Hello everyone! I’m Aria and I’m a newbie at this forum.
Our whole family is now in quarantine and we all sitting at home now. My daughter asked me if I could help her with her new hobby. She wants to become a cosplayer (it is very popular among young people nowadays). And as she said every cosplayer should sew their costumes. Unfortunately, we don’t have any sewing machine in our house. Buying a “professional” machine is not a good idea because my daughter may soon abandon this hobby. Nevertheless, I want to buy her a small unit. But there are a lot of models, and I don’t know if I could trust the reviews. I’ve already checked some https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home-products/g27760473/best-sewing-machines-for-beginners/, https://sewingland.org/best-sewing-machine-for-beginners/, https://www.thespruce.com/best-beginner-sewing-machines-to-buy-4137153 but I’m really confused and can’t make the right decision. Could someone recommend a small sewing machine for a beginner? Or maybe someone could recommend another option?
All thoughts and suggestions are appreciated!
Thanks in advance!
I recently bought a machine and it took me a long time to decide which one to get. How much are you willing to pay for a machine? Decide if you want to get a mechanical or a computerised one. There are several manual machines on Amazon which cost below $100. The more stitches a machine has, the more expensive it gets. If your daughter just needs the basic stitches, then perhaps a mechanical one would do. I’ve seen a Brother machine from one of the links you posted that costs $80 from Walmart. A Singer is also okay, however, I read somewhere that the Singer machines produced now aren’t from the same manufacturers from before.
In addition, if your daughter decides to continue with the new hobby, you can always buy her an upgrade.
My granddaughter has a cosplay suit and she’s always doing something new with it, something she wants to improve. Her sewing machine came from Walmart; I think it’s a Singer. I’ve done a lot of sewing over the years including two wedding dresses and never owned an expensive sewing machine. I wouldn’t touch my daughter’s Pfaff for love or money. I value my continued existence. 
I can’t make a specific recommendation but you can go with a base model that should last long enough to be more than worth the price paid. You will want something that will sew thickish fabric I expect. My granddaughter’s costume is made of pile fabric which can be a bit tricky.
I would look for a basic machine. I bought a Singer 2932 machine 10-15 years ago, when my daughter was taking sewing in home ec. I wanted her to have a machine to work on her things at home, and we didn’t have one at the time. The teacher of the class recommended it as a good all around machine that didn’t cost a fortune. I think I paid $149 for it new on sale at Joann’s. I am currently using it to make masks, and it’s serving me well. Unfortunately Singer no longer makes this model, but I’m sure they have something similar.
The more bells and whistles a sewing machine has the more likely it is to have problems IMHO. The repairs can cost more than replacing a more basic model. My daughter’s Pfaff is making noise and who knows when she can get it serviced. I sewed for years (including two wedding dresses) and realized that all I really needed to do most anything I wanted was a straight stitch and zig zag. Other stitches are nice but if you know what you’re doing or are willing to think about it it’s amazing what can be done with a basic sewing machine. Embroidery and quilting are exceptions. They might be possible with a very basic sewing machine but I wouldn’t try it - it helps that I have little interest in those things. lol
I love the product (Singer MX231) which is for beginners. The price was right as well. Easy to use. The only thing I did not like was that Singer no longer sends the manuals. You have to print them off. That is okay if you have a printer at home but I do not. Very inconvenient. I am very much a visual person, but Singer does not seem to have a video for my machine on their website. Used a video I found on this site which was for another model with more gadgets but helped with the winding a bobbin and threading the needed. Would be great it there were videos for all machines on their website.
I want a manual with the machine too! I finally admitted my old sewing machine had worn out and bought a Singer Heavy Duty sewing machine (4411). I don’t sew enough to justify a more expensive machine and figure this one will do well when I want to sew heavier fabrics. But I do want a manual to keep near it. This is the same machine my daughter bought for her daughter so she could have her own to learn on and keep her hands off mom’s fancy, very expensive, does-everything-but-brew-your-coffee sewing machine. 
I had kind of planned to get one like yours but they were out of stock the day I’d made up my mind to buy one and I took what was on the shelf.
My first sewing machine was a White Rotary from a flea market and cost less than $20. I used it for a long, long time and the last time it was in for repairs they said it was just worn out. I’d be very leery of buying a used sewing machine now since most of the ones sold for an affordable price were never built to be repaired.
My mother sews a lot. She always doing something new for us, her family, and her friends. Before, she have an old-style Brother sewing machine. So, I decided to present her with a serger machine. Found a good one here. I’ve heard that using a serger to achieve a crisp edge on any seam is perfect. The upper and lower looper threads wrap around the fabric edge, fastening or protecting it, in addition to the cutting blade trimming the fabric edge. So, now she says her clothes are better than before. Edges are clean and the sewing process is funnier itself.
Hi Aria!
It’s wonderful that you want to support your daughter’s new hobby! For a beginner-friendly and reliable sewing machine, I recommend the Janome Gem Gold. It’s compact, easy to use, and perfect for starting out in cosplay without a huge investment. This machine handles a variety of fabrics well, which is great for costume making.
I’ve had a great experience with it, and it’s perfect for beginners. You can check it out on Sewingmachinesplus here. This way, if your daughter sticks with the hobby, she’ll have a good foundation to build on.
Happy sewing!