The Best Plastic Welders for Repairs of 2025, Tested

A good plastic welder can be a great addition to any household tool kit. Plastic welders can fix broken garden furniture, toys, kayaks, car bumpers, and many other items. In an era when things are often replaced rather than repaired, these welders can help prevent waste and quickly pay for themselves. Unlike glue repairs, which often crack if the plastic flexes, a properly formed weld is strong and permanent. With this in mind, we’ve been testing plastic welders to find the best.

While there are several different kinds of tools for welding plastic, not all of them are created equal. Like any tool, welding equipment should be easy to use and effective. So we’ve taken some time to test four of the best ones to identify their strengths and to recommend a few other highly-rated options. Our favorite is the Polyvance Mini-Weld Model 7 Airless Plastic Welder, which we liked for its consistent heat, ease of use, and flexibility. 

In this guide, we dive deeper into our top pick and the other models we tested. Most of them are available online or at tool and hobby stores. Read on to discover the best plastic welders and find one that’s right for your next repair.

1. BEST OVERALL: Polyvance Mini-Weld Model 7 Airless Plastic Welder
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2. BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Allturn 110V-100W Plastic Welder
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3. BEST HOME AND LEISURE: JounJip Plastic Welding Repair Kit 
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4. BEST AUTOMOTIVE: Allturn Plastic Welding Gun
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5. BEST AIR GUN: Seekone Heat Gun Hot Air Gun Kit
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6. BEST FOR SMALL REPAIRS: Bondic Pro UV Resin & Welding Kit
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7. BEST FOR SEAMS: BeyondLife Plastic Hot Air Welder Heating Gun
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Our Top Picks

The following are some of the best welders on the market. Each category has been assigned so shoppers can quickly identify the best plastic welding tool for different tasks.

Our Ratings: Ease of use 5/5; Strong fix 5/5; Portability 4/5; Cost 3/5

The Polyvance Mini-Weld Model 7 takes the top spot in our plastic welder review thanks to its high performance, flexibility, comprehensive content, and useful storage case. The 200-watt (W) ceramic element heats up quickly and distributes heat consistently across the element surface. It’s easy to use with its dial temperature controls. The dial doesn’t show temperatures; rather, it indicates the type of plastic the user intends to weld.

The Polyvance comes with one general-purpose standard welding tip, a teardrop welding tip, reinforcing mesh, and a wire brush, as well as an array of plastic welding rods. We loved how effective and easy to use the tool was. We tested this welder on three different kinds of plastic, and we also used it to repair a crack in a kayak and to fill a hole in the back of a television. This is the kind of tool even a beginner can use to achieve great results. It’s durable, easy to clean, and has everything someone in the market for a quality plastic welder would be looking for.

What our tester says: “I like the Polyvance Mini-Weld model best for its ease of use and clean repairs.” —Mike Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer.

Get the Polyvance plastic welder at Amazon, Walmart, JB Tools, or Polyvance.

Our Ratings: Ease of use 4/5; Strong fix 4/5; Portability 4/5; Cost 5/5 

The Allturn Plastic Welder is not the best welder we tested. However, when comparing prices, this welder is by far the best in terms of affordability. Frankly, we found that it performs comparably to others that are much more expensive. For a beginner or a DIYer who is just looking to make a few simple repairs on the cheap, this is a great product.

Lightweight and portable, this Allturn is easy to use right out of the box (which also includes extra welding tips, wire mesh, plastic rods for repairs, and some other accessories). The only glaring issue with this welder is the tip doesn’t distribute heat perfectly, leaving the middle of the tip hotter than the outer border. However, with some practice, it’s not that big of a problem.

What our tester says: “I like the Allturn Plastic Welding Gun, mostly because it results in the strongest plastic repairs of the products tested.” —Mike Larson, Product Reviews tester and writer.

Get the Allturn Plastic Welder at Amazon.

Our Ratings: Ease of use 5/5; Strong fix 4/5; Portability 4/5; Cost 4/5

The JounJip plastic welding repair kit is an excellent choice for a casual or hobby model. The welder is a low cost, reliable 80-watt unit with a versatile set of accessories. This kit includes two identical tips, which is great for long-term use since tips eventually wear out. There are 20 welding rods suitable for a wide range of items, including plastic bins and buckets, furniture, kayaks, toys, and vehicles. In addition to including the usual reinforcing mesh, the kit also has five aluminum repair tapes that can add tremendous strength, particularly for automotive repairs.

We tested the welder on a few different repairs, including a cracked SUV bumper. While this model does take a bit longer to get hot, once up to temperature, it was able to easily repair the bumper. We liked the beveled triangular tips, which seemed to make quick, smooth work of all of the repairs we attempted. The JounJip plastic welder is also UL-certified, so it meets independent safety standards recognized in the U.S. and Canada.

Get the JounJip plastic welder at Amazon and JounJip.

