Janome vs Brother Sewing Machine Comparison

Janome and Brother are two of the most reputed brands in the sewing world. They both make some great sewing machines and are known for the quality and versatility they offer.

Yet, there are some major differences between their products which calls for a debate about which one if the better of the two.

However, there’s no way we can just pick one over the other as there are a lot of factors you need to consider, and only then can you can figure out which brand you should be going for.

So let’s dive in and discuss those factors while also giving you clear recommendations along the way.

Understanding Your Sewing Needs

A lot depends on what exactly you’re looking for. Based on your needs, one of these two brands may turn out to be a clear winner for you.

Let us discuss some of the specific but common needs in detail so that it can answer your potential questions better.

Better Option for Beginners?

As we have always maintained, entry-level Brother sewing machines are an excellent choice for beginners are they are surprisingly easy to use and get familiar with. Most beginners have no problem starting to sew on them right out of the box.

In addition to that, Brother machines are also very functional and come with a fair few features that allow beginners to sew better and avoid running into common sewing issues.

Some of these features include adjustable sewing speed, automatic needle threader, easy stitch selector, many different stitch options and more. Threading the needle and bobbin – which often tend to be some of the most annoying tasks for beginner sewers – are usually a breeze with Brother machines.

We would recommend the Brother CS6000i and the Brother XR9550PRW are some of the most user-friendly sewing machines you would find out there.

While some of the entry-level Janome sewing machines are fairly user-friendly too, they aren’t as functional as their Brother counterparts. Further, the more advanced and functional Janome machines come with a steeper learning curve, meaning that if you’re an absolute beginner you would want to avoid them.

Quick answer: Brother.

What About Professional Sewers?

Both Brother and Janome offer a wide range of sewing machines that would serve the needs of professional sewers well. However, the latter certainly has an edge over the former here.

Even the low to mid price Janome machines are fit for professional use thanks to features like an advanced feed system, different buttonhole styles, full speed control, easier and faster zig zag stitches and so on.

In fact, Janome machines generally also boast considerably more power than Brother models, which allows them to easily sew through multiple layers of fabric or thick fabrics.

Similarly, some Janome machines are excellent choices for some specific professional level sewing tasks like coverstitching, including the Janome CoverPro Coverstitch and the Janome Cover Pro 1000CPX. They both top our list for the best coverstitch sewing machines.

Brother machines – especially the low and mid priced ones – are designed more for the needs of beginners than advanced professional use. Also, there aren’t any decent Brother options specifically designed for advanced sewing tasks like coverstitching.

Quick answer: Janome.

Versatility or Specialty?

An important question you need to ask yourself when deciding between Janome and Brother is whether you tend to work on a huge variety of sewing tasks or work on large projects involving a few specific areas of sewing.

Brother produces some of the most versatile sewing machines on the market, and many of its models can perform general sewing tasks, work on quilting projects, as well as do embroidery work for you.

While Janome offers a fair few versatile options too, it does much better with machines that are specifically designed for some specific areas of sewing like quilting, coverstitching or working on large industrial grade projects.

Quick answer: Brother for versatility and Janome for large professional sewing projects involving a specific area of sewing.

What’s Your Budget?

It goes without saying that your budget is one of the most important factors too as your ideal choice for the brand would depend on your budget as well.

Now, when it comes to low range or budget sewing machines, Brother is hands down the best option, not only against Janome but all the other brands out there too.

The Brother XM2701 and the Brother XR3774 are two of the cheapest sewing machines on the market, yet they are surprisingly functional and versatile. In fact, the latter also offers full-featured quilting and a wide table for large work area, something no other brand manages to offer at its price point.

Janome, on the other hand, is significantly more expensive. In fact, you would end up spending at least $50 more on a Janome machine than its comparable Brother counterpart.

However, when it comes to high-end machines, the Janome machines generally offer a better bang for buck as they boast more advanced features than Brother machines. Right from the bobbin system to the stitch quality to the overall durability, a high-end Janome beats most high-end Brother machines.

Quick answer: Brother for low range options and Janome when going for a high-end machine; the mid price range is well open for some fierce battle between the two.

Specific Types of Sewing Machines

Just like the budget, a lot also depends on the type of sewing machine you’re looking to buy. This is especially because both Brother and Janome have their own strengths and weaknesses with respect to the types of sewing machines they sell.

Mechanical sewing machine: Our top pick on the best mechanical sewing machines list is a Janome, and that’s for a reason. Janome mechanical machines are super durable with a lot of metal on their body, sew very fast, and are sewing powerhouses that can sew through multiple layers and thick fabrics like a breeze.

Quilting sewing machine: Brother has a clear upper hand here as Janome just doesn’t seem to focus much on producing full-featured quilting machines while Brother offers quite a few great options here.

Heavy duty sewing machine: Janome turns out to be a winner again here thanks to many of the same reasons we noted for mechanical sewing machines. However, heavy duty Janome machines are industrial machines, and can handle a lot of demanding sewing work without showing any signs of wear and tear even over a long period of time.

Computerized sewing machine: Both Brother and Janome offer a few great computerized sewing machines, but the former has many options for you to choose from that are both more affordable and functional though less durable than the Janome ones.

Embroidery sewing machine: Janome only has like a couple embroidery machine options but they have failed to please the customers despite being priced very high, while Brother has a ton of embroidery machine options that are way cheaper, more functional, and much easier to use. Brother is certainly an obvious choice here.

Summing It Up

So we have tried to be as detailed as we could without misleading you by giving a clear answer, as there’s no clear answer.

As we discussed above, there are many different factors to consider and a lot depends on your needs, budget and the type of sewing machine you’re looking to buy than the brands themselves.

Hope you now have a clear idea which brand you should consider buying based on the factors we discussed in detail above.