6 New Ryobi USB Lithium Products To Consider In 2024

Purchasing a battery system is often one of the most expensive aspects of starting a cordless power tool collection. Rechargeable pack batteries have come a long way in terms of power and efficiency, but they can drive the price of any purchase up and sometimes even cost more than the tool itself. Luckily, brands have been stepping in to offer products that operate on smaller, and much more affordable cordless power systems.

Ryobi introduced its USB Lithium platform in order to offer a lower-powered, but much more affordable alternative to its already budget-friendly line-up. The goal was to produce a line of tools that are designed for casual users who don't want to break the bank just to do a few light repairs around the house. SlashGear tried a lot of these tools earlier this year when they were first released, and we found that, while they won't be beating their higher-end alternatives in terms of performance any time soon, they were capable products that could handle most simple jobs fairly well. Not only that, but nearly all of these tools are compact, proving that great things can come in small packages. With that in mind, many of you might be wondering which of the newest tools Ryobi has added to the USB Lithium line are worth considering.

A power screwdriver is one of those tools that you can get by without for a long time. There's nothing you can really do with it that you can't do already if you own a decent drill and a set of hand tools. That said, drills are often too powerful for delicate tasks like installing screws into drywall or assembling electronics, and anyone who's ever done a project where they've had to hand turn more than a dozen screws knows what a pain in the wrist that can be.

The USB Lithium Multi-Head Screwdriver is designed for both utility and comfort. It has three different head attachments: a 1/4" hex attachment, an offset attachment, and a right angle attachment. These allow you to reach screws that may be awkwardly placed or angled in such as way that it's difficult to maneuver the driver behind them. It's about the size of a glue gun, but it still has enough power to reach speeds up to 200 RPM. That's more than enough rotation for basic screw and bolt assembly. The kit also comes with a 2Ah battery, a charging cable, and a basic bit set, so you should be able to handle most Phillips, flat-head, and simple star-headed fasteners that you encounter.

Soldering can be tricky. It's delicate work that often makes you wish you had a few extra hands. You have to keep the wires you're connecting in place while maneuvering the solder wire and the soldering iron itself. This is why cordless soldering irons are such a boon. There's nothing worse than maticulously positioning all of these components only for the iron's power cord to bump into one of them, forcing you to start the process over.

The Ryobi USB Lithium Soldering Pen is appealing for a few reasons — the first and most obvious being that it's cordless. There are quite a few cordless soldering irons out there, but many of them are large and difficult to wield due to the size of the batteries they require to maintain heat. The Ryobi model is thin, making it easy to handle and maneuver. It heats to 900°F in less than two minutes and has an automatic shutoff after 10 minutes, so you don't need to worry about accidentally leaving it on. It has an onboard worklight to make it easy to see what you're doing and an integrated stand so you can set it down without worrying about it rolling away. The kit includes the 2Ah battery, charging cable, a fine point tip, cover, and some solder to get you started.

Another tool that's nice to have on hand is a power stapler. You can certainly get a mechanical stapler for cheaper, but those generally require you to manually pull back a lever to build up the tension that discharges each and every staple. That's not a big deal if it's a tool you only break out on rare occasion, but you may start struggling to summon the adequate grip strength over the course of a big project, like installing insulation or roofing felt.

The Ryobi USB Lithium Stapler, is actually a 4-in-1 unit that discharges light duty staples, heavy duty staples, crown staples, and even 5/8" brad nails. This means you can use it for everything from stretching upholstery to attaching trim. It has an ergonomic grip with a simple trigger and guides to help you line-up your shots. The tool comes with a 3Ah battery and charging cable. This can discharge over 600 staples or nails on a single charge. It also has a few extra features, such as a USB charging port (just in case you want to charge your phone off your stapler,) an indicator that lets you know when you're about to run out of staples and a separate LED indicator for when the battery is low.

Power inflators might seem like they all do the same thing, but there are actually a few different kinds of inflators out there and some of them are better suited to different kinds of jobs than others. High-pressure inflators are good for filling tires, so they tend to be more popular in the hardware community. That said, high-volume inflators arte useful to have around too. They quickly fill pool toys, air mattresses, bounce castles and other objects that might pop under the higher pressure produced by more powerful inflators.

Ryobi makes a USB Lithium High Volume Inflator that the company promises can inflate a twin air mattress in under 90 seconds. It's compact and cordless design makes it easy to store and bring with you for camping or beach trips. It can also deflate items when you're done with them, making them much easier to fold up and store when you're done. The tool is IPX4 water resistant as well, so it won't break if it gets a little wet.

It isn't just useful as an inflator/deflator either. You can also use it as a blower for cleaning up dusty surfaces if you want.

Area lights are one of those things that never seem exciting in the store, but that you inevitably find yourself wishing you had later. They're good for camping, power outages, lighting up dark sheds, or simply illuminating dark workspaces like the cabinetry under your sink.

Ryobi has a Compact Area Light that it sells as part of its USB Lithium platform that should be more than sufficient for most basic jobs. It has four different lighting modes: low, medium, high, and strobe. It can produce up to 300 lumens at it's highest luminosity and can run for up to 52 hours at its lowest when using the included 2 Ah battery. It also has an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, so you don't need to worry about your light source going out on the trail is it starts to rain.

In terms of mounting, the light comes with a hanging clip that makes it easy to carry with you or mount in whatever area needs light the most, and it's also compatible with Ryobi's Link storage system, so you can easily mount it to use above a workbench.

Ryobi doesn't just make tools though. The company also manufactures plenty of other useful supplies that make use of its battery systems. One of the newest products to be added to the USB Lithium platform is the Ryobi Heated Cushion. This is a 3" thick, cordless heated pad that you can bring camping, to sporting events, or anywhere else where you might want to soften up a hard seat and warm your tush at the same time.

It has three heat settings: High (150º F), medium (130º F), and low (110º F). The cushion has a power source located on the side that can operate with one or two of the Ryobi USB Lithium batteries. This allows it to stay warm for up to five hours when using both of the included 2Ah batteries on the lowest setting. The power source can also serve as a USB-C charging port for mobile devices if you choose. The cushion's upholstery has a handle for easy transportation and a pouch on the side for storing the cushion's power box. The material that this upholstery is made from isn't listed on the Ryobi website, but it seems to have a quilted fabric on top and a nylon material on the sides.