Machine Embroidery Thread: Rayon or Polyester, and What Weight
- Guide type
- Best of
- Last reviewed
- Sources
- 13 cited
- Tested by us
- No. How we research
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Start with a 40 weight thread: Sulky says its 40 wt rayon "is the thread most digitizers of computerized embroidery designs use as a standard", and that 40 wt polyester "can be readily substituted".1,2 Choose rayon for a soft sheen on delicate items, polyester for things that see bleach, sun or heavy washing: that is how Sulky and Madeira, which sell both, describe them.2,3 In the bobbin, use the bobbin thread your machine's manual names: 60 weight for Brother's SE700, 90 weight for its PE545.4,5
40 weight is the standard
Sulky: “Rayon 40 wt. Thread is by far the most popular thread for computerized stitching; especially since most digitizers space their stitches within a design to accept this type of thread/weight.”2 If you switch weight, Sulky advises stitching a sample first.2
Rayon or polyester: what the makers say
| Rayon | Polyester | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | “smoother, softer, and less abrasive on tender skin” (Sulky)2 | Stretches before it breaks; wears a needle a little faster (Sulky)2 |
| Washing | Sulky, for its rayon: “We have always recommended avoiding chlorine bleach, optical brighteners, peroxide, or sodium carbonate.”9 | Madeira Polyneon: “resistant to chlorine bleach”; holds up to “commercial laundering”3,7 |
| Best for | Monograms, children’s wear, delicate projects (Madeira)3 | Uniforms and heavily laundered items (Madeira); items exposed to chlorine bleach or constant sun (Sulky)2,3 |
| Strength | Polyester is slightly stronger, but Sulky calls strength “a non-issue” for embroidery, since the thread colours a design rather than holding a seam.2 | |
Six threads from their makers
Isacord 40
- Fibre
- 100% continuous-filament polyester
- Weight
- 40 wt
- Spools
- 1,000 m and 5,000 m
- Colorfast, per OESD
- 423 solid and 27 variegated colours
- No needle size on the OESD page
Good fit: you embroider garments, towels or kids' items that are washed often.
Skip it if: you want rayon's softer sheen.
Madeira Classic Rayon #40
- Fibre
- 100% viscose rayon
- Weights
- #40, also #60, #30, #12
- Needle
- 65/9 to 75/11
- "great all-purpose thread", per Madeira
- Four weights, from fine #60 to thick #12
- Madeira points heavily laundered items to Polyneon instead
Good fit: you embroider monograms, children's clothes or delicate fabrics.
Skip it if: you embroider uniforms or items that will be heavily laundered: Madeira points those to Polyneon.
Madeira Polyneon #40
- Fibre
- 100% polyester (Polyneon Green: recycled)
- Weight
- #40
- Needle
- 60/8 to 75/11
- Resists chlorine bleach, per Madeira
- For heavily laundered items
- Some article numbers change with Polyneon Green (918-1801 is now 718-1801): check the number when you reorder
Good fit: you embroider uniforms, safety garments or linens that see bleach.
Skip it if: you want a soft rayon sheen.
Sulky 40 wt Rayon
- Fibre
- rayon (viscose)
- Weight
- 40 wt
- Needle
- embroidery 80 or 90 (Sulky guide)
- Colorfast in hot or cold water, per Sulky
- Several spool sizes, up to a 5,500 yd cone
- Avoid chlorine bleach and optical brighteners, per Sulky
Good fit: you want the thread most designs are digitized for, per Sulky.
Skip it if: the item will be bleached: Sulky advises against chlorine bleach.
Brother ETPBEST100
- Fibre
- 100% polyester, colour-fast
- Spools
- 100 × 1,100 yd
- Weight
- not stated on the page
- Brother's own embroidery thread
- Large colour range in one set
- Thread weight not given on the page
- No Brother Canada page found
Good fit: you own a Brother and want Brother's own thread colours.
Skip it if: you need a few colours only.
