Many times when you’re working on your projects, trying to connect all the wood pieces, you know that you’ll need a pocket hole joint to cover all those screws!
This joint is incredibly strong and professional-looking! That’s why so many carpenters prefer to use this method to hide away all the joint screws.
Pocket hole jig is invented to make those jointing works much simpler and quicker. Either if you’re just a beginner or someone who used to carpentry, seeking for the best pocket hole jig will still save you a lot of working time!
How Does It Work?
Before learning about how a pocket hole jig works, you should know what a pocket hole is first:
It is an angled hole, usually of 15 degrees, drilled into one wood board, then led straight to another board. A screw will be placed in this ‘tunnel’ and secure two separate pieces together.
Before the jigs were invented, we still had pocket holes; we just did not have an easy way to perform it. It was annoyingly difficult, so most carpenters ended up drilling a straight hole to prevent those pieces from falling apart.
Today, a pocket hole jig can both hold the materials in its position and guide you to the right drilling path for the best looking results.
First, you clamp your jig to the workplace, then tighten the wood board in its place. The jig will have thickness marks and adjustable stop collar bit so that you can choose your wanted depth.
Now, you’re ready to drill!
Top 10 Best Pocket Hole Jigs
All products listed are independently selected, although we may receive affiliate commissions if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of the time of publication.
Kreg R3 Junior Pocket Hole Jig - Best Jig for Beginners
This products are the first pocket hole jig kits that we want to introduce to you! Kreg Tool Company is one of the best brands that both professional carpenters and DIYs woodworkers place their trust in.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Accurate work
- Easy to use
- Can be used for many projects
Cons
- No clamp included
This product is actually a bundle that includes one R3 Pocket Hole Jig System plus a package of 5 widely-used size screw kit SK03.
So, what’s in this jig set?
The Kreg Jig Jr comes with a primary job, one driver and drill bit, and a stop collar to prevent the bit from drilling too deep. The plastic material feels pretty good and sturdy in the hands, while the drill guide is made of metal to increase the product’s durability.
This tool is very easy to use or install, and that must be why many beginners and DIYers choose this small blue piece for their everyday projects!
Kreg Jig K4 Pocket Hole System - Best High-quality Jig
Another amazing piece comes from the best Kreg pocket hole jig collection: the K4 Pocket Hole Jig System with a clamp to hold wood pieces!
Our rate by features
Pros
- High-quality tool
- Accurate and steady drilling
- Easy to secure on the workplace
- Versatile
Cons
- Cheap screw case material
- A bit pricey for beginner DIYers
This Kreg K4 is perfect for every woodworker, from beginners to amateur or professional carpenters! It is super easy to use even for newbies who merely have a concept of pocket-hole joinery.
The price is not that easy, though. This piece cost double compared to the Kreg R3 or other jigs of the same range!
Kreg K4 features a drill guide with three hardened-steel holes that allow you to create perfect pocket holes of range ½” to 1 ½” thickness. It also comes with a rear-mounted clamp, which offers a pretty good wood piece holding strength.
Under three drill holes are wood-chip exit doors so that all the excess wood chips can get out of our messy working place.
One thing we dislike about this product is the case’s cheap material. It is crispy and easily cracked, so we have to move the screws to another box so that they do not get mixed up in the old case.
Kreg K5 Pocket Hole Jig - The Jig for The Professionals
The K5 is a new pocket hole jig from Kreg with improved features that are favored by many professionals!
Our rate by features
Pros
- High-quality
- Simple setup
- Sturdy clamp
- Easy to adjust the thickness
- Durable & reliable
Cons
- Expensive
Though it is the advanced version, this tool is pretty easy to use and set up when you get familiar with it (maybe it just takes one first time). All you need to do is find the needed screw size for your project, then set the clamp and stop collar and adjust the drill guide block! And walla, we’re ready!
