One of the cornerstones of mountain biking is self-sufficiency; specifically the ability to get out of a fix and carry out emergency repairs on the trail. While it makes sense to have a decent tool kit at home, to make repairs and adjustments you’ll need a trail tool, and the best mountain bike multi-tool will give you everything you need in a portable package.

Consider a multi-tool akin to the Swiss Army Knife of mountain biking, where a sturdy metal body is packed with folding practicality. In recent years, designers have got impressively creative with multi-tool design, making options that fit in almost every nook and crevice found on a modern mountain bike. Which means you can hide most emergency tools and spares in and around the bike, so less to carry on your body and less to remember on every ride as it’s already mounted on your bike.

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1. Topeak Mini Pro 20

Best all-in-one multi-tool

Weight: 153g | Tools: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 10mm Hex keys, T25 Torx, flat and Phillips screwdrivers, chain tool, spoke wrenches, chain hook, bottle opener, chain pin tool | Rating: 10/10

Reasons to buy:

• Packed with tools
• 90º bend hex key is useful for awkward areas.

Reasons to avoid:

• Chunky, so difficult to get a lot of torque (for, say, pedals)
• Tyre lever is not very effective

With its chrome finish, this tool has real bling factor, and should stay that way as it’s protected by its own neoprene pouch. The tools are all quite stubby, but there are plenty of them, including a neat chain breaker, which sports four spoke keys, a chain hook and a 3mm Hex.

All the Allen sizes needed for repairs and adjustments are included, even a 10mm for crank bolts and L-shaped 2mm for adjusting the reach on your brake levers. The only redundant tool is the tyre lever – it’s too short and sharp, and wouldn’t want it anywhere near carbon rim. That’s our only criticism though, because the Mini Pro 20 is a great product with comprehensive tools .

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2. OneUp EDC Lite tool

Best hidden on-bike tool

Weight: 75g | Tools: 2/2.5/3/4/5/6/8mm Allen, T25, flat screwdriver, cassette lockring tool | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• Always there when you need it
• Easy to access
• All the most regularly used tools included

Reasons to avoid:

• Not designed to do heavy duty, high-torque jobs

If you hate having tools rattling around your pocket (or pack) or exposed to the elements, ruining the aesthetics of your bike, then you’ll love the covert OneUp EDC Lite tool. It fits inside the steerer tube of your fork, but doesn’t need any special fixings to install – simply hammer your star nut deeper into the steerer and then use the supplied cradle to hold the tool.

Always to hand, the range of tools are perfect for the quick adjustments that become annoyingly time-consuming if you have to delve inside your pack. And if you want a more comprehensive system, OneUp also has the more sophisticated EDC (see below)…

Read our full review of the OneUp  EDC Lite tool

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3. Crankbrothers M20 MTB multitool

Best do-it-all tool for durability

Weight: 205g | Tools: Chain tool, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm hex, Phillips, flathead, three spoke keys, T10 and T25 torx | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• Compact design
• Plenty of features
• Great range of tools
• Includes chainlink and tubeless repair elements

Reasons to avoid:

• On the heavy side

The Crankbrothers Multi M20 has 20 individual tools (listed above) but also a small clip-on treasure chest, which if you flip open includes several sticky rubber tyre plugs. Included in this little treasure chest are also two indents for a chain quick-link, which is another one of the current trail tool must-haves. If you don’t run tubeless you can easily ditch the tyre plugs for some glueless patches or a compact puncture repair kit.

Over the years we’ve tested many Crankbrothers tools and the M-series are some of the company’s best. They’re based on an old-school Allen-key block, so are easy to use and the quality is top notch.

Read our full review of the Crankbrothers M20 multitool

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4. Granite Stash mtb multitool

Great little tool that stashes in the steerer tube

Weight: 141g | Tools: 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6mm hex, T25, Spoke key: 0, 1, 2, 3 with valve core tool  | Rating: 8/10

Reasons to buy:

• Compact
• On-bike storage design
• Easy to install

Reasons to avoid:

• A little tight at first
• Heavier than some alternatives

The Granite Stash consists of a mini multi-tool and aluminium holder that you fit into the fork steerer. If you’ve seen the OneUp EDC you’ll know this design isn’t new, in fact OneUp’s EDC Lite is almost identical to the Stash, but comes with a nine-bit multi-tool for around £45. The Stash is a little bit more costly and twice the weight, but it does have five more tools, even if they’re all spoke keys.

Read the full review of the Granite Stash MTB tool

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5. OneUp EDC V2 tool

The most comprehensive hidden tool kit

Weight: 126g | Tools: T25 torx, 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm Hex, tyre lever, chain breaker and room for more | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• Always there when you need it
• Easy to access
• All the most regularly used tools included
• Great use of wasted space

Reasons to avoid:

• Not designed to do heavy duty, high-torque jobs.

Like the EDC Lite, OneUp’s full-fat EDC uses the fork steerer as storage, but in this case there are more tools packed into the full length of the steerer tube. The EDC tool storage is modular, which means you can mix and match depending on how much space you have or the tools you need.

In the upper part of the EDC there’s a multi tool, a tyre lever and a chain breaker, but threaded on to the bottom is another small storage chamber, which is big enough to take OneUp’s Plug and Pliers kit; essential a set of mini chain link pliers and a motorbike-style, tubeless repair kit. Alternatively, you can remove this entirely and thread in a single 20g CO2 cartridge. Overall, a great customisable storage solution.

