Why bits go missing, and how in-body storage fixes it

Here is a small domestic mystery: how does a set of six screwdriver bits turn into two bits and a lot of searching? The answer is that bits are small, screwdrivers are long, and nothing in a normal drawer keeps them together.

The problem with the bag

Multi-bit screwdrivers usually ship their bits in a plastic sleeve or a bag. The sleeve goes in the drawer, the driver goes on the counter, and within a month the two have separated. The bit you need is always the one that migrated.

Storage inside the handle

The Kelvin Retractor stores all six bits inside the body of the tool. There is nothing to lose because there is nothing loose. The body is glass-fibre reinforced resin, light enough for a kitchen drawer and stiff enough for real torque.

Load and lock

The E-Z load and lock system is the part people notice first. Push the bit you want up into the driving position and it locks. Retract it and choose another. There is no pulling bits out and pressing them into a chuck, and no bit left on the floor afterwards.

The Auto Advance

The Retractor Auto Advance adds a spring-loaded switch: press it and the next bit advances into place. It is built for jobs where you change bits repeatedly, such as working up a ladder, repetitive assembly, or anything where putting the tool down to swap a bit means climbing down. It ships in its own hard case.

The Mini

The Retractor Mini is the same idea shrunk to pocket size: a 6-in-1 driver for glasses, battery covers, game controllers and the small screws that appear at the worst moment. It is the one that goes in the laptop bag and the travel kit.

Who it is for

• Anyone who has ever lost a bit. That is most people.
• Tool bags where loose bits sink to the bottom.
• Around-the-house jobs where you want one object, not a kit.

It is a small idea executed properly, and the reason the Retractor family carries some of the best owner reviews in the range.

See the Kelvin Retractor