They say that big things come in small packages, and that certainly stands true for EDCs! EDCs may seem small in size, but they are mighty in their functionality and use! These smart little tools can come in handy anytime anywhere, helping you out of the trickiest situations, and sometimes even quite possibly saving lives! You could be carrying an EDC for days with no real use until, in a time of need, it’ll magically come to your rescue, proving its true value. These little superheroes can make a world of difference while completing tasks. And, we’ve curated the best EDC designs we’ve seen in a while! From a tiny biometric lock to secure all your belongings to a titanium EDC folding knife– these innovative product designs promise to have your back no matter what!
1. The Grouper utility knife
Looking like a prop from a sci-fi movie, the Grouper utility knife comes with a stunning design featuring a titanium construction, a parallel-linkage opening mechanism with ball-bearing pivots, and should you choose, an absolutely breathtaking rainbow finish.
Why is it noteworthy?
The knife, which measures a mere 4.3 inches (110mm) when closed, comes with a carabiner clip on one end, and a tungsten carbide glass-breaker on the other end. Open it out, and the now 6.2-inch-long knife reveals its TAJIMA V-REX II blade on the inside, perfect for opening boxes, slicing envelopes, or doing more rogue cyberpunk-worthy stuff like slicing wires and cutting seatbelts.
What we like
- The Grouper sports a titanium alloy body that’s more than impervious to rough use
- A nifty locking clip on the top keeps the knife’s blade intact until you’re done and ready to close your Grouper
What we dislike
- No complaints!
2. The Spinner Drive
Screws are one of the most common ways to keep two things together, but they are also notorious for being a pain in the posterior that an expletive was made specifically with screwing in mind. Never mind the wide variety of screws in use today, nor the almost uncanny frequency of not having the right screwdriver for the right job just when you need it. Screwing can sometimes be a literally painstaking chore, especially for your fingers and wrists, but they don’t have to be. The Spinner Drive demonstrates how to do more with less, especially with physics at your service, and how to look fine and spiffy while doing so.
Why is it noteworthy?
All-in-one screwdriver kits are a dime a dozen these days. Some come with a screwdriver for each time of screw, while others have bits you can swap out for every need. The Spinner Drive Tough Edition Plus that we sell in our shop comes with 20 of these bits to match every single type of screw out there. Each bit is as tough as nails, or screws rather, made from Stainless Steel with Titanium Nitride coating for extra strength.
What we like
- The Spinner Drive has you covered even when finger strength is no longer enough
- Easily outclasses a traditional T-Handle screwdriver
What we dislike
- No complaints!
3. The Sasquatch Tool
Designed to be compact enough to carry with you in your pocket, on your keychain, or on a carabiner attached to your backpack or belt-loop, the Sasquatch Tool is the ultimate celebration of the outdoors! The handy multitool is the perfect EDC for carrying on hiking trips, cycling expeditions, or even out fishing/kayaking. Just don’t expect it to help you defend yourself against an actual Sasquatch!
Why is it noteworthy?
The handy little ape-shaped gizmo comes made from stainless steel, making it robust and corrosion-resistant. Its unique form factor comes perfectly outfitted with 12 different tools, from wrenches and screwdrivers to bottle and can openers, a cord cutter, and even a nifty 1-inch ruler. Measuring 3.6-inches in length and 2.5-inches wide, the Sasquatch Multitool is perfectly pocket-sized, and weighs just 1.2 ounces (34 grams)… and although Sasquatches have a reputation of being large and dangerous, this compact little guy is perfectly sized to be your everyday outdoor companion; and it’s TSA-friendly too!
What we like
- Perfectly pocket-sized
What we dislike
- Designs seems to focus more on aesthetics than actual functionality
4. Seongju Kim’s Lantern
When preparing for adventures in the outdoors, a flashlight is a must-have EDC camping accessory. But like every other thing you’re packing, you’d want a flashlight that does more than show you the way. This is where a sustainably crafted option you can hang like the lantern in the camp comes in. The eco-friendly camping lantern designed by Seongju Kim is an embodiment of this thought. The camping lantern, as it is referred to, is made completely from reusable materials, which is a good way to help the environment and keep the camping area clean. When camping, multifunctional accessories are a key to thriving in the wild. The flashlight that can be used as a lantern to light up the tent helps campers prepare for the night.
Why is it noteworthy?
Ideal for campers who value multipurpose accessories they can stuff in the backpack, a lantern like this, ensures you leave no trace in the great outdoors and have a guiding light as and when needed. For the convenience of use, the lantern’s body is made from aluminum, while the insulated handle is made from wood. The most essential strap, which instantly facilitates the accessory to be used as a lantern from a flashlight, is made from pinatex material, which is extracted from pineapple leaves.
What we like
- Sustainable
- Innovative use of Pinatex
- A clean multipurpose design
What we dislike
- Not sturdy enough for the outdoors
- We don’t know how the lantern would generate power
5. The Lexon Nomaday biometric lock
Imagine being able to use TouchID on stuff apart from your phone. The Lexon Nomaday biometric lock lets you secure your backpack, room, locker, or even bicycle just by using your fingerprint.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Nomaday is a tiny yet impressive padlock that ditches the keys for something much more secure – biometrics. Designed to be as easy to operate as unlocking your phone is, the Lexon Nomaday comes with a small fingerprint reader that has a response time of just 0.5 seconds, unlocking faster than the time it would ordinarily take to even find your keys. The Nomaday can store up to 10 different fingerprints and comes with an LED indicator, giving multiple people keyless access to whatever’s behind the lock.
