11 Of The Best Seam Rippers For Quilters

The image of the perfect quilt is in your mind when you start a project. 

However, reality will inevitably strike when you’re creating it.

A seam might turn out crooked. You might sew the wrong pieces together. 

Whatever the mistake is, ripping out the seam is the only real solution.

Seam rippers, or stitch rippers as they’re also known, are the tool for this job.

You’ll want a good one.

Otherwise, you’ll strain your hand, tear fabric by mistake, or have the tool break in your hand.

What to Look for in the Best Seam Rippers

The best seam ripper will have:

• A sharp blade to prevent slipping and tearing fabric
• A cap to protect the blade during storage
• A ball on the shorter tip for separating fabric layers in tight spots
• An ergonomic handle to reduce strain and improve accuracy

A sharp blade increases safety because you won’t have to push hard to cut thread. The ability to work with light pressure also limits the chance of cutting your fabric by mistake.

The red ball that you frequently see on seam rippers improves safety and can be used to pry apart fabric layers gently.

You have two paths to getting sharp blades. Either you invest in seam rippers with higher quality metals in the blade or buy low-cost seam rippers and replace them often.

11 Best Seam Rippers for Your Quilting and Sewing Needs

In addition to seeking sharp blades, you should consider the handle. If you have trouble gripping small items, then an ergonomic handle with a large design would benefit you.

As you consider each best seam ripper review presented here, think about what you need it to do.

Do you expect to rip long seams, embroidery, or seams sewn with serge stitching? Will you use it to trim hanging threads too?

Quilters often choose to have more than one style of seam ripper. That way, they have the right tool for every type of sewing blooper.

1. SINGER Comfort Grip Set of 2 Seam Rippers

This set of 2 seam rippers from Singer provides you with both large and small rippers. You get the versatility to use the large tool for seams that are easily accessible for one low price.

When you need to work in a small area, then you can grab the small tool.

Both handles have a rubber comfort grip. This reduces tension on your hand and protects your fingers from slipping while using one.

Both seam rippers have plastic caps. Unfortunately, the caps are too small to slip over the ends of the ergonomic handles. Every time you take them off, you run the risk of losing them.

Pros:

• Comfortable, easy-to-hold handle
• Adequate blade sharpness
• Low price

Cons:

• Caps tend to fall off during storage

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2. Set of 3 Lhedon Ergonomic Grip Seam Rippers

When you know that you need a large handle on your seam rippers, this is the set to buy. Wide ergonomic handles made of rubber ensure a good grip, especially for people who struggle with tiny tools. 

This seam ripper is 5-1/2 inches long. The bright colors on the handle also make them easy to find in your tool kit.

The stainless steel blades are sharp and come with caps. Each ripper includes the protective red ball on the short tip.

Pros:

• Easy grip handle
• Bright colors
• Sharp blade

Cons:

• Caps small and easy to lose

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3. HAVEL’S Surgical Seam Ripper

As a surgical seam ripper, this product only has a single curving blade instead of a curved blade with two prongs. Out of the package, the blade is extremely sharp.

This tool performs splendidly when you have to remove embroidery or rip out seams. 

The sharpness of the blade allows you to work with only light pressure. A light touch increases your control of the tool and reduces fabric tears.

However, if you have trouble holding small tools, this item’s narrow handle may not be ideal.

The precision possible with Havel’s seam ripper makes it a top choice for picking out the overlapping threads of serged seams.

Overall, its versatility makes it useful in a variety of applications, including quilting.

Pros:

• Blade cover
• Works on serged seams and embroidery
• Very sharp blade

Cons:

• Blade dulls quickly

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4. Clover Ergonomic Seam Ripper

For those who struggle with arthritis pain, this Clover ergonomic seam ripper is a great choice. 

The seam ripper is sharp and accurate and can rip out all sorts of seams, including hems, zippers, and button threads. 

The handle fits easily in your hand, so you can rip seams for an extended period without discomfort and pain. The seam ripper measures approximately 5” long and comes in a sleek white color. 

Pros

• Ergonomic handle
• Great price
• Sharp ripper

Cons

• It doesn’t come with a cover for the seam ripper.

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5. Riley Blake Designs Unique Ergonomic Seam Ripper

If you have trouble with a straight-handle seam ripper, give this one a try.

The seam ripper has a unique curving handle that wraps around your finger. You might only run into trouble if your fingers are large because the item is small. It measures about 1 inch by 2 inches.

For those whose fingers fit in the little loop, the ripper provides excellent control.

You can pick out small stitches with relative ease. If arthritis troubles you, then this design could make ripping seams a comfortable activity.

Pros:

• Innovative handle design
• Blade cover
• Protective red ball

Cons:

• Not very sharp

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6. CLOVER Seam Ripper

Clover is a Japanese company with a good reputation in the market for sewing notions.