In case you want to modify the jig to the workpiece’s thickness, this Kreg Jig K5’s clamping system is really simple! A ratcheting clamp slides into and makes sure that the wood will stay at its place. After that, you’ll only need to lift the handle until the clicks, and now your clamp is secure!
The drawback of this product could be how much it costs! But it’s still a reasonable price if you are seeking for a long-term friendship with your carpenter tools at the moment!
General Tools 850 Aluminum Pocket Hole Jig Kit - Heavy Duty Jig
General Tools 850 is a pocket hole jig made from aluminum, which makes it more sturdy and durable than most drilling jigs of the same price range.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Low price
- Features inbuilt clamp
- Durable
Cons
- Inferior aluminum material
- Poor accuracy
The kit includes a primary aluminum jig with a built-in clamp, replaceable step drill bit with stop collar, and a six inches square drive bit. There’re also some drive screws and wooden pocket hole plugs coming with the jig kit.
This jig is pretty versatile since you can use it for the tightest spots to make a corner, flush, or angle joints. You only need to get the workpiece in place, secure it with the jig clamp, and drill a pocket hole into it!
Although this piece is made of metal, it’s really affordable! That must be because the material used is aluminum, which we found pretty thin and cheap.
Milescraft 1323 Pocket Jig Kit - Best Alternative for A Tight Budget
Is the Kreg jig a bit too expensive for your budget? Then we must find something more inexpensive, a good alternative that costs less than one hundred bucks of a Kreg.
This Milescraft 1323 is a good candidate, though! It is really affordable, handy, and does a pretty good job of reducing repair time.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Affordable price
- Easy to use
- Good value
Cons
- Unreliable material
Besides, the Milescraft 1323 model comes with built-in scales for easy thickness measurement. There is also a depth stop to help you set the drilling depth more quickly and easily!
The manufacturer also attached a manual user guide with the product so that even beginner customers will know what the jig can do!
Milescraft 1321 Pocket Jig Kit - Most Affordable Jig Kit
In case you’re a beginner to woodworking, and you’ve just done some sample projects, currently looking for some tool to simplify your work, then this might be your needed tool.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Very cheap!!
- Compact design
- Complete its job
Cons
- A bit too small
The Milescraft 1321 pocket jig kit with all the basic functions but only cost around ten dollars!
This jig has four common thickness settings with marks, which is ½ inch, ¾ inch, 1 inch, and 1 ½ inch for easy measurement. A clamping magnet begs for a metal clamp so that it can secure the jig to your workplace. That’s why if you want to upgrade your work, get a standard clamp to be friends with this Milescraft.
Its small and compact design is both an advantage and disadvantage of this product. Thanks to the size, it takes no storage space and is light to carry around. But since it is small, it’s not very versatile to be used in many types of projects.
Massca Pocket Hole Jig - Cheap & Reliable Jig
Another affordable option for the tight-budget! This Massca only costs a couple of bucks more than the Milescraft above!
Our rate by features
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- Pretty good accuracy
- Worth the money
- Easy to use
Cons
- Come in nothing other than the jig
One thing you should notice about this product is that it’s only a main jig without any accessories! No clamp, drill bit, stop collar, or extra screws attached!
However, this twin pocket hole jig is enough to support you with your carpentry project if it’s not too heavy or complicated. This Massca also features a thickness gauge to offer the most accurate drilling for both new projects and repairs wood joints.
Massca Hole Jig System Set - High-quality & Durable Jig
This Massca hole jig is probably the one that professionals prefer for their every project. It is highly versatile and can be used for everything from DIY woodworking to furniture repair.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Super sturdy
- Worth every penny
- Great accuracy drills
Cons
- Costly for beginners
The product is not so lightweight yet very portable, thanks to its compact design. Its body is made of aluminum, and that’s why it is very sturdy and highly impact-resistant!
Besides, this Massca jig system is attached with a built-in clamp pad that works perfectly to hold your wood board in place while working! Its measuring marks are also very accurate to adjust the drilling holes’ depth. A dust connector is included to get rid of any debris or wood chips while drilling.
