If you're setting up a woodworking workshop, one of the biggest decisions you'll make is choosing the right workbench.
And if, like me, you don't have the luxury of a huge dedicated workshop, that decision becomes even more important.
A workbench isn't simply a table to put your tools on. It's the foundation of your workshop. It needs to be stable when you're planing, provide somewhere secure to clamp your work, give you enough space to assemble projects — and, ideally, work with the way you actually use your workshop.
The problem is that there are hundreds of different workbenches available, from traditional heavy timber benches to folding workbenches, MFT-style tables and portable workholding systems.
So how do you choose the right one?
Start with the space you actually have
The first mistake is choosing your workbench before considering your workshop.
It sounds obvious, but it's very easy to fall in love with a big, beautiful traditional woodworking bench only to discover that it takes up half the room.
Think about the space you have available and, more importantly, how much of that space you need to keep clear. A workbench might be 2 metres long, but that doesn't mean you can use all 2 metres of it if you can't comfortably walk around it or manoeuvre a length of timber.
In a small garage, shed or workshop, every square metre matters.
Before buying or building a bench, consider:
- How much floor space can you permanently dedicate to it?
- Do you need to be able to walk around it?
- Do you work with large sheets of material?
- Where will your timber be stored?
- Where will your machinery go?
- Do you need an assembly area?
- Will you need to move or pack away your bench?
That last question is particularly important. If your workshop has to serve more than one purpose, a permanent workbench might not actually be the best answer.
How big should a woodworking workbench be?
Bigger isn't always better.
A large bench gives you more working area, but it also takes up more space. A smaller bench is easier to accommodate but can quickly become frustrating when you're trying to work on a larger project.
For most small workshops, I'd concentrate on having enough usable workholding area rather than simply chasing the largest possible bench.
You can always work on a smaller piece of timber on a large bench. The reverse isn't true.
But there's another factor that's often overlooked: how effectively you can hold the workpiece. A relatively compact bench with good workholding can be far more useful than a huge table with nowhere sensible to put a clamp.
Don't underestimate workholding
If you're new to woodworking, it's easy to concentrate on the bench surface itself.
Is it flat? Is it thick enough? Is it the right height? Is it strong enough?
All important questions. But ask yourself this: how am I actually going to hold my work while I'm working on it?
When you're planing a board, you don't want it sliding across the bench. When you're routing, you don't want it moving. When you're drilling, you don't want to be trying to hold the workpiece with one hand while operating the tool with the other.
This is where a proper workholding system makes such a difference.
Bench dogs can transform a workbench
One of the simplest and most useful workholding systems is the humble bench dog.
Bench dogs sit in holes in the workbench surface and give you a fixed point against which you can push your workpiece. Used alongside clamps, they make it possible to secure timber in a huge variety of positions.
If you're considering a new workbench, I'd strongly recommend looking at whether it has a 20mm dog-hole system. A 20mm dog-hole pattern gives you access to a huge range of compatible workholding accessories — and opens the door to MFT-compatible tooling, giving you considerably more flexibility than a plain worktop.
What about clamping slots?
Dog holes aren't the only thing to look for.
Clamping slots allow you to position clamps exactly where you need them rather than being restricted to the edge of the bench. That becomes especially useful when working on awkward shapes, larger boards or projects where you need to apply pressure in a particular position.
For me, dog holes plus clamping slots is one of the most useful combinations you can have on a woodworking bench. You get the flexibility of bench dogs together with the ability to position clamps exactly where they're needed.
Fixed workbench or portable workbench?
This is probably the biggest decision for anyone working in a small space.
A permanent bench has some obvious advantages. It's always ready to use, it can be extremely solid, and you can build it to exactly the height and dimensions you want. A substantial traditional bench can also provide excellent stability for hand-planing and other demanding work.
But it is always there.
If you have a dedicated workshop with plenty of space, that may not matter. If you're working in a garage that also needs to accommodate a car, or a shed where every inch matters, it can be a very different story.
A portable workbench gives you a completely different approach. Rather than dedicating a large area of your workshop to a bench, you can create a proper woodworking surface when you need it and put it away when you don't.
But there's an important distinction here. A portable workbench shouldn't simply mean a lightweight table. The real question is whether it provides proper workholding. There's not much point in having a portable bench if the workpiece moves every time you try to plane or route it.
What about an MFT-style workbench?
MFT stands for Multi-Function Table, and the concept revolves around a grid of holes that allows you to use bench dogs, clamps and other accessories to hold your work.
It's an extremely versatile approach. The holes aren't simply decorative features in the worktop — they form part of a complete workholding system.
