Review: HOTO Tools

Manufacturer: HOTO

Price as tested: $30–$120

Link: hototools.com

Here in Ann Arbor, we have an amazing library that lets you check out not only books, movies, and games, but even artwork, tools, and music gear. It was through this program that I first experienced the Teenage Engineering OP-1, a combination synthesizer, sampler, and multi-tracker that is intuitive to use and gorgeous to look at. Shortly after this, I acquired one of my own so that I didn’t have to keep waiting for it to be available to check out, along with a slew of pocket calculator/Game & Watch-inspired Pocket Operator music gadgets over the subsequent decade. Teenage Engineering has earned a reputation for making delightful objects that are as intuitive to use as they are enjoyable to look at. All of which leads me to the HOTO brand that is actually the focus of this review.

Over the holidays I found a large box on my porch, laden with goodies from Ol’ Saint HOTO, including precision and full-size electric screwdrivers, a cordless (brushless) driver, a flashlight, and a curious blower-sucker thing (“Compressed Air Capsule”). My first reaction was to how incredibly great-looking these devices are; more akin to a sleek laptop’s design language than something you hide in a toolbox in your garage. But their beauty runs deeper, as though HOTO completely rethought how tools should work from the vantage point of modern tech. Instead of a proprietary battery system, they have integrated power with built-in USB-C charging, complete with intuitive RGB LED status indicators. This also makes them lightweight and compact.

Their elegant appearance might imply a lack of robustness, but I’ve been using these tools for months and they look as good as new. They standout from traditional tools with their innovative storage and use of magnets, as well as modern touches like the integrated LCD in the driver that indicates torque limit, direction, and mode.

Oh, and that blower-sucker: rather than just a handheld vacuum, it’s a multitool that can not only bust dust but also blow it like a compressor, plus inflate inner tubes and vacuum seal bags! Even the flashlight is absurdly innovative, with a side light in addition to the main beam, and an integrated hook, magnet, and strap, to allow it to be mounted almost anywhere, while providing a soft glow or intense beam, or even a simulated campfire!

HOTO’s innovative, attractive, and capable tools deserve a place in any toolbox, if not somewhere more prominent like a shelf or coffee table where their aesthetics can be appreciated even while not in use!