Best Woodworking Clamps: Reviews Of All Our Favorites

Best Woodworking Clamps

Some tools provide the members of Woodwork Nation with glitz and glamour. The best woodworking clamps provide an unsung rugged durability instead. There are numerous types of clamps that are available to meet your needs these days, so the goal is to purchase the clamps you will need while ignoring the clamps that you don’t need.

Best Woodworking Clamps Reviews

1. Irwin

These mini bar clamps are sturdy and keep their grip well. They are small, but they handle light glue-ups and holding work in place.

The one-handed triggers release the clamps instantly. You also have non-marring pads on the grips so your work isn’t damaged just because you’ve clamped it into place.

Each clamp provides up to 140 pounds of clamping force and the resin construction with hardened steel bars limits movement. They are a good first set.

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2. Bessey 5-1XXX Edge Clamp

This clamp applies pressure to the edge of a board, which is useful for gluing edge banding and trim. The wood handle is a nice touch to this clamp, but the high strength roll-formed threaded spindle threads is where the real magic happens.

Tighten the spindle and the piece stays put.

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3. MLCS 9012 Woodworking Exclusive Merle Multi-Corner Clamp

The Merle is a band-style clamp with corner jaws, so one clamp pulls all the corners of a frame together at once. The jaws self-adjust and have non-marring inserts, and it works on square frames and many multi-sided shapes.

It is especially handy for picture frames and cabinet face frames.

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4. TEKTON 36-Inch x 2-1/2-Inch Ratchet Bar Clamp and 42-Inch Spreader | 39186

This 36-inch ratchet bar clamp provides you with a precise clamping force that will help you get your work done. It operates smoothly, and the pads help prevent marring.

Position the jaw wherever you wish along the bar with the quick release button and then apply the appropriate amount of clamping pressure that your project needs.

If 36 inches is too much, there are various models in the 6-inch to 30-inch range to consider as well.

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5. Can-Do Clamp

These 90-degree angle clamps make your right-angle woodworking a snap. With a maximum clamping thickness of 75 millimeters, you’ll be able to quickly make the square corners that you need for multiple projects.

You also have room to insert your staples, nails, or screws into place without movement or drift thanks to the design of these clamps.

We did find a bit of grease from the threads could get on the hands as you make adjustments, so take that into account as you set your working pieces. Otherwise this is a useful, low-cost clamp.

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The best woodworking clamps make life easier. A C-clamp still has its place, but the clamps above handle many jobs better.

Our Favorite Woodworking Clamps

There are several different styles of clamp that might be available to woodworkers, but not every clamp performs as advertised. These are the top-rated options that you’ll want to consider first.

Name	Our Rating	Price
Irwin Quick Grip Mini Bar Clamp Set	4.7	$$$
Bessey 5-1XXX Edge Clamp	4.9	$$$
MLCS Woodworking Merle Multi-Corner Clamp	4.3	$$$$
Tekton 36-Inch Ratchet Bar Clamp w/ Spreader	4.2	$$$
Can-Do Clamp	4.0	$$
Kreg KHC-Premium Face Clamp	4.7	$$
MLCS 9001 Can-Do Clamp	4.5	$$$
Irwin Tools Quick Grip 36-Inch Bar Clamp	4.5	$$$
Bessey BPC-H12 H-Style Pipe Clamp	4.7	$$
Pony 50 Clamp Fixture	4.7	$$$$

The Essential Woodworking Clamps That You Need

Most woodworkers want a few basic C-clamps. They come in light, medium and heavy duty forms, with jaw openings from under an inch to about 10 inches. Pad the jaws, since bare metal can mar wood.

Then you may wish to consider these additional clamp styles so that you have the essentials needed for your next woodworking projects.

Double-Headed Clamps

Three-way (edging) clamps are C-clamps with a third screw set at a right angle. The third screw presses edge banding or trim against the side of a board.

Pipe Clamps

Pipe clamp fixtures (like the Pony 50) slide onto threaded black iron pipe, so you can make a long clamp of any length cheaply. They are strong but heavy, and Fine Woodworking recommends 3/4-inch pipe because 1/2-inch pipe flexes on large work.

Bar Clamps

These clamps slide on a bar and adjust quickly, which makes them some of the most versatile clamps you can own. Parallel-jaw bar clamps keep their jaws square and sit flat, which helps keep panel glue-ups flat.

Handscrew Clamps

These clamps have two wooden jaws and two screws, so the jaws can angle to grip tapered or odd-shaped parts without marking the wood.

Spring Clamps

This is your standard clothespin-style clamp. It’s useful for holding small parts while glue dries. They are faster to use than screw clamps but apply less pressure.

There are several other types of clamps that are available as well, including ratchet spring clamps. Each type of clamp serves a specific purpose, while also being able to pull double-duty on certain projects. Consider your needs and you’ll know which type of clamp you’ll want to have on your work bench.

If you buy just one specialty clamp, we suggest the MLCS Merle corner clamp for frame work. For panels, buy bar or pipe clamps in sets of four.

What will it cost me to buy the Best Woodworking Clamps?

woods on shop Prices change often, so check current listings. Spring clamps and small C-clamps are the cheapest, and pipe clamp fixtures are an inexpensive way to get long clamps.