The best spanners, compared.
Top pick: Jiayoha 8-in-1 tap spanner Best value: SOL 6-piece double-ended metric set – Value part 12, matching the top pick, so the method gives best value here, at about £4.79 for six metric open spanners. Updated October 2026.
A spanner is the British name for a hand tool that turns a nut or a bolt. On amazon.co.uk the same tool is often titled an adjustable wrench. You buy one for flat-pack furniture, a bike, a car fastener, or the nut under a tap. A suitable spanner matches the flats, stays at the size you set, and gives you a handle you can swing. Modern UK cars, bikes and furniture use metric sizes. Across-flats inch sizes still matter on older British bikes, classics and some fittings. 13 mm is not 1/2 inch AF. Whitworth is a third system. On an adjustable, the millimetre figure in the title is almost always the overall length, not how far the jaw opens. Read those two numbers apart. A fixed open end or ring grips a known size more predictably than a moving jaw. An adjustable is for an odd size or a one-off job. A tap tool reaches only the nut under a tap. Length, jaw and size system are set out in the [spanner buying guide](/hub/hand-tools/spanner/sub/spanner-buying-guide).
A spanner is the British name for a hand tool that turns a nut or a bolt. On amazon.co.uk the same tool is often titled an adjustable wrench.
38 products checked · 58 hrs invested · +18,600 readers
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
Do you already know the nut size?
The Jiayoha Jiayoha-BS-1 is an 8-in-1 tap spanner at £8.99, 25 cm and 140 g, with 5.0 from two amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets name 34 mm and 40 mm heads for tight under-sink access and say the tool fits 2-, 3-, 4- and 6-sided nuts. The materials field lists zinc alloy, plastic and ABS, while a bullet says an ABS shell with an aluminium alloy core. The included-components line is loosely worded: an I wrench, two sockets, a wire stripper, an aluminium-alloy head and a level gauge. Both review texts like it when access under a tap is awkward, and one preferred it to forcing a bulky shifter under the sink. No defect is described in those two reviews. Two reviews are too few to treat 5.0 as a pattern, which is why the score is 49 rather than a star-only figure. It is a basin tool for a 34 mm or 40 mm nut in a cramped cupboard.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 34 mm or 40 mm basin nut in a cupboard where a standard adjustable head will not fit, if you accept a two-review record.
Less suitable: A bike, a car boot, or any buy that treats 5.0 from two ratings as a tested result.
Specifications
Common questions
What heads does the Jiayoha listing include?
The bullets say 34 mm and 40 mm heads, and that it fits 2, 3, 4 and 6 sided nuts. Length is 25 cm.
Will the Jiayoha scratch a chrome tap?
The bullets say a non-scratch composite build for ceramic taps and coated fittings. That is a listing claim, not a test.
How many people have reviewed the Jiayoha?
The file shows 5.0 from 2 reviews. That sample is too small to treat the star line as a pattern.
The Stanley 0-90-948 is the 200 mm MaxSteel adjustable at £7.99, with 4.6 from 5,584 amazon.co.uk ratings. The included-components line is the 8 inch wrench, listed at 300 g. The bullet marks the size as 24/200 mm, while the jaw-capacity field says 8 inches, so the opening is not one clean figure. Of 50 review texts, praise centres on the bi-material grip, the knurled adjuster and jobs on bikes and radiators, with some users saying it holds its setting better than a looser budget wrench. The same file records side-to-side play, jaws that do not line up, and a head that is bulky on small fasteners. Review titles also mention other Stanley lengths, so a size comment is not always this 200 mm tool, and one buyer wanted more leverage on a stuck shower hose. The score of 69 is the listing arithmetic, and on review count it is the strongest single adjustable in this set.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first 200 mm adjustable for bikes, radiators and general jobs, if you treat the 8 inch jaw field as unknown and you can live with some play.
Less suitable: A stuck shower hose that needs a longer lever, or a small fastener where the head will not fit.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this the 8 inch or the 6 inch Stanley?
This ASIN is model 0-90-948. The title, the item length and the included-components line say 200 mm (8 in).
What is the jaw capacity on the Stanley 200 mm?
The bullet says dimension 24/200 mm. The jaw-capacity field says 8 inches, which matches the handle length in the title, not a separate jaw measurement.
What is the Stanley 200 mm made of?
The bullet says chrome vanadium steel. The materials field says alloy steel. The finish field says polished, and a highlight mentions phosphate.
