The Top 4 Home Tool Kits for 2021 (Plus the Best Bike Kit and Car Kit)

Whether you’re a Weekend DIY Warrior or simply a new homeowner hoping to hang pictures or tighten the knobs on your kitchen cabinets, everyone needs a good tool kit. Buying a kit should be simple, but it can actually be a little tough to find a kit that has all the right tools without having too many unnecessary additions. This guide will help you find the perfect kit for your home, your needs, and your budget.

So why get a home tool kit at all? Most homeowners find that while you can simply buy the separate tools yourself to build your own custom collection, you may run into problems when it comes to storage, convenience, and cost. Good home tool kits come with all the necessary bits and bobs you might need for any simple home maintenance or improvement project, and they come with a carrying case that has a secure spot for every item and is usually built for easy stowing.

When shopping, make sure to keep in mind that there are many different types of tool kits. This guide will focus on home tool kits, but there are also power tool kits, which include essential power tools, mechanics tool sets, which have bits and tools tailored for car repair, and specific bike and car tool kits (we’ll recommend our favorites for these below).

What to look for

When it comes to home tool kits, you’ll notice that many products out there will proudly boast a 100+ piece kit, which as you might guess, also drives up the cost. The dirty truth is that more metal doesn’t mean more value when it comes to tool kits.

The best home tool kit for you will have all the necessary tools to accomplish your improvement and maintenance task, maybe a few fun extras (like a powerful flashlight or heavy-duty scissors) and that’s it. If you find a tool kit that has 50 or more items you’re not even sure how to use, chances are you’re spending more money and giving up more space than needed.

Carrying Case

This might seem like an extra piece of the puzzle, but a good carrying case is the backbone of a good tool kit. Will the molded, pressure-fit spots keep the tools in place? Is the case lightweight enough to keep on the shelf in your tool shed? Is it slim enough to stow beside your desk? All of these factors will contribute to the convenience and usability of your kit, as well as to the durability of your tools.

When reviewing the options, we paid close attention to the height, width, weight, and style of each case and factored that into the final results below.

Tools

The most important factor we considered was the collection of tools included in each kit. Because the number of pieces included can be a vanity metric, we paid closer attention to the specific tools included in each set, the versatility of those tools, and the quality and build of the tools.

According to our research and to the Hometalk Homeowner Community, these are the most essential tools to include in any home tool kit:

• Hammer
• Wrenches
• Screwdriver
• Tape Measure
• Level
• Long nose pliers
• Utility knife

Price & Warranty

A tool kit is a great way to ensure that you can handle any small home maintenance or improvement yourself, without bringing in a repairman or contractor. Your tool kit will definitely save you money no matter how expensive it is, but that said, there’s no need to jump to the pricier options just because you’re already saving money.

Using information from customer reviews and our own Hometalk Homeowner Community, we determined which kits are worth the cost. We also took into account which kits have exceptional warranty deals on them, in case any harm should come to your tool box.

Extras

While many kits come with the basic tools a homeowner would need, many kits also include some useful and fun extra tools, like LED flashlights, picture hanging sets, or even power tools. Many kits also come with upgraded versions of basic tools, like an easy-use ratcheting screwdriver in place of a basic multi-bit.

We evaluated which extras are really add-ons and which ones are unnecessary for the average homeowner and included our findings in our ranking below.

Our Picks:

Best Overall - WORKPRO Kitchen Drawer Tool Kit 100-Piece with Easy Carrying Pouch