Top 6 compared
The best cordless drills
Shelves up, pictures hung and flat-pack built, without borrowing the one from next door.
40 checked · 6 made the cut
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The top 6 at a glance
A cordless drill makes holes and drives screws. A combi drill adds a hammer setting for drilling brick for wall plugs, and that covers most jobs around a home. A simple drill-driver without hammer action is fine for flat-pack and wood, but it isn’t made for brick. Torque, in newton metres, is the twisting force, and a numbered clutch slips before a screw goes in too far.
The battery matters as much as the drill. Most brands’ batteries also fit their other tools, garden kit or vacuums, so a second tool from the same range runs on the same battery. A bigger battery, measured in amp hours (Ah), runs longer between charges.
What matters
- Two batteries, so one charges while the other works.
- Two speed gears, low for screws and high for drilling.
- A keyless chuck, so bits change by hand.
#1RYOBI ONE+ 18V Cordless Combi Drill Kit (2 batteries)
£75–£100
- Two batteries in the box
- Battery runs 100+ Ryobi tools
- Up to 50Nm torque
- No drill bits included
Think of it as the start of a tool kit rather than a one-off drill. The 18V ONE+ battery in this kit also runs Ryobi’s other home and garden tools, so anything added later can be bought as the bare tool. It drills masonry, wood, plastic and metal, and it drives screws too.
What owners say: Owners call it excellent quality, easy to use and strong enough for fixes round the house. Opinions split on the 1.5Ah batteries, which some find run down quickly, and on durability, with a few reporting it broke within six months.
A closer look: The ratcheting chuck clicks as it tightens. Give it a firm twist by hand until it stops, and a masonry bit won’t slip in the chuck when the hammer setting is working on brick. Registering the drill online adds a year to Ryobi’s two-year warranty, so do it when the box is opened.
Best for: Strongest drilling
- Batteries and charger
- 2 × 1.5Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 2
- Drills brick and masonry
- Yes
- Max torque
- 50Nm
- Torque settings
- 24
- Chuck
- 13mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- Ryobi ONE+ (100+ tools)
#2Bosch EasyImpact 18V-38 Cordless Combi Drill (2.5Ah)
£50–£75
- Hammer setting for brick
- High-capacity 2.5Ah battery
- Battery fits 150+ tools
- No drill bits included
Bosch pitches its Easy tools as helpers for small projects, and this combi drill fits that description. It suits shelves, flat-pack and the odd hole in brick. Its battery belongs to the Power for All alliance, so it also fits more than 150 tools from over ten brands.
What owners say: Reliable and straightforward for household jobs, say owners, who like how light it is and how long the battery lasts. Power is the sticking point for some, who say it isn’t the strongest.
A closer look: Its 10mm chuck takes the usual bits for wall plugs and screws, but not the thickest shanks. It handles holes up to 30mm in wood and 10mm in metal. The carry case keeps the drill, battery and charger together, which helps when it lives at the back of a cupboard.
Best for: Case included
- Batteries and charger
- 1 × 2.5Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 2
- Drills brick and masonry
- Yes
- Max torque
- 38Nm
- Torque settings
- 20
- Chuck
- 10mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- Power for All (150+ tools, 10+ brands)
#3BLACK+DECKER 18V Cordless Drill Driver (BCD001C1)
£30–£50
- Battery runs other 18V tools
- Not for brick or masonry
- Single gear, 600rpm top speed
- Slow 3¾-hour charge
It’s made for building furniture and small fixes round the house. It drills up to 25mm in wood and 10mm in metal, and it handles plastic too, but it isn’t made for brick. Its LED lights the work in dark corners and under furniture. The battery also runs BLACK+DECKER’s other 18V POWERCONNECT tools.
What owners say: Excellent for small jobs at home, owners say, liking its compact size, its versatility and the battery life. Power divides them. It has enough for some and too little as a drill for others.
A closer look: Charge the battery the night before a weekend of jobs, as it takes about three and three-quarter hours. Start each screw slowly with a light squeeze of the variable-speed trigger, then press harder once it bites.
Best for: Strongest non-masonry
- Batteries and charger
- 1 × 1.5Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 1
- Drills brick and masonry
- No
- Max torque
- 37Nm
- Torque settings
- 10
- Chuck
- 10mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- BLACK+DECKER 18V range
#4FADAKWALT 12V Cordless Drill Driver (8212)
£20–£30
- Bits and flexible shaft included
- No hammer setting for brick
- Low 20Nm torque
- One gear, 650rpm top speed
Flat-pack, picture hooks and fixes in wood and plastic are the small jobs that come up most, and this 12V drill-driver is made for them. It works one-handed on its rubber grip. The box includes drill bits, a flexible shaft and wall plugs.
What owners say: Not too heavy and practical for little jobs about the home, owners report, and it comes with the bits it needs. Some find it has plenty of power, while others want more.
