It seems like I’m always on the quest to find the perfect wallet. Something with a minimal design, built to last, and designed to only carry a limited amount of cards.
In my search, I kept running into Ridge Wallets, and wanted to take a closer look. The metal design seems a bit strange at first, but after my cloudandco wallet started to fall apart after a short period of time, I want something that will last.
I ended up purchasing their most popular wallet in the Black color, and a few days later it arrived.
Let's take a look.
Unboxing
The wallet comes in a simple (but sturdy) box, with the product photo on the front, and simple additional product details including material and color on the side.
Once you pop it open, you’ll find a small booklet with information about the product, a branded sticker, the wallet itself, and a small screwdriver.
I was not expecting the screwdriver and didn’t even know what it was supposed to be used for.
After reading the booklet, it says you can use it to make modifications to the wallet, like swapping out the cash strip to a money clip.
Huh, I had no idea this thing was modular.
Once I took the wallet out of the box, I found a small package of screws. I wonder if people haven’t been screwing these in tight enough when making modifications, and it got to the point where it was easier to just include a few extras.
Design
The wallet measurements are 86 x 54 x 6 mm without cards, making this one of the slimmest wallets I own.
I like how they’ve included a small sample card in the wallet, encouraging you how to interact with the wallet by removing a card right away.
The good thing about this aluminum design is that it’s as small as you can possibly make a wallet. There is no extra room required for any stitching or glue compared to other wallets, so you end up with this design that has an extremely small footprint.
It also has RFID protection, giving you a little piece of mind against card skimmers.
The other defining characteristic of this otherwise rectangular wallet is the inclusion of this small cutout, indicating where you need to push the cards to remove them.
Features
Card slot
In order to remove the cards in the wallet, you simply press the cards through the other side with your thumb.
Once they are poking out a bit, you can grab them as a bunch, or individually pull them out. Just a heads up though, I pulled out all 6 at once, and had my finger pinched a bit as the strap snapped the case shut.
It probably won’t happen again now that I’m aware of it, but I figured I’d mention it anyways.
I would recommend keeping the cards you need access the most on the top and bottom of the pile, so don’t have to dig around for them in the middle.
One of the defining features of this wallet is a hidden elastic strip that allows the wallet to expand or contract depending on the amount of cards inside.
I tend to keep about 4 cards in my wallet, but this supports up to 12.
Putting cards back in is the same as taking them out. It’s easier to put the cards in one by one, but I was able to stuff all 4 in at once as well.
Cash band
On the backside, the wallet has an elastic clip that you can secure some bills inside.
I was really surprised to find that there were some small rubber grips on the inside of the band which grab onto the bills, keeping them extra secure.
You can kind of make them out in the above photo by their small circular shape.
This was a lovely little design detail I was not expecting. I’ve had bills get all out of place with some previous moneyclip wallets, so this addresses that problem nicely.
Another great aspect of this wallet is that you can replace individual parts. For example, if I don’t like the rubber band style bill strap, I can easily swap it out for one of their traditional money clip designs.
90 Day Trial
If you’re interested in this wallet but aren’t sure about the metal design (like I was), they offer a very generous 90 day trial for you to check out their products without any risk.
Guaranteed for life
It’s not often you get lifetime guarantees on products, so this is another huge bonus. Their warranty even covers individual parts, right down to the screws.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Slim design
- Scratch proof
- Tons of room for cards (if needed)
- Lifetime warranty
- Modular design
Cons
- Metal edges were sharper than I thought they would be
- The aluminum body isn’t comfortable to sit on
How much is it?
The price of these wallets change depending on what type of material you get, as well as the color for each. The one I bought for this review was one of the basic aluminum models, and went for $95.
What colors are available?
Depending on what material you choose (aluminum, titanium, carbon fiber) you’ll get different color options for each. The aluminum model like mine comes in:
- Royal Black
- Gunmetal
- Alpine Navy
- Matte Olive
- Rose Gold
- Red
Where to purchase
You’ve got a few options here, purchasing directly through Ridge is going to give you the most options in colors and parts, but buying it on Amazon might be more convenient if you have Prime.
Summary
Overall I was pleasantly surprised with this wallet after initially being pretty apprehensive about the metal design.
If you’re someone like me who prefers a slim wallet in your front pocket, I think this is a really solid choice.
If you’re someone with a lot cards to carry (8+) and tends to keep your wallet in your back pocket, this thing is not going to be pleasant to sit on. Another strong alternative to this wallet (if you're looking for more of a classic design, is the Ekster Parliament or the Bellroy Wallet.
