With the rise of banking and payment apps, and the ability to store your card details and pay for items via mobile, combined with the new craze of buying everything online, we no longer need to store all of our cards and cash in a big and bulky wallet. The bulky leather wallet has gone out of style and is simply impractical in today’s minimalist world. If you think about it, there are a lot of downsides to carrying that mammoth of a wallet around.
- It can create a big and awkward bulge in your pants (and not a good kind of bulge)
- If kept in your back pocket, it can be easily noticed by someone looking to rob you.
- Studies have linked the weight of a man’s wallet to having a contributing factor into potential back pain, known as ‘Fat Wallet Syndrome’.
- It can damage your trousers and their shape.
The beauty of minimalist wallets is that they are both convenient and functional. They are not only small, thin, and light, but they have the ability to carry all of your essential cards. Some of them can be expensive, but are a worthwhile investment, especially considering the fact that a wallet itself can cost a lot of money.
At least with the minimalist wallet, you get none of the complaints associated with the big wallet. You get good card storage, and you minimise the risk of losing your cards if you have no wallet, or worse, accidently putting them into the washing machine because they were left in your trouser pocket (we have all been there). This article offers a list of 10 of the best minimal wallets based on price, functionality, and design.
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What Should a Minimal Wallet Have?
The beauty of the minima wallet market, is that there are hundreds of wallet types and shapes and sizes available, meaning that if you need a wallet for a specific purpose, then it is easy to find one that suits your needs. However, every minimal wallet should have a few key things that make it a must buy.
Lightweight Design
Not every minimal wallet has to weigh 20 grams, but you don’t want to substitute a leather clamshell for another slightly smaller leather clamshell either. Many of the wallets on the list below are made of lightweight material, which make carrying it around, even when filled with all of your essential cards, easy and effortless.
High-Functionality
As well as being minimal in its design, a wallet that is functional and yet forces you to be economic in your choice of cards is always a winner. Some wallets have multiple pockets allowing you to store up to 8-10 cards and some have just one or two pockets. Similarly, some wallets have bifold or trifold capabilities, allowing for more storage. Many have RIFD blocking technology, which helps to prevent from electronic pickpocketing. In any case, finding what works best for you is crucial.
A Good Price Point
You don’t want to pay hundreds of dollars for the sake of storing your bank card and ID, however, quality does not always come cheap. Finding a balance between affordability and quality will always need to be a priority. This list looks to present you with wallets that strike that balance.
1. The Hammer Anvil Minimalist Wallet
Let’s start out with the inexpensive model first. This wallet and many others like it are both cheap and convenient for the owner. They have three card holder pockets on each side and although, like many smaller wallets, it has no see-through plastic window for ID holding, I think that gives it a more classy and less tacky appearance.
It can hold up to 6 cards, plus a little cash too if you need it and is available in grey, brown or black. Empty is it less than 0.5 inches thick and is lightweight at 1.27oz. It, like all others on the list, has the RIFD anti-theft technology built into its fabric, which for the $13 you pay, is excellent. It is not the lightest or most economic wallet in terms of its functionality or space, but for its price point, it is a great minimal wallet to buy if you are looking to enter the minimalist wallet game.
2. AIRO Collective Stealth Wallet
Did someone say quality? Because if quality is what you are looking for, then you have found it here. AIRO pride themselves on having the world’s best ultra-thin and strongest minimal wallets. Considering the fact that their wallets are made of material that is 15x stronger than steel and they weigh 0.27oz, it is difficult to argue with them.
The wallet is small yet can carry up to 8 cards at a time and even some cash. The supported spine of the wallet means that even after stuffing it with cards or money, it does not affect the shape of the wallet. It has what is called a billfold design, creating two separate pockets that hold up to four cards each. And also contains a ‘ballistic bungee loop’ which is a fancy name for an elastic band that holds your cash to give you peace of mind, but it still sounds awesome.
The company itself sells the wallet on their website, along with their other, more expensive offerings, and has videos of strong men trying to rip the wallets in order to show off their strength (that is the wallets strength by the way). The AIRO Collective Stealth Wallet will set you back just over $50 excluding delivery, but delivery time is fast and the wallet itself offers a variety of benefits, from its functionality to its light weight and RIFD protection, you can be protected in style.
