Router table buying guide
Updated: 21 October 2026
You already own a handheld router, and a narrow beading keeps tipping on the bench. A router table buying guide is the order of checks before you spend, because the box mounts that router and does not include a motor. UK mains and the insert plate come before the fence. Prices for the five amazon.co.uk listings stay on the [router table comparison](/hub/routers/router-table). Peter F. read those listings and the makers' UK pages on 19 October 2026, with no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You already own a handheld router, and a narrow beading keeps tipping on the bench. A router table buying guide is the order of checks before you spend, because the box mounts that router and does not include a motor.
You already own a handheld router, and a narrow beading keeps tipping on the bench. A router table buying guide is the order of checks before you spend, because the box mounts that router and does not include a motor. UK mains and the insert plate come before the fence. Prices for the five amazon.co.uk listings stay on the router table comparison. Peter F. read those listings and the makers' UK pages on 19 October 2026, with no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Voltage | Router fit | NVR in box | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Trend Trend CRT/MK3 | 240 V | Trend; others drill | Yes | 9.0 | about £258.55 | View offer |
| Best value |  Charnwood Charnwood W012 | 240 V | 1/4 in, drill plate | Not in box | 8.0 | about £88.50 | View offer |
 Trend Trend WRT | 240 V | DeWalt named in reviews | Yes | 8.6 | about £349.44 | View offer |
On this page
What a router table adds
A table holds the router underneath so the cutter sticks up through an insert plate and you move the timber past the bit. Use it when a strip is too narrow for a handheld base, or when the same moulding has to repeat. It is not a spindle moulder. None of the five tables here includes a router, so the plate stays empty until your own machine is bolted on.
On a wide board the handheld can still be the easier pass. Mounting and the right-to-left feed are on the how to use a router table page. Leave any listing that invites a circular saw or a jigsaw into the plate. Once voltage and fit are clear, the best router table page says which of these five to keep.
Voltage and the switch
UK mains are nominally 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. A table marked 240 V for Britain and Ireland uses that same supply. The SKIL SRT1039 in this set states 120 V, which is a different machine. A pin adaptor does not change voltage: Electrical Safety First says a non-dual-voltage tool needs a transformer, not a travel plug, and a 110 V site transformer is not a documented match. Do not fit a UK plug to that SKIL table.
An NVR drops the supply after a power cut so the cutter does not restart when the lights return. The CRT/MK3 and the WRT include one with a UK 13 A plug. The W012 does not, because Charnwood sells the W026 separately. If voltage is blank, as on the BOXURN listing, get the rating in writing before you pay. A blank field is not 230 V.
Router fit and the insert plate
Measure the base before you trust the top. Charnwood allows about 190 mm across the face plate and about 260 mm under the W012, for a 1/4 inch router and cutters around 35 mm, not a heavy 1/2 inch body. That plate is not pre-drilled. You drill the holes yourself, which is a poor surprise if you expected the router to drop in on a Saturday.
Trend plates suit many Trend routers, and UK CRT reviews also cite a DeWalt DWE625. BOXURN claims about 6 inches (152 mm). US review text in the capture describes a friction mount rather than screws, and that text is not a UK test. If your base is larger than the stated plate, leave the table. An above-table adjuster on the 120 V SKIL listing does not fix either problem.
Fence, hold-downs, and dust
The fence has to stay square to a flush plate, with cheeks that close on the cutter and a featherboard, finger boards, or clamps to hold the wood. Both Trend tables state a 68 mm fence, seven insert rings, a mitre fence, finger boards, a lead-on pin, and a push stick. The W012 adds clamps and a featherboard on a smaller, lighter fence. A wide gap lets a narrow strip dip. US notes on the BOXURN capture mention a loose fence, and those notes are not British reviews.
Trend's outlet is 57 mm and Charnwood's is 40 mm, so the hose should push on or you need a reducer you already own. The port does not prove a workplace dust standard, and a household vacuum is not that standard. The duty is on the router table dust and safety page.
Size and format
Bench and floor-standing tables use different rooms. The W012 is about 430 x 400 mm and about 8 kg, light enough to lift off when the car needs the garage. Trend's CRT/MK3 page gives 610 x 405 x 26 mm, 410 mm high, and 13.6 kg. Amazon's line of about 1 kg does not match that page, so take the maker's weight. That shop figure is a data error, not a table you can carry one-handed.
The WRT stands on the floor at about 27.5 kg, with a top stated as 804 x 604 mm. You stand at the fence and give up the floor. A bench is enough for short beading on a 1/4 inch router that fits the plate. Move to the floor model when the mouldings are long and the router is a 1/2 inch body.
Common questions
Do I need a 240 V router table for a UK garage?
Yes. A UK garage socket is nominal 230 V with a BS 1363 plug, and a table marked 240 V is meant for that supply. The SKIL SRT1039 states 120 V, so it is not the same machine. A travel adaptor does not convert voltage. Buy a 240 V table unless a competent person has named a transformer for that 120 V unit.
Will my router base fit the insert plate?
Only if the base is no wider than the stated plate and the motor hangs in the stated height. The W012 limits are about 190 mm across and about 260 mm underneath, which points at a 1/4 inch router. Trend plates suit many Trend routers, and some UK buyers have used a DeWalt DWE625, but the holes must still line up. If the base is larger, choose another table.
Is the plate pre-drilled for my router?
Often no. The W012 plate is blank, and you drill your own pattern. Trend plates match many Trend routers, not every brand on a UK bench. A universal claim in the title is not a drilling diagram. Seat the router with the power off before you fit a cutter.
What does a no-volt release switch do?
It switches off when the mains fails, so the router stays off when power returns instead of spinning up on its own. Trend fits one on the CRT/MK3 and the WRT, with a UK 13 A plug. The W012 needs the separate W026. The switch does not make a 120 V table safe on UK mains, and it is not a dust grade.
What dust port size matches my vacuum hose?
Use the diameter printed for that table. Trend states 57 mm and Charnwood states 40 mm. Measure the cuff on the hose you already own before you assume it will push on. A reducer can join a different hose, though the extra joint can leak. The number does not say whether a household vacuum is enough at home or at work.
Does the listing include a router?
No. None of the five amazon.co.uk listings includes a router, a collet, or a cutter. You are buying the top, the plate, and the fence parts named on that page. If the router is still to buy, check its voltage and base first. An empty plate is not a working tool.
Is a benchtop table enough, or do I need a floor-standing model?
A benchtop is enough for short mouldings if the router fits and you can lift the top away. The W012 is about 430 x 400 mm and 8 kg. Choose the floor-standing WRT, about 804 x 604 mm and 27.5 kg, when you want to stand at a larger fence and leave it set up. If you must clear the garage each evening, the smaller bench is the one that fits.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, used for this page in October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are from the five amazon.co.uk listings captured on 19 October 2026. HSE dust limits and PUWER apply at work. They are not a certificate for a domestic table.
- HSE, Wood dust (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, WD5 Routers (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- legislation.gov.uk, PUWER 1998 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Trend, CRT/MK3 240 V (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Trend, The fixed router (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Charnwood, W012 bench top router table (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Wealden, Safe use of a router (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First, Travel advice (retrieved 19 October 2026)