The best Bosch cordless rotary hammers, compared.
Top pick: GBH 18V-22 X with L-BOXX Best value: UniversalHammer 18V body – Highest value part in the set: about £97.92, 4.7 from 332 reviews, chiselling in the title, and no battery in the carton. Updated October 2026.
A cordless rotary hammer is an 18 V SDS plus tool with an electro-pneumatic blow. You buy one in the UK when a combi drill stalls in hard brick, block or concrete, or when tiles need a chisel. Rotation alone is not enough once the masonry is dense. You tell a suitable cordless rotary hammer by the impact energy on the matching maker page, the hole you need, and whether you already own the right battery. A green DIY 18 V pack and a blue professional 18 V pack do not fit each other. Some compact bodies drill only, so check for a chisel mode. The holder is SDS plus, or a chuck that also takes round and hex shanks. A low shelf price is often a body with a side handle and a depth stop, not a battery and a charger. How joules, pack size and the holder change the choice is in the [cordless rotary hammer buying guide](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/bosch-cordless-rotary-hammer/sub/bosch-cordless-rotary-hammer-buying-guide).
A cordless rotary hammer is an 18 V SDS plus tool with an electro-pneumatic blow. You buy one in the UK when a combi drill stalls in hard brick, block or concrete, or when tiles need a chisel.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Which 18 V packs do you already own?
The GBH 18V-22 X with L-BOXX 136 at about £232.73 is the ONECHUCK, brushless, KickBack Control body sold with an inlay, an auxiliary handle and a depth gauge, and still no battery. Amazon shows 4.8 from 45 reviews, the highest star line here, but the review text in the file is from Spain, Germany, France and Italy, so it is not UK opinion. A French note likes the ONECHUCK and warns that a conventional shank should stay at or below 10 mm, which matches the holder limit rather than a British test. Bosch’s 2.0 J rating and chiselling figures apply to this 18V-22 X family. The listed weight is 2.37 kg. At about £232.73 you are paying for the L-BOXX over the about £176.95 carton of the same model class, before you buy a pack. Choose it when that case is worth the gap and you already own Professional 18 V batteries. Skip it if you wanted British review text, or if the carton listing is enough.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Professional 18 V packs and you want this ONECHUCK body stored in an L-BOXX.
Less suitable: You want UK review text to lean on, or the carton listing of the same model class is enough.
Specifications
Common questions
What comes in the L-BOXX?
The scope lists the L-BOXX 136, an inlay for the GBH 18V-22 X, an auxiliary handle and a depth gauge. No battery.
Are the 45 reviews from the UK?
The star line is 4.8 from 45. The review text in the saved listing is from Spain, Germany, France and Italy, not the United Kingdom.
Does the listing confirm a chisel mode?
The bullets do not answer it. Bosch publishes chiselling vibration figures for the GBH 18V-22 X family, which is why the comparison table says yes.
The UniversalHammer 18V body at about £97.92 is the green SDS plus hammer in this set, titled at 2.0 J with drilling, hammer drilling and chiselling, and it arrives as a depth stop, an auxiliary handle and a carton. On amazon.co.uk it sits at 4.7 from 332 reviews, the largest green sample here. Reviewers describe 14 mm holes in brick as easier than with a combi, and plaster coming off with a chisel bit, including work up a ladder. A 2.5 Ah pack is what several of them already own, and one cites about 14–15 holes of 8 mm by 100 mm before that pack is done, with a thermal cut-out that can stop the tool and show no warning light. The same listing prints a 2.5 Ah capacity even though the title says there is no battery, so treat the scope line as the box. It is a workable body if you already charge POWER FOR ALL packs and the holes are household brick rather than a long run in hard concrete. It is a weak buy if you still need a battery, a charger and a case, or a substitute for a heavy mains SDS.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own POWER FOR ALL 18 V packs and you want a green body for brick plugs and light chiselling.
Less suitable: You have no green battery yet, you need a case, or the job is repeated deep holes in hard concrete.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this UniversalHammer include a battery?
No. The title says without battery, and the scope is a depth stop, an auxiliary handle and a carton.
Can it chisel?
The title and the bullets list drilling, hammer drilling and chiselling, with 2.0 J impact energy and an SDS plus holder.
