I admit it: I’m addicted to multitools. My daily carry for the past year or so has been the Gerber Dual Force, which has the most powerful pliers and best screwdriver on a multitool I’ve used. But the Dual Force is big and heavy, and not suited for lightweight applications like hiking.
Also: 10 tiny tools I carry with me everywhere – how they work
I have some hikes on the horizon where I’ll want a flexible multitool that can handle things like bottle opening, tightening up the odd screw, and cutting and fixing things. In my search for such a compact, lightweight multitool with a decent selection of tools, I came across the NexTool S11 Pro.
Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers.
Putting aside the name, which makes it sound like a smartphone, the S11 Pro is marketed as a 12-in-1 EDC (everyday carry) multitool aimed at the hiker and camper.
Tiny but very effective bottle opener.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
It measures a compact 1.97 x 0.63 x 4.12-inches and it weighs a miniscule 2.9 oz. This is a lot smaller and lighter than my Dual Force, which weighs a tiresome 12 ounces.
The NexTool S11 Pro is a lot smaller than the Gerber Dual Force.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
It’s also packed with features I rely on when out and about. The pliers are a good compromise of size and performance, the blade is sharp enough for most tasks and holds an edge well, and the screwdrivers and scissors are well designed and do their job well.
It also has a few more specialist tools, like a SIM tray eject tool (which is useful for a lot more things than ejecting SIM trays), and even some neat glow in the dark inserts that make finding the multitool at the bottom of a rucksack or in the undergrowth you’ve dropped it into, a whole lot easier.
I do like a bit of glow in the dark!
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The tools are also tough, with NexTool having upgraded to 8Cr14Mov stainless steel for the knife blade, a metal that has decent hardness and wear resistance and corrosion resistance, while the scissors, screwdrivers, bottle opener and pliers use 5Cr15Mov, a more general use steel that balanced toughness and corrosion-resistance.
These materials are ideal for a tool that’s going to get exposed to rain, salt spray, and sweat, and is going to be asked to handle whatever tasks need handling, from tightening up a screw, to being used like a caveman’s hammer.
Anything can be a hammer if you try hard enough. This is how you safely hold a multitool like a hammer.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Also: The TSA-approved multitool myth: I tested it on a plane so you don’t have to
Do remember when traveling that this multitool does have a blade on it, and that this can run foul of authorities in some places (think airports everywhere, and places like train stations in Europe). If you want something that’s more travel-friendly, I recommend the NexTool Mini Sailor Lite.
The blade is handy, but it makes the NexTool S11 Pro airport unfriendly.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Why I recommend this product
NexTool has been seriously impressing me lately. As someone who used to be a fanboy of expensive multitools, this company proves that a decent quality tool doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Sure, there are always compromises, and you don’t get 25-year warranties like you get with a Leatherman, but with the NexTool S11 Pro you’re buying a tool that costs $30, and for that you still get a very generous 10-year warranty.
For me, this is the perfect tool if I’m trying to keep carry weight to a minimum. I get a set of tools that will handle the basics, without carrying a heavy lump of metal with me on the trail.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.