The best men's wallets we tested
Best bifold wallet: Leatherology Thin Bifold Wallet
Best metal cardholder: Groove Life Groove Wallet
Best MagSafe wallet: ESR Geo Wallet Stand
Trying to find the best men’s wallet depends a lot on what you want to get out of it. Is it a style choice or a necessity of life? Are you flush with cash or playing the points and miles game with a stack of credit cards? Everyone’s answers will vary, so our recommendations have to as well.
But where to start? We began our search by chatting with style experts to see what qualities they seek in a wallet, then canvassed the market for popular options that fit the bill. The result was a pool of 17 wallets that run the gamut from traditional bifolds to minimalist metal card holders. Each was worthy of consideration, but after several weeks of rotating our own money and cards through the options, three standout models emerged.
Leatherology nailed this quintessential bifold wallet with leather that feels broken-in out of the box and a no-nonsense layout that gives you quick access to all its contents.
The Groove Wallet adds convenience to the minimalist profile of a modern metal cardholder in a way no other we tested can match. Swipe up on its front to fan out up to six cards.
If you’ve elected to forgo a traditional carry in favor of a virtual wallet, ESR’s wallet stand with Find My connectivity is perfect for those instances where you still need a card or ID.
Best bifold wallet: Leatherology Thin Bifold Wallet
The Leatherology Thin Bifold Wallet is what should pop into your head when you imagine a wallet. If you came to this article looking for a wallet — a plain, trusty, hold-my-stuff-and-do-nothing-else wallet — this is what you want.
Right out of the box, which is gold and ready-made for gifting, it feels like a wallet you’ve already had for years. The leather is soft and light, and it opens easily and flops shut as if the hinge has been religiously oiled. Truly, it screams quality from the first touch.
The size is just right. Our hands-on testing involved six wallets that could be described as traditional bifolds and this wasn’t the biggest or the smallest. It felt fine in our back pockets during a long day in an office chair or the front seat of a car. It’s a little on the bigger side for a front pocket.
Organization and accessibility are as straightforward as it gets with the Thin Bifold Wallet. Open the wallet and each side has four card slots, three vertically stacked and a fourth tucked behind them. In the rear of all of that is a spacious slot for bills. The slickness of the leather makes it easy to retrieve a card from any position, even if the wallet is full. Even with 10 cards, it didn’t feel overstuffed.
Leatherology’s bifold passed all of our stress and stability tests, withstanding stretches, scratches and picking at its stitching. We shook it rigorously — as if it were a margarita in a cocktail shaker — and nothing fell out.
The Thin Bifold Wallet, recommended to us by stylist Sarah Nearis, is available in six colors at $70. We tested it in black onyx and it still felt luxurious, though premium finishes are available for $30 more. Unfortunately, RFID blocking is another $10, but even $80 is worth it for a wallet of this quality, which carries a one-year warranty “against defects in materials or craftsmanship.”
Best metal cardholder: Groove Life Groove Wallet
Our associate testing writer, Joe Bloss, made the switch from a clunky leather wallet to the Groove Wallet when it launched in 2022. After putting it up against a few other leading metal wallets during our latest round of testing, the Groove Wallet hit a mark no other metal wallet in the space could.
Most metal wallets are a variation on the same concept: Strip away the bulk of traditional wallets and leave behind a sleek, durable, compact container that just fits the essentials. The Groove Wallet does just that, with an aluminum frame about a quarter-inch thick that holds six cards and fits into a front pocket with no issues. That’s a smaller capacity than the other wallets we tested, but there’s a tradeoff.
None of the competition have the lightning-quick access to their contents that the Groove Wallet offers. Swipe up on the front panel of the wallet and the cards inside emerge like Pop-Tarts out of a toaster. Even though they’re evenly stacked in the wallet, they fan up in a tiered layout to select just the one you want. The click-clack sound each swipe emits is also kind of fun, like a fidget spinner for people who unfortunately have to care about their credit score.
The Groove Wallet can fit up to six cards, though you’ll likely max out at five if you have raised numbers on your cards. The backside has a money clip that can be swapped out for a leather attachment that fits up to three more cards and has an outer cash strap. Joe has opted for the latter during his two-plus years of use and neither durability nor security is an issue (Groove Life promises a 94-year warranty). Cards, cash and receipts have all stayed right where they belong.
