The Best Adjustable Pliers for 2023
We’re reviewing the best adjustable pliers that make it easy to grip, hold, and twist in whatever DIY project you set your mind to!
Pliers are a must-have tool in any handyman’s arsenal, and with the best ones, you can do various tasks. Whether you want to cut wires or loosen tight screws, adjustable pliers will come in handy. The greatest feature of these pliers is their adjustability. This mechanism allows you to easily adjust their size and grip capabilities, enabling you to handle different tasks. While adjustable pliers may not be a compulsory tool to have in your toolbox, they come in handy when you need to cut, strip, crimp, bend, or loop wires of different sizes. They can also be used on hot metal, tighten under-sink plumbing, adjust garage doors, and replace hinges. This powerful tool comes in various sizes, designs, and handle types to help you loosen powerful nuts, make firm tightenings, and clamp objects together. To make your purchase process easier, we’ve taken it upon ourselves to research, test, and suggest the best adjustable pliers on the market.
Our Top Picks
Our Top Pick
Cobra Water Pump Pliers
One premium tool that does the job of ten groove-joint pliers put together.
$35.46
Our Runner-Up
Knipex 8702250 10-Inch Cobra Pliers
These adjustable pliers ensure ease of use and increase effectiveness and productivity.
$35.46
Most Cost-Effective
Channellock 526 6-Inch Slip-Joint Pliers
With an affordable price tag, this option is well suited for gripping and storing.
$10.95
Our Picks For You
Our Top Pick - Cobra Water Pump Pliers
Our Top Pick
Cobra Water Pump Pliers
One premium tool that does the job of ten groove-joint pliers put together.
Forged with oil-hardened chrome vanadium, these pliers are durable, resourceful, and take ease of use to the next level.
Who It’s For
Looking for the best adjustable pliers? This plier has the most premium versions of features you could ever want in a plier: push-button adjustment, ergonomic handles, and a versatile Vjaw made of the most durable materials.
Why It’s Great
The Knipex Cobra Water Pump Pliers are adjustable Vjaw pliers with a push-button that can work on a variety of bolts and objects. To provide maximum comfort, the handles have a durable plastic coating and built-in pinch guards. Its self-locking gripping surfaces have hardened teeth that are unique for high wear resistance and stable gripping. Add a tether attachment point for mounting a fall protection system, and you've got the best adjustable pliers on the market.
Potential Flaws
The great ones don’t come cheap. Our top pick costs nearly half the price of the sets on our list, meaning you’ll have to cough up a pretty penny to own this single upgrade tool.
Other Features
These push-button adjustable pliers have up to 25 positions to choose from! This plier is made of oil-hardened chrome vanadium electric steel, the most durable construction material available for pliers today. Its jaw-gripping surfaces are made with unique 61 HRC hardened teeth that are ideal for firmly gripping objects of all shapes and sizes while also being highly resistant to wear and tear.
These pliers also have a unique self-locking feature that automatically adjusts and fits the sizes of pipes and nuts without slipping off, making your job easier and less stressful. The Knipex Cobra Water Pump Pliers are ten inches long with a two-inch jaw capacity and weigh about 13 pounds.
Our Runner-Up - Knipex 8702250 10-Inch Cobra Pliers
Our Runner-Up
Knipex 8702250 10-Inch Cobra Pliers
These adjustable pliers ensure ease of use and increase effectiveness and productivity.
The Knipex 8702250 10-Inch Cobra pliers have a far more precise adjustment mechanism than most adjustable pliers. The handles are comfortable, and the small, sleek head can fit into the tightest of spots.
Who It’s For
The Knipex 8702250 10-inch Cobra Pliers is ideal for someone who puts keen eyes into engineering tools and is conscious about design.
Why It’s Great
These pliers are compact, stable, and self-locking on pipes and bolts. They can be swiftly adjusted on the component with the press of a button. The Knipex’s slim multi-component grips without a collar make them exceptionally convenient to use in confined spaces.
Potential Flaws
The Knipex Cobra pliers are considerably more costly than other water pump pliers and some users have noted that it is not as effective on smaller objects because the grip tends to slip off.
Other Features
When using the Knipex Cobra water pump pliers, you simply need to align the upper jaw with the workpiece, press the button, and the lower jaw will automatically close. Knipex has designed a built-in pinch guard to prevent blood blisters on your hand, with safety as its top priority. Because of the unique self-locking adjustment and induction hardened gripping teeth, once set, it stays. There is no slipping or wasting strength squeezing the pliers, ensuring operator safety and more efficient work. The unique jaw configuration allows it to grip any shape object — flat, round, hex, or square. It also eliminates nut burring, which prevents pipes, nuts, and bolts from being stripped. Furthermore, the pliers are made of chrome vanadium electric steel, which is an innovative high alloy, oil-tempered steel that ensures longevity. Its slim head design allows you to get into places other pliers cannot, eliminating the need to switch tools when working in confined spaces.
