Best Sanders for Furniture
Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, finding the best sander for furniture can make your life a lot easier. And it’s not as hard as you might think!
Learn more about Furniture Painting Tools And Supplies here!
If you’re planning on refinishing any furniture in the near future, you’re going to need a good sander. A quality sander will make the job much easier and help you achieve a professional-looking finish.
But with so many different types and brands of sanders on the market, it can be difficult to know what is the best sander for furniture… for YOUR furniture.
Today we’re sharing our top picks for sanders and what to look for when shopping for one.
So whether you’re in the market for your first sander or are just looking to upgrade, read on for some helpful tips.
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Best Sander for Refinishing Furniture
SurfPrep Electric Ray 3×4″ Sander
The SurfPrep 3×4″ Electric Ray is overall the best sander for refinishing furniture because of its versatility, small size, and how little it vibrates.
Even though this sander is pricey, at around $600, it covers all of the bases and does everything you need a sander to do when you’re painting furniture.
I personally held off from buying it for a long time because of the price tag.
And when I first bought it, I was so nervous about it being worth it.
But now, 3 years later, it’s one of the few tools I wouldn’t want to live without, especially for large pieces of furniture and projects.
Watch this review video to see the SurfPrep Sander in action.
Read my post on Is a SurfPrep Sander Worth It? The Honest Review.
I recently helped my sister paint her kitchen cabinets, and it was a lifesaver for her.
The Pros:
- Attaches to a Shop Vacuum or Dust Collector for a dust-free workspace
- Is smaller and more lightweight compared to other power sanders
- Quieter than any other sander I’ve used
- Foam Pads can be attached to sand details, curves, and grooves (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.)
- Its rectangular shape makes it easy to get into corners
The Cons:
- It is pricey at around $600
- Other sanders are more powerful at removing paint or stain
- The foam pads are expensive
Where To Buy SurfPrep Sander
- SurfPrep’s Website is the best place to buy – Use my code RAY10 to get 10% off your order
This post SurfPrep Sander – What you need to get started! is really helpful and talks about what I use with my SurfPrep Sander.
Best Budget Sander for Furniture with Vacuum Attachment
Ryobi Corner Cat Detail Sander
This Ryobi Detail Sander is the best budget sander because you can attach a vacuum to it, and it works with SurfPrep Sander’s foam pads.
It’s not a name brand, but it’s a great alternative SurfPrep Sander if you’re on a budget, but you want the big features of the SurfPrep Sander.
Check out this post on the SurfPrep Sander Alternative for more information.
Watch the end of our SurfPrep Review video to learn more about this setup.
The Pros:
- Can attach a Shop Vac or Dust Collector to it with an adapter (Double check that the adapter fits your shop vac hose and the sander port!)
- Budget friendly!!
- Can attach SurfPrep foam pads to it to sand details and curves (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.)
- Easy to hold
- The shape makes it easy to get into corners
The Cons:
- About the same weight and size as other power sanders
- The Foam Pads don’t fit it exactly, but they do work
- Other sanders are more powerful at removing paint or stain
Where To Buy Ryobi Corner Cat Detail Sander
Best Orbital Sander for Furniture
Dewalt Orbital Sander
Before I bought the SurfPrep Sander, I used this Dewalt Orbital Sander when I needed to remove paint or stain from flat surfaces
It doesn’t have all of the bells and whistles the other sanders have, but it is more powerful and can remove paint and stain faster.
The Pros:
- Removes paint and stain faster than the other sanders
- Budget Friendly!!
- Can attach a Shop Vac or Dust Collector to it with an adapter (Double check that the adapter fits your shop vac hose and the sander port!)
- Can attach SurfPrep Foam Pads to sand curves and details (Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.)
The Cons:
- The round shape makes it hard to get into corners
- Only good for flat surfaces
- Since it’s more aggressive, it can leave sanding swirls in the wood more
- I’ve owned at least 2 of these because they end up dying after a year or two
Where To Buy Dewalt Orbital Sander
Best Sander for Removing Paint from Wood
SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander and the Festool Rotex 90
The Festool Rotex 90 and the SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander are the best sanders for removing paint from wood.
Both of these are pricey, the Festool Rotex 90 coming in at $500 and the SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander coming in at $525.
But, they are more aggressive than other sanders, so they can more easily cut through paint and stain on furniture.
(Update!! Read this post on The Best Sander to Remove Paint! I found out that the SurfPrep Orbital Sander that I have isn’t AS good as I thought it was!)
The Pros:
- They are more aggressive than other sanders, so they can remove paint and stain faster
- They easily attach to a vacuum or dust collector
- Both can attach SurfPrep Foam Pads to sand curves and details
- They are built well and will last many many many years
- The Festool has a triangle attachment so you can get into corners
The Cons:
- The price tag is high at around $500 each
- The round shape makes it hard to get into corners (Festool has a triangle detail attachment, though!)