If you're looking at a workbench for a small workshop, I'd definitely consider whether an MFT-compatible system would be useful for the type of work you do. The ability to use standard 20mm accessories gives you a lot of flexibility and means your workbench can evolve as your woodworking develops.
What height should a woodworking bench be?
There isn't one perfect height for every woodworker.
Your ideal bench height depends on your own height, the work you do and whether you primarily use hand tools, power tools or a mixture of both. A bench used heavily for hand-planing may benefit from being lower, while a bench used for assembly and general workshop tasks can be higher.
The important thing is to think about how you actually work. If you spend hours leaning over a bench that's too low, you'll know about it. If it's too high, you may find yourself struggling to apply downward pressure when using hand tools.
If you're building your own bench, mock up the height before committing to it. Even a temporary surface can give you a surprisingly good idea of whether the height feels right.
Don't forget the overhang
An overhang gives you somewhere to clamp from the front or underneath the work surface — particularly useful when working on the edge of a board or when you need to hold something vertically.
It's one of those features you might not think much about when looking at photographs of a workbench, but you'll appreciate it enormously once you start using it.
What material should a workbench top be made from?
Traditional benches are often made from hardwood, but there are plenty of other options. MDF is popular because it's flat, consistent and relatively inexpensive. Plywood can provide an excellent combination of strength and stability. Solid timber looks fantastic and can make a superb traditional bench.
The important thing is not simply the material. The construction and the way the bench is used matter just as much. A perfectly flat worktop isn't much use if the entire bench moves every time you put a plane against a piece of timber.
Do you actually need a huge traditional workbench?
This is the question I'd ask before spending a lot of money or time building one.
If you have a large dedicated workshop and spend most of your time hand-planing large pieces of timber, a substantial traditional bench could be exactly what you need. But if you're working from a small garage, shed or shared space, there are other options.
You may already have a sturdy table, worktop, trestles or another flat surface that could become your working area. Instead of building an enormous permanent bench, you can add a dedicated workholding surface to the space you already have.
That's one of the ideas behind the HDS system here at Whaley Woodworks.
Why I developed HDS
My own workshop isn't a huge professional unit. It started life in a small shed, and one of the problems I kept running into was exactly this: I needed somewhere to securely hold my work, but I didn't necessarily have room for a traditional woodworking bench.
That frustration eventually led to the development of HDS — the Hold Down System.
The idea is simple: take a flat surface you already have and turn it into a proper woodworking workholding station.
The HDS Portable Workbench uses a 20mm dog-hole grid, integrated clamping slots and a front overhang for vertical clamping. It can be set up in under a minute and then flat-packed into two boards for storage or transport. If you want to fix it permanently to an existing surface, the HDS Fixing Kit guide walks you through exactly how to do that.
That means your existing table, worktop or suitable bench can become a serious woodworking surface without permanently filling your workshop with another large piece of furniture.
And the same workholding principles extend further than the bench itself. The HDS Drill Table Top brings the same dog-hole and clamping system to your pillar or bench drill — so your workholding approach stays consistent across your whole workshop.
The HDS Workbench Top
For those who have the space for a permanent bench, we've also developed the HDS Workbench Top.
It's a 1200mm × 600mm permanent workbench surface built around the same HDS system, with a 20mm dog-hole pattern and integrated clamping slots. It can be fitted to an existing bench frame rather than requiring you to build an entire workbench from scratch.
So whether you need something portable or permanent, the principle is the same: make the workholding work for you.
So, what is the best workbench for a small workshop?
There isn't a single answer.
The best workbench is the one that suits your space, your work and the way you actually use your workshop. If you've got plenty of room, a traditional heavy bench might be ideal. If space is tight, a compact or portable solution may make far more sense.
But whatever style you choose, I'd strongly recommend putting workholding near the top of your list of priorities.
Look for:
- A solid, stable working surface
- Good access around the bench
- A sensible working height
- Plenty of usable surface area
- A 20mm dog-hole system if possible
- Integrated clamping options
- Enough overhang for edge and vertical work
- Compatibility with readily available accessories
- A design that suits the space you actually have
Because ultimately, a workbench isn't there to look good in your workshop. It's there to help you make things. And the better you can hold your work, the easier, safer and more accurately you can work.
That's something I've learned through years of working in a small workshop — and it's ultimately why I developed HDS in the first place.
If you're struggling to find space for a traditional workbench, take a look at the HDS Portable Workbench. And if you already have a solid bench frame but want to transform the top into a proper workholding surface, the HDS Workbench Top might be the better option.
Either way, don't underestimate the humble workbench. Get the workholding right, and the rest of the workshop starts to make a lot more sense.