We tested eight of the highest-rated glue guns on the market to find one for home projects and crafting. We’ve selected the Cobiz – CZGLUEGUN001 as the best glue gun overall because of its comfortable grip and adjustable heat. We also chose the Chandler Tool – CT25 as the best glue gun for smaller craft projects. This mini glue gun has a solid resting stand and the most comfortable trigger of the mini glue guns we tested.
We tested eight of the highest-rated glue guns on the market to find one for home projects and crafting. We’ve selected the Cobiz – CZGLUEGUN001 as the best glue gun overall because of its comfortable grip and adjustable heat. We also chose the Chandler Tool – CT25 as the best glue gun for smaller craft projects. This mini glue gun has a solid resting stand and the most comfortable trigger of the mini glue guns we tested.
How we tested
We tested our eight finalists by seeing how well they performed in gluing together different materials, such as poster board, cardboard, wood, Foamiran, polyester, muslin, plastic beads and glass. We used the same brand of glue stick for each test, but we also analyzed the coloration, strength and consistency of the glue sticks that were included with each gun.
When we began testing, we thought that a short heat time would be an important factor. As it turned out, faster was not always better. The guns that heated fastest actually performed worst because they had more glue bubbles at the start of usage. These glue bubbles disrupted the uniformity of the glue lines and smoothness of the glue flow coming out of the gun. However, when given a full five minutes to heat up, all of our glue guns produced a consistent glue flow.
Important features to consider
Wattage: Glue guns typically range from 25-100 watts. High-wattage glue guns are hotter and usually larger than lower-wattage guns. The more heat the glue gun uses the longer it will take the glue to set, but the stronger the bond will be. This means that high-wattage glue guns are better for household repairs, while low-wattage glue guns are better for crafting.
Cord Length: A long cord greatly increases a glue gun’s maneuverability. Our finalists’ cords ranged from 40-59 inches. We found that any length shorter than 54 inches was constraining.
Stand: When using an extremely hot tool, you want it to be stable when you set it down. Glue guns that had an elongated-handle base were sturdier than those that just relied on a small metal clip under the tip.
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Best Overall: Cobiz - CZGLUEGUN001
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The Cobiz – CZGLUEGUN001 has the most comfortable grip, easily adjustable heat settings and sturdy construction. This industrial-looking glue gun provided a steady stream of glue that was handy for both crafting and quick household repairs. The Cobiz’s tip was fine enough to use for smaller craft projects such as making Foamiran flowers, and the glue was strong enough to adhere two 2 x 2 wood pieces together.
The Cobiz can be adjusted from 60 watts for crafting projects to 100 watts for creating a more solid bond. Its grip was also by far the comfiest of our finalists because of perfectly placed finger indents on the trigger. The glue sticks included with othe Cobiz were slightly cloudier than the perfectly translucent glue sticks included with the Chandler or Ad-Tech. When we bedazzled wine glasses with silver plastic beads, the Cobiz’s cloudy glue could be seen on the surface of the glass. You will most likely need to buy supplemental glue sticks, so we recommend using the perfectly clear Ad-Tech glue sticks to make sure the glue is not noticeable, especially if you work with glass. Read more…
The Cobiz comes with a two-year warranty, which was unique among our finalists. It’s reasonably priced at about $20, and we found it to be one of the toughest, most versatile and easiest-to-use glue guns available.
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Best for Crafting: Chandler Tool - CT25
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If you’re looking for a smaller glue gun for crafting projects, the Chandler Tool – CT25 has a sturdy stand, steady glue flow and easy maneuverability. The usefulness of the Chandler’s extended handle stand can not be overstated, as it made setting the gun down much simpler and more secure than any of our other finalists, with the exception of the larger Chandler Tool – CT60. The Chandler also easily fit into our tester’s hand, and its trigger was comfortable to press with multiple fingers.
The Chandler’s included glue sticks were remarkably translucent, making it well suited for projects with glass. Because of its small size and comfortable handling, the Chandler was also the easiest of our glue guns to use with precise crafting projects, such as making Foamiran flowers. We were also surprised that this little glue gun was able to securely adhere 2 x 2 wood pieces together.
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TopElek
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The TopElek – 20-watt glue gun was the smallest and lightest glue gun we tested. Our testers found it very comfortable to use for small craft projects, and it was easy to control in making very thin and uniform glue lines. However, the TopElek leaked more than our other guns while heating up, and its included glue sticks were cloudier than the Chandler’s or Ad-Tech’s glue sticks.
The TopElek also ranked lower in usability than our top picks because of its shorter cord and less balanced stand. When using this glue gun to make foamiran flowers and decorate wine glasses, it fell over almost every time we put it down, making a bit of a mess.
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Chandler Tool - CT60
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As with the mini Chandler Tool glue gun, the full-size Chandler Tool – CT60 has a sturdy stand, a uniform glue flow and a comfortable handle. This 60-watt glue gun is a solid choice that worked especially well with wood and fabric.
It ranked slightly lower in comfort and usability than the Cobiz because of its simpler grip and lack of multiple heat settings. It also did not rank as high as the Chandler Tool – CT25 for smaller crafting projects because its larger size made it more unwieldy.
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AdTech - Mini Hi-Temp
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The Ad-Tech – Mini Hi-Temp was less comfortable and harder to squeeze than our other finalists. This small glue gun’s trigger was so tiny that only one finger could fit on it, and we had to provide a fair amount of pressure for glue to come out. However, we found that the glue sticks that came with the AdTech – Mini were crystal clear and very high quality.
During our testing, the Ad-Tech was difficult to balance when setting down. This was the least-expensive glue gun we tested, and it showed in the overall quality of this cheaply made, plastic gun.
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Manelord
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We were initially excited about the Manelord – 100-watt glue gun’s extra-large colored glue sticks. However, after first using the black glue stick, it took more than five clear glue sticks to completely remove the blackish discoloration from the glue.
The Manelord’s small cord measures only 40 inches, making the gun difficult to maneuver. We rated its handle comfort as only average because it lacks finger divots on the trigger. This 100-watt glue gun is very large and hot, which made it ill-suited for smaller crafting projects.
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Blusmart
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The 20-watt Blusmart is a simple, small glue gun that was easy to control. However, when inserting a new glue stick, we had to push it through the chamber for the first three trigger presses, unlike other glue guns that needed just one trigger press. The Bluesmart’s comfort ranked as only average because its trigger had no finger divots. Also the Blusmart was not as easy to balance as the Chandler Tool – CT25.
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PROKleber
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We don’t recommend the 100-watt PROkleber for small crafting projects. It’s larger, heavier and less comfortable than the other guns we tested, and its glue stream was so fast that it created glue spots rather than uniform lines. Because it’s so unwieldy, it would be easy to burn yourself when working with delicate materials. The PROkleber was the only finalist that had a zip-up carrying case. However, this bonus was not enough to justify buying this gun over the more useful — and our top pick — Cobiz – CZGLUEGUN001.