Outdoors & Fitness
The Best Multi-Tools: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)
We compared four current pliers-based multi-tools on the tools you actually use, one-hand access, locking, build, and warranty.
The short version
For a tool you keep for decades, build and warranty matter as much as the feature list, which is why the Leatherman Wave+ is our top pick: 18 useful tools, outside one-hand blades, full locking, replaceable cutters, and a 25-year US-backed warranty. If you want a tool to carry every day, the lighter 7-tool Skeletool proves a handful of the right tools beats a padded spec sheet, and it shares the same steel, build, and warranty. The Gerber Suspension-NXT is a fair budget choice with spring pliers and outside tools, but it is built to its price and owners report it does not age like a Leatherman. Skip the Gerber Dime as a primary tool; it is a fine keychain backup but too small and light-duty for real work. Buy on the handful of tools you will actually use plus a real warranty, not the tool count. Best for: one pliers-based tool that handles everyday carry, repairs, camping, and the toolbox for years.
The verdict in 30 seconds
What mattered most
- Tools that matter
- One-hand / outside access
- Locking
- Size / weight
- Steel / build
- Warranty
A multi-tool is one of the few things you might buy once and carry for decades, so build quality and the warranty behind it matter as much as the feature list. Drawing on independent testing and long-term owner reports, a clear pattern emerges: the tools worth owning pair a handful of genuinely useful implements with locking, one-hand blades, solid steel, and a warranty that outlives the receipt, while a cheap tool with twenty flimsy tools is a false economy. We name two to buy, one that depends on your budget, and one to skip as a primary tool.
The do-everything benchmark: the right mix of genuinely useful tools, outside one-hand blades, and a 25-year US-backed warranty.
Best for: Anyone who wants one tool that handles repairs, camping, and the toolbox for decades.
- 18 well-chosen tools cover almost every real task without pointless padding
- Two outside-accessible blades open one-handed, so you never unfold the pliers just to cut
- Every tool except the pliers locks open, which is far safer under load
- Replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters plus a removable-bit driver let you renew wear parts
- 420HC stainless, US construction, and a 25-year warranty make it a genuine buy-it-for-life tool
- Premium price versus budget multi-tools
- At about 8.5 oz it is more than some people want to pocket every day
- 420HC holds an edge well but is not an exotic super-steel
Proof that a handful of the right tools beats a drawer of gimmicks: about 5 oz, a locking one-hand blade, and the same 25-year warranty.
Best for: Everyday-carry owners who want light weight and the essentials, not the longest spec sheet.
- Just 7 tools, but they are the ones you reach for: pliers, wire cutters, a locking one-hand blade, and a bit driver
- At roughly 5 oz it is light enough to carry daily and clips on via its carabiner
- Outside one-hand blade and removable bits keep it fast to use
- Same 420HC steel, US build, and 25-year warranty as the flagship
- No scissors, saw, file, or dedicated screwdrivers beyond the bit driver
- The bit driver carries only two bits at a time
- Too minimalist if you want one tool that does absolutely everything
A likable budget tool with spring-loaded pliers and outside tools, a fair pick if price is the hard limit but built to that price.
Best for: Budget buyers who want spring pliers and outside tools now and accept it may not last a lifetime.
- Spring-loaded needlenose pliers and outboard tools are genuinely handy for the money
- 15 tools plus a pocket clip in a slim butterfly frame
- Costs a fraction of the premium picks
- Carries a limited lifetime warranty against defects
- Built to a price: owners report softer steel and more blade and plier play over time than a Leatherman
- Designed in the US but assembled overseas, unlike the US-made Leathermans
- Not every tool locks, and reports note the blade dulls faster
A charming keychain multi-tool, but too small and light-duty to be the tool you actually rely on.
Best for: A keychain backup only, not your main repair, camping, or toolbox tool.
