Top pick
This light and slim multi-tool focuses on well-executed essentials — such as precise, comfortable pliers — and has no fillers. It’s easy to carry daily and built to last.
The Leatherman Skeletool CX has a sleek, lightweight design and a minimal lineup of well-executed essentials. After years of carrying it daily, the Skeletool CX’s pliers, knife, screwdrivers, and bottle opener are usually all we need to deal with minor fixes and move on. Its knife deploys and locks smoothly with one hand — without your having to first open up the pliers. And its high-quality, 154CM blade steel holds an edge longer than most multi-tool blades. Other multi-tools are so bulky that they need to be carried in a belt sheath, but the lighter, slimmer Skeletool fits comfortably in a pocket. It can also clip onto a belt or backpack with either a pocket clip or a carabiner (which doubles as an easy-access bottle opener). The Skeletool is backed by a 25-year warranty, but we’d be surprised if you ever need it — like other Leathermans we’ve owned and used for over a decade, this tool still works perfectly.
Closed dimensions: 4.13 by 25 by 0.5 inches
Weight: 5.2 ounces
Blade length: 2.63 inches
Tools included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, bottle opener, Phillips screwdriver (2), flat screwdriver (2), carabiner clip
Upgrade pick
The premium, no-compromises Leatherman Arc offers a full set of tools, and its knife’s high-end blade steel holds an edge many times longer than the rest.
For the deluxe multi-tool experience, consider the Leatherman Arc. The Arc has a full tool set and an excellent, one-handed tool deployment. In addition, the Arc uses a high-end steel in the knife blade. In testing, it has held an edge far longer than the steel used on other multi-tools, and Leatherman includes a sharpening service along with its 25-year warranty. Though the tool lives up to expectations across every little detail, the Arc’s price tag will be prohibitive for most, and you can honestly get a perfectly satisfying tool for less money. But if you really prize an excellent knife, if you use the tool constantly, and if you have the resources and appreciation for superb design, the Arc might be worth the investment.
Closed dimensions: 4.25 by 1.3 by 0.68 inches
Weight: 8.6 ounces
Blade length: 2.75 inches
Tools included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, electrical crimper, wire stripper, knife, scissors, awl, can opener, bottle opener, saw, wood/metal file, Phillips and flat screwdrivers, Phillips and flat precision screwdrivers, pry tool
Budget pick
With a full set of tools and a nicer overall experience than other tools in the sub-$50 range, this Gordon multi-tool impressed us initially and has held up well in over a year of use.
Available at Harbor Freight and, at times, only as an in-store option, the Gordon 20-in-1 Multi-Tool is a near clone of the iconic Leatherman Wave+, which typically costs around $120. The Gordon has the same tools in the same places, and the body design is almost identical. For the cost, the overall quality of the tool is surprisingly high, especially in comparison with the other sub-$50 multi-tools we’ve tested. But it should be no surprise that it makes some concessions, primarily in the lower-quality blade steel and the lack of replaceable wire cutters. Our other recommendations make a better daily-use tool, but the Gordon is a great option if you’re just getting into multi-tools or looking for something serviceable to stash in a car glove box or a kitchen drawer.
Closed dimensions: 4.13 by 1.44 by 0.75 inches
Weight: 8.6 ounces
Blade length: 2.94 inches
Tools included: pliers, needle-nose pliers, wire cutter, wire stripper, 8-inch ruler, bit driver, can opener, bottle opener, diamond-coated file, wood file, metal file, knife, saw, gut hook, serrated knife, window breaker, scissors, screwdriver, bit driver, crimper
Best for…
The Signal has the Skeletool’s basic set of tools, plus a few extras geared toward the outdoors and emergency preparation, including an effective whistle and a fire starter.
If you spend a lot of time outdoors, or if you simply want to up your emergency-preparedness game, we’ve appreciated the Leatherman Signal in our tests. The Signal shares many characteristics with the Skeletool CX: a stripped-down tool selection, asymmetrical handles, and a carabiner-clip bottle opener. The Signal’s difference is the addition of a whistle, fire-starter rod, knife sharpener, saw, and awl. This multi-tool is larger than the Skeletool CX, but the additional tools — especially the whistle, fire-starter rod, and blade sharpener — are so nicely integrated into the design that it’s surprising how little bulk they add. Because it’s geared more toward camping and survival, the Signal is more robust than the Skeletool, with larger pliers, replaceable wire-cutter blades, and longer plier handles.
Closed dimensions: 4.5 by 1.63 by 0.75 inches
Weight: 7.5 ounces
Blade length: 2.75 inches
Tools included: needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, knife, saw, hammer, awl, can opener, bottle opener, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, quarter-inch box wrench, 3/16-inch box wrench, carabiner, ferro rod, whistle, sharpener
Best for…
For such a small model, this tool is surprisingly capable. And the Dime’s pliers, bottle opener, and clamshell cutter are quite satisfying to use.
The Gerber Gear Dime is smaller than a Bic lighter, yet it’s capable and satisfying to use. Designed to attach to a key ring, it contains a great selection of useful tools, including scissors, pliers, a bottle opener, a knife, two screwdrivers, and a clamshell cutter (for safely slicing open retail packaging). The Dime has some nice touches, such as an externally mounted bottle opener (like on the Skeletool CX) and precise plier jaws. It also comes in a cool variety of colors (black, green, and red). And it usually costs under $30. But the knife blade doesn’t lock (typical of tools its size), and its pliers make better tweezers than the actual tweezers it includes.
Closed dimensions: 2.75 by 0.81 by 0.5 inches
Weight: 2.3 ounces
Blade length: 1.38 inches
Tools included: needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, bottle opener, knife, clamshell opener, scissors, flat screwdriver, Phillips screwdriver, coarse and fine file, lanyard ring
Budget pick
The Gerber Armbar Drive lacks pliers in its basic, lightweight, well-rounded package, but it includes a locking knife blade and a clever bottle opener.
For a simple, budget-oriented multi-tool, we recommend the Gerber Gear Armbar Drive. This one lacks pliers, so it doesn’t have the functionality of models like the Skeletool CX, but it makes up for that with its small size, light weight, and basic yet well-rounded set of tools. The bottle opener is especially inventive and can be used quickly with one hand. The downsides are that the screwdriver does not lock in the open position (but the knife does), and it lacks a pocket clip.
Closed dimensions: 3.5 by 0.75 by 0.75 inches
Weight: 3.1 ounces
Blade length: 2.63 inches
Tools included: knife, Phillips screwdriver, flat screwdriver, pry tool, bottle opener, scissors, awl, striking tool
