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Screwdrivers come in a variety of shapes and sizes, so a good screwdriver set should give you a wide range of tools to help you tackle almost any screw you find yourself working with.
In September 2021, we tested eight screwdriver sets costing a little as £4 and as much as £49, which we bought from major retailers such as B&Q, Screwfix, Toolstation and Amazon.
In our tests, we used them with a variety of different types of commonly used screws from Phillips to Pozidriv.
Find out which screwdriver set we recommend, when you might need a VDE or precision screwdriver, as well as the commonly used names for a variety of screwdrivers and screw heads.
Pricing and availability last checked: 8 August 2022
Need a new hammer too? We reveal the best claw hammers from our tests.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the full test results below. If you're not yet a member, you'll see a list of the screwdriver sets we tested in alphabetical order.
Join Which? now to get instant access to our test results and recommendations below.
Only available at B&Q : £14.24.
Set contains: 7x slotted, 4x Phillips, 1x stubby slotted and 1x stubby Phillips
These screwdrivers from B&Q are one of the more affordable options in our selection.
How did this set of screwdrivers compare with its more expensive counterparts?
To read our full review and see all our recommendations, log in to your account or become a member by joining Which? today.
Set contains: 5x slotted, 2x Phillips, 2x Pozidriv, 1x mains tester, 1x VDE slotted and 1x VDE Phillips
This set of screwdrivers is the most expensive in our tests, but it includes a mains tester and two VDE screwdrivers (find out what that means below).
The manufacturer claims these screwdrivers are made from high-quality materials, which makes them very tough and comfortable to use.
Did we find these to be easier to hold than the cheaper alternatives? Find out by logging in to your account or join Which? to read our full review.
Set contains: 4x VDE slotted, 4x VDE Phillips and 4x VDE Pozidriv
This affordable set of screwdrivers from Magnusson claims to have soft-grip handles for higher torque and greater control, while also reducing hand strain.
For our tests we got hands-on using the screwdrivers with a wide range of screws, to assess how easy or difficult they are to hold and use.
To read our full review and see what we made of this set, log in to your account or join Which? now.
Cheapest Price: £30.49 available at Amazon , also available at Screwfix .
Set contains: 3x Phillips, 3x Pozidriv and 6 x slotted
This set of screwdrivers from Milwaukee boasts a wrench-ready shank that allows extra leverage to be applied.
The manufacturer also says the tri-lobe handle is optimised for maximum comfort and high-torque application.
Did our researchers feel these claims were met when they tested this set? Log in to your account or join Which? today to find out.
Cheapest Price: £4 available at Halfords , also available at Amazon , Rolson .
Set contains: 1 screwdriver handle with 12 bits (3x slotted, 3x Phillips, 3x Pozidriv and 3x Hex)
This short and stubby screwdriver may look like only one, but it is in fact a set of 12.
The wide handle stores six double-ended bits that give you a total of 12 different screwdriver options.
Find out if this screwdriver is a brilliant bargain or a waste of money, by logging in to your account or joining Which? today.
Cheapest Price: £22.76 available at Toolstation (collection only), also available at Amazon , Screwfix .
Set contains: 4x parallel slotted, 2x flared slotted, 3x Phillips and 3x Pozidriv
This colour-coded set of screwdrivers from Stanley Fatmax has been designed to make it easier for you to quickly identify each tool.
The manufacturer claims the large-diameter handles give you added grip and torque.
Log in to your account or join Which? today to read our review and find out what our researchers made of this set.
Only available at Amazon : £30.99 (out of stock).
Set contains: 6x slotted and 6x Phillips
The manufacturer claims this screwdriver set from UnitedLux has ergonomic cushion-grip handles that are designed for comfort and control.
It's a mid-priced set, but it's worth bearing in mind that it only contains slotted and Phillips screwdrivers.
See if it's one we recommend by logging in to your account or joining Which? today to get instant access to all of our reviews.
Only available at B&Q : £32.
Set contains: 3x slotted, 3x Phillips, 2x Pozidriv and 4x Torx
The manufacturer says every handle in this set offers a perfect balance between guidance, speed and torque.
It offers a good range of different screwdrivers, but does it live up to the claims?
