Small and nifty - we test the best orbital sanders

Whether you’re upcycling a piece of furniture, prepping a wall or door for painting or revamping a garden table, a cordless sander will make the job a lot less tiresome than sanding by hand using a sanding block.

Cordless sanders give you the flexibility of working outdoors and in large spaces without the hassle of being tethered by a power cable. Although small palm and detail sanders are great for working on small, intricate areas, for most DIY jobs a random orbital sander is the most versatile model to choose.

Tried and tested | The best orbital sanders

• Best budget buy - Wesco 18V random orbital sander | Buy now from Amazon (£49.99)
• Best overall - Amazon Denali by SKIL 18V cordless sander kit | Buy now from Amazon (£72.95)
• Best for battery performance - Ryobi One Plus 18V 125mm 4.0Ah Li-ion One cordless random orbit sander | Buy now from B&Q (£130)

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The best oribital sanders for 2024

Amazon Brand Denali by SKIL 18V cordless sander kit

Score 8/10

Pros

• Fast battery charging
• Comes with lots of sandpaper
• Thorough instruction manuals for sander, battery and charger

Cons

• Heavy and not built for small hands

At a glance: 2.0Ah battery included | Cross compatible battery | 2.4A charger with wall mount included | 15 sanding sheets | Dust bag | Vacuum cleaner attachment | Adjustable speeds | Weight 1.2kg

This sander worked very well, giving a smooth finish on the previously rough, unplaned wood surface, leaving no orbital sanding marks behind on the surface. It did vibrate during use, but was not uncomfortable to use.

What features does the orbital sander have?

This kit includes an 18V random orbital sander, 2.0Ah battery, charger, 15 pieces of sandpaper and a dust bag.

The battery is cross-compatible with all SKIL PWRCORE 20 tools, batteries, and chargers. It charges fully in about 60 minutes and lasts a long time. The battery slides on and off the sander very easily and LED indicator lights on both the charger and handset show how much charge is left in the battery.

The cordless sander has a powerful motor and six variable speed controls for smoothing a variety of surfaces. The speeds are adjusted using a simple dial on the side on the sander body.

The sander simultaneously spins and vibrates to create a smooth finish and the 12.5cm diameter abrasive disc has a hook-and-loop pad which allows for quick, easy sandpaper changes. The kit comes with five different grades of sandpaper with three sheets of each grade: P60, P80, P120, P180 and P240, to allow you to carry out a number of sanding tasks from rough wood to fine finishing.

Easy to attach and remove, the dust bag helps keep dust neatly contained. There’s also a simple accessory which allows you to attach the sander directly to your vacuum cleaner for extra dust extraction.

That said, I felt the sander was heavy to use, making my hand ache after prolonged use and it might be an uncomfortable stretch if you have small hands.

Does it sand well?

This sander worked very well, giving a smooth finish on the previously rough, unplaned wood surface, leaving no orbital sanding marks behind on the surface. It did vibrate during use, but was not uncomfortable to use.

The hook-and-loop pad on the abrasive disc kept the sandpaper very firmly in place with no slippage while I worked. I felt this sander was quite noisy, but it worked quickly, so I didn’t need to have it on for too long.

Is it good value for money?

This kit costs £72.95 and, considering it includes the battery, charger and a generous amount of sanding sheets, I felt it offered good value for money. I was pleased with the results it gave and it comes with a five-year guarantee on the tool and a two-year guarantee on the battery, for added peace of mind.

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Black & Decker 18V random orbital sander

Socre 7/10

Pros

• Lightweight and comfortable to use
• Cross compatible battery

Cons

• Only has one speed
• Comes with just one sanding disk
• No charge indicator on the battery

At a glance: 1.5Ah li-ion battery included | Cross compatible battery | Charger included | Mesh sanding sheet | Dust bag | Storage bag | Fixed speed | Weight 0.91kg

Although it didn’t have the most powerful battery or come with many sanding disks, at £72 with a one-year warranty, I felt this sander offered pretty good value for money.

What features does the orbital sander have?

This sander comes with a 1.5Ah battery and battery charger, along with a single mesh sanding disk and a dust bag. The battery is cross-compatible with Black and Decker’s other cordless power tools. It charges fully in around two hours and lasted a long time. The battery slides on and off the sander very smoothly and LED indicator lights on the charger indicate how much charge is left in the battery.

Unlike others on test, there is only one fixed speed setting, but it comes with a single mesh sanding sheet, which boasts that it lasts four times longer than regular sanding sheets. However, you can also use regular sandpaper sheets with this sander, which is useful especially if you want to use finer grit sandpapers for more delicate sanding projects.

