9 Best Staple Guns for Upholstery – Reviews & Buying Guide for Upholstery Staplers
If you've done upholstery work before, then you'll know how valuable a staple gun is. An upholstery staple gun is a particular staple gun, which is specifically designed for doing upholstery work.
Using a staple gun guarantees you a quicker and easier job, irrespective of whether you're using a manual or a powered version. Keep in mind though, that while manual staplers are often great for small jobs, you'll need a powered stapler to better handle larger projects.
Staple guns are versatile tools that you can use in a variety of creative ways to produce beautiful furniture and much more. With a staple gun, you shoot your staples perfectly into the furniture without needing to additionally hammer it in.
The following review presents you with all the information you need to choose the right upholstery staple gun for your needs.
Image | Product Name | Gauge | Crown | Weight | Rating | Current Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 1. Surebonder 9600B Heavy-Duty Upholstery Staple Gun | 18 | Narrow | 3.2 lbs | 4.5 | |
 | 2. Surebonder 22G Pneumatic Staple Gun | 22 | Narrow | 3.2 lbs | 4.3 | |
 | 3. Stanley TR250 Heavy-Duty Upholstery Staple Gun | 18 | Narrow | 1.5 lbs | 4.0 | |
 | 4. Surebonder 9615A Upholstery Staple Gun Kit | 22 | Narrow | 3.5 lbs | 4.0 | |
 | 5. Porter-Cable US58 Upholstery Stapler | 22 | Narrow | 1.8 lbs | 4.8 | |
 | 6. Stanley TR45K Manual Light-Duty Staple Gun Kit | 22 | Narrow | 1.0 lb | 4.0 | |
 | 7. Freeman PFWS Professional Upholstery Staple Gun | 20 | Narrow | 2.7 lbs | 4.4 | |
 | 8. Unicatch Long Nose Staple Gun for Upholstery | 22 | N/A | 2.2 lbs | 4.2 | |
 | 9. Arrow Fastener T50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun | N/A | Narrow | 1.4 lbs | 4.0 |
You can also read other product reviews such as electric staple gun, pneumatic staple gun, nail gun, and staple gun buying guide.
9 Best Upholstery Stapler Guns - Reviews
#1. Surebonder 9600B Heavy-Duty Upholstery Staple Gun
Editor's Rating: 
(4.5 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 1/4 - 9/16 inch - 18 gauge
- Weight: 3.2 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow (3/8-inch)
Surebonder's 9600B staple gun offers you speed and power to tackle all your upholstery applications. It's precise as well and comes with a 100-staple magazine, which allows you to work for a long while before needing a refill.
In order to make the job easier with this staple gun, Surebonder adds a rubber grip for comfort and keeps the gun small and lightweight. It will work with air pressures between 60 and 100 PSI, providing enough power to work with even the toughest of hardwoods.
The 9600B works with narrow crown 18-gauge wire staples with lengths varying between 1/4 and 9/16 inch. To make sure you get no problems using this gun anyway, Surebonder recommends using the Surebonder #4 or Arrow T50 staples.
Interesting features include a safety mechanism that prevents accidental firing and an adjustable air exhaust, which allows you to direct the exhaust air away from your face or from your delicate upholstery.
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#2. Surebonder 22G Pneumatic Staple Gun
Editor's Rating: 
(4.3 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 22-gauge, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2 and 5/8-inch
- Weight: 3.2 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
You'll need a compressor with 60 to 100 PSI air pressure to run this gun properly. It features a quick release magazine to make loading staples easy, and its magazine can take up to 100 staples at a go.
There is a safety mechanism to prevent accidental firing and a rubber grip handle on the gun to keep up a good level of comfort. Surebonder recommends its 300 series staples for use with this staple gun.
In addition to upholstery, it's also great for applications such as cabinet backs, light trim, picture frames, carpet padding, house wrap, and many other woodworking projects.
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#3. Stanley TR250 Heavy-Duty Upholstery Staple Gun
Editor's Rating: 
(4 / 5)
- Power source: Manual
- Staple length: 1/4 - 9/16 inch, 18 gauge
- Weight: 1.5 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
If you need a top-rated staple gun for upholstery, with which you can easily do small jobs, then Stanley's TR250 is a great offer. It's a manual gun with a clever Hi/Lo setting, which allows you to select the right amount of force for the job at hand.
