Best Pottery Bats for Home Wheels: 7 Bats and Bat Systems Compared

Pottery bats are removable throwing surfaces that lock onto your wheelhead with two pins. You throw on the bat, then lift the bat off with the pot still on it, so a wet piece never gets squeezed out of shape. For most US home wheels, the right choice is a 12 or 14 in bat drilled for 10 in pin spacing, made of plastic, Medex or a plaster-type material. This guide compares seven bats and bat systems on material, size, thickness and pin fit. After that, we explain how to match a bat to your wheel.

This guide is research-based. We compared maker pages from Speedball, AMACO, North Star Equipment and The Ceramic Shop with listings from US pottery dealers including Clay-King, Sheffield Pottery, New Mexico Clay and Krueger Pottery. We did not throw on these bats ourselves. Specs checked October 2026.

Quick picks

• Best overall: Speedball Plastic Bats (holes for both 10 in and 9 in pins, low cost per bat)
• Best for AMACO and Brent wheels: AMACO Plasti-Bat with pin holes (rigid 1/4 in plastic, oblong hole)
• Best wood-type bat: Speedball Medex Bats (water resistant, sizes up to 16 in)
• Best for easy release: Hydro-Bat from The Ceramic Shop (Hydro-Stone pulls water from the pot so it lets go)
• Best heavy-duty bat: North Star Iron Star Bats (3/8 in thick, drilled for your wheel on request)
• Best bat system: Studio Pro SpaceSaver Bat System (14 in master bat, eight 6 in inserts)
• Best system for larger inserts: Dirty Girls Round Bat System (ten 7.5 in inserts)

Pottery wheel bats comparison table

Speedball Plastic Bats: best overall

Speedball’s plastic bats are the simplest way to own several bats for little money. Speedball describes them as injection-molded plastic with ribs on the underside for strength, plus a rim that makes the bat easier to lift off the wheel. The detail that matters most is the drilling: Speedball makes holes for two pin spacings, 10 in (marked with three dots) and 9 in (marked with one dot). One bat therefore covers most wheels a home potter is likely to own.

Dealer listings call the bats durable and warp resistant, and Clay-King says they fit common wheels from AMACO Brent, Laguna Pacifica, Shimpo, Skutt and Speedball. Speedball says they are made in the USA. You can buy 12 in and 14 in rounds and a 7.5 in square in many colors, which helps in a shared studio where everyone needs to spot their own bats.

The trade-off is that plastic does not absorb water. Pots stay wet on the bat longer than they would on wood or plaster, so you either cut each pot free with a wire or let it firm up before lifting it off. If you own a Speedball Clay Boss, two bats already come with the wheel (see our Clay Boss review).

• Material: injection-molded plastic with stiffening ribs
• Sizes: 7.5 in square, 12 in round, 14 in round
• Pin spacing: 10 in and 9 in holes (Speedball)
• Thickness: not published by the maker
• Made in: USA (Speedball)
• Price band: typically $8 to $13 per bat at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price

Who should skip it: Potters who mainly throw wide plates and want the pot to release on its own as the bat draws water out of the base.

AMACO Plasti-Bat with pin holes: best for AMACO and Brent wheels

AMACO makes Brent wheels, and its Plasti-Bat with pin holes is drilled with one oblong hole for what AMACO calls a better fit on AMACO and Brent wheels. AMACO says the holes stay as drilled and do not wear oversize with use. That matters, because loose holes are what make an old bat wobble.

AMACO lists the bats at 1/4 in thick for sizes 8 to 18 in (its 20 in bats are thicker), made from very rigid, high impact plastic that it says will not splinter, delaminate, swell or shrink. The version with pin holes comes in 12 in and 14 in. AMACO also sells Plasti-Bats without holes, which you fix to the wheelhead with a pad of clay, and a 9 in square.

AMACO recommends storing the bats in a slotted rack or flat on a shelf, and stacking them only when clean, to prevent warping. That advice applies to every plastic bat. The oblong hole gives a little play if your pins sit slightly off true, but AMACO does not say how much, so measure your pins before relying on it. Brent owners can check wheelhead sizes in our Brent pottery wheels guide.

• Material: rigid high impact plastic
• Sizes with pin holes: 12 in and 14 in round
• Thickness: 1/4 in for 8 to 18 in sizes (AMACO)
• Pin holes: one oblong hole, made for AMACO and Brent wheels
• Price band: about $24 to $27 per bat in October 2026; check the live price

Who should skip it: Owners of wheels with unusual pin spacing, who are better off with a bat drilled to their measurement.

