Japanese seed beads are considered the highest quality. They are fairly uniform (with certain brands being even more so, such as Delicas ®), with easy reordering, and a good bead shop and market penetration. They can be re-ordered via code numbers, sample cards are often available, and batch-to-batch variations are small.

In general, Miyuki beads are the most popular in the American beading market, with their Delica ® brand being the preferred choice for loom and off-loom pattern work. Toho beads are of at least the same quality, and have a slightly larger hole, allowing more passes through with the thread, and a slightly increased number of beads per unit weight. Both companies make exceptional beads in a variety of sizes and shapes.