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Gear guide·Weaving

Best Beginner Weaving Loom (2026): 3 Rigid-Heddle Looms to Start On

For learning to weave, the loom to start on is a rigid-heddle loom. It is simple, affordable, and quick to set up compared to a big floor loom, and you can weave real scarves, towels, and cloth on it within a day. The main choices are size, brand, and whether it folds. All three picks here are proper rigid-heddle looms from the two names weavers trust, from a complete starter kit to a folding loom you grow into.

HobbyStack EditorialJuly 13, 2026Updated July 22, 20261 min read

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The 30-second verdict
  • Start on a rigid-heddle loom. It is the simplest, most affordable loom, quick to warp and weave, and you can make real cloth on it within a day, unlike a big, expensive floor loom.
  • Loom width sets your project width. A 15 to 16 inch loom handles scarves, runners, and towels, which covers most beginner projects. Go wider only if you know you want blankets and shawls.
  • Buy a real loom, not a toy frame. The children's potholder-style frames will not teach you real weaving. A proper rigid-heddle loom from Schacht or Ashford is the honest starting point.
  • Check what is included. A good starter loom comes with a reed, shuttles, a threading hook, and a warping peg, so you can start weaving without hunting for extras.

Weaving looms come in many types, but for a beginner the answer is a rigid-heddle loom, and it is not close. It is a compact, affordable frame with a single heddle, the comb-like part that both spaces your warp threads and lifts alternate threads to make the sheds you weave through. It is quick to set up, easy to understand, and light enough to weave on your lap or a table, yet it makes real cloth: scarves, towels, runners, and shawls. A big multi-shaft floor loom does more, but it costs many times as much, takes up a room, and is far more to learn, none of which a beginner needs. The main spec that matters is weaving width, which sets how wide your projects can be. A 15 to 16 inch loom is the sweet spot for beginners, wide enough for scarves, runners, and towels; you only need a wider loom if you specifically want blankets or full-width shawls.

After width, look at what comes in the box and whether the loom folds. The best beginner looms are sold as kits that include the reed, a couple of shuttles to carry your weft yarn, a threading hook, and a warping peg to measure out your warp, so you can start weaving immediately rather than piecing together accessories. Some looms also fold in half with the work still on them, which is lovely if you are short on space or want to take your weaving to a class. From there, choose on how much you will weave: a complete starter kit gets you going for the least, a standard loom gives you more width and room to grow, and a folding loom adds portability and a wider weaving area for when you are hooked. A rigid-heddle loom holds its value, and many weavers keep theirs for life even after adding bigger looms.

Schacht Cricket 15-Inch Rigid-Heddle LoomBest budget loom

Schacht Cricket 15-Inch Rigid-Heddle Loom

$265
Width15 inchIncludesReed, shuttles, yarnTypeRigid-heddleBest forStarting today

The most complete way to start weaving on day one. The Schacht Cricket is a beloved 15-inch rigid-heddle loom that comes as a full kit, an 8-dent reed, a threading hook, a warping peg, table clamps, two shuttles, and even two balls of yarn, so you can warp it and weave your first scarf without buying a single extra. Schacht is one of the two names weavers trust, and the Cricket is compact, light, and genuinely easy to learn on. Fifteen inches is plenty of width for scarves, runners, and towels, which covers most beginner projects. It does not fold and it is a starter width rather than a do-everything loom, but as an affordable, complete, high-quality first loom, it is the one most people should start with.

What's good

  • Complete kit, includes yarn to weave immediately
  • From Schacht, a trusted weaving brand
  • Compact and genuinely easy to learn on
  • 15 inches suits most beginner projects

What's not

  • Does not fold for storage or travel
  • Starter width, not for full blankets
Check price on Amazon
Ashford 16-Inch Rigid-Heddle LoomBest for most weavers

Ashford 16-Inch Rigid-Heddle Loom

$315
Width16 inchTypeRigid-heddleSystemReed + stand add-onsBest forMost weavers

The loom most weavers happily settle on. The Ashford Rigid Heddle Loom is the standard 16-inch model from the other great weaving brand, and it hits the sweet spot of price, width, and room to grow. It is quick and easy to warp and weave, light and portable, and it sits within Ashford's big ecosystem of reeds, stands, and accessories, so as your skills grow you can add finer or coarser reeds, a second heddle for more complex weaves, or a stand, without changing looms. Sixteen inches handles scarves, runners, and towels comfortably. It comes as the loom with a reed rather than a yarn-included kit, so you buy your own yarn, but for a versatile loom you will not outgrow quickly, it is the natural pick.

What's good

  • Versatile 16-inch width for most projects
  • Part of Ashford's big system of reeds and add-ons
  • Quick to warp, light, and portable
  • Room to grow into more complex weaves

What's not

  • Loom and reed only, no yarn included
  • Does not fold like the premium pick
Check price on Amazon
Schacht Flip 25-Inch Folding Rigid-Heddle LoomBest to grow into

Schacht Flip 25-Inch Folding Rigid-Heddle Loom

$448
Width25 inchFeatureFolds with work onTypeRigid-heddleBest forGrowing into

The loom for someone who wants more width and a loom that packs away. The Schacht Flip is a 25-inch rigid-heddle loom whose party trick is folding in half with your project still warped on it, so you can tuck it under a bed, carry it to a class, or set it aside between sessions without unwinding your work. The extra width lets you weave wider shawls, wraps, and small blankets that a 15 or 16 inch loom cannot, and it keeps the comfortable, sturdy, easy-to-warp feel Schacht is known for. It is the priciest here and more loom than a first-timer strictly needs, but if you already suspect you will love weaving and want a loom that grows with you and stores easily, the Flip is the one to buy once.

