Best Leather Sewing Machines of Sep 2023

Janome HD3000 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine

For lightweight leather sewing projects, the HD3000 can do the job with ease. It comes with two packs of leather needles and an ultra-glide foot, which makes it a perfect machine for sewing leather. It uses snap-on feet, so it is easy to add a generic foot if you need to.

The HD3000 is a heavy duty sewing machine that comes with 18 stitches built-in and a one-step buttonhole. The frame and internal materials are made of metal, which makes it strong enough to handle heavy duty materials such as leather and denim.

A strong motor and high presser foot ensure that the machine sews through leather and other heavy-duty materials without missing a stitch.

It comes with an automatic needle threader that works very well and saves you a lot of time. The machines let you adjust the length of the stitch up to 4 mm, which is great for sewing leather because longer stitch lengths mean stronger and more secure seams.

The presser foot pressure adjuster is a nice touch, which makes it easier to sew through a more extensive choice of fabrics.

It comes with an easy to understand user manual with plenty of illustrations to show you how to do various things.

For those looking for a robust and sturdy machine, without all the complicated computerized stuff that will easily sew through leather and other heavy materials, the HD3000 is a great addition to your home.

Juki TL-2000Qi Sewing and Quilting Machine

The Janome HD3000 is an excellent machine for sewing leather, but if you are someone who sews leather regularly, you seriously need to upgrade to the Juki TL-2000Qi.

It is fast, durable, quiet, a workhorse, and can handle very thick materials with ease. And don’t be fooled by the price, the Juki 2000Qi is an affordable machine with a high-end capability and quality.

Some of the features include a sewing speed of 1500 stitches per minute,  an LED lighting that brightens the workspace when working at night, and an automatic needle threader, which saves you time and effort.

Other features include an automatic thread cutter, presser foot pressure adjuster, needle up/down selector, drop feed dog, and easy bobbin loading.

The machine comes with a speed selector that allows you to sew heavy materials such as leather at low speeds for even, clean and smooth stitches. There is an extended table that gives you up to 23 inches of workspace for large quilting projects.

The walking foot is perfect for sewing leather. The machine sews straight stitches only, but this is enough for almost any leather project. And besides, 99% of all the sewing you’ll ever do will be done with straight stitching.

The Juki 2000Qi was made with quilting in mind. It has a wide workspace to handle large quilting projects with ease. The drop feed dog allows for excellent free motion quilting. The knee presser lift is a convenient addition that makes it easier to lift the presser foot without using your hands.

The power and speed of this machine are incredible. If you sew leather for a living or you do a lot of heavy duty sewing, then this semi-industrial machine is all you need. It will last longer and never give you any problems. Once you’ve set it up and read the manual, you’ll fall in love with this machine.

This machine is, however not the best machine for a beginner.

Singer 4432 Heavy Duty Extra-High Speed Sewing Machine

The 4432 is the only machine under $200 to make it onto our list of the best sewing machines for leather. Despite its low price tag, it does an excellent job of sewing through leather and other heavy-duty materials.

The combination of the heavy duty metal frame and powerful and high-speed motor makes it a capable machine for lightweight leather projects.

The use of a box feed and feed pressure adjuster allows it to sew thick materials without skipping stitches. The machine comes with snap-on feet so you can quickly add specialty presser feet for the right sewing project.

The machine has an automatic threading feature that makes the task of threading the needles a breeze. You can easily create buttonholes for your projects using the one-step buttonhole option.

Overall, this little machine is an excellent machine for sewing lightweight leather projects and makes beautiful and durable stitches. It is, however, not a workhorse and, therefore, not ideal for really tough leather projects like saddles. It is an excellent machine for beginners and those on a budget.

#5 Singer S18 Studio

Note: This machine is no longer available. We recommend Necchi HD22 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine. Click here to check its best price for Necchi HD22 or visit this link to read reviews from real users.

The S18 is not a specialty leather sewing machine but an all-around high-performance sewing and quilting machine that is also great for sewing leather. This mid-priced Singer machine packs a ton of features for those looking for a computerized sewing machine that is good at sewing through heavy materials such as upholstery, denim, and leather.

It comes with an LCD screen that helps you select from over 400 in-built stitches and also comes with a lot of button controlled functions. The automatic needle threader, automatic thread cutter, and the knee presser foot lifter all add time-saving functionality to this machine.

The easy drop-in bobbin loading technology makes it very easy to load the bobbin. The bobbin cover is transparent, so you can quickly tell when you are running out of bobbin thread. The generous workspace can be increased with the use of the extension table when working on large quilting projects.

The free arm allows you to make excellent free motion quilting.

But you want to know how it performs when sewing leather, right? The truth is this sewing machine does an excellent job with leather and other thick fabric. You can comfortably sew through several layers of some of the toughest fabrics out there. The walking foot, thread tension adjuster, presser foot pressure adjuster, and speed adjuster all combine to make it an excellent choice for sewing thick fabrics and leather.

And there is a ton of features which we have listed in the table above.

The S18 has the same performance and features of the much more expensive Janome memory craft 6500P. It is about half the price of the Janome, which is frankly a steal. If you are serious about sewing even as just a hobby, this is the perfect machine for you. The design and construction are of the highest quality, and the performance is top-notch.

You’ll get satisfaction and long-lasting performance if you go ahead and buy this sewing machine.

