Best Workbenches 2023

Aug 16, 2023

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Nine better ways to get the job done.

Want to build your own workbench? We can show you how! But that won't be the right choice for all of us. Not everyone wants to be a woodworker, nor does everyone plan on using their workbench for woodworking. Some folks need something that is more moisture-resistant, easier to move, or just plain stronger than what you get when you build your own.

There are also plenty of jobs that are best handled by something other than a traditional bench; it's possible that what you really need is a good set of sawhorses, or an expandable work support surface. It's always better to adjust your tools to your work than the other way around!

With that in mind, we’ve come up with a variety of factory-made workbenches and supports to serve a variety of different purposes from motorcycle repair to…building a workbench for someone else! One of these will probably be just right for you.

When it comes to workbenches and work supports, less is more. Along with my own experience, I relied on the groundwork of Popular Mechanics Senior Home Editor Roy Berendsohn to update our selections here. The conclusion we have both drawn from seeing the countless variations of workbenches and supports in our time is that the vast majority have fallen by the wayside for this reason: the makers failed to acknowledge the axiom that the more gizmos you add, the more stuff there is to break.

While it's great to have features in a workbench, it is more important to have your workbench show up every time without excuses—so we chose models that are based on simplicity, durability, and repairability. The cost of these benches and work aides varies from under $20 for sawhorse brackets to thousands of dollars for a truly beautiful European workbench built out of beech. With the exception of the Bora Centipede, which is very much its own thing, all of our recommendations are either conventional workbenches or portable sawhorses. We looked for items that do one thing and do it well; having some extra features was a bonus, but not necessary. There's a lot to choose from along that price spectrum; we’re reasonably sure one of these should suit your needs.

This expensive and stout workbench is built in Sweden by Sjöberg, a company with 90 years of experience making benches and tool cabinets. The SJO-33279 is a centuries-old design favored by European woodworkers. It has two vises—one oriented along the bench's long axis and the other across it.

These can be used as they are to clamp a workpiece, and they work with bench dogs, the four steel pins provided with the bench. Holes for the dogs are located symmetrically across the bench, down its length, and in the body of the vise jaw.

Placing bench dogs in the vise jaw and the bench gives you the freedom to clamp down what you’re working on anywhere on the bench's large platform. This allows you to hold a wide variety of pieces, regardless of their thickness or shape.

Maybe all you want is a straightforward little table to build that bird house, paint a shutter, or pot a plant. The Shop Fox is a good choice. Its laminated softwood top measures 1.25-inches thick by 14-inches wide by 40-inches long. The top's gently curved edge on its front and back make it more resistant to splintering compared to a top with a sharp edge.

While the base is light-gauge steel channel, the connections at the legs and crossrails are double bolted. The result is that the bench is rated to support 700 pounds—likely far more than you’ll need.

The Craftsman CMST27200R is a great first bench. It consists of a 1-inch-thick hardwood top measuring 41.25-inches wide by 6-feet long supported on a steel substructure. This structure has crossrails bolted to two vertical sheet steel panels, with strength-inducing channels formed into their length. Four leveling feet help the bench stand without rocking on uneven floors.

It's rated to support 1,450 pounds, so don't be shy about bolting a hearty machinist vise or even a drill press to the top. The bench's proportions are such that a Craftsman rolling or stationary tool box will fit neatly below.

A last detail worth calling out is the 2-inch-tall backsplash that helps keep tools from rolling off. Bonus: It also prevents the edge of the bench from forming a channel that can trap dust and debris when the bench is bolted to a wall.

Not everyone wants a wooden workbench; if you’re interested in a good value with the durability of steel, the Yukon 48-inch is for you. A pegboard and worklight make this one ideal for limited space in a basement or small garage, and there's plenty of additional storage from the slide-out drawers and full-sized metal shelf at ankle level. Be aware that the feet are non-adjustable, so take caution to assemble it slowly and precisely.

