Best folding workbenches
A portable and folding workbench is a handy addition to your garage. We put eight models from different price brackets to the test to decide which is top of the tables
If you enjoy tinkering with your car – as well as other DIY projects – then a workbench is an essential bit of kit for your garage or workshop.
It allows you to store, fix, paint and polish parts away from the car, yet acts as a portable work surface that can also be kept nearby should you need to get close to the open bonnet.
You’ll also find a workbench really handy for securing parts such as hoses and trim while they are being cut, or for keeping batteries and engine components conveniently to hand when swapping them over.
Not all of us have the space in our garages for a full, fixed bench with a vice, but you can still find a decent compromise with a folding table. Here, we put eight of the most popular models to the test.
How we tested
Our folding workbenches came from a selection of the biggest suppliers in Britain, and included adjustable, sliding-jaw workbenches as well as handy flat-topped tables that are a real help around the garage.
Our test criteria included stability, the functionality of the workbenches when using vices or clamps and their adjustability. With so many cars being SUVs these days, a good selection of heights was a big factor.
Used - available now
2024 Mercedes
G-Class
15,000 milesAutomaticPetrol4.0L
Cash £150,000
2020 MERCEDES-BENZ
SPRINTER
5,650 milesManualDiesel2.0L
Cash £186,000
2024 Vauxhall
Crossland
21,796 milesAutomaticPetrol1.2L
Cash £13,795
2022 Vauxhall
Crossland
52,925 milesManualPetrol1.2L
Cash £10,995Indeed, to see how versatile the tables were, we tested each one alongside both a Range Rover and an MGF to evaluate the workbenches at variable heights. Finally, we considered the price and value for money of each competitor.
Clarke C4IN1WB 4-in-1 Workbench
- Price: around £131.98
- Maximum weight: 150kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (three settings)
- Rating: 5 stars
- Contact: machinemart.co.uk
It might lack the worktop versatility of some rivals for attaching vices and clamps, but the Clarke C4IN1WB makes up for it in other areas. It weighs just 13.4kg and the legs fold away into the worktop for portability. The Clarke has wheels on its base, so when the legs are stashed, it can be used as an under-car creeper, plus as a trolley for moving heavy kit (we used it to shift a Land Rover gearbox around the workshop).
On its lowest setting, the Clarke forms a handy seat that you can use for cleaning and detailing wheels or changing brake parts, while it also has two height settings for working under the bonnet. It even has a cup-holder so you don’t send your brew flying by clouting it with a car part. It’s a brilliant piece of design.
Draper 800mm Workbench
- Price: around £46.60
- Maximum weight: 120kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (four settings)
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: drapertools.com
The Draper workbench took the spoils among the lower-priced budget tables on test, with its adjustable sliding platform and selectable height adjustment. It’s more of an all-rounder that’s as handy for hanging wallpaper as it is for working on the car, but for many buyers, that’s a plus because it serves a domestic purpose, too.
It’s easy to build, unlike some of the other self-assembly benches, and is stable and sturdy in use, as well as very easy to collapse and re-erect. For less than £50, the Draper bench is a versatile and handy thing to have around.
Stanley Fatmax Express Folding Workbench
- Price: around £85
- Maximum weight: 450kg
- Height adjustable: No
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: stanleytools.co.uk
The Stanley Fatmax is a bit of a one-trick pony and if you need to work at multiple heights or with vices and clamps, there are others here that do the job better. But it gets our recommended rating for its sheer ease of use.
Not only is it lightweight, but with a carrying handle and a flat profile, you can stash it easily in the garage – or even keep it in your boot as an ad-hoc picnic table. Pull on that carry handle and the legs pop out in one swift movement, and with a maximum weight of 450kg, it’s the sturdiest here by far. You can put an engine or gearbox on it without fear.
Minotaur Professional Workbench
- Price: £69.98
- Maximum weight: 100kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (four settings)
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: toolstation.com
We evaluated two Minotaur workbenches, marketed by Toolstation, for this test. The Professional version is the more expensive of the two, but still represents good value for money.
It’s very similar to the recommended Draper 800mm workbench in terms of dimensions and usability, but has more height adjustability and was able to be used at a taller height than the other tables here, which was perfect for working on our Range Rover test vehicle. The Minotaur Professional didn’t feel as stable as its rivals in this test, though, and has a lower weight rating.
Magnusson Workbench 550mm
- Price: around £69.89
- Maximum weight: 100kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (four settings)
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: screwfix.com
The Magnusson is so similar to the Minotaur Professional (above) that if one wasn’t red and the other black, it’d be hard to tell them apart. In some ways, the Magnusson is the better alternative, because it feels a little more sturdy.
But it can’t extend to the same height as the Minotaur and the assembly instructions aren’t as easy to follow as the Professional workbench’s.However, both of these products will do the job you ask of them perfectly competently and the nine pence difference in price between them is negligible.
Sealey Portable Folding Workbench FWB1000
- Price: around £125.94
- Maximum weight: 100kg
- Height adjustable: No
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: sealey.co.uk
The Sealey was the biggest of our benches on test and we liked its reversible worktop, featuring a useful ruler and protractor on one side and a plain table on the other.
However, erecting the workbench is fiddly, because you need to fold out both pairs of legs and insert a stabilising bar between them, which isn’t as easy as it sounds as a solo operation. We also found the shiny upper surface was very easily damaged if it was knocked. It’s not cheap, either.
Minotaur Tilt and Fold workbench
- Price: around £29.98
- Maximum weight: 100kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (three settings)
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: toolstation.com
At less than £30, the entry-level Minotaur table represents terrific value for money and is easy to assemble from the box. But it’s quite small and even at its tallest was quite a way down from our Range Rover’s engine bay – both factors that limit its ability.
But the Minotaur feels well made, is useful for attaching vices and clamps to, and it folds away easily and neatly, while its light weight means the workbench is extremely easy to move around.
Forge Steel Workshop Bench
- Price: around £29.97
- Maximum weight: 100kg
- Height adjustable: Yes (three settings)
- Rating: 3.0 stars
- Contact: screwfix.com
As well as its bargain price, another advantage of the Forge Steel bench is that it’s carried in stock at most branches of Screwfix. If you need a click-and-collect work surface at short notice and minimal cost, this will get you out of trouble. Just don’t expect miracles.
The workbench doesn’t feel especially heavy duty, and the assembly instructions (which are essentially a series of exploded diagrams with no real order to them) make the Forge Steel a pain to put together. However, its three height settings and 100kg maximum load weight do get the job done.
Verdict
- Clarke C4IN1WB 4-in-1 Workbench
- Draper 800mm Workbench
- Stanley Fatmax Express Folding Workbench
There wasn’t a bad bench on test, and if budget is your key purchase factor, then the cheaper models will probably tick all your boxes, even if they aren’t the outright winners.
But if you can afford to spend a little more, the Clarke is a fantastic all-rounder that will never fail to come in handy. The Stanley Fatmax lacks the Clarke’s creeper and seating capability, but is the strongest table here. The Draper’s sturdy build, ease of use and simple assembly impressed.
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