Reviews You Can Rely On

Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist Review

An all-around great machine with more than enough stitches for even the pickiest sewer
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Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist Review (Automatic sewing on the 9960 using its library of decorative stitches.)
Automatic sewing on the 9960 using its library of decorative stitches.
Credit: Kat Elliott
Price:  $650 List
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Manufacturer:   Singer
By Ruth Bruckbauer and Austin Palmer  ⋅  Jun 12, 2023
78
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#3 of 15
  • Sewing - 45% 7.8
  • Ease of use - 35% 8.2
  • Buttonholes - 20% 7.2

Our Verdict

The Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist is a top-of-the-line sewing machine that performed well across the board, with an impressive amount of premium stitches — 600 to be exact! This model handled everything we threw at it, with a handful of well-thought-out features and functions that make it easy and fun to use. It will take a while to learn this computerized machine and to make it run smoothly, but with 600 built-in stitches, it is more than adequate for projects ranging from garment production to home decorations, with the ability to add a large library of decorative elements to any project. Check out our article on the best sewing machines to see how it ranks versus competitors.
REASONS TO BUY
Automatic thread cutter
Tons of stitch options
REASONS TO AVOID
Big learning curve

Compare to Similar Products

 
Awards Top Pick Award
Best for Serious Stitch Options
Editors' Choice Award
Best Overall Sewing Machine for Most People
Top Pick Award
Best High-Value Buttonhole Maker
 Best Buy Award
Best Bang for Your Buck
Price $650 List
$499.99 at Amazon
$260 List
$259.99 at Amazon
$300 List$240 List
$239.99 at Amazon
$150 List
$149.70 at Amazon
Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Bottom Line Excessive features for newbies, but a solid machine that will thrill an experienced seamstress or tailor and will last for yearsA simple to use option with lots of stitches, an excellent screen, and an affordable price, but isn't the cleanest buttonhole makerThis is a great machine for just about everyone, although a serious sewist may want a machine with better quality stitchingA user-friendly model that works well on all the basics except for buttonholes, and comes at an affordable priceA beginner would really like this machine since it's easy-to-use and inexpensive
Rating Categories Singer 9960 Quantum... Brother HC1850 Singer 7258 Stylist Brother CS7000X Brother CS5055
Sewing (45%)
7.8
7.8
7.5
7.4
6.8
Ease of use (35%)
8.2
9.3
7.8
9.2
8.0
Buttonholes (20%)
7.2
5.6
7.2
4.8
6.8
Specs Singer 9960 Quantum... Brother HC1850 Singer 7258 Stylist Brother CS7000X Brother CS5055
# of Built-in Stitches 600 185 100 70 60
# of Buttonhole Styles 13 8 6 7 7
Automatic Bobbin Winder Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Manufacturer Stated Maximum Sewing Speed (stitches per minute) 850 850 750 750 750
Computerized? Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Buttonhole Sewing (number of steps) 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step 1-Step
Maximum Stitch Width 7mm 7mm 6mm 7mm 7mm
Maximum Stitch Length 5mm 5mm 4.8mm 5mm 5mm
Thread Cutter Automatic Built-in Built-in Built-in Built-in
Cover Hard No Soft Hard No
Free Arm Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Measured Weight 19.7 lbs 10.5 lbs 14.6 lbs 10.4 lbs 10.8 lbs

Our Analysis and Test Results

Demonstrating how to input one of the 600 stitch selections on the 9960.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

The Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist is the sewing machine for those who want the absolute best while still saving a bit of cash. Equipped with an enormous library of 600 built-in stitches, this machine delivered a standout performance throughout our testing process. Despite its overpowering number of stitches, it really is very easy to set up and use, but it may be far too much sewing machine for the casual or novice sewer.

Performance Comparison


singer 9960 quantum stylist - the singer quantum stylist offers the most stitches - by far - of...
The Singer Quantum Stylist offers the most stitches - by far - of all the machines we tested.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Sewing


Unsurprisingly, sewing performance makes up the largest portion of our scores, and the 9960 Quantum Stylist ranked very close to the top for this metric. While it has the largest library of built-in stitches by far of any machine that we looked at, we didn't score based on the number of stitches available but by the performance of specific ones. We made test swatches with each machine on a variety of different thicknesses and textures of fabrics and directly compared their performance using the zigzag stitch, blind hem stitch, and straight stitch, and — maybe most difficult of all functions — attaching a zipper. These four tests best highlighted the differences across our tested machines.


The 9960 Quantum Stylist scored highest of all the sewing machines at the blind hem, something that is used far more than many people realize. This model did a great job even on harder to sew slick fabrics like silk and chiffon.

The 9960 sewing one of the many customer stitches.
Credit: Natalie Kafader

singer 9960 quantum stylist - some of the different test swatches from the 9960 quantum - we gave...
Some of the different test swatches from the 9960 Quantum - we gave this same lineup to all of our tested models.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Quantum also scored highest at attaching a zipper, the bane of many a sewer. Far too many garments or projects have been ruined by a poorly installed or bunched-up zipper. It really is one of those things that either makes or breaks a project, and this machine received a perfect score. Read that again — a perfect score with a zipper. That means that this sewing machine can easily go across the bottom stays without any crooked lines and without needing help. For some of our reviewers, that in itself was enough to have it win an award. Impressively, the Quantum also received a perfect score for multi-layer denim where we folded up 12 ounces of denim until we had eight layers and sewed through them all with the longest stitch length offered by the machine.


