To create the best decorations, it is important to have the top embroidery machine thread, and you can find more about these here.
Machine embroidery is an important task if you want to add some artistic detail and color to plain clothes, curtains, and other types of finished textiles or unfinished fabrics.
As compared to using fabric markers, embroidery gives a good texture to the fabric, and if done properly, the finished product can be very durable.
However, embroidery is only as good as the thread that is used. A poor-quality thread might unravel or fade over time, leaving your decoration in a deplorable state.
Therefore, it is important to get a high-quality thread and, this article looks at the best embroidery machine threads in the market, with a view to helping you get the most suitable one for your project.
Top 5 Best Embroidery Machine Threads – (Editors’ Top Picks)
Features at a glance:
- Color numbering is similar to Brother’s embroidery thread color chart
- Made using polyester, which is strong and holds its color for longer
- Comes as a kit of 40 differently colored spools
- 550-yard-long spools
- 40 thread weight
| Value for Money 4.6/5 | Giftable 4.5/5 | Durability 4.4/5 |
| Easy to Use 4.5/5 | Sturdiness 4.1/5 | Sheerness 4.5/5 |
Product information
| Brand Name | Embroidex |
| Material | Polyester |
| Color |
Assorted Colors |
| Number of Pieces | 40 |
| Dimensions | 7.2 x 5.6 x 5 inches |
| Weight | 1.94 Pounds |
Product Description:
Embroidex’s set of embroidery machine threads comes as a kit of 40 spools, each having its distinct bright color. This wide spectrum of colors gives you enough options to embellish and brighten up any embroidery project that you want to work on.
Additionally, each of these spool colors is numbered in a similar way to Brother’s embroidery thread color chart, and this makes it easier to match the color that you need with the ones in this kit.
Polyester is also known to maintain its colors for longer as compared to other threads, and therefore, it makes these threads ideal for embroidery because they do not color bleed easily even with exposure to bleaching agents or any form of laundering.
Another contributor to its strength is a thread weight of 40. This means that each thread is quite thick but still usable on most embroidery projects and can also be used in Brother, Janome, Babylock, Singer, and Bernina embroidery machines among many others.
Regarding length, each spool is 550 yards long (500 meters), and this is quite long because it totals to 22000 yards if you multiply by the number of spools. This length is enough to work on multiple embroidery projects before requiring a new kit.
Features at a glance:
- Made using polyester, which is strong and resists fading for a long time
- Highly compatible with the most common embroidery machines
- Comes as a kit containing 40 differently colored spools
- 550-yard-long spools
| Value for Money 4.8/5 | Giftable 5.0/5 | Durability 4.8/5 |
| Easy to Use 4.7/5 | Sturdiness 4.7/5 | Sheerness 4.8/5 |
Product information
| Brand Name | New brothread |
| Material | Polyester |
| Color |
40 Brother Colors |
| Number of Pieces | 40 |
| Dimensions | 7.13 x 5.59 x 5.2 inches |
| Weight | 1.9 pounds |
Product Description:
New Brothread’s polyester thread kit is quite similar to the Embroidex kit in a lot of ways. For starters, it is made using polyester, which gives the thread a high tensile strength. This lowers the risk of puckering, looping, fraying, or breaking on the completely decorated product.
Polyester also gives the thread the advantage of adhering to the colors even when exposed to bleaches, commercial laundering, and other harsh chemicals. This makes the thread ideal for embroidery because the craft is all about decorations, and color is a big part of decorations.
Each of these spools has a unique bright color, giving you a total of 40 colors at a good length to complete several embroidery projects.
Regarding weight, all the threads in this kit have a 40 weight, which is quite thick but ideal for almost all sorts of embroidery projects.
This thickness makes the threads usable on Brother, Babylock, Janome, Pfaff, Bernina, Husqvarna, and Singer sewing machines, making them highly compatible.
Features at a glance:
- Each spool has a 550-yard-long thread with a weight of 40
- Variegated color threads in every spool
- Comes as a set containing 25 spools
- Highly resistant to fading
- Made using polyester
| Value for Money 4.6/5 | Giftable 4.7/5 | Durability 4.9/5 |
| Easy to Use 4.9/5 | Sturdiness 4.6/5 | Sheerness 4.7/5 |
Product information
| Brand Name | New brothread |
| Material | Polyester |
| Color |
25 Variegated Colors |
| Number of Pieces | 25 |
| Dimensions | 6.6 x 6.6 x 2.5 inches |
| Weight | 1.5 pounds |
Product Description:
Although this set contains only 25 spools of differently-colored threads, it is roughly the same price as the 40-piece set above. Well, this is expensive, but the reason for it lies in its color.
All 25 spools have a unique color, but it is variegated, which means that it is not a single color. To put this into perspective, each spool has a unique color combination that resembles the color zones and variations on multicolored plant leaves.
If used properly, variegated threads are the best for producing purely artistic work because their color combinations per thread plus when mixed with other variegated threads of different colors, will result in decorations that almost resemble paintings.
Additionally, polyester adheres strongly to colors, meaning that it resists fading more than other fabrics despite being exposed to bleaching agents or other harsh cleaning chemicals over time.
Lengthwise, each spool in the set has a 550-yard-long thread with a weight of 40, which makes them ideal for most embroidery projects.