While there are things to like about the other metal wallets we tested, namely the Ridge Wallet and the Trayvax Original 2.0 Wallet, neither matches the ingenuity of the Groove Wallet.
Best MagSafe wallet: ESR Geo Wallet Stand
Contactless payments are increasingly the norm, meaning all the cards and cash you need to carry are on your phone. There’s no capacity in your virtual wallet, even if you dabble in the rewards game and use a different card for different purchases.
Hang on. Cash-only establishments still exist (and somehow always have the best food) and you never know when you’ll encounter a point of sale that doesn’t take tap-to-pay. The ESR Geo Wallet Stand is made for those situations. It’s a low-capacity wallet that sticks to your phone so you’re still prepared even without a regular wallet. And it has a few nifty features that make it worth the extra bulk.
It’s a MagSafe wallet that connects to the back of your phone, and it’s not going anywhere. I gave it a healthy shake when it was affixed directly to both my iPhone 13 and to a phone case, and it was firmly in place both times. It has a finger loop to help your hand manage the added weight (just under 3 ounces) and unfolds into a sturdy kickstand.
It’d be foolish to think you’d never remove the Geo Wallet Stand — when using a wireless charger, for example — so ESR built in Find My capability in case you leave it behind. Set up alerts for whenever your phone moves on without it or use the Find My app to ping the wallet when lost.
ESR makes other variations of the same wallet: one with vegan leather, another without Find My and a flat choice that doesn’t include the stand. The Geo Wallet Stand, though, has too many helpful features to forgo.
How we tested
As we used these wallets in our everyday lives, we considered the following evaluation points to determine which stood out.
Utility
- Capacity: How many cards and bills fit in the wallet? We started with our traditional daily load of five cards, an ID and 10 bills, then worked our way up to the maximum advertised capacity if one existed. We then assessed how the wallet handled the contents and if any amount felt like too much to handle.
- Organization: How are the different compartments of the wallet organized? Is the layout conducive to quickly finding contents and streamlining use?
- Accessibility: You never want to be that guy fumbling for a credit card or ID that is stuck in your pocket. We assessed how quickly contents can be accessed in each wallet, accounting for any “stickiness” when taking cards and cash out.
Appearance and size
- Comfort: If you’ve ever sat on a fat wallet for hours, you know how important it is to have one that comfortably fits in your pockets. We sat with the wallets in our front and rear pockets to see how they felt during extended sits.
- Style: We leaned on our experts’ advice on what a wallet should look like. Models available in multiple colors were appreciated.
Durability
- Feel: How does the wallet feel out of its packaging? Does it seem well made? Is it overburdened when full?
- Stress tests: For leather and soft wallets, we stretched, twisted and scratched each wallet to make sure it could hold up against a beating. We also pulled at any threading to ensure it wouldn’t easily come apart at the seams. For metal and stiff wallets, we dropped them on concrete at multiple angles to check for any weaknesses.
- Stability: We shook each wallet when it was both filled with both our everyday carry (five cards, an ID and 10 bills) and its advertised maximum capacity to determine if it had a strong hold on its contents.
- Security: We noted which models contained RFID-blocking tech to protect against unwanted contactless payments or stolen data.
Price and warranty
- It costs money to carry money. While price and warranty weren’t our primary evaluation points, we valued picks that came at a reasonable cost and were backed by their brand with a warranty.
How to choose a wallet
Style
A good men’s wallet is more than just a way to carry cash and cards. It’s also a way to show off your personal style, whether you want a hard-wearing leather wallet with a patina or a clean, minimalist money clip.
That said, the men’s fashion experts we spoke to say there are a few guidelines you’ll want to follow. “Look for something classic, handsome and that will wear nicely in your back pocket without taking up so much space,” says Preston Konrad, lifestyle expert and founder of Preston Lane.
Matt Hranek, the founder and editor of WM Brown Magazine, offers similar advice. “I like to keep wallets trim and streamlined” so they don’t interrupt the line of a jacket or jean pocket, he says. Still looking for inspiration? You can’t go wrong with the following men’s wallets. We’ve got bifolds, money clips, card cases and more — most of which come directly from men’s style experts.
