These sanders still have the standard orbital motion but add a random element, so as well as the regular orbit, they oscillate in an unpredictable way. The combination of these two movements reduces the chance of a regular pattern in the wood you’re sanding.

Ryobi’s new cordless random orbital sander is an excellent value choice, especially if you already have other products from the ONE+ range, as you can share the battery. Plus, there’s a long three-year warranty. You might also want to consider whether you already have a battery that might fit a cordless sander. Many brands have interchangeable systems so a battery from your drill might work in a sander if they’re part of the same ecosystem. This is partly why sanders are available to buy without batteries (in other words, body only). How much do I need to spend? The values shown are for reference purposes and may vary according to the workpiece materials and other operating conditions. To help keep your work area clear, the integrated cyclonic dust box is a welcome addition. The Ryobi is also light in weight to ensure ease of use on those longer jobs, and comes with a nylon bag for convenient storage.Random orbital sanders tend to have a circular sanding pad but orbital sanders can come in many shapes and sizes. If you can only afford to buy one sander, we’d recommend getting a random orbital model. Most modern sanders use a hook and loop system, where the sanding sheet attaches to the pad like Velcro. It’s nice and easy but isn’t always as secure as a traditional clamp system, so if you’re concerned about accidents, consider a traditional model. Not only is there less risk of leaving marks in the wood, they are more versatile and can be used for a wide range of sanding tasks.

It doesn’t have variable speed but the RROS18-0 runs at an impressive 20,000 orbits/min, can last for up to 50 minutes on a single charge and runs quietly. Despite being more compact and lighter than its predecessor (10% according to Ryobi), it is a little heavier than some rivals.

Compact in design, the Makita weighs in at just 1.7kg with a battery on board. This should help prevent any soreness or stiffness when you’re working for an extended period of time, while the tool’s low centre of gravity is designed to ensure easy handling. Most sanders are just off or on, but you can find models with variable speed. That might be two or three, but occasionally up to six different settings. Depending on the type of sanding you’re doing, this feature could come in very handy and even save you from sanding a piece of material more than you meant to. If you don’t need features like variable speed then the PEX 220 A is a good choice. Slap a sanding sheet on with the Velcro-style system, plug it in and away you go. The toggle switch will keep you going as long as you need and there’s plenty of power available. This is always one of the hardest questions to answer when buying tools. For starters, it depends how much budget you have available in the first place. If you’ve got large flat areas to sand and they aren’t covered in layers of paint that need removing then the BO3710 is an excellent choice.

As part of the Ryobi 18V ONE+™ system of over 200 cordless tools for the home, garden, automotive, crafting and much more, the Ryobi 18V ONE+™ RROS18-0 Cordless Random Orbital Sander is ideal for light to medium weight sanding tasks such as fine finishing and paint removal. . Of course, one major consideration is whether the sander is wired and plugs into mains power or is cordless and runs from a battery. Neither option is simply better than the other, so it comes down to how and where you’ll be using the sander.

We compared hundreds of real customer reviews to round up the best orbital sanders available online.

If you can afford it, buy the right tool for the job you need it to do and you’ll avoid a lot of frustration.

The maximum speed isn’t overly impressive but performance is good enough for the vast majority of DIY tasks and there’s a built-in dust bag which does a good job. This sander also works nice and quietly. The main gripe here is with the grip, which gets in the way of accessing the battery compartment a little bit.

The best orbital sanders you can buy in 2023

The other common type of orbital sander that isn’t random is a finishing sander. As the name suggests, these are designed for the final touches rather than tough work such as removing paint (consider a belt sander for that type of job). You’ll want one of these for getting a nice smooth surface either as the final finish or before adding product, such as oil or paint. Not only is the DBO180Z lightweight, but it also has three speed settings to cycle through by hitting the power button repeatedly. This makes it very versatile and a good option for beginners who can start at the slowest speed while learning. Those looking for a no-nonsense, corded random orbital sander without breaking the bank should try the PEX 220 A from Bosch. It’s an excellent-value option that will happily get to work on a range of different sanding tasks from stairs to sculptures.