Most Cost-Effective - Channellock 526 6-Inch Slip-Joint Pliers
Most Cost-Effective
Channellock 526 6-Inch Slip-Joint Pliers
With an affordable price tag, this option is well suited for gripping and storing.
These pliers are versatile and easy to use. They feature a serrated jaw for a firm grip and an added wire-cutting shear for soft wire.
Who It’s For
The Channellock pliers are ideal for those looking for an easy-to-use and affordable option to grip and bend hardware.
Why It’s Great
These pliers have non-slip vinyl grips, which make them pleasant to use for extended periods. The enclosed shear-type edge is another useful characteristic that makes it suitable for cutting strips of wire and cord, something that most other slip joints lack. They also have an additional wire-cutting shear for soft wire and a serrated jaw for a secure hold.
Potential Flaws
The drawback of these pliers is that it is limited in functionality.
Other Features
The Channellock Slip Joint Pliers are convenient and versatile. They have an additional wire-cutting shear for soft wire and a serrated jaw for a secure hold. These pliers are forged in the United States from high-carbon U.S. steel and have a unique coating to avoid rusting to the maximum extent possible. It has a 2-position adjustment to fit different sizes, as well as a serrated jaw and pipe grip design for a solid hold. With greater joint strength, the dependable permalock fastener reduces nut and bolt failure. Additionally, it offers comfortable non-slip grips.
Almost Made The Cut - Channellock TOOL ROLL-3 5 Piece Pliers Set
Almost Made The Cut
Channellock TOOL ROLL-3 5 Piece Pliers Set
A trusty set with the right tools and the perfect pliers for any kind of job.
This handy set consists of slip-joint pliers, diagonal cutters, needle-nose pliers, and two sets of groove-joint pump pliers — 9.5 inches and 10 inches. The rust-resistant pliers feature heat-treated teeth and vinyl-dipped grips that are non-slip and comfortable to the touch. They are all neatly packaged in a stylish nylon tool roll.
Who It’s For
Plumbers and other professional tool artisans will love the versatility of this pick. The Channellock Tool Roll-3 Set offers five different pliers to choose from: diagonal, slip-joint, long-nose, and two groove-joint pliers — perfect for plumbing applications! Therefore, if you love having a wide range of functionality, this set is sure to fulfill all your needs and more.
Why It’s Great
As impressive as this set may be, our primary focus is on the groove joint pliers, and with this toolset, you have two to choose from — 9.5-inch and 10-inch. This makes them perfect for a wide array of professional and household tasks. They are crafted with durable high-carbon steel and made by a renowned award-winning name in the tool-manufacturing industry.
Potential Flaws
The pliers' handles in this set are vinyl-dipped, making them the least ergonomic handles on our list. Their straight jaws are also not made with anti-rust material and have limited functionality as they can only be used for flat and hex-shaped objects. As much as we love the hardened, durable teeth of the groove-joint pliers, they may also leave dents and lacerations on difficult nuts and bolts, which hurts the overall aesthetics. You should also beware that these pliers have no push-button mechanisms and must be adjusted manually.
Other Features
Channellock is so well-known that people casually refer to all groove joint and water pump pliers as channel locks. This fact lets you know that this award-winning manufacturer produces high-quality, leading products, and their Tool Roll-3 5-Piece Pliers Set is one such innovation. This multi-purpose set features an 8-inch long nose plier, a 7-inch diagonal cutter, a 6-inch slip-joint plier, a 9.5-inch groove joint plier, and a 10-inch groove joint plier.
The pliers are made from C1080 high-carbon steel for superior performance and durability and are supported by vinyl-coated handles. The flat jaws of the groove joint pliers are adjustable and have hardened, heat-treated, non-slip teeth, making them suitable for various tasks. All this is packaged in a high-quality tool roll with individual sleeves for each plier, backed by a limited lifetime warranty.
Who This Is For
Adjustable pliers are for those who want to take firm hold of objects to turn or twist. These pliers are adjustable because their jaw opening can be set to different levels of gripping power. What distinguishes adjustable pliers is that the jaw opening can be adjusted while the two jaws remain parallel. They can use this feature to grab anything from a nut or bolt to a pipe or the end of a garden hose. Because of this, they’re a near-essential tool for plumbing work; installing faucets, tightening an under-sink connection, or installing a toilet are all much more difficult without a pair of adjustable pliers.
