5 Mini-Gadgets That Turn Your Keychain Into A Pocket Toolkit

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

There aren't statistics to confirm it, but it's not a giant leap to assume most people leave home with a wallet, their keys, and probably their smartphone. Since those items are almost universally on you, it's not a terrible idea to consider how to make them as functional as possible. This is pretty easy for smartphones. Tens of thousands of apps exist that many people don't know about, and many increase your phone's functionality, making it usable in all sorts of scenarios. You can do the same with your keychain. 

Adding functionality to your keychain is pretty easy. A lanyard makes them easier to carry, and carabiner keychains let you quickly access your keys, rewards cards, and whatever else you attach. You can go even further and buy physical tools you can use for quick repairs and emergencies without adding a bunch of bulk. At the very least, it's no bulkier than those giant Hyundai egg-shaped key fobs. I have one of those, and it's nearly as big as all my other keys combined. 

In any case, you can buy a bunch of little gadgets, usually for less money than you'd expect, that add all sorts of functionality to your keychain. You may be glad you have one when the occasion calls for it, but it's also a good idea to keep a car toolkit. 

You usually won't find many multitools for keychains because of space constraints. After all, they have to fit in your pocket with your other keys and key fob. The Leatherman Micra is a pretty solid contender for the best keychain-sized multitool on the market. It's exceedingly small. It fits in the palm of your hand without issue, and it doesn't add more bulk to your keychain than an average-sized key fob. Add Leatherman's 25-year warranty, and you get a keychain gadget that can add a lot of functionality for a long time. 

The tool comes with 10 tools, including spring-action scissors, a knife, a nail file, tweezers, a bottle opener, a screwdriver, and a few others. It won't help you change a flat tire, but having something like this for a basic camping trip, festivals, or as a daily carry tool can still be useful. I personally own a much larger multitool, and I mostly use it to open Amazon packages, which this little guy can also do with its knife and scissors. 

In terms of multitools, it doesn't get too much better than this. It costs around $50 and comes in 10 different colors, so you have some options. This is a great place to start, and while $50 certainly isn't pocket change, it's also not nearly as expensive as some of Leatherman's other options. It's also not nearly as big. 

Most keychain gadgets are larger than a key. The Geekey Keychain Multitool is not like that. It's about the size and shape of a normal key, so it takes up very little space on a standard keychain while still offering some utility in a low-key (pun intended) way. The tool is made of stainless steel, weighs 0.77 ounces, and Geekey says that since this multitool doesn't come with a knife or any sharp edges, it's completely TSA-compliant, meaning you can bring it on an airplane in your carry-on luggage. 

It's basically a key with clever notches and cutouts that can be used as tools. For example, the tip is a Philips screwdriver, the main cavity in the thick part is a multi-size wrench, and there's a notch you can use as a bottle opener. A one-inch ruler runs along the long part of the key, and a box cutter is hidden there too. You obviously won't be doing much heavy work with this, but tightening the occasional screw, opening a bottle, or stripping the occasional wire should be doable. 

The Geekey runs for $23, making it an inexpensive addition or a good gift idea for the handyperson in your life. It comes in only one color, but since it's a standard key color, it'll blend right in with your other keys. 

Few things in life are more useful than a flashlight. Power outages happen, you can blow a tire in the middle of the night, and dark corners with no natural light are pretty common. A flashlight on your keyring gives you light when you need it, and the Olight iMini 2 is one of the most popular options for this use case. It's about the size of a standard AirPod, so hanging it on your keychain won't take up much space, and you can remove it at any time to charge over USB with the attached connector. 

The iMini outputs 50 lumens with 21 meters of throw, which isn't the most powerful flashlight on Amazon, but it's more than enough for simple tasks like finding your contact lens on your center console when it falls out of your eye in the middle of the night. It weighs about two-thirds of an ounce, so you'll barely notice it. According to Olight, it charges to full in about 60 minutes and gives about 60 minutes of use per charge. You can also detach it from the base, and the magnetized bottom sticks to a metal surface for hands-free use. 

The price is extremely reasonable at $20, and it comes in six different colors. It's always good to keep a flashlight on you, and since your keys are always on you, that's a good place to store one. 

Most gadgets here help with minor tasks and inconveniences, which are honestly the most common use cases for gadgets and tools. This particular product might actually save your life. The Resqme Car Escape Tool is a pocket-sized gadget that clips to your key ring and is designed to help you out of sticky situations in your car. It's small enough to grasp between your index finger and thumb, and while it is a little bulkier than some items on this list, it's still smaller than many modern key fobs. 

It has two functional uses. First, it has a seatbelt cutter built into the device. If you get into an accident and can't undo your seatbelt, you can use this device to cut yourself free and leave the vehicle. The other end of the device is a window breaker designed to break car windows. Since those are the two things most likely keeping you pinned in your car after an accident, that makes it a pretty valuable little tool, especially since your keychain will obviously be in your car with you. 

It's also one of the least expensive options on the list, coming in at $10 on Amazon. It comes in a few color options, and you can get a two-pack for $15-$17 if you want to keep a spare in your glove box or give it as a gift.

Most of the gadgets on this list are fairly elegant, like the 10-tool Leatherman Micra or the cleverly crafted Geekey. The Gerber Shard sacrifices some of that elegance for pure functionality. This tool looks like it was carved by a DIYer in their workshop, but it's actually pretty reliable. In fact, it's durable enough that Gerber attaches a limited lifetime warranty, which you don't often see on keychain gadgets in any category. 

The tool is a 7-in-1 multitool. It features two flat head screwdrivers and Philips screwdriver along a pry bar, a bottle opener, a wire stripper, and a multipurpose lanyard hole. The pry bar is especially cool because I couldn't find another multitool this small with one. It weighs less than one ounce and isn't much larger than a standard key, which makes it pretty easy to put on a keyring and forget about. Since it has no blade, it's also safe for airline use, like the Geekey. 

It's also the least expensive gadget on the list, coming in at about $8 on Amazon. It comes in silver and black, although if it were me, I'd get the silver one because it matches my keys, and if the black is a coating, it'll chip eventually. Either way, this is a popular, cheap recommendation in many EDC circles, so it has some internet chops.

The cool thing about keychain gadgets and tools is that it's a pretty small market, pun intended. For this list, we chose items with strong professional reviews, good customer reviews, and high recommendations online. They also had to be small, fit on a keychain, and, for a little extra challenge, not add much bulk or weight, since keychains with big, bulky items on them aren't really enjoyable.