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Metal wallets are growing in popularity on a daily basis! The first minimalist wallet I ever used was the Ridge Aluminum, and since then, we’ve seen brand after brand iterate on the design and even completely recreate the whole category.
We’ve had plenty of these brands send their wallets out (every wallet on this list was gifted to us by the brand, except the Ridge Aluminum), and we’ve been able to put them head-to-head and decide which are the best. So here they are.
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1. Ekster Cardholder Pro
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- It has the metal ejector mechanism it deserves
- Seems more durable paint wise
- Inclusion of the more rubbery band is awesome
- Finally, it has a higher card capacity
- The rounded corner is a nice touch
- Expansion plates are the best
- Now includes a lifetime warranty
- Still wouldn’t recommend the money clip plate
- It’s still larger than the competition
Ekster has long put out some of my favorite wallets; however, their biggest drawbacks were the lackluster warranty and the plastic ejector mechanism. Both of these things were solved with their new Pro series wallets! They now offer a full metal button, full metal ejector button, a rounded corner, and lifetime warranty (plus an additional card in its capacity).
I have been extremely impressed with this wallet, and its expansion plate allows for extra cards to be held, the cash strap allows for easy storage of cash, making it an all around awesome wallet. The only downside I had was that it’s a bit bigger than some competitors due to the ejector mechanism living beneath the cards.
2. Double Oak Slim Wallet
- Aluminum cardholder is magnetic
- Leather feels fantastic
- Very high build quality
- Lockable cardholder (cards don't fall out)
- Not much card storage outside of the cardholder.
This is one seriously special wallet! This was one of the first pop-up wallets to offer a 7-card capacity design, and it is still one of the few that not only has a leather surround, but the interior card holder is removable and MagSafe (so that you can stick it on your phone). If you are looking for a card wallet that can just about do it all, this one might just be perfect for you. I like the leather style, I like the metal quality, and everything is just the way it should be.
The main drawbacks to this wallet are its plastic ejector mechanism and the fact that the leather portion of the wallet doesn’t have much for storage.
3. Ridge Aluminum Wallet
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- Easy access to your most-used cards
- It looks awesome
- Extremely durable
- You can't make it bloated.
- Compact sizing
- More difficult to access lesser-used cards
- It could hold a bit more cash.
- Dimensions: 0.24" by 3.39" by 2.13"
- RFID Blocking: Yes
- Card Capacity: 1 to 12
- Cash Organization: Strap or Money Clip
- Coin Storage: No (accessory available)
- Weight: 59 - 87 grams (depending on material)
The Aluminum (base version) of the Ridge Wallet was the wallet that started my fascination with metal (minimalist) wallets. This is also one of the first brands to really break into the market and show everyone that you can actually use a wallet that just might be better than your bifold or trifold. This wallet’s shape is the same size as a credit card, and it utilizes a sandwich design (two plates and an elastic strap). You can put up to 12 cards in between those two plates, and your cash goes in either a money clip or a cash strap (whichever you choose).
While it can be a bit annoying to access many of your cards in this wallet, it is quite easy access to the two cards on the outside, and the cash itself. There of course are great ways to access the other cards, but you generally don’t need those quickly anyways.
4. Proof Wallet Leather
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- The leather is high quality and feels great
- The pull tab works extremely well, and is held in place
- It seems to be very durable
- Fantastic card capacity
- It’s very compact
- It doesn’t fan out your cards
I was incredibly surprised when I picked up the Proof Wallet (especially the leather one) for the first time. It was lightweight, compact, the leather felt amazing, and with its awesome capacity, I didn’t have to worry about how many cards I was carrying at any point in time. Top that off with an actually usable cash strap, and it was a recipe for becoming one of my favorite wallets to date.
Really, the only issue I had with the wallet was that (even though it is top-ejecting via a strap) it doesn’t fan the cards out of the wallet. That means you have to pull the whole bunch of cards out to sift through the middle cards. It’s not a huge deal, but worth mentioning for those that like everything done for them. You can check out my full review here!
5. Groove Life Groove Wallet 3.0
- High quality build
- One of the best money clips
- Satisfying ejector mechanism
- Lower than average card capacity
The Groove Wallet has long languished near the bottom of my “Best of” lists. Sure, it was a high-quality wallet, and its face plate ejector mechanism is fun, but it never felt quite at the level of the other wallets that have topped my favorite metal wallets. However, with the launch of the 3.0 version of this wallet, it has moved considerably farther up my list!
