LEATHERMAN WAVE+ | GEAR REVIEW

I have heard it said, both in hiking circles and in motorcycle travel circles, that you can fix almost any issue with duct tape, cable ties, or both. Tent rips – duct tape. Strap breaks – cable tie. Headlight rattles loose – duct tape and cable ties. All true stories. Add to that a multi-tool like this Leatherman Wave+, and you’ve got yourself a full-on tool kit.

The humble multi-tool truly is an outdoor-lover’s must-have item. The Wave+, which was a gift from Leatherman in advance of heading to Portugal this spring, has been my companion for road trips, camping trips, and everything else trips ever since. It’s also pretty handy at home! I’ve had cheap ones in the past, and they’re okay, but having owned this Leatherman for something over six months, I am once again reminded that you get what you pay for.

Now I’m not, of course, advocating heading out into the back country on your motorcycle without any proper equipment or specific tools (we carry a proper toolkit, honest!). But I maintain, in general terms, you can get by in most situations with duct tape, cable ties, and a decent multi-tool. And when it comes to backpacking or camping, these palm-sized metal doobries really are everything a toolkit needs to include.

Leatherman Wave+ Multi-Tool

The Leatherman Wave+ multitool (find it at Whitby & Co, Leatherman, Blacks, Go Outdoors, and Amazon), is one of Leatherman’s best sellers. It has a rock-solid stainless-steel body, 18 locking tools including quick one-hand opening blades. Handy for vehicle maintenance, camping, and even DIY (although for the latter, probably not by me…), the Wave+ also has a saw, screwdrivers (including a mini one for glasses), wire cutters, and two types of pliers.

The original Wave was launched in 1988 as Leatherman’s first multi-tool with outside accessible blades and one hand tool-deployment. Thirty-five years later, having gone through a handful of iterations, it’s now called the Wave+, has the latest tool designs, but still holds true to that original – one tool for everything – promise.

Being the first of its kind, the Leatherman Wave+ is arguably the benchmark that all full-size multi tools are measured against, and I have ALWAYS wanted one. Yes, probably since I saw the adverts in 1988 when I was eight. Which sounds a bit weird, but I do love me a useful gadget! I actually bought one for my husband for Christmas last year, complete with engraved initials – to prove to him I wasn’t going to steal it.

As you’ll have gathered from the words further up this post, I’ve always carried a multi-tool when camping and road tripping, as a super handy catch all item. It’s surprising how useful pliers and serrated blades can be! And to want the market leader isn’t an embarrassing thing to admit.

The Tools

Some multitools can be massive, and heavy, but this feels good in my hand, is easy to open and close, and doesn’t add a great deal of weight to my pack. It weighs in at 240g (less than my little battery pack), and is just about 10cm long. It came in a little pouch that would attach to my belt if I was so way inclined, which also protects it when I chuck it into my bits and pieces dry bag inside my day pack or motorcycle top box.

I don’t need to list all the tools in this review post, because you can see those listed on the various websites where you can buy the Leatherman Wave+ (see below). I’ll just say that, so far at least, my most used are the pliers, knife – which is a decent length and has a nice pointy tip, the serrated knife, scissors, bottle opener (!), and the tiny screwdriver to tighten up my glasses. Actually, I should mention the scissors specifically – I’ve found these are always the thing to break first on less well-made multi-tools, but the ones here are strong and sharp.

Every tool and knife on the body of the handle will lock into place, making the tools safe and rigid. I mean, you don’t want to be creating kindling from a thick twig with a knife that keeps closing on you, or doing up a fairing screw (again…) with a wobbly handle. That’s with the exception of the plier head, of course – a locking plier head would be pretty useless if you think about it. The smooth action means it’s easy to manually unlock each of the tools when you’re done, too.

My Verdict

The Leatherman Wave+ just works. It’s light enough, feels good in the hand, easy to carry, and has a bunch of well-chosen easy-to-access tools that I actually use. It has a decent knife, so I don’t need to carry a separate penknife unless I want something much bigger.  

Would I recommend spending £100 or so on this multi-tool? Yes. I think it’s great. Far superior to the cheaper versions I’ve had in the past, with a selection of tools that are useful for the outdoor activities I enjoy doing, and a strong and sturdy construction. And it’s not confined to my outdoor-kit, either – this thing is as useful in my house, garden and garage as it is when I’m out having adventures.

The main thing to say, though, is that I have a real and hopefully well-founded confidence that this will be the last multi-tool I need. As long as I look after the blades and tool tips, it should last for years and years.

If you’re in need of a multi-tool, and if you don’t already own one then you definitely do, then the Leatherman Wave+ is a most excellent choice.

Find the Leatherman Wave+ at Whitby & Co, Leatherman, Blacks, Go Outdoors, and Amazon.

Thank you to Leatherman for sending me the Wave+ earlier this year to add to my road trip and camping toolkit. As always with reviews here on Splodz Blogz, the opinions expressed are my own based on real-life use of the product.