Wood Sandpaper: Buyer’s Guide

Before ending up with a randomly chosen sandpaper to use on your woodworking or any other project, we want you to stop for a while.

There are a number of buying factors that you need to consider papillary before getting the right pick in hand. Otherwise, it may end in a few wasted bucks.

With these tips in mind, you are well informed to select the sandpaper you need from our top 10 selection below.

This TOP 10 selection extends and details further our previous article on the best wood sandpapers on the market today.

Would you need more background information, you might enjoy reading our step-by-step guide on how to sand wood.

Wood Sandpapers – Buyer’s Guide

The Coarse Type – Also called the Grit:

Sandpapers are of different types of coarse types, and it is measured as grits.The first and foremost factor when you are up for new sandpaper is, what coarse you want to stick to.

Based on what the grit label is, there are several kinds of them.

Let us give you a hand on each of them-

• The Extra Coarse Papers: There is some ultra low grit label like 24-36 and they are called extra coarse sandpapers. You have to use them to sand ultra delicate surfaces like old floors that need super abrasiveness.
• Coarse Papers: These are used mostly on rough shaping of any workpieces. Also, to remove old finished or paint, these are widely used. In Terms of grit label, they re of 40 to 50 grit.
• Medium Coarse Papers: This is what most of them have to deal with on regular basis. They are of a grit range of 6o to 100. Works like primary sanding, final shaping or any similar works are done well with such papers.
• Fine Papers: The next one to look up is fine papers, which are of 120 to 220 grit. For home workshops where you have to do frequent sanding, this can be the go-to choice of sandpaper.
• Extra Fine Papers: In the end, there are coarse papers like 240 to even 3000, which are termed as pretty fine coarse papers. These superfine sheets are best suited for polishing.

Sandpaper Material:

The material that a sheet is made of, plays quite an important role when it comes to choosing the right one for you. Here is a list of materials that are commonly used

• Silicon Carbide: When you are going through our list, this is maybe the mostly found building material of sandpapers, right? Well, this is the most durable kind of material out of them all. It can be applicable to sanding or finishing a wide range of materials such as metal, wood, plastic, fiberglass, hardwood, plywood and so on.
• Aluminium Oxide: The next one is the second most used materials to make popular sandpapers, and it is aluminum oxide. It’s also a very durable synthetic grit, which is well suited for sanding and polishing in particular. Metals including bronze and alloy steels are the best suit for this material.
• Zirconia Alumina: Zirconia Alumina is another synthetic material which is well known for being durable. Jobs like grinding away burrs are done best with this.
• Garnet: Although Garnet is not so frequently used to prepare coarse sheets in these days, it used to be quite a familiar one. It is a natural grain, where it is softer than Emery.

The Size:

The third and last buying factor of woodworking sandpaper is the size.

Most of the packs come with a number of grit variations. But the sizes are all the same. You can see them in the size of the rectangular shape, where each of them can be cut into smaller sizes based on purpose.

Some other models are rolls of sandpapers instead of fixed sizes. You can make custom length sandpapers from them if you need.

More info on sandpapers for wood:

Do you need more info on sandpapers for wood? We have compiled a bunch of usefull tips and tricks for sandpaper in this article

Our Top 10 Best Sandpapers: Reviews 2020

1. Miady Assorted Grit Sandpaper

You will find a layer of electro coat, which gives it an excellent capacity to be damage-proof.

Here it is, our long awaited #1 ranked pick- the Miady Assorted Grit Sandpaper.

First of all, let us tell you that, you may find this sandpaper collection pretty similar to many of other convenient sets available in the market. But as we looked deep down into its feature and real-time benefits, we will tell you the real fact.

First of all, let us tell you what’s inside the box. There are 36 sheets in total, split into a few grit variations. Starting from 120 grit, you can find up to 3000 grits in it. Each of the grits has three sheets of high-quality sandpapers.

