Sodium vanadium fluorophosphate (NaVPO4F), a material candidate for sodium-ion battery cathodes, was synthesized via a high-temperature solid-state reaction approach. Different amounts of carbon coating were introduced in NaVPO4F to improve its electrochemical performance. The structure and morphology of the resultant cathode materials were examined by scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The effects of carbon coating on the electrochemical performance were evaluated by cyclic voltammetry, charge–discharge curve, cycling performance and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The highest capacity achieved for this material was 97.8 mAh g−1 and the best capacity retention was 89% at the 20th cycle. Results demonstrated that appropriate amount of carbon coating could effectively improve the electrochemical performance of NaVPO4F, and carbon-coated NaVPO4F could offer promising future for sodium-ion battery cathode materials.