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The best tool rolls

  • A better and more organised way to store your tools
  • Different types to suit your need
  • The best tool rolls around

Written by Ryan Gilmore Updated: 10 August 2023

Toolboxes are great, but have you ever felt like they’re just a little bit too disorganised? Wouldn’t it be nice to have a separate holder for each of your favourite tools? Welcome to the tool roll.

Unlike toolboxes, these can be relatively inexpensive, or if you go for something full leather, quite expensive; it all depends on how you’re going to use it and what you’re carrying. Generally speaking, these are a fabric material that wraps around your tools to keep them protected as mentioned, they’re a much more organised toolbox with you being able to go to the set of tools you want without having to dig about.

You don’t just have to have it as each bag is for each set of tools; you can have bundles of tools together, which you generally use in bundles. They’re convenient things to have, and we prefer them to toolboxes.

The best tool rolls

The best tool roll

Price: $32.78
Alternative Retailers
Walmart
$28.21
This handy little 12-pocket tool roll from Stanley has space for whatever you need, with an additional two holders for pens or pencils. With a height of 38.5cm, there should be enough room for all, if not most, of your handheld tools, in the classic Stanley colours of black and yellow, the toughened fabric, which again is another trait of the Stanley brand, tough.

The pockets get slightly smaller from left to right, meaning there is enough variety to house each of your tools; there are also some broader and narrower pockets for pliers and screwdrivers alike.

Pros

  • Well-known brand
  • Thick, sturdy fabric

Cons

  • You might not have enough pouches for you
This waxed canvas tool roll looks just lovely, and if nothing else, it will make you feel like you’re the master of your trade, even if you’re not.

This one looks wonderfully vintage, and with it being waxed, it offers the canvas a little bit of protection from weather, grease and tearing. The colour makes it look classic with a fold-over flap to provide more protection for your tools and stop them from rattling together.

There is a pocket for tools of different heights in the downwards diagonal to the centre from the edge. With 26 pockets, you’ll be sure to have one for each of your tools, and at a relatively inexpensive cost, you could buy enough for all your tools.

Pros

  • Great classic look
  • Waxed textile to help with wear and tear and protection
  • Plenty of pockets

Cons

  • If it does tear, it may become useless
The handy size of this 14-pocket tool roll has the added benefit of being waterproof – let’s face it, we’ve all forgotten once in a while about what we’ve left out in the rain, and while we don’t want to make a habit of doing it without tools, at least they would be protected with this one.

Fourteen pockets will keep everything in place; the waterproof and puncture-resistant fabric will keep your tools safe. Secured by two ties, it’s a handy little tool roll that keeps your tools safe while you work.

Pros

  • Rot-proof
  • Puncture resistant
  • Waterproof

Cons

  • Not enough variation in the pockets to enable you to carry things like pliers in one pocket
It is expensive, but with this kit, you get all the tools that come with it – yes, they’re electrical tools, but that doesn’t render them useless for anything else. Each of these tools is very useful for carrying out maintenance around the house or on your car with long nose pliers enabling you to get to tricky, hard-to-reach places and a wide variety of screwdrivers.

Pros

  • Generic tools included
  • Made of sturdy fabric

Cons

  • Pricey
With a soft finish on the exterior of this tool roll, it almost blankets your tools to ensure they have a good night’s sleep and are ready for the next day of work. More sensibly, it reduces the risk of scratching any surface on which you may roll your tools out. 24 pockets on this tool roll with an elasticated band across the middle of the registration, helping to keep everything in place.

With buckles to keep everything all rolled up, there are loops for a carry strap if you don’t wish to use the grab handle.

Pros

  • Lovely soft fabric to help prevent scratching surfaces
  • Shoulder strap or grab handle
  • Elasticated middle to keep everything in place

Cons

  • Not specifically designed for mechanics
  • It might get dirty on the outside quickly
The only way we can describe this pick is as a tool-ready pencil case - each of the five pockets has a zip which will store your tools. This then rolls into what looks like a duffle bag and enables you to carry your tools around.

The four main pockets on the roll are big enough to carry things like wrenches, screwdrivers, and pliers, for example, and there is a zip pocket at the top which isn’t as deep, perfect for things like pencils and a tape measure, for example.
There's a buckle that will hold the bag together just in case you forgot to zip up one of the holders.

Pros

  • Plenty of storage
  • Packs down nicely
  • Unique tool roll

Cons

  • You might end up getting everything out of each pocket to find what you’re looking for

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