Leatherman Wave+ vs Nextool Flagship Mini

76 facts in comparison

These products are from different categories (Pocket Knives vs Multitools), so direct comparison may not be meaningful.

Based on 177 Reddit opinions. Close race—Leatherman Wave+ edges ahead.

177 opinions
Leatherman Wave+ leads by 2pts
Reddit's Pick
Leatherman Wave+
74%
B-
Based on
67 Redditors
Winner

Leatherman Wave+

~$129.95
26 opinions

tldr; The Leatherman Wave+ receives mostly positive reviews on Reddit (73% positive across 67 mentions). A solid choice in its category.

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VS
Nextool Flagship Mini
72%
B-
Based on
219 Redditors

Nextool Flagship Mini

~$34.98
151 opinions

tldr; Chinese keychain multitool under $30. 10 tools, spring pliers, decent scissors. Best value in keychain segment despite cheap finish.

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Action & DeploymentBuild QualityErgonomicsValue
ACT
BUI
ERG
VAL
100
Points
64
Points

Score by Category

Action & Deployment
100%
Build Quality
0%17%
Ergonomics
43%
Value
100%87%

Why is Nextool Flagship Mini better than Leatherman Wave+?

  • Under $30 price point
  • True keychain size
  • 10 tools with spring pliers
Based on 286 Reddit opinions
Too Close to Call

Reddit prefers the Leatherman Wave+

Winning by 2 points (74% vs 72%)

Better value
High confidence (286 mentions)

💬Reddit Sentiment

Based on 286 Reddit mentions

Overall Rating

Leatherman Wave+
7.4/10
67 mentions
Flagship Mini
7.2/10
219 mentions
BUILD QUALITY
Leatherman Wave+0.0/10
Flagship Mini1.7/10
VALUE
Leatherman Wave+10.0/10
Flagship Mini8.7/10
ACTION
Leatherman Wave+10.0/10
Flagship MiniN/A
TOOL SELECTION
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini8.6/10
SIZE WEIGHT
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini8.5/10
ERGONOMICS
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini4.3/10
⚔️

Head to Head

Head to Head

Leatherman Wave+: 2|Flagship Mini: 4
Build QualityFlagship Mini
Leatherman Wave+0%
Flagship Mini17%
ValueLeatherman Wave+
Leatherman Wave+100%
Flagship Mini87%
ActionLeatherman Wave+
Leatherman Wave+100%
Flagship MiniN/A
Tool SelectionFlagship Mini
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini86%
Size WeightFlagship Mini
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini85%
ErgonomicsFlagship Mini
Leatherman Wave+N/A
Flagship Mini43%
Leatherman Wave+74%
Flagship Mini72%
Close race - Leatherman Wave+ edges ahead by 2 points

Key Specs

SpecLeatherman Wave+Nextool Flagship Mini
Tool Count
18
Blade Material
420HC Stainless Steel
Closed Length
4 inch
68mm
Primary Blade Length
2.9 inch
Replaceable Wire Cutters
Yes

Key Highlights

Leatherman Wave+
Solid community reputation
Frequently recommended
Nextool Flagship MiniWinner
💰 Under $30 price point
🔑 True keychain size
🔧 10 tools with spring pliers
✂️ Functional scissors included
⚠️ Fit and finish feels cheap
Some users report issues (20% negative)

Topic Battles

Leatherman Wave+: 2|Tied: 0|Flagship Mini: 2
Action & Deployment
Leatherman Wave+ wins
Leatherman Wave+
100%
Flagship Mini
Build Quality
Flagship Mini wins
Leatherman Wave+
0%
Flagship Mini
17%
Ergonomics
Flagship Mini wins
Leatherman Wave+
Flagship Mini
43%
Value
Leatherman Wave+ wins
Leatherman Wave+
100%
Flagship Mini
87%

Based on Reddit sentiment across 4 categories

📈Where They Rank

💬What Redditors Actually Say

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Leatherman Wave+

Best Praise
+16 pts
A regular pocket knife. The slightly smaller knife in my Leatherman works for 99% of the things I need a knife for, and most of the time I need the pliers or screwdriver more.
r/EDC
View
Top Criticism
+5 pts
I’m really considering ditching the Leatherman for a Fastback and a single pair of needle nose.
r/EDC
View
3 more quotes available below

What Redditors Say

Best praise vs top criticism for Nextool Flagship Mini

Best Praise
+7 pts
Nextool mini flagship works for me. The scissors are insanely good, the only down side is that 2-D phillips. It is my first choice for backpacking and i pair it with a Mora knife.
r/multitools
View
Top Criticism
+5 pts
Same happened to my Mini Flagship. It's a design flaw; unfortunately not really fixable and pretty much inevitable with how it's built. Nextool does have a 1-year-from-delivery warranty policy, but I've never used it and don't know how good it is. They might be willing to send another Flagship Pro, but expect the same failure to eventually happen again to the replacement.
r/multitools
View
3 more quotes available below

📈Historical Price Data

Leatherman Wave+
Nextool Flagship Mini
$60$90$120May '25Jun '25Aug '25Oct '25Nov '25Nov '25Dec '25Jan '26Feb '26May '26Low: $109Low: $34.98
Leatherman Wave+
All-time low: $77.95(2018-11)
Nextool Flagship Mini
All-time low!

Which is Better?

Leatherman Wave+ Wins
74%
Wave+
vs
72%
Mini

Close race, but Leatherman Wave+ edges ahead by 2 points based on 286 Reddit opinions.

Why Leatherman Wave+Winner
  • Better Value for Money (100% vs 87%)
Why Flagship Mini
  • 💰 Under $30 price point
  • 🔑 True keychain size
  • More discussed (219 vs 67)

❤️The Love/Hate Breakdown

Sentiment Breakdown

28%Positive
Positive
28%
Neutral
62%
Negative
10%
Based on 67 Reddit opinions

Sentiment Breakdown

49%Positive
Positive
49%
Neutral
31%
Negative
20%
Based on 219 Reddit opinions

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Leatherman Wave+ or Nextool Flagship Mini?
Based on 286 Reddit comments, Leatherman Wave+ has a slight edge with 74% positive sentiment vs Nextool Flagship Mini's 72%. The difference is small, so both are solid choices.
Should I buy Leatherman Wave+ or Nextool Flagship Mini?
Both have similar approval ratings (74% vs 72%), so focus on specific features, pricing, and what matters most to you.
What do Redditors love about Leatherman Wave+?
Leatherman Wave+ has 67 mentions on Reddit with 74% positive sentiment. Users consistently recommend it based on real ownership experiences.
What do Redditors say about Nextool Flagship Mini?
Reddit users highlight: Under $30 price point. True keychain size. 10 tools with spring pliers. With 219 mentions and 72% approval, it remains a popular alternative.
How many Reddit reviews were analyzed?
This comparison analyzed 286 Reddit comments: 67 about Leatherman Wave+ and 219 about Nextool Flagship Mini. Data was sourced from Pocket Knives community discussions.
How accurate are these ratings?
Our sentiment analysis is approximately 80-85% accurate compared to manual review. Well-discussed products with many mentions tend to have more reliable scores than niche items with fewer data points.
Why trust Reddit over professional reviews?
Reddit users bought products with their own money and have no incentive to mislead. You're seeing hundreds of real opinions across different use cases, not just one reviewer's take. This crowdsourced approach surfaces both common praise and recurring complaints.

177 Reddit opinions analyzed · Last updated 5/14/2026