Read our full review of the OneUp EDC V2 tool system

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6. Specialized SWAT Conceal Carry MTB multi-tool

Best hidden tool for quick trailside adjustments

Weight: 213g | Tools: 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8mm Allen keys and a T25 Torx | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• Quick to remove
• Useful range of tools
• Split link holder at the base is a nice extra

Reasons to avoid:

• More expensive than the OneUp
• Missing a few hex tool sizes
• Tool can get jammed inside the cradle
• Swing door can foul on certain stems

Specialized’s Conceal Carry SWAT tool is the original steerer tool, and it still stands the test of time. Small, light, and with just enough tools to cover trailside tweaks, it’s neat and effective. Yes, the tools are no use for loosening pedals or tightening pivot bolts, but they’re great for seat and cockpit adjustments or removing a wheel as it’s so quick to remove and replace thanks to the swing cap and pop-up design. There’s also space for a spare chain quick link in the base. Our biggest complaint is that it costs around £100 for the full assembly, so it’s not cheap.

Read our full review of the Specialized SWAT Conceal Carry multi-tool

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7. Fix It Sticks Mountain Tool

Best mini-tool for high-torque jobs

Weight: 255g | Tools: 2, 2.5, 3,4, 5, 6 mm hex, T-25, and P2 Bits, Two Tyre Levers, Chain Breaker | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• Innovative T-handle style tool
• Good for actually generating decent torque

Reasons to avoid:

• Can be difficult to access awkward areas
• Heavier than a multi-tool

Fix It takes the T-handle tool design and makes it portable, which means it feels and functions like a proper workshop tool. The bits are held in a barrel magnetically and assembled as needed, with the length and build quality to be useful for high-torque bolts, such as pedals. This does make them heavy, and switching bits is a bit of a faff trailside, especially if it’s cold and wet.

Read our full test review of the Fix It Sticks Mountain Tool

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8. Topeak Survival Gear Box

Best tool option for wet rides

Weight: 235g | Tools: 8mm socket, T-15, T-25, 8 & 10mm box wrench, four spoke keys, chain tool, chain hook, two tyre levers, P2, glueless patch kit, disc brake spacer, mini hammer | Rating: 9/10

Reasons to buy:

• Good range of tools – a mini, portable tool kit
• Box keeps everything clean, dry and together

Reasons to avoid:

• You’ll need a back pack or hip pack to carry it

Rather than try and cram a load of tools into one, this Topeak product packs loads of individual tools into a sealed box. This keeps them clean, dry, and organised, and means less compromise on function. However, the box is relatively large (10 x 4.6 x 3.5cm), so it doesn’t really fit in a pocket. You’ll need a decent-sized hip pack or hydration pack to keep it in. And that makes it less accessible in a hurry.

Read our full test review of the Topeak Survival Gear Box

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What to look for in the best mountain bike multi-tools

Most mountain bike multi-tools are based around old-fashioned Allen key clusters, improved by the addition of screwdrivers, Torx keys and spoke wrenches. Ideally they will include 16-22 items, with the most essential being a chain splitter, so you can break and join the chain if it has snapped, or you have to untangle a busted mech. Most tool companies make this type of tool – we have these on test here too.

There are also many alternative options and we’ve reviewed those too. They range from a multi-plier (popularly known as a Leatherman or Gerber) to a fold-up chain tool. The former is perfect for those ugly jobs, like bending a mech hanger straight, and we’ve included the latter simply because most of the trail tools’ built-in miniature chain splitters are difficult to use.

Protective case

Mountain bike multi-tools will be rattling around in your pack getting scuffed and wet, so some form of holder or case is handy.

Spoke keys

These are great for straightening a buckled wheel, but if they’re too fat you won’t be able to get them between the spokes and it’ll make truing a laborious chore – the narrower this tool, the better.

Chain breaker

A chain splitter is essential, but once you have joined a chain, the link will be stiff, so you need to work it loose. A second gate, or position on the bed of the tool, allows you to do this easily, but many of the tools in this test don’t have them. Also very few have replaceable pins, co once this is bent, the splitter is next to useless.

Tool length

Short tools are compact, but a long tool offer greater leverage for stubborn bolts, and car reach into areas without the body of the tool fouling on the component or frame.

Tyre levers

If these are included, they are usually tiny and won’t have enough leverage to release the bead. Our advice is to always carry a separate lever, like Topeak’s excellent Shuttle 1.2 lever.

Torx key

This is a star-shaped tool, and the common size used on mountain bikes is a T25.Most disc rotors use this size, and SRAM also uses it for the derailleur mounting bolt and the brake lever clamps.

Allen keys

These can be long, short, L-bend and, in some cases, separate. the most important thing is you have all the sizes, including a 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6mm. Some tools have an 8mm or 10mm, but it’s often too short to remove a pedal or tighten a crank – the two components the commonly require this size.

Stow-away tools

Many modern tools are designed to be hidden in and around the bike so that you don’t have to carry them on your body or remember to pack them on every ride – they’re always with you. Popular areas to store tools include the steerer tube, BB axle, bottle cage and handlebar. With a bit of thought it’s pretty easy to stash all the tools you’re likely to need somewhere on your bike.

Need something with more options for home use? Check out our tried and tested guide to the best home tool kits, and make sure you’re rolling right with best floor pump to ensure those tyres are at the right pressure.