Brother SAEBT bobbin thread
- Weight
- 60 weight
- Spools
- 5 × 1,100 m, white
- Gauged for Brother machine embroidery tension, per Brother
- Listed by Brother Canada
- White only
Good fit: your Brother manual asks for 60 weight bobbin thread, as the SE700's does.
Skip it if: your manual names another weight: the PE545 asks for 90 weight.
Buying in Canada
Brother Canada lists the SAEBT bobbin thread.10 We found no Canadian maker page for Madeira, Isacord or Sulky thread, nor a Brother Canada page for the ETPBEST100 set.11 The Isacord page we read is on OESD’s US site, and the Madeira pages on Madeira USA’s.7,12,13
Questions
Rayon vs polyester embroidery thread: which is better?
Neither in general. Sulky: "Both threads wash and wear equally well, even in hot water. If an item will be subjected to chlorine bleach or constant sun exposure, then the Polyester Thread is recommended." It adds that rayon is smoother and softer on tender skin.2 Madeira points uniforms and heavily laundered items to its Polyneon polyester, and monograms and children's wear to its Classic rayon.3
What does thread weight mean?
A higher number is a finer thread. Sulky: "Sulky 30 wt. Rayon is 1/3 heavier than 40 wt. and 2/3 heavier than 50 wt."1 Madeira makes its Classic rayon in #60 for small lettering and fine detail, and in #30 and #12 when you want a thicker line.3
What thread should I use in a Brother embroidery machine?
Brother's manuals say: "Use embroidery thread intended for use with this machine. Other embroidery threads may not yield optimum results."4,5 For the bobbin, the SE700 manual asks for 60 weight embroidery bobbin thread and the PE545 manual for 90 weight: check your own model's manual.4,5 Brother sells a 60 weight bobbin thread, the SAEBT.6
Which embroidery thread is best for clothes?
For clothes that are washed often, bleached or worn in the sun, makers point to polyester: Sulky recommends its polyester for items exposed to chlorine bleach or constant sun, and Madeira says its Polyneon is "resistant to chlorine bleach".2,7 For delicate clothes, Madeira suggests its Classic rayon.3
Which needle for embroidery thread?
Makers give a range: Madeira lists 65/9 to 75/11 for Classic 40 and 60/8 to 75/11 for Polyneon 40; Sulky's thread guide gives an embroidery needle 80 or 90 for its 40 wt rayon.1,8 See our needle guide for embroidery needles.
What about a Janome machine?
We found no Janome page naming a thread brand. Use the thread weight the design was digitized for (most often 40 wt), and follow your Janome manual for the needle and the bobbin thread.
Bottom line
Keep 40 wt thread on hand: polyester for kids' clothes, workwear and towels that get bleached or washed often, rayon for a softer sheen on delicate items. Match the needle to the thread, and put in the bobbin the weight your manual names.
Related guidesWhat we checked, and what we didn't
- Weights, fibres, care and stated uses on Sulky, Madeira, OESD (Isacord) and Brother pages and colour cards
- Thread and bobbin thread instructions in Brother's SE700 and PE545 manuals
- How each thread stitches out on your machine: we have not tested them
- Sulky and Madeira sell both rayon and polyester; their comparisons are the makers' own views
- Where Madeira, Isacord and Sulky threads are sold in Canada: we found no Canadian maker page
Sources
- Quick Reference Guide to using Sulky Threads (2010) · Sulky of America
- Machine Embroidery Series: Rayon vs. Polyester · Sulky blog
- About Madeira USA Embroidery Thread · Madeira USA
- SE700 Sewing and Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P10) · Brother
- PE545 Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P30) · Brother
- SAEBT embroidery bobbin thread · Brother USA
- Polyneon · Madeira USA
- Stitch density guide (needle size per thread) · Madeira USA
- Should I use polyester thread instead of rayon for decorative stitching · Sulky answers
- SAEBT · Brother Canada
- ETPBEST100 embroidery thread set · Brother USA
- Isacord Embroidery Thread · OESD
- Classic Rayon · Madeira USA
Revision history
| 2026-11-12 | Added links to new related guides. |
| 2026-11-10 | First version. |