Shoppers ask whether a “4x4” or “5x7” hoop is big enough, as if those labels were fixed sizes. We compared the maximum embroidery field that 87 machines from five brands list on the makers’ own pages. The short version: only 37 of the 87 carry one of those two labels, and a label in inches does not tell you whether a design file sized in millimeters will fit. The table of all 87 machines, with a source link on every row, is in the hoop-fit calculator , and you can download the data as a CSV .
How many machines share each field
| Field (inches) | Machines | By brand | In mm (shorter x longer) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 x 4 in | 21 | Brother 21 | 101.6 x 101.6 |
| 5 x 7 in | 16 | Baby Lock 1, Brother 15 | 127 x 177.8 |
| 9.5 x 14 in | 8 | Baby Lock 1, Brother 7 | 241.3 x 355.6 |
| 6 x 10 in | 7 | Brother 7 | 152.4 x 254 |
| 8 x 14 in | 6 | Baby Lock 1, Brother 5 | 203.2 x 355.6 |
| 8 x 12 in | 5 | Baby Lock 1, Brother 4 | 203.2 x 304.8 |
| 7 x 12 in | 4 | Brother 4 | 177.8 x 304.8 |
| 10.6 x 16 in | 3 | Brother 3 | 269.9 x 406.4 |
| 6.2 x 10.2 in | 2 | Baby Lock 2 | 158.8 x 260.3 |
| 11.6 x 18.2 in | 2 | Baby Lock 1, Brother 1 | 295.3 x 463.5 |
| 6.3 x 10.2 in | 2 | Bernette 2 | 160 x 260 |
| 6.7 x 7.9 in | 2 | Janome 2 | 170 x 200 |
| 7.9 x 11.8 in | 1 | Baby Lock 1 | 200 x 298.4 |
| 7.9 x 14 in | 1 | Baby Lock 1 | 200 x 355.6 |
| 8 x 8 in | 1 | Brother 1 | 203.2 x 203.2 |
| 11 x 18.1 in | 1 | Janome 1 | 280 x 460 |
| 7.9 x 9.4 in | 1 | Janome 1 | 200 x 240 |
| 5.5 x 5.5 in | 1 | Janome 1 | 140 x 140 |
| 7.9 x 11 in | 1 | Janome 1 | 200 x 280 |
| 7.9 x 14.2 in | 1 | Janome 1 | 200 x 360 |
| 3.9 x 6.7 in | 1 | Singer 1 | 100 x 170 |
Of the 87 machines, 21 list a 4 x 4 inch field and 16 list 5 x 7 inches. Every one of the 4 x 4 machines in our data is a Brother; the 5 x 7 group is 15 Brother machines and one Baby Lock. The rest spread over 19 other field sizes, from the Janome Memory Craft 1000’s 140 x 140 mm to the Baby Lock Radiance and Brother Aveneer EV1 at about 11.6 x 18.2 inches.
The inch label versus the metric design size
Most makers that sell in metric countries state the field in millimeters. Brother and Baby Lock, in the pages we read, state it in inches only. Only 10 of the 87 rows publish millimeters (7 Janome, 2 Bernette and 1 Singer). For the other 77 we show inches times 25.4 and label it as that.
That matters at the edge. A literal 5 x 7 inch field is 127 x 177.8 mm, but designers often size “5x7” designs at 130 x 180 mm. Taking the inch label literally, here is how many machines hold each design:
| Design size | Machines that hold it | Of the 10 that publish mm |
|---|---|---|
| 100 x 100 mm square (about 4 x 4 in) | 87 of 87 | 10 of 10 |
| 127 x 177.8 mm (exactly 5 x 7 in) | 64 of 87 | 8 of 10 |
| 130 x 180 mm (the metric 5 x 7 size) | 48 of 87 | 8 of 10 |
| 200 x 300 mm | 27 of 87 | 2 of 10 |
A 100 x 100 mm square design fits every machine in the data. A 130 x 180 mm design fits 48 of 87, which is exactly 16 fewer than the 64 that hold the literal 127 x 177.8 mm size, the 16 machines in the 5 x 7 inch group. Brother’s manuals may give a slightly larger metric field for those machines, and we did not collect manuals, so this is a reason to check the manual, not a statement that the design will not stitch.
What the odd sizes show
- The Singer SE9180 lists 170 x 100 mm, about 6.7 x 3.9 inches. It holds a 100 mm square but not a 5 x 7 design, so a “7 x 4” label would be closer than “4x4”.
- The Janome Memory Craft 9850 and Skyline S9 both list 170 x 200 mm, about 6.7 x 7.9 inches. Neither is a 5 x 7 or a 6 x 10.
- The Bernette 79 and 70 DECO list 260 x 160 mm. Brother’s 6 x 10 inch machines are 152.4 x 254 mm, so the Bernette field is larger by about 8 mm on the short side and 6 mm on the long side.
- The Janome Memory Craft 550E lists 200 x 360 mm and the Continental M17 lists 280 x 460 mm, the largest field of any Janome in the data.
How to use this
- Find your exact model in the table and open the source link for the number.
- Enter your design size in the calculator and pick the machine; it fills the field boxes for you.
- If the result is close, use the millimeter field in your machine’s manual, not the label.
For the machines people ask about most, see the PE800 and PE900 , the SE600 and SE700 , the SE1900 and SE2000 and the Janome 500E and 550E .
Method and limits
- Sources. Brother USA product pages (68 machines), Baby Lock product pages (9), Janome Australia product pages (7, since Janome’s U.S. site blocks automated reading), Bernette (2) and Singer (1). Each row’s page was read and then re-opened on November 8, 2026 to confirm the number.
- What we left out. Machines whose pages did not state a field, and accessory bundles and color editions that repeat a base model. A missing machine means we could not confirm it, not that it is smaller or larger.
- Not covered yet. Pfaff, Husqvarna Viking, other Janome and Singer models and Brother’s own metric manual fields. We will add rows only when a maker page or manual states the field.
- Inches to millimeters uses the exact definition of 25.4 mm per inch (NIST ).
- Fit tests compare the design rectangle with the field rectangle, with 90 degree rotation allowed. They do not check stitch density, hoop clearance or file limits.
This is desk research from published pages. We did not test these machines. Data last checked November 8, 2026; we plan to recheck it quarterly.