The Best EDC Multi Tools of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

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Nearly everyone has use for some type of multi-tool, but most people don’t want or need to carry a full-sized plier tool around on their belt. EDC multi tools occupy an interesting role that must balance ease of carry and usefulness. We all carry the specialized tools necessary for our jobs, and the multi tool is just to fill in the blanks. It needs to tackle tasks that are somewhat regular for you, but don’t require you to carry a specialized tool. Since everyone is different, everyone has slightly different needs and tastes. I like a tool that clips into my pocket, but you might find a keychain tool to be more useful. The best EDC multi tools are ones that you can carry all the time without them being obtrusive and help you quickly accomplish tasks you encounter on a daily basis. 

Best Overall: Leatherman Skeletool CX

Best Value: Milwaukee Fastback 5-in-1 with Driver

Best Without a Blade: Griaitus Multitool Pry Bar 

Best Low-Profile: Gerber Lockdown Slim Pry

Best Keychain: Edcfans Keychain Multi Tool

Gerber Armbar Trade

ResafeLY Titanium Pry Bar EDC Tool

How I Tested The Best EDC Multi Tools

There are three primary factors that you should consider when shopping for an EDC multi tool:

Does it fit my carry style/needs?

How well do the tools work?

Do the tools fill my day-to-day needs?

The most time-consuming part of testing these various tools was simply carrying them around every day. A key characteristic of any EDC tool, whether it’s a concealed-carry pistol, flashlight, or pocket knife, is how easy or convenient it is to carry all the time. I carried each of these tools around for days (or more) at a time. And I noted how handy they were to carry and retrieve when needed. I specifically avoided any full-sized multi tools that couldn’t easily be pocket-carried. 

Additionally, I tested each of the tool features for common tasks such as driving screws, tightening nuts, prying open lids, opening boxes, cutting wire and zip ties, opening bottles, etc. An EDC multi tool doesn’t necessarily need lots of tools, but it needs to fill a few core needs that you regularly have. Anything extra is unnecessary.

Best EDC Multi Tools: Reviews & Recommendations

Here’s a breakdown of some of the best multi tools that are unobtrusive to carry, but incredibly useful.

Best Overall: Leatherman Skeletool CX

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Specs

Weight: 5.3 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 4.2 inches

Blade: 2.6 inches, non-serrated

Materials: Stainless steel, DLC coating

Tools and Features

Knife blade

Needle-nose/regular combo pliers with wire cutters

Flat bit driver

Extra bit storage in handle

Low-profile pocket clip

Bottle opener

Carabiner snap

Price: $90

Pros

Large plier handles

Low-profile pocket clip is replaceable/repairable

Extra bit storage — compatible with many flat bits

Good wire cutters

Compatible with aftermarket accessories

Cons

Flat bits can hurt your hand when using pliers

No stock pry tool

Leatherman’s Skeletool is far-and-above the best all-around EDC multi tool for me. It carries in the pocket just like a regular knife with a low-profile pocket clip. Pocket clips tend to catch on seat belts and other things, so I really like that this one is removable and can be bent back into position when necessary. It’s a small detail that can render an EDC tool useless because it won’t stay in place and you won’t carry it.

The Skeletool CX is an ideal balance of size and utility. It has been my EDC companion for years, and has mostly replaced a regular pocket knife. It meets the needs of lots of everyday tasks with a blade, pliers, drivers, and bottle opener. 

This tool has medium-sized pliers with a needle-nose point that are suitable for lots of tasks, including cutting small-diameter wire. The plier handles are comfortable and appropriately sized, but make sure to not leave the flat bit in the driver socket in the handle or it will dig into your hand as you squeeze the pliers.

The Leatherman Skeletool CX features a knife blade, needle-nose/regular combo pliers with wire cutters, flat bit driver, extra bit storage in handle, and bottle opener.

Tyler Freel

The Skeletool holds two flat bits at a time, one in the driver socket and the other in the handle. Out of the box you get large and small Phillips and flat bits, but you can buy and swap for any number of Leatherman flat bits including Allen and torx bits of varying sizes. 

