5 Of The Best Wera 'Tool-Check Plus' Alternatives (According To Users)

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A good compact ratchet and bit set can go a long way — quite literally, if you're taking it on a road trip. While your garage is a great place to store a more comprehensive, heavy-duty mechanics tool set, you'll need something a lot smaller and lighter if you're taking it with you on a motorcycle trip or even a long car ride. Along with a ratchet, hex keys are also items you should include in your motorcycle travel tool kit. Wera, the German manufacturer that makes self-setting wrenches, has a popular Tool-Check Plus kit that includes these tools in a compact, smartly-organized package.

The Wera Tool-Check Plus kit isn't just useful for road trips — many other DIYers and professionals find it useful to keep the tool collection in their pocket during various jobs and tasks. With over 14,000 Amazon users rating it an overall 4.8 out of five, it's one of the best-rated compact kits you can find from the retailer. But, there are good reasons you may want to opt for an alternative product from a different brand. Wera is one of the most reliable tool brands for DIY mechanics, but its Tool-Check Plus is fairly expensive, coming in at around $130. You may want a travel-size bit set but aren't willing to spend that much. Your specific needs may require slightly different kinds of bits or accessories, as well.

There are multiple online forums where DIYers discuss or ask about viable alternatives to the Tool-Check Plus, and of course, there is a wide range of differing opinions. When compared to Wera's set, each has its own pros and cons and defenders and detractors. Here are five of the best Wera Tool-Check Plus alternatives according to users who've worked with them.

In the popular subreddit r/tools, there's at least one post specifically dedicated to praising the Hazet SmartHolder 39-piece Bit Set, with the OP literally calling it a "a great alternative to the Wera Tool-Check Plus." The OP adds that the "very well made" set "is a beauty" and that they no longer need the Tool-Check Plus now that they've acquired the set. Several redditors in the thread add to a chorus of praise for the product, saying things like "I like the drivers more on the Hazet, and the bit and socket storage more too" and that the "¼-inch square drive set from Hazet is WAY better" than Wera's counterpart.

Amazon customers echo this general approval of the Hazet SmartHolder 39-piece Bit Set, with over 100 of them rating the product a 4.6 out of five average user score. One reason this may not be the Wera Tool-Check Plus alternative you're looking for, however, is that it's similarly priced. If Wera's cost is why you're looking for a different option in the first place, you'll want to go with something cheaper, but as several redditors mention, the quality of Hazet's set may have Wera beat.

The 39-piece SmartHolder is 7.24 x 3.62 x 1.02 inches and uses a push button to stand up the tools for easier removal. It includes 29 bits, a bit adapter, and six socket wrench inserts including Phillips, slotted, and Torx, as well as a 60-tooth reversible mini-ratchet. If the Hazet SmartHolder 39-piece Bit Set doesn't have exactly what you need, you can also find variants like the Foldable 59-Piece SmartCase and BitE-Box driver bit set. Amazon sells the Hazet SmartHolder 39-piece Bit Set for $125.

Based on over 1,300 customer ratings, the Sunex 44-piece Socket and Bit Set with Mini Ratchet has a strong 4.7 out of five overall user score, with reviewers praising its compact size and high-quality ratchet. These satisfied users find that its miniature size not only makes it travel-friendly but also "ideal for hard-to-reach areas." One reviewer who says they've used the set daily for three years gave it an "A++" and called it the "perfect micro-ratchet and bit set."

It's not much of a surprise then that the Sunex 44-piece Socket and Bit Set with Mini Ratchet is specifically mentioned as a "cheaper alternative to the Wera Tool-Check Plus" in an r/tools post looking for quality options. Another redditor seconds this recommendation by commending the brand, "Sunex makes good stuff." The set weighs just 1.25 pounds and includes a hard-shell case. This case helps protect and store the tools, but does make them slightly less available than Wera's open-style Tool-Check Plus. Sunex's set comes with ½-inch sockets and bits and a mini 72-tooth ratchet with a flex head and dual openings to simultaneously hold both a bit and a socket. So, you won't need to swap attachments back and forth as much while working.

The Sunex 44-piece Socket and Bit Set with Mini Ratchet is listed on Amazon for $69 but is currently available for $56, making it a considerably more affordable option than the Wera Tool-Check Plus.

While the OP in an r/tools post praises the Hazet SmartHolder as a superior replacement for the Tool-Check Plus, one redditor replies with another alternative: the Wiha 32-piece GoBox Impact Bit Set with Mini Ratchet. This commenter's logic is sound — even though the bits and sockets lock into place in Hazet's set, Wiha's GoBox has an advantage over both it and Wera's by enclosing all of its pieces in a sleek case that's about the size of an eyeglasses case. Even if the components jiggle loose during transit or shuffling around in your pocket, they're not going anywhere.

