How to Choose Sewing Machine Needles
Choosing the right needle for your sewing machine is a crucial step in achieving the highest sewing results. An incorrectly chosen needle can lead to needle breakage, difficulties working with the selected fabric, and poor stitch quality. By using our sewing machine needle guide, you will be able to avoid these problems!

Sewing machine needle sizes
Sewing machine needle sizes are usually indicated using two systems:
For example, if the yarn has a size 80/12:
- 80 means metric size (the needle diameter is 0.8 mm).
- 12 indicates imperial size (US standard that corresponds to a specific needle size).
To make it easier to determine what size needle is needed. (and it is very important to choose the right thread size)
- 60/8 - used for very fine fabrics, such as lingerie, silk, and delicate lace.
- 70/10 – mesh, chiffon, lingerie, silk and cotton.
- 75/11 – voile, chiffon, organza, denim, satin, sweater, silk, shirt, lycra, spandex, etc.
- 80/12 – knitwear, silk, canvas fabrics, cotton fabrics, poplin, linen, muslin.
- 90/14 - synthetic velvet, poplin, linen, light wool, jersey, muslin, etc.
- 100/16 – corduroy, denim, heavy suit fabrics, velvet, etc.
- 110/18 – heavy denim, leather, upholstery fabrics, faux fur, etc.
- 120/20 – very heavy fabrics: corduroy, denim, heavy suit fabrics.
Types of Sewing Machine Needles
The first thing to know about sewing machine needles is their standardization. Needles that have attachment types indicated on the packaging, such as 130 and 705 H or HAx1, are the same and compatible. Regardless of which of these designations you see, this needle will fit any home sewing machine.
They are compatible with various brand sewing machines, such as Janome, Brother, Husqvarna, Elna, Singer, Pfaff and others. Therefore, you can be assured that any needle you purchase from us will be suitable for your sewing machine.
When to pay attention to the choice of needle for the sewing machine:
- Most often, this refers to double or triple needles, where the gap between the needles exceeds 4 mm.
- On the needle packet, you will find a label "130/705 H-J ZWI BR"
- "130/705 H" - types of fasteners.
- "J" - material to sew; in this case, denim fabric.
- "ZWI" - means double needle.
- "BR" - attention should be paid, as the distance between the needles is 6 mm or more.
The variety of needle types and sizes may initially seem complicated, but we have listed the most popular needles and their applications for different fabrics and techniques.
Save this, it might be useful:
- 130/705 H / HA×1 - Universal needles
- 130/705 H-SUK - knitting needles
- 130/705 H-S - needles for elastic knitwear
- 130/705 H-PS - needles for elastic knitwear
- 130/705 H-SP - needles for very flexible knitwear, materials
- HAX1 SP - needles for very flexible knitwear, materials
- 130/705 H-M / HA×1GT- needles dense fabrics, materials silk, artificial leather
- 130/705 H-Q / HA×1QU - quilting needles
- 130/705 H-J / HA×1DE- needles for jeans
- 130/705 H-LL / HA×1LL- needles for skin and similar materials
- 130/705 H-DH - needles for artificial leather
- 130/705 H-E / HA×1EB- needles for embroidery
- 130/705 H-N - needle for decorative seams
- 130/705 H-WING - the decorative sewing needle creates a dotted effect
130 = 705 H = HAx1 The types of attachments are the same and will be compatible with any home sewing machine. (Some overlocks support HAx1, but this should be checked in the user manual)
Double needles:
- 130/705 H ZWI - Universal needles
- 130/705 H-S ZWI - needles for elastic materials
- 130/705 H-J ZWI - needles for jeans
- 130/705 H-E ZWI - needles for embroidery
- 130/705 H-MET ZWI - needles for metal threads
Universal needles | UNIVERSAL 130/705 H or HAx1
As the name suggests, universal needles are the most commonly used needles. They can be used with woven fabrics, synthetics, and some knit fabrics. Finer needles are mainly used for lightweight fabrics, while larger size needles are used for medium and heavy fabrics. Polyester, cotton, or silk threads are suitable for universal needles.
