Cordless vs corded orbital sander, which one is worth it?

The corded orbital sander gives you more consistent power and you don't have to worry about the battery, so it's better if you do long or frequent jobs. The battery-powered one wins out on convenience and freedom of movement, especially if you have limited space or want something portable, though the runtime can be limiting on bigger projects. It really depends on how often you use it and how much time you spend on each job.

It really depends on what you're doing exactly! If you need to sand furniture or small one-off projects around the house, the battery one is a lifesaver because you're not hunting for outlets or dragging cables all over the place. But if you're gonna spend hours and hours sanding, the corded one is your best bet because it won't die on you halfway through and the power stays consistent.

In my case I use the battery one for everything because it's what I have on hand and honestly the convenience of not being tied to an outlet makes up for anything. That said, I always keep two batteries charged just in case!

The best way to decide is how long you spend sanding without stopping. If you do long sessions (more than an hour straight), the corded one stays steady without power drops, but if you're switching between short jobs or need to move around without being tied to an outlet, the cordless gives you more flexibility and honestly you won't notice that much of a power difference for household tasks. What's worth doing is having a backup battery if you go wireless, because when it runs out you're stuck halfway through.

Based on my experience, the trick nobody mentions is to test how much each one weighs beforehand, because after 20 minutes holding a heavy sander your arms are begging for mercy, and that's something you don't see in the specs. If you're doing small, frequent jobs around the house, the battery-powered one is worth every penny even if it's less powerful, because the frustration of untangling cables in tight spaces will drive you crazy; on the other hand, if you only need to do serious work once or twice a year, just buy the corded one and call it a day.