Part of frequent woodworkers’ job is drilling of pocket holes.
This is an essential part of assembling shelves, tables, and other furniture.
That is when a pocket hole jig comes to play.
This tool is used to make pocket holes for the screws which are inserted to cover the holes.
Due to the fact that you are reading this, we assume that you are in search of a pocket hole jig which will suit your needs.
This would be a personal choice, but what we wanted to do is to help you make that decision and offer you the best tools for pocket holes for the screws available on the market.
As there are so many kinds and models of pocket hole jigs, you should go through the reviews and specifications and according to that determine which model will best suit your plans.
Researching takes much time and energy, but we did that for you.
This means that you can relax, as after reading our reviews, your choice would be made.
Spoiler Alert - Check out my top choice here >>
Top Rated Pocket Hole Jigs
* Ratings are based on Editor's own opinion.
5 Best Pocket Hole Jigs Reviewed
#1. Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig
Top Pick
Check Price on Amazon
The Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig deserves the first place on our list, as it is quick and easy to use.
Its advantages are the adjusting clamp.
You will be able to move the handle to the front of the jig and it will not be blocked by the wood you are working on.
This model comes with very simple adjustments for wood thickness and length of screws.
The producers invested a lot in the new slide-in drill blocks, which achieves excellent performance when micro-screws and working with 2x4s are in question.
The quality of the clamping mechanism is great and this part is very durable.
You can even drop it from the bench and no harm will be done on it.
Additional advantage is that you can attach the support wings for holding screws, which are made of plastic, but are quite strong, easily and securely.
The manufacturers thought about everything, so they made the height markings on the gauge easy to read.
The vacuum port is excellent, but not all reviews are positive.
The inner part of jig is mostly plastic and a rubber ball helps maintain pressure on the clamp.
This is not considered a good characteristic, but we put it on the first place due to its durability and ease of use.
Check current price on Amazon >>
Pros
- Easy to use
- Durability
- Excellent clamps and their placement
- Vacuum port
Check Price on Amazon
#2. PORTER-CABLE 560 Pocket-Hole Jig System
Check Price on Amazon
The second one on our list is a well-built pocket hole jig.
The PORTER-CABLE could not but produce an excellent tool which rightfully deserves this position.
The Porter Cable 560 Pocket-Hole Jig System has a very interesting design, and at the first glance, you will think that it is such a complicated tool to use.
But quite contrary, it is quite easy to operate.
The produces created such a tool that there is no need to change the lock collar on the drill bit when you change wood thickness.
You just need to set up the drill bit with the lock collar and then you can put any piece of wood in it regardless of size.
Once you push the handle, the jig stops automatically at the correct depth. I
What makes it even better is the heavy metal construction which stabilizes and secures the tool
Now – the weaknesses.
The reason why it is not our top pick is its weak holding power when using ½” or smaller wood. At ¾”.
You will need a separate jig for thinner pieces.
Furthermore, due to its weight, it can only be used when attached to the workbench.
Check current price on Amazon >>
Pros
- Advanced design
- Easy adjustments
- Ease of workbench attachment
- Made of metal
Cons
- Not efficient when holding ½” wood
- Workbench only
Check Price on Amazon
#3. Kreg R3 Jr Pocket Hole Jig
Check Price on Amazon
Kreg Company was not lazy, so they produced another model of pocket hole jigs – the Kreg R3 Jr Pocket Hole Jig.
When compared to our top pick, this pocket hole jig is smaller in size, has less features, and lower price.
The producers made its size smaller and the device lighter so that it can be portable. This is achieved by the material of which the device is made.
Being that it is easy to use, this tool is great for beginners who are still excelling their abilities and performance.
The lack of a separate clamp to hold it in place was found as a great disappointment., as it should have been included in the kit.
The material of which the device is made is different.
The drill guides are made of solid metal, but the surrounding parts are made of plastic which is prone to breaks after only a few uses.
Too much investment in the design but not enough in the quality of the construction.
So, this great pocket hole jig lacks an included clamp and has the poor quality, but it still does a great job for the price.
Check current price on Amazon >>
Pros
- Easily uses
- Portability
- Makes excellent pocket holes
- Price
Cons
- Plastic material
- No clamp in the kit
Check Price on Amazon
#4. Kreg K4MS K4 Pocket-Hole Joinery System
Check Price on Amazon
Now, we have the third model produced by Kreg Company.
It is true that it deserved the fourth place, but this model is quite worse when it comes to qualities and features than the previous two mentioned.
The device will work and will get the job done, but the expectations should not be high.
At the first glance, you might think that it has everything you need: a template for the base for making adjustments, a built-in toggle clamp on the base, and a C-clamp for attaching it to a workbench.
But, the fact is – the device needs to have four bolts so as to attach the toggle clamp to the base.
However, this is not a part of the kit and that would be an additional expense as you will need to buy them from a local hardware store.
What you have saved initially when buying less expensive tool now would be spent on additional parts.
Another disadvantage is the slippage, making uneven holes.
No matter how much it is tightened it, the same issue happens after each pass.
Re-tightening is a waste of time and the graduation marks are difficult to see, as they are the same color as the body.
Even the case in which the parts are put is not of good quality.
Check current price on Amazon >>
Cons
- Tightening is frequently necessary
- Not the best case
Check Price on Amazon
#5. Osaava 47709 Twin Pocket Hole Jig Kit
Check Price on Amazon
Usually, the last model on our list is a low-priced one.
In some cases, the low price is not due to the lack of quality of the device.
However, with this model, the situation is that there are very little positive reviews.
Firstly, what is written and shown on the outside of the package should be inside.
However, the package advertises a clamping magnet for use with steel clamps and the image of it is shown on the outside, but when you take a look inside, the clamping magnet cannot be found.