In use, the sander simultaneously spins and vibrates to give a smooth finish and the 12cm diameter abrasive disc has a hook-and-loop pad which allows for easy sandpaper changes.

The dust collection bag simply slides on and off and helps keep dust neatly contained. I felt the sander was fairly lightweight and comfortable to use, and it fitted neatly in the palm of our hand. While the on/off rocker switches are ergonomically placed to allow comfortable fingertip control.

Does it sand well?

This sander gave good results on rough, unplaned wood, leaving no orbital sanding marks behind. It fitted comfortably in the palm of our hand, had good manoeuvrability, was easy to control while sanding and didn’t vibrate too much. The sanding disk stayed firmly fixed in place during use and the noise level was fairly reasonable.

Is it good value for money?

Although it didn’t have the most powerful battery or come with many sanding disks, at £72 with a one-year warranty, I felt this sander offered pretty good value for money.

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Wesco 18V random orbital sander

Score 8/10

Pros

• Has six adjustable speeds
• Comes with a polishing pad
• Comes with lots of sandpaper

Cons

• No charge indicator on the battery pack

At a glance: 2.0Ah li-ion battery included | Cross compatible battery | Charger included | 12 sanding sheets | Polishing pad | Dust bag | Vacuum adapter (35mm) | Adjustable speeds | Weight 1.4kg

At only £49.99 with two-year warranty I felt this sander offered fantastic value for money, considering the results it gave and the amount of accessories and features it has.

What features does the orbital sander have?

This sander kit includes a powerful battery, a charger, polishing pad, vacuum adapter, dustbin and 12 sanding sheets. The battery and charger are cross-compatible with the other cordless power tools in the Wesco cordless power tool range range.

The battery charges fully in around an hour and lasted well. The battery pack slides on and off the sander smoothly and LED indicator lights on the charger show when the battery is full charged. The cordless sander boasts six variable speed settings, which are adjusted using a dial on the back of the sander body, which allow you to tailor the speed to the surface you’re sanding.

Once turned on, the sander spins and vibrates to give a nice a smooth finish and the 12cm diameter abrasive disc boasts a hook-and-loop system which allows for easy sandpaper changes. It comes with 12 sheets of sandpaper in three different grit grades: P60, P80 and P120, to allow you to carry out a range of sanding tasks from rough unplaned timber to fine finishing.

It also comes with a soft foam polishing pad for applying polish to your sanded surfaces. The dust bag is simple to attach and remove and there’s also a 35mm adaptor for you to attach the sander to your vacuum cleaner, for a dust-free working environment.

Does it sand well?

While it fitted comfortably in the palm of our hand, it was a little heavy to use and needed a firm hand to stop it running away across the surface during use. However, it did give a good smooth result on rough, unplaned timber, and thanks to the hook and loop system the sandpaper stayed firmly place through out our test.

The on/off rocker switches located on the front of the tool body were well placed to allow for comfy, ergonomic fingertip control, and I felt it was quite noisy when in use.

Is it good value for money?

At only £49.99 with two-year warranty I felt this sander offered fantastic value for money, considering the results it gave and the amount of accessories and features it has.

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Ryobi One Plus 18V 125mm 4.0Ah Li-ion One cordless random orbit sander

Score 8/10

• Buy now from B&Q (£130)

Pros

• Gave good results
• Powerful, cross-compatible battery
• Charge indicator on the battery

Cons

• Only has one speed
• Expensive

At a glance: 4.0Ah li-ion battery included | Cross compatible battery | Charger included | 3 sanding sheets | Dust bag | Storage bag | Fixed speed | Weight 1.7kg (with battery)

I felt it gave great results, had excellent battery performance and was very well constructed, so would be a worthwhile investment if you had lots of sanding jobs to carry out.

What features does the orbital sander have?

This sander kit includes a powerful 4.0Ah battery and battery charger, along with a three sanding sheets, a dust bag and a handy storage bag. The battery is cross-compatible with Ryobi’s other cordless power tools, it charges fully in 160 minutes and features IntelliCell™ technology, which monitors and balances individual cells to maximise run-times, storage life and safety.

The battery glides on and off the sander very smoothly and LED indicator lights on both the ONE IntelliPort charger and the body of the battery indicate the status as the battery is charged and maintained, while intelligent condition monitoring, evaluates the battery's voltage and temperature before charging, ensuring long term durability.

The sander only has one fixed speed setting and comes with a three sanding sheets in a range of grit grades: P240, P120 and P80, to allow you tackle different surfaces from rough wood to fine detailing.

