Best Quality Thread for Sewing Machines, by Type and Job

Our verdict

Top Picks

The best thread for a sewing machine is the right type for the job: polyester for everyday seams, fine cotton for piecing, heavier thread for canvas, stretch thread or woolly nylon for knits, cones for a serger and fine thread for bobbins. This guide picks eleven threads for those six jobs, with fibre, weight or tex, length and needle size from the maker or the linked listing (tex from retailer WAWAK where marked).

Price tier legend: $ = entry level, $$ = mid-range, $$$ = premium, per item as sold (a spool, a cone or a set) and relative to the products in this guide, not per yard.

Compare the picks

Compare the threads

Each row is the exact item we link; “WAWAK” marks a retailer figure, and “not published” means neither maker nor listing gives one.

How We Matched Thread to the Job

What decided the picks

• One job each: sold for machine sewing in one of six jobs; no embroidery, invisible or hand-only thread.
• Thread weight or needle size: from the maker or listing, with tex where given; retailer figures labelled.
• Machine and fabric fit: what the maker names it for, and owner reports.
• Fibre, spool length and colour count: from the maker or the listing.
• Lint: owner reports; makers’ lint claims named as claims.
• Availability: in stock on Amazon, new, on 8 November 2026.

Where the information comes from and what sewists say about everyday thread

Where the information comes from

Figures come from the makers (Coats & Clark on Yarnspirations, Gütermann, Aurifil, Mettler, A&E, Superior) and the linked listings; tex figures marked WAWAK come from that retailer. Two writers who do not sell thread published tests: Guilty Quilty Studio (Aurifil 50 wt) and MariaDenmark (Seraflex, on spools from Mettler and from a retailer that sells it). Other picks rest on owner reports.

What sewists say about everyday thread

In an r/sewing Coats vs Gutermann thread, one owner finds “coats sheds more fluff into my machine than gutermann does, but haven’t had any trouble with either”, another calls Coats’ “100% poly wrapped poly” “great thread and super affordable”. For knits, owners in an r/sewhelp thread mostly skip stretch thread: one found “no added benefit in using stretch thread”, another writes “No need for stretchy thread.”

Detailed Reviews

Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP, 3 x 250 yd, Best All-Purpose Polyester

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/myog, Coats and Clark thread: Dual Duty XP, spool size unknown.

Coats calls Dual Duty XP “a medium weight thread perfect for hand or machine sewing on all fabrics”, 100% polyester corespun, for needles 11 or 14; the listing says 35 wt and WAWAK says Tex 30. One r/myog sewist writes, “I use their Dual Duty XP almost always for clothing on my domestic sewing machine…” In an r/quilting thread, a repair technician warns against Coats thread over lint (line not named); none of the Dual Duty XP owners in the threads we read mentions lint.

Specs (linked: 3 x 250 yd, White)

• Weight: 35 wt (listing, Coats); Tex 30 (WAWAK)
• Fibre: core-spun polyester
• Length: 3 x 250 yd
• Needle: 11 or 14 (listing, Coats)
• Sold by: Amazon.com (8 November 2026)

Gutermann Sew-All Thread Set, 20 x 100 m, Best Colour Set

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/sewhelp, Sew All for beginners: Sew-All, spool size unknown.

Gütermann calls Sew-All “the right sewing thread for all fabrics and seams”, No. 100 on its scale, for Universal needles 70 to 90, with 400 shades at 100 m; this set holds 20 spools in “popular basic colours”. In r/sewhelp, one sewist uses “Guterman Sew All from Joann for 90% of my projects, it’s a fine all-purpose poly thread”. One commenter writes that “Gutermann in multi sets” (which set, unknown) “seems to be lower quality than the single spool stuff”.

Specs (linked: 20 x 100 m, Popular Basic)

• Weight: No. 100 (Gütermann’s scale)
• Fibre: 100% polyester
• Length: 20 x 100 m
• Needle: Universal 70 to 90 (maker, listing)
• Sold by: Craft Bunch (8 November 2026)

Aurifil 50 wt Piecing Set, 4 x 220 yd, Best Piecing Neutrals Set

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. Guilty Quilty Studio: Aurifil 50 wt, spool size unknown.

Aurifil calls its 2-ply 50 wt “strong and thin”, giving “remarkably flat and crisp seams”, for an 80/12 needle. This set holds four 220 yd spools: 2021 Natural White, 2310 Light Beige, 2600 Dove and 2605 Grey. Guilty Quilty Studio strip-pieced blocks with Aurifil 50 wt (spool size unknown) and a rival 50 wt cotton: “both threads worked equally well in my machine”. In the r/quilting brands thread, Aurifil was the cotton named most for piecing; three commenters there found it linty or fuzzy, a fourth’s machines dislike it, and three found it low in lint.