Is a case included?
No. The scope is a carton, not a carrying case.
The UniversalHammer at about £126.79 is the green body sold with a round-shank adapter, model 06039D6001, still without a battery or a case. Amazon shows 4.7 from 74 reviews, and only two of the review texts in the file are from the UK. The bullets list 2.0 J, SDS plus and chiselling, plus the adapter so an HSS bit can go in the same tool. The criticism that repeats is the keyed chuck: once fitted it would not come out, and after about five uses it wore and left the rod in the locking sleeve. That is the known jam with a separate adapter, not a second chuck you can swap all afternoon. At about £126.79 it costs more than the plain green body at about £97.92 and it still needs a POWER FOR ALL pack. Buy it only if you specifically want that adapter in the carton and you will use it occasionally. Skip it if you mainly need SDS bits, because the cheaper body does that job without these stuck-chuck reports.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own green packs and you occasionally want a round-shank bit in the same hammer.
Less suitable: You mainly drill with SDS bits, or you want a chuck you can remove after every hole.
Specifications
Common questions
Is a battery included?
Not in the scope line. The box lists a depth stop, an auxiliary handle, a round-shank adapter and a carton.
What is the adapter for?
The scope includes a round-shank adapter. A UK review used it for HSS bits. Another review says a keyed chuck then stuck in the sleeve.
Can it chisel?
The bullets list drilling and chiselling in concrete up to 16 mm, with 2.0 J and an SDS plus holder.
The GBH 18V-22 X kit at about £319.20 is the only blue listing that arrives ready to charge: two GBA 18V 5.0 Ah packs, a GAL 18V-40 charger, an L-BOXX 136, a depth gauge and an auxiliary handle. Amazon shows 4.7 from four reviews, which is too small a sample for a reliability rank. The UK texts that exist describe a 3/4 inch SDS bit through brick, plaster coming off on chisel only, and a trigger that starts at full speed and then regulates down. ONECHUCK is the reason one reviewer gives for not carrying a second head, though that person had not tried cylindrical or hex bits yet. The 6.98 kg line reads as a packed weight, so it is not used as the tool weight in the table, and the wood capacity is printed as 1 inch, so do not quote that cell as a Bosch diameter. One reviewer had seen £479.99 when they wrote, against this raw price of about £319.20. It is the kit to open if you own no Professional batteries and you accept that four reviews cannot prove the tool. It is the wrong spend if you already own 5.0 Ah packs and only need the body.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own no Professional 18 V packs and you want one blue kit with two 5.0 Ah batteries and a charger.
Less suitable: You already own 5.0 Ah packs, or you want a review sample larger than four.
Specifications
Common questions
What is in this kit?
Two GBA 18V 5.0 Ah batteries, a GAL 18V-40 charger, an L-BOXX 136 with inlay, a depth gauge and an auxiliary handle.
How many reviews support the 4.7 score?
The listing line says 4.7 from 4 reviews. Three UK texts are in the saved listing. That sample cannot rank reliability.
Did reviewers use the chisel?
One UK review removed plaster on the chisel function. Bosch publishes chiselling vibration figures for the GBH 18V-22 X family.
The GBH 18V-22 at about £180.99 is the blue SDS plus body in an L-BOXX 136, model 0611924001, with KickBack Control and no battery or charger in the scope. Amazon’s raw line is 4.6 from 523 reviews, the largest sample in this comparison. A live view of the same ASIN on the research day showed £150 and 265 ratings, so both the price and the count move, and this page keeps the raw snapshot. Reviewers describe it replacing an older site SDS for light to medium kitchen and bathroom fitting, and they say it is not a 110 V site hammer for harder chiselling or large diameters. Bosch’s UK page gives 1.9 J and about 4–22 mm in concrete, with chiselling vibration published, while the Amazon table prints 10 mm in wood, 10 mm in metal and 40 Nm, which you should ignore. A dust attachment is mentioned and is not in the box. It is the top pick here when you already own Professional 18 V or AMPShare packs and you want the reviewed L-BOXX body for 6–12 mm holes and light chiselling. Leave it when you need batteries in the box, you only own green packs, or the weekly hole is beyond what those reviews call light trade work.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Bosch Professional 18 V or AMPShare packs and you want the SDS plus body with the largest review sample here.