Talking about the grits, let us give you some idea on what kind of grit is a right for what kind of applications. 120-grit sandpapers are best suited for rough sanding or removing scratches from any surfaces. A mid-level grit like 400-600 is an ideal fit for works like final finishing on a worked out surface, or to sand metals. And lastly, the high graded grits such as 2000-3000 are particularly used for buffing.

The material used to manufacture these sheets is silicon carbide mainly. On top of that, you will find a layer of electro coat, which gives it an excellent capacity to be damage-proof. Also, another great role that this electro coat plays is, it makes sure that the grit is distributed evenly across the sheet.

In case of both dry and wet furnishing or finishing, this sandpaper will do great! You don’t have to do anything additional in order to make your sandpaper able to work in wet conditions.

Let’s talk about what kind of works this paper is able to work on. Starting with art and craft, you can work on wooden surfaces, automotive metal surfaces, plastic surfaces and so on. As you have seen, there is a wide range of choices in terms of grit. So, it’s up to you to choose the best kind of coarse for each operation.

To make sure that you don’t get confused about what grit label any particular sheet has, it is printed right on the back of it. So, identifying the right sheet won’t be troublesome anymore.

The dimension of each of these units is 9 inches X 3.6 inches, which is pretty much ideal. With such a size in hand, you can either work with sanding blocks or cut it into several smaller sizes if you want.

2. Dura-Gold Premium Longboard Continuous Roll

It will come up with better and sharper cutting capacity along with a uniform finish.

Apparently, we’re at our runner up pick of the day- the Dura-Gold Premium Longboard Continuous Roll. At first glance, you may get surprised a bit. Because it’s not like any regular sandpaper set where you will be provided with a number of sheets split up based on grit labels.

Instead, this is a  20 yards long roll of 600 grit sandpaper. This comes to be handy when you need to prepare a custom length of sheets for working on complicated workpieces.

Instead of silicon carbide material, this sandpaper roll is made of coated aluminum oxide corundum. The benefit of having such materialistic quality is, it will come up with better and sharper cutting capacity along with a uniform finish.

This 20 yard or 60 feet long reel of sandpaper is 2-¾” in terms of thickness. So, you can cut any length and make your custom coarse paper for sanding and finishing works. As long as the grit grade is 600, it will be applicable with mild finishing works on wooden and metal surfaces only. For harder works, you have to upgrade the grit level of the paper, which is also available for purchasing.

We’ve selected a version of this product which is of 600 grit. But that is not the only option you will be given with. There are a handful of other coarse levels starting from 40 grits to 1000 grits. Such a wide range of options to choose from, right?

Now, let’s be more precise about the applications and type of works that you can do best with this paper. Dura-Gold Premium Longboard Continuous Roll is best suited for shaping anybody filer or removing paint from works or similar jobs. Works like rough feather edging, metal sanding, applying primer can be also done well with this.

In terms of durability, this coarse paper is quite exceptional. You can make your works faster, more long-lasting and comparatively consistent compared to other kinds of sandpapers.

Apart from wood, metal, and plastic, you can work well on surfaces like fiberglass and similar surfaces as well. No matter it’s a job of shaping body filler, rough furnishing, paint removal, primer applying or anything else, you can go with it with confidence.

Woodworkers often use several types of sanding blocks along with the sandpaper for more precise operation. If you are one like that, you can be relieved with this pick. Because this one is compatible with Pneumatic air files, hand sanding blocks, K-blocks, longboard file boards, firm blocks and so on.

The last concern of us while reviewing this paper is the price-quality ratio. And we were left jaw dropped at this point. Because it comes at such a cheap price that can’t be even compared to any other 20 yards long paper reels. You will be certainly satisfied with it for sure.

3. VERONES Grit Wet Dry Sandpaper Assortment

This set of sandpaper is a good fit for both wet and dry condition.

Our third pick is from the inventory of Verones, and it’s a grit sandpaper set that contains 90 pieces of abrasive sandpaper sheet. The sheets come within 9 different grit types starting from 600 to 3000. Under each grit, you will find 10 pieces of papers.

First thing first, what material this sandpaper is made of?

