Four Best Coverstitch Machines of 2024 With The Top Picks And Guide

Coverstitch machines are expensive and only do limited stuff. On top of that, these devices can be finicky and hassle to thread, so it's not an easy decision to make.

But limited functionalities don't imply they can only do hemming. In fact, these machines can do more than that.

Things you can do with the coverstitch machines are:

If you’re wearing a knit shirt, look at the sleeve or the hem. It has a very professionally done seam. You can make those too with a home coverstitch machine.

In this article, I'll write you the best coverstitch sewing machine reviews to help you bring your sewing to the next level. So without further ado, let's find one for you that is easy to operate and can produce professionally done stitches.

Best Sewing Machines for Coverstitch

I found four of the best coverstitch machines for you. They’re bestsellers and come from very solid companies who stand by their machines.

Juki MCS 1500 

The Juki is also able to do both the cover stitch and the chain stitch. The chain stitch forms a chain on the wrong side of the fabric with the one needle.

It’s strong when stretched so it can be ideal for stitching the waist of pants, knits as well as decorative necklines.

With the Juki, you can lift the presser foot to a high 10mm to handle thicker fabrics.

It also comes standard with something called a “compensating foot” that can handle changes in thicknesses. So if you were hemming a pair of jeans, it could handle that big hump where all the seams meet.

Some people feel this is a problem because it’s a large foot, and it may cause some difficulties when working on smaller areas like a child’s sleeve or doll clothes.

The Juki MCS-1500 has a very simple looper threading. You can lower it at the press of a button. Then all you have to do is thread the looper. Also, the thread tension is manually adjusted.

There are plenty of videos out there to show you how to do just about everything with it.

The Juki MCS-1500 has a maximum stitch width of 5mm and can sew at a super fast 1350 stitches per minute.

This is the machine to get if you’re doing a lot of professional quality finishing.

Janome Cover Pro 1000CPX 

This is a great machine for making custom leotards with matching leggings because it has a longer arm area.

This also means you can handle larger projects because of the bigger space around the needles.

And the CoverPro 1000CPX can stitch with up to three needles and can sew a maximum width of 6mm at a rate of 1000 stitches per minute.

Its thread tension is manually controlled which is useful if you want precise control over everything you're sewing.

This is the machine to get if you want to step up your sewing with more professional results, and if you’re putting together a lot of activewear.

Janome CoverPro 900CPX 

This machine can stitch with up to two needles. It sews a maximum width of 5mm at a speed of 1000 stitches per minute.

If it looks like the CoverPro 1000CPX, there’s a good reason. The 900CPX came out a few years before the 1000CPX. It’s a good solid machine that is time-tested.

The Janome CoverPro 900CPX is a great machine for beginners. It’s easy to set up and to use. It’s also very sturdy.

Both the CoverPro 900CPX and 1000CPX have something called the Seam Tightening System. It’s a trademarked feature that reduces the slack in your looper thread ensuring a tight and flat chain stitch on the bottom of the project.

However, if you’re going to hem or construct a lot of activewear, you don’t want this machine. It only has up to two needles, and for strong seams, you would want to use 3.

The Verdict

The winner of the best coverstitch sewing machine is the Janome CoverPro 1000CPX because it’s the most flexible and has the most features for the price point.

You will be able to hem just about everything from jeans to jersey knit dresses. You’ll be able to attach elastic to swimwear or other activewear successfully. And you know your seams will be strong and not pop at the worst possible time.

Janome is an excellent company that produces solid sewing machines.

The Janome CoverPro is reasonably priced for the amount of time it will save you.

I can’t wait to see what you sew with it! If you are looking for more coverstitch machine reviews, comment below with the model numbers we'll try to include those for you.

What Is A Coverstitch Machine

A coverstitch machine is designed to make professional looking and very secure hems.

If you’ve ever groaned at the need to do the finishing work like hemming, don’t be surprised if you start to enjoy it with a coverstitch sewing machine.

This machine is designed to make simple hems, attach sleeve cuffs, and create smooth necklines.

You will have a few needles up on top. Most machines can handle 1, 2 or 3 needles.

You also have the bottom looper thread. The machine creates a chain stitch as it weaves the lower looper thread between each needle that you have going.

Be careful which way you’re feeding in the fabric. The top should be towards the needles giving you a nice straight stitch. And the bottom gets the loops. It’s also called a chain stitch, and it encloses the raw edge.

The coverstitch sewing machine is also a great way to attach ribbon or elastic. This is very helpful if you’re making underwear, swimsuits or activewear.

How Does It Compare to A Serger

While they both finish seams, a serger has blades to trim fabric, and a coverstitch sewing machine does not.

The coverstitch is also primarily used for hemming.

So why wouldn’t you just use a sewing machine? Well, the coverstitch provides a stretchy seam that’s strong. This is great if you sew a lot of knitwear.

What to Look for In A Coverstitch Machine

We wouldn’t be an excellent coverstitch machine review if we didn’t talk about the various features of a coverstitch machine

What should you look for:

● Maximum stitch width
● Maximum stitch speed
● Number of needles

Maximum stitch width is how wide your sewing can get. So if you have multiple needles, you’ll want to know how far apart they can be for your hem.

The maximum stitch speed is how fast the coverstitch sewing machine will sew. The faster you can go, the sooner your projects will be done.

And the number of needles allows you to have multiple rows of parallel stitching. You’d decide which to use based on the material for the seam, and your personal design aesthetic.

You would use one needle for a neat look of a single line of stitching with the added stretch of a chain stitch in the back. It’s also perfect for tape binding decorative effects and sewing together woven fabrics.

You would use two needles for most hemming. It would give you the classic t-shirt hem. It’s very useful for tape binding and hemming lighter fabrics.

You would use three needles for adding in elastic or where you’d need stretch and strength.

If you’re making leotards or swimwear, this is what you would use. It can also be used for decorative stitching if you want three lines of stitching.

Most coverstitch machines have adjustable differential feed allowing you to determine how quickly the top and bottom layers feed through the machine together.

Related article: Read the comparison between Janome 1000CPX and 900CPX.