What's the difference between Unbreaking 1, 2, and 3?

Unbreaking 1 gives your item a 50% chance to not take damage per use. Unbreaking 2 increases that to 66.67%, and Unbreaking 3 is 75%. Level 3 basically makes items last about 4 times longer than normal.

Can I put Unbreaking on any tool or weapon?

Yes, Unbreaking works on any item with durability. That includes pickaxes, axes, shovels, swords, bows, fishing rods, shields, armor, and even elytra.

Does Unbreaking stack with Mending?

Yes. Unbreaking reduces how fast your item takes damage, while Mending repairs it when you get experience orbs. Together they make your gear last almost forever.

Is it worth enchanting stone or wooden tools with Unbreaking?

Not really. You're better off saving Unbreaking for diamond, netherite, or gold tools since they're expensive to replace. Cheap tools aren't worth the effort.

Can you get Unbreaking from fishing or mob loot?

You can find enchanted books with Unbreaking in loot chests, or catch them while fishing. You can also get them from librarian villagers in some versions.

Unbreaking Enchantment Guide - Minecraft Durability

The Unbreaking enchantment is one of the most useful you can slap on your gear in Minecraft. It basically makes your tools, weapons, and armor last way longer by reducing how much durability they lose when you use them.

What Does Unbreaking Do?

Unbreaking decreases the chance that your item takes durability damage each time you use it. Instead of your pickaxe losing one durability per block mined, it might only lose durability every other block, or every third block, depending on the level. This adds up to a ton of extra uses.

The enchantment works on pretty much anything with durability: pickaxes, shovels, axes, hoes, swords, bows, crossbows, fishing rods, tridents, shields, shears, elytra, and all your armor pieces. You can even put it on a carrot on a stick.

Unbreaking Levels Explained

Unbreaking has three levels, and you want level 3 whenever you can get it. Here’s the breakdown:

Unbreaking I – Your item has a 50% chance to not take damage
Unbreaking II – Your item has a 66.67% chance to not take damage
Unbreaking III – Your item has a 75% chance to not take damage

At level 3, that means your tools basically last about 4 times as long as normal.

How to Get Unbreaking

You’ve got three ways to add this enchantment:

Enchanting Table

Use an enchanting table like you normally would. Unbreaking shows up as a random option, so you might need to enchant a few items to get it. You’ll need lapis lazuli and bookshelves for better enchantments.

Anvil

Combine an enchanted book with Unbreaking on it with your item. You can find enchanted books as loot or combine books at an enchanting table to create them.

Commands

If you’re in creative or have cheats enabled, use these commands:

/enchant @p unbreaking 1
/enchant @p unbreaking 2
/enchant @p unbreaking 3

Best Items to Enchant

You’ll get the most value from Unbreaking on items you use constantly:

Diamond or Netherite pickaxe – Mines tons of blocks, so durability matters
Diamond or Netherite sword – For fighting mobs
Armor – Protects you for longer before breaking
Bow or crossbow – You’ll use it a lot in combat
Fishing rod – Makes fishing runs last longer

Less useful on wooden or stone tools since they’re cheap to replace anyway.

Stacking Unbreaking with Mending

Unbreaking pairs really well with the Mending enchantment. Mending automatically repairs your item when you get experience orbs. Combined with Unbreaking, your good gear basically becomes indestructible.

Version Support

Unbreaking works on all current Minecraft versions including Java Edition and Bedrock. It’s been in the game for ages, so you’re covered whether you’re on 1.20 or any recent version.

Unbreaking Enchantment Guide – Minecraft Durability