While it’s easy enough to carry a pocket knife, a torch light, or a compact multi-tool in your pocket, things get complicated when you want to bring a couple or more EDC items in tow. Even a humble pocket flashlight can be too big if it needs to share pocket space with a multi-bit pocket driver or a pocket-sized multi-tool. That’s why we’re big fans of keychain tools.
With their even smaller sizes, the best keychain tools take up a lot less room in your pocket, allowing you to carry two or three items without creating too much bulk or putting on too much weight. Since they all attach to your keyring, it’s also easy to keep them organized, with everything bundled together in the same place.
The best keychain tools aren’t just for stashing in your pocket, either, since you can hang them on a belt loop or clip them to a bag, a characteristic that really comes in handy during those times you bring a bit too many tools in tow. Sure, it may not be that comfortable carrying a heavy keychain on a belt loop, either, but it beats having it tearing through the overstretched seams in your pants pocket.
There’s a wide variety of keychain tools out there. For instance, there are plenty of small keychain knives, mini multi-tools, and sleek bullet flashlights. There are also keychain-sized pens, charging cables, and all sorts of specialized implements, many of which we’ll be looking at in the list.
These are the best keychain tools to put plenty of useful functions your keyring.
Eaglewireless SIM Tray Tool
Dimensions: 1.45 x 0.3 inches (length x width)
Functions: SIM tray eject pin
Ever had to remove or replace the SIM card from your phone, then realized you don’t have a pin small enough to poke that tiny hole on the SIM tray? Well, put one of these keychain tools on your keyring to make sure that never happens again. It’s so small, you can just keep it there full-time, too, since this is the kind of thing that you will likely lose an hour after placing it anywhere else (it’s the kind of thing people either ignore or throw away, after all).
KeySmart SafeBlade
Dimensions: 1.9 x 0.7 inches (length x width)
Functions: Package opener, pry tool
You can, pretty much, open packages using one of your keys, albeit not in the most efficient manner. Alternatively, you can just use this key-shaped keychain tool that’s designed to slice through packaging tape with ease in a manner that’s much safer than using a pocket knife. Even better, it can also serve as a pry tool that you can use to safely pry open phones, tablets, and other electronics. It’s made from PA46 polyamide, so it’s tough and sturdy, all without being rough enough to nick your electronic devices.
Gerber GDC Zip Blade
Dimensions: 1.7 x 0.7 inches (length x width)
Functions: Knife
If you’d rather have a package opener that can actually cut other stuff open, maybe this keychain tool will be more to your liking. It has a tiny 0.68-inch blade with a plain edge made from SS420J2 steel that will not just rip through packaging tape, but all sorts plastics, fabrics, and other materials. Heck, you can rip right through the box with this thing. It even has a frame lock. While it’s a little hard to open if you have chubby fingers, you do get the hang of it after a few tries. It even has a frame lock to ensure the blade stays securely in place whether it’s open or closed, while a quick-release clip lets you quickly detach the knife from the keyring, in case you need to use it without the rest of your keychain setup getting in the way.
True TelePen
Dimensions: 1.97 x 0.2 inches (length x width)
Functions: Pen
While there are plenty of keychain pens out there, most are an inch or two longer than what we’re comfortable carrying. Not this one, which measures just a hair under two inches when collapsed, making it a perfect compact keychain tool. To use it, take it off from the cap that’s attached to the keyring and pull the telescoping pen body to its full 4.5-inch length, giving you a writing instrument that feels very normal to hold in hand, allowing you to sign those checks and doodle those notes very comfortably. Granted, the body might be a little slimmer than what you’re used to, so you might need to use it a few times to get acquainted with the correct grip, but we haven’t found much problems using it to write. It comes three refills, by the way, so you’ll find plenty of use with this over the coming months (maybe years, given how little analog writing most people do these days).
Olight iMini 2
Dimensions: 2.2 x 0.6 inches (length x width)
Functions: Flashlight
We love this keychain flashlight’s clever design, which integrates a USB connector at the back end, allowing you to simply plug it into a charging port to replenish the onboard battery, with no need for a cable. That’s right, it’s got a male USB connector sticking out, which they cleverly reinforced with a hole for hooking onto a keyring. They did include a cover (with a matching hole) for the connector, so you can keep it protected from the elements. The flashlight itself delivers 50 lumens, so it offers decent illumination you can use to brighten up a small space in a pinch, with the onboard battery allowing it to run for 60 minutes of continuous lighting. To save space, they actually didn’t put a button on the torch light, instead automatically turning on any time it detects the magnetic cap has been detached.
