I Tested 15 Cordless Sanders to Find the Best One in 2026
Ranked from Worst to First for Woodworkers and DIYers
If you’ve ever stood in the tool aisle staring at 15 different cordless sanders wondering which one is actually worth your money, you’re not alone.
So I bought and tested 15 of the most popular cordless random orbital sanders and ranked them from worst to first based on:
Vibration
Material removal
Dust collection
Ergonomics
Battery life
Price vs performance
If you're into beginner woodworking, upgrading your shop, or just tired of swirl marks in your finish, this guide will help you pick the right tool.
Affiliate Disclaimer:
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them—at no extra cost to you. It helps keep the tool deals coming, so thanks for your support! Prices are valid at the time of posting but are subject to change at any time.
Watch The Full YouTube Video Here: I Found GOLD at Harbor Freight! It Nearly Beat the Top Brands...
Why Buy a Cordless Sander?
When I first moved into my garage shop, I had one outlet powering everything — table saw, miter saw, shop vac. A cordless sander solved a lot of headaches.
Cordless is great for:
Small shops
Job sites
Quick sanding tasks
Avoiding extension cord chaos
But dust collection still matters.
Must-Have Accessories for Better Sanding
If your sander has a weird dust port, grab the DustRight Hose Adapter Kit. It’s saved me more frustration than I can count.
Sandpaper I Used in Testing
Quality paper makes a massive difference:
F Tier – Skip These
RIDGID 18V Sander
Underpowered and the pad struggled to maintain spin under pressure.
That means:
Slower sanding
Increased swirl marks
Potential finish issues
Not what I expected from RIDGID.
DeWalt 20V XR Random Orbital Sander
This one had serious vibration at first.
After retesting with better sandpaper, it improved significantly — but first impressions matter.
D Tier – Usable, But Not Great
Kreg 20V Random Orbital Sander
Not terrible. Not amazing.
The pad stops too easily under pressure, and vibration is noticeable. Dust collection was decent.
D tier.
Makita 18V Random Orbital Sander
Issues I ran into:
Small dust port
Noticeable pad buildup
Some vibration
I love Makita tools — this just isn’t their best effort.
RYOBI ONE+ HP Random Orbital Sander
Pros:
Affordable
LED light
Decent airflow
Cons:
High vibration
Hand fatigue over longer sessions
Good for light DIY. Not ideal for extended sanding.
C Tier – Solid Budget Performers
FLEX 24V Random Orbital Sander
Plenty of power and hard to stall the pad.
But in turbo mode, vibration increases significantly.
C tier.
Kobalt 24V Random Orbital Sander
At around $99, it’s a fair value.
Dust collection isn’t great, but for the price it’s reasonable — especially on sale.
B Tier – Very Good Options
Milwaukee M18 5” Random Orbital Sander
This one grew on me.
Pros:
Strong material removal
Solid dust collection
Bluetooth VacLink capability
Wide RPM range
Cons:
Back heavy
Higher price
Solid performer.
Craftsman V20 Random Orbital Sander
This one surprised me.
For around $69:
Low vibration
Good material removal
Decent dust collection
No variable speed — but at this price, it’s hard to complain.
Big value.
A Tier – Excellent Performance
Milwaukee M12 6” Sanders
Extremely smooth. Some of the lowest vibration in the entire test.
Only downside? Battery life.
Metabo HPT 18V Random Orbital Sander
Very smooth. Excellent dust collection.
The only complaint is the oversized dust bag.
A tier all day.
S Tier – Elite Performance
These are the sanders that stood out immediately. Smooth, powerful, excellent dust collection, and professional-level finish quality.
Bosch 18V Random Orbital Sander
This one impressed me more than I expected.
Pros:
Extremely smooth operation
Excellent dust collection
Well balanced
Great build quality
Lower vibration than most
Even though it tops out at 10,000 RPM (a little lower than some others), it removes material just fine.
If you're already in the Bosch cordless platform, this is an easy buy.
S tier without hesitation.
Hercules 20V Brushless Random Orbital Sander
This one shocked me.
I honestly expected it to land near the bottom. Instead, it turned out to be one of the smoothest sanders in the entire lineup.
Pros:
Extremely low vibration
Strong airflow through pad
Minimal buildup
Hard to stall under pressure
Around $55
For the price, this is one of the biggest value plays in cordless sanding right now.
If you’re a beginner woodworker or building a shop on a budget, this might be the sleeper pick of the year.
Easy S tier.
Makita 40V XGT 6” Random Orbital Sander
Now we’re talking premium performance.
Makita did something genius here.
They offloaded the battery.
Instead of hanging a big heavy battery off the back of the sander, it connects via a cord. That means:
Better balance
Less fatigue
Lighter feel in hand
More control
Pros:
Extremely smooth
6” pad = 40% more sanding surface
Minimal vibration
Professional-level finish
Cons:
Premium price
If this broke tomorrow, I would buy it again.
Firmly S tier.
Festool 18V 6” Random Orbital Sander
This might be one of the most refined cordless sanders I’ve ever used.
Yes, it’s expensive. Very expensive.
But here’s what sets it apart:
Built-in adjustable rake light (incredible for spotting swirl marks)
Bluetooth battery integration
Extremely smooth performance
Excellent dust collection
Professional finish quality
That LED light is not a gimmick. It floods the surface so you can actually see imperfections while sanding.
Is it for everyone? No.
Is it elite? Absolutely.
S tier all day long.