Less suitable: You need a battery and charger today, you only own green POWER FOR ALL packs, or the work is hard site chiselling.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this GBH 18V-22 include a battery or a charger?
No. The scope is an L-BOXX 136, an inlay, a cleaning cloth and a depth gauge. The saved listing asks about a charger and does not list one.
Which batteries does the listing name?
Bosch Professional 18V and AMPShare. It does not name green POWER FOR ALL packs.
Is the holder ONECHUCK?
No. The title says SDS plus. ONECHUCK is not in the bullets.
The GBH 18V-18 at about £122.95 is the compact blue body, order 0611927000, listed at 1.59 kg with KickBack Control, a brushless motor, a depth gauge, an auxiliary handle and a cardboard box. Amazon shows 4.6 from 141 reviews. UK reviewers in the extract say it does solid concrete and feels stronger than the small body suggests. Bosch’s UK page for this order number gives 1.5 J and an optimum of about 4–18 mm, and it does not publish a chiselling vibration figure. A Bosch film says this compact model has no chisel function, so do not buy it to lift tiles. The Amazon table prints a 50 mm chuck, 80 Nm and capacities in hundredths of an inch, which do not describe this SDS body, so use the Bosch page for the hole size. There is no battery and no case. It suits you if you already own Professional 18 V or AMPShare packs and you want a light hammer for plugs, and it is the wrong body if you need a chisel mode or a kit you can charge tonight.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Professional 18 V or AMPShare packs and you want a light body for plug holes.
Less suitable: You need to chisel tiles, or you have no blue battery and no charger yet.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the box include a battery or a case?
No. The scope is a cardboard box, a depth gauge and an auxiliary handle. A UK review wished a case had been included.
Does this compact model chisel?
Bosch’s UK page for this order number does not publish a chiselling vibration figure, and a Bosch film says this compact model has no chisel function.
Why is the chuck listed as 50 mm?
That figure is printed in the Amazon table, next to 80 Nm and capacities in hundredths of an inch. It is stored as listed, not as the SDS range.
The GBH 18V-22 X in a carton at about £176.95 is the ONECHUCK body, model 0611924100, with a brushless motor and KickBack Control, and no battery. Amazon shows 4.6 from 73 reviews, with three UK review bodies in the extract. Those texts describe tile removal with a chisel, small holes for stair lights, and masonry work where KickBack Control and the vibration control are noticed. Bosch publishes 2.0 J for the 18V-22 X, an optimum of about 4–22 mm, and chiselling vibration figures, which is the step up from the 1.5 J compact bodies. The stated weight is 2.52 kg, so it is not the ladder tool the 1.59 kg GBH 18V-18 is. You still buy a Professional or AMPShare pack and a charger separately, and the case is a carton rather than an L-BOXX. It fits you if you already run blue batteries and you want ONECHUCK plus a chisel mode without the L-BOXX premium. It is a poor first tool if you own no 18 V pack yet. It ties the green body on the total score and takes neither award.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own Professional 18 V packs and you want ONECHUCK and a chisel mode without paying for an L-BOXX.
Less suitable: You have no blue battery yet, or you want the lightest body for overhead plugs.
Specifications
Common questions
Are batteries in the box?
No. The technical table says batteries are required and not included. The scope is a carton, a depth gauge and an auxiliary handle.
What does ONECHUCK mean on this listing?
The bullets say one chuck fits SDS plus, cylindrical and hex bits.
Is a dust extractor included?
No. The bullets name a GDE 18V-12 or GDE 12 attachment. It is not in the scope.
