Needles for sewing machines are sized using a variety of different systems.
Sewing machines sold for home textile sewing predominantly use 130/705, equivalent to HAx1 or 15x1.
| Metric | Singer | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | 4 | |
| 45 | 5 | |
| 50 | 6 | |
| 55 | 7 | |
| 60 | 8 | |
| 65 | 9 | |
| 70 | 10 | |
| 75 | 11 | |
| 80 | 12 | Most Common for Fabric; Cotton, Rayon, Light Wool |
| 85 | 13 | |
| 90 | 14 | Cotton Drill, Linen, Light Denim |
| 95 | 15 | |
| 100 | 16 | Heavy Denim, Canvas, Upholstery |
| 105 | 17 | |
| 110 | 17 | |
| 129 | 19 | |
| 125 | 20 | |
| 130 | 21 | |
| 140 | 22 | |
| 150 | 22 | |
| 160 | 23 | |
| 170 | 23 | |
| 180 | 24 | |
| 200 | 25 | |
| 230 | 26 | |
| 250 | 27 |
A common rule of thumb suggests that the eye of a sewing machine needle should be roughly 40% wider than the thread to be sewn with it.