The Barpre bp002313 is a 16.1 cm stubby adjustable at £6.49, weighing 200 g, with 4.6 from 70 amazon.co.uk ratings. The jaw field is 35 mm. The bullets say drop-forged carbon steel, a laser metric and imperial scale, and jaws described as thinner than a standard wrench. That thinner claim is a bullet, not a measurement in this file, and the materials field itself is absent. Of 24 review texts, several say the jaw stays put with little play and that the short handle reaches wide nuts, including about 32 mm, in a tight gap. The same texts say the handle is too short for real leverage, the grip feels small in a large hand, one buyer had the head slip off, and sharp edges are mentioned, with no repeated broken-worm story in those 24. The score of 61 reflects the thin sample, and it is the wide-jaw stubby for a bathroom gap and a poor lever when the nut is stuck.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A wide nut, including about 32 mm, in a short bathroom gap, for occasional home use.
Less suitable: A seized fitting that needs a longer handle, or daily trade use.
Specifications
Common questions
How wide is the Barpre jaw, and how long is the handle?
Jaw capacity is 35 mm. Item length is 16.1 cm. The title calls it a 6 inch wide-jaw stubby.
Is there a size scale on the Barpre?
The bullets say laser-etched metric and imperial scales. The measurement-standard field says metric and SAE.
What is the Barpre made of?
There is no materials field. The bullets say drop-forged carbon steel and a bicolour TPR grip.
The Stanley 0-90-947 is the 150 mm MaxSteel at £9.24, with 4.5 from 6,302 amazon.co.uk ratings, the largest count in this set. The included line is the 6 inch wrench at 130 g. The jaw field says 24 mm and the item-type line says up to 26 mm, and a length field of 24 inches conflicts with 150 mm. Many of the 50 texts describe 250 mm, 300 mm or 12 inch Stanleys, so they are not this ASIN. Where the comments fit a short adjustable, buyers mention a smooth adjuster, a comfortable grip, scales in inches and millimetres, and light motorcycle or home jobs. Jaw play, a setting that drifts between nuts, and sharp edges where the faces meet are the repeated complaints, and one reviewer damaged a round aerator because the jaw would not hold it. The score of 65 reflects that mixed file, and it is the short Stanley when you can set aside reviews that are clearly a longer wrench.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short Stanley for occasional home or motorcycle jobs, if you read only the reviews that are actually the 150 mm tool.
Less suitable: A round aerator, or a nut that needs a jaw wider than the 24 mm field, or a buyer who will treat every Stanley review as this length.
Specifications
Common questions
Which Stanley length is this ASIN?
Model 0-90-947. The included-components line and the bullet say 150 mm (6 in), dimension 24/150 mm. The item-length field says 24 inches, which does not match those lines.
How far does the Stanley 150 mm jaw open?
The jaw-capacity field says 24 mm. The item-type line says opening up to 26 mm.
Why do reviews mention 250 mm or 300 mm Stanleys?
The saved review text includes other Stanley lengths. This listing’s own contents line is the 150 mm wrench.
The WORKPRO W072016A is a 200 mm adjustable at £13.99 with a listed 42 mm jaw, and 4.5 from 4,328 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullet describes a reversible serrated jaw for round stock and pipe as well as nuts. In a 50-text sample, reviewers use the short handle under a bath or behind a toilet, and on bike parts around 32–36 mm and on sink drain nuts. The metric scale is there to set the jaw before you turn. The worm running open under load, and play in the head on a wide tap nut, come up often enough to treat as the limit of the tool. One buyer received a used-looking, oily tool, and another found a loose plastic handle. The score of 69 ties the Stanley 200 mm on the arithmetic and sits behind it on review count, and behind the Hilka set on the full score. It is the wide-jaw option when the nut is larger than a 24 mm opening and the gap is short.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A bath nut, a sink drain or a bike part around 32–36 mm, where a short handle and a 42 mm jaw matter more than a fixed size.
Less suitable: A bright chrome nut you do not want marked, or a fitting that needs the jaw to stay put without a reset.
Specifications
Common questions
How wide does the WORKPRO 200 mm jaw open?
The jaw-capacity field is 42 mm. The length is 20 cm.
Can the WORKPRO 200 mm grip a pipe?
The bullets describe a reversible jaw with a serrated edge for round screws and pipe, as well as use as an adjustable wrench.
Does the WORKPRO 200 mm jaw stay tight?
The listing does not claim a lock. UK reviews include both a firm wide jaw and complaints that it slips or must be retightened.
