Tool Bags
Tool bags are for keeping your daily kit together, protected, and easy to grab, whether you're on first fix, snagging, or bouncing between jobs.
When you're sick of hunting for bits in the van or tipping a box out on the floor, a proper tool bag storage setup sorts it. Go heavy duty with reinforced stitching and a hard base for site abuse, or a tool organiser bag with compartments and pockets so you can find what you need one-handed.
What Are Tool Bags Used For?
- Loading a clean, repeatable daily kit for call-outs so you are not dragging half the van into a customer's house.
- Working out of a tool organiser bag with pockets and compartments so testers, fixings, and hand tools stay in the same place every time.
- Keeping tools off wet floors with a hard base tool bag or waterproof tool bag when you are in basements, new builds, or outside in bad weather.
- Carrying heavier kit like grips, pipe tools, or larger hand tools in reinforced tool bags that will not split when you lift them by the handles all day.
- Setting up portable tool storage for site moves, refurbs, and multi-trade jobs where you need to grab one bag and get straight back on the tools.
Choosing the Right Tool Bags
Sort the right tool bags by how you actually work: what you carry every day, how far you carry it, and how rough the site is.
1. Open tool bags vs zip tool bags
If you are in and out of the bag all day, an open tool bag is quicker and you can see your kit at a glance. If you are travelling between jobs or chucking it in the van with other gear, a zip tool bag keeps everything contained and stops small bits spilling everywhere.
2. Pockets and compartments (organiser vs bucket)
If you carry lots of small hand tools and fixings, go for tool bags with pockets and proper compartments so you are not fishing around. If you are carrying bulky tools, a simpler main compartment works better, but make sure there are still a few organiser pockets for the bits you always need first.
3. Hard base vs soft base
If you are on wet floors, rough concrete, or you stand the bag down constantly, a hard base tool bag lasts longer and keeps the bag upright. If you are tight on space in the van or climbing ladders, soft tool bags pack down easier, but you will want reinforced corners and decent feet if possible.
4. Fabric and build (canvas and reinforcement)
Canvas tool bags and heavy duty fabric tool bags take knocks better than thin material and they do not tear the first time they catch on a sharp edge. If you are carrying weight daily, prioritise reinforced tool bags with strong handles and stitching, because that is what fails first when a bag is overloaded.
Tool Bag FAQs
Open tool bag or zip tool bag, which is better on site?
Open tool bags are quicker when you are constantly grabbing tools, like first fix or snagging, because you can see everything. Zip tool bags are better for van travel and busy sites because they keep dust and rain off your kit and stop small tools and fixings spilling out.
Do I actually need a hard base tool bag?
If your bag lives on concrete, gets dragged around, or you are working in wet areas, yes, it is worth it. A hard base keeps the bag upright, stops the bottom wearing through, and keeps tools out of puddles and slurry, which is what kills soft fabric bags quickest.
Are waterproof tool bags fully waterproof or just shower resistant?
Most are built to handle rain and wet site conditions, not being left sitting in standing water all day. If you are regularly working outdoors, look for tougher fabric, covered zips, and a hard base, and still do the sensible thing and keep sensitive kit in a pouch inside.
How do I stop a tool bag turning into a mess after a month?
Use the pockets properly and give small consumables their own zip pouches, so they do not end up loose in the bottom. Keep a "daily kit" in the bag and leave the rarely used tools in the van or the workshop, otherwise even the best tool bag storage setup becomes a bucket.
Will heavy duty tool bags handle being overloaded?
They will take more abuse than a light bag, especially if they are reinforced with strong stitching and proper handles, but nothing likes being overfilled with steel all day. If you are carrying big grips, multiple hammers, or lots of fixings, go up a size and use compartments so the weight is spread instead of hanging off one seam.
Who Uses Tool Bags on Site?
- Electricians who want electricians tool bags with compartments for testers, drivers, strippers, and fixings so nothing ends up loose in the bottom.
- Plumbers who need builders tool bags style capacity for grips, cutters, tape, and consumables, plus a tough base for wet plant rooms and basements.
- Joiners and builders who live out of tradesmen tool bags for first fix and second fix, keeping hand tools and small power tools together without a bulky box.
- Maintenance teams doing reactive work who rely on tool carry bags to keep a standard kit ready, so you can park up, grab one bag, and crack on.
How Tool Bag Storage Works for You
A good tool bag is not just a carrier, it is a working layout that saves time and stops damage. Here is what matters on site.
1. The base keeps the bag usable
Hard base tool bags stop the whole thing collapsing when you put it down, so you can grab tools one-handed without tipping it over. They also keep sharp tools off wet floors and help protect the bag fabric from concrete and gravel.
2. Compartments stop tool damage and lost time
Tool bags with compartments and pockets keep blades, testers, and measuring tools separated, so you are not smashing everything together in one pile. On busy jobs, that means less time rummaging and fewer broken bits at the bottom.
3. Closure and weather protection is about the van and the walk-in
Zip tool bags and waterproof tool bags are about keeping dust, rain, and site muck out when the bag is in the van or carried across a wet site. Open tool bags are faster on the tools, but they are not the one to leave in the rain or under a leaky scaffold lift.
Tool Bag Accessories That Make Site Life Easier
A couple of add-ons turn a decent bag into proper portable tool storage, especially when you are moving room to room or job to job.
1. Tool bag organisers and inserts
An organiser insert stops the "everything in the bottom" problem and keeps drivers, pliers, and testers upright, so you are not emptying the bag out to find one small tool.
2. Small parts pouches and zip wallets
Keep fixings, terminals, blades, and consumables in separate pouches so they do not split open inside the bag and end up mixed through your tools and lining.
3. Padlocks or lockable zip pulls
If your bag is left in shared areas, a simple lock stops casual rummaging and keeps your hand tools where you left them, even if it will not stop a determined thief.
4. Name tags and ID labels
Labelling sounds basic, but it stops bags getting swapped on multi-trade jobs and makes it easier to get your kit back when everything is piled up in the same welfare cabin.
Shop Tool Bags at ITS
From compact tool organiser bags to heavy duty tool bags with hard bases and loads of compartments, we stock a proper range for electricians, plumbers, and builders. It is all held in our own warehouse, ready for fast next day delivery so your tool bag storage is sorted before the next shift.
