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A multi-tool is a stack of compromises folded into one handle: the pliers are shorter than real pliers, the blade is thinner than a real blade, and every extra implement costs you an ounce in your pocket. What separates a good one from a bad one is how gracefully it makes those trades — whether the handles dig into your palm when you squeeze, whether the blade locks with a click or a shrug, whether the whole thing disappears on your belt until you need it. Get it right and a loose bolt, a splinter, or a stubborn zip tie stops being a walk back to the truck.
Most first-time buyers shop by implement count, which is backwards: the tool you actually carry is the one that fits your hand and your pocket, not the one with eleven functions that lives in a drawer. I’ve carried one daily for years, and my team spent seven months putting 12 of them through driveway bike repairs, camping trips, and a whole lot of package opening. The ones worth owning all feel like tools rather than gadgets, and they’re below.
Best for All-Round Everyday Carry
Gerber Suspension NXT
Key Features
- Carry: Pocket clip and lanyard point
- Tools: 15
- Weight: 6.4 oz
- Closed length: 4.25 in
- Price: Budget
Fifteen tools, spring-back needle-nose pliers and a pocket clip: the Suspension NXT covers the whole everyday-carry brief without asking you to wear a sheath. The blade is 2.25 inches and partially serrated, there are enough flathead and cross drivers to rescue a loose hinge, and scissors, an awl, a nail file and a can opener fill in the rest. At 4.25 inches closed and 6.4 ounces it disappears into a jeans pocket, which is the only carry mode that survives a normal week.
The part to learn before you need it is the blade lock. Its release sits close to the frame and wants a thumbnail, which is fine at a bench and awkward with gloves on or hands full of trail dust; work it a dozen times the day it arrives and it stops being a puzzle. The butterfly opening itself is quick, and the pliers are the strongest argument for the tool — they will twist a hose clamp or pull a tent peg without the flex you get from smaller multitools.
Where it gives ground is precision rather than strength. The blade is short and the drivers are stubby, which is the cost of a tool that fits a pocket; if you want a blade that behaves like a knife, that is the Armbar Drive’s job. For splinters, bottle caps and a screw that worked loose on a pack strap, none of that matters.
Pros
- Fifteen tools including spring-back pliers and scissors
- Pocket clip and lanyard point for everyday carry
- 4.25 in closed and 6.4 oz, light enough for a pocket
Cons
- Belt clip bends if it catches on something
- No sheath in the box
We recommend the Suspension NXT as the default Gerber for most people: real pliers, fifteen tools and a pocket clip in something that rides a jeans pocket all day.
Best for Pack and Belt
Gerber Truss
Key Features
- Carry: Nylon sheath included
- Tools: 17
- Weight: 8 oz
- Locking: Tool lock
- Price: Midrange
The Truss adds the two things we missed on the Suspension NXT: a wood saw and a sheath. Seventeen tools instead of fifteen sounds like a rounding error until you are cutting a dowel down to size, and the nylon sheath means the tool rides a belt instead of fishing around in a pocket. Eight ounces and a little more money are the price, and for a tool that lives in a pack or a truck, we think it is the right trade.
The rest of the kit is familiar: needle-nose and standard pliers, wire cutters, a full serrated blade, scissors, three flatheads, a cross driver, a file, a ruler and a bottle opener. Every tool locks open, and the lock bar takes a firm thumb — stiff out of the box, smoother after a week of opening and closing it while you are on the phone.
The sheath earns its place if the tool is going to work with you. It sits vertically on a belt, out of the way, and comes out with one pull, which is the difference between carrying a multitool and remembering to. For a glovebox or a pack lid it is simply somewhere to put the thing so it does not rattle.
Pros
- Seventeen tools including a wood saw
- Nylon sheath included for belt carry
- Every tool locks open
Cons
- Heavier and thicker than the top pick
- Sheath closure is the first thing to wear
Buy the Truss when a wood saw and a belt sheath matter more than pocket space; we think the fuller kit is worth the extra weight.
Best for One-Handed Jobs
Gerber Multi-Plier 600
Key Features
- Carry: Ballistic nylon sheath
- Tools: 14
- Pliers: Blunt nose
- Weight: 9.6 oz
- Price: Premium
A flick of the wrist swings the pliers out and locks them, one-handed. That is the whole idea behind the Multi-Plier 600 and it is still the best reason to own one: on a ladder, holding a pipe, or with a flashlight clamped in your teeth, you get a working tool in one motion instead of two.
Blunt-nose jaws are the other half of that decision. They give up reach in tight spaces and gain a flat, wide grip that is better at holding a nut than finding one. Fourteen tools, stainless steel throughout, a ballistic nylon sheath, 4.9 inches closed and 9.6 ounces on the belt.
Heavy is the point. This is a belt tool, and the mass is what lets the pliers take torque the smaller Gerbers in this group cannot — the difference showed up when we were twisting a stuck wingnut on a hose reel. The flick takes a firm push when the tool is new and eases up with use, and the included sheath is how this one is meant to travel.
