Best Rubber Mallet of 2024

Buying the best rubber mallet should be a top priority for DIYers and professionals. In this guide, we will help you achieve your aim, by showing you the best rubber mallet to buy out there. Read through this guide to find out.  A professional also needs to have a dust mask in his possession.

Generally, rubber mallets are versatile work tools that prevent impactful damages than steel hammers. With the best rubber mallets, you can apply a reasonable amount of force and be confident that your workpiece will be intact. Their non-marring padded heads absorb vibrations too.

Hammers that are used with brute force are designed to make much impact. While rubber mallets are impactful, they are designed with much ease of control. Also, rubber mallets are great for tapping laminating floor tiles, and plumbers use them as sounding devices to test drain lines.

If you need to install brittle materials like countertops and glass window panels, this work tool might be useful for the project.

When considering any mallet that has controllable impacts, the quality of the rubber head and dimension of its larger striking area are important features.

Usually, the impacts of woodworking tools like metal hammers often cause dents on the ends of chisels, surfaces of the workpiece, and wooden materials. With rubber mallets, you can install floor tiles and sensitive materials like glass sheets comfortably. Because of the rubber head of the mallet, it cannot be held in a magnetic tool holder.

Air hammer provide the same tension force, some times more than a rubber mallet.

RUBBER MALLET BUYER’S GUIDE

the factors to be put into consideration before getting a rubber mallet, are different from that used in a leaf shredder, as they both perform different functions.

Heads 

 A rubber mallet head is soft by comparison to metal, and even when used with considerable force, it’s less likely to break anything. 

 One drawback of the traditional black rubber mallet is that it can mark light surfaces, and those marks can be difficult to remove. For that reason, white rubber heads are sometimes used. However, the white rubber compound is much more expensive to produce, hence the popularity of dual-faced rubber mallets. 

Solid rubber heads are the most affordable option when choosing a rubber mallet, but they do cause considerable bounce or recoil. Historically, professionals have taken advantage of this characteristic, but the constant shock along the arm can prove tiring and could lead to repetitive strain or injury.

Various methods are used to reduce the recoil, including filling the head with steel shot (called dead-blow) or using a steelhead with rubber caps. 

Of course, each of these things adds to the price, but if you’re using one all day, the extra expense may be worth it. 

 Handles 

•  Rubber 

 Just like most draw knives, traditional rubber mallet handles are made of wood, often hickory. They feel good in the hand and are effective at absorbing much of the impact. Most are coated in varnish or epoxy to prolong the lifespan. If they do break, they’re relatively easy and cheap to replace. 

•  Fiberglass 

 Fiberglass is a popular alternative because of its linear strength and great durability. Though, it’s smooth, so a rubber grip is normally added. Sometimes fiberglass handles are enclosed. Although breakages are unlikely if they do go there’s no way to repair them. Then it’s a case of buying a whole new mallet. 

•  Steel 

 Steel handles are a third option. They’re cheaper than fiberglass and immensely strong but are quite springy, which tends to exaggerate the bounce of the rubber mallet. As a result, they’re the least popular handle choice – with one exception.

Demolition mallets of the dead-blow type quite often have steel handles, but the whole thing, including the head, is encased in polyurethane. Any minimal recoil isn’t a problem because “feel” isn’t an issue when you’re knocking down walls. Also most coping saws use steel for their handles, because of the sturdiness of the steel material.

 Price 

 The low price of most rubber mallets means there’s no excuse for not having the right tool. Spending $10 or $15 will buy you a good all-rounder, and even the best are usually less than $30. The exception is large dead-blow demolition hammers (technically still a mallet) can be $60 or more.

BEST RUBBER MALLETS

TEKTON Rubber Mallet 30603

The TEKTON 30603 mallet has a lightweight, double-faced solid rubber head and a handle with a durable fiberglass core to help prevent some of the vibrations. The handle is surrounded by an exterior poly jacket that protects the fiberglass core and helps absorb some of the impacts of missed strikes. It also has a rubber grip so your hand doesn’t slip upon impact.

When we used this mallet, it left marks that we had to wipe off our surface continually. You might even say that the surface leaves a mark on the mallet because a little bit of rubber is chipped off the edge with every strike. We also found that the rubber head wasn’t securely attached to the handle

ABN Rubber Mallet

ONXIGLI ABN Mallet is a blend of affordability and functionality. This 32-ounce rubber mallet can be used on a finished piece safely.