The UniversalHammer kit at about £132.60 is the only green listing here that puts a battery in the box: one PBA 18V 2.5 Ah pack, an AL 18V-20 charger, a depth stop, an auxiliary handle and a carrying case. Amazon shows 4.5 from 100 reviews. The title states 2.0 J, SDS plus and chiselling, while the specification table also prints 3000 mAh beside that 2.5 Ah title, so the two capacity lines do not agree. Reviewers call it enough for solid brick and like the depth gauge for repeated holes, though several say it feels heavy and that it cuts out with large bits. Bosch’s UK page puts 4–8 mm concrete on a 2.5 Ah pack, and 16 mm holes plus tile chiselling on packs above 4.0 Ah, so the included pack is the smaller step. One warranty report in the file describes a cut-out, a new motor, a new switch and a battery that would not charge. Choose it when you own no POWER FOR ALL pack yet and the first jobs are light brick. Leave it when you already have a larger green pack, or when you expect 16 mm concrete from the 2.5 Ah battery in the case.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You own no POWER FOR ALL pack yet and your first holes are light brick rather than 16 mm concrete.
Less suitable: You already keep a 4.0 Ah or larger green pack, or you want 16 mm concrete from the battery in this case.
Specifications
Common questions
What battery and charger are in the box?
One PBA 18V 2.5 Ah pack and an AL 18V-20 charger, plus a depth stop, an auxiliary handle and a carrying case.
Does it chisel?
Yes. The title lists drilling, hammer drilling and chiselling, and the bullets state 2.0 J and an SDS plus holder.
Why do two battery capacities appear?
The title says 2.5 Ah. The technical table also prints 3000 mAh. Both are stored as listed, and they do not agree.
The GBH 18V-18 X at about £116.95 is the cheapest blue body here, and the listing’s point is ONECHUCK: SDS plus, cylindrical and hex in one holder, with KickBack Control. Amazon shows 4.3 from 55 reviews, the weakest star line in the set. UK comments praise the light weight, listed at 1.8 kg, and a change from SDS to ordinary bits in seconds. Other UK lines call the power poor enough to refund, including one mention of soil, and one buyer could not extract a bit after a single use. The included-items line is the hammer only, yet the table still prints a battery capacity, and torque appears as both 35 Nm and 5 Nm, so ignore those cells. Bosch rates this 18 X family at 1.5 J, and the listing does not confirm a chisel mode. Take it if you already own blue packs and you want one chuck for the odd 6–10 mm round shank. Leave it if you want the calmer review record of the plain GBH 18V-18, or any chiselling.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own blue packs and you want one holder for SDS plus bits and the occasional 6–10 mm round shank.
Less suitable: You want the steadier review record of the plain GBH 18V-18, or you need a chisel mode.
Specifications
Common questions
What bits fit the ONECHUCK?
The bullets say SDS plus, cylindrical and hex. A UK review says the change from SDS to ordinary bits takes seconds. Conventional shanks stay at or below 10 mm.
Is a battery included?
The included-items line is the GBH 18V-18 X only. The table still prints a battery capacity, which you should not treat as a pack in the box.
Does the listing say it chisels?
The bullets do not confirm a chisel mode, so that cell stays blank. Bosch’s published chiselling figures are for the 18V-22 and 18V-22 X, not this compact X.
Nine amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the stored pages read on 19 October 2026, with impact energy taken from the matching Bosch UK page. There is no laboratory test. Star points are the amazon rating divided by 5, times 40. Sample size, fit for the job and value in this set make up the rest. The top pick is the highest total. Best value is the highest value part among the others. The weights below sum to 100.
Stars
40%The amazon.co.uk star rating divided by 5, times 40, rounded to the nearest whole number. A listing with no rating line scores 0 on this part.
Sample
20%Review count on the stored amazon.co.uk line. 1,000 or more reviews score 20, 500–999 score 16, 200–499 score 12, 50–199 score 8, 1–49 score 4, and no rating line scores 0.
Fit for the job
25%Starts from a Bosch 18 V rotary hammer in this set. Points add for KickBack Control, a published chisel mode, a carrying case or L-BOXX, a stated brushless motor, and ONECHUCK. Points come off when the Amazon table fights the SDS body, when the battery lines contradict each other, or when reviews document a keyed adapter that sticks.
Value in this set
15%Shelf price against what the box contains and how many reviews support it. A body under £100 with chiselling in the title and 300 or more reviews scores highest. A two-battery kit with only four reviews scores lowest. This is not a durability test.
Match the hammer to the batteries you already own, then to the joules and the hole you actually drill. A bare body is not a kit. Amazon chuck and torque cells that fight the Bosch page are not the capacity.
