The 9 Best Router Lifts
Updated by · How we research
Nine router lifts compared on motor fit, plate size, travel and bit-change speed. The Kreg PRS5000 leads because it fits the most routers without adapters. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
A router lift only works if it matches your router's motor: most are built for either the 3.5-inch bodies of routers like the Bosch 1617 or the 4.2-inch bodies of bigger ones like the Porter-Cable 7518. The lift holds the motor under a table and sets bit height from above. It suits anyone who routes on a table every week.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
The Kreg PRS5000 now leads this page because it fits more than 20 routers without adapters, carries a three-year warranty, and has the longest owner record of any lift we looked at. The page is back and covers lifts only. The Bosch Benchtop RA1181, Skil RAS900 and Kreg PRS1045 are router tables, not lifts, so they're gone, and the last two aren't sold anymore.
Several older lifts have successors. The JessEm Rout-R-Lift 3.5XT replaces the Rout-R-Lift II, the Woodpeckers QuickLift 420 replaces the PRL-V2, and the Rockler Pro Lift takes the place of the Rockler FX. If you own the Bosch table, the O'Skool RTS017 is a lift cut to fit it.
We found no independent bench test of router lifts, so the order rests on each maker's motor-fit chart and spec page, years of owner feedback, and a recall search for every brand. Measure your motor body and your table opening before you order.
November 27, 2020:
There are a variety of new models of router lift available that were not on the market before, so we were able to add four new choices to a list that, while short, offered a good range of high-quality tools. The Skil RAS900 is a large unit that is still portable due to its folding legs. It also has two electric outlets for you to plug in additional tools or a vacuum system to keep your workplace less dusty. The Sawstop RT-LFT is the only lift on the list with a chain-driven four-post system to ensure that all the legs are the exact same height, which is invaluable for woodworking and routing.
Though more expensive than other models on the list, the Kreg PRS1045 is worthy of inclusion due to its excellent reviews and undeniable quality of construction and should be considered as a professional's option rather than a home hobbyist. The Bosch Benchtop RA1181 is small enough to be considered for home or on-site use, as it can be fixed to the surface of your choice, as well as being manufactured in die-cast aluminum with dust collection ports and guards included.
October 31, 2018:
When choosing router lifts, we put a priority on finding models that offer accurate height adjustments and stay firmly in place throughout hours of work. We did include one model that some users have experienced slippage with, the Rockler FX, because many people report to having fixed this problem by tightening up a couple of nuts. It is also intended for home DIYers who aren't likely to use it for hours on end.
Special Honors
Rutlands Electronic Router Lift R20 For push-button height control, the UK toolseller Rutlands makes the R20, an electronic lift that moves the router with a motor. A touchscreen box sets height in steps of a thousandth of an inch, or you can type in a height and reset to zero. It uses the common plate size and fits Rutlands' own router motor and others with a similar large body. It carries a one-year warranty, and stock comes and goes. rutlands.com
Match The Lift To Your Router Motor
The 3.5-inch group covers the Bosch 1617 and 1618, the Porter-Cable 690 and 890 and the DeWalt 610, 616 and 618.
A lift holds a fixed-base router motor by its body, so the first question is how wide that body is. Most lifts are built for one of two sizes. The 3.5-inch group covers the Bosch 1617 and 1618, the Porter-Cable 690 and 890 and the DeWalt 610, 616 and 618. The 4.2-inch group covers big motors like the Porter-Cable 7518 and Triton routers. The JessEm Rout-R-Lift 3.5XT takes only the smaller size, while the JessEm Mast-R-Lift II lists motors from both groups.
Some lifts close the gap with collars. SawStop's RT-LFT ships with 3-1/4 and 3-1/2 inch reducer collars, and Rockler sells collars for its Pro Lift separately. The Laguna LXIII uses a three-jaw clamp that takes bodies from 3 to 4.3 inches without spacers. Woodpeckers makes its QuickLift in separate versions for each motor size, so order the one that matches.
Check the maker's chart even when your router seems common. Kreg says its PRS5000 fits more than 20 routers, yet the DeWalt 625 and the cordless DCW600 don't fit. Plunge routers and small trim routers generally don't belong in these lifts, and no lift includes a motor.
Check The Table Opening And The Top
Most lifts use a plate 9-1/4 by 11-3/4 inches and 3/8 inch thick, which drops into Kreg, JessEm and many shop-built tables. Older Rockler tables use an 8-1/4 by 11-3/4 inch opening, which is why Incra sells its Mast-R-Lift II-R for them. The Bosch RA1181 and RA1171 benchtop tables need a plate cut for their own opening, like the O'Skool RTS017.
Plate material matters less than flatness. Hard-anodized aluminum is the usual choice; the JessEm Rout-R-Lift 3.5XT uses a phenolic resin plate to keep the price down. Woodpeckers also sells the QuickLift HDS with a ground steel plate, so magnetic featherboards can stick right next to the bit.
The tabletop has to carry the weight. A lift with a router motor hangs a lot of mass from the plate's edges, and a thin top can sag over time. Use a thick, rigid top or one with a steel frame, and level the plate with its adjustment screws so the workpiece doesn't catch on an edge.
Height Adjustment, Bit Changes And Safety
Every lift on this page sets bit height from above the table with a crank or handwheel. The gearing differs: one turn of the Kreg crank moves the bit 1/16 inch, one turn of the Woodpeckers crank moves it 1/32 inch, and the O'Skool screw moves 0.05 inch per turn. Many dials are marked in thousandths of an inch. That's a reading, not a promise of accuracy, since bit runout and a flat table matter as much.
Bit changes are where lifts save the most time. You crank the motor up until the collet clears the plate, then loosen it with a wrench from above. Woodpeckers adds a spring-assisted wrench that raises the motor with a quarter turn, and Rockler uses a fast gear before a fine one. Travel matters for tall panel-raising bits; JessEm lists 3-1/2 inches for the Mast-R-Lift II.
A lift doesn't make a router table safe by itself. Unplug the router before changing bits, match the bit shank to the collet, and keep large cutters in a table rather than in a handheld router (Wikipedia). Wear eye and ear protection and collect the dust. We found no recalls for any of these lift brands in the CPSC recall database.
How we researched this
We compared 21 router lifts and tables, read the makers' spec pages and motor-fit charts for Kreg, JessEm and Woodpeckers, used seller specifications for the SawStop, Rockler, Incra, Laguna and O'Skool lifts, looked at long-term owner feedback, and checked every brand for recalls with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Updated October 26, 2026 by Ezvid Wiki Admin.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a router lift?
No. A router screwed to a plate works, but setting height means reaching under the table and fighting the router's own adjuster upside down. A lift lets you set height and change bits from above, which saves time if you use the table often.
Will my router fit a router lift?
Check the motor body width first. Most lifts fit either 3.5-inch motors like the Bosch 1617 or 4.2-inch motors like the Porter-Cable 7518, and some use collars or clamps to take both. The maker's fit chart is the final word; Kreg, for example, lists the DeWalt 625 as a router that won't fit.
Can I use a plunge router in a lift?
Generally no. These lifts hold a fixed-base motor by its body. A plunge router has its own base and springs, so it doesn't clamp into a lift carriage.
Does a router lift come with insert rings?
Most do. The lifts here include from one to five rings, and a few makers sell more. Smaller rings support the work around small bits, and larger ones clear panel-raising cutters.
What plate size do router lifts use?
The common size is 9-1/4 by 11-3/4 inches and 3/8 inch thick. Older Rockler tables use 8-1/4 by 11-3/4 inches, and the Bosch benchtop tables need a plate cut for their own opening.