Another advantage of the Skeletool is its compatibility with aftermarket accessories. For several years, I’ve had a Hammer Jammer — a 3D printed hammer head and pry tool — installed on mine. It’s a 3D printed stainless steel accessory that is perfect for prying or tapping on stuff. The Skeletool CX is excellent on its own, but it’s perfect with this. The same company also makes a really cool Havalon-style scalpel blade holder that replaces the knife blade. 

Read Next: Best EDC Knives

Best Value: Milwaukee Fastback 5-in-1 with Driver

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Specs

Weight: 5 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 4.9 inches

Blade: 2.95 inches, ⅓-serrated

Materials: Stainless steel blade, polymer handle scales

Tools and Features

Flip-out knife blade with safety button

Fold-out ¼-inch bit driver

Two-sided flat and Phillips bit

Bottle opener

Reversible wire pocket clip

Price: $26

Pros

Very affordable

Large, strong blade

Long, locking bit driver

One-handed flip-out blade

Cons

No pliers

An expensive EDC multi tool isn’t always the answer, and for many people, just adding a bit driver to a workhorse blade makes a huge improvement in utility. I always used to carry a Milwaukee Fastback folding knife in my pocket when I was working in the trades. I used it constantly for opening boxes and packaging and numerous other tasks. And I really liked that it was a solid pocket knife with a serrated first third of the blade, and it was inexpensive. I didn’t want to bust up or potentially lose one of my Benchmade knives in a utilidor or manhole somewhere. If the 5-in-1 model had been available at that time, I would have loved it. I do now.

The Milwaukee Fastback 5-in-1 features a knife blade, fold-out ¼-inch bit driver, two-sided flat and Phillips bit, and bottle opener.

Tyler Freel

The Milwaukee 5-in-1 fastback is a pocket knife at its core, with a 3-inch heavy-duty stainless blade that can be flipped out with one hand when the safety lock button is pressed. It’s a simple design with polymer grip scales and a reversible wire pocket clip that’s easy to remove and bend back when you get it snagged on something and it loosens up. It has a bottle opener on the back of the blade, and a flip-out bit driver that locks into place, making the tool the length of a normal screwdriver. The bit driver holds a two-sided bit in standard No. 2 Phillips on one side and a flat bit on the other.

The handle has a hole to accommodate a lanyard if you want one, and at $26, it’s far-and-away the best bang for your buck in this lineup.

Best Without a Blade: Griaitus Multi Tool Pry Bar 

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Specs

Weight: 6.3 ounces (measured)

Length: 5.7 inches

Blade: None

Materials: Stainless steel 

Tools and Features

Pointed wedge pry bar

Multi-sized wrench function

Phillips and flat bits

Reversible ratcheting driver

Magnetic “eternity pen/pencil”

Pocket clip

Bottle opener

Price: $39

Pros

Heavy duty prying tool

Nice ratcheting driver accepts ¼-inch bits

Chisel tip isn’t easily damaged

Can work as a wrench on some bolts/nuts

Small steel eternity pin writes well in the cold and doesn’t smudge

Cons

No cutting blade

Pocket clip is brittle

For not having a blade, this heavy-duty EDC multi tool is quite useful. It’s got a tanto-shaped chisel tip for getting leverage in tight spots, and you don’t have to worry about bending or breaking it. On the other end, it’s got a reversible 1/4-inch ratcheting driver that accepts any normal bits in addition to the Phillips and flat bits that are held in place by a rotating cover on the side of the pry tool. 

The Griaitus Multi Tool Pry Bar features a pointed wedge pry bar, multi-sized wrench function, Phillips and flat bits, reversible ratcheting driver, magnetic “eternity pen/pencil,” pocket clip, and bottle opener.

Tyler Fre

On the other side of the tool is a small, stainless steel “eternity” pen, held in place by three magnets. This little writing implement writes like a pencil, but is very durable and as indicated — lasts a long time. I used it a lot in cold weather to write notes while out at the shooting range, and really grew to like this tool. A small cutting blade would make it the complete package, but not everyone really needs a blade in their multi tool.

The only drawback I found of this tool was that the pocket clip is brittle. As I do with most pocket-clip-carried items, I snagged the clip on something, bending it outwards. I tried to remove it and the small torx screws wouldn’t budge, so trying to bend it back towards the tool (so it would hold in place on the pocket when carried) and it snapped right off. I’d like to see a more flexible or easily fixable pocket clip used.

