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Router insert plate: the checks before you buy

Updated: October 2026

You already own a router, and the table top is either MDF on the bench or still a sketch. The next purchase is a router insert plate, and titles that say universal hide the footprint, the thickness, and the hole pattern. Those three have to match the router you own and the top you are about to cut. The [router insert plate comparison](/hub/routers/router-insert-plate) is the table of the twelve amazon.co.uk listings. Figures are shelf extracts and named UK shop pages as of 16 October 2026, from the Products Compared editorial team, not a lab test.

You already own a router, and the table top is either MDF on the bench or still a sketch. The next purchase is a router insert plate, and titles that say universal hide the footprint, the thickness, and the hole pattern.

Our top picks

Trend Trend RTI/PLATE/A

Best overall

Trend Trend RTI/PLATE/A
8.1/10about £65.99
View offer
SavingBird SavingBird 235×120

Best value

SavingBird SavingBird 235×120
7.3/10about £12.85
View offer
CISSIYOG CISSIYOG lift kit

Rank 3

CISSIYOG CISSIYOG lift kit
5.9/10about £42.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the router, not the star rating
  2. 2.Two full-size footprints, and the small plates in this set
  3. 3.Thickness, cutter height, and a stated weight limit
  4. 4.Hole patterns you can check
  5. 5.Rings, bushes, and what to leave for another page

Start with the router, not the star rating

The router you already own decides the plate. A trim router in the Makita RT0700C or RT0702 class is a different purchase from a full-size machine such as a Trend T11 or a DeWalt of that size. A line that says “most routers” usually means a small hole pattern.

Two full-size footprints, and the small plates in this set

“Standard plate” is two sizes in UK shops. The alloy plate in this comparison, Trend RTI/PLATE/A, is 305.8 × 229 × 6.35 mm, pre-drilled for the T11 and the TBC, at £65.99 on amazon.co.uk. A 235 × 120 mm plate cannot carry a full-size router, though the title may say universal.
Trend Trend RTI/PLATE/A

Testsieger

Trend Trend RTI/PLATE/A
8.1/10about £65.99
View offer

Thickness, cutter height, and a stated weight limit

The 6.35 mm Trend RTI/PLATE/A, on a footprint near 306 × 229 mm, is a different decision from a 5 mm plate on a 240 × 200 mm footprint. The shorter plate does not inherit the 8 kg and 200 mm base limits D&M Tools lists for that alloy plate.

Hole patterns you can check

Mounting holes are not one British pattern. Wealden says many ready-drilled plates follow an Elu, DeWalt, and Trend 6 mm family. Printed figures here include 62 × 70 mm on SavingBird, plus 70 × 60 mm and 85 × 85 mm. If aluminium holes miss, drill a fresh pattern and leave the originals round.

Rings, bushes, and what to leave for another page

A reducing ring supports the wood and shrinks the opening. A guide bush follows a template and is sold on its own. Trend’s phenolic RTI/PLATE lists rings at 98 mm, 68 mm, and 32 mm. Plastic rings in UK comments sit proud, fit loosely, or, on one lift kit, lift into the cutter. Which listing suits which job is on the best router insert plate page.

Common questions

What footprint do I need?
Measure the base, then choose a plate larger than that base that still fits the top. Full-size shop plates sit near 306 × 229 mm or 298 × 235 mm. Compact plates here are about 235 × 120 mm or 240 × 200 mm, and a 120 mm square is a mini plate. If the base overhangs, the footprint is wrong, though the title may say universal.
How thick should the plate be?
Choose a thickness you can rebate into the top, and use a stated weight limit where the maker gives one. The alloy Trend RTI/PLATE/A is 6.35 mm. The phenolic RTI/PLATE is 9.5 mm, and the Rutlands plate is 10 mm. A 5 mm plate on a 240 × 200 mm footprint does not inherit an 8 kg limit from the larger plates. A thin plate earns the rebate only while the router stays inside that stated limit.
Are router mounting holes standard?
No single pattern covers UK routers. Ready-drilled plates often follow an Elu, DeWalt, and Trend family, and a Freud-style base can still miss. DeWalt’s DCW600B is 61 × 61 mm without the base plate and 32 × 80 mm with it. Printed pitches here include 62 × 70 mm, 70 × 60 mm, and 85 × 85 mm. Measure your base before you trust “fits DeWalt”.
Do I need reducing rings or a guide bush?
You need a reducing ring when the opening is larger than the cutter and the wood would drop into the hole. A guide bush follows a template, and you buy one only if you run templates. Phenolic Trend rings are 98, 68, and 32 mm. Rutlands rings are 50 and 35 mm. If a plastic ring sits proud or can lift into the cutter, keep it off a finished pass.
Can I drill a blank plate?
Drill a blank when you have the router’s hole drawing and the plate is aluminium, or a phenolic blank sold for drilling. Trend’s phenolic RTI/PLATE is user-drilled. The alloy RTI/PLATE/A is already drilled for the T11 and the TBC, so a blank suits you only if your router sits outside that pair. If the holes miss, drill a new pattern and keep the originals round. A slot that lets the router creep is a reason to stop.
When is a lift the wrong purchase?
A lift here is a collar for a 64–66 mm motor, with about 51 mm of stated travel. It is the wrong purchase for a full-size plunge router, or when the motor sits outside that band, or when it will not hold height in the cut. A trim router that needs a screw pattern and flush rings still wants a plate. If the router stays on only because the holes are slotted, stop and refit it or send it back.
What should I refuse to assume about fit and dust?
A title is not a fit. Treat a listing as suitable only when that listing and a check of your base both say so. These extracts show no British Standard for an insert plate, and no UKCA or GS mark. At work, COSHH limits hardwood dust to 3 mg/m³ and softwood to 5 mg/m³ over eight hours, and mixed dust takes 3 mg/m³. A smaller ring is not that control. Unplug before you change the cutter.

Related pages

Trim router insert plate

Aluminium or phenolic

How to fit a router insert plate

Router insert plate

Best router insert plate for the router you already own

Sources

Public UK sources used for the dust, machinery and consumer-safety points on this page. Prices, stars and review counts are from the amazon.co.uk listings in this set, snapshot 16 October 2026.

  1. HSE — Wood dust (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. HSE WIS22 — CNC and hand-fed routing (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. HSE WD5 — Extraction on routers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. General Product Safety Regulations 2005 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK — General Product Safety Regulations 2005, Great Britain (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. Axminster — How to set up your router table (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. D&M Tools — Trend RTI/PLATE/A (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. UK Workshop — Router table insert plates (retrieved 16 October 2026)