Our Ratings: Ease of use 4/5; Strong fix 5/5; Portability 4/5; Cost 3/5

The Allturn plastic welder and stapler can be used as a standard airless plastic welder, melting rods into splits or cracks to form a repair. However, it can also work as a hot staple gun by embedding hot staples into the plastic components to hold them together. Plastic can then be smoothed over the top to conceal the staple and provide a neat finish.

This hot stapler plastic welding gun is an ideal solution for cracked bumpers, lighting surrounds, and dashboards, and can also be used for motorcycle fairings and luggage, lawn mower decks, and more. The 100W gun is well-balanced and heats up quickly. An LED light built into the front helps users see their work in dark areas, and overload protection prevents overheating.

From a testing standpoint, we were impressed with the strength of the staples and how easily they were to clean up. In all cases, our repairs were both strong and inconspicuous. As a regular plastic welder, this Allturn was also very good, although we had better success in making clean repairs using welders with a solid tip. The Allturn plastic welder comes in a useful case with a utility knife, snips, 800 staples, and an assortment of plastic welding rods. 

Get the Allturn plastic welder at Amazon.

Our Ratings: Ease of use 4/5; Strong fix 4/5; Portability 4/5; Cost 5/5

The Seekone heat gun is a popular option. It’s powerful, versatile, and affordable. Two power modes can deliver airflow of 190 to 210 liters per minute (l/min) or 250 to 500 l/min, and the temperature is variable, from as low as 122 degrees Fahrenheit up to 1,202 degrees Fahrenheit.

Particularly good at heating large parts quickly, and with four included nozzles, the Seekone heat gun can also be used for shrink-wrapping cables, soldering copper pipes, bending PVC, and stripping paint. Overload protection protects the heat gun and provides operator safety. A useful wire stand allows the gun to sit upright, preventing damage to the desk or bench while it cools. It’s important to use this feature to avoid burning the workbench—like we did.

The power cord is a bit short at 5.25 feet, and the air gun does not have a case. Plus, focusing on small areas with heat guns or achieving the smooth finish that airless plastic welders can provide is difficult. We also found that when working on a job that required some movement, the temperature setting dial could wander on its own, as it will not lock onto a certain setting. To maintain a consistent temperature, keep an eye on the dial.

Get the Seekone plastic welder at Amazon or Seekone.

More Great Options

While we personally tested the plastic welders above, here are a few more that we like based on research and customer reviews. 

The Bondic Pro uses a unique approach to repairing broken plastic, which, strictly speaking, isn’t welding. It doesn’t use heat but relies on an LED UV light instead. However, this method still can provide effective repairs with accuracy.

The Bondic Pro’s fine tip can apply a precise amount of liquid plastic to a crack or break. The UV light then hardens the plastic. When dry, which takes seconds, it is nontoxic, heat-resistant, and waterproof. Users can then sand and paint the repair if necessary. In addition to various plastics, the Bondic Pro can repair wood, metal, rubber, ceramics, and fabrics.

The Bondic Pro system is more effective than most glues but does not fully bond plastics like welding, so repairs don’t have the same strength. The tool comes with two tubes of adhesive in a neat metal case.

Get the Bondic plastic welder at Amazon, Walmart, or Bondic.

The BeyondLife heat gun is an easy-to-use tool that boasts lots of versatility thanks to its four nozzles. In particular, the tool includes two speed nozzles: one for triangular welding rods and one for round rods. This makes it ideal for welding plastic seams on tarpaulins, truck curtains, and vinyl pool linings. The welder also has the power for heavy-duty repairs if necessary.

The welder’s airflow can vary up to 230 l/min via a collar with useful suggestions for different material settings. Temperature control is on the back of the unit, though positions one through eight are a bit hit-and-miss until users get accustomed to performance. The kit also contains a silicone roller that can help make smooth repairs if necessary. It includes welding rods for polyethylene and PVC, though only one of each, and has no case. 

Get the BeyondLife plastic welder at Amazon.

How We Chose and Tested the Best Plastic Welders

Our aim was to provide a comprehensive look at an array of plastic welders and test them with a variety of cracks, holes, and scrapes to be repaired. That means we needed to find and test a number of different welders, heat guns, and heat staplers.

Looking at the products through a wide lens allowed us to isolate features and ease of use, leading us to consider plastic welders and plastic welding kits from all the leading manufacturers in this space. In testing, we took into account each welder’s capabilities, accessories provided, and, of course, their cost. Through our research we discovered that although some tools are very versatile, there is no one best plastic welder for every single job. Instead, in this guide we offer a collection of tools that can solve nearly any plastic welding challenge and include something for all budgets.

What to Consider When Choosing a Plastic Welder

There are dozens of plastic welders on the market, so it’s important to understand their capabilities in order to make the right choice. Much like when looking for the best welders for beginners, buyers should know that some tools are more user-friendly than others, and some are more suited to professional tasks. The key features are as follows.

