Top 5 compared
The best staple guns
Re-cover a chair, fasten house wrap or tack insulation into the attic, faster than a hammer and tacks.
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The top 5 at a glance
A staple gun fires a wire staple into wood, for jobs like fixing screening to a window frame or stretching canvas over a frame. Most are squeezed by hand, and the staple a gun takes decides its jobs. Heavy-duty guns fire flat T50 staples, the size hardware stores stock, which reach through thicker layers; light-duty guns take thinner JT21s, which go more gently into fabric and screening.
Every gun here comes with staples to start on, and most have steel bodies that take knocks in a toolbox. For a long run of stapling or a weaker grip, the battery-powered Arrow spares the hand from squeezing, and it fires only with its nose pressed to the work.
What matters
- The longest staple it fires, matched to your thickest job.
- A force dial, for fabric one day and hardwood the next.
- A rubber grip, if the squeeze is the hard part.
- A handle that locks shut, for safer storage.
#1Arrow T50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun (with 3,750 staples)
$20–$30
It fires heavy-duty T50 staples from 1/4 to 9/16 inch and has a chromed-steel body, with parts hardened in a 1,500-degree furnace and a jam-resistant rear-load magazine. Arrow was founded in 1929, and it says over 50 million T50s have been sold since the 1950s.
What owners say: Owners like how solidly it’s built, the force behind each staple and having three lengths on hand. Opinions differ on the trigger, which some find stiff, and some report jams.
A closer look: The kit’s staples come in 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2 inch, 1,250 of each: the short ones for fabric and screening, the longer ones for insulation, house wrap and thicker layers into wood. Refills turn up at almost any hardware store, and bracing the nose flat against the work helps every staple sink fully.
- Jam-resistant rear-load magazine
- Staple viewing window
- Furnace-hardened steel parts
- Refills at most hardware stores
Best for: Screening, insulation and house wrap
- Power
- Manual
- Staples it takes
- Arrow T50
- Staple lengths
- 1/4–9/16 in
- Takes T50 staples
- Yes
- Body
- Chromed steel
- In the box
- 3,750 T50 staples
#2Arrow JT27 Light Duty Staple Gun (with 2,000 staples)
$10–$20
Arrow’s light-duty gun, in an all-steel body with a chrome finish and a non-slip rubber grip, at just under a pound. It takes the thinner JT21 staples, kinder to fabric and screening than a T50, and Arrow points out that light duty describes the jobs, not the build.
What owners say: People like how solid it feels for its size, small enough to go in a bag, and say it’s simple to use for jobs around the house. Target shooters use it to put up paper targets, and the 2,000 staples in the box last a good while.
A closer look: Only 3/8 in staples come in the box, so pick up a pack of 1/4 in JT21s for thin fabric and screening, where a longer staple can poke through. The viewing window shows when the magazine is running low, which saves squeezing an empty gun halfway along a seam.
- Non-slip rubber grip
- Staple viewing window
- Rear-load magazine
- Weighs under a pound
Best for: Upholstery, screens and crafts
- Power
- Manual
- Staples it takes
- Arrow JT21
- Staple lengths
- 1/4–3/8 in
- Takes T50 staples
- No
- Body
- Steel, chrome finish
- In the box
- 2,000 JT21 staples (3/8 in)
#3Arrow T50DCD Battery-Powered Staple Gun (with 3,750 staples)
$50–$75
A rechargeable gun that does the squeezing for you: up to 500 shots a charge at up to 60 staples a minute, with a contact safety that only fires when the nose is pressed to the work. It takes Arrow’s T50 staples, and 3,750 come in the box.
What owners say: Owners say it’s easy on the hands, older hands especially, and a manageable weight. Battery life, power for construction work and how long it lasts are the mixed points.
Heads up: Charge it only with the supplied charger: Arrow warns that anything over 5V can damage it.
A closer look: Switch it on, press the nose flat against the work and pull the trigger; the contact safety stops it firing into the air. It suits long upholstery jobs, screen repairs and fixing cables, while dense hardwood and 9/16-inch staples are better left to a manual T50.
- Up to 60 staples/min
- Fires only when pressed down
- Low-staple window
- Battery level lights
Best for: Long runs without hand strain
- Power
- Rechargeable battery
- Staples it takes
- Arrow T50
- Staple lengths
- 1/4–1/2 in
- Takes T50 staples
- Yes
- Body
- Plastic
- In the box
- 3,750 staples, charging cable
#4SHALL Light Duty Staple Gun (with 1,600 staples)
Under $10
A light 6.5 oz gun with a wide rubber handle that SHALL says is easier to squeeze than ordinary light-duty guns, made for fabric, crafts, screens and closet linings rather than heavy lumber. The handle locks shut so it slips into a drawer or a tool pouch.
What owners say: Owners with smaller hands find it easy to use, and they like its featherweight feel and its blue color for crafts and small jobs around the house. Durability and jams are where opinions split.
A closer look: JT21 staples are the same as No.53, so refills are easy to find, and the three lengths in the box cover fabric, canvas and thin plywood backs. It isn’t built for roofing paper or hardwood; for those, a heavy-duty T50 gun drives deeper.
- Handle locks shut for storage
- Weighs 6.5 oz
- Bottom-loading magazine
- 1-year warranty
Best for: Smaller hands and light jobs
- Power
- Manual
- Staples it takes
- JT21 (No.53)
- Staple lengths
- 1/4–3/8 in
- Takes T50 staples
- No
- Body
- Steel, rubber handle
- In the box
- 1,600 staples, remover
#5NEU MASTER 3-in-1 Staple Gun (with 2,000 staples)
$10–$20
A chrome-plated steel gun with a dial on top to set the driving force, so it can tack thin fabric without punching through and still sink staples into dense wood. It takes three staple types, and 2,000 come in the box with a staple remover.
A closer look: Turn the knob down for fabric and thin card and up for plywood and hardwood, testing on a scrap first so the staple sits flush. The round-crown T18 staples hold cables and wires without crushing them, and the remover lifts mistakes out of upholstery cleanly.
- Dial sets the driving force
- Round-crown staples for cables
- Built-in jam clearing
- Staple viewing window
- Rubber grip
Best for: Thin fabric through to hardwood
- Power
- Manual
- Staples it takes
- T50, T18 or 18-gauge
- Staple lengths
- 5/16–1/2 in
- Takes T50 staples
- Yes
- Body
- Chrome-plated steel
- In the box
- 2,000 staples, remover
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1Arrow T50 | #2Arrow JT27 | #3Arrow T50DCD | #4SHALL light duty | #5NEU MASTER 3-in-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Runner-up | Best battery-powered | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.6 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $10–$20 | $50–$75 | Under $10 | $10–$20 |
| Power | Manual | Manual | Rechargeable battery | Manual | Manual |
| Staples it takes | Arrow T50 | Arrow JT21 | Arrow T50 | JT21 (No.53) | T50, T18 or 18-gauge |
| Staple lengths | 1/4–9/16 in | 1/4–3/8 in | 1/4–1/2 in | 1/4–3/8 in | 5/16–1/2 in |
| Takes T50 staples | Yes | No | Yes | No | Yes |
| Body | Chromed steel | Steel, chrome finish | Plastic | Steel, rubber handle | Chrome-plated steel |
| In the box | 3,750 T50 staples | 2,000 JT21 staples (3/8 in) | 3,750 staples, charging cable | 1,600 staples, remover | 2,000 staples, remover |
| Best for | Screening, insulation and house wrap | Upholstery, screens and crafts | Long runs without hand strain | Smaller hands and light jobs | Thin fabric through to hardwood |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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