It comes with molded rubber handles with that’s compact and allows you to grip conveniently. You shouldn’t worry about a broken handle because this ABN rubber mallet is reliable. Also, the cushioning material on this handle is oil-resistant and easy to clean.

Usually, regular rubber mallets leave black marks (smudge) on the surface of a workpiece. It’s a different experience with this non-marking version. While the head is solid, its rubber material is well-textured and durable. The ABN mallet can deliver soft strikes and prevent damage on a surface.

Alltrade Rubber Mallet

The 16Oz White Rubber Mallet (648336) by Alltrade has a 16-ounce, non-marring white rubber head, with a sturdy, lightweight tubular steel handle. The rubber grip on the end of the handle will help keep the mallet from slipping in your hand and give you better control over your strikes.

This mallet is big. It’s too big for small, around-the-house jobs. However, those are the only jobs that this mallet can handle. It has a cheaper grade of rubber that chips off when you strike it against something. The white head also shows every bit of wear and tear. The flaking off of the rubber wouldn’t be as noticeable if the head were black.

Vaughan Rubber Mallet

One of the amazing features of this Vaughan rubber mallet is the ‘Sure-Lock’ wedge. It holds the hickory handle core with the rubber head securely.

The design ensures consistent strikes with these non-marring white and black tips. Also, these small-profile 2-inch tips allow accurate and soft strikes on surface materials. However, you’ll need the white tip for a non-stain use on your workpiece.

This 14-inch rubber mallet comes with a hickory handle that is attached to a triple-wedge steelhead.

Estwing Deadhead Mallet DH-18N

Estwing’s Gray Rubber Deadhead® Mallet is bounce resistant and non-marring with a top grade hickory handle.

It offers long-lasting life with the ease of maintenance. Additionally, you can control the rate of bounce safely. Quality mallets have sturdy designs, and their excellent balance provides extra driving power for a range of hammering applications.

Gunpla Rubber Mallet

Usually, compact handles that allow better grips and their anti-vibration rubber heads are suitable for driving sheet metal. Gunpla 8-oz Mallet comes with heavy-duty rubber heads that protect the surface of the workpiece from impact damages.

This double-headed rubber design is convenient for tough projects. It’s suitable for laminate flooring materials, and sensitive surfaces. As a pro-grade tool, you don’t need much energy to make decent strikes with this Gunpla mallet.

You need hammering tools with sturdy components to make accurate strikes. However, the handle is a blend of stainless steel and an anti-slip grip that attaches to the rubber head. Apart from this ergonomic design, this rubber mallet produces great results.

Coleman Rubber Mallet

The double-sided head is made of high-impact ABS plastic. When the fun is done, specially-designed openings on the handle give you the leverage to pull your tent pegs, no matter how hard the ground is.

Estwing Rubber Mallet DFH12

12 oz mallet has a hickory handle, dual hard plastic faces, and tips connected by forged steel. This double-faced hammer is used for assembling furniture, setting dowels and wood projects that require non-marring blows. The hammer features two different types of heads, one soft and one hard for working on various tasks. Genuine top grade 10 1/2 inch curved hickory handle with triple wedge construction. The yellow cap is 60 Shore D and the red 40 Shore D.

HORUSDY Rubber Mallet

This set of HORUSDY tools contains a 32oz double-face mallet. Its fiberglass handle has shock-absorbing properties that fit chisels and marble countertops. You can apply soft striking force on a range of materials too. Usually, low-vibration mallets are comfortable to use during long periods of work.

While this HORUSDY rubber mallet reduces noise from impacts, its non-slip handle can be used with wet hands. Another impressive design is the effectiveness of these black rubber heads. You can use them on sheet metal and woodwork projects.

Great Neck Saw RM8 Rubber Mallet

The Great Neck Saw RM8 Rubber Mallet has a double-sided rubber head attached to a solid wooden handle. The handle is very slim and will need to be wrapped in tape to be comfortable for any hands that aren’t small. This mallet is also too lightweight and small. It doesn’t have enough power to handle big jobs. It’s strictly for occasional around-the-house use. Any blows, even light ones, chip away at the rubber with each strike.

CONCLUSION

Buying the best rubber mallets has been made easy with this guide, you are covered if you follow this guide. The rubber mallets above are of great quality, you will be pleased if you purchase any.