- Tiny, roughly 2 oz, and rides on a keychain or in a coin pocket
- Spring-loaded mini pliers and a package-opening blade are handy in a pinch
- Cheap enough to stash as a backup
- The mini pliers and short blade flex and struggle with any real repair work
- Most tools do not lock, so heavier tasks feel unsafe
- It tempts buyers as a primary multi-tool, a job it is not built for
- Budget steel and overseas build; the warranty rarely offsets the frustration
| Criteria | Leatherman Wave+ Top pick | Leatherman Skeletool | Gerber Suspension-NXT | Gerber Dime |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Verdict | Buy it | Buy it | It depends | Skip it |
| Best for | Anyone who wants one tool that handles repairs, camping, and the toolbox for decades. | Everyday-carry owners who want light weight and the essentials, not the longest spec sheet. | Budget buyers who want spring pliers and outside tools now and accept it may not last a lifetime. | A keychain backup only, not your main repair, camping, or toolbox tool. |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget | $ · budget |
| Tools that matter | 18 tools, well chosen | 7 essentials, no padding | 15 tools, decent mix | 12 mini tools, keychain scale |
| One-hand / outside access | Two outside one-hand blades | Outside one-hand blade | Outboard tools, spring pliers | Spring pliers, inside blade |
| Locking | All tools lock except pliers | Blade locks | Partial locking | Minimal locking |
| Size / weight | Full size, ~8.5 oz | Slim, ~5 oz | Mid-size, ~9.7 oz | Keychain, ~2.2 oz |
| Steel / build | 420HC, US-made | 420HC, US-made | Budget stainless, overseas | Budget stainless, overseas |
| Warranty | 25 years | 25 years | Limited lifetime | Limited lifetime |
| Replaceable parts | Replaceable cutters + bits | Removable bits | None | None |
| Price tier | $$$ · premium | $$ · mid-range | $ · budget | $ · budget |
Which one is right for you?
- Anyone who wants one tool that handles repairs, camping, and the toolbox for decades. Buy it Leatherman Wave+
- Everyday-carry owners who want light weight and the essentials, not the longest spec sheet. Buy it Leatherman Skeletool
- Budget buyers who want spring pliers and outside tools now and accept it may not last a lifetime. It depends Gerber Suspension-NXT
- A keychain backup only, not your main repair, camping, or toolbox tool. Skip it Gerber Dime
How we judged the field
A multi-tool is one of the few things you might buy once and carry for decades, so we weighted build quality and warranty as heavily as the feature list. Rather than run our own lab, we synthesized independent testing and long-term owner reports, then focused on what actually decides whether a tool earns a place in your pocket: the specific tools you use most (pliers and wire cutters, a good locking blade, a screwdriver or two, sometimes scissors), whether the blade and key tools open one-handed from the outside so you are not unfolding the pliers just to make a cut, whether tools lock for safety under load, the size and weight you have to carry, the steel and overall build, and the warranty behind it. We deliberately discounted raw tool count, because a cheap tool with twenty flimsy implements is worse than a solid one with seven you can trust. We compared four current, buyable pliers-based tools and name one to skip as a primary tool.
Leatherman Wave+ — buy
The Wave+ is the tool most people should buy, and the reasoning is consistent across independent testing and years of owner reports. Its eighteen tools are well chosen rather than padded: needlenose and regular pliers, replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters, a plain and a serrated blade, spring-action scissors, a saw, files, and a removable-bit driver cover nearly anything a repair, a campsite, or a toolbox throws at you. Crucially, the two main blades sit on the outside and open one-handed, so you can cut without unfolding the pliers, and every tool except the plier head locks open, which matters the moment you put real force on a blade. It is 420HC stainless, made in the USA, and backed for twenty-five years, and the replaceable cutters and bits mean the wear parts can be renewed instead of retiring the tool. It is not cheap and, at about 8.5 ounces, not the lightest thing to pocket, but as a do-everything tool it is hard to beat.
Leatherman Skeletool — buy
The Skeletool makes the whole thesis of this guide concrete: a handful of the right tools beats a long spec sheet. It carries just seven tools, but they are the ones you actually reach for — a needlenose plier with wire cutters, a locking one-hand blade, a bit driver, and a carabiner that doubles as a bottle opener — in a skeletonized frame that weighs about five ounces. That makes it genuinely easy to carry every day, and the tool you have on you is the one that helps when something breaks. It uses the same 420HC steel, the same US construction, and the same twenty-five-year warranty as the flagship, so nothing about the build is compromised to hit the lighter weight. The trade-off is deliberate and obvious: there are no scissors, no saw, no file, and no dedicated screwdrivers beyond the two-bit driver. If you want one tool that does absolutely everything, this is not it; if you want the essentials in your pocket without the bulk, it is superb.
Gerber Suspension-NXT — it depends
The Suspension-NXT is the most likable budget tool here, and for someone whose real constraint is price it can make sense. Its spring-loaded needlenose pliers are pleasant to use, the fifteen tools sit in a slim butterfly frame with a pocket clip, and several are accessible from the outside. It costs a fraction of the premium picks and carries a limited lifetime warranty against defects. The caution, echoed in owner reports, is that it is built to its price: the steel is softer and the blade dulls faster than a Leatherman’s, and the pliers and blade tend to develop more play over time. It is designed in the US but assembled overseas, and not every tool locks. None of that makes it a bad tool for occasional use; it makes it a tool you may replace rather than hand down. Buy it if budget is the hard limit and you want spring pliers today, and step up if you want the tool to last.