A sharp blade with a fine long point helps you work in the most delicate areas. You can work with confidence with this ripper if you need to rip straight stitches or zigzag stitches.

The relatively slender handle might not suit you if you’re looking for something easier to grip. It comes with a blade cap as well, although it’s small and perhaps easy to lose.

Pros:

• Sharp blade
• Works well on small stitches
• Affordable

Cons:

• Narrow blade could break

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7. Combicut Seam Ripper and Tweezers Pink

This product presents you with both a seam ripper and tweezers. You slide the cover one way or the other to expose the tool that you need. If you’re a person who likes multi-use tools, this one will delight you.

After ripping a seam, simply use the tweezers to pick away the scraps of cut thread.

If you belong to a quilting group, this seam ripper with tweezers will save space in your mobile tool kit. The blade is sharp too and lasts a long time.

Pros:

• Includes tweezers
• Cover slides easily over blade
• Sharp blade

Cons:

• High price

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8. Dritz 949 Seam-Fix Seam Ripper

Dritz is a well-known brand in sewing notions, and this seam ripper is an excellent tool to add to your sewing toolkit. This double-sided seam ripper has a small and large seam ripper on either end. 

The seam ripper is a fun purple color, and you can use it for various applications. Each end has a rubber tip that you will use to collect the threads after you use the seam ripper of choice. 

The fine seam ripper is for tiny delicate threads, and the heavy-duty seam ripper is for strong threads like quilting thread. 

Pros

• Double-sided
• Comfortable to hold

Cons

• The rubber ends aren’t a huge advantage for removing the ripped threads.

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9. Singer ProSeries Folding Seam Ripper

If you do a lot of sewing on the go, this might be the seam ripper you’re looking for. The seam ripper folds down and out of the way when you aren’t using it, so you don’t have to worry about accidentally poking yourself when you aren’t using it. 

It is part of Singer’s ProSeries notion collection and comes in a beautiful teal and black colorway. The handle of the seam ripper is comfortable to hold and easy to use. 

The handle also features a hole where you can hang it on a pegboard or attach it to a lanyard for convenience. 

Pros

• Foldable seam ripper
• Great price
• Made by a trusted brand

Cons

• The handle could be a bit bulky for small hands.

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10. Dritz Magnified LED Seam Ripper

Let’s face it, trying to see those little threads, especially when they’re the same color as the fabric, can be a real pain. This handy little seam ripper has a built-in magnifying glass and LED light to make it easier to see those threads.

The seam ripper comes with a cover to place over the sharp point when it isn’t being used. The magnifying glass is removable and adjustable depending on your needs. 

The end of the handle has a hole hanging on a lanyard or pegboard for storage. The handle is easy to grip, so it won’t slip and rip fabric instead of thread.

Pros

• 3x magnification
• LED light for extra visibility

Cons

• The extra magnifying glass and light are a bit bulky for some applications.

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11. Fiskars Tabletop Seam Ripper

This cute little doo-dad is called a tabletop seam ripper. The way it works is it has a strong suction cup on the bottom which holds it in place. You then pull the seam through the seam ripper allowing the sharp tip to cut the seam threads.

This is a popular new type of seam ripper for quilters since you can use it for cutting threads when you do chain piecing. It’s also an excellent choice for anyone who has arthritis or tendonitis in their hands since there is no small handle to hold. 

This specific tabletop seam ripper has a springloaded handle that helps release the suction cup. 

Pros

• It has a cap to protect the seam ripper when not in use. 
• It frees both hands since it sticks to the table.
• Great price for this type of seam ripper

Cons

• You have to use it on a table. Not great for travel.

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FAQs about Seam Rippers

What are the best seam rippers?

The best seam ripper for you will depend a lot on personal preference. Some people prefer a typical seam ripper, whereas others prefer a tabletop. It may take trial and error to figure out which seam ripper is best for you. 

Can a seam ripper be sharpened?

Surprisingly, yes, it can! Steel wool or a bead reamer are the two most common items used to sharpen them. Both use a simple upward motion to sharpen the point of the seam ripper. 

What are the types of seam rippers?

There are two main types of seam rippers: “J” shaped or “forked,” which is the most common and surgical seam rippers. 

What is the red ball on a seam ripper used for?

That mysterious little red ball is quite useful. You should hold the seam ripper so the red ball is on the bottom. The red ball does two things: it protects the fabric from the sharp seam ripper and clears the way for the curved blade to cut the threads more easily. 

Try a New Seam Ripper

Quilters cannot escape the fact that no seam ripper lasts forever. Cutting threads wears down any blade. It’s only a matter of how quickly this happens. 

If you’ve been dissatisfied with the style of stitch ripper that you have right now, try a new style. You might discover that you like a thick handle instead of a small handle, or vice versa.