Speedball Medex Bats: best wood-type bat

Medex is a water-resistant medium density fiberboard, and it is a common studio bat material because it draws a little water out of the base of a pot as it sits. That helps the pot release once it firms up. Speedball says its Medex bats offer the greatest durability of all wooden bats, with very limited warping or chipping, and that they help absorb moisture as work dries.

Sizes run from an 8.5 in square to 12, 14 and 16 in rounds, sold singly or in 5-packs, with a 5-piece studio pack of the square. The 16 in size gives you room for platters on a 14 in wheelhead. Speedball’s page does not list thickness or the pin spacing the bats are drilled for, so confirm the drilling with your dealer if your wheel is not on 10 in centers.

The Ceramic Shop sorts bat materials into plastic, masonite (tempered hardboard), Medex and Hydro-Stone, and describes Medex as the water-resistant form of MDF. Water resistant is not waterproof, though. Do not leave Medex bats soaking in a bucket. Wipe them, stand them on edge to dry, and they will last for years.

• Material: Medex (water-resistant fiberboard)
• Sizes: 8.5 in square; 12, 14 and 16 in round
• Thickness: not published by the maker
• Pin spacing: not stated on Speedball’s page
• Price band: from about $8 for the smallest single bat in October 2026, more for larger sizes; check the live price

Who should skip it: Anyone who likes to wash bats in a tub after every session; plastic suits that habit better.

Hydro-Bat: best for easy release

Plaster-type bats pull water out of the base of a pot, so the piece lets go on its own as it stiffens. The Hydro-Bat, sold by The Ceramic Shop, is cast from Hydro-Stone (a US Gypsum product) instead of standard pottery plaster. The Ceramic Shop says it is eight to ten times stronger than similar products, will not warp, and that its water absorption removes the need to cut pots off with a wire.

Hard rubber grommets are cast into the underside. On standard bats of 12.5 in and larger they sit 10 in apart and fit standard 3/8 in bat pins. Smaller sizes differ: the 8.5 to 11 in bats use 6 in grommet spacing, and the 6 in mini uses 4 in spacing. Both need The Ceramic Shop’s adapter on a normal wheel. Sizes run from 6 in to 28 in, and The Ceramic Shop also sells hump molds for bowls and plates.

The care sheet says to wet a bone-dry bat with a sponge before throwing, keep the wheelhead and grommets free of clay crumbs, and undercut the pot with a wooden knife while wet. Release time depends on how much water you used and on your room humidity, so plan for some waiting.

• Material: Hydro-Stone gypsum cement with cast-in rubber grommets
• Sizes: 6, 8.5, 10, 12.5, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24 and 28 in
• Pin fit: 10 in grommet spacing on 12.5 in and larger; 3/8 in pins
• Thickness: not published by the maker
• Price band: about $20 to $25 for the 12.5 and 14 in sizes in October 2026; check the live price

Who should skip it: Potters in a cold, damp garage, where plaster-type bats dry slowly and release takes much longer.

North Star Iron Star Bats: best heavy-duty bat

North Star Equipment is best known for slab rollers and extruders, but it also makes bats. Its Iron Star bats are a formaldehyde-free wood product 3/8 in thick, which North Star describes as water resistant, extremely strong and not prone to warping. Sizes are 13, 15, 18 and 21 in, sold in cartons of six. The 18 and 21 in sizes suit platters and wide bowls.

The drilling policy is the reason to look here. North Star drills two holes 10 in center to center as standard, which it says fits Brent, Pacifica and Soldner wheels, and it will drill bats for any other wheel on request at no extra charge. If you own an older or imported wheel with odd pin spacing, that solves the fit problem.

North Star also makes thinner Forever Bats (1/4 in, 13 and 15 in, cartons of ten), 3/8 in HDPE plastic bats, and a Universal Insert Bat System with a 1/2 in Medex outer bat and 1/4 in inserts. Note the warranty terms: North Star covers bats only for arrival in good condition and proper fit. Prices are not listed on its bat page, so ask a dealer.

• Material: formaldehyde-free wood product
• Thickness: 3/8 in
• Sizes: 13, 15, 18 and 21 in round; cartons of 6
• Pin spacing: 10 in standard; other spacings drilled on request
• Warranty: arrival in good condition and proper fit only
• Price band: not published by the maker; ask a dealer

Who should skip it: A beginner who needs two or three bats, not a carton of six.