To find out, log in to your account or join Which? today and gain instant access to all our recommendations.
In need of a tool with a lot more power? Check out our power tool brands compared .
VDE stands for Verband der Elektrotechnik - an organisation that's responsible for testing and certifying tools and appliances and is internationally accredited.
The VDE mark indicates safety and quality in electrical, information and medical technologies.
A VDE screwdriver is used to ensure you are safe when working with electricity and these tools are intended to help prevent injury from electric shock.
Precision screwdrivers are much smaller (normally around the size of a pen) than their full-sized counterparts.
A precision screwdriver set comprises tools for dealing with small fasteners - for example, screws in a clock, watch or electronics.
There are a number of different types of screws and screwdriver bits, which can be a bit bewildering to the uninitiated.
Here's quick guide to some of the more common screwdriver types:
Slot or slotted screws are recognisable by their single horizontal indentation across the whole head.
This type of screw is driven in by flat-head (also known as flat-bladed) screwdrivers.
Like slotted screws, Phillips screws and screwdrivers are very common.
Easily recognised by its cross cut out with a slightly wider middle than a standard cross (or doubled-slot) screw.
Phillips screws and screwdrivers are often designated by the letters 'PH'.
Pozidriv screws are considered an improved version of the Phillips screw. It is sometimes referred to as a multi-purpose screw.
You can tell a Pozidriv screw from a Phillips by spotting the set of radial indentations (tick marks) set at 45 degrees from the main cross recess on the head of the screw.
While Pozidriv and Phillips may appear broadly interchangeable, it's best to usethe correct driver for the screw.
Phillips screwdrivers can loosely fit and turn Pozidriv screws, but can easily slip or potentially damage the screw or screwdriver head.
Also, Pozidriv screwdrivers can be forced into Phillips screws, but when tightened they may tear out the Phillips screw head.
As the name would suggest, this type of screw and the accompanying screwdriver have a hexagonal recess/head similar to that of an Allen key.
This type of screw is often found in flatpack furniture.
Torx screws (sometimes called star drive) have a star-shaped recess in the fastener with six rounded points.
These types of screws are popular in the automotive and electronics industries.
Preventing rust from developing can help you get the most out of your tools.
If you spot rust on your tools, you'll need to act quickly to stop the rust from spreading.
Keeping your tools in a climate-controlled area is a simple way to prevent rust from forming.
If your shed or workshop often fluctuates between cold and hot, your tools are likely to rust, as the fluctuating temperature will attract moisture.
If this is the case, you may wish to consider placing a heater, as well as a dehumidifier, where you store your tools.
Another option is to place silica gel packs in your toolbox, drawers or tool cabinets. This will help to reduce moisture.
Apart from controlling the climate, you can also help to prevent rust from forming on your tools by keeping them dust-free, because dust attracts moisture.
When cleaning your tools, make sure you always dry them completely.
You can protect the metal areas with an application of a rust inhibitor, such as WD-40, spread evenly with a microfibre cloth.
If you spot rust forming on your tools, here's how to quickly remove it:
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To bring you these results we put each screwdriver set through the following tests:
We carefully examined the build quality of each set of screwdrivers and checked for any manufacturing faults or defects.
The best screwdrivers were absent of mould lines and other flaws caused by the manufacturing process.
To test how easy each set of screwdrivers was to handle, we used them to screw and unscrew four different types of commonly found screws.
We used Phillips, slotted and Pozidriv screws for this test. Each screw was screwed into and unscrewed from a 22mm-thick plank of treated spruce timber.
For this test, our researchers considered how well each set was able to cope with the different sizes of screws and whether the screwdrivers slipped in our hands while using them.
The best sets in our selection had something for each type of screw we tested and were easy to use.
Our researchers also considered and checked how comfortable each screwdriver was when used.
We looked at the design of the grips and how they felt while holding and also while twisting.
The best screwdrivers fitted comfortably in our hands and caused no discomfort while in use.
On the other hand, the worst in our selection were uncomfortable and caused hand ache after prolonged usage.
When finding the screwdriver sets to include in our test, we considered the following selection criteria.
We bought all of the products we tested.