You get a full-body aluminum product, which is anti-corrosive and should last a lifetime. It even comes with a lifetime warranty. A quick-view window makes it easy to see the staples and to know when it needs topping up, plus you can also use it as a brad nailer.
Stanley recommends the Stanley Sharpshooter TRA700 staple series for this gun, and you can use Arrow T50 staples as well. The beauty of using a manual staple gun is that you don't need a compressor or electricity to do your work, and manual staple guns are also very portable.
In addition to upholstery projects, you can use this manual staple gun for re-tacking carpet, minor home repairs, carpentry, art, and many other DIY projects.
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#4. Surebonder 9615A Upholstery Staple Gun Kit
Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 22-gauge ,7/16, 3/8 & 5/8-inch
- Weight: 3.5 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
This package includes everything you need except an air compressor. There is a bottle of tool oil, an Allen wrench, a carrying case for the staple gun, and 15,000 staples, divided into 5,000 staple packs, each of 3/8, 7/16, and 5/8 inch lengths.
The gun has a magazine capacity of 100 staples, enabling you to cover plenty of work before needing to refill it. There is a rubber grip for comfort and to cut down on hand stress as well, plus a safety mechanism to prevent accidental firing of the gun.
This is a good staple gun for upholstery but it does have the one disadvantage of not having a pressure regulation, so it requires you to adjust its working pressure of between 80 and 100 PSI on the compressor itself.
Another disadvantage is that it'll not work with the popular Arrow T-50 staples, but it's a well made and safe staple gun, considering its unique firing safety mechanism, which is near the trigger.
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#5. Porter-Cable US58 22-Gauge Upholstery Stapler
Editor's Rating: 
(4.8 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 22-gauge, 1/4 to 5/8 inch
- Weight: 1.75 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
Porter-Cable's US58 staple gun is a high-end staple gun for upholstery with all the features and extras that many other staple guns lack.
It's very lightweight at just 1.8 lbs and offers a 185-staple capacity magazine. Another nice feature is its 1-inch nose extension, which allows you to better reach hard to reach areas.
This gun will handle air pressures up to 120 PSI, making it a lightweight but heavy-duty gun. You also get a rubber-coated handle to make your work easier.
On the con side, it doesn't come with a carrying case and its price is comparatively on the high side, but when you look at its features, you'll find that it's worth it.
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#6. Stanley TR45K Manual Light-Duty Staple Gun Kit
Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)
- Power source: Manual
- Staple length: 22-gauge, 3/8 inch
- Weight: 1 lb
- Crown size: Narrow
When you need a lightweight stapler for light upholstery jobs, this Stanley staple gun will be a lifesaver. It's lightweight at just a pound and uses light-duty staples.
Although this might make it unsuitable for heavy-duty duty jobs, it also makes it easy to use, easier to carry around, and quite flexible because you can use it for lots of other stuff as well.
It features a convenient handle lock, a Quick-jam-clear mechanism, and a limited lifetime manufacturer warranty. This staple gun might be hand-powered, but it sure beats powered staplers when it comes to small and light jobs.
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#7. Freeman PFWS Professional 20-Gauge Upholstery Staple Gun
Editor's Rating: 
(4.4 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 20 gauge, 1/4 to 9/16 inch
- Weight: 2.1 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
Being Arrow T-50 and Fine Wire compatible makes it flexible enough to work with different staples and wood strengths. It also comes with a non-marring tip, which prevents it from scratching your work and probably ruining it.
In order to prevent accidental firing of this gun, a contact element makes sure it's pressed against a strong surface before it can fire. This makes it safer, although it can pose a few problems when working with really soft materials.
This staple gun comes with a comfort-grip handle, a 100-staple capacity magazine, a reversible belt hook, wrenches and pneumatic oil, plus a 7-year warranty from Freeman.
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#8. Unicatch Long Nose 22-Gauge Staple Gun for Upholstery
Editor's Rating: 
(4.2 / 5)
- Power source: Pneumatic
- Staple length: 22 gauge, 5/32 to 5/8 inch
- Weight: 2.25 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
It will do well with 80 to 100 PSI of air and its elongated nose is a full 2 inches long to make it easier to reach spots that would otherwise not be possible.
