Each year, we bring in and review more than 350 individual products. Our team will put our hands on hundreds of additional tools at media events and trade shows throughout the year.

You could then use a woodworker’s apron to have the tools that you frequently use close by. The best woodworking apron allow you to attach or remove the shoulder straps as needed. A tool belt is a requirement for tradespeople to do their job and nice to have around for DIY, but there are other alternatives for DIY’ers. You could use a portable or a Milwaukee rolling tool bag to hold and transport most of your tools, for instance. Nylon is just as sturdy as polyester. However, it comes with the benefit of breathability. Moreover, thanks to its elastic nature, it feels more comfortable on the body. If you prefer a nylon construction, consider using ballistic nylon, as it is extremely tough. Brand. Occidental makes some of the best tool belts on the market. You should also look into an Estwing, Ox Tools, and DeWalt carpenter tool belt, all of which provide excellent value for the money.

I think choosing the right bag really depends on what type of work you do. Each job could really use its own setup. For that, you need customization and floating bags that move along the belt. Take an impact driver, for example. That’s a tough tool to carry, and some manufacturers like McGuire-Nicholas, AWP, and Style N Craft provide a solution that.” It’s the Weight! I need a quality belt that evenly disperses weight, so I currently run with the Occidental Leather Pro Leather Framer bags. This belt fits my needs perfectly, and I feel lost if I’m working without it.” Comfort & Practicality Even if I gave a belt to each of my guys, I just didn’t have the time to wear these belts long enough. We wanted to get a real flavor for how they performed and held up. I decided the best way to approach this was to systematically go through each tool rig and cover important features and accessories. Along the way, my crew and I would test out as many as possible. The Best Tool Belts and Rigs We Chose The soft leather bags have “low profile” main compartments that lay flat and can be adjusted by sliding them over the belt. In fact, many of the tool belts let you slide around the main compartments. This provides a huge advantage when you want to adjust the rig by sliding a bag off of your hip into the most comfortable position possible. Of all of the features, this one was almost a requirement! Customization, Capacity, and Those Damn Lefties! A leather tool belt is a perfect choice for most carpenters. It is durable and comfortable, with sufficient weight but not too heavy.

Tool weight. Consider the type of tools you will carry and how heavy they are. You will want a tool belt made of a rugged material that can carry the weight. But you also want a good distribution of weight. Following are some quotes we received from actual tradesmen regarding various tool belts we gave them to try out. These may influence you more than what we wrote above! Don’t just stuff tools and accessories haphazardly. Try to arrange them for easy access and better weight distribution. Comfort and practicality are most important. You have to have good suspenders that don’t rub and that take the weight off the hips. It also has to be practical so that you can support and carry a wide variety of tools without it being one big jumbled mess.” Permanently fixed bags like some from AWP, the Klein 42242, and all of the DeWalt and McGuire-Nicholas rigs seemed to be very restrictive and tended to limit the bags to a particular application or body shape. I also shy away from fancy hinged metal hammer holders as they seem somewhat fragile for the long haul. A simple metal or leather hammer loop is preferable—something my entire team agreed on.A majority of the guys on my crew thought the oil-tanned leather belts with “fixed” bags had a disadvantage. These tool belts had the potential to become uncomfortable. They also severely limited your ability to individually customize them. Less adjustability typically meant less capacity for stowing smaller tools and fasteners. We surmised that these belts were designed and set up for a framer who carries and stores minimal tools, but who may load up on fasteners. What About Nylon, Polyester, and Canvas Tool Bags?