Best Needle Nose Pliers – Top 5 Picks, Ratings, and Reviews

Today let’s share the best needle nose pliers for your toolbox. Needle nose pliers are a type of pliers often used to cut or hold onto electrical wiring. You may have also heard of these referred to as long nose pliers depending on where you live.

If you’re an electrician, tradesman of any kind, or you’re just into hobby electronics then undoubtedly you’ve heard of or used some needle nose pliers.

It is rare to find a tool chest that doesn’t have a good pair of needle nose pliers these days – as their long nose gives them many handy uses.

Not only are they used as pliers, but they also usually have a cutting edge nearer to the pliers joint. Because needle nose pliers are such a useful and popular tool, as you can imagine the options are endless when it comes time to buy a pair.

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This guide is written after many hours of research to help you find the best needle nose pliers regardless who you are, or what you’re using them for. Check out the table below for a quick overview of our top picks.

Best Needle Nose Pliers – Our Top 5 Picks

Table of Contents

Below you can read through our review of the best needle nose pliers on the market. We have listed and detailed 5 great options for you to buy.

The reviews are aimed at helping both professionals and novices alike, but if you’re still unsure after reading through the reviews then check out the buying guide at the bottom.

#1 Klein Tools J203-8 Needle Nose Pliers with Cutter, Heavy Duty 8-Inch Journeyman

In at the number one spot, our top pick, and the best needle nose pliers for the money (in our opinion) we have the Klein J203. These pliers are produced from very high-quality materials, which are induction hardened with hot riveting making them as strong as can be.

The joint being hot riveted and hardened means that they won’t wear down very much over time, keeping them useful and strong without any unwanted wobbling.

These pliers from Klein provide a greater cutting ability than most pliers in this category. They have such fantastic ability to cut because they’re designed specifically to be heavy duty, while also being narrow to allow you easy reach into those tight spaces.

These needle nose pliers are crafted with ease of use in mind. As with any tool that is used a lot ergonomics is highly important.

The handle size should be just right, also the material the handle is made out of should be grippy but not too abrasive. It’s also important that the handle size is large enough to provide a good amount of leverage. All in all the J203 needle nose pliers from Klein are perfect for most people most of the time.

But remember, the price does reflect the quality as you see here with these pliers being priced quite steeply.

#2 Stanley 84-101, 6 Inch Basic Long Nose Cutting Pliers

The Stanley 84-101 6 Inch needle nose pliers are another good option if you need good pliers that are well priced. The nose of these long nose pliers is slim enough to reach into all the difficult areas that you might come across at work.

Not only are they narrow, but they’re also crafted from high-quality hardened steel meaning they will be very durable. Another thing you should note here is that the jaws on the Stanley 84-101 needle nose pliers have an anti rust coating, which can be a lifesaver if you leave your tools out in the rain often, or if you don’t have good tool storage setup.

These pliers feature a cutting piece close in to the joint, the cutting edge is hardened to stay sharp after cutting wires and such. It also has a chrome plating for an extra sharp edge.

As with the Klein pliers above, these pliers are quite ergonomic and easy to keep a grip of. The handle is in fact double dipped in a soft-to-touch grippy coating.

#3 IRWIN VISE-GRIP Long Nose Pliers, 6-Inch (2078216)

Among the top needle nose pliers available sits the IRWIN 6 inch long nose pliers. As you can expect from a brand like IRWIN, these pliers are top-notch.

They’re high quality and can get the job done whether you’re an electrician or a builder. These needle nose pliers are also priced very well. Like the pliers reviewed above, the metal of the jaws is very high strength, it’s plated with durable nickel-chrome steel to make sure the cutting edge stays very sharp.

If you work in the trades you should know that holding onto tools for a long time can cause strain injury, so it is very important to mitigate this risk when possible.

The ProTouch hand grips on these needle nose pliers do just that. They’re designed specifically to reduce the fatigue on your hands. With these pliers, you’ll be able to use them a lot with minimal fatigue.

#4 TEKTON 3504 5-Inch Precision Needle Nose Pliers

The Tekton 3504 5 inch needle nose pliers are another decent choice for both hobbyists and professionals both. This product is rugged and built with highly durable materials. They’re crafted from forged steel, with high carbon content. As we’ve already covered, ergonomics (how the pliers feel in your hand) is a very important thing to consider if you’re going to be using this tool a lot.

Fortunately, these needle nose pliers do not disappoint, they also have a special non-slip grip for precise and accurate control over them.

Unlike some pliers, these have a self opening spring to save you from having to fiddle around trying to open them before grabbing a wire etc.

Because these pliers are only 5 inches in size they’re a little smaller than the other options on this list, they’re also very slim which makes them great for getting to wires that are in tricky situations.

#5 Uxcell a09040100ux0188 Reach Needle Nose Pliers Jeweler Hand Tool, 6-Inch

These needle nose pliers may well be the ones for you as you will find out in this review below. They have all the features that are needed to make a pair of needle-nose pliers good, and functional to use for professionals or hobbyists.

As with any hand tool, being able to grip it firmly is of great importance. Fortunately, these pliers use plastic coated handles which are very easy to grip.

The plastic grip also acts to insulate the person holding them from getting an electric shock when using them on live wires. Having a plastic coating helps to keep the pliers overall very comfortable to grip. Due to these features, these long nose pliers are a favorite among electricians for working with wires.

