Looking for a good wallet

May 6, 2005 11:52 PM

Can anyone recommend an excellent wallet? Currently I have a standard ugly tri-fold leather deal, which is too big and uncomfortable to sit on. I'd like something super thin that I don't feel like I have to remove from my back pocket every time I sit down.
posted by medpt to clothing, beauty, & fashion (25 comments total)

I gave up on wallets years ago.

I keep cards and ID in a small card-sized pouch which fits in my back pocket without noticing that it is there much. I don't have credit cards, but one probably shouldn't be carrying around dozens of credit cards anyway.

I keep cash folded in half in a front pocket - usually in the pocket not containing keys, pocket tools, lighters, or anything else that is frequently used so the cash doesn't fall out. A money clip is optional. If I'm carrying around a large amount of cash, I'll geek it out with a binder clip.

Sitting on a thick wallet can lead to back problems, as it skews your pelvis and spine and leads to crappy posture. I even notice when the slim ID case is in my back pocket and have to take it out.

Nowadays I don't even see the point of wallets. If you must carry around that much stuff, just get over it and get a manpurse or a gadget bag or something. So many wallets I've seen are stuffed with useless junk - receipts, movie and concert tickets, parking tickets, expired condoms, useless expired credit cards and who knows what else.

Trust me, I carry around a lot of stuff, be it gadgets, tools, or information. But there are better places for it than in some obsolete, thick hunk of paper and leather that you primarily sit on.

(If you're curious, the ID case I'm using originally housed one of those pocket fresnel magnifiers. It's hardly fashionable - it's red vinyl. But who in the heck sees it if you pay for everything in cash anyway? I've seen other kinds of ID cases like it for the specific purposes of simply carrying ID , credit, and ATM cards. Try a travel specialty store.)
posted by loquacious at 12:17 AM on May 7, 2005

I've never understood why people carry their wallets in a back pocket instead of a front one. Not only is a back-pocketed wallet an easier target for a pickpocket, but it's a literal pain in the butt when sitting down.

Of course, I'm also a freakazoid who actually spends his change instead of tossing it into a coffee can when I get home, so I use one of those cloth, velcro-fastened wallets with a change pocket you can find for a few bucks at the local drug store.
posted by Zair TL at 12:19 AM on May 7, 2005

I switch between a Kenneth Cole cash clip wallet (similar to this; notice the metal clip running down middle of wallet) and a Simplicitas Persona card holder. The Persona is ideal when I only need an ID, credit card, a few biz cards, and no cash. Receipts and tickets go in pants or jacket pockets.
posted by junesix at 1:05 AM on May 7, 2005

this has always been my favorite. It's like a money clip + holds a couple of cards.

sharper image deep pockets wallet.
posted by filmgeek at 1:10 AM on May 7, 2005

Not very long ago, I decided to switch to a smaller wallet from a rather grand full checkbook sized affair. After a long search for something midway between a pure money clip and a traditional wallet, I came up with the TUMI Money Clip Wallet, in black, as my best option. A mere few pockets and a hinged gadget for clipping the bucks, it's somewhat smaller than the site makes it seem.
posted by majick at 3:48 AM on May 7, 2005

I use a Dopp Front Pocket Getaway. It's alright. I don't like the "cards and clip" style, and want a few slots for stuff.

A friend of mine has a nice leather bifold that he got in Italy that's very slim, but I don't think it has a brand.
posted by trevyn at 4:35 AM on May 7, 2005

Zair TL -- people carry the wallets in the back pocket because it's less visually obtrusive. Carrying a wallet in your front pocket wrecks the tailoring of your beautiful clothes, assuming that you care about that and have such clothes.

I have two "wallets": one is a big, huge Levenger International Pocket Briefcase, which holds 3 x 5 cards and which I carry in a jacket pocket. The other is a money clip. I use one or the other, depending on what I'm doing. Money clip is probably the way to go for you.
posted by josh at 5:03 AM on May 7, 2005

My wife just bought me a MontBlanc wallet as a gift for starting a new job, its the nicest I've owned for a long time, smooth leather and well made. Very slim, and holds a good amount of cards and cash.

You may want to take a look at their range of leather goods. (Stupid navigation means I cannot deeplink to the exact wallet - but I have the 14cc model)

As an aside - agreeing with loquacious - I have a doctor friend who advised me that a good proportion of adult men who come to him with back problems are the victims of pain caused by sitting on their wallet and placing pressure on their sciatic nerve. I had terrible back pain after long drives a few years back, and since removing my wallet from my back pocket and placing it in a jacket (or in the summer - elsewhere) - I have been cured.
posted by mattr at 5:11 AM on May 7, 2005

Check out the Jimi.
posted by yclipse at 6:05 AM on May 7, 2005

Personally, a like using a binder clip to hold cash, ID, bankcard, and a credit card.