Gerber Dime — skip
The Dime is genuinely charming, a keychain-size multi-tool with spring-loaded mini pliers and a clever package-opening blade that weighs a couple of ounces and rides on a keyring. As a backup you stash and forget, it is fine. The problem is that it gets bought as a primary multi-tool, and it is not built for that job. The little pliers and short blade flex as soon as you ask them to do real work, most of the tools do not lock, and the budget steel and overseas build do not inspire confidence for anything beyond opening boxes and tightening the odd screw. The warranty is limited lifetime on paper, but that rarely offsets the frustration of a tool that is simply too small for the task. If you want a keychain novelty, it delivers; if you want the tool you rely on when something breaks, skip it and carry a Skeletool or Wave+ instead.
Leatherman Wave+ vs Leatherman Skeletool: which should you buy?
These two are the tools worth your money, and the choice comes down to how you carry and what you demand. The Wave+ is the do-everything answer: eighteen useful tools, two outside one-hand blades, scissors, a saw, files, replaceable cutters, and full locking, in a package that still fits a belt sheath or a bag. The Skeletool strips that down to seven essentials at roughly five ounces, which is the difference between a tool you carry sometimes and one you carry every day. Neither compromises on the parts that matter — 420HC steel, US construction, one-hand outside blades, blade locking, and a twenty-five-year warranty are common to both. Choose the Wave+ if you want a single tool for repairs, camping, and the toolbox and do not mind the weight. Choose the Skeletool if daily-carry convenience matters more than having scissors and a saw on hand. You can be happy with either for a very long time.
What to look for
- Tools you will actually use: pliers and wire cutters, a good locking blade, one or two screwdrivers or a bit driver, and often scissors. Ignore tool count for its own sake.
- One-hand, outside-accessible blades, so you can cut without unfolding the pliers or using both hands.
- Locking tools: a blade or driver that locks open is far safer once you put force on it.
- Size and weight: a full-size or slim tool has the leverage for real work, while a keychain tool is a backup, not a primary.
- Blade steel and build: a known steel like 420HC holds an edge and resists play, while unspecified soft stainless dulls and loosens.
- Replaceable wear parts: replaceable wire cutters and removable bits let a good tool outlast years of use.
- Warranty and origin: a long, honored warranty and solid construction separate a buy-it-for-life tool from a cheap one you replace. A gas-station tool with twenty flimsy tools and no real warranty is a false economy.
Our final take
Buy the Leatherman Wave+ if you want one multi-tool to handle everyday carry, repairs, camping, and the toolbox for decades: it pairs the right set of genuinely useful tools with outside one-hand blades, full locking, replaceable wear parts, US construction, and a twenty-five-year warranty. Choose the Skeletool if light daily carry matters more than a maxed-out spec sheet; it keeps the build and warranty and trims to the essentials. Consider the Gerber Suspension-NXT only if budget is the deciding factor, understanding that it is built to its price and may not last a lifetime. Skip the Gerber Dime as anything more than a keychain backup. The lesson underneath all four is the same: buy on the handful of tools you will really use and a warranty that stands behind them, not on the number printed on the box.
Questions, answered
How many tools do I actually need in a multi-tool?
Fewer than the marketing suggests. Most owners use the pliers and wire cutters, a good knife, one or two screwdrivers, and sometimes scissors. A well-built tool with 7 to 18 useful tools, like the Skeletool or Wave+, beats a cheap one with 20 flimsy tools you will never trust.
Why do one-hand opening and outside-accessible tools matter?
On many tools you have to unfold the pliers to reach the blade, which is slow and needs two hands. Outside-accessible, one-hand blades, as on the Wave+ and Skeletool, let you cut or open something while your other hand is busy, and that is the difference you feel most day to day.
Is a Leatherman really worth the extra money over a budget multi-tool?
For a tool you plan to keep, usually yes. The premium buys you US-made construction, better steel that holds an edge, tools that lock for safety, replaceable wear parts, and a 25-year warranty. A budget tool can be a false economy if you replace it every couple of years.
What does blade steel like 420HC mean for me?
420HC is a proven stainless that balances edge retention, toughness, and easy sharpening, which is why premium multi-tools use it. Cheaper tools often use softer, unspecified stainless that dulls faster and can loosen in the pliers. You do not need an exotic super-steel, but you do want a known one.
Full-size or keychain multi-tool, which should I get?
If it is your main tool, go full-size or slim like the Wave+ or Skeletool, which have the leverage and locking for real work. Keychain tools like the Dime are convenient backups, but their small pliers and short blades flex under load, so do not rely on one as your only tool.
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