The Quantum also took a high score for a long straight stitch and basting stitches, both of which can have problems with tension. Many sewing machines struggled with the long straight stitch, and while the 9960 Quantum received one of the highest scores, we still felt the quality was only slightly above average. This machine also performed somewhat poorly with scallop stitches on cotton jersey and chiffon, creating stitches that either got caught or were too loose. With other fabrics it fared just fine.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - beautiful, smooth scallop stitching. as long as we didn't try to do...
Beautiful, smooth scallop stitching. As long as we didn't try to do scallop stitches on cotton jersey or chiffon, all was well.
Credit: Laura Casner

The Quantum Stylist also faltered a little with zigzag stitches, producing one that was only a little better than average quality. However, after extensive fiddling with the tension adjustments and deviating from the default settings, we were able to achieve a higher quality.


To sum up, the Quantum has the largest library of built-in stitches out of any that we tested, allowing you to add plenty of decorative elements to personalize your projects.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - the singer 9960 has a variety of built-in decorative stitches and...
The Singer 9960 has a variety of built-in decorative stitches and alphabets, allowing you to add planes, trains, automobiles, or shameless self-promotion to your projects.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Ease of Use


Even the most complex and complicated home sewing machine should be approachable and easy to use. The Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist let us down a bit in this respect, particularly for a premium machine. Although it has good labeling for the stitches, they aren't easy to read because the markings are molded into the machine. Selecting a stitch is confusing at first too, but becomes easier as you learn the machine — as with most things. You'll just have to spend some time with the instruction manual, learning where to go to find what you need.


The instructions for winding and loading the bobbin are embedded into the plastic, making them difficult to see unless the light is right and you are at the correct angle. Overall, we were disappointed with how the bobbin was wound as it was uneven each of the three times we tried it, and the loading was clunky because the bobbin cover kept getting in the way.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - you'll need to spend some time with the owner's manual to figure...
You'll need to spend some time with the owner's manual to figure everything out.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

A couple of the features we really like about the Quantum are the fully automatic thread cutter inside the base of the machine and the automatic needle stop. The thread cutter is a fantastic feature for saving thread and minimizing the mess created by the long thread ends when sewing — you know, the ones that the vacuum cleaner doesn't like to pick up. This feature couples well with the set needle stop position. While this model lacks the adjustability of other models, the needle will always stop in the down position, then automatically raise up when the thread cutter is activated.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - the singer 9960 has both an automatic thread cutter and automatic...
The Singer 9960 has both an automatic thread cutter and automatic needle stop positioning - two features we really like to have.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Like all the sewing machines we tested, the 9960 Quantum has a free arm for those difficult-to-get-around places like sleeves and trousers. You may not realize how important a free arm is until you try to hem a pair of trousers without one and end up having to hand sew the hems. This model also comes with a hard plastic carrying case, which can protect your investment from accidents.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - the included travel case for the 9960.
The included travel case for the 9960.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Buttonholes


The last rating category we used to test our sewing machines was buttonholes. This was the lowest weighted out of all the categories, comprising only 20% of the final scores, although anyone who has had to throw out an otherwise beautiful garment due to ruined buttonholes will tell you otherwise.


The Quantum Stylist has a pretty easy one-step set-up that is slightly better than the other machines we tested. We observed that the stitches on the left side of the finished buttonhole weren't as close together as on the right side, but that is admittedly being very picky.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - the buttonhole presser foot with installed button on the 9960.
The buttonhole presser foot with installed button on the 9960.
Credit: Kat Elliott

Should You Buy the Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist?


The Singer 9960 Quantum Stylist is not the most expensive sewing machine we tested, and though we found it discounted a substantial amount at various retailers throughout our testing, it still would represent a considerable investment for most people. Overall, this machine isn't really a great value — while it is seriously impressive and one of our top performers, there are much better options for the beginner sewer and those that are budget-oriented. But if you're looking to level up your sewing game and add more decor and embellishments to your projects, the Quantum Stylist may be just what you're after.

singer 9960 quantum stylist - the 9960 offers an impressive amount of stitch options at a premium...
The 9960 offers an impressive amount of stitch options at a premium price.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

What Other Sewing Machines Should You Consider?


The Quantum Stylist is a good option for those more experienced sewers who will be able to make use of all the available stitches and functions. If you're interested in a top-of-the-line, premium sewing experience but don't need hundreds of stitches, the Juki HZL-F300 is our favorite premium pick. On the other hand, if lots of fun stitches are what you're after but you'd like to save some bucks, the Brother HC1850 is a more budget-friendly option that still features an impressive 185 stitch options.

Ruth Bruckbauer and Austin Palmer