Best Woodworking Vises 2026: Front, Quick-Release and Bench Vises

Best Woodworking Vise Overall

The M7WW is the front vise most home workbenches should get: big enough for drawer sides and table aprons, quick to adjust, and from a vise maker that has been in business since 1908. Yost lists 7″ jaws, an 8″ maximum opening and 3″ of throat depth, in a 30,000 PSI cast-iron body with steel guide rails and a chrome-plated sliding T-bar handle. The feature that sets it apart from the plain-screw vises below is the rapid-action lever: move it toward the handle and the nut disengages, so you can slide the jaw open or shut in one motion and then give the handle a final turn to clamp. It also has a bench dog in the front jaw, raised with a finger bolt, which works with a dog in the benchtop to hold a board flat for planing or sanding. It weighs about 21 lb, mounts under the bench edge and carries a 1-year limited warranty. Add wood faces to the jaws before first use. Mid price tier.

Best Quick-Release Alternative

The Eclipse EWWQR7 is the other quick-release 7″ vise worth comparing, a pattern woodworkers have used for decades. Eclipse lists 7″ x 3″ jaw faces, a 7.87″ maximum opening and 3/4″ guide rods and main screw, with a grey cast-iron body and sliding jaw chosen for shock absorption. A front-mounted trigger disengages the screw for fast opening and closing. Its adjustable front stop (dog) works with a bench stop, which turns the vise into a tail vise as well as a face vise. The tommy bar is designed to bend before the vise is over-stressed, a small safety detail that protects the casting. The jaws are predrilled for wooden cushions, and there are two predrilled holes and two cast tabs for mounting screws (not included). It weighs about 20.7 lb. It’s close to the Yost on paper; buy whichever is easier to get. Mid price tier.

Best Value Woodworking Vise

The Pony 27091 has been the go-to budget face vise for years, and it’s still the best value here. Pony describes it as a medium-duty vise for home, shop or professional use, with a 7″ jaw width and a 9″ maximum opening, the largest opening among the 7″ vises on this page. It mounts to the face of a wooden workbench with the jaw tops flush with the benchtop; some benches need the face mortised or shimmed to get there. The main screw has Acme threads and runs between twin plated-steel guide bars, and a solid steel dog in the front jaw works with a bench stop to hold oversize work. The jaws are drilled for wood facings (not included). There’s no quick release, so opening it wide means turning the handle. At under 12 lb it’s lighter than the Yost and Eclipse. Budget price tier.

Best Large Front Vise

If you build cabinets, doors or anything with wide panels, a 10″ vise grips more of the board and holds it straighter. The F10WW is Yost’s 10″ cabinetmaker’s vise: the body measures 10-1/4″ wide by 19-1/4″ long, with a 1-3/16″ solid steel main screw 15-1/2″ long and 3/4″ guide rods. The long screw gives it a much deeper reach than the 7″ vises, though Yost doesn’t list the exact opening on the listing. Yost suggests it for cabinet work, such as holding two pieces together while you drill or saw. It has a cast-iron body, a plain screw without a quick release, and a 1-year limited warranty. Like any face vise, it works best with hardwood jaw faces at least as wide as the iron jaws, and a 10″ vise needs a thick, solid benchtop and apron to mount to. Budget-to-mid price tier.

Best Cheap Woodworking Vise

The IRWIN 226361 is the smallest and cheapest under-bench vise here, and for hobby work it’s enough. IRWIN lists 6-1/2″ jaws with a 4-1/2″ jaw capacity, made for light woodworking. The jaws toe in toward the top, so they close at the top edge first and grip the workpiece firmly where you’re working. A square body makes it simple to mount under a bench, and the jaws have provision for wooden cheeks to protect the work. It’s small enough to fit a light or homemade bench, but don’t expect it to hold a door edge for heavy planing: 4-1/2″ is the limit, and there’s no dog or quick release. For carving, small boxes, sharpening and holding parts for sanding, it’s a good start. Budget price tier.

Best Portable Clamp-On Vise

Not every bench can take a bolted-on vise: folding benches, metal-top benches and kitchen tables can’t. The Groz 39006 handles both cases. You can bolt it down through its cast slots, or use the built-in screw clamp, which grips a bench edge up to 2-5/32″ (55 mm) thick and sets up in seconds. Groz lists 6″ jaws with a 4-1/2″ opening, a close-grained cast-iron body, toe-in jaws that meet at the top first, and a chrome-plated steel screw, twin guide rods and tommy bar. The body and sliding jaw are predrilled for wooden liners. It weighs about 7 lb. Because it sits on top of the bench rather than flush with it, it’s less suited to planing long edges than a face vise, but it’s ideal for carving, sharpening, sawing small parts and taking the vise to the job. Mid price tier.

Best Bench Vise for Metal and General Shop Work

For metal, pipe and general garage work, you want an engineer’s (machinist) bench vise instead: serrated steel jaws, an anvil and a swivel base. The WVA6 is Wilton’s 6″ Apprentice vise, made of 72,000 PSI ductile iron, which Wilton says is twice as strong as ordinary cast iron without extra weight. It has 6″ jaws, a 6″ opening, 3.75″ of throat depth and pipe jaws for 1/4″ to 3″ pipe, plus a large anvil surface for hammering and forming. Wilton is the best-known name in bench vises, and the Apprentice line is its lower-cost range. Keep it for metal: the serrated jaws dent wood unless you add soft jaw covers. Mid price tier.

Best Cheap Bench Vise

For light repairs around the house, a small swivel bench vise is all most people need. The LV-4 has 4-1/2″ jaws, a 3″ opening and 2.6″ of throat depth, in 30,000 PSI gray iron. The head rotates 240 degrees on its swivel base, there’s a 3-1/2″ x 2-7/10″ anvil, and the jaws take pipe from about 0.6″ to 1.85″. Mounting hardware isn’t included, so buy bolts long enough for your benchtop. It’s light duty: fine for holding a part to file, saw or glue, not for heavy hammering. Budget price tier.