This carbon fiber and gun metal minimalist wallet with a lifetime warranty is light but not light-hearted! I tried to hurt this wallet but couldn’t. I love testing gear, and I also love to hear reviews from people who are not “experts” necessarily. I don’t (always) need to know all the materials and science behind them. With wallets, I want to know three things;
- One, will it last?
- Two, can it carry what I need correctly?
- And Three, will I still like it after a few weeks?
Okay coming from a background of only cheap minimalist wallets this is my first serious one. I’ve been testing this product for two weeks. It was gifted to me by PROOF. But the thoughts and opinions are my own. Let me tell you what the PROOF Carbon Fiber Wallet is all about.
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What is the Proof Carbon Fiber?
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- It’s incredibly light weight (thanks carbon fiber)
- I very much like the materials used
- The draw tab works well and is smooth
- I appreciate the lifetime warranty
- It isn’t able to lay flat
- There’s some wear and tear on my cards
First off, the PROOF wallet is half carbon fiber, with a back plate made of aerospace-grade aluminum in a gunmetal color, or you can get it in leather with a dark gunmetal. It has a pull strap for your cards, allowing you to see each card in your stack. It comes with built-in RFID protection. That’s one less thing you have to worry about.
Of course, it comes with a cash strap, and I think it’s one of the best-looking ones on the market. Bonus, this wallet can be customized! It carries up to 25 cards, and best of all… it comes with a lifetime warranty. A comforting addition, no doubt. That’s what the wallet is, but let’s get into what makes this wallet stand out. And then, some things that I don’t like about it.
So what do I like about this Proof Wallet?
1. It’s incredibly light weight (thanks carbon fiber)
First off, it’s so lightweight, where did it go? This wallet is so light I found myself checking to make sure I was still carrying it. It weighs next to nothing. The lightweight carbon fiber and gun metal are not only durable and time-tested materials, but they also stand out. One of the issues I have with wallets carried in your front pocket is that they can bounce around because it’s not held as tightly as they would be if they were in your back pocket.
Not with this one. It’s so light you won’t have that goofy-looking square thing in your front pocket bouncing around (Paid Link). It felt so light I couldn’t help but weigh it. With all my cards and paper bills loaded, it came in at a tiny 3.1 ounces (88g). Empty, it’s only 1.8 ounces (51g). For reference, the cards I carried in it weighed in at 1.3 ounces.
2. I very much like the materials used
The materials are… incredible. I really like the tactile feel it has. One thing nice about a good leather wallet is the texture, but this carbon fiber minimalist wallet brings that tactile quality back to your pocket. The carbon fiber material paired with the gunmetal is fidget-worthy. Maybe this should be the “fidget” wallet. I kid. Either way, the materials feel like the high quality I would have expected from a wallet at this price point.
3. The draw tab works well and is smooth
I also like the draw tab: it has a nice smooth pull and separates the cards in a good order with enough spacing to see each card and then grab the one card you are looking for without being forced to remove them all and sort them like you’re losing at UNO and your hand is holding 50 cards. If you look at PROOF’s description of the draw tab, it’s described as being “Intuitive,” I agree (Paid Link). Only placement made all the difference for me. If I put them in the right order, then it will live up to the description.
4. I appreciate the lifetime warranty
Let’s talk about the Lifetime warranty. Currently, the PROOF carbon fiber wallet is listed at $125, and for me, that is an investment. So I like that the company is willing to back us up as a customer with a lifetime, no-questions warranty. To quote Carry Proof, “A real one, not a deceptive “limited” lifetime warranty. If you have issues, we’ll solve them immediately. You can tell a lot about a company when you read statements like that. Way to go, Carry Proof!
So what do I not like about the wallet?
It’s hard to find anything not to like about it. It is an excellent wallet that almost everyone will be happy with, but there are some tiny things. I have the carbon fiber, and with it comes a slight bend at the bottom that heightens the profile.
1. It isn’t able to lay flat
Number one, the material on the bottom doesn’t lay as flat as the rest of the wallet. This may go away after time as it could be that the carbon material has to loosen some. The extra material is needed if you end up adding the max 25 cards. But I am never going to carry even half that amount. This wallet is meant to be a slim fit while you carry it, and the bend of the material at the bottom is the thickest part of it, so I am not the biggest fan of that.
2. There’s some wear and tear on my cards
Number two, the wear and tear of my cards. Every time I use the pull tab and then press the cards back down, I hear the pull tab material rubbing on the bottom edge of the card. It’s a good thing that most debit cards can be printed in the bank now because although pull tabs are a common thing today (and a standard for many minimalist wallets), I’ll need to get used to getting new cards every four months or so. There are ways around this, like using fake cards on the outside to take most of the force and keep your common cards at the center, though I am not likely to do that.
Is this the wallet for you?
Let’s talk about who should buy this product and who this wallet is not for.
If you like a minimalist wallet that will never wear out. This is for you. The time-tested materials are not going to let you down. You can throw it off a cliff, run it over with a truck, bury it in a riverbed and I have a feeling that years later it’s going to keep working. Nothing cheap to look at here. Just high-quality materials that have been proven to last.
This wallet is also for you if, like me, you love stylish aesthetics (Paid Link). This is a great-looking wallet, and if you want the PROOF wallet but will miss leather, don’t worry because, in my opinion, the leather version of the PROOF wallet is one of the best-looking wallets OF… ALL…TIME! Whichever one you get I really think it will be one you’ll have and love for the rest of your life.
There are only two types of people who won’t like the PROOF wallet. First, don’t buy this wallet if you don’t like minimalist wallets. You’re just not going to enjoy it. Secondly, don’t buy this one if you don’t like pull tabs. To access your cards, you will have to use this pull tab. I guess you could if you really wanted to, but there may be a better option for you out there. Just check out some of our many wallet reviews here at Gear 43. And that is about the only two types of people that I think would not like it. Honestly, if you like minimalist wallets, I can’t imagine this is not for you. It’s a high-quality, stylish, lifetime warranty-covered wallet that you’ll most likely be really happy with. I know I am.
Where should you buy the wallet?
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- It’s incredibly light weight (thanks carbon fiber)
- I very much like the materials used
- The draw tab works well and is smooth
- I appreciate the lifetime warranty
- It isn’t able to lay flat
- There’s some wear and tear on my cards
