The Best Multitools of 2026: Leatherman Wave+, Arc, Skeletool and More
Quick answer: the best multitool for most people in 2026 is still the Leatherman Wave+: 18 tools, outside-accessible blades, replaceable wire cutters, and a 25-year warranty for $130. The Leatherman Arc is the upgrade, with a MagnaCut blade and magnetic FREE-style opening. For pocket carry, the 5-ounce Skeletool CX. On a budget, the Gerber Suspension NXT at about $41 is the best cheap multitool ever made.
Our picks at a glance:
- Best Overall: Leatherman Wave+
- Best Premium: Leatherman Arc
- Best for Pocket Carry: Leatherman Skeletool CX
- Best for the Outdoors: Leatherman Signal
- Best Traditional Design: Leatherman Rebar
- Best Budget: Gerber Suspension NXT
- Best Swiss Army Knife: Victorinox Huntsman
- Best Keychain Tool: Leatherman Micra
- Best Leatherman Under $70: Leatherman Wingman
A multitool is pliers first. Everything else, the blades, drivers, saws, and bottle openers, is a bonus that decides which one you should buy. We ranked nine by how well the pliers work, how easily you can reach the tools you use most, and how much you will actually carry the thing, which is why a 5-ounce Skeletool and a 1-ounce keychain tool made a list headed by a full-size Wave. Every pick here comes from Leatherman, Gerber, or Victorinox, because those are the three warranties we trust for twenty-five years.
If you want a dedicated blade instead of pliers with a blade attached, read our EDC pocket knife roundup; most of us carry one of each.
| Multitool | Tools | Weight | Blade steel | Standout feature | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leatherman Wave+ | 18 | 8.5 oz | 420HC | Outside-access blades, replaceable cutters | $130 |
| Leatherman Arc | 20 | 8.6 oz | CPM MagnaCut | Magnetic FREE opening, premium steel | $250 |
| Leatherman Skeletool CX | 7 | 5.0 oz | 154CM | Pocket clip, carabiner, lightest full pliers | $100 |
| Leatherman Signal | 19 | 7.5 oz | 420HC | Ferro rod, whistle, sharpener, saw | $150 |
| Leatherman Rebar | 17 | 6.7 oz | 420HC | Classic design, replaceable cutters, saw and file | $100 |
| Gerber Suspension NXT | 15 | 6.7 oz | Stainless | Pocket clip, spring pliers, huge value | $41 |
| Victorinox Huntsman | 15 | 3.4 oz | Victorinox stainless | Wood saw, scissors, the Swiss Army classic | $52 |
| Leatherman Micra | 10 | 1.8 oz | 420HC | Spring scissors, keychain size | $50 |
| Leatherman Wingman | 14 | 7 oz | 420HC | Spring-action pliers and scissors, package opener | $70 |
1. Leatherman Wave+: Best Overall
The Wave+ is the multitool by which every other multitool is judged, and after twenty years it still wins. Both blades and the saw and file open from the outside without unfolding the pliers, all the tools lock, the pliers have replaceable hardened wire cutters, and it fits in a jeans pocket or the included sheath. It has fixed cars, tents, bikes, and more IKEA than any tool ever made. If you buy one multitool, this is it. $130 at REI.
2. Leatherman Arc: Best Premium
The Arc takes the FREE series' magnetic architecture, where every tool flicks open one-handed and locks without a liner lock to fumble, and adds the best blade steel in the multitool world: CPM MagnaCut, the same stainless super steel our knife steel explainer calls the current default answer. Twenty tools including replaceable cutters, a diamond file, and a bit driver that takes the included bits. It costs nearly double the Wave+. For the guy who uses the tool every day, it is worth it. $250 at Lowe's.
3. Leatherman Skeletool CX: Best for Pocket Carry
The Skeletool CX strips a multitool down to what most people use: full-size needle-nose pliers, a 154CM plain-edge blade that opens from the outside, a bit driver with a double-ended bit, a bottle opener, and a carabiner clip. Five ounces with a pocket clip, so it rides where a knife would. It is the multitool for the guy who said he would never carry a multitool. $100 at Amazon (US).