Features at a glance:
- The small size of the kit makes it highly portable
- 550-yard-long spool thread with a weight of 40
- Comes with 12 spools
- 12 variegated colors
- Affordable
| Value for Money 4.8/5 | Giftable 4.9/5 | Durability 4.7/5 |
| Easy to Use 4.8/5 | Sturdiness 4.6/5 | Sheerness 4.6/5 |
Product information
| Brand Name | New brothread |
| Material | Polyester |
| Color |
Assortment 1 |
| Number of Pieces | 12 |
| Dimensions | 5.24 x 4.09 x 2.52 inches |
| Weight | 8.8 ounces |
Product Description:
New Brothread’s 12-color thread kit is a top-rated set, and this is mostly due to its low cost. This makes it easily accessible because most people can afford it, and those who are skeptical about the thread’s quality get to spend less on a trial basis.
On the downside, this low cost means that you only get 12 differently colored thread spools, making this the smallest kit in this review.
However, the quality of the product is as good as the rest. For starters, the threads in every spool have high tensile strength, and this reduces the likelihood of breakage, fraying, puckering, or looping. This is because they are made using strands of polyester material, which is very strong.
The small size of the kit makes it easy to carry, especially considering that it comes in a box, which gives you the convenience of easily bringing the kit along as you go for outdoor trips or vacations.
Features at a glance:
- Made of polyester, which has high tensile strength and resists color fading
- Each spool has a unique variegated color
- Comes as a kit of 63 spools
- A spool length of 550 yards
- 40 weight thickness
| Value for Money 4.9/5 | Giftable 4.8/5 | Durability 4.6/5 |
| Easy to Use 4.9/5 | Sturdiness 4.5/5 | Sheerness 4.7/5 |
Product information
| Brand Name | New brothread |
| Material | Polyester |
| Color |
63 Brother Colors |
| Number of Pieces | 63 |
| Dimensions | 10.43 x 5.51 x 5.12 inches |
| Weight | 2.95 Pounds |
Product Description:
If you want multiple colors and a lot of threads, this is the best kit to buy. It contains 63 spools of variegated color threads, giving you a very wide spectrum of colors and color combinations at your disposal.
Each spool in the kit features a 500-meter-long thread (550 yards), which means that you get a total of 27500 yards. This length is more than enough for your current embroidery project, and you will certainly have a lot left for several decorative projects that you may want to work on in the future.
However, all this comes at a cost. This set is quite expensive, though you get a lot for the money.
Regarding thickness, the threads are 40 weight, which means they are quite thick, and a single strand’s use will be visible when used on any fabric.
Apart from this, polyester is known to have super colorfastness, which means that it retains its deep colors for longer as compared to other fabrics, even when exposed to harsh cleaning agents as well as bleachers.
What do We Need to Consider When Buying an Embroidery Machine Thread?
Number of spools
The first noticeable thing on every embroidery machine thread kit is the number of spools. Considering the number of spools for some reason is important.
First, the more the number of spools, the more thread that you get at your disposal. Second, each spool usually has its unique color, and thus, the more they are, the more colors that you get to work with.
This means that the kit with the highest number of spools is the best one to buy. An important thing to note, however, is that as you look for the highest number, consider the price per spool as well.
If it is more expensive to buy multiple spools in a pack, it will make more sense to buy them individually or in smaller kits.
Length of thread
As much as the number of spools determines the thread length per kit, it is important to check the length that each spool has. Most kits have spools with 500-meter (550-yard) long threads, but this is not a standard figure. It can change depending on the manufacturer.
In considering this, the best kit to buy is the one with the longest spool threads. Avoid the short ones because they might run out when you are right in the middle of a project.
Thread weight
Thread weight does not mean the weight of the thread; rather, it indicates the thickness of the thread.
It is measured on a scale, usually 30 – 120, with a higher value meaning a thinner thread while a lower value is meaning a thicker thread. Therefore, a 60-weight thread is thinner than a 40-weight thread.
40 weight is the most commonly used thread for embroidery because it has the right thickness for creating durable and conspicuous decorative additions to fabrics.
Additionally, this thread can fit on most embroidery machines and is also suitable for freehand embroidery.
Fiber
Embroidery machine threads can be made out of various fibers, which include cotton, silk, nylon, rayon, and polyester. Their comparison is shown below.
- Cotton is a natural fiber that is very soft and long-lasting. However, it is very weak.
- Silk is also a natural fiber that is incredibly soft and flexible. The only problem with it is that it is too expensive.
- Nylon is a synthetic material that is very stretchy, but it is not available in many color choices.
- Rayon is a semi-synthetic fiber that contains some cellulose in its structure. It is very durable but not as strong as polyester.
- Polyester is the most commonly used fiber for making embroidery threads because of a couple of reasons. First, it has high tensile strength. Second, it is colorfast, which means it is resistant to fading and color bleeding. Lastly, it is not very expensive. It is a synthetic fiber that is cheaply produced.
Therefore, if you have the money, the best one to buy is a silk embroidery thread. However, polyester is the best option for those who do mind their spending.
Color
All embroidery machine thread kits contain a couple of spools with different colored threads. That is a fact. However, some kits contain single-colored threads per spool, while others contain variegated threads.
Even though they are expensive, variegated threads are the best ones to consider because they create the most decorative results, which to some extent, resemble paintings.
Conclusion
Although a little overwhelming, machine embroidery is very rewarding, and the result is usually a beautiful design, especially if you use a good quality thread.
After going through this article, you should be in a better position to select the best embroidery machine thread for your next project from the kits reviewed above.