Best Woodworking Router in the UK (2023 Reviews & Buying Guide)

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A woodworking router is extremely versatile, but only professional cabinet makers and keen DIY joiners know how to use it to its full potential. 

Routers are great for cutting grooves in wooden planks and chamfering shelving, but a woodworking router does much more than you first realise.

I’d never owned a router until recently, but once I learned a few tricks, my router became a key part of my tool collection.

Read on to find the best woodworking router in the UK for 2023.

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Best Woodworking Router – 2023 Reviews (The UK’s Top 3)

After many hours of research and testing, we recommend the Makita DRT50ZJX3. This 18V cordless router is excellent for keen DIYers and seasoned professionals alike.

The Makita DRT50ZJX3 router is an exceptionally versatile tool you can use as a hand or a plunge router. This versatility gave the DRT50ZJX3 an edge over its competitors in a close-run contest.

Read on for more details on each product we tested, starting with our worthy winner:

The Makita DRT50ZJX3 18 V cordless router is an exceptional tool. Yes, it’s expensive, but you get what you pay for and certainly get your money’s worth with this tool.

The neatly designed MacPac case contains a host of goodies, including a trimmer base, a plunge base (this converts the handheld Makita to a plunge router), an offset base, a dust extractor nozzle, 2 collets (3/8ʺ and ¼ʺ or 9.5 and 6.3mm) and various guides and templates.

This kit doesn’t include a battery or a charger, but you can share batteries if you already own other cordless Makita tools. Pro Tip: Some adapters allow you to fit other manufacturers’ batteries.

This Makita router has a cutting depth capacity of 40mm when used as a trimmer and 35mm in plunge mode. 

You can change from plunge mode to trim mode by switching the base plate. The quick-release cam lock system makes this an easy job without requiring extra tools.

With a bare weight of 1.8kg, this Makita router is easily the lightest we reviewed, even when adding a 500g 4Ah battery.

The brushless motor runs much cooler than a carbon brush motor, meaning more energy goes into output power, making it more efficient and longer-lasting. 

The 18V battery delivers variable speeds from 10,000 to 30,000 RPM with constant speed control to maintain the pre-set speed under load. This feature is useful when working with different materials.

This Makita router is expensive compared to the others we reviewed, but its price is competitive compared to similar cordless routers. If cost isn’t your main concern, this router is the router to purchase.

Pros	Cons
The brushless motor is more efficient than carbon brushes. It’s also cooler in use and longer-lasting.	It’s expensive compared to others reviewed.
Lightweight, only 1.8kg without the battery.	No battery or charger is included.
As it’s battery-powered, you can use this router anywhere, and it will take batteries from the same Makita range.
Variable speed of 10,000 to 30,000 RPM makes this the fastest router we tested.

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The Bosch POF 1200 router is a solid tool for the average DIY enthusiast, but it has a few undesirable features that make it less popular with professionals.

The first issue is the motor, it uses brushes. I.e. small electrical conductors rotating the shaft. As mentioned above, these motors are less efficient than brushless motors.

The second issue is with the collet size. This router’s largest size is 8mm but is supplied with a 6mm collet. This size limits the types of jobs you can do with the Bosch POF 1200 AE.

This Bosch router is also noisy for its size. At 95 dBA, the operator must wear ear defenders when using it.

To give Bosch credit, they’re one of the only manufacturers that provide a true power output of 650W. So with a power input of 1200W, this gives you a measure of the router’s efficiency – in this case, 54%.

While 54% efficiency isn’t great, the power output is ample for any DIY project you’re likely to encounter. 

On the plus side, the Bosch POF 1200 has many redeeming features. Here are just a few:

• You can connect the dust extraction port to any vacuum cleaner. This feature keeps your workspace clear of sawdust and prevents you from breathing in hazardous particles.
• It’s fitted with Bosch’s proprietary Special Direct System, allowing quick insertion of template guides without requiring additional tools.
• You can change router bits quickly thanks to its integrated spindle lock.
• With a plunge depth of 55mm, you can use this router to cut through most wooden boards, including kitchen worktops. However, you’ll need an 8mm collet and bit for these jobs.
• At 3.4kg, this router is light, considering the input power of 1,200W.
• The electronic speed control allows you to set varying speeds from 11,000 to 28,000 RPM.

