Best Steel Hex Keys of 2025

* We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.
Steel hex keys are a versatile tool used for tightening and loosening bolts and screws with hexagonal sockets. These hex keys are made from durable steel and come in a variety of sizes to fit different bolts and screws. They are commonly used in DIY projects, furniture assembly, automotive repairs, and more. With their compact size and easy-to-use design, steel hex keys are a must-have for any toolbox.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 Steel Hex Keys
Draper Redline 8 Piece Hexagon Key Set
The Draper Hex Key Set is crafted from hardened chrome vanadium steel, ensuring durability and reliability for your tasks. With sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 6.0mm, it offers versatility that guarantees the right fit for various applications. The extended long arm design is perfect for working in confined spaces, allowing you to manoeuvre easily and efficiently. Plus, the convenient keyring holder keeps your tools secure and accessible, so you can grab them whenever you need them.
HemBorta® 26pcs Metric/Imperial Allen Key Set
The HemBorta® Allen Key Set features 26 essential metric and imperial sizes, making it a versatile addition to your toolkit. The ball end design allows you to work at angles of up to 25 degrees, providing easier access to screws in tight spaces. Each key has chamfered edges on the short arm, ensuring smooth entry into hexagon screws. With a comprehensive range of sizes, this set caters to various applications, enhancing your efficiency and convenience during tasks.
HemBorta® 13-Piece Metric Allen Key Set
The HemBorta® Allen Key Set comprises 13 long metric hex keys, ranging from 1.27mm to 10mm, ensuring you have the right size for various tasks. The ball end design allows you to work at angles up to 25 degrees, making it easier to reach screws in tight spaces. Each key features chamfered edges, which help guide the tool smoothly into hexagon screws, reducing the risk of slipping. With its long arms, this set is perfect for accessing hard-to-reach screws, enhancing your efficiency in any project.
HemBorta® 8pc Folding Allen Key Set
The HemBorta® Allen Key Set features eight folding metric Allen keys, ranging from 1.5mm to 8mm. This compact set is ideal for remote work, ensuring you have the right size for bicycles, motorcycles, and machinery. Made from heat-treated chrome vanadium steel, the keys offer exceptional strength and rust resistance, making them durable for outdoor use. The chamfered edges allow for easy alignment with fixings, ensuring a smoother entry for efficient repairs and adjustments.
HemBorta® 13-Piece Imperial Allen Key Set
The HemBorta® Allen Key Set includes 13 long imperial hex keys, ranging from 3/64 to 3/8 inches. With the ball end feature, you can easily access screws at angles up to 25 degrees, making it ideal for tight spaces. The chamfered edges on the short arm help you smoothly locate and guide the keys into screws, ensuring a hassle-free experience. Designed for versatility, these long keys allow you to tackle a wide variety of tasks with ease.
Draper 30 Piece Long Arm Allen Key Set
The Draper Allen Key Set is designed for durability and versatility. Made from hardened chrome vanadium steel, it can handle heavy use, ensuring consistent performance in all your tasks. With sizes ranging from 0.7mm to 10mm and 0.028” to 3/8”, you can find the right fit for any job. The extended long arm design allows you to easily access tight spaces, making it ideal for those hard-to-reach areas. Plus, the durable plastic case keeps your tools secure and readily available whenever you need them.
DIY Doctor Hex Allen Key Set (9 Sizes)
The DIY Doctor Allen Key Set includes nine different sizes ranging from 1.5mm to 10mm, ensuring you have the right tool for any job. Each key is colour coded, allowing you to quickly find the correct size, which is particularly useful during complex repairs. Made from durable chrome vanadium steel, these keys are built to last, providing reliable performance over time. The increased length gives you greater torque, making it easier to loosen tight nuts and securely tighten any fittings.
E·Durable 30 Pcs Hex Key Set for DIY
The E·Durable Hex Key Set is essential for both amateur and professional DIY enthusiasts. Its unique flat ball design allows you to easily remove and install socket cap screws, providing access to hard-to-reach areas. Made from heat-treated chrome vanadium steel, these wrenches are durable and reduce wear on both the tool and fasteners. The precision hexagonal keys offer long-arm options for extra leverage and short-arm versions for tight spaces, ensuring you can tackle any job with ease.
D.A.Y. Republic 14 Piece Hex Key Set
The D.A.Y. Republic Hex Key Set is a 14-piece collection of precisely machined hexagonal keys, designed to make loosening and tightening nuts, bolts, and screws much easier for you. Secured on a convenient metal ring, these keys are easy to access, keeping your workspace tidy. Made from heat-treated steel with a zinc-plated finish, they offer exceptional durability and resistance to corrosion. Their innovative design includes stretchable springs on each key, enhancing usability and convenience, allowing you to tackle various tasks with ease.
Draper 10 Piece T-Handle Hex Key Set
The Draper T-Handle Hex Key Set is designed for precision and efficiency, featuring a t-handle design that maximises torque for effective tightening. Crafted from durable chrome vanadium steel, these tools offer reliability with added corrosion protection. The chamfered ends allow for easy insertion into bolts and screws, enhancing your efficiency during use. With sizes ranging from 2.0 mm to 10 mm, this versatile set ensures you have the right tool for any task, big or small.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What steel are hex keys made of?
Alloy steel and carbon steel are the most commonly used materials for Allen keys. Some manufacturers also use chrome vanadium to make wrenches that will have heavy-duty applications, given the properties of the material.
2. Are hex keys the same as Allen keys?
A hex key, also known as an Allen key is a simple tool used to drive bolts and screws with hexagonal sockets in their heads. From standard keys in chrome vanadium steel to extra-long with ballpoint heads in chrome molybdenum steel, there are a wide variety to choose from.
3. What are Allen key bits called?
Hex keys, also known as allen keys, are used to tighten or loosen bolts and screws that have a hexagonal head. They are a versatile tool and useful in many settings. Quality hex key sets are made from durable steel, and some feature multipurpose keys with a hex at one end and a ball at the other.
4. Are hex keys the same as Torx?
No, they are two very different tools. The Allen wrench or hex key, as it is sometimes called, is a hexagon shape, that is why many refer to them as hex keys. The Torx key has a star shape. So if you are trying to use an Allen wrench on a Torx screw, it won't work, and vise versa.
During our steel hex key research, we found 306 steel hex key products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 29,696 customer reviews through our big data system to write the steel hex keys list. We found that most customers choose steel hex keys with an average price of £7.27.
The steel hex keys are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of steel hex keys, including Draper, HemBorta, DIY Doctor, D.A.Y. Republic.

Jennifer Fraser is a licensed contractor specializing in sales, maintenance, and kitchen, bathroom, and home appliances, tools, and utilities. She owns a store in Leeds where you can get any home and tool appliance. Jenny has a degree in literature, but she combines her knowledge and experience with her degree to publish DIY articles on solving home appliances issues to keep up the family enterprise.