Embroidery Machines for Hats and Caps
- Guide type
- Comparison
- Last reviewed
- Sources
- 11 cited
- Tested by us
- No. How we research
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To stitch a finished cap you need a cap frame, which holds the cap either flattened or in its natural curve. Brother's cap frame gives a 130 × 60 mm area on baseball caps, tulip hats and bucket hats.1,2 The flatbed home machines we checked list no cap frame, so on those, embroider a patch and sew it on.3 Machines that take a cap frame here: Brother's PRS100 and PR1X (one needle) and the 12-needle HappyJapan Voyager.1,4,5
What a cap frame does
A cap frame is also called a hat hoop or hat attachment. Brother describes cap frames as frames “designed to hold caps for embroidering”, in two styles: one sews a flattened cap on a flat machine, the other sews the cap in its natural curve on a tubular machine.1
Brother’s standard cap frame gives a 130 × 60 mm area (5-1/8 × 2-3/8 in).2 A flat brim version can stitch closer to the brim and also fits flat brim and children’s caps.2 For the PR1060W, a wide cap frame reaches 360 × 60 mm.7
| Machine | Needles | Cap frame | Cap area | Cap speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brother PRS100 | 1 | Optional (PRCF3)1 | 130 × 60 mm1 | 400-600/min1 |
| Brother PR1X | 1 | Optional, model not named4 | 130 × 60 mm4 | 400-600/min8 |
| HappyJapan Voyager HCS3 | 12 | Optional cap kit5 | 11.4 × 2.7 in5 | 850/min5 |
Stabilizer and needles for caps
Brother’s chart for headwear says to change needles more often, because the buckram backing of a cap front dulls them, and suggests a lightweight tear-away backing to reduce thread breaks.1 It adds a topping on corduroy or foam fronts, and recommends a test sample when unsure.1 Before stitching a cap, Brother asks you to check the alignment of the positioning laser and the needle drop point.2
No cap frame? Make a patch
The flatbed home machines we checked, such as the Brother PE545, list no cap frame in their manuals.3 Stitch the design flat on fabric, then attach it to the cap: see our guide to making and sewing on patches.
The cap frame and the machines
Brother PRCF3 cap frame and driver set
- Cap area
- 130 × 60 mm
- Fits (Brother USA list)
- PRS100 and older PR models
- Fits (Brother Canada list)
- PR1000e, PR1055X, PR680W
- Fits baseball, tulip and bucket hats
- Listed in the PR680W and PRS100 manuals
- Brother USA and Brother Canada give different model lists: confirm yours with a dealer
Good fit: you own a PRS100 or a compatible PR model and want to stitch finished caps.
Skip it if: you own a flatbed home machine.
Brother PRS100 (Persona)
- Largest field
- 8 × 8 in
- Cap frame
- optional
- Speed
- up to 1,000/min; 400-600 on caps
- Tubular arm
- Cap and cylinder frames available
- One needle: a thread change per color
- Cap frame sold separately
Good fit: you want to stitch caps and garments on a single-needle machine.
Skip it if: your cap designs have many colors.
Brother PR1X (Entrepreneur One)
- Largest field
- 300 × 200 mm (8 × 12 in)
- Cap frame
- optional, model not named in the manual
- Speed
- 400-600/min on caps
- 300 × 200 mm field
- Free arm for caps, sleeves and bags
- One needle
- Cap frame model not named in the manual
Good fit: you want a large field and caps on a single-needle machine.
Skip it if: you want to know the exact cap frame from the manual.
HappyJapan Voyager HCS3
- Cap area
- 11.4 × 2.7 in on finished caps
- Speed
- 850/min on caps
- Cap kit
- cap frame, driver, cap stretcher (optional)
- 11.4 × 2.7 in cap area with the optional kit
- Designed for caps as well as flat goods, per its page
- Sold through the US distributor
- Cap kit optional
Good fit: caps are a large part of what you will sell.
Skip it if: you want a home machine from a store.
Buying in Canada
On 2026-11-10, brother.ca listed the PRS100, PR1X and the PRCF3 cap frame set; the machine pages sent buyers to a store or dealer.9,10,11
Questions
Can a regular home embroidery machine do hats?
Not finished caps, on the flatbed machines we checked: their manuals list no cap frame. The way around it is a patch, embroidered flat and then sewn or ironed onto the cap.3
What caps fit a cap frame?
Brother's frame takes baseball (golf) caps, tulip hats and bucket hats, but not hats with a front of 50 mm or less, such as sun visors and children's hats, or brims longer than 80 mm.2
Can the same machine do sweatshirts, hoodies and other clothing?
Yes, on a machine with a tubular arm, which lets you stitch the front of a garment without catching the back.1 Brother's chart suggests a cut-away stabilizer for knits.1
Bottom line
If you will sell caps often, choose a machine that takes a cap frame and check which frame fits before you buy. For a few caps a year, a patch made on a home machine avoids buying a second machine.
Related guidesWhat we checked, and what we didn't
- Cap frame types, sizes, speeds and the caps they fit, in Brother's manuals
- HappyJapan's cap kit and cap field on its distributor's page
- How each machine stitches caps in practice: we have not tested them
- Which cap frame fits the PR1X: its manual names none
Sources
- PRS100 Operation Manual (882-T51) · Brother
- PR680W Operation Manual (884-T23) · Brother
- PE545 Embroidery Machine Operation Manual (888-P30) · Brother
- PR1X Operation Manual (882-T52) · Brother
- Voyager single-head machine (HCS3-1201) · HappyJapan / TEXMAC
- MB-7e · Janome Australia
- PR1055X / PR1060W Operation Manual (884-T15/T16) · Brother
- PR1X Entrepreneur One · Brother USA
- PRS100 Persona (Canada) · Brother Canada
- PR1X Entrepreneur One (Canada) · Brother Canada
- PRCF3 Advanced Cap Frame and Driver Set (Canada) · Brother Canada
Revision history
| 2026-11-10 | First version. |