Top 5 compared
The best tool bags
The hammer, the level and the box of drywall anchors, all in one place and out the door in one trip.
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The top 5 at a glance
A tool bag keeps the tools for a job together, ready to grab, which is why so many live in the trunk of a car or by the back door. Open-top bags are ringed with pockets, so everything is in view the moment the bag is set down. Zip-top bags close over everything, and wide-mouth bags unzip wide for a look inside.
A bag about a foot long holds a household set of hand tools; a bigger kit of cordless tools and their batteries needs more room. Most have a stiff or molded base that keeps the bag standing, and not all come with a shoulder strap for carrying it full.
What matters
- Pockets in the sizes you need, from long screwdrivers to bits.
- A light-colored lining, so small parts show up.
- A water-resistant base, for setting it down on a wet floor.
#1Klein Tools 55419SP-14 Tradesman Pro Tool Bag (14 pockets)
$50–$75
An organizer you can see straight into: 14 pockets, including long ones that hold screwdrivers upright, around an open top with a bright orange lining that makes small tools easy to spot. A fully molded base keeps it standing and dry, and the 1680D ballistic weave is made for years of daily use.
What owners say: Roomy enough for a full working day, and plenty expect it to last ten years or more. The boot-like base keeps it standing without tipping, and the handle sits where it should.
A closer look: Stand it beside the job and everything’s on show, screwdrivers and pliers in the outside pockets and a meter or a drill in the middle. It’s an electrician’s or a handyman’s everyday bag rather than one for big power tools, and the molded base wipes clean after a wet day on site.
- Long screwdriver pockets
- Orange lining shows small tools
- Base wipes clean
- Padded carry handle
Best for: Seeing every tool at once
- Length
- About 10 in
- Opening
- Open top, 14 pockets
- Outer fabric
- 1680D ballistic weave
- Base
- Fully molded
- Shoulder strap
- Padded
#2WORKPRO 13-inch Wide Mouth Tool Bag
$20–$30
A small wide-mouth bag that opens right out on double zips, 13 by 8.5 inches across the top, with five pockets inside, three on the back and a big snap pocket on the front for a phone. A stiff bottom plate keeps it in shape when it’s dropped.
What owners say: Well made and built to last for years, by most accounts, with room for the go-to tools and lots of small pockets, including side pouches that keep different saw blades apart.
A closer look: Keep the everyday screwdrivers, pliers and tape in the inside pockets and there’s still room in the middle for a small drill. It suits a kit for the house, the car trunk or a first apartment, and the padded handle wrap makes it comfortable to carry full.
- Snap phone pocket on front
- 9 pockets
- Padded handle wrap
- Holds up to 22 lb
Best for: Household fixes, with room for a drill
- Length
- 13 in
- Opening
- Wide mouth, double zip
- Outer fabric
- 600D polyester
- Base
- Sturdy bottom plate
- Shoulder strap
- No
#3Milwaukee Heavy Duty Contractor Tool Bag (42-55-2866)
$20–$30
The bag Milwaukee’s cordless drill kits come in, sold on its own: tough ballistic nylon with heavy stitching and a wide zip, sized for a drill, an impact driver, batteries and a charger.
What owners say: Strong stitching and the right size for a drill, an impact driver and batteries make it a daily job bag for many, and it looks just like the pictures. The zipper is the split: strong for some, hard to close for others.
Heads up: It zips shut into a triangle, so it isn’t made for very large tools.
A closer look: Pack the drill and driver in first and slot the batteries and charger around them, then zip the top over the handles. It ships loose, without a retail box, since it’s the bag from Milwaukee’s tool kits.
- Heavy stitching
- Comes from Milwaukee’s tool kits
- Ships without a retail box
Best for: A cordless drill, driver and batteries
- Length
- 13 in
- Opening
- Zip top
- Outer fabric
- Ballistic nylon
- Base
- –
- Shoulder strap
- No
#4DEWALT 20-inch Pro Open Mouth Tool Bag (DWST560104)
$75–$100
A pro bag with somewhere for everything: 33 pockets, including one for a cordless drill and battery, around an open mouth lined in high-vis yellow, plus a water-resistant zip compartment and a waterproof hard base.
What owners say: Thick material and a hard molded bottom impress owners, along with sturdy zippers, and one fits two drill drivers and an impact driver with room for batteries. The structured shape divides opinion.
A closer look: The back strap slips over a rolling case’s telescopic handle, so it can ride on top of a toolbox cart. There are straps for a level, a tape clip and a carabiner, and the U-shaped zip pull works even in work gloves.
- Drill and battery pocket
- Water-resistant zip compartment
- Slips over rolling case handles
- Level straps and tape clip
- Zip pull works in gloves
Best for: Power tools and a full day’s gear
- Length
- 18.7 in (sold as 20 in)
- Opening
- Open mouth, 33 pockets
- Outer fabric
- 1680D fabric, tarpaulin
- Base
- Waterproof hard base
- Shoulder strap
- Padded
#5Amazon Basics Tool Bag, 12 in
$10–$20
Sixteen pockets in a 12 in bag, nine inside and seven out, plus an adjustable shoulder strap, which is more than most small bags offer. The wear-resistant PE base and 600D Oxford cloth suit a kit for the car trunk or a hall closet.
What owners say: No tears or snags so far, say owners, and the wear-resistant base keeps it steady while the small pockets sort everyday tools. Size splits opinion, with some finding it smaller than expected.
Heads up: Check the size before ordering: at 12.2 by 5.5 by 7.9 inches it’s a hand-tool bag, not one for cordless tools and their batteries.
A closer look: Two zips run along the top, and the metal D-rings take the strap or a carabiner for hanging it on a garage hook. Slot screwdrivers and pliers into the outside pockets so the main space stays free for a hammer, a tape measure or a box of screws.
- 9 pockets inside, 7 outside
- Metal D-rings for hanging
Best for: Sorting small hand tools
- Length
- 12 in
- Opening
- Zip top, two zips
- Outer fabric
- 600D Oxford cloth
- Base
- Wear-resistant PE
- Shoulder strap
- Adjustable
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Klein Tradesman Pro | #2WORKPRO 13 in | #3Milwaukee kit bag | #4DEWALT 20 in | #5Amazon Basics 12 in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best for power tools | Best budget | |||
| Picked Rating | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.3 |
| Price | $50–$75 | $20–$30 | $20–$30 | $75–$100 | $10–$20 |
| Length | About 10 in | 13 in | 13 in | 18.7 in (sold as 20 in) | 12 in |
| Opening | Open top, 14 pockets | Wide mouth, double zip | Zip top | Open mouth, 33 pockets | Zip top, two zips |
| Outer fabric | 1680D ballistic weave | 600D polyester | Ballistic nylon | 1680D fabric, tarpaulin | 600D Oxford cloth |
| Base | Fully molded | Sturdy bottom plate | – | Waterproof hard base | Wear-resistant PE |
| Shoulder strap | Padded | No | No | Padded | Adjustable |
| Best for | Seeing every tool at once | Household fixes, with room for a drill | A cordless drill, driver and batteries | Power tools and a full day’s gear | Sorting small hand tools |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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