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Viking Opal 670 vs Opal 690Q: Is the Quilting Upgrade Worth $400?
If you've narrowed your search to the Husqvarna Viking Opal series, congratulations — you've already made the hard decision well. The Opal line is where Viking's ease-of-use engineering meets a price that doesn't require a family meeting. Now comes the $400 question: Opal 670 at $1,499, or Opal 690Q at $1,899?
We sell and service both. Here's the comparison we give customers standing at our counter.
Side by Side
| Opal 670 | Opal 690Q | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,499 | $1,899 |
| Type | Computerized sewing | Computerized sewing & quilting |
| Best for | Garments, home décor, everyday sewing | Everything the 670 does, plus quilting |
| Quilting focus | Capable | Purpose-built ("Q") |
Meet the Opal 670 ($1,499)
The Opal 670 is the machine we recommend to sewists stepping up from an entry model who primarily sew garments and home décor. It carries Viking's signature usability — the machine guides you to good results instead of making you fight for them — with the power and stitch consistency the Opal platform is known for. For dedicated garment sewists, the extra $400 for the 690Q genuinely buys nothing you'll use.
Meet the Opal 690Q ($1,899)
The Opal 690Q is the same trustworthy Opal platform with the quilting box checked hard: quilting-oriented capability and accessories that make piecing accurate and machine quilting genuinely pleasant instead of merely possible. It's the best value quilting machine in the Viking range — the next quilting-focused step up is a much bigger jump in price.
The One Question That Decides It
Will you quilt in the next three years? Not "are you a quilter today" — will you quilt? Because here's what five decades in this business has taught us: sewing hobbies expand. The customer who swears she'll only ever hem and mend walks back in eighteen months later holding a charm pack. If there's a quilt anywhere in your future, the $400 difference is far cheaper than trading up later — and the 690Q loses nothing as an everyday sewing machine.
If the answer is a confident no — you sew garments, you love garments, quilting holds zero appeal — buy the 670 and put the $400 toward fabric and a proper tool kit.
What Owners Should Budget For
Whichever Opal you choose, plan on quality thread and the right needles from day one — they're the difference between "new machine magic" and tension headaches. We stock premium thread and genuine Viking parts and accessories for both machines, and our techs service what we sell.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Opal 690Q good for beginners?
Yes — the Opal series is famously guiding and forgiving. It's more machine than a first-timer needs, but it's a machine nobody outgrows quickly.
Can the Opal 670 quilt at all?
It can handle piecing and smaller quilted projects. The 690Q simply does all of it better, with the right equipment in the box.
What's the next step up from the 690Q?
The Sapphire 930 ($2,299) for more workspace and automation, or — for the fully committed quilter — the Epic Quilt 97. See where both sit in our complete Viking lineup guide.
Bottom line: garment sewists, take the 670 and the savings. Everyone else — and every maybe-quilter — the 690Q is the smarter $400 you'll spend this year. Questions? Our expert support chat is staffed by people who sew on these machines.