A cordless rotary hammer is the tool you pick up when a combi drill’s hammer mode stalls in hard brick, block or concrete, or when tiles need a chisel rather than another twist bit. The mechanism is electro-pneumatic. A piston drives a blow down an SDS plus bit while the chuck turns. That is a different job from a drill-driver, which relies on torque, and from a demolition hammer on SDS max, which is built to break rather than to place plugs.
POWER FOR ALL packs run the green UniversalHammer. GBA, ProCORE and AMPShare packs run the blue GBH models. Bosch states the systems will not be unified. A third-party adapter is not an approved mix.
Several lower prices are a body, a side handle and a depth stop. Only two listings here include a battery and a charger. Add the pack you still have to buy before you call a body the cheaper outfit.
Ignore a 50 mm chuck, newton-metre lines and capacities in hundredths of an inch when they fight the Bosch concrete range. The GBH 18V-18 has no chisel function on Bosch’s account of that compact model. Hammer mode is not for wood.
Start with the packs you already charge. PBA 18V runs the UniversalHammer. GBA 18V, ProCORE18V and AMPShare packs run the GBH models. Bosch states the systems will not be unified, and AMPShare is not compatible with POWER FOR ALL. Buying the other colour means a new battery family and the matching charger, not a cheaper hammer. Then read the scope line. A depth stop and an auxiliary handle in a carton are not a kit. A carrying case or an L-BOXX is still not a battery.
Take impact energy from the Bosch page that matches the order number, not from Amazon watts or newton-metres. The UniversalHammer is 2.0 J, with concrete to 16 mm on the larger packs. The GBH 18V-18 and the GBH 18V-18 X are 1.5 J, about 4–18 mm. The GBH 18V-22 is 1.9 J, about 4–22 mm. The GBH 18V-22 X is 2.0 J, about 4–22 mm. The GBH 18V-26 at 2.6 J is outside this list. Chisel mode is a separate question. The UniversalHammer manual has a chisel mode and Vario-Lock.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You already charge POWER FOR ALL packs and a combi has stalled in brick. The UniversalHammer 18V body at about £97.92 is the green SDS plus hammer in this set, titled at 2.0 J with chiselling, and amazon.co.uk shows 4.7 from 332 reviews. The carton has no battery. Bosch puts 4–8 mm concrete on a 2.5 Ah pack, and 16 mm plus tile chiselling above 4.0 Ah.
You already own GBA or ProCORE packs and you want a bare GBH for 6–12 mm holes and light chiselling. The GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX at about £180.99 shows 4.6 from 523 reviews in the saved listing. Bosch UK rates it at 1.9 J and about 4–22 mm. It does not take green POWER FOR ALL packs, and the scope has no battery.
You own neither family yet, so buy one kit rather than a bare body. The UniversalHammer with a 2.5 Ah pack, an AL 18V-20 charger and a case is about £132.60, at 4.5 from 100 reviews. Bosch ties 16 mm concrete to packs above 4.0 Ah, so this included pack is the smaller step. The blue two-battery kit is the other complete box, at about £319.20 with only four reviews.
The top pick is the GBH 18V-22 with L-BOXX at about £180.99 in the stored amazon.co.uk file. It scores 77, with 4.6 from 523 reviews, KickBack Control and a case, and no battery in the scope. Bosch UK rates that model at 1.9 J and about 4–22 mm, with chiselling published. The best value is the UniversalHammer 18V body at about £97.92, 4.7 from 332 reviews, titled at 2.0 J with chiselling, sold as a carton without a battery. These scores are not a laboratory test. A live view of one ASIN had already moved on 19 October 2026.
UniversalHammer 18V body
Highest value part in the set: about £97.92, 4.7 from 332 reviews, chiselling in the title, and no battery in the carton.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Maker pages, UK regulations and the amazon.co.uk listings stored for this comparison, read on 19 October 2026. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are those saved listings. A live view of one ASIN the same day had already moved.
Expert source (DIY & tools): Charlie White (Charlie DIYte) (external profile) – public expert commentary used as a research source, not as a contributor to our pages.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Scores use amazon.co.uk listings and public UK sources. They are not a laboratory test.