Seems to keep me covered. Just make sure that you're not clipping the magnetic strips of your cards...
posted by dersins at 6:56 AM on May 7, 2005

I made a wallet out of packing tape (yes, packing tape -- it's like a duct tape wallet but transparent). The design (at least the one I used) is inherently thin and I made it as small as possible, although I can still carry half a dozen cards. Before this I used a wallet I had sewn from a tyvek FedEx envelope following plans in the first issue of ReadyMade magazine.
posted by Utilitaritron at 7:57 AM on May 7, 2005

I have this one from Fossil, and it was the best design I found when I went looking. Thinner since it's only a bi-fold, and barely wide enough to hold bills, since the card pockets are the other direction than a normal wallet (sideways instead of vertical). This design also makes it impossible to carry more than 5-6 cards, which is a good thing if you're trying to keep the thickness down.

Because of the dimensions and how it's laid out, I tend to open it with a flick of the wrist when I need a credit card. It just feels cool.
posted by smackfu at 7:57 AM on May 7, 2005

I'm quite tempted by the Ducti Wallet made from duct tape. It should be nice and thin.
posted by nthdegx at 8:09 AM on May 7, 2005

I use one of these "Slimmy" wallets in my front pocket. It's not quite as secure as a a money clip by it's much more convenient.

It has these three pockets, one of which I use for cash, the middle one is the where I keep my ID, a couple of credit cards and my bank card, and I use the other one for my subway pass and my building card. I can take my passes out of the wallet without actually removing the wallet from my pocket and it's super easy to peel off a $20 if I need access to cash without exposing the entire wallet.
posted by bshort at 8:37 AM on May 7, 2005

nthdegx:

I had the Ducti wallet for a little while. It got gross-looking and fell apart really quickly.
posted by dersins at 10:08 AM on May 7, 2005

For some weird reason, I have been completely unable to find useful wallet designs in the USA. (eg even something so basic simple as a mans wallet that can hold coins, let alone one that is thin, let alone one that is both thin and has a place for coins)
I can get them in other countries, but have never seen them here, so matter how hard I look.

It got to the point where I was at lunch with an office mate, and as soon as I saw his wallet when he went to pay - at last a non-useless design - I asked him where he bought it.
"Rome" he said.

That one incident basically summarises all my other wallet shopping experiences in the USA.

So if you are asking this question from the USA, my suggestion is to either go shopping when on vacation elsewhere, or shop foreign stores online. Spending your time looking for something locally may just be a waste of time.

And keep your wallet in your front pocket, where it won't wear shiny spots (and even holes) in your pants like the back pocket does.
posted by -harlequin- at 10:10 AM on May 7, 2005

Carrying a wallet in your front pocket wrecks the tailoring of your beautiful clothes

Then there is too much in your wallet. (Besides, people also see the back of your clothes, even if you don't.)
posted by mendel at 10:21 AM on May 7, 2005

I'm currently lusting after the Levenger International Pocket Briefcase but it's pretty big so probably won't suit your needs. It has a built in index card holder for taking notes...something I carry around anyway. My ultimate would be a wallet that also has a small calander built it. I only carry wallet, calander and keys around, and always in front pockets. I tend to get my pants big so the pockets have quite a bit of room. I also like those cargo pants with side pockets for carrying index cards and/or my USB drive to and from work.
posted by jacobsee at 10:24 AM on May 7, 2005

I have a Fossil which I can't seem to find on their website, so I'll just describe it. Basically, it is a normal sized bi-fold wallet with a little wallet that slides out. The little wallet has a window for your ID on one side, and that window side sticks out when you use it in tandem with the big wallet. The other side of the little wallet has three card pockets on the front, and both sides have slide-in pockets. I use the little wallet in my front pocket when I want the "slim look," and keep the big part in my briefcase or backpack. I just slide out whatever cards I'll actually need, and slip some cash into the little pocket. Or, if I don't need the slim look, I just grab the whole enchilada and toss it in a jeans pocket or the backpack.
posted by MrZero at 11:28 AM on May 7, 2005

Though it is considered tactical Spec Ops THE wallet might be worth looking into.
posted by andendau at 11:54 AM on May 7, 2005

I just ordered the Slimmy. It looks perfect. Thanks for the all the excellent responses!
posted by medpt at 4:36 PM on May 7, 2005

I had the Ducti wallet for a little while. It got gross-looking and fell apart really quickly.

Right-ho! I'll give it a miss, thanks!
posted by nthdegx at 5:31 PM on May 7, 2005

Let me recommend the Magnetic Front Pocket Wallet from Fossil. It's basically a money clip with a card-holder attached. The key, though, is that the money clip is actually a magnetized flap. It makes adding or removing cash much easier than the conventional clip. And yes, the "wallet includes a protective layer so that the magnet will not de-magnetize credit cards."
posted by dbarefoot at 7:01 PM on May 7, 2005

Cellphone left pocket, keys right pocket, where else can the wallet go? Don't tell me I need one of those super-dorky cellphone holsters.
posted by trevyn at 9:53 PM on May 7, 2005

trevyn:
I put mp3 player in the left pocket, wallet in the right pocket, and keys in the pocket-watch pocket in the right pocket. :)
posted by -harlequin- at 5:11 AM on May 10, 2005