What we like
- Tiny + compact form
- Designed for indoor and outdoor use
- Uses biometrics to secure your belongings
What we dislike
- No complaints!
6. The Conic
Designed primarily for use in outdoor activities; the Conic is a helpful extension of a flashlight, which should come in handy to light up the entire camp or make those two-handed tasks easier to carry out. It will be a great help thus while cooking or maybe when playing board games at the camp.
Why is it noteworthy?
The gap between outdoor flashlights and lanterns is narrowing with transformation in design. This inventive approach has given birth to a new domain i.e., an outdoor lamp, which double duties and makes sure you’re never found wanting while camping or traveling. Conic is an embodiment of such a design, which is a nice transition from the traditional, boring light sources you’ve been accustomed to packing in your backpack.
What we like
- A far cry from the traditional flashlights
- Portable
- Multipurpose design – can be used indoors and outdoors
What we dislike
- No complaints!
7. Material Bitcoin
Meet Material Bitcoin, a physical card that acts as your crypto address. Think of it as your business card, but for your crypto wallet. Material Bitcoin isn’t a hardware wallet. It doesn’t actually store any coins, it just acts as a gateway to your online wallet, thanks to what’s printed on it. The metallic card comes with your crypto address and its companion QR code printed on the front. Want to get paid in crypto? Just show your card to someone and they can scan the QR code and make the payment directly into your wallet.
Why is it noteworthy?
The Material Bitcoin goes above and beyond that too. It lets you (the owner) log into your wallet as well, allowing you to check your funds, add funds, or withdraw money. How does it enable that? Well, each Material Bitcoin comes with your unique password printed on the back. The password sits behind a secure magnetic strip that you peel away to reveal the text underneath. It’s printed on, so a digital hacker can’t access it unless they physically have the card with them. Even if the card does get stolen, the magnetic sticker is designed to look like branding, so it won’t occur to someone to peel it away and read the password underneath – sort of like an extension of the fake rock on the porch with the key strategy.
What we like
- An unbreakable design that’s water and fireproof
- Virtually hack-proof
What we dislike
- No complaints!
8. The WRENCHit
There is probably no greater satisfaction than knowing you can loosen or tighten almost anything at any time with that thin steel contraption in your pocket, bringing delight and relief to friends and family.
Why is it noteworthy?
The WRENCHit is making is a handsome, stainless steel tool that looks like an extra thin box cutter. It even shares some visual resemblance with these cutters in how the “blades” inside appear to be segmented. That’s actually not far from the truth, but instead of blades, each segment has a hole that matches a specific wrench size.
What we like
- You push from one end and have the tool pop out the other, almost like a click pen
- This innovative spanner is won’t easily bend or break on you
What we dislike
- No complaints!
9. The Rider RX
Having to scramble for the right battery in an emergency just adds to the stress you’re already feeling. Thankfully, Acebeam’s Rider RX tries to cut down on that by delivering a flashlight that not only works with almost any type of battery, it also helps relieve stress by giving your fingers something to play with.
Why is it noteworthy?
Some flashlights work with typical alkaline batteries. Others use rechargeable NiMH batteries. Still, others use the same kind of lithium-ion type that smartphones use. The Rider RX embraces them all so you can grab whatever’s readily available, which is often an AA battery, without making compromises. While the included Li-ion battery does offer the brightest output, even an AA battery can deliver a decent brightness so you won’t trip in the dark. The optical lens makes sure that the 219F LED shines a soft and balanced beam instead of blinding your eyes or spreading the light too thin.
What we like
- Helps relieve stress by giving your fingers something to play with
- Its small size, which is just big enough to fit a single AA battery, makes it extremely portable and convenient to use
What we dislike
- No complaints!
10. Windeler
In a lot of ways, Windeler is to EDC what LEGO is to toys, or what Dominos is to pizza. Not entirely sure what I mean? Well, go to any store or website and buy a multitool army knife and it comes pre-built with its own tools. You can’t choose the tools you want, the way you choose toppings on a pizza. However, Windeler isn’t a regular multitool – it’s an ecosystem, like LEGO. Designed so you can snap multiple tools together, Windeler lets you build your own EDC multitool based on what you need.
Why is it noteworthy?
Want to carry a pocket knife today but not tomorrow? Windeler lets you simply plugin or plug out modules so that you can swap out that pocket knife for, say a small pair of scissors or a flathead screwdriver. Instead of leaving you with a fixed set of tools (out of which you probably end up using just 1-2 tools you actually need), Windeler lets you build, customize, and rebuild your EDC, so you carry only the stuff you need, and not the stuff you don’t.
What we like
- Once you buy a set of Windeler tools, you can connect together to form a ‘Stak’
- They’re all equipped with a Stak-appropriate form factor so at the end of the day you’ve still got a sleek, monolithic multitool that slips right into your pocket or bag
What we dislike
- No complaints!