6 Best Parallel Clamps 2022 – Reviews & Buyer’s Guide

Woodworking can be a cumbersome and time-consuming endeavor. Every little thing requirements to be lined up exactly right, and when you are using wooden glue and clamps, that can be tough to achieve. Issues are manufactured even worse when you are employing inferior clamps that are not completely parallel, are tough to change, or don’t have ample stress to firmly maintain your pieces collectively.

If you’ve ever been through the irritating trials of gluing with each other a task and attempting to hold it collectively with clamps that had been fighting you each phase of the way, then you know just how essential these tools genuinely are.

We have constantly received many assignments lined up, and on the very last one, our parallel clamps created it clear that they ended up prepared for retirement. So, we established out to uncover the ideal replacements on the market place. Together the way, we determined to share every thing we realized about these parallel clamps in the subsequent six evaluations. Hopefully, these testimonials can conserve you some time, funds, and frustration by helping you decide the right parallel clamps the initial time.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		Jorgensen Cabinet Master Parallel Jaw Bar Clamp	Rapid-action clamp is easy to operate with one hand Applies even pressure so it doesn’t distort your project Extremely strong clamping force of 1 500 pounds	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		Yost K5024 24 Inch Parallel Clamp	Can be used as a spreader in reverse Choose between 12 24 and 36” lengths 4” jaw depth	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Jet 70431-2 31-Inch Parallel Clamp	Protected by a lifetime warranty Rail stops prevent the jaw faces from sliding Non-marring jaw faces exert even clamping force	CHECK PRICE
		Bora 40" Parallel Clamp	Extra length for working with large projects 5” jaw is padded to protect your surfaces Impressive clamping force up to 1 100 pounds	CHECK PRICE
		IRWIN 2026501 Parallel Clamp	Impressive clamping force of 1 150 pounds 48” length allows you to work on larger projects Resin jaws resist adhesion to glue	CHECK PRICE

The 6 Best Parallel Clamps

1. Jorgensen Cabinet Master Parallel Jaw Bar Clamp – Best Overall

Parallel clamps might seem to be like a easy device on the surface area, but after using so numerous, we can inform you that they are a great deal more difficult to get correct than you may possibly consider. But the Jorgensen Cabinet Grasp Parallel Jaw Bar Clamp got everything correct, which is why it’s at the top of our list.

The jaws are marginally inclined when open, permitting them to fit less complicated on to a sq. floor. But as soon as you tighten them, they turn out to be perfectly parallel, keeping your perform restricted and straight. And these are about as secure as clamps can get, with a optimum clamping force of one,five hundred kilos!

These parallel jaw clamps feature a 3¾-inch jaw depth, allowing for even force that will keep your task square and not pull issues out of alignment. They also slide really effortlessly, making it feasible to alter the clamp with 1 hand although holding it regular with the other. This can make them easier to use than other clamps that often still left us feeling like we required a lot more palms. You will be paying a bit more for the high quality of the Jorgensen clamps, but we believe they are value it.

2. Yost K5024 24 Inch Parallel Clamp – Best Value

Parallel clamps look like a quite simple device, but several of them are nevertheless very dear. The Yost K5024 Parallel Clamp is an exception, generating these instruments inexpensive for the common hobbyist. You are going to only get one clamp although, so if you require two, you are going to have to obtain the next a single individually.

These clamps are offered in numerous lengths, supplying you a lot of alternatives for the variety of assignments you are completing. You can choose from twelve-inch, 24-inch, and 36-inch lengths. Apparently, this device can be reversed to use it as a spreader, multiplying its usefulness.

The jaws on this clamp have a depth of 4 inches, enabling for a really sound keep on your materials. They are made of plastic so that they won’t hurt your wooden. To be reasonable, these are weaker than the other clamps we examined so they’re much less most likely to hurt your wood anyway. They can make up to 880 pounds of clamping pressure even now respectable figures. But when you consider the affordability of this clamp, it gets to be distinct that it is 1 of the greatest parallel clamps for the cash.

3. Jet 31-Inch Parallel Clamp – Premium Choice

Occasionally in daily life, you get what you spend for. The Jet 70431-two Parallel Clamp set is a single these kinds of scenario. They’re more expensive than most of the competition, but they also have exceptional high quality and some impressive attributes that warrant the higher expense. For instance, these clamps are lined by a lifetime warranty. Even however they’re more pricey, they’ll be with you for existence.

