When you have a t-shirt with a hole to the side, the temptation can be to take it to a friend who has a heavy-duty machine or to just throw it away. Neither of these seems like a convenient solution to a simple problem, but a handheld sewing machine does. They can make light work of a patch-up, and depending on the tear, you can often keep the garment on.
The same can be said for curtains when using a handheld sewing machine. The problem is, not a lot of people have used them before. Because of this, they don’t know what a quality product should be capable of. To make this decision easier, we have created the following buyer’s guide.
Lightweight Design
Because a handheld sewing machine needs to be portable, it has to be lightweight. There is no point buying a product you can’t pick up and fix a pair of hanging curtains for a small repair. This is exactly the sort of convenience they are made for so be sure it isn’t going to weigh you down when trying to hold it up to a pair of curtains or run it alongside your bedding.
Easy To Hold
This comes down to two things; the grip and the size. The clue is in the name as they are supposed to be easy to hold in your hand. Some lightweight products aren’t so easy to hold and they make good alternatives if you can’t find the right product for your needs. Still, whatever you choose, it needs to have an ergonomic design so you can hold it easily and make straight lines.
Instructions
You’ll be surprised at the number of handheld sewing machines that don’t come with everything you need. The best products all come with easy to follow instructions so you can take it out of the box and use it within minutes. Some are pretty self-explanatory, espeically if you have used one before but even if the whole process is new to you, it shouldn’t take long to get up to speed.
Value
This might sound like a given but if you aren;t sure what a quality machine should offer, then it can be difficult to gauge the value. Look for a mix of convenience, included extras, and brand reputation before you buy.
Warranty
A lot of handheld sewing machines come with a small warranty. You’re not going to get 25 years like a full-sized machine but anything that protects your purchase for a while can be the sign of a brand that trusts its product.
Extras
You might not find that every brand gives you a handful of useful extras but it can help too. sweeten an already good deal. The main thing to look for is a quality machine but if it comes with extra bobbins, thread, scissors, measuring tape, extra needles, and more then even better.
Precise Sewing
This should be a standard trait but not every brand can offer precise sewing. A straight stitch should be easy but unless it gets it right first time, you can find yourself losing patience having to go over your stitches more than once. This isn’t a problem you should come across with reputable products.
Battery Operated
Because they don’t need a lot of power to be of use, a handheld sewing machine should run on AA batteries. These are easy to get hold of and should last a long time. The only downside with a lot of the machines is their lack of included batteries. It’s a small price to pay for the convenience though.
Use on Different Fabrics
As with a lot of machines, the quality of the needle will impact its sewing ability. However, the power will also go a long way towards what type of materials you can sew through. The better machines will be capable of sewing denim and leather and most are fine up to around 1.8mm of thickness.
This might be a question you ask if you haven’t used one before because those who have tend to swear by the convenience. Here are some of the most common uses for a handheld sewing machine:
Make Quick Fixes Without Removing The Garment – This is common in TV productions where a quick repair is vital but for a child about to walk out the door with a torn trouser or school shirt, it can mean an easy remedy without losing time. Even someone trying to leave for work on time will be able to make use of a handheld sewing machine at some point.
Make Alterations – By cutting pants you might be able to turn them into something new or pass an older child’s clothes down to another. Even an adult will find a time that this sort of alteration comes in handy.
Hanging Curtains – We’ve touched on this but being able to fix a hanging curtain without having to fiddle with the tricky hoops can be a godsend. This is one of the main reasons a lot of people opt to buy a handheld sewing machine, even if they already have a regular machine.
Repair Bedding – Because bedding can be a pain to get on and off a duvet, being able to fix it without removing the whole thing can be a relief. You won’t have to carry such a large piece of material to the kitchen table to make a repair, a handheld sewing machine can fix it without taking it off the bed.
This is the good part, most handheld sewing machines can be picked up for around the $20 – $25 mark. Some might charge a little more and anything around $10 might be too good to be true or just unreliable.
Because of this, you can be making quality straight line stitches without having to remove the garment, or just extend the life span of your clothes for a reasonable price.
Because of its brand name, it would be easy to pick our top handheld sewing machine on reputation alone. However, we found the
SINGER 01664 Stitch Sew Quick 2 Hand Held Mending Machine to be the best for many reasons. It does offer Singers build quality but also automatic winding, a strong sewing function, and dual-speed capability. Because it offers a lot for a reasonable price, we found it to be the most reliable and easy to use handheld sewing machine on the market.