Craighill Key Capsule
Dimensions: 2.25 x 0.75 inches (length x width)
Functions: Storage
Storage capsules are extremely handy for small items that you might otherwise accidentally lose throughout the course of the day, which is why we like adding one to our set of keychain tools. We extensively use it for all sorts of items, from oral medications and breath mints to loose driver bits and whatever else. Basically, if it’s very small and we want to secure it, those things go here. This teeny storage capsule is made from anodized aluminum, so it should hold up to the bumps and drops it can encounter throughout the day, with a threaded lid that ensures it won’t just open accidentally. It’s food-safe, too, so you can put edible items in there without any danger.
Gear Infusion EverRatchet
Dimensions: 2.4 x 0.7 inches (length x width)
Functions: Ratchet (1/4-inch) with Phillips bit, seven wrenches, package opener, bottle opener, flat driver, pry tool
A keychain tool with a ratcheting wrench, it allows you to drive screws and tighten bolts without having to lift the tool up to reposition for leverage. Basically, it allows you to turn the tool clockwise without turning the bits or bolts the other way, which should make those tightening jobs go substantially faster. It’s especially handy in tight space, where having to reposition every time can just turn into a frustrating affair. Despite the small size, it’s a proper multi-tool, too, reinforcing the ratcheting driver with a pry tool, a flat driver, seven wrenches, and a whole lot more. If you want a keychain multi-tool and you don’t need it to have a built-in knife blade, this is definitely the way to go.
Gerber Dime
Dimensions: 2.8 x 0.6 inches (length x width)
Functions: Needle nose pliers, plain edge knife blade, spring action scissors, dedicated package opener, wire cutters, two sizes of flat head drivers, two files, tweezers, and bottle opener
If you need to carry a pair of pliers as part of your EDC, then the Gerber Dime is, hands down, the best thing to add to your keychain tool set. Not only does it give you spring-loaded pliers, you also get a plain edge blade, scissors, multiple files, wire cutters, and a whole load of other stuff. It’s also genuinely small, which is downright baffling when you realize it integrates a butterfly opening into that tiny space. The tools included are genuinely useful, too, although you will want to grow one of your fingernails a bit to be able to deploy all those little tools in its frame. Sure, they’re a little harder to use than those on a full-size multi-tool, but they can definitely help you get a whole load of tasks done in a pinch. Plus, it’s very affordable when you consider everything it brings to the table.
Rolling Square inCharge XS
Dimensions: 3 x 0.6 inches (length x width)
Functions: Charging cable
The latest version of Rolling Square’s compact charging cable, this keychain tool measures just 3 x 0.6 inches (length x width), allowing it to comfortably slot in with the rest of your keyring ensemble. What makes it special is that it’s able to fit four charging configurations in that tiny bundle, namely USB-C to USB-C, USB-A to USB-C, USB-C to Lightning, and USB-A to Lightning cable, allowing you to use it for most contemporary charging tasks you will encounter. Even more impressively, it supports charging speeds of up to 240W, so you can use it for fast-charging devices if you have the hardware available for it. Everything collapses neatly, too, with magnets on the connectors cleanly snapping them together, so you don’t have to trouble yourself tidying things up when you’re done.
Fenix E03R v2.0 Keychain Flashlight
Dimensions: 2.1 x 1 inches (length x width)
Functions: Torch light
We love those tiny bullet flashlights as much as the next guy, as they’re perfect for use as keychain tools. Problem is, they usually top out at 50 lumens, giving them very limited functionality. If you want a keychain flashlight that can deliver powerful lighting, you need something like this bigger model, which delivers an impressive 500 lumens from its compact rectangular package. It’s still keychain-sized at 2.1 x 1 x 0.5 inches (length x width x thickness), so it still comfortably slots into your keyring, all while producing a light with a whopping 295 feet of throw distance. Even better, the onboard battery holds enough juice to keep it running on high for 80 minutes, allowing you to use it to actually look for stuff in a dark parking lot. It’s got all the fix-ins, as well, including hard-anodized all-metal housing, IP66 waterproofing, and all sorts of safety protections.
Leatherman Micra
Dimensions: 2.5 x 0.75 inches (length x width)
Functions: Spring-loaded scissors, knife, three drivers, nail file, pry tool, tweezers, bottle opener, and ruler,
There are plenty of small foldable scissors you can integrate into your keychain tool set if you need one. However, we prefer going with this butterfly-style kitchen multi-tool, which puts a pair of large scissor blades where needle nose pliers usually go. The scissors are spring-loaded, so they’re very easy to use, although we still do wish they had finger holes like conventional scissors for more precise controls. It offers such a nice collection of useful tools, too, such as a knife, three drivers, and tweezers. Sure, the selection feels conservative compared to your typical multi-tool, but all the integrated functions are really useful, which is very impressive at this compact size.