Advice
HAx1 is another name for the universal mount.
Looking for universal needles for your projects? Check out our universal sewing machines needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Knitting Needles | JERSEY 130/705 H-SUK
Ballpoint needles have a rounded tip that pushes the fabric fibers aside rather than cutting them. They are ideal for knit fabrics such as rib knits, interlocks, cotton knits, fleeces, and double knits, as they prevent fabric damage. The best threads for ballpoint needles are polyester and polyester/cotton blends.
Looking for knitting needles for your projects? Check out our knitwear needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Needles for elastic materials | STRETCH 130/705 H-S
The needles have a special curvature (scarf) that provides extra space for the hook and prevents skipped stitches. They are ideal for use with stretchy fabrics such as lycra, two-way stretch knit, silk jersey, spandex, and very stretchy synthetic fabrics. Choose polyester or cotton/polyester blend threads.
Looking for needles for elastic materials for your projects? Check out our flexible materials needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Flexible material needles | PFAFF STRETCH 130/705 H-PS
Alternative needlesSTRETCH 130/705 H-S". The needles have a special curvature (scarf) that provides extra space for the hook and prevents skipped stitches. They are ideal for use with stretchy fabrics such as lycra, two-way stretch knit, silk jersey, spandex, and very stretchy synthetic fabrics. Choose polyester or cotton/polyester blend threads.
Looking for needles for elastic materials for your projects? Discover our a collection of needles for flexible materials and find the most suitable option!
Needles for very flexible materials | SUPER STRETCH HAx1 SP /
130/705 H-SP
Super Stretch needle is the perfect choice for working with very stretchy fabrics. Its special flat shank design ensures that the needle is closer to the hook, making it easier to catch the thread loop and preventing missed stitches. This is especially useful when working with stretchy fabrics.
The needle has a special shape that reduces the risk of needle breakage and ensures straight stitches. Thanks to the larger needle eye and wider thread groove, Super Stretch needle is also suitable for thicker sewing threads, which reduces thread tension and prevents it from breaking.
The average rounded tip is ideally suited for all types of knit fabrics, as it helps to avoid fabric damage by moving the loops.
Due to this feature, Super Stretch needle It is a great alternative to Stretch fabric when thicker threads are used.
Looking for needles for very flexible materials for your projects? Check out our a collection of needles made from very flexible materials and find the most suitable option!
Needles for fine materials | MICROTEX 130/705 H-M
If you are working with multiple layers of cotton and wool or with dense fabrics such as silk and microfiber, poplin, Softshell, use sharp needles. They have a stronger shaft that helps avoid bending or breaking the needle, and the sharp tip allows for easy stitching through fabrics, creating smooth buttonhole edges. They can also be used for sewing artificial leather, but there are also specially designed needles for that.LEATHER 130/705 H-DH" .
Looking for needles for dense materials for your projects? Get to know our a collection of needles for fine materials and find the most suitable option!
Needles for quilting, padding | QUILTING 130/705 H-Q
Quilting needles are designed for working with multiple layers of fabric and batting. They have a reinforced shaft, but they are shorter than sharp needles, allowing quilters to sew quickly and evenly. Beginners are recommended to use smaller needles, such as size 75, while more experienced quilters often choose larger needles 90.
Looking for needles for quilting and padding projects? Get to know our quilting and padding needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Needles for jeans | JEANS 130/705 H-J
These needles are designed for denim and other dense fabrics, such as heavy twill, canvas, and heavy linen fabrics. Denim needles are very sharp with a strong shaft to prevent bending or breaking of the needle. Use synthetic or blended threads, 100% polyester, heavier topstitching threads, and cotton/polyester blend threads.
Looking for needles for denim projects? Get to know our jeans needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Needles for leather | LEATHER 130/705 H-LL
Needles for leather and similar materials - their tip shape resembles a chisel blade. They are designed for projects involving leather, suede, and complex stitching, but they must not use woven fabric, knitted fabric, or synthetic suede for sewing because it will cut the thread with its blade and damage the material.