Best Low-Profile: Gerber Lockdown Slim Pry 

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Specs

Weight: 4.5 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 4.2 inches 

Blade: 2.4 inches, 

Materials: Cast steel, stainless steel 

Tools and Features

Cast grip and pry tool

Slim stainless blade

Stainless scissors

Bottle opener

Low-carry pocket clip

Price: $45

Pros

Good pry tool

Ultra low profile

Small but useful

Thin, tight-fitting pocket clip sets the tool below the top of your pocket

Cons

Blade can be tough to open one-handed

I’d rather see a driver than scissors

If you’re looking to maximize usefulness in the smallest package, look no further than the Gerber Lockdown Slim Pry. This is a tool that’s the size of a medium-sized pocket knife, but aids with several common day-to-day needs. My most common talks for an EDC multi tool are opening packaging, prying, and tightening/loosening screws. The Lockdown Pry Slim fits discreetly in your pocket, and doesn’t interfere with your phone, keys, or anything else. It’s thin and low-profile.

I liked the slender blade. It’s thick enough to not be fragile, but not over-built. It’s perfect for EDC jobs, but I did find it to be a little tough to open quickly and smoothly with one hand. I have never really found much use for scissors on a multi tool, but if you do need small scissors frequently, it will suit you well. I’d personally rather see some sort of flat-bit driver, but that’s just me. 

The pry bar is an extension of one side of the cast grip scales and it features a notch for pulling small nails, etc., and a bottle-opener tab is incorporated into the pry tool. 

Best Keychain: Edcfans Keychain Multi Tool

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Specs

Weight: 2.3 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 3.2 inches 

Blade: 1.7 inches, 

Materials: Stainless steel 

Tools and Features

Carabiner-style keychain clip

Short, tanto-style blade

Chisel/pry tip

Can opener

Small serrated sawing section

¼-inch wrench

Bottle opener

Price: $18

Pros

Easy to carry on keychain

Lots of tools in a tiny package

Fulfills many EDC simple tasks

Affordable

Cons

Not a great primary tool

Not for heavy-duty tasks

Aside from pocket-clip-carry, a keychain is one of the most convenient and reliable ways to carry your EDC multi tool. You’ll almost always have your keys with you when you’re out and about, and a multi tool on your keychain frees up pocket space. This little tool from Edcfans is only $18, but contains a number of useful everyday tools and easily snaps onto your key ring via a small carabiner clip. It’s got a short cutting blade that works well for opening boxes and packaging — it’s not ideally shaped or sized for hunting or more serious applications. The blade folds out and locks in the open position.

The Edcfans Keychain Multi Tool features a short, tanto-style blade, chisel/pry tip, can opener, small serrated sawing section, ¼-inch wrench, and bottle opener.

Tyler Freel

The other fold-out tool functions as a pry tool, chisel-type tool, bottle opener, can opener, 1/4-inch wrench, and small nail puller. You wouldn’t want to be using this tool all day — I don’t think it would hold up to lots of abuse — but for an inexpensive tool to keep at the ready for when you might need something in a pinch, It’s a great little option.

Gerber Armbar Trade

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Specs

Weight: 3.5 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 3.6 inches 

Blade: 2.6 inches 

Materials: Stainless steel 

Tools and Features

Drop-point knife blade

¼-inch driver

Two-sided flat/Phillips bit

Saw

Awl/punch tool

Small serrated sawing section

¼-inch wrench

Bottle opener/pry/hammer tool

Pocket clip

Price: $50

Pros

Lots of tools in a small, tough package

Durable pocket clip

Nice, easy-to-sharpen knife blade

Driver is easy to use

Hammering surface folds out as pry tool/bottle opener

Cons

Thick, narrow design makes it a little awkward to handle

Tough to open knife one-handed

For quality and number of tools in a tiny package, the Gerber Armbar Trade is a top contender. This tool is about the size of a small- to medium-sized pocket knife, though it’s thicker than it is wide. It has a nice pocket clip that doesn’t snag easily, and could be fixed if it gets bent out too far. This tool has one of my favorite blades in this lineup; it’s a simple, small, and sleek drop-point design that’s thick and durable while being easy to sharpen. The only downside of this tool is that because it’s thicker than it is wide, it’s difficult to manipulate the blade with one hand. 

