Two Decades of Innovation: Celebrating the Keyport Anniversary

In the world of everyday carry, where a man’s pocket is a curated collection of essential gear, the humble keychain has long been a source of frustration. A jangling mess of metal, a tangled knot of keys, and a silent aggressor against the screen of your smartphone—the traditional keychain was a problem in need of a solution.

For the past two decades, one brand has been at the forefront of this silent revolution, steadily shaping how we think about what belongs in our pockets. As we reach 2025, it’s time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Keyport, the brand that didn’t just create a product, but a new category of EDC entirely.

Keyport has been part of the everyday carry conversation since its inception in 2005. At a time when the world was on the cusp of the smartphone era, Keyport introduced a simple, design-led hardware solution that promised to change daily habits. Its first conceptual design for the Keyport Slide appeared online in 2007 and quickly found a home on the front pages of design and tech blogs like NOTCOT, Yanko Design, Uncrate, and Engadget, garnering thousands of interest list sign-ups.

This was a pre-social media landscape, and the fact that the Slide could build this kind of momentum online speaks volumes about its innovative appeal. It was a clear signal that the EDC community was ready for something more than just a metal ring.

The Keyport Slide was the brand’s first and most distinctive product, a compact, one-handed alternative to the traditional keychain. It was the first modern key organiser and the first to introduce a true slider mechanism. It also pioneered the universal, one-size-fits-all key head, known as Key Blades, solving the problem of different key sizes and shapes.

After production issues with its initial product launch in 2008, the product was redesigned, and the Keyport Slide V.01 was introduced in 2009 and finally delivered to customers in 2010 under a daring “pay what you want” model. Its true slider mechanism remains unique to this day, a testament to Keyport’s commitment to original and functional design.

Following the success of the Slide, Keyport didn’t rest on its laurels. It expanded its vision by applying the concept of modularity to EDC in a way that changed what pocket gear could include. The introduction of the Keyport Pivot in 2016 offered a Swiss Army-style key stack with a proprietary anti-loosening mechanism, ensuring your gear stays secure.

From there, the brand’s Anywhere Tools created a stackable modular system, allowing users to extend their functionality beyond keys with a variety of tools and tech. Together, these platforms created a customizable, expandable framework for everyday carry that was unheard of at the time.

Keyport’s innovation timeline is a masterclass in responding to the changing needs of the modern man. They were the first to integrate a lost-and-found service, KeyportID, and later the first to feature a fully integrated Bluetooth locator module with TrackR. They led the way in incorporating a crypto hardware wallet with a Ledger Nano X Adapter and were the first to offer a low, high, and dual-frequency RFID keys for seamless digital access.

Their OmniFob was a pioneering universal smart remote, and their Popl x Keyport Digital ME Key was the smallest, thinnest digital business card designed for key organisers. These innovations were often the result of smart collaborations with other forward-thinking brands like Yubico, KeyBak, and Chipolo, extending Keyport’s reach and utility.

As Keyport marks its 20th anniversary, the brand continues to refine its products and work on new ideas for the future of EDC. The Slide 4.0 LE1, a limited edition in aluminium and titanium, showcases a removable module system that requires no tools—a nod to the brand’s ongoing evolution.

From taming jangly keychains in 2007 to integrating tracking, RFID, and digital identity tools today, Keyport’s story mirrors how everyday carry itself has evolved. It’s a celebration of two decades of innovation, a brand that has consistently put practical utility and thoughtful design at the heart of its mission, solidifying its steady role in the ever-evolving world of EDC.

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