Well, as the base material, we found silicon carbide prepared in an abrasive way. No matter what, silicon carbide are proven to be waterproof. And being waterproof is the feature that brings us to our next point- usability in both dry and wet condition.

Using sandpaper may not always end in wet or dry user. As a DIYer, you need to work on both of the situations. This set of sandpaper is a good fit for both wet and dry condition. They’ve used advanced production technology in this regard.

After using a significant time in both wet and dry condition, any sandpaper is supposed to fall apart or tear up. But that’s not going to happen anymore as long as you have this abrasive paper in hand. The reason we call it abrasive is, it is made to sustain at least 5000 of uses without any tear, crumbling off.

A good thing about this set of sandpaper is, you don’t have to look for any other variations out of this package. As you know, there are 9 grits of them, with 10 pieces under each grit. No matter it’s the art, craft, metal works, automotive works, plastic applications, polishing or buffing- it has got it all.

There are some critical cases where you have to think several times before sanding the surface. Some of such cases are furniture finishing, wood tuning and finishing, metalwork finishing and so on. But with this sandpaper in hand, you are free of all these hassles. It is a kind of product that can be called a 360-degree solution.

While you are dealing with the odd woodworking jobs at your workshop, you don’t want it to be expensive for you. Using such a set of sandpaper can save you some serious money if you think about it.

Starting from tiny polishing jobs to removing scuffs, abrasion from the wall- this paper set can be your go-to tool. Also, when it is about cleaning off mold spurs from the furniture or refinishing simple handrails, or even re-furnishing the lawn furniture, this can be your rescue.

So why spend money by calling up a handyman who would do the same way that you can do with this sandpaper from Verones?

4. 3M Garnet Sandpaper, Very Fine Grit.

This sandpaper can be used on a wide range of workpieces.

At this point of the review, we are willing to showcase sandpaper that is very particular in size and action. Instead of a range of sizes and grits, it sticks to one particular size, grip label, and grain type. The name is 3M Garnet Sandpaper, Very Fine Grit and it’s from 3M- the brand.

As long as you are a professional worker, and you have bare and unfinished goods to deal with, this 3M Garnet Sandpaper, Very Fine Grit can be your go-to choice. This sandpaper can be used on a wide range of workpieces.

There is one advice when you are up to working with this Sandpaper. For getting the best results, you have to sand with the grain and go through a number of sequences in terms of grits. As you know there are a lot of variations in grits, and you have to go through every one of them starting from coarse to ultrafine, you can skip not more than one grits in between each of these sending steps.

As you can see, this sandpaper is not a set of many variations but a set of 5 papers with a definite grit label. But this is not the only grit that you can get for yourself. There are other grits starting from fine, very fine, medium and coarse.

You might be wondering about which kind of material this Sandpaper is made of. Well, as an answer to your question, it is made of garnet abrasive mineral. If you have been up to woodworking, you might be aware of how heavy duty this kind of Sandpaper materials are off. Certainly, you can work a few hundred times with each of these papers that we are talking about.

The grit that we have picked for this review is of 220 grits, which is fine for medium grade woodworking, metalworking, furniture finishing, and other similar works.

Let’s talk about the dimension of this paper at this point. The size of this paper is 9 inches by 11 inches, which seems pretty handy for hand-operation. If you want, you can cut it down to smaller pieces, you can do that for tiny and narrow dimension.

At last, let’s talk about one of its best qualities and it is the price-point. It is a set of 5 garnet sandpapers, and that seems to be pretty under budget comparing two that. If you are looking for sandpaper set for short term use, this is the go-to pick for you.

5. 3M 32023 Imperial Wetordry 9″ x 11″ 1500 Grit Sheet

It’s the high-quality Sandpaper sheet with a flexible backing and a consistent scratching pattern.

3M is a brand which seems to be pretty much familiar nowadays for producing top-notch tools and accessories for handy wooden and metal works. On that consequence, presenting our next pick- the 3M 32023 Imperial Wetordry 9″ x 11″ 1500 Grit Sheet.

