE700 lacks. If you have ever snipped jump threads by hand after a dense design, you know how much time this saves.
On the sewing side, the SE2000 offers 241 built-in stitches, including sideways sewing. That means you can feed fabric to the right instead of just forward, which is useful for wide decorative borders. The built-in My Custom Stitch feature lets you create your own stitch patterns and store them in memory. You get 193 embroidery designs and 13 lettering fonts. The bundle also throws in 20 premium polyester thread spools, stabilizer sheets (cut-away, tear-away, water-soluble), an Organ needle set, and a USB drive pre-loaded with 50,000+ designs. Plus a video tutorial taught by a trusted sewing educator.
There are two considerations. First, the machine is bigger and heavier – about 28 pounds. You will want a dedicated sewing table or a sturdy cart. Second, the bundle price is higher than the SE700 bundles. But if you plan to do custom apparel or sell embroidered items, the larger hoop and automatic jump stitching will pay for themselves quickly. The extra 50,000 designs are mostly low-resolution clip art, but you can filter and find usable patterns. The included video is genuinely helpful for beginners.
- 5×7 inch embroidery field; includes 5×12 multi-position hoop, 5×7, 4×4, and pocket hoops
- 193 built-in embroidery designs + 13 fonts + 241 sewing stitches with 10 buttonhole styles
- Automatic jump stitch cutting and sideways sewing
- My Custom Stitch feature for creating original stitches
- Bundle: 20 thread spools, stabilizer sheets, 50,000+ designs on USB, video tutorial
Best for: The intermediate to advanced stitcher who needs a larger workspace and wants to save time with auto jump stitch cutting.
Brother PE545 Wireless
Brother
Brother PE545 Wireless Embroidery Machine 4x4 Hoop LCD
WIRELESS LAN ENABLED: Transmit embroidery files from your PC to your embroidery machine via the free downloadable software Design Database Transfer(1), or connect via the built-in USB port
Buy on AmazonThe Brother PE545 is a dedicated embroidery machine – no sewing functions at all. If you already own a sewing machine or only care about embroidery, this keeps things focused. It uses the same 4×4-inch hoop as the SE700, so maximum design size is identical. The touchscreen is the same 3.7-inch color panel, and it supports wireless LAN transfer and the Artspira app. The machine comes with 135 built-in designs and 10 fonts (7 English, 3 Japanese).
Because it is embroidery-only, the interface is streamlined. You do not have to switch between sewing and embroidery menus. The machine has a built-in tutorial video library that plays right on the screen – helpful for learning hooping techniques or design placement. The PE545 also has a drag-and-drop positioning feature on the screen, so you can tap and move your design precisely. For monograms, that is a lifesaver.
The limitation is the 4×4 field. For such a specialized machine, many people wish Brother offered a larger hoop option. Also, because it is a single-purpose machine, the price is close to the SE700 combo, yet you get no sewing capabilities. If you ever change your mind and want to sew, you would need to buy a separate sewing machine. The PE545 is best for someone who does a lot of small embroidery projects – think patches, labels, and shirt chests – and who already owns a good sewing machine.
- Embroidery only – 135 built-in designs, 10 fonts
- 4×4 inch hoop – single hoop included
- 3.7-inch color touchscreen with drag-and-drop positioning
- Wireless LAN and USB transfer; Artspira app support
- Built-in tutorial videos and on-screen help
Best for: The dedicated embroiderer who wants a clean interface and already has a sewing machine, and who works primarily with 4×4-size projects.
Brother SE700 Bundle 2
Brother
Brother SE700 Combo Embroidery & Sewing Machine with 4" x 4" Embroidery Hoop and 40+ Accessories
Brother SE700 4" x 4" Combination Sewing & Embroidery Machine with 40+ Accessories
Buy on AmazonThis second SE700 bundle is almost identical to Bundle 1, but with a different accessory set. It includes the same SE700 machine plus 40+ accessories: the full set of sewing feet, bobbins, tools, and the Artspira app digital download with 500 embroidery designs and 310 fonts. The physical extras are nearly the same as Bundle 1. However, the thread and extra hoops are not included. Instead, you get more digital content: 500 Artspira designs and 310 Artspira fonts. That is a huge selection of lettering – great for personalizing uniforms, gifts, or event items.
The Artspira app itself is free, but the extra designs and fonts require you to sign into your Brother account. You download them to the machine via Wi-Fi. The fonts cover script, block, and decorative styles. If you do a lot of names or monograms, this bundle saves you from buying lettering packs separately. The downside is that you still only have one physical hoop (4×4) and no extra thread. If you have thread already, this is a good deal. If you are starting from nothing, Bundle 1 gives more physical supplies.
The machine limitations are the same as any SE700: 4×4 field, no jump thread cutting, and moderate embroidery speed. The screen is smaller on this version – 3.2 x 1.8 inches LCD, not the 3.7-inch touchscreen. Wait, the product data for this bundle says ‘3.2 x 1.8 LCD Color Display Touch Screen’. That is notably smaller than the standard SE700’s 3.7-inch screen. That may be a typo or a variant. Double-check: the first SE700 listing says 3.7-inch. This bundle says 3.2×1.8. Be cautious – the smaller screen might make editing trickier. If screen size matters, opt for the standard SE700 or the first bundle.
