LEATHERMAN Wave Plus Review
For the person who fixes things
As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. That never changes our verdict.
Verdict: Karen Verified
Karen VerifiedThe short answer: A year on a belt and it has opened boxes, tightened cabinet hinges, cut fencing wire, stripped a cable and pulled a splinter, and it still locks up tight. It is heavy, it stays home when you fly, and it is the multi-tool to give someone who actually fixes things.
- Buy it if
- Anyone who keeps a screwdriver in the kitchen drawer and wishes it were closer to hand.
- Skip it if
- The recipient flies with carry-on only, or would never wear a tool on a belt.
- Best feature
- Solid pliers, a plain blade and a serrated blade that open from outside, a wire cutter you can replace, and a 25-year warranty.
- Biggest annoyance
- Heavy in a pocket, the screwdriver bits are proprietary, and it cannot go through airport security.
- The catch
- It is heavy, it will be confiscated at any airport, and the small tools take a fingernail to open. The person it suits will use it every week for the rest of their life; the person it does not suit will put it in a drawer, where it will remain very well made.
- Evaluation
- In use since September 2025
- Model
- LEATHERMAN Wave Plus
The 20-second verdict
For the person who fixes things A year on a belt and it has opened boxes, tightened cabinet hinges, cut fencing wire, stripped a cable and pulled a splinter, and it still locks up tight. It is heavy, it stays home when you fly, and it is the multi-tool to give someone who actually fixes things. Best for: Anyone who keeps a screwdriver in the kitchen drawer and wishes it were closer to hand. Skip if: The recipient flies with carry-on only, or would never wear a tool on a belt.
What we loved, and what annoyed us
What we loved
- Both blades open one-handed from the outside
- Pliers strong enough for real work
- Replaceable wire cutters
- Long warranty that the company honours
What annoyed us
- Heavy for a trouser pocket
- Proprietary driver bits
- Not for carry-on luggage
What We Loved
Twelve months on a belt, in a car door and in the kitchen drawer. The plain blade opens with a thumb like a pocket knife and locks solidly; the serrated one has been through rope, hose and a stubborn plastic clamshell. The pliers have a needle nose for reaching and enough bite to pull a nail. The wire cutters cut fencing wire cleanly and can be swapped when they dull, which almost no other multi-tool allows. The scissors are small and genuinely sharp. The whole thing still opens and closes with the same firm click as the day it came out of the box.
What Annoyed Us
It weighs enough to notice in a pocket, so it lives on a belt or in a bag. The screwdriver bits are Leatherman's own flat style rather than standard hex, so a replacement set is another purchase. The saw and file are fine for a quick job and nothing more. Some of the inside tools need a fingernail to open. And it must be remembered at the airport, which we learned once.
The Catch
This is a tool for someone who already reaches for tools. If the recipient tightens their own hinges, cuts their own zip ties and camps, it becomes part of them. If they call someone for those things, it is a beautiful object they will never open.
Who it is for
- People who fix things around the house
- Campers, cyclists, boat owners
- Anyone who has said the words 'do you have a knife'
Who should skip it
- Carry-on-only travellers
- Anyone who would not carry a heavy tool
How we evaluated it
- Evaluation period
- Twelve months of weekly use
- Where
- Home, garden, car, campsite
- What we did with it
- Cutting, gripping, wire work, screwdriving, opening packages, small repairs
- Compared against
- A Victorinox Swiss Army knife and a previous Leatherman Skeletool
- What we looked at
- How the blades held an edge, whether the pliers slipped, lock security, how the tools opened after months of pocket lint
- Limitations
- We did not test the warranty process, use it in salt water, or try the bit extender
- Product source
- Purchased at retail
- Dates
- September 2025 – ongoing
Read how we evaluate products and our editorial standards.
Performance
The pliers and cutters are the reason to buy it and they perform: no slipping, no rounding, cutters still clean. The blades hold an edge reasonably and sharpen easily; the steel is chosen for that rather than for exotic edge life. Locks are positive. Against a Swiss Army knife it has the pliers the knife lacks; against the lighter Skeletool it has the blades, scissors and files the Skeletool lacks.
Ease of use, design, and build quality
Ease of use
Blades from outside, everything else after opening the handles. The locks release with a thumb slide. It takes a day to learn where each tool lives and then becomes instinct.
Design and build quality
Stainless steel, rounded handles, no ornament. It comes with a sheath that works. It looks like a tool because it is one.
Privacy and connectivity
No app, no account, nothing to connect.
Safety notes
Sharp blades that lock open; keep well away from children. Never in cabin baggage.
Cleaning, maintenance, and ongoing costs
Rinse and dry if it gets wet, a drop of oil in the pivots twice a year, sharpen the plain blade when it dulls. Wire cutter inserts are replaceable.
What it keeps costing you
| Consumables | Occasional wire cutter inserts and driver bits |
|---|---|
| Expected life | Decades, and the warranty runs for 25 years |
Value
There are cheaper multi-tools with more tools listed on the box and none of them have pliers you would trust or a warranty you would use. This one costs more and outlasts several of them. For the right person it is the best gift under a certain size that exists.
Alternatives
The Leatherman Skeletool keeps the pliers and one blade at half the weight.
A Victorinox Swiss Army knife is lighter, cheaper and airport-friendly in checked luggage.
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Specifications
| Brand / model | LEATHERMAN Wave Plus |
|---|---|
| Tools | 18, including pliers, wire cutters, two knives, saw, scissors, files, drivers (manufacturer states) |
| Blade steel | 420HC stainless (manufacturer states) |
| Closed length | 4 inches (manufacturer states) |
| Weight | About 8.5 oz (manufacturer states) |
| Wire cutters | Replaceable (manufacturer states) |
| Warranty | 25 years (manufacturer states) |
Only specifications that affect the buying decision are listed. Figures marked “manufacturer states” are the maker's claims, not our measurements.
Warranty and returns
Manufacturer states a 25-year warranty; returns are set by the retailer.
Reader questions
Can I take it on a plane?
Are the driver bits standard?
Final verdict
Verdict: Karen Verified
Karen VerifiedThe multi-tool that the person who fixes things will carry for the rest of their life.
- Best for
- Anyone who keeps a screwdriver in the kitchen drawer and wishes it were closer to hand.
- Skip if
- The recipient flies with carry-on only, or would never wear a tool on a belt.
- Main strength
- Solid pliers, a plain blade and a serrated blade that open from outside, a wire cutter you can replace, and a 25-year warranty.
- Main weakness
- Heavy in a pocket, the screwdriver bits are proprietary, and it cannot go through airport security.
As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. That never changes our verdict.
Update and correction history
- Published.Why: Initial evaluation.Verdict unchanged
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As an Amazon Associate, Karen Verified earns from qualifying purchases. If you buy through links on this site we may receive a commission. You do not pay more because of this. Affiliate relationships do not determine which products we evaluate, recommend, criticize, or reject. Brands cannot buy a Karen Verified verdict. Full affiliate disclosure. Photographs on this page illustrate the product in use and are not test evidence; see our image policy.