One factor we liked about these clamps was the created-in glide cause. It allows you to effortlessly transfer the clamp anyplace alongside the rail with just 1 hand, which can be extremely beneficial when trying to maintain two freshly glued boards together with the other. And the integrated rail stops guarantee that the jaw faces won’t slide endlessly.

These clamps can exert up to one,000 lbs of clamping force. But it does not take a lot power to tighten them, many thanks to the SUMOGRIP deal with that tends to make it simple to tighten them all the way. And when you do, the non-marring jaw faces will make sure that your wood is in no way damaged and the force applied to your project is even and won’t pull something out of alignment.

4. Bora 40″ Parallel Clamp

If you need further achieve to wrap close to a large task you are functioning on, then you may well take a appear at the Bora Parallel Clamps. They’re available in lengths as lengthy as fifty inches, though the ones we examined had been forty inches prolonged. They can create a respectable one,a hundred lbs . of clamping force, evenly used with three.five-inch deep jaws that are padded to safeguard the surfaces they are clamping.

Despite the extra size, we weren’t thrilled with the Bora clamps. The jaws don’t go freely. They’re constantly receiving caught. Even when they’re operating their best, shifting the jaw is a chore. If your fingers are total with the wooden you just glued and you’re trying to get it clamped but the jaw retains obtaining caught, you are going to get disappointed quite swiftly.

Sometimes, the jaws would lock and we experienced to actually battle them to get them relocating once again. We also observed that the clamp heads are not parallel. This intended that when they were tightened all the way, the jaws often transformed the angle of our operate, pulling things out of square. This adds an additional layer of stress to an currently tough job.

5. IRWIN 2026501 Parallel Clamp

Irwin helps make a whole lot of great equipment, but the 2026501 Parallel Clamps aren’t on that listing. But it took us a even though to realize this. They appeared fantastic at the starting with an extraordinary clamping pressure of up to one,150 lbs, generating these some of the strongest clamps we analyzed. The jaws are produced of resin which is supposed to resist adhesion to glue. We like that thought, but it did not seem to perform out as properly as we hoped in truth.

This clamp is 48 inches prolonged, making it possible for you to operate on outsized tasks. But you only get 1 and it’s rather pricey considering its characteristics. The metal bar flexes a great deal, so we’re constantly questioning no matter whether it is straight. The clamps also do not slide efficiently, which can be a real discomfort when you’re doing work with soaked glue. When the plastic rail stops broke off, our disappointment attained a climax and we had to area the Irwin clamp down in the direction of the bottom of our record.

6. POWERTEC Woodworking Parallel Clamp

The POWERTEC 71368 Woodworking Parallel Clamps arrive with two in a package. They’re 24 inches extended and can apply a highest stress of 880 lbs. That is first rate but does not very reside up to some of the other tools we tested. But these are quite expensive contemplating what you get, which is why they are in the base position of this record.

On the brilliant side, these clamps can be reversed and employed as spreaders. But that is not ample to make up for the inadequate construct good quality. There’s a great deal of flex in the rails and the clamps really don't slide effortlessly. As soon as you tighten the jaws, you are going to notice that they’re not very parallel. This might not be a large deal in some cases, but when you’re gluing a cupboard with each other, you need to have it to continue being square, and jaws that aren’t parallel can pull your perform out of alignment. Entirely, we’d advocate skipping the POWERTEC clamps in favor of some thing more robust, better created, and more reasonably priced.

Buyer’s Guide – Choosing the Best Parallel Clamps

Parallel clamps seem to be like quite easy instruments. All they do is keep things! There are couple of moving areas and nothing at all electrical or mechanical. So, how do you decide on amongst them?

Soon after using tons of these clamps over the many years, we have arrive to realize that they are not as basic as they seem to be on the floor. These are precision instruments that need to have to be straight, strong, and dependable if they are going to assist you complete your initiatives.

To make positive that you really do not purchase the wrong clamps by miscalculation, we’ve place together this brief buyer’s manual that will help you determine which traits to prioritize when searching for new parallel clamps.

