I remember my oldest son talking these key organizers he had seen on the internet and thinking they were a cross between a key chain and multi-tool. But since I don’t carry a bunch of keys and leave my vehicle keys in my bag, so I never really looked them up. Fast forward to mid November and I’m at Recoil Magazine’s CanCon in Savanah, Georgia standing at the Keybar booth. Keybar is a locally owned business selling those exact key and tool sets. I talked with the owner and graphic designer about the company and all the cool different designs ad styles they have for their Keybars. They had brought out samples to show off the variety of designs for their two different sized Keybars. They walked me through the customization and capabilities for setting up a personal Keybar and discussed some future ideas. They do all the design and manufacture process in house so they can develop new ideas as they happen. The woner showed my a couple of the projects he had designed recently, one being a rotating revolver cylinder pen holder. I ended up buying two Keybars, one for my son and one for myself and several of the tool inserts and accessories. 

There are two sizes of Keybars, a full size and Jr. model. They are a patented, made in the USA key organizer and made from high quality materials creating a very tough product. They can be laser etched, hand engraved, milled or UV printed with some very unique designs, to include some limited edition models by other artists. Either size Keybars are made from aluminum, titanium and carbon fiber and come with a titanium pocket clip and link to add key fobs or other odd shaped keys. Each Keyar comes with three sets of different length stainless steal screws that allow for 4, 8, or 12 keys and/or  tools, with a rubber gasket to allow you to adjust tension once you have loaded your Keybar. There are also a few different ways to connect keyfobs, oversized vehicle keys, keys you need to share or secure your Keybar. I grabbed the MagNut and a KeyVice Carabiner to try out. 

Since these are a hybrid key organizer and multi-tool, you can select a tool bundle or select which ones you want to add. Too many to list but here are some highlights: drivers, jumpdrive, led light, replaceable razor blade, knife, comb, golf divot repair, fork, can and bottle openers and a pen. If you have a tool you need on a regular basis they probably have it, think Swiss Army knife. They are always looking at new tools to add, we discusses some bypass tools that are on their radar. I chose to keep it simple and added a phillips head driver to both of mine and one a razor blade and the other the bottle opener. They come with spacers to counter or offset your keys if you don’t have an even amount and offset the different pocket clips. I preferred the Magnut for my car key and fob and found that you could set up a couple different keys with MagNuts to switch or remove to share with others if required. The KeyVice carabiner allows you to secure your Keybar to your pants or packs for quick location. 

Final Thoughts: I’m a minimalist when it comes to my pockets and EDC, but I found the KeyBar to be a convenient way to secure my keys and a couple EDC tools while still being streamlined and organized. The customization of different KeyBar styles and tool options means that no two set-ups will be the same. I find mine to be the solution I didn’t know I needed. 

By the numbers:

Comfort – 4.5/5 Even though you can keep these as slim as you want they send three lengths of screws so these can get a bit cumbersome and they are a bit long for a key chain. However there are a couple different ways to carry them in your pocket and you can use the MagNut to seperate your keys or fobs when not needed or when hanging from the ignition. 

Durability – 5/5 The KeyBars are made of aluminum, titanium or G10 and are very durable and the UV printing holds up to the wear and tear of everyday use. The screws and spacers are all made of stainless steel. The pocket clips are made of titanium and the KeyVice carabiner is made of aluminum. You are going to have to work to break these, plus they ahve a performance guarantee if you do.

Functionality – 5/5 Functionality is their middle name. You can make your KeyBar as useful as you need it to be. You can upgrade or change out the tools as you see fit or needs change. The multi-tool of key organizers.

Weight – 4.5/5 the KeyBar themselves are made of light weight material but again you can add up to 12 keys and tools to yours and make it pretty heavy for a pocket item. 

Value – 4/5 Since there are not many options that give you the versatility of a KeyBar, they can get pretty pricey as you outfit your. Even with the sale from CanCon, I surpassed the $100 mark for each of the KeyBars I outfitted. The prices are good for the materials used and being made in the USA. You can easily out spend the value of the tool when you start into the more stylized and limited edition KeyBars. 

Overall rating – 4.6/5 This mask is a versatile option for tactical officers and the prepared citizen for protection during contaminated environments, if used properly.

I received this product as a courtesy from the manufacturer via Spotter Up so I could test it and give my honest feedback. I am not bound by any written, verbal, or implied contract to give this product a good review. All opinions are my own and are based on my personal experience with the product.*The views and opinions expressed on this website are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Spotter Up Magazine, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.