- Works best on flat surfaces
- Since they’re more aggressive, they can leave more sanding swirls in the wood
- The Festool Rotex 90 has a 3.5″ footprint
Here is a Festool Rotex 90 Review if you want more information about it!
Where To Buy Festool Rotex 90
Where To Buy SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander
- SurfPrep’s Website – Use code RAY10 for 10% off your order
(Note: I have the SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander with the 3/32 orbit, and I kind of wish I would have gotten the more aggressive 3/16 5″ Orbital Sander instead.)
What is the best sander for furniture?
The best sander for furniture is one that fits your personal needs and one that can sand every type of furniture.
Most furniture has grooves, curves, extra little details, and corners that can be hard for some sanders to get into.
If your furniture is completely flat, you’re in luck, and you can use almost any sander that fits in your hand.
Overall, the very best sander for furniture, in my opinion, is the SurfPrep 3×4″ sander.
It can get into corners, grooves, and details, and it can remove paint and stain from furniture (it’s not the fastest, but it can sand down to bare wood.) And it attaches to a vacuum.
Check out my SurfPrep Vacuum POV-8 Review here to learn all about it and if it’s the right investment for you.
Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.
But, if you have a small budget, the SurfPrep sander isn’t going to be the best for you.
The next best sander for furniture, in my opinion, is the Ryobi Detail Sander because it’s so versatile!
If you are only interested in removing paint or stain on a flat surface, an orbital sander is the best option because it’s more aggressive.
If you need the best sander for removing paint or stain, an orbital sander is the best. But they are best for only flat surfaces. Dewalt Orbital Sander is a great budget-friendly orbital sander.
But if you want a more aggressive and longer-lasting sander, a Festool Rotex 90 is a better option.
What Grit Sandpaper for Scuff Sanding?
220 grit sandpaper is the best for scuff sanding furniture before painting.
It’s not too coarse, so it doesn’t scratch the finish too much, and it’s not too fine either.
When you scuff sand, you just want to scuff the surface up enough that you remove the sheen from the old finish and roughen up the surface to help the paint stick.
What Grit Sandpaper to Remove Stain from Wood?
To remove stain or paint from wood, start with 80 grit sandpaper to cut through the paint or stain faster.
Once most of the old finish is gone, use 120 grit sandpaper to smooth out the surface and finish removing the old finish.
Then use 180 grit sandpaper to smooth the surface a little more, and then use 220 to finish it off.
Moving through the grits one at a time will help prevent sanding swirls that can be left behind after too much aggressive sanding.
Here is the variety pack of sandnet sandpaper I use.
If you’re working with furniture that has a wood veneer, start with 100-grit sandpaper instead. (Then move to 150 and finally 220 grit sandpaper.)
Veneer is easy to accidentally sand through because it’s so thin. Once you go through it, there isn’t any going back, and you can’t stain it without that area sticking out like a sore thumb.
What Sandpaper to Use on Furniture?
All of these sanders have hook and loop on their pads for easy adhesion and removal of hook and loop sandpaper.
The best sandpaper I have found for these sanders is either Diablo Sanding Discs or SurfPrep’s Sanding Abrasives.
Learn more about sandpaper for furniture painting here.
Sanding Screens
If I am trying to remove the stain and topcoat, or the paint on furniture, I reach for either Diablo’s Sand Net Screens or SurfPrep’s Sanding Screens most often.
Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.
Actually, I prefer these for everything.
Screens don’t get clogged up as easily as sandpaper or film does. It also stays abrasive for longer, so it does a better job of sanding.
Foam Sanding Sponge
My next favorite sandpaper for sanders is the SurfPrep Foam Sanding Sponges.
They come in the 3×4″ size (linked above). But there are also Foam Sanding Sponges for Other Shapes and Brands of Sanders.
Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.
Sandpaper
Next up is SurfPrep’s Film Sheets or Diablo’s Sanding Discs.
Use code RAY10 to get 10% off your order at SurfPrep.
They are quality sandpaper for power sanders (not cheap sandpaper that doesn’t work well.)
They don’t rip and tear like regular sandpaper does, and they stay abrasive longer than regular sandpaper.
Diablo’s Sanding Discs come in the 5″ orbital size, but I still stick them on my 3×4″ SurfPrep and let the excess overhang. haha
There are a lot of different sanders on the market, but not all of them are created equal. When choosing the best sander for furniture refinishing project, it’s important to consider your needs and budget.
We hope this post has helped you narrow down your choices and find the perfect sander for your project!
More Resources:
- SurfPrep Sander (Everything you need to know about it in one place)
- The Importance of Sanding Before Painting Furniture
- SurfPrep Sander – What happened when we put it to the test?
- SurfPrep VS Festool Sander Reviews
- Honest SurfPrep 5″ Orbital Sander Review
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