The best sewing and embroidery machine combos
A combo does both jobs in one box, and in 2026 that stopped being a compromise at the entry level. Brother discontinued the cheapest embroidery-only machine in August, which quietly made the SE700 combo the cheapest new way into machine embroidery at all.
How the combo machines compare
| Machine | Field | Built-ins | Price (axis $400–1,600) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother SE700 best value combo · 4×4 | 4×4 in | 135 | $525–580 | 7.6/10 |
| Brother SE2000 best 5×7 combo | 5×7 in | 193 | $1,299–1,499 | 8.2/10 |
Prices verified against live listings 28 Aug 2026. See how we score.
Why the entry-level maths changed in August 2026
Until this month the standard advice was simple: if you only want to embroider, buy an embroidery-only machine, because you pay less for the function you actually use. The cheapest one was the Brother PE535, and it anchored every beginner recommendation on this site included.
That machine is gone. On 28 August 2026 Brother's own product pages list the PE535 as discontinued and out of stock, and the remaining third-party inventory we can see is asking above its old $299.99 MSRP rather than clearing out below it. We have written up the full change on the PE535 review, which now carries a v1.1 correction.
The consequence for anyone shopping this week is specific. Brother's cheapest current embroidery-only machine is the PE900 at $1,030 to $1,250. Brother's cheapest current machine that embroiders at all is the SE700 combo at $525 to $580. So at the bottom of the market a combo is no longer a premium you pay to get a second function you might not need. It is roughly half the price of the embroidery-only alternative, and the sewing machine comes along for free.
The Brother SE700: the one most people should buy
The SE700 pairs a 4x4 inch embroidery field with a genuinely complete sewing machine: 103 built-in stitches, one-step buttonholes, and 135 embroidery designs. Designs transfer over wireless LAN through Brother's Artspira app, so you are not walking a USB stick between your laptop and the machine, which on a cheap machine is a real convenience rather than a spec-sheet line.
The honest limitation is the same one the PE535 had, and it is the only thing you need to think hard about. A 4x4 field fits monograms, names, left-chest logos and small patches. It does not fit a back-of-shirt design without splitting the work across multiple hoopings, which is fiddly and rarely looks as good. Independent reviewers keep landing on the same conclusion: the owners who stay happy with an SE700 are the ones who knew 4x4 was their ceiling before they bought.
The second thing worth knowing is that the learning curve is not the machine. Reviewers consistently report that new owners struggle with matching fabric, needle and stabiliser, and that a minority of units want a small tension adjustment before they run cleanly. Neither is specific to the SE700, and both are why a cheaper first machine rarely holds anyone back.
The Brother SE2000: only if you need 5x7
The SE2000 costs roughly $750 more and the money buys three things: a 5x7 inch field, a much deeper sewing machine at 241 stitches, and automatic jump-stitch trimming. That last one is underrated. On dense or multi-colour designs, jump stitches are the tedious part of finishing, and a machine that cuts them for you saves genuine minutes per piece.
Whether that is worth $750 depends entirely on hoop size, not on the extras. If you want back-of-shirt designs, larger appliqué or hoop-and-repeat layouts, you need 5x7 and the decision is made for you. If you only ever want monograms and small logos, the SE2000 is expensive for what you will actually use, and the SE700 does that work identically.
The case against buying a combo at all
Combos have one structural weakness and it is worth stating plainly: a combo is one machine with two modes, so you can only do one job at a time. You swap the embroidery unit on, run the design, swap it off, then sew. For a hobbyist that is a minor annoyance. For anyone taking orders it becomes the bottleneck, because embroidery runs are long and you cannot hem, patch or finish anything while the machine is busy.
This is why people running side income from embroidery almost always end up with two machines rather than one clever one. If you already own a sewing machine you are happy with, buying a combo means paying for a second sewing machine you do not need, and accepting the one-job-at-a-time limit on top. In that case buy embroidery-only: the PE900 at 5x7, or step up to a multi-needle machine if you are stitching volume.