Looking for needles for real leather projects? Get to know our real leather needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Needles for artificial leather | LEATHER 130/705 H-DH
The needles for artificial skin already speak for themselves about their intended use.
Artificial leather can also be sewn with "MICROTEX 130/705 H-M" needles
Looking for needles for faux leather projects? Check out our artificial leather needle and find the most suitable option!
Metal needles for threads | 130/705 H-MET / METALLIC 130 MET
The metallic needle has an especially long eye (2 mm), which allows for easy work with metallic and foil threads, reducing the risk of breakage. With a slightly rounded tip, this needle is ideal for various fabrics and decorative stitches, as well as for embroidery.
Looking for metallic, foil thread needles for your projects? Check out our metallic, foil thread needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Needles for embroidery | EMBROIDERY 130/705 H-E
The embroidery needle is ideally suited for embroidery with decorative techniques, using thicker or effect threads. The needle is equipped with a specially wide eye and a wide groove, ensuring that the embroidery threads slide through easily without damaging them. The medium ball point helps to avoid damage to the embroidery thread and the fabric.
Looking for embroidery project needles? Check out our embroidery needle collection and find the most suitable option!
Decorative stitching needles | TOPSTITCH 130/705 H-N
The topstitch needle is especially suitable for decorative stitching and free-motion embroidery. Its main feature is the long needle eye (2 mm), which allows for easy use of thicker threads or even multiple threads at once, preventing them from breaking. The slightly rounded needle tip allows it to be used on various types of fabrics, making it ideal for decorative seams, quilting, and embroidery.
Decorative stitching needles | HEMSTITCH 130/705 H-WING
The hemstitch needle, also known as the "wing" needle, is ideal for decorative stitches, broderie anglaise, and whitework embroidery on loose fabrics such as linen. This needle creates decorative holes in the stitches, giving garments a special accent. Thanks to the wings on the needle blade, the fabric threads are gently pushed aside, creating the traditional hemstitch effect. It is also suitable for attaching lace and embroidery with embroidery machines, especially with special embroidery files for these needles. The hemstitch needle is a great choice for giving simple seams an elegant and decorative look.
How Often Should the Needle Be Changed?
We recommend changing the needle after each project, also after 4-8 working hours depending on the number of stitches per minute of the sewing machine. And you can be sure that the needle will always work as intended.
If the machine is jammed, perform a visual needle inspection. Jamming can cause the needle to bend, which can lead to unexpected results, such as poor stitch quality. If the machine sounds unusual, be sure to replace the needle.
New Needle Installation
To install a new needle, first place a piece of paper under the foot. This will prevent the old needle from falling inside the machine. Once the old needle is removed, the new needle will only fit in one direction. The flat side of the needle should face the back. Make sure to install the new needle all the way before tightening the needle screw. Otherwise, poor stitch quality may occur, the needle may damage the bobbin case, or the needle threader (if your machine has one) may be damaged.
Tip:
If there is hard to thread the needle, use "Sewing machine needles for quick threading"
Sewing Machine Needles Anatomy
To conclude this article, let's take a look at the different parts of a sewing machine needle.

- Eye - A hole through which the thread passes. For quality needles, the eye is smoothly crafted to reduce thread fraying.
- Rod - The thickness of the rod varies depending on the intended fabric - thicker materials require a stiffer rod.
- Part of the stipulation - Part that goes into the machine. It has a flat side to prevent incorrect insertion.
- End - The shape of the tip varies significantly for different types of needles, from ballpoint tips for knit fabrics to sharp tips for denim needles.
- Exhibition - Provides close access to the needle's eye to prevent missed stitches.
Now you are familiar with the world of sewing machine needles, their use, recommended sizes, fabrics, and threads. If you have any specific requests for sewing guides or tutorials, please contact us. Stay tuned to our blog.
Used materials:
Schmetz needles sewing machine needle guide
Schmetz needles how to choose the right sewing machine needle
Schmetz needles sewing machine needle coatings
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