Portable folding workbenches are very good for setting up temporary workstations for carrying out different types of projects like woodworking, home building and remodeling. They’re ideal for small workshops where you can’t have a dedicated worktable taking up the limited space you have to work with. You can set it up anywhere you want, and fold it up and store it away when you don’t need it anymore, freeing up the space you need to do other activities.
They’re also portable, because you can fold them and take them wherever you want. So you don’t need to build up a dedicated workbench on each job site. You can get one of these folding workbenches and take them with you on every job.
So they’re very good to have, whether you have a dedicated workshop space with a stationary standby workbench or not. Getting a folding workbench gives you that flexibility to set up a work station anywhere you want and also being able to dismantle it quickly and take it with you.
There are different types, sizes and designs of these portable folding workbenches.
We’ve tried and tested several of them over the years and we think it’s time we listed the ones that worked well for us the most.
There are a few factors and considerations you have to look at if you’re trying to get one for your projects.
First thing is the size. When fully unfolded and set up, how big is it? How much work surface does it give you to work with? Then how much weight can you place on top of it without worrying that it’s going to break apart or buckle under the weight? Does it wobble when you place stuff on top of it? How long does it take to fully unfold it and set it up fully ready for work? Seconds or several minutes?
Then you have to consider how portable it is when you fold it. That’s something you have to consider if you’re taking it out on the job. When you fold it up, what’s the size? How much space does it occupy when you don’t need it?
Then finally, what material is it made out of? Wood, plastic, metal, composites? What’s it made out of? How durable is it?
The main issue you’ll find on almost all foldable workbenches is that the table top is not dead flat from end to end. And that’s because they’re foldable. You fold them down and fold them up whenever you need to use them. It will hardly be 100 percent flat. One end may dip an inch or more. But if you know what you’re doing, it will hardly be a problem.
We’ve tried and tested our own fair share of these folding workbenches, and the following are the best ones we recommend for our readers. Especially for people who need it for their woodworking projects.
Worx Pegasus
The Worx Pegasus has been around for a very long time. We’ve talked about and recommended it before in a previous post. I’m still going to recommend it here.
If you’re looking for a portable folding workbench for your woodworking projects, the Worx Pegasus is a good one to start with, especially for simple DIY projects at home.
It’s good for both on the job and at home projects.
In terms of work surface, you get a total working area of 31 inches by 25 inches, which is perfect for most projects. If that is not enough for you, you can get 2 tables and connect them together to get a larger table area for your work.
The Pegasus can hold up to 300 lbs of load on top of the table. And when you connect 2 tables together, it can hold up to 2200 lbs of load. There are also 2 quick release clamps and 4 clamp dogs you can use on top of the table to hold your workpiece in place.
Setting it up / unfolding it is very easy when you need to use it, and folding it up is also easy. It folds up flat and compact, for easy storage.
The whole table structure is mainly made out of ABS plastic, but the support and fittings are made out of steel. The table height from the floor to the top of the table is 32 inches.
The one we got has been through a lot of projects, has been beat up pretty badly, but so far, it’s still in very good shape.
One neat feature I like about it is the little recessed spaces on top of the table where you can put small tools like a pencil, drill bits, screws, clips and other smaller accessories so they don’t roll off and fall off the table.
It’s a very thoughtful feature, and I use it a lot.
Pony Portable Folding Workbench
We tried out this Pony portable folding workbench and it turned out to be a very good one. It’s very similar to the Worx Pegasus I wrote about above, but with a few differences.
You get a 31 by 25 inch work table surface which is the same size as the Worx Pegasus. Not very large by shop standards, but it gets the job done.
The table can hold up to 500 lbs of weight, which is quite significant for a workbench/sawhorse of this size.
One thing I really like about it is that the height is adjustable. You can adjust the height up and down depending on what you’re comfortable with. The lowest height is 30 inches while the max is 35 inches.
The standard version comes with 2 clamps, but you can get another that comes with 4 clamps. It’s the same table. It’s just the number of clamps that’s different.
You also get 4 bench dog to hold materials securely to the table.
Setup is quick and easy. And because the height is adjustable, it folds up smaller than the Worx Pegasus, which I think makes it more portable.
There’s also a middle tray just below the main work table where you can store smaller tools and accessories during your projects.
Finally, you can expand the table size by adding 2 or more tables together for accommodating larger workpieces or heavier loads.
Related: The 9 Best Miter Saws for Woodworking Projects
TLGREEN Portable Folding Workbench
When you combine a portable workbench, a dolly and a rolling creeper into one platform, you get the TLGREEN folding workbench. (Find it on Amazon)
Usually when you combine several pieces of equipment into one like this, you don’t really get the maximum you can get from each of them, but surprisingly, this one works really well. I like it.