What we would buy this week
If you own nothing and want to learn: the SE700. It is the cheapest new machine from a major brand that embroiders, it sews properly, and at $525 to $580 you have not overcommitted to a craft you might not stick with.
If you own nothing and already know you want back-of-shirt work: the SE2000, or an SE700 now and a dedicated 5x7 machine later once you know what you make most.
If you already sew: skip combos. Buy the best embroidery-only machine your budget reaches and keep the two jobs separate.
What owners and manufacturers report
We read the threads so you don't have to. Each card summarises what owners in that community actually say — follow the link to read the discussion yourself.
Source of the verified specs and price: $579.99 at Brother, a 4x4 inch maximum embroidery area, 135 built-in embroidery designs and over 103 built-in sewing stitches, with wireless LAN transfer. Current production, unlike the PE535.
Read the thread →Listed at $1,299.99 against a $1,499.99 MSRP, with a 5x7 inch maximum embroidery area, 193 embroidery designs and 241 built-in sewing stitches. Wireless LAN transfer means designs move from a phone or tablet without a USB stick.
Read the thread →Independent review reporting the recurring owner theme: the machine is genuinely approachable for beginners, but there is a real learning curve around matching fabric, needle and stabiliser, and some units need small tension adjustments out of the box.
Read the thread →Names the 4x4 field as the boundary that keeps the SE700 in beginner-to-intermediate territory, and notes it offers no extra hoop room compared with a larger-format embroidery-only machine. The buyers who stay happy are the ones who knew 4x4 was their ceiling going in.
Read the thread →Frames the upgrade decision the way owners describe it: the SE2000 earns its premium for people with specific larger projects in mind or who want room to grow, while the SE700 covers personalised gifts, baby clothes and pocket logos without the extra spend.
Read the thread →Common questions
What is the best sew and embroider combo machine?
The Brother SE700 at $525 to $580 for most buyers, and the Brother SE2000 at $1,299 to $1,499 if you need a 5x7 embroidery field. Both sew and embroider, both transfer designs wirelessly through the Artspira app, and both are current Brother production with warranty support. The only real decision between them is hoop size: the SE700 stops at 4x4 inches, which caps you at monograms, names and left-chest logos.
Is a sewing and embroidery combo machine worth it?
At the entry level in 2026, yes, because the alternative disappeared. Brother discontinued the PE535 in August 2026, so there is no longer a new Brother embroidery-only machine under $1,000. That makes the SE700 combo at $525 to $580 the cheapest new route into machine embroidery, and you get a full sewing machine with it. Above $1,000 the calculation flips: if you already own a sewing machine, a dedicated embroidery machine is the better buy.
What is the difference between the Brother SE700 and SE2000?
Field size and price, mostly. The SE700 has a 4x4 inch embroidery field, 135 built-in designs and 103 sewing stitches for $525 to $580. The SE2000 has a 5x7 inch field, 193 designs and 241 stitches for $1,299 to $1,499. The SE2000 also trims jump stitches automatically, which saves real finishing time on dense designs. If you only ever want monograms and small logos, the extra $750 buys you very little.
Can you sew and embroider at the same time on a combo machine?
No. A combo is one machine with two modes, so you swap the embroidery unit on or off and run one job at a time. This is the genuine downside of a combo and it only matters once you are doing volume: if a customer order is embroidering while you also need to hem, you are waiting. Owners running side income frequently end up with two separate machines for exactly this reason.
Do you need a separate sewing machine if you buy an embroidery machine?
Usually yes, for finishing. Embroidery-only machines like the Brother PE900 cannot sew a seam, hem a shirt or attach a patch, and almost every embroidery project needs some plain stitching somewhere. If you own nothing at all, a combo gets you both functions in one purchase. If you already own a sewing machine you are happy with, buy embroidery-only and keep the two jobs on separate machines.