Top 5 compared
The best screwdriver sets
Furniture to put together, a loose cabinet hinge or a toy’s battery cover, with a tip that fits the screw.
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The top 5 at a glance
A screwdriver is only as good as its fit: a tip that matches the screw head turns it cleanly, while the wrong one slips out and chews the head up. Around the house that mostly means two Phillips sizes, #1 and #2, plus a slotted blade or two; Torx, square and security screws turn up on appliances and electronics. Sets come as full-size drivers, one handle with a case of bits, or precision kits.
Full-size drivers give the firmest grip and the most reach for everyday jobs. A single handle with a case of bits covers far more screw types in less space, and a ratcheting one saves letting go between turns. Precision drivers are made for the tiny screws in phones, laptops, glasses and game consoles.
What matters
- Magnetic tips, to hold a screw while it’s started.
- Tips made to grip, such as etched or sand-blasted ones.
- Tip sizes marked on each handle, for grabbing the right one.
- A stubby or two, for screws in tight spots.
#1CRAFTSMAN Bi-Material Screwdriver Set (8 pieces, CMHT65075N)
$20–$30
Eight drivers that cover nearly every screw in the house: Phillips #1 to #3 and four slotted blades from 3/16 to 5/16 in, including a stubby of each for tight spots behind appliances. Black oxide tips grip the screw head, and the handle has zones for spinning a screw in fast and for leaning on it.
What owners say: A sure grip and tips that don’t slip are what owners mention most, and the spread of sizes handles common car jobs as well as household ones.
A closer look: Spin a screw in with your fingertips on the slim speed zone near the shaft, then move your palm to the fatter torque zone for the last firm turns. The two stubbies, 1-1/2 in long, reach the screws inside a cabinet or behind the washer where a full-length driver won’t fit.
- Black oxide tips grip screws
- Chrome finish
Best for: Loose hinges, cabinets and appliances
- Type
- Full-size screwdrivers
- What’s in it
- 8 screwdrivers, 2 stubby
- Tips
- PH1–PH3, 4 slotted
- Handle
- Bi-material, grip zones
#2Wera Kraftform Plus Lasertip Screwdriver Set (6 pieces, 334/6)
$30–$50
Six full-size screwdrivers, Phillips #1 and #2 and four slotted, with Wera’s Lasertip on five of them, an etched tip that bites into the screw head rather than slipping out. The Kraftform handle, shaped with Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute to fit the hand, went on sale in 1968.
What owners say: Owners count these among the best screwdrivers made: the etched tips grip and the handles stay comfortable through long jobs. A few have had a tip break.
A closer look: The handle’s hard zones let your hand slide around quickly as a screw spins in; the soft zones grip for the final turns. Each driver is color-coded by tip type and size, and the rack keeps all six upright on a pegboard or workbench wall.
- Etched tips bite screw heads
- Hard and soft grip zones
- Color-coded by tip and size
- Rack hangs on a pegboard
Best for: Long jobs at the workbench
- Type
- Full-size screwdrivers
- What’s in it
- 6 screwdrivers, rack
- Tips
- PH1, PH2, 4 slotted
- Handle
- Kraftform Plus, anti-roll
#3DEWALT Screwdriver Set (4 pieces, DWHT65200)
$10–$20
Just the four drivers most jobs need, Phillips #1 and #2 and 3/16 and 1/4 in slotted, each with a magnet in the tip that holds the screw while you start it. The sand-blasted tips fit snugly to cut down cam-out, and DEWALT backs them with a limited lifetime warranty.
What owners say: Strong, solid in the hand and comfortable to hold, owners say, with magnetic tips that keep screws in place in tight spaces.
A closer look: With only four drivers, it’s easy to keep the whole set in a kitchen drawer or a car’s trunk for the jobs that come up most: a loose cabinet hinge, a battery cover, a switch plate. All four are 3 or 4 in long, so a screw deep inside an appliance may still need a longer driver or a stubby.