Pros
- One-hand flick opening for the pliers
- Blunt-nose jaws built for gripping
- Fourteen tools and a belt sheath
Cons
- 9.6 oz suits a belt, not a pocket
- Retaining clip can pop off
The MP600 is for the reader who wants pliers out in one motion; we keep coming back to that flick, and the weight is what it costs.
Best for Keyring Carry
Gerber Dime
Key Features
- Carry: Keychain and lanyard ring
- Tools: 12
- Weight: 2.2 oz
- Closed length: 2.75 in
- Price: Budget
At 2.75 inches closed and 2.2 ounces, the Dime is the smallest tool here that still gives you pliers. Twelve functions fit in that frame: needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, scissors, tweezers, a plain-edge blade, a bottle opener and a package opener. A keyring hole means it leaves the house, which is more than most multitools manage.
We have been pleasantly surprised by how often it comes out — a screw on a glasses hinge, a parcel, a bottle cap. The package opener does the work the blade would otherwise do, which keeps the edge for the times you actually need it, and tweezers in a multitool sound like filler until you are pulling a splinter in a parking lot.
The tools are stiff to pull out at first, especially with short nails or cold hands. Opening the blade first gives your thumb something to push against, and the pivots loosen with use — but plan on breaking it in. For anything that needs force, the Suspension NXT is the smallest step up here that still feels like a proper tool.
Pros
- Twelve tools at 2.75 in and 2.2 oz
- Pliers, scissors and tweezers on a keyring
- Package opener saves the main blade
Cons
- Light-duty pliers and pivots only
For keys and a go bag, the Dime is our pick: real pliers, scissors and tweezers in 2.2 ounces, small enough that you stop noticing it.
Best for Slim Pocket Carry
Gerber Armbar Drive
Key Features
- Blade: 2.5 in, frame lock
- Tools: 8
- Driver: 2-sided 1/4 in driver
- Closed length: Under 3.5 in
- Price: Midrange
Most multitool blades are an afterthought. The Armbar Drive is a knife that happens to carry a screwdriver, and that is exactly why we like it: a 2.5-inch plain-edge blade on a frame lock, in a handle slim enough to sit next to a phone without making a lump.
The rest of the eight tools are chosen for the same user: scissors, an awl, a pry bar, a bottle opener, a hammer at the butt of the handle and a two-sided 1/4-inch bit driver. That driver is the sleeper — a Phillips or flat bit on a folding arm reaches cabinet hinges, chair brackets and door latches that a full-size screwdriver cannot get square to. The hammer end is for tapping, not swinging.
It is a knife-first tool and makes no apology for it: no pliers, and the blade is the only thing on it that will take real load. Against the Suspension NXT that is a straight swap of capability — you gain an edge worth carrying and lose the jaws. If the reason you want a multitool is a grip on something stubborn, this is not the one.
Pros
- 2.5 in frame-lock blade, not a token blade
- Two-sided 1/4 in bit driver
- Slim enough for a front pocket
Cons
- Bit driver arm has no lock under load
- Scissors are the weakest tool on it
We reach for the Armbar Drive when the blade matters more than the pliers: a real locking knife, a bit driver and a slim frame that rides a pocket.
Best for Keys and Travel
Gerber Shard
Key Features
- Carry: Keychain lanyard hole
- Length: 2.75 in
- Weight: Under 1 oz
- Functions: 7
- Price: Budget
No pliers, no blade. The Shard is a 2.75-inch bar of stainless that weighs under an ounce, and what it does is the small stuff your keys already meet: prying a paint lid, opening a bottle, turning a flathead screw, stripping a wire end. Seven functions, all of them flat, none of them folding.
For something this small, the pry tip is the part that earns the space — a stiff edge that does not bend when you lean on it, which is more than most keyring tools can say. The two flatheads and the cross driver are short, so they are for the screw that is already loose rather than the one that is seized.
On a keyring it is close to invisible, and that is the whole case: the tool you use is the one you did not have to go and fetch. It will not rescue a hike or a plumbing job and it is not trying to. What it does is end the thirty-second search for a screwdriver, several times a week, without adding a lump to your pocket.
Pros
- Under 1 oz and 2.75 in on a keyring
- Stiff pry bar that takes real leverage
- Two flatheads, a cross driver and a bottle opener
Cons
- No blade or pliers, so it cannot stand in for a multitool
- Pry tip corners can catch on pocket lining
Hang the Shard on your keys and it quietly handles bottle caps, paint lids and loose screws in under an ounce.
How We Tested the Gerber Multi-Tools
We started with Gerber’s current lineup, narrowed it by tool count, closed length, weight, and price, and cut anything that duplicated another pick too closely. Twelve tools made the final list, from a keychain-sized model to a full-size tool with a locking blade. Each one lived with a tester for seven months: clipped to a belt on a hike, tossed in a bike bag, riding in a kitchen drawer, and pulled out on a weekend camping trip and a muddy afternoon of yard work.