You can set it up as a complete standard workbench for your woodworking projects, or you can transform it into a dolly for moving stuff around, or you can turn it into a rolling creeper you can use to work under your vehicle or some other stuff.
It works really well at each of the 3 modes, but for me, I think it works better as a workbench. It’s just much better when you’re using it as a workbench. The legs are extendable, which means you can adjust the height to whatever level you’re comfortable with. The highest you can go though is 31.5 inches.
It’s also got a larger work table as compared to the Worx Pegasus and the Pony I already talked about above. The work table is 42.7 by 21.5 inches. Considerably larger.
It’s also got something both the Pegasus and the Pony don’t have. It has its own built-in power outlet to power the tools you use on the table.
It’s not much. Just a supply inlet to plug in power from an extension cable and 2 outlets to power your tools, but that’s more than nothing. Overall, I think it’s a very good multi-function folding workbench you can use for your woodworking projects.
Turboforce Folding Workbench
I don’t know the original manufacturer of this particular workbench, because I saw it on Amazon with different seller names. One is Turboforce, another is ONCUPID and so on. But it’s the same foldable workbench, so we’re just going to call it Turboforce.
Anyway, we happened to get our hands on one of them, and I’ll tell you, it worked great. I really like it.
Among all the foldable workbenches we’ve tried, this is the quickest to set up. A small round knob holds the table legs in place when it’s fully folded. To set up the table, simply turn the knob to unhook the legs, and then lift the table top with the legs facing downwards, and that’s it.
The legs fall straight downwards and lock in place. No extra steps required. Then you can place the table down and start using it for whatever you want to use it for.
The table top size is approximately the same size as that of the Worx Pegasus and the Pony.
The only downside is that unlike the Pegasus and the Pony, this doesn’t come with its own clamps or bench dogs. You got to buy your own clamps separately. But it’s got holes and grooves on the table top where you can insert your clamps and bench dogs to secure materials to the table while working on them.
Bora Centipede Folding Workbench
In truth, this is not really a complete workbench per se. It’s more like a folding workbench stand without the top.
It’s the stand, the frame that holds the work table from below, like a sawhorse. I’ve written an article about this Bora centipede before. I think it’s one of the most unique portable solutions for setting up a robust workstation anywhere you want to set it up. (Find it on Amazon)
As you can see from the image above, the centipede is basically made up of vertical steel struts connected diagonally together with steel rods, forming a collapsible lattice/grid-like structure you can use to support materials. The whole thing connects together like a centipede, and it collapses and expands like a spring.
It doesn’t really need any kind of assembly or setup. Simply take it out of the bag, and let it expand into the frame. Then you can lay 2x4s on the top using the included X-shaped bracket to use it as a sawhorse, or you can just lay a complete table top to complete the workbench.
This stand and 2x4s. That’s all you need to set up a complete robust workstation. When you’re done, the whole thing collapses and fits right into a very small carry bag you can throw in the back of your truck. I think there is no other work station more portable than this.
The next cool thing about the Bora centipede is just how much weight it carries. It supports up to 2500 lbs of load. That is just mind-blowing for something that collapses into a hand bag.
Accessories that come with it include 4 X-shaped brackets for holding 2x4s and 2 quick clamps for material support.
The centipede frame itself comes in different sizes. 2ft by 4ft, 4ft by 6ft, 4ft by 8ft and 4ft by 4ft. And they all have a total working height of 30 inches. Although you can get risers for it that can increase the height up to 36 inches if you like.
Worx Sidekick Folding Workbench
The Worx sidekick has the same frame as the Bora centipede I listed above, but it’s a complete workbench not just a stand.
It has its own dedicated work table that goes with it. The table size is 24 by 24 inches. It’s relatively small compared to the other units, but it’s compact. The working height is 32 inches.
I think the Worx Sidekick is one of the best portable workbenches you can get if you’re a simple hobbyist / DIYer who wants to carry out projects at home or in your yard.
It’s very compact. It doesn’t take up a lot of space. It’s very easy to set up. And it’s very sturdy. The frame is made out of steel struts. Very sturdy. It has a load carrying capacity of 300 lbs, which is a lot for a table this size.
It’s also very portable. The strut frame collapses easily into a narrow bundle, and the table top folds up in 2 halves. The frame can be packed inside the table, and you get a handle to carry the whole setup like a suitcase.
Accessories that come with it include 4 bench dogs to secure your workpieces against the table.
Ever told yourself after using a tool for the first time, “I wish I found this earlier”? Well, that’s why I built this site. I built it to help you find all the most useful and time-saving tools you can use for your projects, so you always keep your tool arsenal up to date. Be the first to know about that new tool.