Something has shifted in the workshop. After years of DIY being sold as a weekend hobby for the mildly bored, home improvement has quietly become a serious cultural force. The global DIY market is forecast to hit nearly a trillion dollars this year. And while a third of you are apparently planning on starting a new DIY project in the next three months, the primary motivator for DIYers is, you guessed it, saving money. Not a bad thing right now, considering how the Iran war is spiking prices.
The tape measure and the drill you inherited from your folks will only take you so far. Fortunately, the tools driving this boom have never been smarter, and better hardware should mean, hopefully, better results. Whether you’re building furniture, finishing a deck, or just finally hanging that TV straight, the tools available right now are genuinely more precise than anything a generation ago could have imagined. From a miniaturized soldering station to a kid-safe desktop cardboard router, these are WIRED’s 15 picks worth making room for in your toolbox this year.
And no matter how good your tools are, never forget: measure twice, cut once.
A Multifunction Power Tool
This intimidation-free power tool is perfect for people looking to conquer the multitude of household tasks that don’t require a massive hammer drill. Dremel’s neatly balanced 12-volt tool is made for fixing, tightening, and assembling. The detachable laser level and clever electronic stud finder hidden in the front of the handle make it ideal for hanging pictures, shelves, and 4K TVs. Comes with nine drivers and three drill bits, covering most household fixes without the need for a complete toolbox overhaul.
A Soldering Station
A compact, open-source soldering workstation that condenses a full electronics bench into a single portable unit. The battery-powered soldering iron offers precise temperature control from 212 to 842 degrees Fahrenheit (100 to 450 Celsius), making it suitable for delicate PCB work as well as more robust tasks. Integrated fume extraction pulls harmful vapors away at the source, while built-in magnification and adjustable LED lighting improve visibility. The clincher is that by being open-source, Soldr positively welcomes hardware tweaks and firmware upgrades, making it as appealing to hobbyists as it is to serious prototypers.
A Sander
Festool
DTSC 200 Basic Cordless Delta Sander
It is well known in the trades that if someone’s workshop is full of Festool gear, you can bet they take their craft seriously. And with its new 18 V cordless sander, the brand has made the possibility of achieving perfection just that bit faster. The triangular pad reaches deep into corners and tight edges, while variable speed control allows for fine-tuning between aggressive stock removal and ultrasmooth finishing. Weighing just over 2.4 lbs without the battery, the sander is designed for controlled, one-handed operation, while the integrated LED casts low-angle illumination across your work surface to highlight even the slightest imperfections. Connect it to a vacuum hose to keep the work table clean, or snap on the included dust collection bag and go fully mobile.
A Smarter Level
Put the trundle wheel down; this modular, stackable touch screen measuring system combines laser distance, level, and rolling scale modules in one, measuring up to 164 feet of distance at a 1/16-inch accuracy. The system captures measurements in real time and syncs instantly to the app, allowing users to generate floor plans or mark up dimensions without manual note-taking. Compact enough to fit in a pocket yet precise enough for professional use, it’s a seriously smart upgrade for anyone still juggling tape measures and spirit levels.
A Premium Sewing Machine
Husqvarna
Viking Designer Sapphire 85 Sewing & Embroidery Machine
While it might be overkill if you’ve not yet mastered the art of sewing buttons back on, this pro-grade smart sewing machine can do seriously impressive things with a needle and thread. It offers more than 680 stitch patterns through an 8-inch color touch screen for intuitive control, alongside automatic thread tension and sensor-based foot adjustments. The extended sewing surface allows for large quilting projects, while the powerful motor ensures consistent stitch quality across thick fabrics. Built-in connectivity and access to the mySewnet Library give you access to a continuously growing collection of embroidery designs, plus the ability to craft and implement your own.
A Box Cutter
Designed by noted knife maker Richard Rogers, the Box Key applies his clean, minimalist approach to a tiny everyday cutter. The 1.24-inch drop point blade is made from Sandvik 12C27 steel with a stone-wash finish, which helps disguise scuffs from daily use while improving corrosion resistance. The stainless steel handle with a hole keeps the profile slim enough to attach to a key ring, and at 1 ounce, it adds barely any weight to your daily carry. A smart, indispensable little tool for opening boxes, trimming cord, and other light-duty jobs.
A Toolbox
Japanese-inspired, UK-based Niwaki (translates as “garden tree”) produces seriously desirable and practical tools for home and garden. With the ST-Type Toolbox, however, the brand has created a vintage design that wouldn’t look out of place perched on a girder in the famous “Lunch Atop a Skyscraper” photo. Built from powder-coated steel with a traditional cantilever design, it measures 14.2 inches wide and opens to reveal tiered compartments that keep hand tools organized and visible. The metal dividers in the top trays can be rearranged to hold screws, nails, and bits, or removed entirely to fit even more tools.
