Best electric knitting machines for flat panels and tubes under $400

Top pick: addi Express Kingsize. It's the one machine here that genuinely does both jobs well — 46 needles give a wide flat panel (about 17.7″) and a large circular tube (about 13.8″), and addi's build quality is the reason it's the standard recommendation for home machine knitting. It handles 4–8 mm yarn, so DK through bulky.

Who the others suit:

• addi Express Professional — same brand, smaller and lighter; better if you mostly knit hats, socks and narrow tubes and want something compact.
• Caydo Electric Knitting Machine — the budget-friendly way to get both circular and flat modes, with adjustable tension and a row counter; good for learning.
• SENTRO 40-needle and 48-needle machines — cheapest entry into tubes and flat pieces; fine for scarves and hats, but plastic build and less consistent tension.
• Caydo i-Cord machine — only if you want cord for trims and ties, not panels.

Skip the tiny 22-needle and mini machines if flat panels are a real goal — they're too narrow.