Rug tufting is a unique art in that you can create enormous works with relatively few materials. Once you’ve invested in a good tufting gun, you’ve got nearly everything you need to start tufting!

The problem is, choosing the right tufting gun is difficult. Amazon and other retailers are filled with cheap knock-off tufting guns that break down after your first few rugs.

To help you choose the right tufting gun for you, I put together this comprehensive buyer’s guide. First we’ll cover a few key details you need to know, then we’ll have a look at the best tufting guns, where to buy, and more.

If you’re just looking for a quick recommendation, check out any of the models listed below. They won’t do you wrong!

A tufting gun is a handheld FRS tufting machine used to make rugs. It’s much faster than manual methods like latch hook or punch needle, but a step down from industrial tufting machines for carpet.

Tufting guns have a lot of advantages over other rug making or weaving techniques. As mentioned above, they’re very fast. A medium-sized rug can be knocked out in a few hours.

They’re also relatively affordable. A few hundreds dollars will get you a solid machine, and the only supplies you need are yarn, backing material, and creativity.

Rug tufting has been around for decades, but it’s come back into style recently thanks to social media platforms like TikTok. And I’m all for it!

How does it work?

Tufting guns work very much like a sewing machine. It has a “foot” that rests against the backing material, then a large needle pushes yarn through the material, leaving some on the other side.

Depending on the type of tufting gun you have (or the settings), it will either leave a loop (loop pile) or a strand (cut pile) on the other side. More on that in the section below.

One very important thing to keep in mind is that you can run more than one thread of yarn through the tufting gun at a time. Use creative combinations to make interesting patterns, or just save time by pushing through more threads at once!

Loop pile vs cut pile tufting guns

The biggest decision you need to make before buying a tufting gun is whether or not you want a loop pile or cut pile model. There are some models that can do both (learn more about that below), but they tend to be more expensive and fairly difficult to adjust back and forth.

For beginners though, you should absolutely stick to a simple model.

So how do you know which one to choose? Well, there isn’t really a right answer here.

Both loop pile and cut pile tufting guns are great fun, and both can be used to create incredible pieces. Which one you choose will largely be personal preference.

For me personally, I’d probably lean toward cut pile because I like the feel of the finished rug, but again, that’s just personal preference.

Get inspired with the latest Tiny Workshops tours and interviews!

Best tufting guns

With all that background info out of the way, we can finally get to the main show: which tufting guns to buy and where to buy them!

You’ll find a lot of junk models (especially on Amazon), but I’ve selected four of the best tufting guns that are reliable and easy to use for both beginners and experts alike.

Note that all of the shops linked below sell both the tufting gun separately or a full kit with other tufting supplies. Tuft the World also sells an excellent starter kit, and you can save 15% with the code TINY at checkout!

For beginner tufters, the AK-I is the best tufting gun there is. It’s limited to cut pile tufting, but it remains a popular option because of just how easy it is to use.

This thing is easy to set up and hard to break, both of which are extremely common problems when tufting. Plus, it weighs just 3lbs (1.4kg), whereas other models can weigh five times that. It’s great for long tufting sessions.

The main problem with this model is availability. Most shops take pre-orders, and it can take 3+ months to ship. That’s a long time to wait for a new hobby.

Thankfully, the shop listed below seems to maintain stock. It’s based in New Zealand, but they use express air delivery so you can expect your machine in less than two weeks, no matter where to live.

To make matters better, they offer a variety tufting gun kits, as well. You can get your AK-I cut pile tufting gun with a frame, primary tufting fabric, yarn, or even a second loop-pile tufting machine (the AK-II, listed below).

Another place to buy the AK-I tufting gun is a specialty shop called Tuft the World. They have a variety of tufting supplies on offer, and you can save 15% on your purchase at checkout with the code TINY.