More than $500 for a "value" bench? It makes sense if you look at it from a perspective of durability and usability. The Borroughs bench is adjustable across 8 inches of height, can be had with your choice of wooden, fiberglass, or steel tops in multiple colors, and can be expanded after the fact with additional shelving and modules.

There's more: it can be perfectly leveled, even on wavy concrete, and it has optional casters that can hold 1,600 pounds in total. The wooden tops are nearly 2 inches thick, made of astoundingly sturdy maple with enough "flame" texture for a Gibson Les Paul guitar. If you could only have one bench for the rest of your life, this would be the one.

The Centipede work stand is one of the more unusual ones we’ve seen. All you do is take it out of its pouch and expand the 15 steel tube struts as shown. Flop a sheet of plywood down on top of it (4 feet by 8 feet), and you’ve got yourself a surprisingly large and simple work surface 30 inches off the ground.

This is a great option if you need your workbench to travel with you to various offsite jobs. Of course you'd still need to take the plywood with you as well, but it'd be possible to cut a sheet in half and attach hinges at the cut seam, allowing you to fold it in half to make it more compact when traveling.

Craftsman's line of USA-made workbenches and storage units likely stirs a bit of nostalgia among those of use who can remember the brand's glory days—but this 41-inch rolling storage bench holds its own against the present-day competition just fine.

For the price of a generic storage bench, you get a laminated hardwood top, ball-bearing drawers, and smooth-rolling casters. What else could you want? How about built-in 110v and USB power? That's part of the package as well.

DeWalt has quietly entered the welding tool business, and among its handful of offerings is this cool bench, with legs that fold out and lock. Note that the top is perforated with ¾-inch holes and slots­ to permit you to clamp just about any oddball shape that you happen to be fabricating.

The top is 18-inches wide and 45-inches long, and the four adjustable legs can place it anywhere from a few inches off the floor to about 3 feet up. The entire thing folds into a tight 40-pound bundle consisting of the top and four legs folded into it. Carry it like a suitcase thanks to that whopper of a handle on its side.

Rockwell's JawHorse is popular with contractors and homeowners alike—a rare thing. It works on its own as a three-legged workbench or stand, but can also be paired with another JawHorse spanned by lumber and plywood to form a work surface.

To use its clamp, press down on the foot pedal to produce up to a ton of stay-put force—plenty to hold a piece of lumber or a large object like a kitchen cabinet. Or the clamp can exert pressure to bring two pieces together, enabling you to glue them or drill a hole through both.

Bora Speedhorses are sold in pairs; they’re designed to secure 2 x 4 lumber to form a two-horse sawing support 33 inches off the ground, or the 2x4s that it secures can be bridged by plywood forming a large work surface. Bora claims a Speedhorse will support up to 1,500 pounds. When it's done with a day's work, fold the legs into the 36-inch-long body, and call it a day.

Want to build your own sawhorses? Performance Tool offers an affordable way to do it. For daily use, you’ll want something a bit more durable that doesn't rely on your ability to cut a 2x4 perfectly straight, but if you just want to have a sawhorse on demand for occasional use, these will absolutely do.

PM: I want to add on something. What's a smart extra?

JB: Two of the most commonly used additions to a conventional workbench are a bench vise and a bench grinder. In both cases, you’ll find higher-quality options via the used market than you will at a big-box hardware store; this is truly a pair of cases where they don't make them like they used to.

PM: Ideally, how much space should a workbench top have?

JB: As much as you can find room for. Nobody has ever wanted a smaller workbench top when it was time to get something done. That said, many basements and small garages aren't compatible with a 30-inch deep top—there are plenty of great options in 18-inch and 24-inch depths.

PM: Shelves or cabinets, or both?

JB: If you’re going to use your workbench every day, often while seated, you might appreciate having nothing under the bench! In general, you want shelves for tools and cabinets for generic storage. Be aware that the phrase "out of sight, out of mind" has never been more relevant than it is for workbench drawers.

Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he's not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.

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