If you consider yourself a star handyman, these products will make your job a whole lot easier. Adjustable pliers are a modern, stress-free upgrade solution to regular pliers. They provide easy, straightforward mechanisms for adjusting their jaws to a wide range of positions without affecting the distance between the handles. This innovative concept makes all tasks requiring a plier, such as clamping, tightening, and screwing, much simpler to handle and maneuver.
Vjaw vs. straight jaw vs. smooth jaw
When it comes to adjustable pliers, you are likely to see one of these three popular jaw designs. Knowing the difference between each is just as important as knowing what kind of pencil to buy. Each jaw type is uniquely crafted to handle different kinds of tasks.
Vjaws are the most versatile of the three. These pliers have a V-cut on both upper and lower jaws that allow them to securely grab onto a variety of screw heads and surfaces — flat, hex, and round shapes.
Straight jaws are parallel to each other and have serrated teeth for easy work on flat or hex materials. However, you may struggle when it comes to round objects. The last jaw type — smooth — also runs parallel to each other but has no teeth. This limits their use to delicate surfaces such as PVC, or finishings like chrome.
Is it worth splurging on?
In our opinion, you can’t consider the cost of comfort a “splurge”. Therefore, if you’re some sort of a handyman, mechanic, plumber, or any other kind of manual artisan, a pair of pliers is a must-have necessity in your toolbox. Why have regular pliers when you can spend a few more dollars to get comfortable, adjustable, and stress-free pliers?
Why You Should Trust Us
We understand the stress, time, energy, dedication, and expertise that go into any form of manual labor. These jobs are hard enough as it is and require individuals with the greatest willpower to handle them. That is why we have taken it upon ourselves to discover ways that alleviate this stress, at least as much as we can. We have investigated and examined various adjustable pliers made by different brands to showcase the top four. You won’t get lost in the sea of pliers available to you if you read our thorough and objective assessment. You can be confident that after reading this review, you’ll choose wisely.
How We Picked
Here are some of the important things we considered when making our well-informed list of the best adjustable pliers on the market.
Push button adjustment
Another feature that caught our interest among the pliers is the push-button adjustments. This button is usually fitted at the connection end of the pliers’ handles. When this button is pressed, while holding the button down, handles can be stretched up or down, changing the jaw size of the pliers to the required size, releasing the button locks in the jaw in the appropriate size of the user. Just know that this procedure can be carried out with the jaw still gripping a bolt or nut.
Ergonomic handles
Pliers come with different kinds of handle designs and covers. Older pliers tend to have a “pinchy” effect because of poor handle designs. They are most often simply metal bars with thin layers of plastic, leaving you with bruised or blistered hands. Thanks to modern innovations, pliers now come with extra padded finishes that are anti-slip, making them more comfortable to use and suitable for tasks that require a lot of hand strength exertion.
We considered handles made of plastic, strong carbon steel, and those made of steel, and padded with plastic while considering adjustable pliers. The sensation and comfort of the pliers in your hands are largely influenced by the handles. The use of good pliers won’t result in injuries or exacerbate hand fatigue. Generally, a plastic handle is more pleasant than a steel or metal pliers handle. Steel adjustable handles are fashioned to mimic their forerunners.
Size + weight
Adjustable pliers also come in different sizes and lengths, from seven-inch to up to 12 inches. In any case, the longer your plier, the wider your grip area within the jaws, but also the heavier and bulkier it is. Medium pliers are about 10 inches long and they offer a grip area of approximately five inches and a jaw capacity of about two inches. As such, they are suitable for bolts and larger pipes, but not too bulky to fit in your toolbox.
If you’re dealing with a smaller eight-inch plier, you have to sacrifice leverage and functionality. If you’re dealing with a larger 12-inch plier, you’re left with longer handles that may be tough to get into tight spaces. The sweet spot is finding a pair of pliers that give you enough room to handle most tasks but are lightweight.
Jaw sizes also differ. The length of standard pliers is about 10 inches, meaning that it allows for five inches for gripping the handles. Those with 12 inches need handling techniques to get the best results in use and can be difficult to get into tight spaces. Those eight inches in length have limited functionality for heavy-duty jobs.
Durability and price
In general, the best pliers are crafted with a premium stainless steel alloy. However, premium pliers throw on additional wear-and-tear finishings like oil-hardened chrome vanadium to prevent future rusting and damage. We have found the most durable pliers on the market, guaranteed to provide the best value for money there is within their price ranges. The uses of adjustable pliers are diverse and include plumbing, mechanical, and even some electrical tasks. The pliers selected are of the finest quality and are durable. Depending on your needs, the cost of these pliers can vary. The best quality, with the most affordable options, has been reviewed and made available.