Specs (linked: 4 x 220 yd, neutrals)

• Weight: 50 wt, 2-ply (maker)
• Fibre: 100% cotton
• Length: 4 x 220 yd
• Needle: 80/12 Microtex, Universal, Quilting or Denim (maker)
• Sold by: Craft Bunch (8 November 2026)

Coats Cotton Machine Quilting, 350 yd, Best Budget Cotton

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/quilting, bobbin thread for piecing: Coats & Clark 30 wt, line and spool unknown.

The listing calls it mercerized extra long staple Egyptian cotton, “ideal for piecing and quilting”, “30 weight”; Coats also gives thread weight 30 and needles 11 or 14. Guilty Quilty Studio advises piecing with “as thin a thread as you can reasonably acquire”, 50 wt for her, so expect more bulk in seams. One r/quilting quilter pieces with “coats&clark 30weight thread” (line not named): it “works pretty well, although it can be a bit more linty than I like”. Another had “all kinds of problems with their cotton quilting thread” (Coats cotton quilting thread, spool not named).

Specs (linked: 350 yd, Cream)

• Weight: 30 wt (Coats, listing)
• Fibre: 100% mercerized cotton
• Length: 350 yd
• Needle: 11 or 14 (Coats)
• Sold by: Undersun Premium Suppliers (8 November 2026)

Gutermann Extra Strong M 782, 100 m, Best Heavy-Duty Polyester

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/myog, Gutermann Extra Strong: Extra Strong, on a Singer 99k; spool and colour unknown.

Gütermann calls Extra Strong M 782 “a very robust and tear-resistant sewing thread – ideal for heavily stressed seams and repair work”: polyester, No. 40 on its scale (Sew-All is No. 100), for needles NM 90 to 110 (Large-Heronbill reads it as needing 110 to 140). The listing says “German-made”; Gütermann’s page gives no origin. One r/myog maker sews packs on a Singer 99k with “mainly Gutermann Extra strong thread for the main seams”. In r/sewhelp, experienced Reddit sewist Large-Heronbill calls it “a Tex 75 thread, too heavy for most home machines”.

Specs (linked: 100 m, Cream 0414)

• Weight: No. 40 (Gütermann’s scale)
• Fibre: 100% polyester
• Length: 100 m
• Needle: Universal NM 90 to 110 (maker)
• Sold by: What America Buys (8 November 2026)

Coats & Clark Extra Strong Upholstery, 150 yd, Best Upholstery Nylon

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/myog, Coats and Clark thread: Coats upholstery thread, spool size unknown.

The listing describes “a bonded 3-ply nylon thread that is weather, abrasion, and UV resistant” (its claim) and advises “a size 18 needle”; Coats lists weight 15 and needles 16 or 18, and WAWAK says Tex 70. In r/myog, one maker writes, “The upholstery thread is mainly what I use”, and another uses it to “repair my gear”. In r/sewhelp, Large-Heronbill, the Reddit sewist quoted in review 5, calls Tex 70 “pretty much the limit for most older home machines, and too heavy for most modern machines to use on top of the machine”.

Specs (linked: 150 yd, Black)

• Weight: 15 wt (Coats); Tex 70 (WAWAK)
• Fibre: 100% bonded nylon, 3-ply
• Length: 150 yd
• Needle: 16 or 18 (Coats); 18 (listing)
• Sold by: Crafted Gift Inc. (8 November 2026)

Coats Eloflex Stretch Thread, 225 yd, Best Stretch Thread for Hems

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/sewing, Eloflex thread: Eloflex, colour unknown.

The listing says Eloflex lets you “sew elastic seams using a normal lock stitch on a conventional sewing machine with Eloflex as the top thread and in the bobbin”. It is polybutylene terephthalate (PBT); Coats gives thread weight 27 and needle 11. In one r/sewing thread, an owner finds “it is awesome for sewing collars and hemming knits”, while another writes, “Figuring out the tension is extremely difficult with this stuff”. Large-Heronbill, the Reddit sewist quoted in reviews 5 and 6, found “Eloflex wanted to skin and pucker”. Owners suggest winding it loosely by hand or using it in the bobbin only.

