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Bosch orbital sander buying guide

Updated: 21 October 2026

You are about to sand a door, a dresser or a run of painted wood, and the amazon.co.uk search has already mixed two different tools into one name. A Bosch orbital sander buying guide has to split a round random-orbit pad from a sheet orbital, a 125 mm disc from a 150 mm disc, and a green 18 V battery from a blue one, before the star rating is useful. Prices here are amazon.co.uk shelf prices on 19 October 2026. Peter F. compared the eight kept listings. This is not a lab test, and a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The full table sits on the [Bosch orbital sander](/hub/sanders/bosch-orbital-sander) comparison.

You are about to sand a door, a dresser or a run of painted wood, and the amazon.co.uk search has already mixed two different tools into one name.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch GEX 18V-125 (L-BOXX)

Best overall

Bosch Bosch GEX 18V-125 (L-BOXX)
9.6/10about £145
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Bosch Bosch GSS 18V-13

Rank 2

Bosch Bosch GSS 18V-13
9.4/10about £227.91
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Bosch Bosch PEX 220 A

Best value

Bosch Bosch PEX 220 A
9.0/10about £48.49
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On this page
  1. 1.Random orbit or a sheet orbital
  2. 2.125 mm, 150 mm, and the orbit
  3. 3.Cable, POWER FOR ALL, or Professional 18 V
  4. 4.What the box should contain

Random orbit or a sheet orbital

The PEX 220 A, the PEX 400 AE, the EasyOrbit 18V-10, the UniversalOrbit 18V-20 and both GEX 18V-125 listings are round random-orbit tools. The GSS 18V-13 is a sheet orbital with three plates: 80 x 130 mm, a delta of 100 x 150 mm, and 113 x 101 mm. Choose the GSS when the job is a corner, a moulding return or a cabinet door with a frame you cannot reach with a 125 mm disc. The GSS listing is £227.91 without a battery.

125 mm, 150 mm, and the orbit

The UniversalOrbit Amazon file leaves the pad diameter blank. The Bosch DIY page states 125 mm, so treat that as the maker figure. The only 150 mm pad is the corded GEX 34-150, at £200.00 and 2.89 kg, with 3.7 from 35 reviews. Orbit figures come from Bosch UK pages, not from the Amazon raw files. The EasyOrbit is 2 mm and the GSS is 1.6 mm. The PEX 220 A, the UniversalOrbit and the GEX 18V-125 are 2.5 mm. The GEX 34-150 catalogue card is 4 mm. The PEX 400 AE is 5 mm. Cable versus battery is on Bosch cordless or corded orbital sander.
Bosch Bosch GEX 18V-125 (L-BOXX)

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch GEX 18V-125 (L-BOXX)
9.6/10about £145
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Cable, POWER FOR ALL, or Professional 18 V

Every cordless listing here is a bare tool. A £69.00 EasyOrbit is not cheaper than a £48.49 PEX 220 A once you add a pack and a charger you do not own. Green tools, the EasyOrbit and the UniversalOrbit, take POWER FOR ALL batteries. Blue tools, the GEX 18V-125 and the GSS 18V-13, take Bosch Professional 18 V or AMPShare. The POWER FOR ALL alliance says those systems stay separate. If you own neither, a corded PEX plugs into a 13 A socket. Amazon says 240 V on the PEX 220 A and the GEX 34-150, and 220 V on the PEX 400 AE. Use the rating plate. On a cordless tool the charger is the plug.

What the box should contain

The PEX 220 A includes three Red Wood sheets. The EasyOrbit and the UniversalOrbit include one K80 sheet each, plus paper assistant 2 609 004 646. The GEX listings include one C430 sheet at grit 120. The GSS includes three C470 sheets and a hole punch. The PEX 400 AE included-components field only says 1, so the sheet count is not stated. The GEX solo, ASIN B093TCNYR6 at £109.98, has no L-BOXX. The GEX with L-BOXX 136, ASIN B093H12667 at £145.00, is the same sander plus the case. Indoor wood dust is on Bosch sander dust extraction.

Common questions

Is a Bosch orbital sander the same as a random orbit sander?
In this set, usually, and not always. The PEX and GEX models are random-orbit tools with a round pad. The GSS 18V-13 is a sheet orbital with rectangular and delta plates. Searching “Bosch orbital sander” on amazon.co.uk returns both. Read the Type row on the comparison before you treat a star rating as a like-for-like score.
Should a first Bosch sander be 125 mm?
For a dresser, a door you can reach, and no battery platform yet, a 125 mm corded tool is the usual first buy in this list. The PEX 220 A is £48.49 with 4.5 from 4,335 reviews. Move to 150 mm only if you specifically want the GEX 34-150 pad, and check the carton. A larger orbit, on the PEX 400 AE, is a different step from a larger pad.
Will a green 18 V battery run a GEX?
No. Green POWER FOR ALL packs run the EasyOrbit and the UniversalOrbit. The GEX 18V-125 and the GSS 18V-13 take Professional 18 V packs. The two systems are not interchangeable. If your only batteries are green, a blue body will sit in the box until you buy a second platform.
Which models list a speed dial?
The UniversalOrbit bullets say electronic speed selection. The PEX 400 AE title says variable speed. The PEX 220 A listing does not include a dial, and reviewers mention that gap. The GEX Amazon bullets in this set do not state a dial, so do not import that feature from a Bosch page into an order that does not print it.
What has to be added to a bare-tool price?
A matching battery and a charger with a BS 1363 plug, unless you already own that platform. Sheets beyond the one or three in the carton, and a vacuum if you are sanding wood indoors. The L-BOXX is included only on the GEX listing B093H12667 and on the GSS. The solo GEX does not include it.
What should I check on the GEX 34-150 carton?
The listing names an auxiliary handle and a dust box. Several UK reviews say those parts were missing while the photo still showed them. Compare the carton with the included-components line on the day it arrives. The listing weight is 2.89 kg and the voltage field says 240 V. Do not substitute a lighter weight or a 110 V supply from a different order number.

Related pages

Best Bosch orbital sander

Bosch orbital sander

Bosch cordless or corded orbital sander: which to buy

Bosch sander dust extraction: hose, holes and mask

How to use a Bosch orbital sander without swirl marks

Sources

Sources taken from the research digest. Prices, stars and review counts are the stored amazon.co.uk listing figures.

  1. Bosch DIY — PEX 220 A (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. Bosch DIY — PEX 400 AE (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Bosch DIY — EasyOrbit 18V-10 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. Bosch DIY — UniversalOrbit 18V-20 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. Bosch Professional — GEX 18V-125 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. Bosch Professional — GSS 18V-13 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. HSE — cutting and sanding wood (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. POWER FOR ALL — battery FAQ (retrieved 19.10.2026)