Let’s talk about the features and the benefits that it comes with-

So far in this review, we have stuck to models that meet a good price point along with a fair quality of performance. But this one we are up to right now is not like that. It’s the high-quality Sandpaper sheet with a flexible backing and a consistent scratching pattern.

You can find many sandpapers that are made to work fine with wooden workpieces, but when it comes to plastic and metals, there are a very few sandpapers that you can find good. And this one from the Inventory of 3M is one of them. It provides excellent flexibility when it comes to polishing plastic and metal workpieces. And the wooden pieces are, of course, a good fit with this Sandpaper.

If you are in need of Sandpaper, it’s not necessary that the workpiece will always be in dry conditions. There can be both wet and dry workpieces and you have to finish them anyway. This 1500 Grit sheet can give you a good hand in both of these conditions. When it comes to jobs like fine feathering, scuffing paint or even the final sanding before applying a primer, this paper can be your go-to polishing assistant.

Scratching pattern is one of the very few features that workers look for in sandpaper. This one will certainly give you a smile on your face in this regard. 3M Imperial Wetordy comes with flexible backing along with a consistent scratching pattern. As a benefit, you can work fine on any of the automobile finishing jobs.

The size of the Sandpaper is quite easy to cut it in even pieces. to be exact, the dimension is 9 inches by 11 inches. same pretty fine for regular finishing and polishing works.

Of course, your intention to purchase sandpaper is to remove something from the surface of your workpiece. This sheet can remove dust nibs, paint runs and automotive paint from metal, plastic or wooden surface. If you want, you can also level Orange peels along with this Sandpaper.

In terms of cutting efficiency, you will achieve a uniform and super fast cutting which will save your time and increase your consistency in work.

Although the price point is quite high compared to ordinary sandpapers, we find it quite okay for anyone looking for quality instead of cheap price tags.

6. 3M 5-Sheet Wetordry Sandpaper

It can undergo through very rough uses and still remain just like what it was when you got it newly.

This time we are back with another Sandpaper shit from 3M. As you know already, 3M is quite a reputed brands when it comes to producing industry- great woodworking accessories.

Just like the name indicates, this sandpaper can work on both dry or wet situation. Specially, when it is a wet workpiece, you might be in the tension of durability with the sandpaper sheet. But it is made of high-quality silicon carbide abrasive. And later on, it is coated by a sharp and synthetic mineral material, so it can undergo through very rough uses and still remain just like what it was when you got it newly.

In terms of Grit, there are four different options to choose from. they are the assorted grit, the extra fine 320 Grit,  the super find 400 Grit, and the very fine grit. As you know, different breeds of a different kind of finishing operations. So, if you are satisfied with the material quality and the sizing, you will be given 4 different grit options to choose from.

Coarse papers or sandpapers always come with a rough surface for the sake of finishing work. But that does not mean that you cannot work with it in a fast and smooth way. Take this product, for example, no matter whichever kind of grit you choose to work with, it will cut pretty fast and smooth. As a result, your work will be time-efficient more than ever before.

When you are working in a wet condition, the wet condition will not affect the health of this paper. The reason is, it is made to be waterproof and oil proof.

Users have found this Sandpaper a perfect fit for sanding between paint, lacquer, and varnish. We are sure that, this is the situations where you are afraid of using an ordinary Sandpaper. Don’t hesitate anymore as long as you have 3M 5-Sheet Wetordry Sandpaper in your hand.

Now let’s talk about which kind of finishing and polishing works can be done well with this paper. First of all, it is a good fit for both woodwork and metalwork. Whenever you have to apply a primer coat or a repainting of a wooden or metal workpiece, this paper can be a good fit for sanding before the work.

If you have any area where you have to sand between the coats of varnishes on paints or any other kind of finishes, this sandpaper will be your favorite choice.

If you want to remove clogging with an intention to extend the abrasive life, You can also rely on this sandpaper.

7. Peachtree Boxed Assorted Abrasive Rolls

If you have a smaller and round object to finish, we highly recommend you to use this abrasive sandpaper.