I’m a big fan of Bosch and own many of its tools. I like the look and feel of their products, and this model is no exception. I particularly like the soft and comfortable easy-grip handles, especially when operating this router for extended periods.

Pros	Cons
Lightweight for such a powerful tool.	The motor uses carbon brushes that may become worn over time.
Ergonomic design with soft grip handles.	Noisy – ear protection is essential.
Built-in dust extraction port for dust-free working.	It comes with a 6mm collet, which makes it unsuitable for some heavy-duty jobs.
Plunge depth of 55mm makes it suitable for kitchen worktops, provided you fit an 8mm collet.
Good range of preselected speeds to suit a variety of materials.

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For such a low-end cost, this Silverline router packs a lot of high-end features.

This Silverline router easily cuts through worktops with a plunge depth of 50mm, making it a firm favourite with kitchen fitters. 

The fine adjustment dial ensures the cut is accurate, and the 7-stage turret-stop allows you to graduate the depth of cut when using it as a plunge router.

The soft-start gives you total control over the speed, which you can set anywhere between 6,000 and 26,000 RPM. This range is good enough for any job you’re likely to encounter around the home.

This Silverline router comes with four collets (1/2″, 1/4″, 8mm, and 12mm), which is great if you already own bits in these sizes.

At 87 dBA, it’s relatively quiet, but I still recommend some form of ear protection if you’re using it for 15 minutes or more.

This model weighs just over 4kg, so it’s not too heavy to use as a hand tool, and the 1,500W motor provides more than enough power for most jobs.

In terms of accessories, the Silverline router comes with the following: 

• 30mm guide plate
• Parallel, circle and roller guides 
• Measurement bar
• Dust extract attachment 

These accessories provide an excellent start-up kit if you’re new to routing.

Pros	Cons
Plunge depth of 50mm makes it ideal for kitchen worktops.	The motor uses carbon brushes that may become worn over time.
Quieter and lighter than most corded routers.
It has 4 collets to suit a broad range of bit types and several accessories.

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The Best Woodworking Router in the UK – 2023 Comparison Table

Product	Speed (RPM)	Power	Weight (kg)	Cost	Rating out of 10
Makita DRT50ZJX3	10,000 to 30,000	18V	2.3 with battery	£££	9
Bosch POF 1200	11,000 to 28,000	1,200W	3.4	££	8.7
Silverline 264895	6,000 to 26,000	1,500W	4.1	£	8.5

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Best Woodworking Router Buying Guide

Below are the key features and points to consider when choosing the best woodworking router in the UK.

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The Collet

A collet is like a chuck on a drill. They come in several sizes, oddly in imperial and metric measurements. 

The most common sizes are ¼”, ½”, 6mm, 8mm, and 12mm. The 6mm and 12mm roughly correlate to the ¼” and ½”, but not quite. So, if you have a set of imperial-sized bits, you may find they don’t fit the metric collet equivalent.

For heavy-duty work such as cutting through a worktop, where larger bits are necessary, the 12mm or ½” collets are best. The smaller collets work better at slower speeds and for detailed work.

Although collets are relatively cheap, a router with more than one collet saves you the trouble of buying others later, giving you greater options from the start.

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Power

Woodworking routers are corded or battery-powered, and the power measurement differs for each type. 

Corded routers run off a 240V mains supply (stepped down to 110V on a building site), which generates much more power than any lithium-ion battery.

If you want to go cordless, 18V is the highest power rating for most tools, although batteries go as high as 36V. 

An 18V battery with 4 amps running through it produces 72W of power (W = V x A). However, as batteries are rated in amp-hours (Ah), its power deteriorates with time. So, a 4Ah battery provides 4 amps for one hour.

Corded tools are rated in watts, and figures are usually marketed as power “output”. These figures can be misleading because the quoted number is the power input, i.e., the amount of energy used by the tool. Power output can be as little as half this figure.

The energy isn’t lost. It simply transforms into less useful energy such as heat and sound. Therefore, unless the motor is silent and generates no heat, the power output will always be less than the power input. The ratio of input to output is a measure of the motor’s efficiency.

Pro Tip: You may see tools rated in horsepower (hp). As a simple guide, 1,500W is roughly equivalent to 2hp.

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Speed (no load)

The router’s speed is measured when spinning freely, i.e., when the router isn’t being applied to a piece of wood, and it’s measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). 

Speeds are usually variable and range from 0 – 6,000 RPM at the slow end to top speeds of 30,000 RPM.

