The 10 Best Panel Carriers

Editor's Notes

June 11, 2021:

We still suggest the same range of panel carriers, and the most important part of choosing one is still what you'll be using it for. A lot of construction sites will benefit from having the Stanley 93-301 or Lift Lender on hand because they're so quick and easy to use, and also highly affordable. For heavy loads, it's still tough to beat our #1 choice, the Pentagon Tools 83-DT5648, although the Bora Portamate is a very close second.

April 02, 2020:

We have all been taught the correct way to lift heavy objects safely, i.e. don't lift from a standing position or bent at the waist, rather, keep the back straight, crouch as close to the object as possible, and lift with the knees. However, this advice is almost impossible to follow when lifting very large and heavy items, in particular, we're referring to sheet or panel materials.

In this ranking, we have chosen some of the best solutions that should take the hard work, and risk of injury out of the equation. For one-handed applications, we have the Gator Lift and the FivePears Hand Clamp, both of which grip the material from the top and can be operated by a single individual. The Lift Lender, the PanelHook Gold, and the Weite Labor Saving are also single-handed tools, though they lift from the bottom, making it less likely for the objects to slip out. For very heavy sheet goods, or even natural stone slabs and kitchen countertops, a wheeled option would be the safest and easiest, such as the Bora Portamate, the FastCap 02120 and the Pentagon Tools 83-DT5648. The latter of which can carry up to 600 pounds.