It is not all the time when you have to finish or work on a big workpiece. There are cases when the workspace is pretty small and you cannot use regular sandpaper on it. Taking such situations in consideration, we have picked up the Peachtree Boxed Assorted Abrasive Rolls to talk about at this point.

You might ask a question that, if we need a small abrasive Sandpaper, we can cut out 9 inches X 11 inches paper. But you cannot be accurate all the time with the cutting dimension and also you might not want to ruin such expensive sheets.

So something like the Peachtree Boxed Assorted Abrasive Rolls is the best available option in such cases.

However, this is a box of abrasive sandpapers where you will have five different rolls with five different Grit labels. The grit labels are 150,  240, 320, 400 and 600 grit. Each of the roles contains 20 inches of sandpaper. Keeping the width same, you can cut as long as it is required for the job.

The week of days paper rose is one inch. if you make a right card in terms of length, it can be used on any kind of materials. Also, if you are being provided with a range of grit labels, it will help you to perform different kinds of finishing operations as well.

Now let’s talk about the material that it is made of. Each of these rolls is made of very exclusive J-weight Cloth backed  Sandpaper. So when you are dealing with delicate objects like pencil, pen, bottle stoppers and even wooden sculptures, it will be pretty easy to use.

Let us inform you the best kind of objects that this Sandpaper is compatible with. As long as you have a wide and big sized object to work on, this is not the right product to recommend. But if you have a smaller and round object to finish, we highly recommend you to use this abrasive Sandpaper.

Now let’s have a look outside of the sandpaper roll and speak about what else we have got. Right where the rolls are finished, you can see a metal top edge fitted right in. The purpose of that edge is to make it easy to cut off the strips. This will certainly help you to get the accurate length of Sandpaper strips.

To be neutral, you may not get high-quality performance as you can get from a large and more expensive Sandpaper. But when the workpiece is small, and you need shorter strips, this is the right product to pick. Certainly, it is helpful for both of you and your pocket to avoid wasting.

8. Paxcoo 85Pcs 400 to 3000 Grit Wet Dry Sandpaper Assortment

It will not fall apart or tear off when you make even rough use of it.

If woodworking is what you are up to, then you might know how important it is to fine-tune each part of the object that you are working on. But as you know, it’s hard to find out the best kind of abrasive sandpaper in the market.

At this point, let’s call up Paxcoo 85Pcs 400 to 3000 Grit Wet Dry Sandpaper Assortment on the podium and check out what this has to offer us.

It is a box of 85 sheets in total where you have nine different grit levels. The grit levels are 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500 and 3000. With such a variety of options in hand, it is possible to work on any kind of materials for any kind of finishing works.

Let’s talk about what kind of quality can it give to you.

This sandpapers from Paxco are made of silicon carbide and are coated with what they call an electric coat. The benefit it gives is, it will not fall apart or tear off when you make even rough use of it. On a side note, we have seen many such sandpapers to crumble off because of frequent uses. But this is not the case with this sandpaper, as long as you make the right use of it.

No matter whether the workpiece is wet or dry, you can work fine with this extra-fine sandpaper from Paxco. Because it is made to be waterproof and resistance against tensile forces, none of wet and try working surfaces can resist it from performing.

The dimension is, of course, an important factor when you are making a buying decision regarding the Sandpaper. This one we are after right now comes with a dimension of 9 inches in length and 3.6 inches in width.  With such a size, it is easily possible to roll it up on a sanding block can use on all critical work areas. Also when you have to cut it into smaller pieces, the size will be a support center as well.

In terms of applications, you can find new ways to make use of this Sandpaper. As long as there are nine different grits, you can apply it on wood surfaces, metal surfaces, plastic pieces, glass, car, porcelain and so on. No matter it is a tiny fix, an odd job or regular polishing works on any surface, it will be a good way to go. You can call it a handyman’s companion no matter whichever kind of work you up to.

9. LATTCURE Sandpaper and Hand Sander Kit

You can find a right fit sandpaper for woodworking, furniture finishing, metal polishing in automobiles or drywall sanding.

