Hand-Held, Electric or Pneumatic: What Type of Staple Gun is Best for Upholstery?
Upholstery is an old and beautiful craft that allows you to give a new life to all kinds of furniture. In this article, we will give you an overview of one of the most basic tools in upholstery: the staple gun. You’ll undoubtedly require one for your projects, and there are a few different options to consider before beginning.
The three kinds of staplers you can use are hand-held, electric, and pneumatic, and all of them have unique considerations! Having the correct tools for the scope of your project will absolutely help your project be successful (and enjoyable)! This blog post will explore the benefits, associated costs, and other tips surrounding the three options.
Hand-held staple guns are the most basic option and serve as a fantastic starting point. However, if you continue upholstering, you might discover that you require the power of other tools.
Benefits & Costs
A hand-held gun is a great entry point into upholstery for many reasons. They will allow you to complete basic projects, but as the name suggests, they rely on manual force. This may prevent you from embarking on projects that require more power. Using manual force is perfectly doable for a few projects, but using that elbow grease may be exhausting if you’re driving tens of thousands of staples every week or have a weaker grip. If you are using a hand-held gun but need a tiny bit more force for a certain material, you may need to use a small hammer to drive the staples in all the way.
Additionally, compared to other options, a hand-held stapler has less of a barrier to entry in terms of cost, as it is the most affordable option on this list and a solid option for those looking to keep it simple. You won’t have to invest too much right off the bat—you may even already have one. If you have a specific project in mind—reupholstering an ottoman, for example—a manual hand-held staple gun will work perfectly fine.
One of the most significant advantages of manual staple guns is their wire-free design, allowing you to tackle tasks anywhere, from indoor projects to outdoor renovations, without the hassle of hunting for a nearby plug socket. This versatility grants you the freedom to work on projects wherever inspiration strikes, without being tethered to an electrical outlet.
As far as specific costs go, hand-held guns generally cost between £20 and £70. You will also need to buy appropriate staples for your project.
Next, we have the electric staple gun, which can be seen as a sort of middle option.
Benefits & Costs of Electric Staple Guns
Electric staple guns require less manual effort than hand-held staple guns because, of course, they use electricity to power the gun. By clicking a button, you can insert staples with increased ease and precision. Additionally, you can use a cordless electric gun around the house.
Cost-wise, there is a huge variance, with the cheaper ones being very affordable. They can range from around £80 to around £200 and up. However, there is naturally a wide range in quality, and going for the cheapest electric gun may not serve you in the long run. The cheaper ones tend to fall short on quality, and the more expensive ones are similar in pricing to a cheaper pneumatic gun (more on that below). Many seasoned upholsterers will steer you towards the pneumatic option over the electric option if you’re looking for a non-manual gun. That being said, electric guns may serve you well as you’re getting into upholstery as a nice in-between option.
Let’s wrap up with the option that many professional and hobby upholsterers opt for: the pneumatic staple gun. These guns use compressed air to drive staples into your material, making them more powerful than the previous two options. You will need to purchase both a gun and an air compressor.
There are tons of reasons why many see this as the best option, but the underlying point is that pneumatic guns are the most well-designed specifically for upholstery. If you have done some projects with a hand-held or electric gun and discovered that they fall short, it is probably time to get a pneumatic staple gun. You won’t regret it, and having one will open up so many project possibilities.
Benefits of Pneumatic Staple Guns
Pneumatic guns are both more powerful and versatile. If you’re doing regular projects, having that increased power will make your life easier.
They are also versatile, as they come in short and long noses. A long nose allows you to get into awkward or hard-to-reach corners of your project, so if you are looking to just have one to start, we’d go for the long nose! If you have both noses, you can tackle pretty much any project. Additionally, using an air compressor with a regulator will let you adjust the amount of power to accommodate the material you’re using for increased versatility.
Associated Costs of Pneumatic Staple Guns
Pneumatic staple guns will be the highest-cost option on this list, partly because they require an air compressor to operate. However, as we mentioned, a lower-end pneumatic gun and air compressor can be of good quality and run you about the same cost as a more expensive electric gun.
Regarding air compressors—don’t let the concept scare you! You don’t need a massive fancy air compressor. One that gives your stapler 70–100 PSI will work just fine. With that amount of pressure, staplers will effectively go into harder materials. Air compressors come at a wide range of price points. The less expensive ones are generally louder, so you should consider your workspace and wear ear protection for these models. The more expensive ones are quieter.
Cost-wise, the gun itself can range from £60 to several hundred. Air compressors can range similarly. Beginners can get a decent set for under £350. You will also need to buy the staples for your project (and proper gear, like eyeglasses and hearing protection).