Specs (linked: 225 yd, White)

• Weight: 27 wt (Coats)
• Fibre: PBT stretch thread
• Length: 225 yd
• Needle: 11 (Coats)
• Sold by: NETEXNOEX (8 November 2026)

Mettler Seraflex, 142 yd, Best Stretch for Necklines

Evidence: Independently reviewed, same series. MariaDenmark: Seraflex spools from Mettler and a retailer, colour unknown.

Mettler says Seraflex can “stretch up to 65%”, lists it as No. 120 for needles Nm 70 to 80 in up to 72 colours, and recommends it “exclusively for straight stitches” in needle and bobbin with loose tension; the listing says “50wt” and 36 colours, so we use Mettler’s figures. MariaDenmark, a pattern maker who received spools from Mettler and from a retailer that sells it, measured straight-stitched seams: at her lowest working tension, “the seam stretches 3 cm! That is the same as 60%!” She “will definitely use the Seraflex elastic thread for things like sewing on a neckline binding”. One r/sewing sewist whose machine rejected Eloflex threaded Seraflex, and “the machine made no complaint at all this time”.

Specs (linked: 142 yd, White)

• Weight: No. 120 (Mettler); listing title “50wt”
• Fibre: PTT (Mettler), a polyester
• Length: 130 m / 142 yd
• Needle: Nm 70 to 80 (Mettler)
• Sold by: STICR (8 November 2026)

Maxi-Lock Stretch Woolly Nylon, 2,000 yd, Best Woolly Nylon

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/sewing, overlock thread: Maxi-Lock Stretch, cone and colour unknown.

A&E describes Maxi-Lock Stretch as textured nylon with “a lofty texture reminiscent of soft yarns”, on 2,000 yd cones in 36 colours; the listing advises a 90/14 needle, and WAWAK says Tex 30. One r/sewing owner advises “Maxilock stretch in the loopers! It’s fluffy and soft.” Another sewist notes woolly nylon is “typically fine” in a sewing machine bobbin but not “in the upper thread”, and one finds woolly nylon in general (brand not named) “melts when ironed”; the listing says Maxi-Lock Stretch “withstands ironing” (its claim).

Specs (linked: 2,000 yd, Black)

• Weight: Tex 30 (WAWAK)
• Fibre: textured nylon
• Length: 2,000 yd
• Needle: 90/14 (listing)
• Sold by: ZipperStop (8 November 2026)

Maxi-Lock All Purpose Serger Cone, 3,000 yd, Best Serger Cone

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/sewing, serger thread brands: Maxi-Lock, cone size unknown.

The listing calls it “Quality 100% polyester thread for the serger” on a 3,000 yd cone; WAWAK says Tex 27. A&E says Maxi-Lock “is used by major serger manufacturers to test their machines” (its claim). In an r/sewing thread, one owner writes, “Maxi lock is my go to. Having used other brands in shops, I think it sheds a lot less lint and lasts longer before breaks start happening.” Large-Heronbill recommends MaxiLock as “a good default choice”.

Specs (linked: 3,000 yd, White)

• Weight: Tex 27 (WAWAK)
• Fibre: 100% polyester
• Length: 3,000 yd
• Needle: not published
• Sold by: Amazon.com (8 November 2026)

Superior Threads Bottom Line 60 wt, 3,000 yd, Best Bobbin Thread

Evidence: No independent test; owner reports. r/quilting, how should I quilt this: Bottom Line on a longarm, spool size unknown.

Superior sells Bottom Line as “a premium 60 wt. (16 tex), 2-ply polyester thread” designed “as a bobbin thread”, also for appliqué, quilting and “delicate garment construction”, in 55 colours, and calls it “Lint-free” (its claim). On a longarm, one r/quilting quilter likes it in the bobbin: “SO thin it just disappears”; a reply says “Yes it works on a domestic machine. I often use it.” A cone may need a thread stand on a home machine.

Specs (linked: 3,000 yd cone, #620 Cream)

• Weight: 60 wt, 2-ply; 16 tex (maker)
• Fibre: 100% polyester
• Length: 3,000 yd
• Needle: not published
• Sold by: VirVentures (8 November 2026)

Which Thread for Which Sewing Job

Everyday seams: polyester around Tex 30

For garments and mending, Large-Heronbill advises “good quality polyester thread, Tex 30, intended for use in a size 80 (metric sizing)/12 (Singer sizing) needle”, such as Coats Dual Duty XP. In one r/sewing thread, a US sewist writes “it seems like Gutermann is the gold standard here” and a UK sewist calls Gütermann “kind of the gold standard” (line not named), and the poster who had tried Gütermann, Mettler and Madeira had “not noticed much difference” on simple sewing. Pair any thread with a fresh sewing machine needle.