3. Dango T01 Tactical Wallet
Maybe you need a wallet, or maybe you need a wallet that can cut things and have multi-tool features. They won’t be too fond of you if you are at the airport with this guy, but the Dango Tactical Wallet is more than just a card holder. On the side it has a specially constructed stainless steel MTO2 Multitool that fits nicely on the wallet itself and does not cause any additional bulkiness.
Regardless of the small space that the multitool takes up in the wallet itself, the wallet can hold up to 12 cards and its top-grade leather design looks good and offers slimline design, measuring just 0.3 inches thick when 6 cards are inside. You can remove the tool if you so wish, but the wallet will set you back $90, so unless you need to remove the tool, keeping it does justify the price you pay. This Swiss Army type wallet is available on the Dango website and shipping is free as well.
4. Trove Minimalist Wallet
Sleek in its style and design, you can’t go far wrong with the Trove Minimalist Wallet. Made from Italian leather and elastic, it is both stylish and modern in its appearance. It can hold up to 10 cards using its triple pocket design and is also fully reversible, meaning you can give it a more rugged and less classy look with ease.
The website showcases the entire Trove brand and their affordable, yet quality offerings. One feature I like is the ‘build your own’ feature, which lets you build your own wallet type, with full control over how many cards it can hold, its material and its color. For $40 it is well priced and caters to the customer brilliantly.
5. Secrid Cardslide Minimalist Wallet
Secrid are well known for their price and their quality. Their Cardslide variant is both convenient and innovative as well. Spring activated, the Secrid has a unique aluminum card holder with the built in RIFD system, acting as a spring activated card-protector, pushing up to 6 cards when activated. Newer models of the Cardslide, even have a metal tray underneath the aluminum protector, acting as a storage space for coins and notes.
It comes with a strap also and is available in a host of colors or body and strap combinations. It is only 19mm thick and at just 70 grams in weight, it is both light and durable. Expect to pay upwards of $60 for one of these, but the protection and durability you get are second to none.
6. Craft & Lore Twobit Minimalist Wallet
Getting back to the wallets with less bells and whistles, the C&L Minimalist wallet does exactly what the name suggests, it holds the bare essentials. It is hand crafted and stitched and the original is made with a beautiful light brown full-grain leather, however, they are available in a variety of colors.
The leather is both firm and waxed, giving it consistent shape, even when it has been used a lot. The stitching is designed to weather over time to give the wallet a more rugged look and combined with its simple and elegant design, you will look awesome. It is well priced considering its handcrafted design at just $50 and is a perfect replacement for the big and bulky leather wallet that is currently weighing you down.
7. CountyComm Woven Dyneema Card Holder
It doesn’t get any more unique than this, made with a special Dyneema sailcloth, the same material used on racing sailboats, the wallet has a fishnet like appearance, but is highly functional, being both waterproof and stretch resistant. The fibers itself make it extremely lightweight at just 0.35oz, and its two slanted, double stitched pockets can securely carry up to 12 cards. The website itself shows the wealth of positive reviews surrounding the wallet and with its current price point of $5 on sale, it is probably the best value pick on this list.
8. Whipping Post Mojave Picker’s Wallet
This wallet caters to a more niche crowd, but that doesn’t take away from how cool it is. Designed for those who play the guitar, this wallet is made from full-grain leather and nylon, can hold up to 8 cards, your ID in its window slot, some cash, and has its own guitar pick slot. Gone are the days where you have to look for a stray guitar pick in your pocket or around the house, with this wallet, more of what you need is kept in the one place.
Available for about $40, it is middle of the road price wise. If you don’t play guitar or are not losing guitar picks, there are better options for you considering the price, but if this is a wallet that fits your niche, then you know what to do.
9. Herschel Charlie RFID
In my opinion, I have saved the best until last. There is just something about this wallet design that I find so attractive. The grey canvas-like fabric design is stunning as well as being lightweight and less likely to scratch than leather. It has four card holding slots and is available for about $20.
So, in terms of its value, its design and lightweight functionality, it ticks all of the boxes. If you don’t trust me, trust the 6,500+ Amazon reviews that have averaged at 4.8/5 stars. In terms of quality, design, and price. This ones the winner for me, even if it is not a classic leather or handmade design.