The product that we are talking about right now is not merely one or a set of sandpapers packed in a box. Its name is LATTCURE Sandpaper and Hand Sander Kit and it’s more of a complete set for anyone who needs to work on metal, wooden or any other kind of surface finishing.

First of all, let me disclose you the items that are inside the box. There are 105 different sandpaper sheets in it, along with a user’s gloves which are cut resistant, a block sander, and a toolbox kit together.

Look at the parts of these sets and tell me, do you need all of these items when you’re up to woodworking or metal finishing works? I know the answer is yes.

That was about what’s inside the box. Now, let’s focus on what kind of quality it can serve us with.

The coarse papers are made of high-quality silicon carbide along with a layer of waterproof protection. Both in wet and dry conditions, it can fit right in for any kind of finishing works. Along with the main material, there is a layer of electrocoating, which is already pretty famous for enhancing the durability of such abrasives.

In this set of 108 sandpapers, there are variations in terms of grits. Starting from as low grit as 60, you can find papers with a grit label of 3000. Under each grit, there are 9 different sandpapers, and that’s quite sufficient.

No matter you’re looking for using sandpaper in woodworking, furniture finishing, metal polishing in automobiles or drywall sanding, you can find a right fit in this box of 108 papers.

With so many sandpapers in one box, it’s pretty easy to get confused about which one has what type of grit label. Don’t worry, Lattcure had taken care of that as well.

For easy identifying the label, the grits of each sandpaper is printed right behind each of it. So, you have never to end up with the wrong choice of sandpaper and spoil your work.

Talking about the other inclusive in this package, there is a protective glove pair, a box to hold all your utilities, and a block sander. With the box sander, you can utilize for dealing with complex workpieces and sand them quite easily. In the utility box, you can store up all of your tiny tools along with the sandpapers themselves. And with the cutting-proof hand gloves, you can work hassle free without any risk of cutting your hands or fingers.

Having all that said, you might wonder and the price point and make the guess of pretty high estimations. Hence, we won’t tell you that you will get in for an unbelievable price, but the price point seems quite satisfactory. The brand could charge a really high price for a combo pack like this, but they actually did not. Thanks to Lattcure, the producer.

Let us know what do you think of this unique set of products.

10. 5 Inch 8 Hole Assorted Grit Hook by Bearded Sanding

Its top benefit is that you can quickly change it even when you are in the middle of an application.

So far in this review, we have talked about different kinds of sandpapers and sandpaper rolls. But at this second half of this list, we’ve got one pick which is not a rectangular paper anymore. Instead, it is a set of hook and loop sanding discs. 5 Inch 8 Hole Assorted Grit Hook by Bearded Sanding is made of super quality abrasive Aluminium oxide. And there are 100 pieces of them for using over and over in bulk amount.

In terms of dimension, they are 5 inches in length and in each of them, you will find 8 holes to create hook and loop. The benefit of having 8 holes in the middle of this sandpapers is, you can quickly change it even when you are in the middle of an application.

There are a hundred units in total, and they are fitted into 5 different grits – 60, 80, 120, 150 and 220. The producer knows very well that you need to cover different levels of your project needs, and that’s why you need variations in grits. Under each of these grits, you can find 20 units in total.

As we said in the beginning, the material used to manufacture this circular sandpapers is abrasive Aluminium oxide. The benefit of such a material quality is, it will be super durable and will extend the sanding life of your workpieces.

They call it a set of latex based sandpapers, and it has its benefits. The benefit of being made of latex is, it will be super durable even when you apply it on wet condition. Ordinary sandpapers are likely to degrade when applied on wet condition, but this one we are up to right now is a clean and clear exception.

Because it is made in a circular shape, it can be applied to complicated parts of your workpieces and can make your work finer. Here also, when it comes to fine-tuning any of the wooden or metal workpieces, this can be the item you might be looking for.

As there are variations in terms of quality and grit label, there are always opportunities to choose the right fit for your job. Let us know that what do you think about this unique sandpapers for wood?