Best Sanding Discs for Orbital Sanders in 2026: 5-Inch Hook-and-Loop Packs for Wood, Paint and Finish Work

A random orbital sander eats paper. Refinish one table and you will go through a dozen discs across four grits, which is why the disc pack matters more than most people expect. For a 5-inch sander, the pack we would buy first is the WORKPRO 150-piece assortment: ten grits from 60 to 600, aluminum oxide abrasive, the standard 8-hole pattern, and 18,863 owner ratings at 4.6 stars.

All five picks below are 5-inch, 8-hole, hook-and-loop discs, because that is the most common random orbital sander format and the one our catalog covers best. We chose them from the sanding discs in our catalog by reading the listed specifications and owner reviews. We did not run timed sanding tests, so nothing here is a lab result. Prices move daily; the buttons open the live Amazon page.

How we picked

• Same format, different purpose. A big assortment, a small budget assortment, a single-grit bulk box, a longer-wearing finishing pack and a wet/dry set.
• Grit counts spelled out. We only picked packs whose listings say which grits you get, and where possible how many of each.
• Owner ratings of 4.5 stars or higher with at least 1,000 reviews.

The picks

#1

Best overall

WORKPRO 150 Pack 5 Inch Sanding Discs Sandpaper, 8-Hole Hook and Loop

4.6 · 18,863 ratings

9.2Our score

Discs150Grits60, 80, 100, 120, 150, 180, 240, 320, 400, 600AbrasiveAluminum oxideFormat5 in (125 mm), 8 holes, hook and loopBackingNapped

This is the pack that answers “which grits do I need?” by including all of them. WORKPRO supplies 150 discs in ten grits, 60 through 600, made with aluminum oxide on a napped hook-and-loop backing with the usual eight dust holes. The listing names BLACK+DECKER, DEWALT, Bosch, Makita and PORTER-CABLE sanders among those the 5-inch discs fit, and an owner in our data confirms a Ryobi. Reviewers say the discs grip the pad well, come off cleanly and last almost as long as pricier paper.

Pros

• 18,863 owner ratings at 4.6 stars, the most reviewed pack here
• Ten grits from coarse 60 to fine 600 in one box
• Lowest cost per disc of the five when we checked
• Same listing sells single-grit boxes once you know what you use most

Cons

• You will run out of 80 and 120 long before 400 and 600
• The listing does not say how many discs of each grit are included
• Owners call them good for the price, not equal to premium discs

Buy on Amazon Full specs & reviews Prices and availability change often. Check the store for the current price.

#2

Best budget assortment

S SATC 72 PCS 5 Inch 8 Hole Hook and Loop Adhesive Sanding Discs Sandpaper for Random Orbital Sander

4.5 · 18,335 ratings

9.0Our score

Discs72Grits40 (12 discs); 60, 80, 120, 180, 240, 320 (10 each)AbrasiveAluminum oxide, open coatFormat5 in, 8 holes, hook and loopCoatingStearate, to resist clogging

Seventy-two discs is about right for a deck railing, a dresser or a set of cabinet doors. The S SATC set starts coarser than the WORKPRO box, with twelve 40-grit discs for paint and heavy stock removal, then ten each of 60, 80, 120, 180, 240 and 320. The abrasive is open-coat aluminum oxide with a stearate coating, which helps keep paint and resin from packing the disc. Most owners call it good value. Two complaints are worth knowing: one reviewer had discs that would not stay on the pad, and another found the life short.

Pros

• 18,335 owner ratings at 4.5 stars
• Under ten dollars in our catalog data at the time of writing
• Includes 40 grit for stripping, which the WORKPRO set lacks
• The listing states the exact count of every grit

Cons

• One owner says discs sometimes fail to grip the sander pad
• A 3-star reviewer who makes wood crafts found they wore out fast
• Stops at 320 grit

Buy on Amazon Full specs & reviews Prices and availability change often. Check the store for the current price.

#3

Best single-grit box

Aiyard 5-Inch 8-Hole Hook and Loop Sanding Discs 60-Grit, 100-Pack

4.7 · 6,859 ratings

9.4Our score

Discs100Grits60 only (other grits sold separately)AbrasiveFused alumina (aluminum oxide), goldFormat5 in, 8 holes, hook and loopListed usesSanding, paint removal, rust removal

Coarse discs do the hard work and die first. If you strip paint, flatten glued-up panels or sand a lot of rough lumber, a box of one grit is more useful than another assortment. Aiyard’s gold discs use a fused alumina grain and the standard eight holes, and this listing is the 60-grit box of 100. Owners rate it 4.7 stars across 6,859 reviews; one describes it as aggressive paper that works well, another used the 80-grit version to take old paint and rot off oak fence slats. The same listing has 100-packs from 80 up to 800, so pick the grit you burn through most.

Pros

• 4.7 stars from 6,859 owners
• One hundred discs of the grit that wears out fastest
• Same listing offers 100-packs from 80 to 800 grit and a mixed pack
• Owners report long life and an aggressive cut

Cons

• A single grit; you still need finer discs to finish
• 60 grit leaves deep scratches in wood if you stop there
• Costs more per disc than the WORKPRO and S SATC assortments

Buy on Amazon Full specs & reviews Prices and availability change often. Check the store for the current price.