Cotton or polyester

Guilty Quilty Studio’s piecing rule is to “always use cotton thread”; for garments, Large-Heronbill’s advice above is polyester. For more cotton picks, see our thread for Janome machines guide.

Heavy fabrics and home machines

Gütermann gives NM 90 to 110 for Extra Strong and Coats 16 or 18 for its upholstery nylon, but Large-Heronbill calls Tex 70 “pretty much the limit for most older home machines”. Check your manual, try a scrap, and for topstitching consider heavy thread on top with all-purpose in the bobbin, as one r/sewing commenter suggests.

Stretch thread, woolly nylon or elastic thread

Three different threads hide behind “stretchy thread”:

• Stretch sewing thread (Eloflex, Seraflex, Gütermann Maraflex) goes in the needle and bobbin of a regular machine for straight-stitched seams on knits. Pattern maker Made by Rae found it “allows you to sew a straight seam with your sewing machine without the thread breaking when stretched”.
• Woolly nylon (Maxi-Lock Stretch) goes in serger loopers or a hand-wound bobbin.
• Elastic shirring thread is “much thicker than stretch thread like eloflex or maraflex”, as one r/sewing commenter notes, and is wound by hand into the bobbin for shirring.

Several owners in the r/sewhelp knits thread need none: a ballpoint needle, a stretch stitch and regular polyester.

Serger thread

Retailer WAWAK says serger thread “withstands the high speeds and tensions that are unique to serging”. One commenter in an r/sewing thread warns against serger thread in a regular sewing machine. For machines, see our overlocker guide.

Bobbin thread

Owners split: one quilter uses “an 80 weight in my bobbin and a 50 in the needle to reduce seam bulk”, another keeps one weight top and bottom to spot tension problems. For embroidery threads, see our embroidery machine thread and invisible thread guides, or the Needles, Pins & Thread hub.

Frequently Asked Questions

For most garments and mending, a good polyester around Tex 30, such as Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP at Tex 30 (WAWAK), with an 80/12 needle as Large-Heronbill’s general rule (Coats lists 11 or 14 for Dual Duty XP); cotton for piecing quilts; stretch thread, heavy thread or serger cones only for those jobs.

We found no independent test that ranks thread brands. Owners in the threads we read often praise Gütermann, Aurifil, Mettler and Superior, and some report lint with Coats (line not named), but they disagree.

Both make all-purpose polyester. The r/sewing poster who had tried Gütermann, Mettler and Madeira wrote that “for simple sewing tasks I have not noticed much difference”. See our thread brands guide.

Here, Coats Extra Strong Upholstery, a bonded nylon at Tex 70 (WAWAK), and Gütermann Extra Strong M 782 at No. 40; neither maker publishes a breaking strength. Reddit sewist Large-Heronbill finds Tex 70 too heavy for the top thread of most modern home machines.

Yes: Eloflex and Seraflex are made for a regular machine’s needle and bobbin, per the Eloflex listing and Mettler. Owners split on Eloflex, and several owners in the threads we read sew knits with regular polyester and a stretch stitch.

No. Elastic shirring thread is much thicker and is wound by hand into the bobbin; stretch thread such as Eloflex or Seraflex is threaded like regular thread, in the needle and bobbin.

Suzy Quilts notes that poly thread “sheds less lint than cotton”. Superior calls Bottom Line “Lint-free” (its claim), and one owner finds Maxi-Lock “sheds a lot less lint” than other serger threads.

The bottom line

Final Verdict

For everyday seams, start with Coats & Clark Dual Duty XP (check price) (some owners report lint from Coats thread in general, line not named) or the Gutermann Sew-All Thread Set (check price) for colours. Quilters: Aurifil 50 wt Piecing Set (check price) (some find it linty), or Coats Cotton Machine Quilting (check price) on a budget (30 wt, heavier). For heavy fabric, Gutermann Extra Strong M 782 (check price) or Coats & Clark Extra Strong Upholstery (check price), if your machine takes a 90 to 110 or 16 to 18 needle. For knits, Coats Eloflex (check price) (owners split) or Mettler Seraflex (check price) (try tension on scraps first), or Maxi-Lock Stretch Woolly Nylon (check price) in loopers and bobbins, as owners advise for woolly nylon in general. Serger owners: Maxi-Lock All Purpose Serger Cone (check price); bobbins: Superior Threads Bottom Line 60 wt (check price).

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon.com at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.