Carry
Knowing what you want your wallet to hold plays a major role in determining the best variety for you. If you’re carrying cash, rule out a magnetic wallet on the back of your phone. Only a few bills? A metal wallet could do. Foldable wallets — we focused on the more streamlined models in this search, but tri-folds are an option too — are going to give you more versatility in your everyday carry. They often have room for additional bills, business cards or receipts.
Other men’s wallets we tested
Bifold wallets
A leather wallet that packs a few secret compartments into a modern, sleek profile, the Hide & Seek is favorite among our experts and our editors.
Not much separates the Hide & Seek from our top pick from Leatherology. Bellroy’s bifold wallet is a bit larger, and its interior layout is a bit more unique. We had no problem fitting our usual stash of five cards, an ID and 10 bills. Things got a bit tighter with 10 cards, though Bellroy advertises it to fit up to 12 and that’s true, as long as you’re OK with a fat wallet. A secret cash compartment tucked behind the main slot would be especially beneficial to those who carry large bills.
Konrad is a fan of Bellroy for its simple, durable leather goods. “Their wallets are made of premium durable materials, they feel good in the hand and claim to age well, which is something I always look for in a leather wallet,” he says. Associate writer Maxwell Shukuya is also a Hide & Seek admirer, describing it as a “buy-it-for-life product.” After more than a decade of use, his Hide & Seek wallet is still going strong.
A magnetic closure snaps this bifold shut for maximum assurance your cards aren't going anywhere. We thought it was a great wallet — if you're not on a budget.
Another option from the beloved Bellroy, the Apex Slim Sleeve changes things from the traditional bifold mold. Cash must folded and tucked behind the left vertical card slot. Behind the right card slot is a pull tab for retrieving a stack of cards. The true calling cards of the Apex are its magnetic closure and the pre-molded leather that gives it a full shape out of the box. That means stuffing it full of cards, of which it can hold up to eight, won’t bloat its figure. While it all adds up to a premium carry, you have to be willing to pay a premium price. It’s the most expensive wallet we tested.
Thread's Bifold Wallet is a lightweight wallet option for those who only carry a few cards and a little cash. It comes in various fun colorways and only costs $30.
Senior testing editor Rick Stella is a huge fan of Thread’s Bifold Wallet, but stresses that this is for folks who don’t carry all that much on them. It does hold a number of cards, as well as some cash, but it’s not meant for packing full. It’s also only $30, which, compared to others in this guide, is quite a deal considering its quality. The wallet comes in several different fun colorways, too, guaranteed to match anyone’s style.
If you're not a fan of leather and want a compact bifold, look no further than this one made of Slimfold's technical Soft Shell material. It comfortably fits in a front pocket.
The Micro Soft Shell nearly took our top spot because it’s lighter and more compact than any bifold wallet we tested. We ultimately gave the edge to Leatherology’s Thin Bifold Wallet because it has more slots immediately accessible when you open it, while the Micro Soft Shell stashes many of its additional cards behind the cash sleeve. That said, if you’re reading this because you’re sick of a chunky wallet that makes your back pocket look like you’re carrying a brick, Slimfold is worth a long look. Even fully loaded, it was still thinner than other leather options in this guide with nothing in them. Its waterproof Soft Shell material reminds me of swishy sweatpants, but with the durability cranked way up.
Slimfold's Original can stash up to 20 cards and somehow remain thinner than most of the other wallets we tested.
If you’re a credit card rewards fiend who carries around a lot of cards to optimize your points return for every kind of purchase, the Slimfold Original will probably blow your mind. We stuffed it with every credit card we had — and even a few empty gift cards because we needed more to fill it up. The resulting profile, while too wide for any front pocket, was still remarkably slim. The cards stack neatly in four quadrants to create even layers spread across the entire wallet.
Also available in a more affordable fabric variety, Herschel's Hank Wallet is a fine option that didn't quite live up to our top pick for a comparable price.
Herschel’s Hank Wallet is pretty similar to our top pick from Leatherology. It has a mesh ID slot on the left interior instead of three stacked card slots, and its leather doesn’t feel as soft as Leatherology’s. That said, you get RFID blocking for less than Leatherology’s get-in price, which doesn’t include RFID blocking, and you still get a no-frills wallet that looks nice. We especially love its debossed logo on the front.
“If someone is just more of a casual guy in general, or you’re shopping for someone younger, Herschel is a great option,” Konrad says. “The Hank Wallet is a cool utilitarian option that’s relatively indestructible.”