The Hilka 17161102 is an 11-piece metric combination set at £8.68, with 4.5 from 3,955 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets list 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19 mm, so 7, 9 and 16 mm are not in that list. Across 50 review texts, buyers use the open end and the ring end for home, bike and car-boot jobs, and some call the finish accurate on ordinary bike work. The same sample keeps returning to packets with two of one size and none of another, including a duplicated 19 mm with no 17 mm, or two 11 mm and no 12 mm. The plastic rack is meant to hang on a wall, and reviews also say the hook breaks in transit or will not clip the spanners back in. One reviewer found the tools too short for a stopcock, and shorter than the photos suggested. The score of 73 is the listing arithmetic in the method file, which makes this the top pick in the set, with the pack-contents risk still attached.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A home, bike or car-boot kit if you check every size against the bullet list before you put the rack on the wall.
Less suitable: A stopcock, or a fastener that needs 7, 9 or 16 mm, or a packet you will not open and count.
Specifications
Common questions
Which millimetre sizes does the Hilka listing claim?
The bullets list 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19 mm. That list has no 7, 9 or 16 mm.
Did buyers receive every Hilka size?
UK reviews include packs with two of one size and a gap, including a missing 17 mm, a missing 14 mm and a missing 12 mm. The listing itself still prints the bullet list above.
How are the Hilka spanners stored?
The bullets say a plastic display rack. Reviews mention a fragile hook and a rack that is stiff to refill.
The QWORK WD42619 is a three-piece adjustable set at £13.99, with 4.5 from 91 amazon.co.uk ratings and a listed weight of 856 g. The bullets give 150 mm up to 20 mm, 200 mm up to 25 mm and 250 mm up to 30 mm. The single jaw field says 20 mm, which matches only the shortest wrench, and a torque field of 520 Nm is a listing line rather than a test. The set has a hanging eyelet and no case is stated. Ten review texts are mostly a short note that it is a good set, with a solid feel and a laser scale mentioned. One UK review says the grip is poor and the jaw keeps loosening, and a French review in the file is not treated as a UK pattern. The score of 58 is held down by that short written sample, and it is a three-length starter set if you accept that most of the written praise is only a few words.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A first set of three adjustables when you want 150 mm, 200 mm and 250 mm in one order and you can judge the worm yourself.
Less suitable: A buyer who needs a long UK review record, or who will treat 20 mm as the opening of all three tools.
Specifications
Common questions
Which sizes are in the QWORK set?
The bullets list 150 mm, 200 mm and 250 mm adjustable wrenches, with jaw capacities up to 20 mm, 25 mm and 30 mm. The jaw-capacity field prints only 20 mm.
Does the QWORK set include a case?
No case is listed. The bullets mention an eyelet so each wrench can hang on a wall.
What steel is the QWORK set?
The materials field says carbon steel, chrome plated. The bullets say tempered, chrome-plated forged carbon steel.
The Navegando NAV-AW-150 is a 150 mm adjustable at £9.98, weighing 159 g, with 4.4 from 1,566 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets say it fits 6–19 mm nuts and bolts. A jaw field says 0.75 inches, which is not the same as 19 mm, and a torque field of 164 Nm is a listing line rather than a test in this file. Across 50 texts it is praised as a pocket tool with a non-slip TPR handle for light DIY when the worm holds. The adjustment opening under load, and play in the screw, are the complaint that repeats. Some texts describe a multi-piece set rather than this single wrench, one buyer chipped the jaw on a fitting that was too large, and reviewers also call it too small for a radiator collar. The score of 62 is the listing arithmetic, and it is a short spare if you reset the jaw before each nut.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short spare for light DIY inside a 6–19 mm range, if you reset the worm before every nut.
Less suitable: A radiator collar or any fitting wider than the jaw, or a job where the setting must stay put under load.
Specifications
Common questions
How long is the Navegando, and how wide does the jaw open?
The listing length is 150 mm (6 inch). The bullets say it fits 6–19 mm nuts and bolts. A separate field says jaw capacity 0.75 inches.
Does the Navegando come with a case?
No case is listed. The included-components line is one 6 inch adjustable wrench.
Will the Navegando jaw stay at the size you set?
The listing does not claim a locking jaw. UK reviews in the file include complaints that the adjustment opens under load or has play in the screw.
