Gerber Suspension NXT 15-in-1 Multitool Pliers, EDC Knife, Stainless Steel

Why it's worth it

The Suspension-NXT packs 15 tools, including spring-loaded one-handed pliers, scissors that actually cut, and a tool lock that keeps everything closed in your pocket. It's the tool most people should buy if the Center-Drive's in-line driver isn't a must-have.

This is Gerber's most popular multitool for a reason. You get 15 tools: needle-nose pliers, wire stripper, three flathead sizes, two cross drivers, an awl, a nail file, scissors, a can opener, a bottle opener, and a 2.25-inch partially serrated blade. It closes to 4.25 inches and weighs 7.7 ounces. There's a pocket clip and a lanyard point, so you can carry it however suits you.

The one-handed pliers change how often you reach for it. OutdoorGearLab found that one-handed-opening multitools deploy meaningfully faster in the field than traditional two-handed designs. That sounds like a small thing until you're crouched over a bike chain with one hand full. Flick your thumb, the pliers spring out, and you're working. Owners describe carrying this on a hip every day for years and reaching for it constantly.

From our review of 8 gerber knives and multitools

What we like

• +This is Gerber's most popular multitool for a reason
• +The one-handed pliers change how often you reach for it
• +The tool lock matters more than the spec sheet suggests
• +It doesn't have the in-line driver, and the blade is a full inch shorter than the Center-Drive's

What to know

• –The perpendicular drivers are exactly what the Center-Drive was built to improve on
• –The 2.25-inch partially serrated blade is short and the serrations eat into the usable plain edge