The better models have a soft start feature starting at zero and gradually increasing speed as you apply pressure on the trigger or adjust the setting wheel. As a safety feature, most routers come to a complete stop when you release the trigger.

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Weight

Weight is a consideration if you’re using the router by hand. Some of the more powerful routers weigh in at a hefty 8 kg, which is ok for a table mount, but as a handheld tool, you wouldn’t want to use it for long periods.

The lightest type of router is called a hand router, and the cordless variety can weigh as little as 2kg, including the battery.

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Plunge or Hand Router?

Plunge routers are best for cutting accurately into pieces of wood at 90⁰, although you can achieve other angles using a tilting base plate. You would use this feature for creating a mortice joint, for example.

Plunge routers are also called trim routers because they easily cut or trim boards and worktops. As such, they tend to be more powerful than hand routers.

As plunge routers can be handheld, some refer to the hand router as a palm router. Hand/Palm routers are commonly used for precise, detailed work where a plunge router is too cumbersome.

The maximum size of collet on a hand router is usually 6mm or ¼ʺ, but there is a vast array of bits available at this size for work such as engraving, chamfering, and profiling wood, plastic, or metal.

You can learn more about hand routers and their parts here.

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Other Considerations

Below are some other factors to consider when buying a woodworking router.

Router Bits

We can’t look at routers without discussing bits. Router bits, like drill bits, have a shank and a bearing tip. The bearing tip is the business end of the bit, and these come in various shapes and sizes to suit your intended cut.

Almost anything is possible, from chamfering a piece of wood to cutting out a kitchen worktop for a sink. Bits can form simple rebates, ogee profiles, dovetail joints, coving, and V-grooves. And by combining bits, virtually any shape is achievable.  

Bits are available in metric and imperial sizes, so you’ll see them referred to as 12mm or ½ʺ. Note that these are not the same! Although there’s not much difference (0.7mm, to be precise) you must buy router bits that match the collet fitted to your router.

You can learn more about bit profiles here.

Depth of Cut

Also referred to as plunge depth, the depth of cut is the maximum thickness of material the router can cut through. 

This might not be critical for mouldings because you can arrange the piece to allow cuts across the surface. However, you’ll need a cutting depth of around 50mm if you want to cut through worktops.

Noise

Manufacturers aren’t very good at providing information on noise, and sometimes you have to look at the online specification to find it. Still, noise is an important factor to consider when buying a router.

Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB), to which a weighting is applied (A, B, or C scales) to give a relative reading at differing frequencies. Routers and similar tools are measured using the A scale.

Distance from the source and the length of time you’re subjected to noise are other factors, but a 70 dBA is generally considered safe. The trigger level where you must take precautions to avoid damage to your hearing is 85 dB(A), according to the Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID).

So, when you consider that routers can have a sound intensity approaching 100 dBA, and you can’t distance yourself from the source, you can only limit exposure time and wear ear defenders.

Can excessive noise affect the performance of the router? Yes, it can. Going back to the section on power, efficiency is the ratio of input over output, so the more energy converted to sound, the less efficient the motor is.

Dust Extraction

As the router chops through wood, a lot of sawdust is generated. So a router that is, or can be, fitted with a dust extractor is worth considering, especially if you work indoors. 

This feature is particularly important if you’re frequently cutting worktops, as these usually have a chipboard or MDF core. Although worktops made in the UK and the EU don’t contain a significant amount of formaldehyde (classed as carcinogenic by the HSE), other binders and the sawdust itself are hazardous to health if inhaled.

Accessories

It’s always worth checking what comes in the box when purchasing a woodworking router. Here are some accessories you might find:

• Adjustable tilting bases allow you to work at any angle to the piece you’re working on
• Router fence or edge guides for making channel cuts or to form a cut parallel to the opposite side of the piece.
• Additional collets are useful if you’re new to routing, but always check before buying any bits.

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Best Woodworking Router in the UK – Final Thoughts

After a close-run contest, the Makita DRT50ZJX3 wins our award for the ‘Best Woodworking Router in the UK’. 

Due to the DRT50ZJX3’s efficient brushless motor, versatility and lightweight design, this woodworking router is an excellent choice for professionals and DIY enthusiasts.

If you found this guide useful, check out our 9 Essential Types of Drills & Drivers article for essential information about power drills and drivers.

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FAQ