The Gerber Armbar Trade features a drop-point knife blade, ¼-inch driver, two-sided flat/Phillips bit, saw, awl/punch tool, small serrated sawing section, ¼-inch wrench, and bottle opener/pry/hammer tool.

Tyler Freel

The Armbar Trade also has a nice bit driver that magnetically retains a double-sided flat/Phillips-style bit. It has a 2.2-inch, fold-out saw and small punch/awl in its handle as well. On the end opposite the accessory hinge is a hammering surface that folds out to do double duty as a pry tool and bottle opener. 

This is feature-rich tool for how small it is, the only real downside is that it’s thickness-to-width ratio make it a little clumsy to operate with one hand and it wants to roll when clipped in your pocket.

Read Next: Best Swiss Army Knives

ResafeLY Titanium Pry Bar EDC Tool 

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Specs

Weight: 2.4 ounces (measured)

Closed Length: 4.7 inches 

Blade: None 

Materials: Titanium

Tools and Features

Pry bar wedge with nail notch

¼-inch ratcheting driver

Magnetic two-bit retaining recess

Flat and Phillips bits

Magnetic driver socket

Bottle opener

Small universal wrench

Price: $55

Pros

Slim and light

Good basic tools

Includes and holds two standard ¼-inch bits

Strong pry bar

Magnetic and pass-through driver sockets

Cons

No knife blade

No pocket clip

Though it has a lanyard hole, this titanium EDC multi tool is meant to be carried in a pocket or pouch. I prefer a pocket clip, but I found this to fit right into my daily routine while carrying. Equipped with a strong pry wedge and universal wrench as its main tools, this would be ideal for someone who is constantly having to tighten or loosen small bolts. I wish I’d had this back when I was adjusting all-thread pipe hangers years ago. The spring-loaded wrench rotates freely one direction, but like a pipe wrench or strap wrench, it bites when rotated the other way. It’s an efficient way to incorporate a wrench.

The ResafeLY Titanium Pry Bar EDC Tool features a pry bar wedge with nail notch, ¼-inch ratcheting driver, magnetic two-bit retaining recess, flat and Phillips bits, magnetic driver socket, bottle opener, and small universal wrench.

Tyler Freel

A small recess with magnets in the handle of the tool holds two standard 1/4-inch bits. It comes with Phillips and flat bits, but you could substitute anything you need. There is a pass-through ratcheting driver that only goes one direction, so it needs to be flipped to change from tighten to loosen. It’s not the easiest to work with short standard bits but is great with a small extension. The tool also has a small magnetic socket that bits fit into, which make it easier to use with the included small bits.

Things To Consider Before Buying an EDC Multi Tool

The two most important things you need to consider before spending your money on an EDC multi tool are: how you want to carry it, and the common tasks you need it to tackle. Is having a pocket clip a deal breaker for you? Are you going to be using a blade and pliers a lot? Or are you going to be opening paint cans and loosening or tightening screws? Maybe you need it to do as many things as possible. Ideally you want a tool that you’ll use every day, that doesn’t include a bunch of things you won’t use at all. 

FAQs

Final Thoughts on the Best EDC Multi Tools

Though Leatherman is still at the top of my list with the Skeletool, the world of EDC multi tools has evolved greatly from the classic Swiss Army Knife. There is a wonderful variety of smartly-designed, durable, and functional tools that will satisfy almost anyone’s needs. The key is simply understanding your application and budget and picking the best one for you.

Best Overall: Leatherman Skeletool CX

Best Value: Milwaukee Fastback 5-in-1 with Driver

Best Without a Blade: Griaitus Multitool Pry Bar 

Best Low-Profile: Gerber Lockdown Slim Pry

Best Keychain: Edcfans Keychain Multi Tool

Gerber Armbar Trade

ResafeLY Titanium Pry Bar EDC Tool

The post The Best EDC Multi Tools of 2024, Tested and Reviewed appeared first on Outdoor Life.