On the other hand, this staple gun is not very visually pleasing and it lacks a safety mechanism to prevent accidental firing. The third issue is that you'll only get a 30-day warranty for it, and this is too short compared to other brands that offer 1-year and longer warranties.
If you like it though, then you're of course free to get it, especially if you need its long nose to reach into places that most other staplers won't reach.
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#9. Arrow Fastener T50 Heavy-Duty Staple Gun
Editor's Rating: (4 / 5)
- Power source: Manual
- Staple length: 1/4 to 9/16 inch
- Weight: 1.4 lbs
- Crown size: Narrow
It features a patented anti-jam mechanism, and its steel parts get hardened in a 1,500-degree hot furnace before getting chromed.
You can use 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 1/2, and 9/16 inch staples with this gun and in addition to upholstery, you can as well use it for general repairs, light trim, insulation, and many other professional uses.
Although it's dependable and rugged, it does not feature a Hi/Low mechanism like the Stanley stapler does. This might make this stapler too hard for kids and small-framed women to use effectively.
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How to Buy the Best Staple Guns for Upholstery
Following are the important aspects of an upholstery staple gun that you need to know and keep in mind when deciding on the right staple gun to buy.
#1. The Types of Staple Guns for Upholstery
There are 3 major types of staple guns for upholstery that you'll find in the market. They are the manual, electric, and pneumatic upholstery staple guns.
- Manual. The manual staple gun for upholstery is a hand-held gun powered by force from the hand. This means that you need to apply pressure to get them to work. It also means that you'll get tired or get a painful arm after using a manual staple gun for a while.
On the plus size, they are very portable because you can take them to work anywhere without requiring electricity or a compressor. Manual upholstery staple guns are generally used for many kinds of jobs, but usually for lighter stapling jobs. - Electric. An electric staple gun for upholstery uses electricity as its source of power. Many come with power cords, while others use rechargeable batteries and are cordless.
An electric stapler is easier to use because you just need to press the trigger and the staples get fired into the wood, no need to use your hand muscles to press a lever. - Pneumatic. A pneumatic staple gun for upholstery uses the power of air from a compressor to work. They look almost like the electric ones, except for the air hose that connects to a compressor instead of a power cord.
The advantages of pneumatic staple guns include their raw power and speed of work, but they are also more expensive and need a compressor to work. Pneumatic guns are the staplers of choice for professionals.
#2. Staple Size
Another important consideration when making a staple gun choice is the gauge and crown of the staple. The gauge refers to the thickness of the staple wire and is usually from 18 to 22 for most upholstery projects.
The crown is the remaining visible area after the staple gets fired into the furniture. You can choose between narrow, standard, and wide staple crowns, depending on your project and your needs.
#3. Power
Although this one might seem obvious at first, make sure you get a gun with enough power to penetrate the staples into the kind of wood you're working with. You don't want to waste time with having to hammer each staple properly inside.
#4. Ease of Use
Depending on the size of your project, the staple gun's ease of use might become of concern. If you are doing a small job, then it doesn't matter, but if it's a large project, you'll need something comfortable and ergonomically designed, when possible.
A hand grip with the right shape and a comfortable material will enable you to work for many hours without hand fatigue or any other issues.
You'll also want the gun as light as possible, and to offer an easier method of firing staples, so you don't get a painful trigger finger after many hours of work.
#6. Extras
Each individual staple gun will have its own extra features, so it's left for you to seek out what you need. Some of these extra features which can make your life easier include an extension for hard-to-reach areas, a large magazine, and trigger-less firing of staples.
Conclusion
Coming to the end of this best staple gun review, you have seen the kinds of staple guns available in the market and what they can offer. You've also seen their advantages and disadvantages over one another.
The final choice of the perfect staple gun will be yours to make though since it's only you that knows the exact kind of work you plan to do with the stapler.
- Air-operated stapler
- Uses Surebonder #4 staples or Arrow T50 type staples
- Highly recommended for upholstery projects
Last update on 2024-04-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Last Updated on August 29, 2020 by Tom Bradly