The 10 Best Portable Edge Banders
Editor's Notes
November 18, 2020:
Edge banding is used to cover the exposed edge of sheet materials such as plywood, particleboard, and MDF. This can be a simple pre-glued strip that can be applied using an iron or heat gun, however, for trades such as joinery, kitchen fitting, and cabinet making, a dedicated machine will provide a professional finish and complete the job much quicker. The ones in this ranking are portable, allowing them to be moved around the worksite and used to apply edging strips to materials in-situ or after installation.
In this update, we have expanded the list, as more models are now available, and removed ones that are no longer available. As mentioned, a regular iron, such as the Sunbeam Steammaster can be used, however, this is only a suitable choice for occasional use. The WoodRiver Veneer Iron is a better option as it designed for the purpose of applying edging and its small head allows for working into corners and in hard-to-reach areas. The Eapmic Benchtop was added as a versatile option that can be used with self-adhesive strips as well as glue on types, and works at a constant speed of five meters per minute. Similarly, the Newtry Woodworking Edge is designed for veneers up to 3 millimeters thick and can be removed from its metal frame to be used on materials that have already been installed.
For larger or repeated applications, both the Maksiwa International and the newly added Yuchengtech Woodworking Edge have spacious worktops and high feed rates, with the latter incorporating a linear trimmer and cutter to remove excess trim. The Bellaxx Double Sided applies glue to both the edging and the material edge, providing a professional quality finish that is durable and should last a long time. As an added benefit, the Bellaxx also comes with a footswitch that conveniently trims the veneer at the correct length when pressed.
May 22, 2019:
Since the "Portable Edge Bander" selection is a bit limited in terms of online reviews, I have limited the list to only seven selections and used a bit more personal discretion in the vetting process.
In particular, there is a specific model of portable edge bander that is listed on a few websites, but has no specific brand or reviews, and third-party sellers just slap their name on it (OrangeA, Jackbond, Yuchengtech, etc). I decided not to include that model in this list since we really can't tell who manufactures it.
That said, I did include machines made by Maksiwa and Grizzly, even if they didn't have reviews, because of those companies' legitimate reputations.
Also, since there is a demographic of woodworker that aren't doing large projects or don't need to maneuver crazy curves and radii, I included a basic clothes iron on the list. An iron works perfectly fine with basic pre-glued edgebanding, and its small price tag makes it an attractive candidate.