A closer look: Top speed is 650rpm, so it suits screws and small holes rather than big ones. Drill a pilot hole before driving a long screw into hardwood. The keyless chuck takes bits up to 9.5mm (3/8in).
Best for: Cost friendly
- Batteries and charger
- 1 × 1.3Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 1
- Drills brick and masonry
- No
- Max torque
- 20Nm
- Torque settings
- 21 + drill
- Chuck
- 9.5mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- None named
#5Ginour 21V Brushless Combi Drill (2 batteries)
£50–£75
- Two batteries in the box
- Up to 50Nm torque
- 48-piece accessory kit
Fixing heavy brackets to a brick wall is the kind of job this brushless combi drill’s hammer setting is for. A 48-piece accessory kit is included to get you started. It also takes Makita 18V batteries, which is handy if you already have some in the shed.
What owners say: Plenty of bits and two batteries that last a good while come in the box, and owners rate it powerful and simple to use. Durability is mixed. It feels sturdy to some, while others had one break on first use.
A closer look: The flexible shaft in the kit reaches screws in awkward corners, such as inside a cupboard carcass or behind a door hinge. Before drilling a wall for shelves, run a cheap pipe and cable detector over the spot, and wrap a strip of tape round the bit at the depth the wall plug needs.
Best for: Makita batteries
- Batteries and charger
- 2 × 2.0Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 2
- Drills brick and masonry
- Yes
- Max torque
- 50Nm
- Torque settings
- 23
- Chuck
- 10mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- Takes Makita 18V batteries
#6Terratek 18V Cordless Drill Driver with 13-Piece Kit
£20–£30
- Light at about 1kg
- 13-piece bit set included
- Not for brick or masonry
- Low 18Nm torque
- Single gear, 650rpm top speed
This lightweight 18V drill-driver is kept simple, for flat-pack, hanging pictures and small repairs. It comes with a 13-piece kit of drill and screwdriver bits. It also has an LED work light for the back of a dark cupboard.
What owners say: Light and simple to handle on little household jobs, by owners’ accounts. Battery life splits them, with some saying it doesn’t hold a charge, and several found the kit’s drill bits snapped the first time they were used.
A closer look: It drills up to 20mm in wood and 8mm in steel, and the bit set covers the common screw heads, including the Pozidriv ones used in most flat-pack. The battery takes three to five hours to charge.
Best for: Light to hold
- Batteries and charger
- 1 × 1.3Ah + charger
- Speed gears
- 1
- Drills brick and masonry
- No
- Max torque
- 18Nm
- Torque settings
- 16 + drill
- Chuck
- 10mm keyless
- Battery fits other tools
- None named
Side by side
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 6.
| Feature | #1RYOBI ONE+ R18PD3 kit | #2Bosch EasyImpact 18V-38 | #3BLACK+DECKER BCD001C1 | #4FADAKWALT 12V 8212 | #5Ginour 21V CD1308 | #6Terratek TD18 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best budget | |||||
| Picked Rating | 9.2 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.4 |
| Price | £75–£100 | £50–£75 | £30–£50 | £20–£30 | £50–£75 | £20–£30 |
| Batteries and charger | 2 × 1.5Ah + charger | 1 × 2.5Ah + charger | 1 × 1.5Ah + charger | 1 × 1.3Ah + charger | 2 × 2.0Ah + charger | 1 × 1.3Ah + charger |
| Speed gears | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| Drills brick and masonry | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes | No |
| Max torque | 50Nm | 38Nm | 37Nm | 20Nm | 50Nm | 18Nm |
| Torque settings | 24 | 20 | 10 | 21 + drill | 23 | 16 + drill |
| Chuck | 13mm keyless | 10mm keyless | 10mm keyless | 9.5mm keyless | 10mm keyless | 10mm keyless |
| Battery fits other tools | Ryobi ONE+ (100+ tools) | Power for All (150+ tools, 10+ brands) | BLACK+DECKER 18V range | None named | Takes Makita 18V batteries | None named |
| Best for | Strongest drilling | Case included | Strongest non-masonry | Cost friendly | Makita batteries | Light to hold |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
How we checked these
How 40 became 6
We found 40 cordless drill listings. Three were the same drill again in another colour or with fewer batteries, and 27 were rated too low and/or had too few ratings or sales to compete. That left 10, which we narrowed down step by step:
- Ratings, reviews and salesFor the 10, we then checked the ratings and reviews further, and how many people buy each one. Owners talked most about how long they last, then power, battery life and bits that slip or break. After these checks, we dropped one more.9 left
- Sold newOne was dropped because it was only sold used.8 left
- Features weighed upThe eight left were compared on batteries, torque, torque settings, brick and masonry drilling and whether the battery fits other tools. Once everything was weighed up together, we dropped two more. The #1 has every feature you’d expect from a cordless drill.6 made the cut
- Value for moneyEvery cordless drill here is worth what it costs. A dearer one is only here if it gives you more.
- Safe to buyEvery brand on this list was checked for safety recalls. None of these six drills has one.
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