Safety Glasses
Pit Viper
Rev-Loc Z87+ Safety Glasses
Pit Viper may be famous for its right-wing-baiting anarchic approach to eyewear, but we bet you didn’t know it also does a fantastic range of equally irreverent-looking, but highly practical safety glasses. (This model will launch on April 13.) Certified to ANSI Z87+ standards, they have impact-resistant lenses, 100 percent UV protection, antifog coatings, plus adjustable arms and nose pieces for a super-secure fit. Available with standard- or high-contrast polarized lenses, the side shields can be removed when not needed.
A Handy Saw
A good value, highly practical camp saw that folds small, but still cuts the mustard. The 12-inch blade is mounted on a four-pivot frame that maximizes usable cutting length and keeps tension consistent through each stroke. Then, when you’re done, it folds flat without disassembly, fully enclosing the blade for safe transport. Weighing 15.3 ounces, it is light enough for any expedition, but still feels reassuringly robust in use. That grippy rubberized textured handle works well in wet conditions, while thankfully, the design accepts standard 12-inch replacement blades.
A 3D Printer
This high-speed 3D printer is built for rapid prototyping, and so is aimed at designers who are tired of overnight prints for simple parts. It spits out building material at speeds of up to 1,200 millimeters per second, driven by a lightweight and accurate delta motion system. The enclosed cylindrical build chamber (12.6 x 16.9 inches) improves temperature stability for materials such as ABS and PETG, while auto-leveling and smart calibration should reduce setup time. A direct-drive extruder with an all-metal nozzle capable of reaching 350 Celsius supports a wide range of filaments. Wi-Fi, an onboard camera, and AI-assisted monitoring all help keep prints on track.
A DIY Stem Project
CircuitMess
NASA Mars Perseverance Rover
The 1972 NASA Moon Buggy is one of only a handful of “products” WIRED has ever awarded a coveted 10/10 score to. It’s a shame you’ll never be able to get your hands on one, but you can always scratch that interstellar itch with this fantastic build-it-yourself Mars Perseverance Rover electronics kit. Designed for STEM learning, it combines more than 200 parts with coding, robotics, and mechanical assembly into a single project. Users can program movement, sensors, and basic autonomy through an included microcontroller, gaining hands-on experience with real-world engineering concepts. As intricate and detailed as it is, the whole model is remarkably smaller than the family cat.
A Leaf Blower
Hoto
20V Cordless Leaf Blower
Bringing some much-needed sci-fi chic to yard work with this cordless 20-volt blower that pushes 720 cubic feet of air per minute at 120 mph from a lightweight body. The compact 3.7-pound design (without battery) makes it easy to use with one hand, even if you’re coping with trees post-leaf-peeping season. A brushless motor improves efficiency and extends the blower’s lifespan, while stepless speed control allows precise adjustment to give you just enough wind to clear light debris all the way up to a full-force clearing. The lithium-ion battery lasts up to 30 minutes, and it’s removable, so you can buy extra batteries to quickly swap in and keep on blowing.
A Charger and Radio
Milwaukee
M18 Packout Radio Charger
Stackable with Milwaukee storage systems, this sound system has a classic rock-ready 10-speaker array capable of blasting The Boss to every corner of a construction site. Built tough and powered either by plugging it in or using the standard M18 battery, it has Bluetooth connectivity and an AM-FM radio. It also doubles as a battery and USB charger for smartphones and power tools. A reinforced housing protects it against drops, dust, and moisture.
An Electric Cutter
A compact, battery-powered cutter designed to remove the effort and improve the precision of a host of cutting tasks. The motorized blade uses SK5 high-carbon steel slicers, delivering clean, controlled cuts through everything from cardboard and fabric to leather and even some plastics. Weighing 10.5 ounces, it is easy to guide with one hand, while the 4V rechargeable lithium battery should let you slice for hours on a single charge. A guarded cutting-edge and trigger activation improve control further, as well as keeping your fingers safe.
For the Kids
This kid-safe router-style cutter is a perfect antidote to the usual screen time. Using a digitally controlled blunt cutting head rather than exposed blades, it lets children (big and small) cut cardboard, card, foam, felt, thin fabrics, and light plastics at either 1,500 rpm for faster cuts or 800 rpm for more controlled work. The standard head can handle materials up to 3 mm thick, but an optional upgrade to a 5 mm “ProCut” head lets you go thicker. The compact 11.8 x 11.8-inch desktop unit comes in pink or green (go pink!) and connects over USB or Wi-Fi to bundled software that can generate cutting templates from simple project designs you upload. The Cutter 2 serves up fun and engaging activities for little ones as young as four.
