5 Ryobi Tools Any Parent Will Appreciate Having On Hand

In case you didn't already know, raising kids is pretty hard. It's also a never-ending endeavor, with parents generally faced with dozens of decisions every single day that can affect the health and emotional well-being of their kiddos.

There are, of course, any number of tools available to parents to help navigate some of the bigger decisions concerning the little ones in their lives. With some of the smaller issues, however, an actual power tool from the market's major manufacturers may be all a parent needs to solve a problem, particularly those that involve broken toys, inadvertent messes, and low-light playtime. Some can even upgrade your entertainment game and contribute to an impromptu dance party.

If you're in search of such tools, you may well be able to find the gear you need to up your parental DIY game in the 18V One+ product line from Ryobi Tools. There are, after all, over 300 lithium-ion-powered products in that lineup, all of which can be powered by shareable Ryobi battery packs. And yes, that means if you've already got 18V One+ tools in your cache of power tools, you can likely save a bundle by snagging tool-only versions of the brand's parent-friendly devices. Here are a few 18V tools from the Techtronic Industries-owned Ryobi brand that we think any parent might appreciate having on hand.

For the record, all of the Ryobi tools we are listing here can be used in projects that stretch well beyond those that qualify as parental duties. But that may be more true for this 18V LED Light Kit than any tool here, because who doesn't need a little extra light sometimes, right?

As handy as a good battery-powered light can be, it can be even handier when your kiddos are setting up for playtime in areas without much in the way of illumination. This three-tool light kit can also help make playtime a little easier during short-term power outages. While the kit does not come with an 18V battery pack or charger, it does include a standing LED panel light, one handheld spotlight, and one flexible clamp light.

The first two lights can produce up to 3,000 lumens each, making them potential game-changers in emergency situations when you and your kids need to brighten things up. The more compact flex light delivers up to 400 lumens, making it an ideal storytime reading lamp, or even a night light if need be. Now, if you have kids, you already know that flashlights alone can be great no-hassle playtime toys, and can make evening walks and backyard camping feel like an adventure. At $119, this trio of lights feels like a steal, even without a battery. To that end, Ryobi shoppers have hardly been disappointed by the investment, rating the kit at a perfect 5 stars.  

If there is one universal truth when it comes to being a parent, it's that messes are inevitable. In fact, cleaning up after their kiddos tends to become a bit of a pastime for many a mom and dad even after the youngsters exit the toddler phase. Rags, paper towels, and cleansers tend to be the first line of defense in many cleanup efforts, but some bigger messes require a little additional firepower, like the kind you get from a heavy-duty handheld vacuum.

Ryobi has a couple of those in its 18V One+ lineup, and any one of them would go a long way in helping you clean up messes your kids might create in living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, and automobiles. Those vacuums can vary in price, though in our opinion you'd be wise to pony up a little more cash to get your hands on Ryobi's 18V One+ Handheld Wet/Dry Vac. After all, not every mess your kid makes is gonna be dry, and when beverage spills or other liquids make their way into the mix, a vacuum that can handle fluids could prove invaluable in cleaning up with a quickness.

The good news on that front is that you won't need to pay too much to secure Ryobi's handheld wet/dry vac, which is currently selling for $74 in the tool-only model, and $119 with a battery and charger included. If you're curious, it also boasts a 4.7-star rating from users.   

We mentioned dance parties earlier, and if you're looking to help your kids get their groove on either at home or out and about, a Bluetooth speaker is a pretty good way to make it happen. There's no shortage of high-quality portable Bluetooth speakers available to consumers these days. Heck, even Ryobi has multiple options in the Bluetooth speaker corner of its online marketplace. The question then becomes, which option best suits the needs of you and your kids?

For our money, Ryobi's Bluetooth One+ Verse Clamp Speakers are the way to go, in part because real-world customers have claimed they hold many advantages over other Ryobi models. The speakers' mobility is one of those advantages, as it allows you to take your kids' favorite jams anywhere they might be needed, including playgrounds, playrooms, patios, backyards, campsites, pool areas, and beaches. While the clamping feature is also a big plus, the speakers are designed to stand up on their own and can even connect to multiple other One+ Verse speakers if you're looking to pump up the overall volume in, say, a birthday party setting.

A 2-speaker set will run you $119 without a battery, but if you need a power pack and charger, a single speaker with both sells for $99.97. If the speaker's 4.8-star user rating is any indication, Ryobi shoppers believe the speakers — which can supply up to 32 hours of music — are well worth the investment.

As far as certainties go, breakage is one thing parents are destined to encounter as often as messes, with toys and other items regularly losing parts and pieces as your kiddo gleefully rages around the house. That glee can disappear pretty quickly when a favorite toy breaks, however, and if you want to potentially stave off the tears, you'll need a good way to put that toy back together. In many instances, that can be done with a glue gun.

Ryobi has several glue guns available, all of which are well-rated by consumers. This 18V glue gun's 4.8-star rating ranks it among the best-liked, as almost 300 users have reviewed it on its Ryobi product page. Better still, the tool-only version of the glue gun has a reasonable $44.97 sticker price, with the addition of an 18V battery and charger only running the cost up to $89.93. The device comes standard with interchangeable applicator nozzles, boasts a warm-up time of under three minutes, and includes a trio of standard 1/2-inch glue sticks. 

While the tool could prove invaluable in the repair of broken toys and household wares, a glue gun can also be useful in other ways. Specifically, if you're the crafty sort of parent who enjoys making things for their children by hand, a glue gun is about as essential a crafting tool as you'll find. The device's trigger-style design and ergonomic handle should also make it as comfortable to use as it is easy to operate.

Among the million-and-one things that parents think about from day to day, air is likely pretty low on the list. Not the air we breathe, of course, but the air that is required to keep things like bike tires, sports balls, and other inflatable gear pumped up and ready for playtime. Historically, that task has been left up to either the lung capacity of mom and dad, or one of those pesky little hand pumps that always seem to take way longer than they should to inflate even small items.

Thankfully, inflators like the ones you tend to see at gas stations have shrunk significantly over the years, with Ryobi one of many major brands that've developed miniature versions that can still generate plenty of pressure. This high-pressure inflator is a pretty affordable model at that, with Ryobi selling the tool-only version for $39.97 and a kit with battery and charger for $79. Moreover, on the strength of almost 650 user reviews, it still holds an impressive 4.8-star rating.

Apart from helping parents keep bike tires and sports balls properly inflated, the tool can also be used to add air to car tires, making this a particularly useful tool to keep around the house. The tool itself offers precision filling up to 160 PSI and has an auto-shutoff feature that stops the flow of air when it reaches the correct setting, which can be seen and changed in an easy-to-see digital readout.