Tool bags have become more popular in recent time, especially for tradesman and maintenance workers who want quick and easy access to their tools. Using a tool bag makes it easy to organize those tools, while still having them contained in a way that they are easy to carry from project to project while working. With all of a tradesman’s essential tools inside, he’s got everything conveniently at hand.
Although best tool bags in 2022 seem like a new arrival on the scene, they've been in existence for quite some time. I can’t find any data showing when they were first used, but some trades have used them for centuries. Farriers (those that shoe horses), have always used a tool bag for their nails, files, hammer and hoof trimmer. Pipefitters working on the cooling system for the Boulder Dam used tool bags to take their tools from worksite to worksite. Even the Army has used tool bags for years, at least as far back as World War I.
The nice thing about a tool bag, as opposed to a tool box is its convenience. No matter how well organized a tool box is, it can’t keep everything ready at hand like a tool bag can. The open top and flexible sides make it easy to carry a variety of things, while the sewn-in pockets make it easy to organize a wide variety of tools.
I was amazed when I started looking at tool bags for this article, to find how wide a variety of tool bags were offered and how expensive some of them are. Of course, like anything else, you get what you pay for, so those high-dollar tool bags are better than the low cost ones that you might find at your local building supply center.
Tool bags are constructed out of a combination of heavy canvas, leather and plastic. Some have hard sides, with pockets sewn inside and out, while others are all soft-sided. What works better for your needs depends a lot on the tools you need to be able to carry with you and your personal work style.
The key to these bags is how sturdy they are built. I have an old all-canvas one that I've had for years. While I've managed to poke a number of screwdrivers, chisels and knives through it in one place or another, I can’t say that I've really damaged it. Clean it up and it’ll look just about as good as new. The bigger risk for breakage actually comes in the ones which have plastic supports and sides. Those might break, especially if kept in the heat or cold a lot, as both heat and cold can make plastics brittle.
The other thing to look for is the number of pockets that the tool bag has, and whether they are the type of pockets you’ll need for the tools that you need to carry. Some of these are designed for specific purposes, and if you end up trying to use them for some other purpose, you’ll end up pretty frustrated.
One other thing I’d like to say about these is that they are not for the person who doesn't put things back where they belong. The whole concept of a tool bag is to have everything neatly organized where you can grab it easily. If you’re the type of person who is likely to throw your tools in the middle compartment, rather than put them in the pockets, don’t bother with a tool bag; you’ll just end up frustrated.