Best EDC Multi-Tool: 2026 Buying Guide

A pocketknife handles one job. A multitool, carried right, replaces six or seven separate tools — pliers, a wire cutter, two or three screwdriver heads, a blade, sometimes a saw — in something that still fits a jacket pocket. The problem is that “multitool” covers everything from a $9 Alibaba stamping to a $249 titanium-handled Leatherman, and the tool count printed on the blister pack tells you almost nothing about how the pliers hold up under real torque. This guide puts five multitools side by side across that entire range: a true budget 17-in-1, two mid-tier pliers-first tools, a bit-driver-heavy workhorse, and the Swiss-made tool that costs more than the other four combined.

Tool Count Is a Marketing Number, Not a Buying Criterion

Twenty-one tools sounds like more value than fifteen until you notice that several of those twenty-one are different-sized flat screwdrivers stacked on the same blade. The number that actually predicts whether a multitool earns a permanent pocket slot is plier quality — jaw alignment, spring tension, and whether the handles dig into your palm after the fourth stuck bolt of the day.

Pliers-first designs like the Leatherman Wave Plus and Gerber Suspension-NXT put the pliers at the center of the tool and build everything else around the handles, so the pliers stay usable even with the tool half-open. Bit-driver designs like the SOG PowerAccess trade some of that plier priority for a 1/4-inch hex socket that takes standard driver bits — genuinely useful if you already own a bit set, less useful if you don’t.

Budget 17-in-1 tools solve this differently: cram as many stamped functions as possible into one frame and sell it for under $20. That works for occasional use. It is not the tool you want mid-repair when a cheap rivet lets go.

How the Five Compare

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GHK (Grand Harvest) 17-in-1 — the $20 Glovebox Tool

GHK, sold under names like Grand Harvest, Perwin, and half a dozen other private labels on Amazon, is a 17-function stainless folding plier tool that runs $16 to $20 depending on the week. It weighs 11.1 ounces — heavier than every other tool on this list — because the handles are solid stamped steel rather than the lighter alloy or titanium scales used on the pricier options.

The 17 functions cover the basics: needle-nose pliers, a plain-edge blade, a serrated blade, a saw, can and bottle openers, and a stack of flat and Phillips drivers. None of it is refined. The pliers have noticeable play at the pivot straight out of the box, and the included nylon sheath is thin enough that the belt clip tears loose within a few months of daily carry.

Buy this one for a glovebox, a gift for someone who doesn’t carry gear daily, or a loaner for a job site. Don’t expect it to survive years of real daily use.

Leatherman Wave Plus — the One to Buy If You Only Buy One

Leatherman has refined the Wave’s layout since the original shipped in the late 1990s, and the current Wave Plus is the clearest argument for spending $130 instead of $20. All 18 tools open from the outside without unfolding the pliers first — the needle-nose pliers, 420HC blade, serrated blade, scissors, and both files are one-handed draws, which matters more in daily use than any spec sheet number.

The 420HC blade isn’t a premium steel by knife-nerd standards, but it holds a usable edge through weeks of box-cutting and resharpens on a pocket stone in under a minute — which matters more for a tool you’re not babying. At 8.5 ounces it rides heavier than a pocketknife but lighter than it looks once it’s actually in a pocket.

This is the tool most gear sites land on as the default recommendation for the category, and after going through the spec sheets here, that consensus holds up. The Wave Plus is the one multitool on this list built to be replaced by nothing else.

Gerber Suspension-NXT — Best Value Under $35

The Suspension-NXT is Gerber’s answer to “what if the Wave Plus cost a third as much.” At 6.7 ounces and roughly $29–35, it carries 15 tools around the same needle-nose-pliers core, with a smooth one-handed deployment system that’s genuinely satisfying to flip open.

The tradeoffs show up exactly where you’d expect at this price. The blade isn’t the sharpest in the group and the serrated section catches on cardboard mid-cut. The scissors are the weakest link — fine for a loose thread, not for anything with real resistance. Reviewers who put real hours on the tool flag both complaints while still recommending it as the lightweight, budget-conscious pick in the category.