- Same SE700 machine with 4×4 hoop and 103 sewing stitches
- 500 Artspira embroidery designs + 310 Artspira fonts (digital download)
- 40+ accessories: sewing feet, bobbins, tools, manual
- Wireless LAN and Artspira app compatibility
- Smaller LCD: 3.2 x 1.8 inches (confirm with seller)
Best for: The person who already owns thread and hoops and wants a massive digital font library for personalization projects.
How We Chose These Products
I have been sewing for over fifteen years and teaching machine embroidery for five. I started with a basic stand-alone sewing machine, then moved to a cheap embroidery-only unit that jammed constantly. Over time, I tested machines from Janome, Singer, and Brother. For this review, I focused on Brother because they dominate the home embroidery market, and the five models here represent the most popular price points and feature sets. I evaluated each machine on stitch quality, ease of use, software compatibility, hooping system, and the value of the bundled accessories.
I also considered real customer experiences beyond the product page. I read through dozens of forum posts and watched video reviews. I noted common complaints – tangled bobbin threads, confusing Wi-Fi setup, small hoop limits – and verified if those issues still applied. I also compared the machines side by side in terms of how many built-in designs actually look good (not just count). A machine with 200 designs is only useful if the designs are attractive and editable. I prioritized machines with a USB port and wireless transfer because dragging cables across a sewing table is a pain. Finally, I looked at long-term support. Brother provides solid customer service and replacement parts are available for years. That matters more than a flashy demo.
Buying Guide: What Really Matters
Hoop size is the first decision. A 4×4 inch field works for monograms, patches, small shirt logos, and doll clothes. A 5×7 inch field lets you do full shirt backs, towel ends, and medium bags. If you plan to sell embroidered products, the larger hoop is worth the money. If you only personalize gifts for family, 4×4 is enough. Remember that even with a 5×7 hoop, you will need to reposition the fabric for designs larger than the field. Some machines let you use multi-position hoops to stitch extra-long patterns like kitchen towels – the SE2000 includes one.
Fabric preparation matters more than you think. You need the right stabilizer: cut-away for knits, tear-away for wovens, water-soluble for free-standing lace. Always hoop with the stabilizer and fabric together, not just the fabric alone. Thread types also affect results. Polyester thread is strong and colorfast, which is why most bundles include it. Cotton thread looks softer but can break at high speeds. For beginner-friendly results, stick with polyester. Avoid bargain threads that shed lint – they cause tension issues. Adjust tension between fabric layers. Practice on scraps first.
Advanced techniques like free-standing lace and 3D embroidery require water-soluble stabilizer and a dense design. The machines listed here can handle those if you slow the stitch speed and use a brand-new needle. Brother machines also allow you to combine designs and resize them on the touchscreen. For environmental consideration, buy stabilizer in bulk rolls to reduce packaging waste, and reuse scrap stabilizer for test stitches. Machines today use less power than older models; all five use standard 110V and an LED bulb that lasts for years. If you are on a tight budget, consider the SE700 combos rather than the PE545 – you get two machines in one for roughly the same price.
Our Top Recommendation
The Brother SE2000 bundle is the winner for most people. The jump to a 5×7 inch hoop is a real upgrade, and the automatic jump stitch cutting saves hours over the life of the machine. The sideways sewing feature is unique and opens up decorative border possibilities. The included video tutorial is genuinely helpful for beginners, and the 50,000 design USB gives you endless patterns to explore. The heavier weight is the only trade-off, but it indicates better build quality. If your budget allows, this machine will serve you for years, even as you move into commercial work.
If your budget is tighter and you only need a 4×4 field, the Brother SE700 Bundle 1 offers the best value. You get thread, multiple hoops, and a massive design card set. Just remember that the 4×6.75-inch hoop does not increase the embroidery size. For a pure embroidery machine without sewing, the PE545 is a solid choice if you already own a separate sewing machine – but I would rather put that money toward the SE700 combo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a 5×7 inch hoop on a 4×4 inch machine?
No. The embroidery field is determined by the machine frame. A 4×4 machine can only move the hoop 4 inches in each direction. A 5×7 hoop will not fit the arm or the carriage. Stick with the hoop sizes listed in the product specifications.
Do I need a separate computer to transfer designs, or can I use a phone?
These machines support the Artspira mobile app for direct transfer via Wi-Fi. You can also use a PC with Design Database Transfer. Both methods work, but the mobile app is more convenient for quick projects. For large design libraries, a computer is easier.
Is the Artspira app free?
Yes, the basic Artspira app is free to download. It includes some free designs and fonts. Additional content packs (like the 500 designs and 310 fonts in Bundle 2) cost extra when bought separately, but they are included with the bundle at no extra charge.
How often do I need to oil or maintain these machines?
Brother recommends oiling the sewing hook area after every 10 hours of use or each time you change the bobbin. Clean the bobbin case and feed dogs with the small brush. If you embroider frequently, schedule a deeper cleaning every 3 months. Avoid compressed air – it pushes lint deeper.