- Magnetic tips hold the screw
- Sand-blasted tips grip snugly
- Tip size marked on handles
- Limited lifetime warranty
Best for: A first set or a spare
- Type
- Full-size screwdrivers
- What’s in it
- 4 screwdrivers
- Tips
- PH1, PH2, 2 slotted
- Handle
- Bi-material grip
#4JOREST 40-Piece Precision Screwdriver Set
Under $10
For the tiny screws a normal set can’t touch: 30 precision bits, including the pentalobe, tri-wing and small Torx sizes used in phones, laptops and game consoles, plus spudgers for opening cases.
What owners say: Everything for a small repair in one compact case, owners say, and one found it made fitting a motherboard and PC fans easy; the magnetic tip holds bits and screws firmly. A few had bits break on first use.
A closer look: Rest a fingertip on the swivel cap and turn the grip with the others: that keeps the bit steady on screws only a millimeter or two across. Go gently with the spudgers at the edge of a phone or console case, easing clips apart rather than levering hard.
- Tweezers and a cleaning brush
- Suction cup and SIM pin
- Chrome vanadium steel bits
Best for: Phones, consoles and glasses
- Type
- Precision driver, bits
- What’s in it
- Handle, 30 bits, pry tools
- Tips
- PH, slotted, Torx + 4 more
- Handle
- Swivel top, magnetic
#5Amazon Basics 73-Piece Magnetic Ratchet Screwdriver Set
$20–$30
One ratcheting driver for everything from a new bookcase to a pair of glasses: magnetic bits and sockets for household jobs, plus a separate run of non-magnetic precision bits for watches, phones and small electronics.
What owners say: So many bits and sockets in one small case saves buying separate screwdrivers, owners say, and they like the ratchet and the magnetic bit holder. The ratchet’s lock and the magnet’s strength get mixed reports.
Heads up: Keep the precision bits for small screws: Amazon Basics says they’re not made for big screws that need a lot of force.
A closer look: Set the ratchet to the direction of turn and the handle drives on each forward twist and slips back freely, so a long screw goes in without regripping. Lock it for the last firm turn, and the fitted case has a slot for every piece, which makes a missing bit easy to spot.
- Magnetic standard bits
- Non-magnetic precision bits
- Fitted case, slot per piece
- Free-spinning base
- Chrome vanadium steel
Best for: Household jobs and gadgets
- Type
- Ratchet driver, bits
- What’s in it
- 73 pieces, sockets included
- Tips
- PH, slotted, Torx, hex + 3 more
- Handle
- Ratcheting, 3-way
How they compare
Swipe sideways or rotate device to see all 5.
| Feature | #1CRAFTSMAN 8-piece | #2Wera Kraftform Plus | #3DEWALT 4-piece | #4JOREST precision | #5Amazon Basics ratchet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best premium | Best for electronics | Best ratchet set | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.3 | 9.2 |
| Price | $20–$30 | $30–$50 | $10–$20 | Under $10 | $20–$30 |
| Type | Full-size screwdrivers | Full-size screwdrivers | Full-size screwdrivers | Precision driver, bits | Ratchet driver, bits |
| What’s in it | 8 screwdrivers, 2 stubby | 6 screwdrivers, rack | 4 screwdrivers | Handle, 30 bits, pry tools | 73 pieces, sockets included |
| Tips | PH1–PH3, 4 slotted | PH1, PH2, 4 slotted | PH1, PH2, 2 slotted | PH, slotted, Torx + 4 more | PH, slotted, Torx, hex + 3 more |
| Handle | Bi-material, grip zones | Kraftform Plus, anti-roll | Bi-material grip | Swivel top, magnetic | Ratcheting, 3-way |
| Best for | Loose hinges, cabinets and appliances | Long jobs at the workbench | A first set or a spare | Phones, consoles and glasses | Household jobs and gadgets |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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