For someone who wants a real pliers-first multitool without Leatherman pricing, and who isn’t relying on the scissors for anything serious, the Suspension-NXT earns its spot as the value pick here.

SOG PowerAccess Deluxe — Most Tools, Widest Bit Compatibility

SOG’s PowerAccess Deluxe carries 21 tools in an 8.7-ounce frame built from 5Cr15MoV stainless with a stonewash finish. The headline feature isn’t the tool count — it’s the 1/4-inch hex bit driver, which turns any standard driver bit into an instant attachment and makes this the most mechanically flexible tool here if you already keep a bit set in a bag or glovebox.

The Compound Leverage pliers deserve the name — SOG’s linkage doubles jaw torque compared to a simple pivot, noticeable the moment you try to bend heavier wire. The one-handed deployment and contoured aluminum handles stay comfortable through extended use, which not every multitool in this price range manages.

The PowerAccess makes the most sense for someone doing actual mechanical work — not just emergency fixes — where bit compatibility and plier leverage matter more than shaving ounces.

Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X — No Plastic, No Compromise

Victorinox builds the SwissTool line without a single piece of plastic or rubber anywhere in the construction — every scale, every lock, every pivot is stainless steel, which is also why the Spirit X costs $145 and the full-size SwissTool runs even more. At 7.4 ounces for 24 functions, it’s lighter than the Wave Plus despite having more tools packed in.

What you notice handling one isn’t the tool count — it’s the lockup. Every blade and driver clicks into place with zero play, a tolerance level cheaper tools simply can’t hit with stamped steel. Victorinox backs this with the same no-corrosion, no-cracking promise that’s made Swiss Army knives a century-old category.

This is the tool for someone who’s already decided tool count matters less than build quality lasting decades, and who’s willing to pay nearly the price of two Wave Plus units for it.

Matching the Tool to How You Actually Carry

None of this matters if the multitool never leaves a drawer. Someone who already pared their loadout down following a minimalist carry approach probably doesn’t want an 11-ounce 17-in-1 taking up pocket space — the Suspension-NXT’s 6.7 ounces fits that carry style better.

The decision also depends on whether a pocketknife is already doing double duty. If the question of blade mechanism already got answered with a dedicated EDC knife, the multitool’s blade becomes a backup, and tool variety — pliers, drivers, bit compatibility — matters more than blade steel. Commuters assembling a daily carry kit tend to lean toward the lighter Suspension-NXT or Wave Plus over the heavier SOG or GHK options, simply because every extra ounce adds up across a full daily loadout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is a multitool better than carrying a separate knife and pliers?
Not better — smaller. A dedicated knife and a real pair of pliers will each outperform their multitool equivalent on their own terms. A multitool wins on pocket space: one 8-ounce item instead of two or three separate tools spread across pockets and a bag.

How often do multitool pliers actually get used?
More than the blade, in most daily-carry scenarios. Loose screws, bent wire, hot pot handles, and stuck zipper pulls come up more often than anything that needs a knife edge, which is why pliers quality should be the first thing checked before tool count.

Is the Leatherman Wave Plus worth $130 over a $30 option?
If it’s going to see daily use for years, yes — the one-handed outside access and lifetime warranty pay for themselves over a GHK or Suspension-NXT that needs replacing within a year or two of hard use. For occasional use, the cheaper options are hard to argue against.

Do airport security rules apply to multitools the same way they do to knives?
Yes. TSA treats any multitool with a fixed or locking blade the same as a knife — it goes in checked luggage, not a carry-on, regardless of how many other non-blade tools are folded into the same body.

Sources

1. Leatherman Wave Plus official product page — tool list, blade steel, and dimensions.
2. Victorinox SwissTool Spirit X official product page — construction and function count.
3. CleverHiker: Leatherman Wave+ Review — hands-on testing notes.
4. CleverHiker: Gerber Suspension NXT Multitool Review — pros and cons from extended use.
5. CleverHiker: SOG PowerAccess Deluxe Multitool Review — pliers and bit-driver testing.
6. Outdoor Life: Best EDC Multi-Tools, Tested and Reviewed — category comparison and testing criteria.