The 2.5mm random orbital sanding motion gave fast and efficient material removal while reducing visible swirl marks on the finished surfaces, while the 12cm diameter abrasive disc has a quick fit hook-and-loop pad which made switching the sandpaper disks over quick and simple.

The dust collection bag slides on and off easily and helps keep dust neatly contained. I felt the sander was a little heavy to use, and needed a firm hand to keep it under control. I also felt that the on/off switches, which are located on either side of the sander unit, were a bit fiddly to use single handedly.

Does it sand well?

This sander gave great results on a rough, unplaned timber. Although it is quite a heavy machine, I felt this helped to add weight while sanding, resulting in a lovely smooth finish. The sander did vibrate while use, but not to an uncomfortable extent, although it did seem a little noisy. The sanding disk stayed firmly fixed during use and didn’t budge an inch.

Is it good value for money?

Costing £130, this is the most expensive sander on test, but it does come with a three-year guarantee. I felt it gave great results, had excellent battery performance and was very well constructed, so would be a worthwhile investment if you had lots of sanding jobs to carry out.

• Buy now from B&Q (£130)

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Wickes 18V rotating cordless power sander

Score 7/10

• Buy now from Wickes and get battery for free (£65)

Pros

• Comes with a polishing pad
• Has six adjustable speeds

Cons

• Doesn’t include a battery or charger

At a glance: Requires 18V 2.0Ah Li-ion 1ForAll® battery, £24 (sold separately) - cross compatible | Requires Wickes Cordless 1ForAll® battery charger, £24 (sold separately) | 3 sanding sheets | Dust bag | Vacuum adaptor | Adjustable speeds | Weight 1.04kg (without battery)

I felt the fact it came with a polishing pad meant that it could earn it’s keep polishing furniture, as well as being used as a sander.

What features does the orbital sander have?

This sander comes as a bare unit with three sanding sheets, a dust bag and a vacuum adaptor. You can buy the battery and battery charger separately, and they are cross-compatible with the other cordless power tools in the Wickes 1ForAll® range. The battery charges fully in about 60 minutes and has good longevity, and slides on and off the sander very easily.

I liked the LED indicator lights on both the battery and the charger, which show when the battery is full charged.

The cordless sander has six variable speed settings for sanding a variety of surfaces, which are adjusted using a simple dial on the back of the sander body.

The sander spins and vibrates to give a lovely a smooth finish and the 12cm diameter abrasive disc has a hook-and-loop pad which allows for simple, straightforward sandpaper changes. It comes with three sheets of sandpaper in three different grit grades: P60, P80 and P120, to allow you to carry out a number of sanding tasks from rough wood to fine finishing.

It also comes with a soft foam polishing pad for applying polish to your sanded surfaces. The fine mesh dust bag is easy to attach and remove and there’s also an adaptor for you to attach the sander to your vacuum cleaner, for mess free working.

Does it sand well?

I felt the sander was a little heavy to use and it needs a firm had to stop is running away whilst working. However, that said, it gave good results on rough, unplaned wood with no visible marks left on the surface.

The on/off rocker switches located on the front of the sander body were ergonomically placed to allow for easy, comfortable fingertip control. The sanding disk stayed firmly in place throughout our test, but I felt the sander was quite noisy the in use.

Is it good value for money?

This cordless sander costs £60, but you have to spend another £24 for the battery and £24 for the charger, unless you already have them. So the total operational cost, if you’re starting from scratch, would be £108, so it can work out quite a big investment. However, the sander does come with a two-year warranty for peace of mind. I felt the fact it came with a polishing pad meant that it could earn it’s keep polishing furniture, as well as being used as a sander.

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FAQs

Generally used for smoothing plaster or timber, or stripping paint, a random orbital sander is a really useful piece of kit. The term ‘random orbital’ refers to the sander’s pattern of movements – very small circular motions, as well as up and down. There are corded and battery-powered sanders, with prices starting from around £30.

What to look for when buying random orbital sander

Power ranges from around 170W upwards, and higher wattages generally mean the sander will remove more material more quickly. If you go for a cordless design, look out for models that use an interchangeable battery that’ll work with other power tools you might have frrom the same range. You’ll need to buy the sandpaper discs or sheets to fit the head of the sander. These are generally attached using hook and loop fastenings (Velcro) or some type of clamp system. A mixed pack of sandpaper is handy as it will contain a variety of different grit levels to suit different projects.

Other features to look out for include dust filters and low-vibration technology, which can make the sander easier to hold when you’re using it for long periods. Variable speed control is also a bonus.

In terms of maintenance, the main issue is the dust the sander produces, which can clog up the tool. So you’ll need to clean it out from time to time and change the filters. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to dismantle it safely.

How to use a random orbital sander