Once they solve this issue, we will remove this part from the review.
Additional negative characteristic of this device is the inaccurate built-in drill depth gauge.
You have to be careful as if you wind up drilling all the way through to the other side you are going to ruin your material.
What you should do is to try it with the drill bit collar to get the right setting on different wood thickness.
Setting it all the time is a huge waste of time and that is why this product deserved the last place on our list.
Even the plastic it is made of is cheap and breaks very easily.
The only positive review was related to a nice case.
Check current price on Amazon >>
Cons
- Plastic
- Lack of clamp
- Inaccurate settings
- Frequent slippage
Check Price on Amazon
Pocket Hole Jigs: The Ultimate Buying Guide
Pocket hole jigs are not designed just to improve the appearance of your work, but also to strengthen the joints in your finished product.
Nails are not as efficient as they can work themselves out when they are put into things which move frequently.
That is why the majority of furniture parts that are moved from one place to another occasionally, such as bookshelves, doors, cabinet drawers and tables are rather built with screws than nails.
This is due to the fact that the screws have a long-lasting strength and they grip the wood and draw the pieces together making them more durable and stronger.
What is considered the drawback of a screw is the head which spoils the look of the product.
That is why manufacturers produces a pocket hole jigs, which make them accurately and consistently.
The result you get are straight, consistent and accurate holes.
Finding the right pocket hole jig for yourself can be quite troublesome, so there are some things to consider.
Which type of pocket hole jigs is the most suitable for you depends on the type of work you are planning to do.
If you are spending long hours working with a pocket hole jig and if your job includes a wide variety of tasks, what you need is a jig with as many applications as possible.
Multiple tools can slow you down as you are supposed to switch from one to another and having one tool that will do many tasks is considered perfect.
This can be achieved by a pocket hole jig with sufficient adjustments to handle everything .
That is why you should find a jig with a lot of features and additions.
On the other hand, if you need a pocket hole jig for tasks in your own house or shop, then you do not need to spend much money on those more advanced models as less expensive ones would do the job as well.
In this case, spending extra money on a heavy-duty, metal jig would not be considered wise.
What are the features of a good pocket hole jig?
The first feature that is of crucial importance for a good pocket hole jig is the accuracy.
You do not want to get a tool which will destroy your material or make the wrong size holes.
No matter is a pocket hole jig is made of durable and quality material, if it lacks accuracy and ruins the material with either too deep or not deep enough holes, there is no use of it.
The thing to consider related to gauges is their color.
What you might find unimportant at the beginning, after some work can be taken as quite irritating.
Gauges should be marked in a high-contrast color in order not to be difficult to read.
The next important consideration is that a jig should be durable.
The low cost pocket hole jigs we reviewed are affordable but have to be replaced after several usages, as the plastic parts would break.
What you have initially saved on purchasing a low-cost model would be given for repairing and replacing the broken parts.
This depends on the amount of work you are planning to do.
If you plan to use it a lot, we suggest you to spend the extra money and get the one which will be durable.
For occasional uses, the best product can be the cheap one which you can throw away if it breaks.
Last, but not the least.
The good jigs have all the clamps needed for their use and the models without them should not be taken into consideration.
What are things to consider when buying a pocket hole jig?
Whenever you are buying a device, the first thing to look for is the manufacturer’s warranty and return policy.
The longer warranty period is, the better the tool will be, as manufacturers express their faith in the device through its warranty.
A company which offers a small time frame for returns is not sure in the quality of its product and if you have issues with it after some period of time, you will not be able to get the money back.
Models made by companies that offer an extended warranty should be taken into consideration.
It is not always the case that prominent brands have better quality products, but when pocket hole jigs are in question models made by companies with a proven track record should be considered.
Even with this model you might have problems with your tools, but it happens very rarely.
Better stick to the name brands than to the attractive price.
If you have decided to buy jig online, free shipping is important to be included due to the fact that shipping charges can be quite expensive.
Spending extra few seconds to read about the shipping can save you money and trouble with shipping charges.
I think I got it, what are my options?
As the producers are doing their best to make the most efficient tool, they are offering different kinds of kits equipped with different additional parts such as extra bits, spare clamps, multiple gauges, etc.
If you think that none of the above mentioned models matches your desires and needs, you can take a look at other models available on the market which we did not include.
Add-on kits will include extra plugs and screws in the kit which can be taken as unnecessary at first, but later on you might realize that you needed them, and you will have to spend additional money on purchasing them.
So, make sure to buy a more expensive, but quality tool, rather than getting the one on a lower price which will lack important parts or quality.
You should also pay attention to the carrying cases.
There are some models where a carrying case does not hold all the parts and manufacturers would sell a separate or “upgraded” case.
This is again additional expense, so you should get the case which will keep everything together in one place.
Conclusion
As you have gone through these reviews, you are aware that there is no need to do your own research and look for more models.
What you get is all the information you need to make a decision.
The buyer’s guide even tells you which characteristics you should have in mind when deciding which model is the right for you.
There are also recommendations as well as suggestions which model should be avoided.
Kreg has offered three models of which our top pick is definitely the best among all pocket hole jigs currently available on the market.
This device is strong, durable, useful, simple and accurate.
Being concentrated on your work makes you more efficient than spending hours setting the tool.
Besides the fact that everybody wants a quality device, it should also fits the budget.
So, the Kreg R3 Jr is definitely the best model for the money.
Its advantages are that it is small and portable, but it lacks an included clamp.
Your choice of tools should be based on the reviews of both satisfied and dissatisfied users and if your budget is not limited, purchasing of our top pick is the best solution for you.
I hope you liked my article about Pocket Hole Jigs, if so, please share or comment.
Featured Online Programs
Learn at home, at your own pace.
Sponsored