Length

If the clamps you are making use of won’t get to throughout the total size of your undertaking, then they are not heading to do you any good. That’s why size is the quite 1st aspect to think about when selecting parallel clamps. If your cupboard is 32 inches throughout, a 24-inch clamp will be ineffective. Establish the dimension of project you will be tackling and get a established of parallel clamps that’s somewhat greater.

Strength

Soon after length, the next most important trait for your clamps to have is strength. You require these clamps to firmly maintain your undertaking in area for an extended time period. If the clamp isn’t powerful enough, then your pieces may shift, causing them to dry in the improper place. This would indicate you have to take everything aside and commence all more than yet again.

But you can avoid this time-costing mishap by purchasing clamps that are sturdy adequate to hold your perform steady. Some of our favorites ended up ready to generate as considerably as 1,five hundred kilos of holding force. But for most purposes, this is most likely a lot more than you need. Nonetheless, you want to get the strongest clamps attainable so you are prepared for any situation that may well arise.

Surface Protection

We just mentioned how some of these clamps can exert over 1,000 pounds of strain. All that stress utilized towards a comfortable wooden can simply harm the area, leaving gouges, scratches, marring, and more.

Thankfully, most of these clamps have some type of surface area security that addresses the experience of the jaws. This will prevent them from detrimental your wood. You’ll want to make sure that you only decide clamps with ample floor protection so you can avoid unintentionally destroying the tasks you are attempting to create.

Ease of Operation

Working with damp glue is a gigantic pain. When you are trying to glue two boards together, they are not heading to continue to be on their very own. In truth, the glue nearly acts as a lubricant making it less complicated for them to slide aside right up until it tacks up.

That is why you must prioritize ease of operation when hunting at diverse parallel clamps. You need to be ready to operate the device with 1 hand you are going to probably want your other hand to hold the wood regular while you try to clamp it.

Some of the clamps we analyzed were easy to use with a single hand. These typically concerned some type of effortless-to-use locking system like a glide cause or a flip-up manage. This makes it attainable to completely tighten or loosen the clamp although keeping the project nevertheless with your other hand.

Does it Apply Even Pressure?

Parallel clamps are so named simply because the jaws of the clamp need to be completely parallel when tightened. This guarantees that your materials are held square and straight. But if the jaws on your clamp are not perfectly parallel, then when you tighten them down, they can pull your task out of sq..

Some jaws are built so that they’re somewhat off from parallel when open but will straighten out when tightened. These can make it easier to get the clamp on wooden that is a restricted fit. But when you tighten the jaws, they want to be entirely parallel or your tasks will never ever be square.

Price

The ultimate facet to think about is the value. However these instruments all execute the exact same basic operate, some models price twice as significantly as others. Granted, occasionally, you get what you spend for. But there are other moments in which one particular merchandise is merely overpriced.

If you can uncover a device that has all the essential features and it costs much less than an additional resource with the very same characteristics, then you are going to have to decide how crucial cost is in your closing selection. The more affordable device might have concealed downsides like a shorter warranty or weaker areas, even though they share equivalent specs.

Other kinds of clamps we have reviewed:

Conclusion

There is no scarcity of parallel clamps on the market place for you to select from. But that does not suggest they are all great choices. After tests all of the very best clamps we could locate and composing evaluations to help you examine them, we settled on three of these tools that we’d trust with all of our woodworking assignments.

The Jorgensen Cabinet Learn Parallel Jaw Bar Clamps ended up our leading selection. They can exert up to one,five hundred pounds of clamping force, guaranteeing that your undertaking is held restricted till the glue dries. The clamps are totally parallel once restricted, making certain that force is even and your undertaking won’t be distorted. Ideal of all, the speedy-action clamp can be altered with just 1 hand.

When you need to have a wonderful tool at a reduce value, we advise the Yost K5024 Parallel Clamp. It is accessible in lengths up to 36 inches and you can reverse the instrument to use it as a spreader.

But if you need to have the greatest and really do not mind investing a small in leading-good quality equipment, then you should examine out the Jet 70431-2 Parallel Clamps with 1,000 lbs of clamping stress and a glide trigger that helps make 1-handed adjustments straightforward.