What's good

  • Folds in half with the weaving still on it
  • Wider 25 inches for shawls and small blankets
  • Sturdy and comfortable, easy to warp
  • A grow-into loom you keep for years

What's not

  • The priciest of the three
  • More loom than a total beginner needs
Check price on Amazon
You will also need yarn, and maybe a stand

The loom is the main buy, but a couple of things complete your setup. You need weaving yarn: a smooth worsted-weight wool or cotton is forgiving to learn on, and the Cricket kit even includes some to start. Many weavers add a stand so the loom sits at a comfortable angle and frees both hands, though you can clamp any of these to a table to begin. And you may eventually want a second reed in a different dent, the reed's thread spacing, to weave finer or chunkier yarns. None of this is urgent: with the loom, a reed, a shuttle, and some yarn, you can weave your first scarf this weekend.

Which to buy: want everything you need, including yarn, to weave today for the least? The Schacht Cricket. Want a versatile standard loom with room to grow that you will not outgrow? The Ashford Rigid Heddle. Want a wider loom that folds away with your work still on it? The Schacht Flip.

Before you buy

Start with a smooth worsted-weight wool or cotton yarn, which is forgiving while you learn to warp and weave.

Fifteen to sixteen inches is the right first width. Do not buy wider than you need, since it is more to warp and heavier to handle.

Consider a stand once you are hooked, so the loom sits at a comfortable angle and frees both hands.

Watch a couple of warping videos before your first project. Warping is the fiddly part, and seeing it done makes it click.

Skip the toy frame looms

Search results mix real rigid-heddle looms in with children's frame and potholder looms that cost around 20 dollars, and it is worth knowing the difference. The toy frames are fine for kids making coasters, but they have no heddle, so they cannot create a proper shed or teach you real weaving, and you will outgrow them in an afternoon. A genuine rigid-heddle loom from Schacht or Ashford costs more because it is a real instrument you can weave real cloth on for years. If you actually want to learn to weave, start with one of these rather than a frame.

Beginner weaving loom questions

What kind of loom should a beginner get?

A rigid-heddle loom. It is the simplest and most affordable real loom, quick to warp and weave, and light enough to use on a table or your lap, yet it makes genuine cloth like scarves and towels. A big multi-shaft floor loom can do more, but it costs many times as much, fills a room, and is far more to learn, none of which a beginner needs. Avoid the children's frame looms, which cannot teach real weaving.

What size loom do I need?

For most beginners, 15 to 16 inches of weaving width is the sweet spot. It handles scarves, table runners, towels, and narrow wraps, which covers the vast majority of first projects, and it stays light and quick to warp. Only go wider, like the 25-inch Flip, if you specifically want to weave shawls or small blankets, because a wider loom is more thread to warp and heavier to handle.

Which weaving loom should a beginner buy?

For most people the Ashford 16-inch Rigid Heddle is the pick: a versatile standard loom with a big system of add-ons to grow into. If you want everything to start today, including yarn, for the least money, the Schacht Cricket is the complete starter kit. If you want a wider loom that folds away with your work still on it, the Schacht Flip is the one to grow into. All three are real looms from trusted brands.

What else do I need besides the loom?

Yarn, and the accessories that usually come with the loom. A smooth worsted-weight wool or cotton is the friendliest yarn to learn on, and the Cricket kit even includes some. The loom itself supplies the reed, a shuttle or two, a threading hook, and a warping peg on these picks. Later you might add a stand so the loom sits at a good angle, or extra reeds in different dents for finer or chunkier yarn, but none of that is needed to start.

What is a rigid heddle?

The rigid heddle is the comb-like part you slot into the loom. It does two jobs: it spaces your warp threads evenly, and by lifting and lowering it you raise alternate threads to create the sheds you pass your yarn through. It is sometimes called the reed, and its dent, the spacing of its slots and holes, sets how many threads per inch you weave. Swapping to a different reed lets you weave finer or chunkier yarns on the same loom.

Can I weave real things or just samples?

Real things. On a rigid-heddle loom you can weave scarves, tea towels, table runners, placemats, wraps, and on wider looms, shawls and small blankets. These are proper looms, not practice toys, and plenty of experienced weavers keep using rigid-heddle looms for finished pieces even after they own bigger multi-shaft looms. You will weave something you actually use as your very first project.
Bottom line

For most weavers the Ashford 16-inch Rigid Heddle is the pick: a versatile standard loom, quick to warp, with a big system of reeds and add-ons you can grow into. Want everything you need, including yarn, to weave your first scarf today for the least? The Schacht Cricket is the complete starter kit. Want a wider loom that folds away with your project still on it? The Schacht Flip is the one to grow into. All three are real looms from the brands weavers trust, so skip the toy frames and start on one of these.

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The HobbyStack editorial team researches each guide using practitioner communities, published resources, and direct input from active hobbyists. Every guide is reviewed for accuracy before publication and updated when practices change.

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