The WORKPRO W072080A is a 150 mm wide-mouth adjustable at £7.99, weighing 147 g, with 4.2 from 624 amazon.co.uk ratings. The jaw field is 24 mm, the highlight says 25 mm, and the scale bullet says 0–24 mm, so the opening is the disputed figure. The head-style field says Flex, which the bullets do not explain, and 150 mm is the length rather than the jaw. Reviewers in 46 texts use it on a radiator nut or a gas-bottle fitting and like the bi-material grip when the nut is inside the jaw. The setting that creeps, and slack in the jaws, are the repeated limit. One text mentions rust, another a used look, and several buyers found it shorter than the 150 mm title led them to expect. The score of 61 sits with the other short adjustables, and it is a cheap spare for a nut within about 24 mm if you recheck the worm as you turn.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A cheap spare for a radiator nut or similar fitting that sits inside about 24 mm, if you reset the worm while you turn.
Less suitable: A buyer who reads 150 mm as the jaw, or a job that needs the setting to stay put.
Specifications
Common questions
Is 150 mm the jaw or the handle on the WORKPRO?
The item length is 15 cm. The jaw-capacity field is 24 mm. A highlight line says 25 mm. One UK review says the title was misread as a 150 mm jaw.
Can the WORKPRO 150 mm be used on pipes?
The bullets say bolts, nuts and pipes. They do not describe a reversible serrated pipe jaw.
What is the WORKPRO 150 mm made of?
The materials field says chrome vanadium steel, with a bi-material grip in the bullets.
The SOL 321645 is a six-piece double-ended metric set at £4.79, with 4.2 from 251 amazon.co.uk ratings and a listed weight of 310 g. The bullets pair 6–7, 8–9, 10–11, 12–13, 14–15 and 16–17 mm. The title is double-ended open spanners, while a highlight calls them combination spanners, and a length field of 4.5 cm is not a credible length for the 17 mm tool. Across 50 texts, buyers use them for light DIY, furniture and a one-off, and for a kitchen gap where an open end reached and a ring would not. The repeated complaint is jaws that are too loose or too tight and then slip, and buyers say they are not for a seized or high-torque bolt. There is no case, so they sit loose in a bag. The score of 62 is the listing arithmetic. The value part is the highest among the tools that are not the top pick, which is the best-value mark, and it does not cancel the slip complaints.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A light furniture bolt or a one-off you can see, when about £4.79 is the budget and you do not need a ring end.
Less suitable: A seized nut, a workshop job, or anyone who reads the highlight and expects a combination set.
Specifications
Common questions
Which sizes are in the SOL set?
The bullets list six double-ended spanners: 17-16 mm, 15-14 mm, 13-12 mm, 11-10 mm, 9-8 mm and 7-6 mm.
Are the SOL spanners combination spanners?
The title and set name say double ended. One item highlight says combination. No ring end is described in the title.
Does the SOL set come with a case?
No case is listed.
The Ginddy BS001 is a single 13 mm flex-head ratchet spanner at £5.99, listed at 18.5 cm and 110 g. The amazon.co.uk file has no star rating and no review text, so the score is 6 from the price and the printed size alone. Bullets claim a 72-tooth ratchet, a 5-degree swing and a head that pivots 180 degrees, with the size engraved on both sides. The materials field says high carbon steel and the bullets say drop-forged chrome vanadium steel. It is ranked among socket wrenches, and no case is stated. With zero reviews, the tooth count, the swing and the flex cannot be checked against a buyer in this file. It is a 13 mm-only ratchet if you already know that size and you can return it. It does not cover a range of fasteners.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A 13 mm fastener you already meet often, if you can return the tool when the flex head or the ratchet does not match the bullets.
Less suitable: A first spanner, a size you have not measured, or any buy that needs a review record.
Specifications
Common questions
What size is the Ginddy?
13 mm only. Jaw capacity, the title and the bullets all say 13 mm. Length is 18.5 cm and weight is 110 g.
Does the Ginddy head flex?
The bullets say the head pivots 180 degrees and that a 72-tooth ratchet needs a 5-degree swing. Those figures are the listing’s claims.
Is there a UK star rating for the Ginddy?
The file has no customer-rating line and no reviews.
Eleven amazon.co.uk listings were scored from the shelf prices, stars, review counts and review notes already in the product file on 19 October 2026. There was no lab test and no torque bench. A jaw opening is the figure the listing prints. The published parts are stars 35, sample 20, use in the file 30 and value in this set 15. The highest score is the top pick. The highest value part among the others is best value.
Stars
35%Amazon rating divided by 5, times 35, rounded to the nearest whole number. Halves round up. 5.0 is 35, 4.6 is 32, 4.5 is 32, 4.4 is 31 and 4.2 is 29. No rating is 0.