The 3.0 version offers a notch in the face of the wallet (the portion that slides upward and ejects the cards). This notch means your thumb no longer slips on the slick metal and gives you a lot more confidence in the wallet. This wallet is also the first one that I actually enjoy, and I prefer the money clip that it comes equipped with. This really is now a fantastic wallet, and it is worth recommending.
6. Trayvax Contour
- Extremely high quality build
- Adjustable to your needs
- Made in the USA
- Uses top-grain oil-tanned leather
- Sometimes struggles to release your cards
The Trayvax Contour has to be one of the best combinations of metal and leather in the wallet world – aesthetically speaking, anyway. This USA Made Wallet uses a full-grain leather strap that wraps around your cash and your cards and then buttons itself onto a metal frame. It’s a simple, effective, and extremely awesome-looking design that definitely stands out as one of my favorites from that standpoint.
Now, it does a fantastic job at offering easy access to your cards and cash, but I would say it lacks a bit more in that department than many of the other offerings on this list. However, if you want USA-made and like the tactical feel, there isn’t a better option than this one.
7. Evermade Aviator Wallet
- Extremely high quality
- Great card capacity
- Easy access to card with pull strap
- Comes with coin tray
- Fabric pull strap is loud in your pocket
- Dimensions: 0.41" by 2.12" by 3.37"
- RFID Blocking: Yes
- Card Capacity: Up to 20 Cards (Chosen at Purchase)
- Cash Organization: Cash Strap
- Coin Storage: Yes
- Weight: 42.4 grams
If you are one of those people that just isn’t quite willing to conform to the norm, and refuse to get a Ridge Wallet, or any of its copycats. Then you probably should get yourself this Aviator Wallet. It maintains a similar sandwich design (two plates, and an elastic strap), however you push (or should I say pull) all of your cards out vertically via a pull strap.
While I have found the Ridge Wallet to be a bit easier to use overall, the Aviator tends to be of a bit higher quality and even comes with a coin tray. It also stands out as having a bit better build quality (in my opinion, at least).
Regardless, this is an extremely nice wallet that was built (and shipped) from Germany, and I thoroughly enjoyed using it.
8. Lorzor Wallet PRO
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- Completely trackable via iPhone's FindMy network
- Spring loaded mechanism works well
- Looks extremely cool - very unique
- Durability of the spring mechanism is in question
When Lorzor offered to send me out their wallets, I never once thought it would be one of my favorite wallets, but oh, was I wrong! Sure, some of their wallets are on the lower end of things, but the PRO version is truly awesome. Its stand-out feature may be the built-in tracking capabilities (iPhone only), but the feature I liked the best has to be the push button ejector mechanism.
Now, we’ve seen push-button wallets, but normally, when you push the button, you are pushing the cards up with your own strength. But oh, now, with this Lorzor, it pushes for you. I assume there is a spring in the bottom, and when you push the button, it just releases the cards to move upward. It’s simple, but I like it very much.
9. Geogrit Aluminum Red
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- USA-Made
- High quality build
- Very compact sizing
- Options available to make it the way you want it
- Nothing terribly special about it in comparison to competition
There aren’t many American-made minimalist wallets out there; however, if you are on the hunt for a Ridge Wallet alternative that is made stateside, this is an amazing alternative.
You can get this wallet with a cash strap or money clip, and then you can choose between push-up access or pull-tab access to your cards. My personal recommendation is the cash strap and pull strap design.
This wallet is truly compact and essentially the same size as the debit card it houses.
10. Fantom Wallet Bamboo
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- The bamboo feels and looks great
- Side ejecting is really nice!
- The ejector tab is smooth and easy to use
- MagSafe - just yes
- The bamboo gets marks on it easily
- I still don't like money clips (cash straps are better).
- Cards sometimes get stuck, or are hard to insert
If having the ability to attach your wallet to the back of your phone is an important feature, this one is the one to get! While there are quite a few wallets with Mag-Safe capabilities, the fact that the cards fan out the side of the wallet means you aren’t fighting with your phone to to access them like many others. I also very much enjoyed the bamboo feel (not many wallets have wood on them), and the ejector mechanism has a soft close, making it feel even nicer.
The only real drawbacks I found were its lack of a cash strap option (it can only come with a money clip, which I do not like), the fact that the bamboo seems to mark quickly in your pocket, and cards sometimes like to get jammed when you are rotating them back into the wallet. You can see my complete review here!
