The Best Leatherman Multitools

Nothing else here covers as much ground. You get pliers, wire cutters, two knife blades, a saw, a file, scissors, a ruler, openers and a bit driver. That's the difference between fixing the thing and going to look for another tool. Outdoor gear reviewers at GearJunkie have kept the Wave Plus on their short list for years for that balance of full-size pliers and blade quality.

The needle-nose jaws matter more than the tool count. They slip into the gap behind a cabinet hinge or grab a dropped screw down a vent. Outdoor Life's reviewers make the same point: needle-nose pliers reach into places the standard jaws on cheaper models simply can't. The jaws are spring-loaded too, so they open themselves and you're not fighting the tool with your other hand.

The scissors are the sleeper feature. They're spring-action and big enough for packaging, fishing line, zip ties and the tag on a new shirt — the stuff you'd otherwise dull a knife blade on. Owners who've carried a Wave for a decade tend to say the same thing: the tools they reach for daily are the scissors, the pliers and the driver, in that order.

The wire cutters are replaceable, which is why this one lasts. Cut enough hardened staples or picture wire and any cutter eventually nicks. On the Wave Plus you swap in a fresh cutting edge instead of retiring the tool. Pair that with Leatherman's 25-year warranty and Portland factory repairs, and you're buying something you can hand down rather than replace.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It's heavy. At 8.5 ounces it's the kind of thing you feel in a front pocket all day, and plenty of owners say it took getting used to after a smaller tool. Most people end up on a belt sheath or in a bag — and the sheath is sold separately, which stings on a tool at this level.

Most of the implements live inside the handles, so you flip the tool open to get at them. That's fine on a workbench and annoying one-handed on a ladder. The blade is 420HC, a tough, easy-to-sharpen steel rather than a premium one, so expect to touch up the edge more often than you would on the Charge Plus or the Wave Alpha.

The Wave Plus is backed by Leatherman's 25-year warranty.

The upgrade you're paying for is steel. The main blade is 154CM, a premium stainless that holds an edge considerably longer than the 420HC on most of the range. If you're an electrician stripping and slicing all shift, or you break down boxes by the dozen, that's the difference between sharpening weekly and sharpening a few times a year.

Everything else that makes the Wave Plus good is still here. Nineteen tools, spring-action needle-nose pliers, replaceable wire cutters, spring-action scissors, a saw, a ruler and a bit driver, all in a four-inch body at 8.3 ounces. Owners upgrading from an older Wave consistently describe the Charge Plus as the same tool built to a higher standard rather than a different one.

Owners also flag the fit and finish as a real, noticeable step up — tighter tolerances, cleaner edges, a tool that feels expensive in the hand. Several mention theirs arrived with a pocket clip, a pouch and a starter bit kit, which isn't guaranteed but is a nice change from the accessories-sold-separately pattern elsewhere in the lineup.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It's stiff out of the box. More than a few owners describe the pivots as tight enough to be a two-hand job at first, loosening up after a little oil and a few weeks of use. That's normal for the design, but it's not the buttery experience you might expect from the priciest classic Wave.

You're paying a real premium over the Wave Plus for better steel and a nicer finish, not for more capability — the toolset is nearly identical. And the black handles are a coating, not G10, which has disappointed a few buyers who assumed otherwise.

The Charge Plus is backed by Leatherman's 25-year warranty.

This is the most tool you can get for the least money in the lineup. Knives, pliers, screwdrivers, a wire stripper, an electrical crimper, a file, a saw, an awl, a ruler and openers — 17 in all, and every one of them locks open. Nothing folds on your fingers mid-cut. It carries the same 25-year warranty as the models that cost twice as much.

The pliers are built for strength rather than reach. Standard jaws grip and twist better than fine needle-nose tips, which is what you want on fence wire, a stubborn hose clamp or a hook in a fish's mouth. The trade-off is real: they won't get into the tight spots the Wave Plus reaches, so pick based on the work you do.

It also has replaceable wire and hard-wire cutters, which was a first for a four-inch Leatherman and is still unusual at this level. Anglers, farmers and hobbyists who've carried one for years describe the same experience — sharp knives, a smooth saw, screwdrivers that don't twist, and no obvious weak point.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Everything opens two-handed. You unfold the handles to reach any tool, including the blade, so it's slower than the Skeletool CX or the Free K4X when you're holding something in the other hand. On a ladder or in a crawlspace, that's a genuine annoyance.

Several owners have been caught out by the packaging: depending on the configuration you may not get a sheath or a pocket clip, which means a full-size tool and nowhere to put it. Budget for the sheath.

The Rebar is backed by Leatherman's 25-year warranty.

MagnaCut is the reason to want this one. Knife reviewers, including Knife Informer, rate it highly because it combines long edge retention with strong corrosion resistance — a combination most stainless steels make you choose between. If you're on a boat, sweating through summer, or just tired of a blade going dull, that's a meaningful upgrade over 420HC.

The handles are machined G10 with a topographic texture, and the difference shows up when your hands are wet or cold. Owners who've carried several Leathermans regularly call this one the best-finished tool the brand makes. The thumb stud opens the blade one-handed, and the scissors are the biggest ever fitted to a pliers-based model.

It's also lighter than you'd expect for a full-size Wave, at about half a pound, which is part of why some longtime owners have moved to it as their daily carry. Sixteen tools is fewer than the Wave Plus offers, so this is a refinement of the formula rather than an expansion of it.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

For the most expensive tool here, the accessories situation is hard to defend. The sheath, pocket clip and lanyard loop are all sold separately, and buyers regularly call that out — especially since the handle has a dedicated spot for a clip that doesn't come with one.

Owner feedback is more mixed than on the older Waves. The redesigned scissors replace the serrated blade, and while most owners like the extra cutting surface, some find them flimsy on tough material. A few also dislike the reverse-tanto blade shape or miss spring-loaded pliers. If you want the safest bet, the Wave Plus is the more settled design.

The Wave Alpha carries Leatherman's 25-year limited warranty.

The best multitool is the one you're actually carrying. At roughly five ounces it's about 40 percent lighter than the Wave Plus, because Leatherman cut the saw, the scissors, the file and the awl. If you've ever left a full-size tool at home because it was too much to pocket, that math will make sense to you immediately.

It still has real pliers. That's the line between this and a pocketknife: you can grip a stripped screw, pull a splinter, bend a bit of wire or crimp something small. The blade rides on the outside and opens one-handed, the pocket clip doubles as a carabiner, and the bottle opener is right there on the end.

It's a good first multitool, and a good second one. Hikers and cyclists like it because it disappears in a pack. Tradespeople who carry a bigger tool at work often keep one of these for weekends. Owners who've carried it for years describe it as the essentials with none of the dead weight, which is a fair summary.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Seven tools means seven tools. No scissors, no saw, no file, no awl — and owners who otherwise love this tool most often wish for the scissors. If you open a lot of packaging, look at the Micra or a full-size model instead.

The pliers are smaller and less powerful than the ones on the Rebar or the Wave Plus, and the bit driver uses flat double-ended bits you can lose. The blade is thin enough that prying with it is a bad idea.

The Skeletool CX is backed by Leatherman's 25-year warranty.