Sample
20%5,000 or more ratings score 20. 2,000–4,999 score 17. 1,000–1,999 score 14. 500–999 score 12. 200–499 score 9. 50–199 score 5. 10–49 score 2. Under 10, or no rating line, scores 0.
Use in the file
30%Taken from the review notes only, capped at 30. The start depends on how many texts the file cites. One content add covers little free play, named jobs, or a tool that holds for light work. At most two subtractions cover play, a loose worm, soft or wrong-size jaws, a pack that repeats one size, reviews of other lengths, or a head that is too bulky.
Value in this set
15%Shelf price, piece count, rating sample and whether a millimetre list or opening agrees, capped at 15. A rating under 4.0 or a count under 10 deducts 3 once. A repeated mechanism or pack-contents failure deducts 2. It is not a claim that the jaws are accurate.
Choose the type, then the size system, then read jaw and length as two numbers. A piece count is not a contents list. Nothing in this comparison was measured on a torque bench.
A spanner turns a nut or a bolt by the flats. In Britain that is the ordinary name. The same tool is often sold as an adjustable wrench. The types are not interchangeable. An open-ended jaw bears on two flats and slips first when the nut starts to round. A ring surrounds the nut. A combination spanner is open at one end and a ring of the same size at the other.
On an adjustable, 150 mm is almost always the overall length. The opening on the short tools in this set is about 19–24 mm. A bath nut, a radiator union or a stopcock can sit outside that opening.
13 mm is not 1/2 inch across flats. The jaw looks close and then slips, which rounds the nut. Whitworth is a third system again. Match the fastener, not the nearest millimetre.
Load the fixed jaw. The other direction lets a loose worm grow the opening while you turn. UK reviews in this set treat that slack as the reason cheap adjustables round nuts. Do not add a pipe to a short handle.
A fixed combination or open-ended spanner of the right size grips more predictably than an adjustable. An adjustable is for odd sizes and one-off jobs. A tap spanner is only for nuts under a tap. A ratchet ring stays on the nut between strokes. Water-pump pliers are outside this category. Modern UK cars, bikes and furniture are metric. AF still matters on older British bikes, classics and some fittings. 13 mm is not 1/2 inch AF. Older Whitworth sizes are a separate system.
Read jaw and length separately. On an adjustable, 150 mm is almost always overall length, not the jaw. More torque means a longer handle, not a pipe slipped over a short one. UK reviews in this set repeatedly say cheap adjustables open themselves under load or have jaws that do not line up. That rounds nuts. A fixed ring has no worm. Count the contents, not the piece count. A bullet list can skip sizes, and a pack can arrive with two of one size and none of another.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You work on a modern UK car or bike and you want open and ring ends in metric. The Hilka 11-piece set is about £8.68, with 4.5 from 3,955 amazon.co.uk ratings. The bullets list 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18 and 19 mm, so 7, 9 and 16 mm are not in that list. Count the packet, because reviews include a duplicated size and a missing one.
You need a large nut in a short gap, such as under a bath or on a sink drain. The WORKPRO 200 mm adjustable prints a 42 mm jaw on a 200 mm handle, at about £13.99, with 4.5 from 4,328 ratings. Reviews use it on bike parts around 32–36 mm. The worm can run open, and the serrated side marks a finished nut.
You have one furniture bolt you can see, and you do not need a ring end. The SOL six-piece double-ended set is about £4.79, with 4.2 from 251 ratings, pairing 6–17 mm. A highlight says combination. The title says double ended. Reviews say the jaws slip on a seized or high-torque bolt.
The top pick is the Hilka 11-piece metric combination set at about £8.68, with 4.5 from 3,955 amazon.co.uk ratings and a score of 73. That is the highest score in this set. The bullets skip 7, 9 and 16 mm, and reviews include packs that duplicate one size and omit another, so you still count the packet. The best value is the SOL 6-piece double-ended metric set at about £4.79. Hilka and SOL both score 12 on the value part. Hilka already takes the top score, so SOL takes best value. Reviewers report jaws that slip, and one highlight says combination while the title says double ended. Neither badge is a measured check of jaw accuracy.
SOL 6-piece double-ended metric set
Value part 12, matching the top pick, so the method gives best value here, at about £4.79 for six metric open spanners.
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.
Public UK and standards sources listed below, as used in the digest. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures dated 19 October 2026, not a fresh check on 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the product file on 19 October 2026, not a fresh check on 22 October 2026. We did not lab-test these spanners.