Although this product is a bit costly for newbies, we still highly recommend it to anyone who wants to upgrade their carpentry experience with a handy tool!
NoCry Pocket Hole Jig System - A Full-package Jig Kit
This NoCry Hole Jig System is delivered with a lot of support accessories. There is a 12-inch F-clamp, a dowel handle, stop blocks, and two square hex keys to help keep everything in place. You’ll also have a square head bit and five other bits with matching collar stops of different sizes and patterns!
Our rate by features
Pros
- Can be used for many different drilling
- A lot of accessories
- Good accuracy
Cons
- Nothing to says
This hybrid product is made of both metal and plastic. Its pocket holes are pretty precise, and they also look like professional hole joints.
NoCry jig is yet another suitable tool for beginner or intermediate DIY carpenters who have a bit of woodworking experience. You can use it for many joinery works to build simple cabinets or frames.
MulWark Pocket Hole Jig System Kit - Good-quality & Affordable Kit
Today’s final pocket hole jig product is a kit from MulWark Company. It is manufactured in Taiwan with high-standard, and that’s why its quality is good considering how cheap it is.
Our rate by features
Pros
- Easy to use
- Strong material
- Durable & steady design
- Sturdy case
Cons
- Confusing instructions
The body is made of thirty percent reinforced glass fiber plus nylon while the core is hardened-steel, which makes this piece super sturdy and durable!
This MulWark has nine thickness measurement, nine jig positions, and seven depth settings – sounds a lot but actually pretty simple to use. Don’t count on the manual instruction too much because it is confusing. You’d better try and fail by yourself or look it online to see how to use it!
The company gives us an adjustable slider piece that can be changed for fixing broken furniture or creating a new project.
Buying Guide
There are so many different types of pocket hole jigs available on the market.
Are they confusing you so that you can not make a choice?
Well then, you should check out this brief buying guide to see which feature that you need in a jig and find out the best option for your budget!
Regular usage
Think about it:
Which types of carpentry projects do you usually do? And how often do you use the pocket hole jig?
If you rarely touch it, then you don’t really need to buy a sturdy, expensive one. Also, remember to consider the width and thickness of the material that you’re working with so that you can choose a jig that can fit those pieces.
Accessories
Most of the jigs are sold in kits with bits, clamps, stop collar, and even extra screws. You can buy everything separately if you want, but we think a full-package kit will reduce much trouble while looking for compatible accessories.
Besides, you should look for a jig that comes with bits since drill bits are normally not long enough for pocket hole jigs.
Durability
If you’re planning on starting a bunch of projects, then don’t hesitate to invest in a long-life pocket hole jig. Cheaply-made ones might break easily, which costs you more time and more money to finish your work.
Accuracy
For accuracy, you pay for what you get.
Most pocket hole jigs these days have built-in depth marks with them for easy checking. However, a jig with a sturdy, well-secured clamp will show the best accuracy since it’ll not slip out of alignment, thus give us the best-looking results.
FAQs
What angle is a pocket hole jig on?
Normally, it is a 15 degrees angle.
The connected holes are usually drilled at an angle of 15 degrees by customized drill bits, which is longer than the regular types.
Should I glue the pocket hole joints before drilling?
If you are a newbie to woodworking, you’d better glue your joints first, then continue with the pocket holes later.
Generally, pocket hole joints are strong enough to keep your project in place. So extra glue will not hurt anyone but not really necessary.
Do pocket holes need special screws?
Yes, of course.
They need special pocket hole screws called self-drilling wood screws. Standard wood screws might work too, but it will not be secure as using the self-drilling screws.
Conclusion
And that is the end of our recommendation & buying guide about the best pocket hole jigs on the market!
Do you think you would need one for your next woodworking project?
If you still don’t know which pocket hole jig to try, you can pick the cheapest one and see if you’ll like it or not! In case you’re aiming for a more durable choice, then the high-quality Kreg or Massca could be good options anyway!
