I brought a TSA-approved multitool on a plane – here’s how that went

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The NexTool multitool is blade-free, making it TSA and airport security friendly.
• The tool is compact and can be attached to a keychain
• All the tools are decent quality, and can actually do the job they claim to be able to do.

I like my EDC (everyday carry) gadgets, but when I travel by air, I almost always end up having to empty my pockets of a lot of useful stuff. I find it handy and convenient to have a screwdriver, scissors, and a pair of pliers close at hand, but most multitools are a no-go at airports and on commercial aircraft, often confiscated. 

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So, I was intrigued when I discovered that NexTool had a mini multitool called the Mini Sailor Pliers Lite, which was labeled as TSA-friendly.

NexTool’s mini multitool fits the bill perfectly. It has no blade and features needle-nose pliers with wire cutters, tiny scissors, a bottle opener, a SIM extractor, and Phillips head and flathead screwdrivers. There’s also a handy keyring for attaching it to your keys. 

The tools are made from wear- and corrosion-resistant 420J2 stainless steel and are packaged into a multitool that measures 2.78 x 1 x 0.52 inches when closed and 4.1 inches when deployed, weighing just 2.38 oz.

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All the tools are functional: the pliers handle all the tasks I’d expect from a similarly sized tool, the screwdrivers fit a wide array of fasteners, and the bottle opener and SIM tray eject tool are nice touches for a tool designed with travel in mind.

So far, so good. But what happens when I take it through airport security? 

It just so happened that I was flying to and from Spain, so I decided to find out. Flying out of Manchester Airport in the UK, I had the NexTool in my small carry-on bag, and it went through the scanners without any issues. Wondering if it might have been overlooked in a bag packed with chargers, cables, and other items, I decided to test it further on my return flight.

Flying back home from Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport in Spain, I was a bit brazen and “forgot” that I had the multitool in my pocket as I went through the scanners. Predictably, the alarms went off. I patted myself down, pulled out the mini multitool with an exaggerated “oops, sorry,” and handed it to the security staff. 

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They took a quick look at it, asked me to go through the scanner again, and, satisfied that I didn’t have anything else I shouldn’t have, handed the multitool back to me, assuming I was just another idiot traveler.

No problem. And that’s a good thing, too, because I needed the scissors to cut some KT Tape, and the pliers can be handy for fixing a suitcase.

While every airport is different, and the training of the security staff can vary wildly, this tool shouldn’t have a problem traveling alongside you on a plane. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

I like having a multitool with me when I travel, and the NexTool Mini Sailor Plier’s Lite offers me many useful tools in a package that I can confidently take with me through airport security without causing a ruckus. And the tools are of a quality that will stand the test of time well.

And priced at only $22, if I forget the tool in a hotel, it’s not the end of the world. 

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