As a single-speed, corded random orbital sander, I’ll admit I had my concerns about this Makita random orbital sander. I wasn’t sure how it would stack up to some of the variable-speed models I was testing, as there are times when a sander’s power can get away from you.

In the end, however, this wasn’t a limitation. The sander hits a real sweet spot in that it’s aggressive enough to chew through material, yet controlled enough in your hand to leave a clean, consistent finish. In my pencil-mark test (see: “How We Tested” below), this sander removed more wood—and faster—than anything else here.

The element of control comes from a high-pommel grip, which gives you a little more leverage over the tool while you keep it planted with proper hand pressure. While the grip is a little wider than I’d personally like, I found it comfortable over longer stretches of sanding, with no hand fatigue or odd hot spots at the base of my thumb.

Onboard dust collection, which I find doesn’t function all that well on many handheld sanders, is better than expected. The collection bin fills up fast and is easy to remove for emptying. Hook it up to a proper shop vac port, and it’s about as clean of a sanding experience as you can get. —Paul Smith

Key Specs

This sander is light and very well-balanced, and although it’s less aggressive than other sanders on this list, it provides a nice, even action across the board grains.

Skil placed the variable speed dial within easy reach of the thumb, so I barely moved my hand to adjust it. It comes with a 2.0 aH battery and a charger (and costs less than almost anything else you’ll find out there), but sadly, it doesn’t include a carrying case. Still, dust control is totally serviceable, and the bag empties easily and cleanly. Best of all, it’s quiet–a trade off for less aggressive (but still satisfactory) power.

If you’re a serious woodworker, this might be something you want on hand for touch-ups or to carry around with you if you work on the go a lot. It’s probably not enough to be your primary orbital sander if this is a tool you use all the time, but still, it’s really tough to beat at this cost. —Paul Smith

Key Specs

This Bosch came within a razor’s edge of topping our list. When it comes to sanding, speed of material removal wins out every day, otherwise this Bosch would have bested the Makita. As it turned out, it took nearly twice as long to remove the same amount of material with this sander than our Best Overall pick. Otherwise, this sander impresses across the board with quiet, steady power, a really comfortable grip, and thoughtful ergonomics.

This is a tight, balanced sander with a small hand grip and a center of gravity focused directly over the pad, which gives you a high level of control over the tool. With some sanders, you always run the risk of tipping the tool to one edge of the pad as you exert downward pressure, but that’s not the case here. It’s very well-planted, almost like an extension of your hand. Bosch does a great job of vibration dampening as well, so you can run this for long periods without putting too much stress on your palm and fingers (a common problem with less impressive random orbitals).

On top of all of that, this sander is also portable, and what’s more, the position of the battery is far less obtrusive than it is with other cordless sanders out there. Bosch sets the battery on a level plane extension from the sander body, so it stays out of the way of your grip. Dust collection is decent, although I noticed a bit of build-up at the exhaust port, which can lead to clogging before the bag is full. —Paul Smith

Key Specs

If you’re interested in portability and don’t want to spend more than $200, I recommend this DeWalt random orbital sander. Nearly the entire exterior is covered in the same grippy rubber that makes other DeWalt power tools so comfortable to use. This also gives you the flexibility to use a variety of one- and two-handed grip positions while operating it.

Its 2.8-pound weight (the lightest of all the sanders I tested) only adds to the overall portability, although this is at least partially due to the relatively low-capacity 2.0-Ah battery. It’s also missing an adapter for a 1-1/4-inch vacuum hose, but somewhat makes up for this exclusion with an included charger and soft carrying bag. Overall, this is a very solid kit to take with you anywhere. —Alex Rennie

Key Specs

This sander is a brute. Switching it on from atop the material, it just wants to run, so you’ll need a good amount of pressure and control to reign it in. Once it’s there, however, you’ve got a reliable workhorse in your hands. And while this sander has power comparable to most corded models, it feels a lot heavier due to the added battery mass.

The brushless motor delivers up to 12,000 oscillations per minute (OPM) under load, which means this sander’s power is more than just a promise on the packaging. What’s more, this sander’s dust collection system is top tier, porting a solid amount of debris into its own onboard, roomy collection bin. But connect this Milwaukee shop vac to it, and you’ve got dust collection that rivals that of workshop dust collection system. Simply marry the sander to the shop vac via the dust hose, and VacLink automatically relays the start/stop of the tool to the vacuum, which responds in kind, turning your sanding operation into a virtually dustless one.

And while I didn’t find it to be the most ergonomic tool due to its weight and battery placement—my pinky finger bumped up against it uncomfortably—I do appreciate the red LED indicators on the top of the tool to let me know visually where I am in terms of variable power. It’s a visual advantage over other sanders that employ a dial which I have to search for. —Paul Smith

Key Specs

Bosch orbital sanders have been a popular choice for years, and this model demonstrates why. The corded power supply offers unlimited runtime—convenient for extended sanding tasks like refinishing a desk or tabletop—and I found that the cord itself did a decent job of staying out of the way during use. Because its dust control is so good (thanks to a rubber O-ring seal on the dust port, good airflow, and an airtight dust canister), less dust stays on the surface to get ground into the abrasive pad. That means the pad stays cleaner and lasts longer.

I also appreciated the sander’s ergonomic shape, which gives you the option of choosing to hold the oblong handle on top (with an easily accessible power button) or wrap your hand around the base for more control. Its 12,000 OPM max speed and 2.5-amp output had no trouble removing material and sanding my testing piece to a stain-ready smoothness, which made it comparable to more expensive DeWalt and Milwaukee models. —Alex Rennie

Key Specs