Studio Pro SpaceSaver Bat System: best bat system

A bat system has one master bat that stays on the wheel and small inserts that drop into a cutout. You throw on the insert, lift it out with the pot, and drop in a fresh one. Inserts are cheaper and take up less shelf space than full bats, which makes a system good value for mugs, cups and small bowls.

The Studio Pro SpaceSaver uses a 14 in master bat of 1/2 in exterior-grade MDF with eight 6 in inserts, according to New Mexico Clay and Clay-King. Clay-King’s page title mentions six inserts, but both dealers list eight in the item details. Rubber grommets sit 10 in on center for standard pins, and they go right through the bat, so you can flip it and use both sides. Finger lifts and rounded edges make inserts easier to pull out.

Clay-King says the system is fully compatible with the Wonderbat, which is now unavailable. If you already own Wonderbat inserts, this is the obvious replacement master bat. Because MDF swells if soaked, dry inserts on edge and do not store them in water.

• Master bat: 14 in, 1/2 in exterior-grade MDF
• Inserts: eight at 6 in (dealer item details)
• Pin fit: through-hole rubber grommets, 10 in on center
• Compatibility: works with Wonderbat parts (Clay-King)
• Price band: typically $60 to $70 per system at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price

Who should skip it: Potters who mostly throw plates or bowls wider than about 6 in at the base.

Dirty Girls Round Bat System: best for larger inserts

Dirty Girls, a Kentucky Mudworks brand, makes a round bat system with a 12.5 in master bat and ten round inserts at 7.5 in, in an MDF composite. Clay-King lists the pin spacing as 10 in from the middle of one pin hole to the other, which matches most full-size wheels. The 7.5 in inserts leave more room than 6 in inserts for small bowls and wider mugs.

The Ceramic Shop’s listing passes on the maker’s care advice: do not leave the bats under water for long, because wood products can break down and warp, and dry them on edge or at an angle. Ten inserts let you throw a full session of small pieces without stopping to clean bats.

Dirty Girls also makes a separate system for the Shimpo Aspire, a compact wheel with a smaller head. The Ceramic Shop says that version has a 10 in master bat with seven 4.25 in inserts and will not fit traditional full-size wheels. Aspire owners can read more in our Shimpo Aspire review.

• Master bat: 12.5 in
• Inserts: ten round inserts at 7.5 in
• Material: MDF composite
• Pin spacing: 10 in (Clay-King)
• Thickness: not published
• Price band: typically $75 to $85 per system at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price

Who should skip it: Owners of a 14 in wheelhead who want a master bat that covers the whole head.

How to choose pottery bats

A pottery bat goes by several names: dealers list the same thing as a clay bat, a ceramic bat or a wheel bat. Three things decide whether a bat works for you: whether it fits your pins, what it is made of, and whether its size suits the pots you make. Check them in that order.

Measure your bat pins first

The Ceramic Shop notes that bat pins are typically drilled 10 in on center, but that some wheels differ because of age, size or country of origin. Before you order:

1. Clean the wheelhead so you can see both pins clearly.
2. Measure from the center of one pin to the center of the other. That is the pin spacing.
3. Check the pin diameter. Standard bat pins are 3/8 in, the size Hydro-Bat grommets are made for.
4. Note the wheelhead diameter and how far the splash pan sits from it, so a large bat will not hit the pan.

If your wheel has no pins, many dealers sell bat pins, and Speedball sells them for its wheels. Without pins, you can stick an undrilled bat to a thin, flat pad of clay thrown on the wheelhead.

Plastic, Medex, MDF or plaster

Plastic is cheap, light and easy to wash, but it does not absorb water, so pots need cutting free. Medex and other MDF bats draw a little water and release more easily, but they must not soak. Hydro-Stone and plaster bats release best and suit plates, but they are heavier, can chip, and dry slowly in damp rooms. Many home potters keep a few of each: plastic for everyday cylinders and a plaster-type bat for flatware.

Size: match the bat to the pot and the wheel

A bat should be wider than the base of your pot plus room for your hands and a wooden knife. For mugs and cups, 6 to 8 in inserts are enough. For bowls, a 12 or 14 in bat covers most work. For plates and platters, 14 to 16 in or larger. A bat can overhang a smaller wheelhead, as long as it clears the splash pan and stays flat.

