To get a job done quickly, you need the right tools to hand.
When you’re in the middle of putting up a shelf or mirror, having what you need in reach means you can complete the task quickly and efficiently.
While a toolbox is great for storing DIY bits and pieces, they’re often too bulky to cart around on-site - especially if you’re working in an awkward area like under the stairs, crawl spaces or at the top of a ladder.
Loading up a tool belt with the equipment you need for the project makes the job a lot easier. Slung around the waist, some designs are held up by overshoulder suspenders while others cinch in with a reinforced belt buckle. The one thing they share? The pockets - oh my, the pockets!
A toolbelt’s single most useful feature is the number of pockets, compartments and loops they boast to keep treasured tools in. From hammers and screwdrivers to measuring tape, spirit levels and Allen keys, a good toolbelt will accommodate all these home improvement essentials and more, leaving your hands free to focus on the task. You’ll also spot a bevvy of metal loops from which to hang various tools and equipment, ensuring you’re not wrestling them out of a tight pocket at an inopportune moment.
Most toolbelts are available in two main materials: hardwearing leather that improves with age and durable polyester often with vents to ensure it’s breathable - crucial when you’re working on intensive projects.
Whether you’re looking for a way to zip through your DIY quicker or you’re hoping to move from amateur to professional status with the gear to match, we’ve rounded up the best toolbelts for the job.
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Carhartt Legacy Tool Belt, Standard, Carhartt Brown
Designed to wrap around the wait, Carhartt’s tool belt comes loaded with 11 pockets to stash essentials with reinforced Duravax corners on some pocket corners for additional bolstering on high-use areas. Crafted from 1200 denier polyester, the piece is water-repellent so you can use it in damp conditions without concern. Two of the pockets are removable plus there are loops to hang things like a hammer and measuring tape to avoid overloading pockets.
The length will fit a 52-inch waist.
Buy now £47.58, Amazon
DeWALT Professional Tool Belt Organizer
If you’re a heavy-duty DIYer, this organiser, made from 1680 denier fabric, can stand up to many years of use. The piece is double-stitched and studded with reinforced rivets to boost its strength. Most pockets are open to allow easy access, although there is a closed one for phones if you need to keep your handset closeby without fumbling in trouser pockets.
The belt is given extra stability by shoulder suspenders, allowing you to load it up with everything you need without worrying the toolbelt will slip. Pockets are lined with a yellow fabric to aid visibility.
Buy now £142.73, Amazon
Stanley Essential Tool Belt
Before shooting to fame for its viral water cups, Stanley had a long and proud history in the home improvement sphere. The brand has most DIY tools and equipment under its roof, from wheelie toolboxes to belts that hold the various bits and pieces needed for the task.
This belt is made from a long-lasting denier with multiple pockets and loops of different sizes to organise it well. The back is padded so you can wear it comfortably for hours at a time.
It can also be used for gardening when tending your flowers, hedges and shrubs.
Buy now £15.00, Amazon
Tourbon Genuine Carpenters Tool Belt
This vintage-looking tool belt is designed for carpentry, although with so many pockets and loops, we’re sure any avid DIYer would find use for it. Made from oiled leather and boosted with heavy-duty nylon thread and metal hardware, there are five spacious pockets for multiuse and oodles of small compartments to store things like screws, bolts and hand tools such as a hammer. It comes with padded shoulder suspenders to keep everything where it should be.
Buy now £172.89, Amazon
Jackson Palmer Professional Comfort-Rig Tool Belt
If you’re embarking on a whole house renovation project, you’re in for long days in a toolbelt rig. When comfort is paramount, Jackson Palmer’s design, complete with adjustable suspenders, detachable pockets and deep hooks to hang power tools, answers the call.
The tan and black piece has been made with customers in mind, with chest straps, a shoulder strap and a belt buckle to help spread the burden of a heavy belt.
It can fit a 50-inch waist.
Buy now £49.85, Amazon
Heavy Duty Tool Belt Tool Pouch
This detachable belt is made of three parts which can be disassembled according to the number of tools needed for your DIY to-do list, alleviating the weight of carrying around unnecessary pockets. Speaking of pockets, there are 26 of them to fill in this design, all of various sizes to fit basic things that might otherwise get lost in a busy building area: think nails, screws, rawl plugs, screwdrivers and more.
The belt is useful for professionals as well as amateur workpeople and makes a great gift for someone who’s always tinkering around on another project.
Buy now £18.88, Amazon
Brase Leather Tool Bag
Most toolbelts aren’t going to win any beauty contests, existing for practical reasons rather than anything else. But if we were handing out rosettes, Brase would be a strong contender.
The leather design is a thing of beauty with full-grain maroon-coloured hide used to craft pockets, sections and loops for storing equipment. There’s even a pocket for pencils, meaning you can take precise measurements with ease.
The belt fastens with a buckle, and depending on how many tools you’ll need daily, it may be worth adding shoulder braces for extra security.
Buy now £74.99, Amazon
TOUGH MASTER 11 Pocket Multi Storage Organiser
Organise your favourite tools in the way that best makes sense to you with this multi-pocket belt from Tough Master. Secured with a buckle, the buffalo leather design boasts 11 open-mouthed pockets lined with soft suede to avoid scratching tools like safety glasses.
It can hold up to 25kg worth of tools, fixtures and fittings without feeling like it’s going to slip off - but there are D-rings to add suspenders if you’re after more reassurance.
Buy now £33.29, Amazon