Type of Welder

Plastic welders fall into four general categories: heat guns, airless (or contact), high-frequency, and friction welders.

A heat gun typically looks a lot like a small hair dryer, though some have tubular pen-like shapes. The tools come with various attachments to spread or focus a stream of hot air, which makes them quite versatile. They can be used directly on plastics or with plastic welding rods that can be melted into joints or cracks.

Airless plastic welders are similar in design to a soldering iron used for electrical work. A handle with an attached rod delivers heat to a metal tip. Basic models have a single heat setting, though better tools are variable. Plastic welding rods can be used with mesh or foil to create strong repairs.

Ultrasonic and friction welding both work by vibrating plastic components very fast, developing heat that bonds them together. However, both are unique to industrial plastic welders found mainly in factories and laboratories.

Types of Welding and Tips

Several terms are used to describe the various types of welds in plastic welding, and many tools come with a variety of tips whose purpose can be difficult to discern. So, let’s clarify those.

Tack welding involves making a small, temporary weld to hold two workpieces together until the full weld forms. However, in plastic welding, a plastic staple welder can insert a metal staple between the pieces to be repaired, thus providing a strong joint. The area can then be smoothed over to conceal the staple.

Speed welding tips are particularly effective when joining two seams together. A plastic welding rod is fed into the tip, right where the heat is focused, and melts into the joint as the user moves the gun along.

Pendulum welding is a process used in heavy-duty plastic welding, when parts require considerable heat buildup to be bonded successfully. The term describes the motion of moving the tip back and forward across the area in a swinging, or pendulum, motion.

Power

All plastic welders have a wattage rating that describes the amount of power generated. This should not be confused with how hot they get. For example, an 80-watt (W) airless plastic welder and a 200W airless plastic welder might both be capable of reaching 500 degrees Fahrenheit or more. The difference is that the 80W model would take longer to heat up and would work more slowly.

As the tip comes into contact with the plastic to be melted, some of the heat dissipates. The machine then needs to reheat. The higher the wattage, the less noticeable this heat drain will be, and the faster the user can achieve a weld.

Heat guns have a much higher wattage rating than airless welders, typically 1,500W or more. Hot air is a less efficient way to transfer heat, so the guns need to generate more energy to overcome this.

Welding Rods

Generally, it’s recommended to weld “like” plastics. For example, to repair a polypropylene item, use a polypropylene welding rod. However, there are also some multipurpose rods that can be used on a few different types of plastic (when in doubt, try a short test weld). Many plastic welders come with a variety of welding rods useful for common plastic materials. 

Ideally, choose a plastic welder that includes suitable welding rods for the job at hand. Sure, some welders come with a wide variety of rods, but the extras aren’t really useful if they’re not needed! Appropriate rods are available separately, but factor that into the budget. 

Airflow and Temperature

Airless plastic welders have either a single heat setting or variable settings. The latter allows more control. With heat guns, performance is a combination of the temperature generated and the airflow. Airflow often is given in liters per minute. An airflow of 1 l/min is roughly equal to a quarter gallon per minute.

If the temperature stays the same but the airflow is raised, then the gun will weld faster. However, that’s not always the aim. For example, heat guns are often used for shrink wrapping electrical cables, and in that case slow heat is better. So a heat gun with variable temperature control and variable airflow will be more versatile than one without these controls.

Accessories

A plastic welder might come with a variety of accessories as part of the purchase:

• Additional tips: Different heat welding tips add versatility to a plastic welder. With airless models, only one or two tips may be supplied, whereas heat guns typically have four or more. These are designed for a variety of tasks, so it’s important to check the function of each.
• Plastic welding rods: These are often general-purpose rods, but the range of materials that are called “plastic” is vast, so it might be necessary to have specific rods for welding a particular material. If the exact material is not known, then where practical, it is advisable to weld a test piece. Staples usually come with tack plastic welding machines.
• Mesh or tape: Airless plastic welders often come with mesh or tape to reinforce repairs as well as sandpaper to roughen surfaces for a stronger bond. Each of these (and the welding rods previously mentioned) are consumables, so it’s worth checking the quantity provided and where to purchase further supplies if they run out.

FAQs

The article above covers a lot of information, and we hope it has provided a good understanding of the key considerations when choosing a plastic welder. Still, you may still have questions. Whether you’re looking for more details about how to weld plastic or other tips for welding plastics, see some answers to other common queries below. 

Meet the Tester

Mike Larson is a professional journalist and DIYer in Pittsburgh. With an ever growing list of things to repair, he became a quick study in plastic welding. As a product tester, he likes to use a method and criteria that reveal the value of the product as a whole in a way that helps other users.

Additional research provided by Bob Beacham and Jasmine Harding.

 

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