Ease of use
This article aims to find you the easiest pliers to use, regardless of their manufacturer, features, or price tag. Adjustable pliers are the easiest kinds of pliers to use, but as we have established, it’s way more than that. The products on this list have all the necessary features and qualities to give you a pleasant user experience and an easier work lifestyle.
Design and Style
When it comes to jaw design and shape, pliers with different jaw shapes were reviewed: the V-shaped, the noose, and the smooth jaw. The V-jaw-shaped pliers can be v-jaw, smooth v-jaw, or serrated v-jaw. The jaw determines what size of the object the pliers can hold. No single jaw design is appropriate for all jobs, but only the standard v-jaw competes to grab flat, hex, or round shapes. The jaw designs examined are also explained in the job for which they are best suited to achieve the best results.
How We Picked
Push Button Adjustment
The push-button mechanism allows you to adjust and lock the size of the jaws. This feature makes it easy to work on materials of different sizes. As such, we made sure to include pliers with this mechanism. Adjustable pliers come in many different jaws designs best suited for different tasks. Jaws may be nosed or straight jaw, V-jaw, or smooth jaw. Jaw designs determine the suitability for holding, twisting, or turning flat, hex, or round shapes.
Size + Weight
One of the many tools you'll find in a handyman's toolbox is a pair of pliers. This tool needs to be compact and strong enough to twist tough wires. But, given everything else you have to carry, they should also be lightweight. As different sizes of adjustable pliers are available, we looked at pliers between 10 and 12 inches that can be used for light and heavy-duty work. Those under 10 inches are ideal for delicate tasks that larger-sized adjustable pliers would compromise.
Ergonomic Handles
Doing any form of hand work is hard enough. The least we can do is suggest products that make your job a tad easier. Pliers with ergonomic handles are comfortable to use because of their better grip. These handles frequently have a soft rubber or foam coating that lessens hand fatigue by preventing slipping. We examined handles made of various materials that are properly padded, do not slide, and graze the hand, particularly while applying pressure or force while working. Handles can be made entirely of metal, with a plastic strip covering them, or entirely of metal.
Price
Another factor we considered was the price. Pliers with extra features, as well as pliers from different brands, may cost more. We chose the ones that are of high quality and reasonably priced to meet your needs. Get the job done and keep some change in your pockets. Our valuable picks are cost-effective and provide incredible resourcefulness within their individual price ranges.
Care and Maintenance
How to clean and how often
Luckily, maintaining a pair of pliers is not tedious. Although they do not require routine cleaning, a single thorough clean can go a long way. Here are a few steps you can take to that effect.
Make a cleaning solution of hot water and dish soap in a bowl or bath of your choice.
- Place your pliers in the solution and allow them to sit for at least five minutes.
- Use an old toothbrush to clean serrations and crevices to go over the jaws.
- Use a rag to wipe down handles to rid them of stains, excess sweat, and grease.
- Rinse them in clean, fresh water to remove soap.
- Wipe down thoroughly with a dry towel to remove excess water. Ensure your pliers are fully dry before storing them away in your toolbox.
How to remove rust
Over time, pliers can rust, and it’s important to treat them sooner to avoid future damage. You may use home remedies like vinegar, lemon, or salt or professional anti-rust solutions like WD40 or Boeshield T9 sprays to do this.
- To use vinegar, pour the distilled white vinegar into a bowl or cup of your choice and submerge your pliers in this solution for at least 24 hours.
- Open and close joints frequently in this soak to expel gunk around the joints.
- Rinse your pliers with clean water and dry them with a rag.
- Apply a thin coat of rust-protection oil like a machine or linseed oil to all metal parts of your pliers to protect them from future rusting. Don’t forget to wipe off excess oil from handles and joints.
How to use anti-rust spray
- Spray generously on the jaws and joints of your pliers to cover all metal surfaces susceptible to rust.
- Open and close handles repetitively so that the oil from the spray penetrates properly.
- Let your pliers sit for about fifteen minutes to allow the anti-rust spray fully work.
- Use a rag to wipe the gunk off your pliers and follow up with a toothbrush along the jaws and joints.
- If there is still some rust, repeat the steps until your pliers look as good as new.
- Wipe your pliers clean and apply a thin coat of machine oil to prevent future corrosion.
Safety measures
When using your pliers, always remember that safety comes first. Therefore, ensure that you use these tools with the right protective gear, like gloves, and that they are properly kept away in your toolbox.
How to store
Another thing you need to remember is how to store your pliers so they stay clean, rust-free, and in good working condition. Keep your tools somewhere cool and dry. Many individuals use their garages or basements as home workshops, but if those spaces aren’t insulated and temperature-controlled, they will get wet or moist. To avoid this problem, store your tools in a toolbox containing silica gel packs and rust-inhibiting materials, or purchase a dehumidifier.
Sources and Research
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