Note: This machine is no longer available. We recommend Necchi HD22 Heavy Duty Sewing Machine. Click here to check its best price for Necchi HD22 or visit this link to read reviews from real users.

#1 Sailrite Heavy Duty Ultrafeed LS-1 Basic Walking Foot Machine

Note: This machine is no longer available. We recommend Juki DNU-1541 Industrial Sewing Machine. This machine sews through just about anything and is a true workhorse. Click here to check the price for this item or visit this link to read reviews from real users.

If you want to sew leather comfortably with a machine, this is the perfect sewing machine for leather. It is a semi-industrial sewing machine that can comfortably handle thick materials such as leather, heavy canvas, denim, and upholstery fabrics. This machine comfortably sewed through ten layers of heavy canvas.

The LS-1 is a straight stitch machine with a walking foot, which is perfect for leather. The walking foot means the leather will not stick to the presser foot during sewing. For stronger and more secure seams, the machine offers stitch lengths of up to 6 mm.

You can pretty much feed any material under the 3.5-inch foot lift, and this machine will sew through it like bread through butter. It handles the toughest materials (you can even sew toys out of old fire hoses) with ease and control. You won’t experience any jerking or uneven stitches.

It comes with the right needles for sewing leather, 4 bobbins, thread stand, electronic foot control, and even samples of the materials they’ve tested the machine on.

It is built with the toughest, most durable parts which ensure the machine will last for many years to come. The included guidebook and DVD will tell you everything you need to know about the machine and how to use it.

The Ultrafeed LS-1 is the perfect machine for beginners or experienced sewers looking for a good sewing machine for heavy materials such as leather. If you want to create beautiful professional-grade leather projects, this is the machine to get.

Note: This machine is no longer available. We recommend Juki DNU-1541 Industrial Sewing Machine. This machine sews through just about anything and is a true workhorse. Click here to check the best price for this item or visit this link to read reviews from real users.

Conclusion

Sewing can be a fun activity if you have the right machine to complete your projects. You’ll experience a lot of joy creating gifts and beautiful items for friends and family or to sell. If you are willing to spend so much money on a phone, then we encourage you to get a high-quality sewing machine, so you don’t experience any problems down the line.

Reasons to get a leather sewing machine

The drawback of working with leather is that you can’t afford to mess up. With cloth fabrics, you can unstitch your mistakes and redo the stitching. But every mistake you make with leather can be a costly one. Make the wrong stitches, and the leather may become useless. When you make a stitch on leather, it creates a permanent hole in the leather, unlike cloth fabrics. If you put the holes in the wrong place, that section of leather may no longer be usable. This is one of the reasons why you need the best sewing machines for the project. There are no do-overs when working with leather.

Another issue with leather is that it has this tendency to stick to the throat plate or presser foot of the machine during sewing. One solution will be to place a piece of scotch over the foot to help the leather glide under it. But if you don’t want to go through that trouble, you will need a machine with presser foot and throat plates designed to handle leather sewing.

You also need a machine that will let you make longer length stitches on leather. This is because longer length stitching seams stronger and more secure.

And to be sure your machine can handle the leather you want to sew, take a scrap piece of the leather and test your stitches on that. If everything goes well, then you can proceed to work on your project. If the machine is unable to handle the leather, then you need to invest in a new machine.

A few tips on sewing with leather

Leather is in fashion, and lots of sewing enthusiasts want to make purses, bags, wallets, jackets, etc. Working with leather can be frustrating if you don’t know what you are doing. So here a few tips and tricks that will hopefully make the process of sewing leather a fun and much more pain-free process.

• Watch out for imperfections: Before you start cutting out your patterns, examine the leather for imperfections. If you cut out your pattern and later discover that there are scars or even a hole in the leather, you might not have any leather left to make a new cut.
• Leather and pins are not friends: If you work with regular fabrics, you might be used to doing a lot of pinning. But when working with leather, pinning is a no go. Pins make permanent holes in the leather. Use clips (hair clips, paper clips, binder clip) and invincible tape in place of pins.
• Leather can stick to the presser foot or throat plates of your machine. Use Teflon foot, a walking foot, or roller foot when working on leather.
• Use the right thread: Get the right threads for sewing with leather, or you will run into problems. The best threads for sewing leather are pure nylon threads or upholstery weight polyester threads. The wrong threads can stick to the leather and attempt to pull it through the presser foot during the upstroke.
• Switch to a new needle and use a Teflon presser foot instead of a walking foot If the machine struggles to sew smooth stitches. The right needle can make a big difference to your finished product.

I am sure there are a lot more tips out there for sewing leather, and we will love to hear about it. Leave your suggestions in our comments sections below.

Can I sew leather with my home sewing machine?

This is a question that gets asked by a lot of people. The answer depends on the thickness of the leather you are working with. Your domestic sewing machine can sew real or faux leather of about 3oz (1mm to 1.2mm) thick as long as you use the correct needles, presser feet, threads, and do not make very thick seams.

For much thicker leather, you might need an industrial sewing machine to complete the project. We recommend you get an industrial leather sewing machine for commerical or large projects. Otherwise, if your thick leather project is a one-off or a once in a while project, then your best option might be to hand-sew the leather.

But if you will only be working with lightweight leather, then your home sewing machine is perfectly fine for most projects if you get the right accessories. Check out the top computerized sewing machines here.

Whenever you are unsure, test a sample of the leather with a few stitches to see if your machine can handle them.