Different ecodesign tools are developed to help assess environmental impacts or to help compare environmental improvement alternatives. In this study four various ecodesign tools were analyzed to ascertain in what way the tools give support in different types of trade-off situations. Ecodesign tools were compared taking into account seven criteria, e.g., whether a possibility to assess environmental impact of materials is included in the tool, the ability to prescribe design alternatives etc. As many different materials are used to produce industrial products, it would be weighty to find one all-purpose method for evaluating environmental impacts of all the materials. The very first expert system in Latvian was developed to help manufacturers carry out ecodesign and choose materials with less environmental impact. The user of this tool can find out the weak points in the product’s lifecycle, receive advices on how to improve the product and analyze the environmental impact of materials used in the product.