Full bats or a bat system

Full bats are simpler and suit any size of pot. Bat systems save money and shelf space when you throw many small pieces, but the insert size caps the base of every pot. If you throw a mix, buy a system for small work and two or three full bats for the rest. A pot often stays on its bat until leather hard for trimming, so count how many pieces you make in a session and buy at least that many bats or inserts.

Round vs square bats

Round bats are the default. They match the shape of the wheelhead, give the same hand room all the way around, and come in the widest range of sizes, from 6 in inserts to 20 in and larger platter bats. Square bats are mainly a small-pot format: Speedball sells a 7.5 in square plastic bat that it calls space-saving, Speedball's Medex range includes an 8.5 in square, and AMACO makes a 9 in square Plasti-Bat.

The case for square is storage and handling. Square bats sit edge to edge on a shelf or ware board with no gaps, stack neatly, and are easier to grab by a flat side when you lift a wet mug off the wheel. The catch is that the corners sweep a wider circle than the bat's width as it spins. A 7.5 in square measures about 10.6 in corner to corner, so check that the corners clear the splash pan and keep your hands and tools away from them at speed. For bowls and plates, round bats remain the better choice.

Trimming bats and bat mats

A trimming bat holds a leather-hard pot upside down for trimming, so you do not need clay wads. The Ceramic Shop sells StudioPro foam trimming bats in 1/4 in foam for small, light pieces and 3/4 in foam for heavier pots or uneven rims, printed with concentric rings to help you center. DiamondCore's Sticky Pad, a 4 mm rubberized mat in 8 in or 12 in sizes, does the same job on a clean, dry wheelhead or bat; DiamondCore says to use it only for low, well-balanced pieces.

A bat mat is a different accessory. Xiem's BatMate, sold in 12 in and 14 in sizes, is a mat you dampen and place under a bat to stop jitter from a slightly warped bat. Potclays' listing says it can also hold wood or MDF bats on a wheelhead without pins for smaller amounts of clay, and grip bowls and plates for trimming. For trimming tools themselves, see our pottery trimming tools guide.

How to make your own pottery bats

Homemade bats are a cheap way to own a large set. Ceramic Arts Network notes that bats can be made from almost any rigid material, with wood, wood composites, plastics and plaster the most common, and that most wheels use 3/8 in bat pins on 10 in centers. A simple route for a wood-type bat:

1. Measure your own wheel's pin spacing and pin diameter first, center to center, as described above.
2. Cut a circle from a water-resistant board such as exterior-grade MDF, Medex or good plywood, a little wider than the pots you plan to throw. Follow your saw's manual and wear eye protection.
3. Mark the center, then mark two pin holes on a line through the center, each half your pin spacing from it. Drill them very slightly larger than the pins so the bat drops on without binding.
4. Seal the faces and especially the cut edges so the board does not swell, then test the fit on the wheel and check it runs flat.

Plaster bats are poured rather than cut; our plaster bats guide covers that method. If your bats wobble, a damp bat mat underneath often fixes small warps.

Care and storage

Scrape off clay while it is soft, wipe with a damp sponge, and dry wood and plaster-type bats on edge. Store plastic bats flat or in a slotted rack, as AMACO advises. A warped bat will not run true, which makes centering harder than it needs to be.

New to the wheel? Start with our wheel throwing for beginners guide, and when you are ready for wider forms, see how to throw a plate. If you have not chosen a wheel yet, our best pottery wheels guide lists wheelhead sizes for each model. A plaster bat guide and a page on ware boards are planned for later.

Sources: Speedball product pages for Plastic Bats, Medex Bats and Bat Pins; AMACO Plasti-Bat with Pin Holes page; The Ceramic Shop Hydro-Bat department page, Hydro-Bat one-sheet, wheel bat category page and Dirty Girls Aspire and Round Bat System listings; North Star Equipment Bats page and warranty policy; Clay-King listings for Speedball 14 in Plastic Bats, Studio Pro Space Saver Bat System and Dirty Girls Round Bat System; New Mexico Clay StudioPro SpaceSaver listing; Krueger Pottery Speedball bat listings; Clay-King Speedball 7.5 in Square Plastic Bats listing and Seattle Pottery Supply Speedball Bats listing; The Ceramic Shop StudioPro foam trimming bat listing; DiamondCore Sticky Pad page; Potclays Xiem BatMate listings; Ceramic Arts Network article "Going Batty: How to Choose the Right Bat for Your Work". Specs checked October 2026.