The first thing we did with each tool was open and close every implement, then squeeze the pliers hard enough to leave marks. That’s where the weak ones gave themselves away — handles that bit into the palm, jaws that flexed, pivots that developed play after a few dozen cycles. We pressed each blade lock with a thumb while pushing the blade toward closing to see whether it held, then repeated the check after a drop onto concrete from waist height. Sharpness was tested on paracord, cardboard, and green sticks: we whittled and made feather sticks, and noted whether the edge rolled or needed real pressure to bite.
Portability and size got judged by carrying, not by the spec sheet — a full day clipped to a pocket or belt, then weighed on a kitchen scale, since a tool that drags your shorts down stays home. We timed one-handed bit changes and noted which tools opened without a fingernail. Durability meant a few days in a damp tackle box and a stint at the bottom of a tool bag, and we kept a tally of which implements we actually reached for; pliers, blade, and screwdriver bits won by a mile.
How to Choose a Gerber Multitool
The multitool worth owning is the one already in your pocket when something loosens, so settle the carry question before you count tools.
Settle the carry question first
Whether the tool is on you decides how useful it is, and the options here run from a keyring bar under an ounce to a 9.6-ounce belt model. Around 6 to 7 ounces with a pocket clip, like the Suspension NXT at 6.4, rides a jeans pocket without dragging. The Truss at 8 ounces starts to swing when you walk, and the Multi-Plier 600 at 9.6 is a sheath tool by design.
The trap is buying the biggest tool you can justify and then leaving it in a drawer because it pulls your trousers down. If you don’t wear a belt or a pack hip strap regularly, buy the pocket or keyring model and accept smaller pliers. If you do, a sheath keeps a full-size tool out of the way and out of your pockets.
Which tools actually earn their space
Pliers are the reason to carry a multitool at all; a pocket knife already cuts things. Judge a candidate on its jaws first — needle-nose for reaching into fittings and pulling splinters, blunt-nose for gripping a nut or a hose clamp. After that, the tools that get used most are the boring ones: scissors, a bottle opener, a package opener and a couple of drivers.
Tool count is a weak guide to value. Seventeen tools against fifteen is a saw and a driver, not a better tool, and every extra implement adds thickness to the handle. List the three jobs you actually met last month and check the tool covers them. A wood saw only earns its weight if you cut stock.
Locks and pivots: the first week
Every locking tool here arrives stiff, and that is normal — the lock bar and the pivots need a few dozen cycles before they feel right. Spend the first evening opening and closing every implement, and pay particular attention to the lock release: on the Suspension NXT it wants a thumbnail, which is a nuisance with gloves on. Practice it before you are up a ladder in the cold.
Check the parts that hold the tool closed, too. On the Multi-Plier 600 the retaining clip that keeps the pliers shut can pop loose, and a tool that springs open in a bag is worse than one that is stiff. If yours arrives loose, deal with it before you start carrying it.
Clips, sheaths and what wears out
The stamped belt clip is usually the first thing to fail on a pocket multitool. It bends when it catches a door frame, and a bent clip stops gripping. Treat it as a wear item and check it before you trust it over a drain, a river or a stairwell.
Sheaths fail differently: the closure goes before the fabric does. Hook-and-loop loses its hold with use, and a flap that will not stay shut drops the tool. If the sheath is the reason you chose a model, look as closely at how it closes as at what the tool does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take a Gerber multitool in my carry-on?
That depends on the airline and the screening rules in force on the day, not on the tool. Most of these have locking blades, and a locking blade is the first thing a security officer will treat as a weapon. The Shard has no blade at all, which makes it the least likely of these to cause a problem, but the decision belongs to the screener. Check current rules before you pack, and put anything with an edge in checked baggage if there is any doubt.
Do I need a multitool if I already carry a pocket knife?
Only if you have wanted pliers away from a workbench. A knife cuts; a multitool grips, twists, cuts wire and turns screws, and the pliers are the part a pocket knife can never cover. If your week involves hose clamps, tent pegs, splinters or a stubborn bottle cap, the weight is justified. If it is all cardboard and packaging, a small keyring tool or the knife you already own is enough.
Will the wire cutters handle fencing or hardened wire?
Treat the cutters as soft-metal tools. Copper wire, craft wire and small nails are what they are for; hardened fencing wire, spring steel and bolts are what chip the cutting edges, and on the Multi-Plier 600 the cutter inserts are the part that gives way first. Carry side cutters for fence work and keep the multitool’s cutters for the small jobs.
Final Verdict
Most people should buy the Suspension NXT. It sits at the balance point of this group: real pliers, fifteen tools, a pocket clip and enough strength for a tent peg or a hose clamp, without the bulk of a belt tool.
Move up to the Truss if a wood saw and a sheath are worth the extra weight, or to the Multi-Plier 600 if you need the pliers out in one motion. If the tool has to live on your keys, the Dime gives you jaws and scissors and the Shard gives you a pry bar in under an ounce. And if the blade is the part you care about most, the Armbar Drive is the one to pick.