Most multitools fail EDC before they leave the drawer. They’re too heavy, too bulky, or packed with tools you’ll never touch. The ones that earn pocket space are built around the 5 or 6 functions you actually reach for. That’s the standard every pick here had to clear.
With Father’s Day this weekend, the list doubles as a short gift guide. The picks below run from a keychain-sized catch-all to a heavy-duty work tool with compound leverage pliers, so there’s a fit for the dad who lives in slim jeans and the one who keeps a tool roll in the truck. These are all tools people actually carry and use, not novelty pieces destined for the back of a drawer.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
| Pick | Best For | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Leatherman Skeletool CX | Best overall | $99 |
| Leatherman Wingman | Best everyday workhorse | ~$50 |
| Victorinox Tinker | Best classic carry | ~$32 |
| Gerber Suspension NXT | Best budget | ~$40 |
| SOG PowerAssist | Best compound leverage | ~$60 |
| Victorinox Fieldmaster | Best for versatility | ~$50 |
| Gerber Dime | Best ultra-compact | ~$35 |
How We Picked
We filtered for four things: pocket size, build quality, tool utility, and price ceiling. Every pick lands under $100. Most come in well under $80. The Skeletool CX is the one premium outlier at $99, and it earns the price. We also weighted tools that open one-handed, because fumbling with a multitool under pressure defeats the whole point. All seven picks are Amazon Prime-eligible.
1. Leatherman Skeletool CX: Best Overall
The Skeletool CX is the multitool that convinced a generation of EDC people to ditch full-size tools. It weighs 5 ounces, opens to needle-nose pliers, and folds flat enough to forget it’s there. You get a plain-edge blade, wire cutters, a bit driver with two bits, a carabiner clip, and a bottle opener. Leatherman cut everything you probably wouldn’t use anyway, and it’s the right call.
Price: $99
Where to Buy: Amazon
The bit driver takes Leatherman’s proprietary double-ended bits (two ship in the box, giving you four tip options), and the tool is backed by a 25-year warranty. The one real gap is no scissors. Confirm you’re ordering the CX variant specifically: the base Skeletool ships with a partially serrated blade.
2. Leatherman Wingman: Best Everyday Workhorse
The Wingman is one of Leatherman’s most accessible multitools, and its reputation is earned. It opens to spring-loaded pliers with one thumb, carries a combo blade, scissors, wire cutters, three screwdrivers, a file, and a bottle opener. Both the blade and scissors are outside-accessible, so they deploy without opening the tool first. That’s faster for the one-handed tasks that come up most.
Price: $49.95 (From $69.95)
Where to Buy: Amazon
It’s heavier than the Skeletool at 7 oz and noticeably bulkier in a front pocket. But it comes in around $50, includes scissors the Skeletool doesn’t, and covers a broader set of daily tasks. Leatherman backs it with the same 25-year warranty.
3. Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker: Best Classic Carry
The Tinker has been in production for decades because it earns its keep without pretense. At 91mm and 2.2 oz it’s one of the two lightest carries on this list (tied with the Dime), and coming in under $35 leaves real budget for a sheath or a second tool. The tool selection is tight and intentional: large blade, small blade, screwdrivers, can opener, wire stripper, and reamer. These cover gaps most pliers-forward multitools skip.
Price: $31.47 (From $36)
Where to Buy: Amazon
The blade steel is softer than modern competitors, so it dulls faster, but it touches up quickly with a few passes on a ceramic rod. There are no pliers, which is a clear constraint. If you know you’re a knife-forward carry, the Tinker is the honest starting point.
4. Gerber Suspension NXT: Best Budget Pick
The Suspension NXT is the entry point that doesn’t feel like one. It comes in around $40 with 15 tools including spring-loaded pliers, wire cutters, scissors, screwdrivers, a file, and a bottle opener. The butterfly open works as advertised, and it ships with an integrated pocket clip.
Price: $41.18
Where to Buy: Amazon
The finish and blade steel are a step behind Leatherman and Victorinox. That’s the honest trade at this price. Individual tools do lock, which is more than you’d expect at $40. For a car kit, a backup, or a first multitool, it’s the right answer.
5. SOG PowerAssist: Best Compound Leverage
The PowerAssist’s headline feature is compound leverage: SOG’s gear-driven pivots nearly double the plier’s gripping force, which matters when you’re working with stubborn bolts or wire under pressure. The pliers open one-handed via a butterfly mechanism. It also carries two spring-assisted blades (one straight edge, one full serrated) that deploy with one hand, plus a V-cutter for coax cable, a file, screwdrivers, and a bottle opener.
Price: $62.79
Where to Buy: Amazon
It’s a large, heavy tool at nearly 10 oz, the heaviest pick on this list, so true front-pocket carry in slim pants is a stretch. The blade steel is 420 stainless, the same tier as budget picks, so don’t expect boutique edge retention, but it’s easy to touch up in the field. For anyone who needs a real work multitool that still fits in a jacket pocket, the PowerAssist earns its place at $80.
6. Victorinox Fieldmaster: Best for Versatility
The Fieldmaster is the Tinker with scissors, a wood saw, and a multi-purpose hook added. The saw handles small branches and cordage better than you’d expect from a Swiss Army tool, and the scissors are Victorinox’s standard 91mm spring-action scissors, the same mechanism found across the entire 91mm line. At 91mm it’s still universally pocketable, and it carries comfortably even in a shirt pocket.
Price: $52
Where to Buy: Amazon
Like the Tinker, there are no pliers. If that’s your priority, look at the Skeletool or Suspension NXT instead. The added tool layers make it slightly thicker than the Tinker, and that’s noticeable in tighter pockets.
7. Gerber Gear Dime: Best Ultra-Compact
The Dime is what you carry when you’ve already got a primary knife and you just need a catch-all that vanishes. It’s 2.75 inches closed, under 3 oz, and lives on a keychain without making your keys miserable. The spring-loaded micro pliers work better at scale than they have any right to, and the scissors and package opener handle a surprising share of daily friction tasks.
Price: $34.99
Where to Buy: Amazon
The Dime is a complement, not a replacement. The micro pliers aren’t a stand-in for a full-size set, and the blade is too short for anything beyond packaging and light cordage. Buy it alongside a real multitool, not instead of one.
What to Look For in a Pocket Multitool Under $100
More tools means more size, so decide whether you’re optimizing for pocketability (Skeletool, Tinker, Dime) or utility (PowerAssist, Suspension NXT, Wingman). The Victorinox picks are knife-forward; the Leatherman and Gerber picks are pliers-forward. Know which function you reach for first. And at this price tier, warranty matters more than it would at the high end: Leatherman is 25 years, Victorinox is lifetime, Gerber is limited lifetime against defects in material and workmanship.
The Bottom Line
The Leatherman Skeletool CX is the pick for most people: right size, right tools, right build quality for around $90. Drop to the Wingman if you want scissors and a fuller driver set at $50. Go with the Victorinox Tinker or Dime if you want the lightest carry possible. Every pick here ships with Prime. Your everyday carry deserves gear that earns it.
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(as of June 19, 2026 14:10 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
