The Best Serger

Buying Guide

Whether you’re a novice sewer or an expert in your craft, it’s likely you’ve come across a serger. This is a specialized sewing machine which is designed to finish the edges of material. All in one step, a serger encloses the seam inside a casing of thread, providing a neat finished product. You can find sergers that have varying thread options. The number of threads your serger uses will affect the kinds of stitches you’re able to make.

A 2-4 thread serger provides a safety stitch, ideal for woven or knit fabrics. A 3-4 thread serger provides a much wider and stronger seam, plus they may also have a rolled-hem capability. On the other hand, a 5-thread serger offers a number of seam capabilities, including the kinds of seams you see on ready-made clothes. It can do both strong seams and seam finishes.

You may be wondering whether a serger can replace a sewing machine, or vice versa. The truth is that while you can complete projects without one or the other, in many cases both machines are required because they do different jobs. Both sewing machines and sergers are able to gather fabric, hem knits, do narrow rolled hems and piping. However, sergers are not standalone machines that can do important tasks such as buttonholes, zippers, top-stitching and facings, for which you’ll still need a sewing machine.

A serger ensures that the insides of the items you sew are neat and will not unravel. The seams that a serger sews provide a lot of strength, which are ideal for children’s clothing and other items where durability is key.

• The most important element to consider when buying a serger is the amount of experience you have sewing. Typically, sergers are best for intermediate or advanced sewers who are comfortable around a regular sewing machine. If you’re new to sergers and new to sewing, opt for a basic model with the foundational features, which will be enough to complete the type of projects you’re working on.
• The basic functions you want to ensure your serger has include color-coded threading and adjustable thread tensions. A detailed threading guide makes it easy to get the job done, while adjustable tensioning enables you to create a much smoother line.
• Also look at the differential feed, which is one of the key features on a serger. This helps to make sure that knits and other stretchy fabrics don’t bunch up or stretch while being serged. You can also use this feature to sew lettuce edges and ruffles with the serger.
• Take a look at what tools come with the serger, because many of these are necessary for a lot of projects. You may need a heavy-duty knife, tweezers, needles, spreader and screwdrivers.
• Having a visual instruction booklet or video is key for many shoppers. This way, you can learn exactly how to start using your serger and trouble shoot any issues you come up against.
• If speed is a factor that’s important, take a look at the stitches per minute metric. Many sergers can sew over 1,000 stitches per minute, helping you complete your projects at a much faster pace.
• Sergers can be bulky and difficult to move around. If you foresee needing to transport your serger, opt for one that comes with a carrying handle, which makes it much easier to transport your machine.