Cardholders
The softness of our favorite wallet shrunk down into a cardholder. The fact that it fits folded bills in the central pocket is a major win.
By now you know we love Leatherology’s ultra-soft leather, and that’s no different here. This thing feels broken-in from the get-go, which results in easy retrieval and insertion of cards and cash. Having room for bills in such a tiny profile is no small feat, either. The other cardholders we tested had constraints because of their size.
Beautiful pre-molded leather makes this cardholder from Nomad a stylish option for up to eight cards. You'll have to spring for a more expensive option if you want to fit cash.
We tested the Nomad Card Wallet in two shades, English Tan and Rustic Brown. They both look and feel luxurious, which Nearis appreciated, and their pre-molded shape made it easy to access cards in both the outside and inside pockets. It’s not large enough to fit cash — you’ll have to opt for the Card Wallet Plus to unlock that capability — but for anyone who knows they’ll rarely need that ability, this is a wallet that’s only going to look better over time.
Nomad is a brand we love for accessories like phone cases and watch bands. Add the company’s Apple Find My-compatible?Tracking Card, and you’ll never lose your wallet.
We had serious issues removing cards from the Charlie. Be warned if you're looking at this wallet in order to score a bargain.
It was a real bummer to be let down by the affordable Herschel Charlie, which we were excited to test because as of this writing, it was available in 37 styles. Unfortunately, we had to strain ourselves to remove anything from its interior pocket, which has a punishing grip due to the wallet’s rigid structure. It’s OK if you want something to hold a couple of cards for cheap, but don’t plan on carrying more than four.
Metal wallets
You've probably seen advertisements for the Ridge Wallet all over social media. It's small, light and durable — but is it really worth almost $100?
We liked the Ridge Wallet because it’s quite simple. Stuff your cards between two lightweight sheets of metal and put it in any pocket you want without being bothered. Accessing the cards was easy enough, though it takes time to get used to, and it only makes the first and last card available quickly. The price left us wondering if the Ridge Wallet was worth it. Do you value RFID blocking and a lifetime warranty at $95? If your answer is no, a reliable rubber band might do the job just as well.
A knockoff? Considering the price of the Ridge Wallet was a turnoff, we tried this dupe from Amazon. The cheaper components were obvious.
We had to try a knockoff of the Ridge Wallet to see if the plethora of nearly identical options could match its quality. This one from Hayvenhurst has more than 14,000 ratings and a 4.4-star average on Amazon. Like the Ridge Wallet, it passed our drop test onto concrete. But holding both side by side showed clearly that the pieces weren’t as durable. If you’re not doing anything extreme in your daily life, that actually might be no big deal.
A bottle opener and a pry bar are delightful bonuses in this stainless steel wallet tied up by paracord. It fits up to 15 cards.
No need to be dishonest here: We weren’t sure we’d like the Trayvax Original 2.0 Wallet because it looks more like a multi-tool than a wallet. But we were pleasantly surprised. Its 15-card capacity is accurate, and the paracord clasp to lock everything into place felt plenty secure during our shake and drop tests. While the extra cord makes it something we wouldn’t want in our pocket every day, there’s a lot of utility in opting for the Trayvax if you typically keep your wallet stashed while backpacking. It gets bonus points for its specific 65-year heirloom warranty.
MagSafe wallets
Sleek, sturdy and unfortunately slippery. We can't recommend this MagSafe wallet from Satechi because our cards consistently fell out of it.
The Satechi Vegan Leather Magnetic Wallet Stand looks and feels more expensive than it is. The vegan leather is smooth, the stand’s hinge is solid, and the fact it has two card slots for a total capacity of four cards on such a slim accessory is encouraging. The positives stopped there. Any time I had just one card in the main slot, it was not secure. It would slide out if I held my phone upside-down, which is how it usually goes into my pocket. That’s a deal breaker.
If you only need one or two cards with your phone, the Moft stand is almost completely flat and comes in fun colors like Sunset Red and Peppermint.
Moft claims its stand wallet can hold up to three cards, though we found two to be the more accurate number. As such, it’s not well suited for daily use. We see it more as a grab-and-go accessory for days you want to travel lighter. It’s served us well, for example, at a wedding when we didn’t want to carry a bigger wallet.