4. Leatherman Signal: Best for the Outdoors
The Signal is a Wave built for the woods: a ferrocerium fire starter, an emergency whistle, a diamond-coated sharpener, a saw, a hammer face on the pliers, and a combo blade. It gives up the second blade and the scissors of the Wave for those, which is the right trade for a pack or a glove box. Nine years old and unchanged because it did not need to be. $150 at Amazon (US).
5. Leatherman Rebar: Best Traditional Design
The Rebar is the descendant of the original 1983 Leatherman PST: a compact, boxy tool where the blades open from the inside, which keeps it slimmer than the Wave and the price under $100. It still has replaceable wire cutters, a saw, a file, and a full set of drivers, and all the tools lock. Old-school in the best way, and the one to buy if you want the classic Leatherman feel with modern steel. $100 at Amazon (US).
6. Gerber Suspension NXT: Best Budget
For about $41 the Suspension NXT gives you spring-loaded pliers, 15 locking tools that open from the outside, a pocket clip, and a butterfly-open frame that feels like a tool three times its price. The steel is softer than Leatherman's and the blade needs sharpening more often, but as a truck, kitchen-drawer, or first multitool it is unbeatable. Gerber's warranty is lifetime too. $41 at The Home Depot.
7. Victorinox Huntsman: Best Swiss Army Knife
No pliers, and it does not matter. The Huntsman is the Swiss Army knife people picture: two blades, a wood saw, scissors, can and bottle openers, screwdrivers, a corkscrew, tweezers, and a toothpick in a 3.4-ounce red handle. It has been in production since 1952 and it opens every package, tightens every eyeglass screw, and cuts every camp sausage without looking tactical. Every man should own one. $52 at Amazon (US).
8. Leatherman Micra: Best Keychain Tool
The Micra is built around spring-action scissors instead of pliers, which turns out to be the tool you use most at a keychain scale: loose threads, tags, packaging, hangnails. Add a small blade, nail file, tweezers, screwdrivers, and a bottle opener in under two ounces of stainless. It has been on keychains since 1996 and no one has improved on it. $50 at Nordstrom.
9. Leatherman Wingman: Best Leatherman Under $70
The Wingman is Leatherman's entry model and a lot of tool for the money: spring-action pliers, spring-action scissors, an outside-opening combo blade, a package opener, a file, and a pocket clip. The tools do not all lock and the cutters are not replaceable, which is why the Wave+ costs twice as much. As a first Leatherman or a kitchen-drawer tool, it is the smart buy. $70 at Amazon (US).
The Bottom Line
Get the Wave+ and be done, or the Arc if you want the last multitool you will buy. Carry the Skeletool CX if it has to live in a pocket, and put a Micra on your keys regardless. Then pair it with a light from our EDC flashlight roundup and you are set for whatever the day breaks.
Keep reading: Best EDC pocket knives | Pocket knife steel explained | Best EDC flashlights | What is everyday carry?
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best multitool for everyday carry?
The Leatherman Wave+ is the best multitool for most people in 2026, with 18 locking tools, outside-accessible blades and replaceable wire cutters for about $130. For pocket carry the Leatherman Skeletool CX is lighter at 5 ounces, and the Gerber Suspension NXT is the best budget option at about $41.
Is the Leatherman Arc worth it over the Wave+?
Only if you use a multitool daily. The Arc adds a CPM MagnaCut blade, magnetic one-handed opening and a diamond file for about $120 more than the Wave+. The Wave+ does the same jobs with a 420HC blade that needs sharpening more often.
Can you bring a multitool on a plane?
Not in carry-on if it has a blade. The US TSA bans knives and multitools with blades from carry-on bags; they must be checked. Multitools without blades, such as the Leatherman Style PS or Gerber Dime Travel, are allowed in carry-on.
Are Gerber multitools as good as Leatherman?
Leatherman uses better steel, tighter tolerances and replaceable wire cutters, and its tools generally last longer. Gerber's Suspension NXT is the exception: at about $41 it offers spring pliers and 15 locking tools, making it the best value multitool available, even if the blade needs more frequent sharpening.
What is the difference between the Leatherman Wave+ and the Wave?
The Wave+ (2018) replaced the Wave and added replaceable, hardened 154CM wire cutters. Everything else, including the 18 tools, outside-opening blades and 8.5-ounce weight, is the same, so there is no reason to seek out the older Wave.
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