#4

Best for paint and finish prep

Dura-Gold 5″ Gold Sanding Disc Grit Assortment, 8 Hole Pattern

4.7 · 2,305 ratings

9.4Our score

Discs50Grits60, 80, 120, 220, 320 (10 each)AbrasiveAluminum oxide fused with zirconia aluminaFormat5 in, 8 holes, hook and loopListed usesAuto body, primers, fillers, wood, metal, fiberglass

Dura-Gold’s listing leads with auto body work, and this variety box is aimed at filler, primer and paint prep as much as at wood. The grain is aluminum oxide fused with zirconia alumina, and the five grits are the ones a refinishing job uses: 60, 80, 120, 220 and 320, ten of each. The listing names the DeWalt DW421 and DW423, 5-inch Ryobi, Bosch 3107 and 3725 and a Makita it spells “B05010” as sanders it fits. Owners rate it 4.7 stars over 2,305 reviews, and one calls them the best discs they have found after two poor brands. Use them dry: a reviewer who tried wet sanding had the backing separate.

Pros

• 4.7 stars from 2,305 owners
• Zirconia-blend abrasive, which the maker says cuts fast and lasts
• Ten discs of each grit, clearly stated
• Listing names specific DeWalt, Ryobi, Bosch and Makita sander models

Cons

• Fifty discs cost about as much as 150 WORKPRO discs when we checked
• An owner found the hook backing came apart when wet sanding
• No grit finer than 320 in this assortment

Buy on Amazon Full specs & reviews Prices and availability change often. Check the store for the current price.

#5

Best for wet sanding and polishing

S&F STEAD & FAST 5 inch Wet Dry Sanding Discs Hook & Loop 54 pcs

4.6 · 1,013 ratings

9.2Our score

Discs54, plus a tack clothGrits80, 120, 180, 220, 400, 600, 1000, 2000, 3000AbrasiveSilicon carbideFormat5 in, 8 holes, hook and loopBackingWaterproof paper

The other four packs stop where finishing starts. This one keeps going: four discs each of 80, 120 and 180 grit, six of 220, eight each of 400, 600 and 1000, and six each of 2000 and 3000. The abrasive is silicon carbide on waterproof paper, the usual choice for sanding between coats, leveling clear finishes and polishing solid-surface countertops. One owner took a solid-surface counter from 120 to 1000 grit step by step and ended with a scratch-free semi-gloss. S&F cautions against using the coarse discs on rough or sharp edges, where the paper can tear early.

Pros

• Runs to 3000 grit, far finer than the other four packs
• Silicon carbide on a waterproof backing for wet or dry use
• 4.6 stars from 1,013 owners
• Tack cloth included for wiping dust before finishing

Cons

• Only four discs each of 80, 120 and 180 grit
• The maker warns that low-grit discs can tear on sharp edges
• Fewer reviews than the other picks

Buy on Amazon Full specs & reviews Prices and availability change often. Check the store for the current price.

Compare the picks

Check the pad before you order

Three things have to match your sander.

Diameter. Measure the pad. Most palm-sized random orbital sanders are 5 inch (125 mm); larger ones are 6 inch. All five picks are 5 inch.

Hole pattern. Turn the sander over and count the holes in the pad. Eight is the common 5-inch pattern and what every pick here has. A disc whose holes do not line up will still sand, but the dust has nowhere to go, the paper clogs and the dust bag stays empty.

Attachment. These are hook-and-loop discs: the fuzzy back grips tiny hooks on the pad. Sanders with a smooth pad use adhesive-backed (PSA) discs instead, and the two are not interchangeable.

If new discs will not stay on, the pad is usually the cause. The hooks wear and melt with use. Replacement pads are model-specific; our catalog has, for example, the Bosch RS034 pad for the ROS20VS, rated 4.6 stars by 1,652 owners.

Which grit for which step

Lower numbers are coarser. A sensible sequence is to start with the coarsest grit the surface needs and move up one step at a time, without skipping far, because each grit only removes the scratches of the one before.

• 40 to 60: stripping paint, leveling uneven joints, removing rust.
• 80 to 100: shaping and removing mill marks or old finish.
• 120 to 150: general smoothing; many projects start here.
• 180 to 220: final sanding before stain, paint or clear coat.
• 320 to 600: between coats of finish.
• 1000 and up: wet sanding and polishing of finishes and solid surfaces.

Aluminum oxide, zirconia or silicon carbide

Aluminum oxide is the all-round abrasive for wood and metal and is what the WORKPRO, S SATC and Aiyard discs use. Zirconia blends, like the Dura-Gold, are tougher and meant to keep cutting longer on hard material. Silicon carbide is sharper and more brittle; it is used on waterproof paper for finishes, primers and wet work.

Our catalog also lists 3M’s Cubitron II net discs, a ceramic abrasive on a mesh backing built around dust extraction; the 12-piece multi-grade pack is rated 4.6 stars by 2,350 owners. We left it out of the five because its listing says it is for industrial and occupational use only.

Sanding dust is a health hazard. Connect a vacuum or use the dust bag, wear a dust mask or respirator, and do not dry-sand paint in a home built before 1978 without testing it for lead first. For cutting rather than smoothing, see our guides to oscillating tool blades and cut-off wheels.

Bottom line

Start with the WORKPRO 150 Pack, which covers every grit most projects need. Choose the S SATC 72-piece set for a single small job, an Aiyard 100-pack once you know which grit you use most, Dura-Gold for paint and body-filler prep, and the S&F STEAD & FAST discs whenever the work goes past 600 grit or involves water.

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