Electric screwdriver for furniture

Updated: October 2026

A flat-pack wardrobe is leaning against the hallway wall, the instructions show forty screws and a dozen cam locks, and panel one is chipboard.

A flat-pack wardrobe is leaning against the hallway wall, the instructions show forty screws and a dozen cam locks, and panel one is chipboard. An electric screwdriver for furniture is usually the right tool, as long as you use a bit that fits, start on a low setting and finish each cam by hand. An 18 V drill can send a screw through a particle-board insert on the first panel. This page follows that one job. For named tools and prices, see the electric screwdriver comparison. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Our top picks

Badge	Product	Torque	Clutch	Angle head	Note	Price	Offer
Best overall	Bosch Bosch IXO 7	5.5 Nm	Not numbered	Yes	8.5	about £41.90	View offer
Best value	HYCHIKA HYCHIKA SD-4F	6 Nm	Not numbered	No	7.8	about £17.89	View offer
	Amazon Basics Amazon Basics by SKIL	5 Nm	3 steps	No	7.9	about £20.99	View offer

Best overall

Bosch Bosch IXO 7

8.5/10about £41.90

View offer

Best value

HYCHIKA HYCHIKA SD-4F

7.8/10about £17.89

View offer

Rank 3

Amazon Basics Amazon Basics by SKIL

7.9/10about £20.99

View offer

On this page

1.Why flat-pack is a screwdriver job
2.The bit has to match the fitting
3.Start low and finish the cam by hand
4.Reach inside a carcass

Why flat-pack is a screwdriver job

Most UK flat-pack, the kind sold by IKEA, Argos and B&Q, is chipboard or MDF with every hole already drilled. HOTO's UK article makes the same split: a screwdriver for pre-drilled furniture, and a drill only for pilot holes or masonry. HOTO sells screwdrivers, so treat that pitch with care. Chipboard grips a thread weakly, and an overtightened hole lets the screw spin. This set prints 3–6 Nm where a figure is given, and particle board can strip at the top of that range. A 4 × 16 mm screw on a drawer runner needs only a little force. Shelves on brick belong on electric screwdriver vs cordless drill.

The bit has to match the fitting

Flat-pack uses several fixings in one box. Chipboard screws are usually Pozidriv, often PZ2, and some are Phillips. Connecting bolts and some cams take a metric Allen-style hex head, sized to the key in the furniture box. First Home Manual frames a small cordless screwdriver with hex bits as enough for pre-drilled flat-pack. One UK review of the Amazon Basics screwdriver says its hex bits are imperial, and an imperial bit can round a metric bolt. Flatpackadvice.co.uk names the wrong screw in the wrong hole as the main mistake, so lay the screws out by type before you start.

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch IXO 7

8.5/10about £41.90

View offer

Start low and finish the cam by hand

If the screwdriver has a clutch, set the lowest step and move up only when a screw stops short of flush. Flatpackadvice.co.uk says start low and work upwards. Numbered steps are not comparable between brands. Fanttik's own furniture guidance of roughly 1–4 Nm is the manufacturer's guide, not an independent UK test. The HYCHIKA, the Bosch IXO, the BLACK+DECKER and the MQFORU listings show no numbered clutch, so use short bursts as the head nears the surface. The cam disc rounds off under power. Drive the bolts, then turn each cam the last half-turn by hand. Direction and charging sit on how to use an electric screwdriver.

Reach inside a carcass

An inline stick fits inside a narrow carcass. A pistol grip needs more room. Folding handles, on the HYCHIKA, the Draper and both MQFORU kits, switch between the two. The Bosch IXO Amazon Edition and the Fanttik include an angle head, so you can reach a screw facing sideways inside a drawer box. Without one, driving at an angle is how a bit slips. UK reviews describe flat-pack work on these sticks, and several add that they are not for building sites. The best cordless screwdriver page names a top pick and a best value. We compared listings and public UK reviews. We did not assemble furniture in a lab.

Common questions

Is an electric screwdriver enough for a flat-pack wardrobe?

For pre-drilled flat-pack made from chipboard or MDF, yes. An electric screwdriver with 3–6 Nm of torque drives the screws and bolts without the risk of stripping that a powerful drill brings. You still need the right bits, a low starting setting and a hand tool for the final turn of each cam lock. New holes in a wall need a drill.

What setting should I use on a cam lock?

Use the lowest clutch setting or a gentle trigger, and finish the cam by hand. Cam discs round off easily under power. Numbered settings are not comparable between brands, and Fanttik's own guidance of roughly 1–4 Nm for furniture fittings is the manufacturer's advice rather than an independent test. Stop as soon as resistance builds.

Should the cam lock disc be turned with the electric screwdriver?

It is safer not to turn it fully under power. A cam disc pulls the connecting bolt tight, and its slot rounds off quickly if the bit slips. Many people drive the bolts with the electric screwdriver and then turn each cam the last half-turn with a manual screwdriver. That protects the part that is hardest to replace.

Do I need hex bits as well as Pozidriv?

Usually, yes. Flat-pack screws are often Pozidriv, commonly PZ2, while connecting bolts and some fittings take a metric hex head. A kit with PZ2, PH2 and a couple of metric hex bits covers most furniture. Check the sizes against the Allen key supplied with your furniture.

Will a drill do the same job faster?

A drill will drive screws faster, but speed is the problem on chipboard. A combi drill delivers far more torque than a 3–6 Nm screwdriver and can strip an insert or push a screw through a panel before you react. Use a drill for new holes in walls, not for pre-drilled furniture.

What if the hex bits in my kit are imperial?

Imperial hex bits can sit loosely in metric furniture bolts and round them off. One UK review of the Amazon Basics screwdriver reports imperial hex bits in that kit. If yours are imperial, use the metric Allen key supplied with the furniture, or buy a small set of metric hex bits that match it.

Mixing up Pozidriv and Phillips