The best glue guns
Mini guns for cards, wreaths and models, a full-size gun for wood and bigger repairs, and a cordless pen that’s ready in seconds: five compared on stick size, power and heat-up time.
The first choice is the stick. Mini glue guns take 7mm sticks and suit crafts, cards and small fixes, where a fine nozzle and a light gun matter more than volume. Full-size guns take 11mm sticks and push out more glue at once, which bigger jobs on wood, fabric or cardboard need. The two sizes don’t swap, so buy refills to match.
Then power and heat-up. A 30–50W mini is plenty for crafts, while 100W keeps up with long runs of glue. The mains guns here take from about 90 seconds to five minutes to warm up; Bosch’s battery GluePen is ready in 15 seconds, away from any socket. Hot glue has no water or solvent to dry off: it grips as it cools, so press parts together straight away.
What matters
- Stick size: 7mm mini for crafts, 11mm full-size for bigger jobs.
- Power: 30–50W for crafts, 100W for long runs of glue.
- Heat-up time: from 15 seconds to about five minutes.
- Corded or cordless: a cable never needs charging, a battery needs no socket.
#1 of 5
Best overall
Tilswall W101 50W Mini Glue Gun Kit
£14.99 RRP
A 50W mini that holds a steady 165°C and comes with 75 sticks, enough for a good run of cards, decorations and small repairs. The silicone sleeve on the nozzle and the wide stand make it easy to put down mid-job.
What owners say: Owners like how quickly it heats up and how little it drips, and say the fine nozzle suits detailed work.
A closer look: Tilswall’s tip is to squeeze the trigger gently and let the stick melt at its own pace, since pressing hard pushes out more glue than a joint needs. The sticks are the standard 7mm size, so refills are easy to find, and the on/off button saves pulling the plug between jobs.
- 50W, 7mm mini sticks
- 75 glue sticks included
- Ready in about 3 minutes
- Silicone-covered nozzle
- On/off switch and wide stand
Best for: Crafts and small repairs
- Glue sticks
- 7mm (mini)
- Power
- 50W, mains
- Heat-up time
- About 3 minutes
- In the box
- 75 sticks
#2 of 5
Best full-size
BEEWAY 100W Full-Size Hot Glue Gun with Carry Case
£20–£30 Price range
The one for bigger jobs: a 100W gun that takes the thicker 11mm sticks, with an extra-long copper nozzle for reaching into corners and a hard case to keep it all together in the toolbox.
What owners say: Owners like the storage case, how fast it heats up and the long nozzle for tight corners, and say it stays hot through long spells of gluing.
Heads up: It takes the thicker 11mm sticks, so buy full-size refills rather than the 7mm mini ones.
A closer look: Give it the full three to five minutes to warm up before the first squeeze, and rest it on the wire stand between joints so the hot nozzle stays off the bench. A big gun pushes out plenty of glue, so it suits wood, fabric and cardboard boxes better than fine card-making.
- 100W, 11mm full-size sticks
- 30 glue sticks included
- Extra-long copper nozzle
- Hard carry case
- Wire stand
Best for: Wood and bigger repairs
- Glue sticks
- 11mm (full-size)
- Power
- 100W, mains
- Heat-up time
- 3–5 minutes
- In the box
- 30 sticks, carry case
#3 of 5
Best budget
MAXDONE 50W Mini Hot Glue Gun Kit
Under £10 Price range
A 50W mini with a PTC heater that holds its temperature, a light on the switch to show it’s on and a silicone sheath on the nozzle: a simple, low-cost gun for the odd craft project or a quick fix around the house.
What owners say: Owners say it’s hot and ready quickly, and handles small crafts and quick household fixes without fuss; plenty of glue sticks come with it.
A closer look: MAXDONE’s advice is to keep the sticks clean, since dust or grit can block the nozzle, and to leave the last stick in the gun rather than pulling it out after use. A jar or a zip bag keeps the spares tidy between jobs.
- 50W, 7mm mini sticks
- 30 glue sticks included
- Ready in 1–3 minutes
- Power switch with LED
- Silicone nozzle sheath
Best for: Occasional crafts
- Glue sticks
- 7mm (mini)
- Power
- 50W, mains
- Heat-up time
- 1–3 minutes
- In the box
- 30 sticks
#4 of 5
RUNSAI RS601 30W Mini Hot Glue Gun Kit
Under £10 Price range
Ready in about 90 seconds, with a steel ball valve in the nozzle to stop drips and a long 1.5m cable that reaches from the socket to the far end of a table. A good match for wreaths, flower arranging and decorations.
What owners say: Owners like its handy size for model-making, say it’s ready to use in no time, and find plenty of glue sticks in the box.
A closer look: The long cable is the practical bonus: work at a dining table or on the floor with the plug well out of the way. For wreaths and dried flowers, dab glue on the stem, press it into place and hold it still while the glue cools and sets.
- 30W, 7mm mini sticks
- Ready in about 90 seconds
- Anti-drip ball valve nozzle
- 1.5m cable
- 30 glue sticks included
Best for: Wreaths and decorations
- Glue sticks
- 7mm (mini)
- Power
- 30W, mains
- Heat-up time
- About 90 seconds
- In the box
- 30 sticks
#5 of 5
Best cordless
Bosch GluePen Cordless Hot Glue Pen
£46.63 RRP
No cable and ready in 15 seconds: a pen-shaped glue gun with a built-in battery for quick fixes and small crafts wherever they happen. Bosch began in 1886 as Robert Bosch’s small workshop for precision mechanics and electrical engineering in Stuttgart.
What owners say: Owners say it heats up very quickly, and keep it in the toolbox or the craft box for quick jobs away from a socket.
Heads up: Bosch makes its own 7mm UltraPower sticks for it, and a charge melts up to six, so order a pack of refills with it.
A closer look: It switches itself off after ten minutes without use, and draws the glue back into the nozzle when you stop, which keeps drips and strings off the work. The pen shape suits fine jobs such as model repairs and cards; for long beads of glue on bigger jobs, a mains gun copes better.
- Cordless, 3.6V built-in battery
- Ready in 15 seconds
- Up to 6 sticks per charge
- Automatic glue retraction
- Micro USB charger and 4 sticks
Best for: Quick fixes, no cable
- Glue sticks
- 7mm (Bosch UltraPower)
- Power
- 3.6V battery, cordless
- Heat-up time
- 15 seconds
- In the box
- 4 sticks, USB charger
How they compare
| Feature | #1Tilswall W101 | #2BEEWAY 100W | #3MAXDONE 50W | #4RUNSAI RS601 | #5Bosch GluePen |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best full-size | Best budget | Best cordless | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 |
| Price | £14.99 RRP | £20–£30 Price range | Under £10 Price range | Under £10 Price range | £46.63 RRP |
| Glue sticks | 7mm (mini) | 11mm (full-size) | 7mm (mini) | 7mm (mini) | 7mm (Bosch UltraPower) |
| Power | 50W, mains | 100W, mains | 50W, mains | 30W, mains | 3.6V battery, cordless |
| Heat-up time | About 3 minutes | 3–5 minutes | 1–3 minutes | About 90 seconds | 15 seconds |
| In the box | 75 sticks | 30 sticks, carry case | 30 sticks | 30 sticks | 4 sticks, USB charger |
| Best for | Crafts and small repairs | Wood and bigger repairs | Occasional crafts | Wreaths and decorations | Quick fixes, no cable |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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