The 32-piece GoBox includes a 72-tooth ratchet with 5-degree arc and driver tip profiles for Phillips, Square, Pozidriv, Torx, Hex-Inch, and Hex-Metric. In another thread in the same subreddit, more than one user recommends the Wiha GoBox as a more affordable alternative to the Tool-Check Plus that offers "great quality." At least 400 Amazon customers also find the product to be worth purchasing, as it is a 4.6 out of five average user score.

One obvious disadvantage is that, while the GoBox offers plenty of driver bits, it doesn't include any sockets to use with its included ratchet. Even so, one redditor still recommends it over the Tool-Check Plus and recommends getting a "1/4-inch socket set of your choosing," though that extra step may be one reason you go with a different choice from this list. If you prefer assembling your kit piece by piece, Wiha also makes more specialized GoBox sets like an Electronics ESD Precision Micro Bit Set and Security Bit Set. The Wiha 32-piece GoBox Impact Bit Set with Mini Ratchet is listed on Amazon for $38, but currently sells for $33.99.

You may not have heard of Bahco, but — after a 2005 merger — the brand is now part of the same manufacturing conglomerate as Snap-On, which has a strong reputation for its quality hand tools. Among other products, the European brand sells a well-reviewed Bahco 26-piece Bit-Socket Set that has a 4.2 out of five overall customer score on Amazon. This set is one of the suggested cheaper alternatives to the Wera Tool-Check Plus in an r/tools thread asking for such options and comes "highly recommended" by one commenter who said that tested it before committing to the more expensive Tool-Check Plus. This redditor says that "after three years of almost daily use" Bahco's set "is still going strong."

The compact set comes in a closed plastic case with custom slots for each component and includes 18 bits, five sockets, a bit ratchet, an adapter, and a quick-release bit holder. The bits are made of zinc phosphate and include slotted, Phillips, Pozidriv, Torx, and hex head profiles, while the ¼-inch sockets are chrome and range from 6- to 13 millimeters. The ratchet is constructed from alloy steel for better durability and performance, though a few Amazon reviews mention that it has a poor ratcheting mechanism. Overall, though, users say that the set is well-made and with one reviewer saying it's been a "game changer for me, working on a boat in tight spaces." The Bahco 26-piece Bit-Socket Set has a list price of $38 on Amazon, but you can currently purchase it for $33.

There are several Klein tools no home mechanic should be without, and Klein's Vaco brand offers one viable alternative to the Wera Tool-Check Plus. The Vaco 32-Piece Ratcheting Wrench and Socket Set has a near-perfect 4.9 out of five overall user score on Amazon, though that's based on only a dozen ratings, which doesn't make it the most reliable metric to go by. However, you'll also find the set suggested as a good alternative to Wera's set on multiple posts across various subreddits.

One r/everydaycarry post focuses on the similarities and differences of both sets and notes the affordability of the Vaco set, which is more than three times cheaper than Wera's. Vaco is also recommended as an affordable alternative to the Tool-Check Plus in both the r/VEDC and r/Tools subreddits. The set comes with a ¼-inch ratchet with a 4-inch extension that can also provide greater leverage, as well as an impact adapter, 20 bits, and seven sockets.

The sockets, Torx, and Hex bits are all impact rated and can be securely held with integrated magnets. Vaco's set also includes a compact hard case with a transparent cover. One drawback to the product is that it comes in two separate models — SAE and metric — rather than both in one kit. If you need both, you'll need to buy both kits separately — for what it's worth, if you did buy both you'd still be paying less than you would for a single Wera Tool-Check Plus. Amazon sells both the metric and the SAE versions of the Vaco 32-Piece Ratcheting Wrench and Socket Set sell for $49.99.

Factors included while assembling this list of Tool-Check Plus alternatives included whether or not the products offer similar levels of quality and functionality as Wera's product. Since the compact size of the travel-friendly product is also one of its key characteristics, only sets that are similarly compact were considered. Price was also a factor, with affordability being considered an extra advantage over Wera's set — providing it doesn't come at the expense of quality.

Feedback from owners who've used these sets was sourced from user reviews found on either manufacturer websites or Amazon, as the retailer has a large user base, contributing a high number of customer ratings. User feedback was also sourced from various subreddits where the listed sets were explicitly recommended as good alternatives to the Tool-Check Plus, including r/Tools, r/VEDC, and r/everydaycarry.