Another feature that these pliers have worth mentioning is the double-leaf springs. They help ensure easy use and smooth motion of the pliers.

These needle nose pliers feature a polished head, which helps to safeguard from rust and corrosion, this is great for those of you who work outdoors or in the rain often.

The cutting edge of the pliers is constructed from forged steel, which is also tempered and heat-treated to make sure that it has plenty of rigidity when it comes to cutting wires, or other tasks that demand strength and reliability.

Consider this, before you buy needle nose pliers

When you’re looking for a good pair of needle nose pliers you need to remember that they’re only as good as the steel they’re made from.

As with all tools, the quality of the steel used varies significantly. It’s crucial that you find a pair of needle nose pliers which are made from high-quality high carbon steel, they should also be induction hardened to make sure they stay sharp over the duration of their lifetime.

The selection criteria for good needle nose pliers doesn’t end there. They also should have some kind of coating to prevent corrosion and rust – especially if you often work outdoors in the rain.

Most good brands are also corrosion-resistant, but be sure that you check before buying.
Another important consideration before you buy is ergonomics.

This point is often overlooked, but if you’re using your tools day in and day out you need to make sure they’re ergonomic in order to prevent injury. Ideally, the handle of the pliers should be shaped comfortably to fit in your grip, and it should also be coated in a gripping surface to prevent slipping.

You should always buy your tools from a well-known brand like Klein, or Stanley. This is because they have a big reputation and years in the industry producing quality tools so you know you can trust them.

Durability

The durability of the needle nose pliers is the factor that will determine the longevity of the tool. So it’s obviously important that you opt for a durable pair of long nose pliers.

The most durable materials are usually stainless steel, with extra coatings to ensure that corrosion isn’t an issue. However, the most durable pliers are also usually more expensive. So if you only use them occasionally you may be better off buying a cheap pair.

Precision

In order for the pliers to perform well, they must be accurate and precise. That means that they need to have jaws that are made to perfectly line up without deformities, or misalignments. If your needle-nose pliers meet these criteria properly you will be able to easily grip onto tiny objects.

Despite this factor being among the most important when it comes to choosing the best tool, it is often overlooked. And if you don’t keep in mind the need for accurate pliers you might have great difficulty when it comes to usage.

We recommend that in order to get the most accurate pliers at an affordable price you should check out all the reviews above.

Handle Design & Ergonomics

The handle is an essential part of any good pair of pliers. The most common style of handle is a simple rubber or plastic coating. Which is just a thin sheet of material outside the metal, so it does not provide much in the way of a comfort compared to the other options.

The upside of the simple plastic coated handle is that these models are usually a bit cheaper. But remember this isn’t always the case as not all plastic is the same quality, some are extraordinarily durable and comfortable. If you’re using these pliers often you will want to keep the comfort in mind as you might develop callouses otherwise.

Also if you don’t use them very often at all, then perhaps it’s less of a concern and you don’t need to worry about it. In most cases the handle material is determined by the price of the product, if it’s more expensive it tends to be of higher quality.

Cutting

Some needle nose pliers come with built-in cutters. These are great if you’re using the pliers for a variety of tasks like an electrical professional might.

Most average DIY enthusiasts and homeowners won’t use this kind of feature. But if this kind of feature is one that you’re looking for then make sure the cutting edge is sharp! How sharp it is, and whether or not it will stay sharp depends on the quality of the steel.

Length

The nose length is another relevant factor that you need to consider before you buy. Some are extremely short, while others are extremely long.

For most people, a mid-range pick is the right choice, unless you have a specific need for very long pliers. People who work in confined spaces for instance may need to use longer nosed pliers.

Frequently Asked Questions About Needle Nose Pliers

When it comes to learning about your new needle-nose pliers, you may have a few questions. Here are some of the most commonly asked questions to help put your mind at ease.

Q: What is the purpose of needle nose pliers?
Originally, they were designed to bend and hold wires of various sizes with their pointy nose. Over time however, the needle nose pliers became a more versatile tool. Nowadays they also have a cutting edge and can be used for a ton of different applications. The most common use of needle nose pliers is by electricians.

Q: Are needle-nose pliers the same as long-nose pliers?
Yes, they are technically the same thing. Traditionally there may have been some kind of difference but today the two terms are used interchangeably.

Q: Can you strip wires with needle nose pliers?
Yes, you can. To do this, squeeze the wire between the grip of the jaws enough to penetrate the plastic, but not the wire. Then spine around the outer plastic jacket of the wire to cut it off without damaging the inner wire.

Q: How can you fix needle nose pliers?
Occasionally even good hand tools will break. If this, unfortunately, happens to you, you’re better off buying a new pair rather than trying to do a DIY repair job. If you botch the repair they may become dangerous.

Final Thoughts on choosing the Best Needle Nose Pliers for the job

Hopefully, this guide leads you to buy some good hand tools. In these reviews of the best needle nose pliers, we took a look at some models from various different brands to help give you an idea of what a good pair looks like. The overall versatility of the Klein needle nose pliers makes these the top pick.

These pliers are a fantastic choice whether you will use them professionally or just as part of your DIY hobbies. If you only want the best for the money, not the best overall, then the IRWIN pliers are likely to be your best bet as they are very cheap, while still a very high-quality product.

Ideally, these reviews have provided you with some value and guided you towards making the right purchasing decision.