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15 Essential Everyday Carry (EDC) Items Under $25

The gear you carry and use every single day doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg.

tech Gear Patrol

By Sean Tirman

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Your everyday carry (EDC) could consist of everything from pocket knives to cardholder wallets; pens and writing pads to flashlights and battery packs; your trusty phone to your favorite water bottle. Needless to say, it is a massive category of gear that, even if you’re unaware of the concept, you probably participate in.

For a lot of folks, however, everyday carry is a bona fide lifestyle — and huge monetary investment. But it doesn’t need to be. You can get high-quality pocketable devices of all manner for relatively cheap, so long as you know where to look and which brands to trust.

Luckily for you, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite budget-friendly EDC gear from a wide range of reputable brands. The best part? Every item costs $25 or less.

Best Keychain Knife

There are not many knives you’d want to trust for under $25, but this one from SOG is among them. It has a stainless steel blade, brass handle and — believe it or not — it actually locks (courtesy of a lock back). When you’re not using it, it looks just like an ordinary key on your keychain.

Best Affordable Cardholder Wallet

One of the best cardholder wallets there is, the Magpul Daka holds up to seven cards and carries rounded corners (that won’t catch onto your clothes). It’s also made from an anti-slip reinforced polymer fabric that just looks great. If you want a quality wallet that doesn’t take up a ton of room, seriously consider this one.

Best Affordable Keychain Multi-Tool

Incredibly simple yet exceptionally useful, this tiny, single-piece multi-tool can fit on your keychain and still has the ability to function as a pry bar, package opener, driver, bottle opener — you get the idea. If you don’t think you have room in your EDC for a multi-tool, think again.

READ MORE ABOUT THE GERBER SHARD

Best Affordable Keychain Flashlight

Especially if you park outdoors at night or you frequently drop things behind your couch or desk, a keychain flashlight can be very useful. This one comes from a reputable brand, emits a respectable 55 lumens, works with a simple push of a button and is incredibly tough for its size.

READ ABOUT THE BEST FLASHLIGHTS

Best Budget-Friendly Keychain Charger

Yes, we all are perpetually hauling tech around that requires power. No, we don’t all carry cables around. But you can still get access to power anywhere there’s a USB port with this keychain-sized kit. In essence, it’s a miniature charging cable — just made modular and much more compact than traditional cables.

READ ABOUT THE BEST PORTABLE CHARGERS

Best Carabiner

What really makes this stainless steel carabiner keychain stand out is that it has two separate gates. That means you can stash your keys in one section and clip the other section to your belt loops, backpack or wherever else, and you don’t have to worry about your keys falling off in the meantime.

READ ABOUT THE BEST CARABINER KEYCHAINS

Best Affordable Pocket Knife

Just like multi-tools, knives are usually something you’d want to spend a bit more on to ensure you’re getting something of quality and good reliability — usually. There are exceptions, as can be seen in the beechwood and carbon steel Opinel No. 8. This iconic knife is also one of the most budget-friendly and, once you’ve gotten your hands on one, you’ll understand exactly why people have been turning to this one time and time again for decades.

READ ABOUT THE BEST POCKET KNIVES

Best Affordable One-Piece Keychain Multi-Tool

Tiny, one-piece, keychain multi-tools aren’t much of a novelty anymore, but that’s largely because there are so many of low quality out there. This one, however, sits squarely on the other end of the spectrum thanks to its clever design, sturdy titanium construction and nine (or more) built-in functions.

READ ABOUT THE BEST MINI MULTI-TOOLS

Best Ultra-Budget Digital Watch

While there are very few watches we’d want to trust under $100, there are even fewer under $25. But there’s just something fun and classic about a digital Casio. Yes, it will reliably tell the time, so long as you keep a juiced-up battery inside it. But there’s also just so much charm to wearing the ultimate bargain-bin retro watch on the daily.

READ ABOUT THE BEST DIGITAL WATCHES

Best Pocket Notebook

While the written word seems like it may be dying off in this increasingly digital world, there’s still a lot of value to the idea of carrying around a notepad — be that for things as important as writing your to-do list or as mindless as drawing doodles while you brainstorm. Field Notes makes some of the best pocket notebooks there are, and the brand constructs them here in the USA from top-quality materials.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NOTEBOOKS

Best Refillable EDC Lighter

If you’re going to carry around a lighter (and you want one of quality), you should probably already have a Zippo. If you don’t, now is your chance. These USA-made lighters are time-tested, major fan favorites and have a ton of features that help them stand apart — like the iconic flip top, refillable reservoirs and more.

READ ABOUT THE BEST CIGAR LIGHTERS

Best Budget-Friendly EDC Pen

Yes, the pen that writes upside-down, underwater, in zero gravity and has been on every manned space mission can actually be had for under $25. While that should be more than enough to get you onboard, you might also be happy to hear that it’s also available in 14 different colorways, so you can easily match your pen to your personal style.

READ ABOUT THE BEST PENS YOU CAN BUY

Best Keychain Swiss Army Knife

Perhaps the single most iconic piece of everyday carry, the Swiss Army Knife, also comes in a wide variety of formats — many of which fall under the $25 price point. This one, however, is about as classic as they come. It’s also small enough to stash on your keychain and still has at least seven built-in functions (including a handy knife blade, scissors and a toothpick.

READ ABOUT THE BEST POCKET KNIFE BRANDS

Best Traditional Multi-Tool

It’s tough to find a decent traditionally-formatted multi-tool for under $25 that’s also reliable — but it isn’t impossible, as Gerber has proven with the Vise you see here. It’s a simple tool with just a few included functions (a knife, saw, pliers, bottle and can openers and more), but it’s well-built and comes from a time-tested brand you know you can trust.

READ ABOUT THE BEST MULTI-TOOLS

Best Alternative Keyring

There are a number of things we love about Big Idea Design’s Titanium Pocket Bit. First of all, the titanium keyring is vastly superior to most cheap key rings — but it’s also easier to get your keys and keychain accessories on and off (without sacrificing security). But it also has an attached bit tool that works as a flathead and Phillips driver, as well as a pry bar/bottle opener.

READ ABOUT THE BEST KEY ORGANIZERS

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