Screen-driven machines
Computerised machines buy you automatic buttonholes, precise needle positioning and a stitch library you will use perhaps a tenth of. We compare them on the features that change what you can make, and flag the ones that only change the box copy.
40 stitches · LCD · free arm · 2.95 kg
Brother's light computerised machine: 40 stitches, an LCD, a needle threader and a free arm, at just under three kilos. One reference on all six Amazon stores we checked.
Best for: Light dressmaking, alterations and a first machine that has to live in a cupboard
Computerised · 50 stitches · LCD
The computerised bernette, listed with 50 stitches and an LCD display, and carrying one single reference on all six Amazon stores.
Best for: Someone stepping up from a mechanical machine who wants stitch selection on a screen
Computerised · DE, IT, GB only
Janome's computerised mid-range machine, and the first of three Janome models we found absent from the French and Spanish catalogues.
Best for: German, Italian and British readers who want a Janome computerised machine
Computerised · Pfaff Smarter line
The computerised machine in Pfaff's Smarter line, carrying one reference on all six markets — with two of the six listings machine-translated into nonsense.
Best for: A computerised machine from a specialist brand, if you can confirm the specification elsewhere
Computerised · 100 stitch programs
A computerised machine listed with 100 stitch programs and automatic thread tension, under one reference across five European markets.
Best for: Decorative work and garment sewing where stitch variety is the point
140 stitches · 3.5" LCD · thread cutter
Brother's upper-mid computerised machine: 140 stitches, ten buttonhole styles, an automatic thread cutter and a 3.5-inch screen. One reference across the whole of Europe, absent from the US.
Best for: Garment sewing where buttonholes and finish matter more than raw power
Computerised · automatic thread cutter
Juki's computerised domestic flagship, proven on three markets — as a quilting package in Germany and the United States, and as the bare machine in Britain.
Best for: Quilting and heavier domestic work where a strong feed matters
