Sustained release dosage forms continue to draw attention in the search for improved patient compliance & decreased incidences of adverse drug reactions. The objective of this work was to prepare & evaluate sustained release matrix tablets of Metformin HCl using different polymers. Metformin HCl is a water soluble drug indicated to improve glycemic control in patients with type II diabetes. Metformin HCl Matrix tablets were prepared using different polymers like Carbopol 971, Xanthan gum, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose K100M, Carbopol 71G by wet granulation technique. Prepared tablets were evaluated for weight variation test, hardness, friability, uniformity of content, assay & in vitro drug release. Influence of different parameters like pH, agitation intensity on drug release was studied for optimized batch. Metformin HCl sustained release matrix tablets prepared using HPMC K100M was found to have higher drug content 99±0.5 % w/w & better drug release profile 95±3 % after 12 hrs & hence it was optimized. In vitro release profile of optimized formulations was found to be similar to that of commercial marketed products. The average f2 values were found to be 56.47 for matrix tablets. Likewise other water soluble drugs can also be formulated for sustained release matrix system.