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I’ll put this right out into the open: I’m a big fan of Ridge’s products. My first true minimalist wallet was the Ridge Aluminum, which my wife had given me! In fact, that wallet is what got me into reviewing wallets like this (which has become a passion of mine). However, after years of reviewing wallets (I have something like 20 of them), I still find that Ridge is one of the best options out there (yes, I know, not everyone might agree).
I recently reached out to Ridge to see if they would be open to sending out what I thought might be my favorite variant of their wallets, the Aurora Green carbon fiber, and thankfully, they were happy to send it out for me to check out!
In this article, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about it, what I like, and more importantly, what I don’t like, and if it’s worth spending 50% more to upgrade to this forged carbon wallet.
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What is the Ridge Aurora Forged Carbon Fiber?
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- Extremely simple design
- It's quite durable
- Forged carbon with green looks awesome
- Cash strap is one of the best
- Great card capacity
- Comes with both a money clip and cash strap
- Still not the easiest wallet to get cards out of
- It's really expensive, with no additional utility
- Dimensions: 0.24" by 3.39" by 2.13"
- RFID Blocking: Yes
- Card Capacity: 1 to 12
- Cash Organization: Strap or Money Clip (both included)
- Coin Storage: No (accessory available)
- Weight: 45.3 grams
Little has changed on this forged carbon fiber wallet from the original. It maintains a two-plate and elastic strap design! It still offers the choice of either a money clip or a cash strap (however, this premium option gives you both in the box rather than having to choose one or the other).
The wallet still allows for up to 12 un-raised lettering credit cards to be held between the two plates. The only real difference between the two, is the thin layer of aluminum on the exterior has been swapped out for a thin forged carbon plate that has green aluminum flakes in it.
While this might be a small adjustment, it completely changes the feel of the wallet (for the better).
Quick Note: This wallet also comes with a replacement elastic strap as well.
What do I like about the Forged Aurora?
1. Extremely simple design
Whether you like it or not, the Ridge’s design is so incredibly simple. That is exactly why I personally call it the two plates and an elastic strap design; that is all it is. While many people complain about the price point being so high for such a simplistic design, I disagree with this.
Every time I have not enjoyed a wallet, it’s because it is too complicated for its own good. Whether it be buttons, bottle openers, leather attachments, and more, they tend to make getting to your cards and cash harder. This carbon fiber Ridge wallet is the opposite of that; you have everything you need but nothing that you don’t.
Throw in a cool styling characteristic like forged carbon fiber with green aluminum flakes, and it’s hard to beat.
2. It’s quite durable
I haven’t used the carbon fiber version of the wallet nearly as long as my white aluminum version. However, it seems to be holding up just as well, if not better than the aluminum (which was and is impressive in its own right). I don’t see any wear and tear on the wallet, even though it lives in the same pocket as my keys (and key organizer).
The only place I have seen wear is on the elastic strap and a bit on the cash strap metal holder. The elastic strap tends to get lint embedded in it and ends up with some frayed fibers (however, from experience, this has yet to affect its usability). However, Ridge has graciously included an additional elastic trap to solve that concern.
As for the metal portion of the cash strap, I’m not terribly worried about the longevity of it, but it is a bummer that there is exposed silver aluminum poking through the black paint.
3. Forged carbon with green looks awesome
By far my favorite thing about the Ridge Carbon Fiber is the green flakes! Sure, the forged carbon fiber looks awesome, especially with its larger (than the competitions) carbon flakes, but what really sets it apart are the green aluminum flakes. These shimmer constantly in the light, and really draw the eye. They even look like they could be backlit at times.
If green isn’t your thing, the brand sells other flake colors (red and blue), just in case you are worried about that.
3. Cash strap is one of the best
After spending far too much time reviewing minimalist wallets like this one right here, I have tried a lot of cash straps. At that time, I had yet to find one that works nearly as well as Ridge’s straps. Some wallets tend to have difficulty pushing the cash in and under the cash clip, while others don’t allow cash to be put in horizontally.
Regardless, Ridge’s wallets like this one right here do an amazing job at keeping cash. It seems to have just enough elasticity to let you put a large enough amount of cash but not too little elasticity that you can’t keep just one bill or make it too difficult to insert cash.
They really have done a fantastic job at refining the cash strap to make it usable in just about every way.
4. Great card capacity
Now, a 12-card capacity isn’t necessarily something to write home about. Many of these two plates and elastic strap style wallets offer this capacity. However, it is still respectable and allows me to keep as many cards as I want. Of course, this capacity isn’t a given, as I have also tested quite a few wallets that have a far lower capacity (and one that allows up to 20).
5. Comes with both a money clip and cash strap
If you were to purchase the original aluminum Ridge Wallet, you would likely find that you have to choose between either the money clip or the cash strap. Of course, I would personally prefer the cash strap any day, but having the choice to switch out whenever you want is taken away from you on the original version.
However, if you opt for this premium option, you can easily do just that. It comes with one of the two options installed, and the other is included in the box. Now, look at me never using the money clip because I dislike them so much (it’s the thought that counts, right?).
What do I not like about this Ridge Wallet?
1. Still not the easiest wallet to get cards out of
Push buttons, sliders, pull straps- there are plenty of ways to get cash out of a minimalist wallet other than pushing it out with a notch. However, the Ridge only has one way of ejecting the cards. It can be a bit tedious, and getting to the cards in the middle can be a bit of a pain sometimes (but not too much).
Now, simplicity is also a major upside to this wallet, as we talked about earlier in this article, so you’ll have to decide for yourself if it’s enough of a trade-off.
2. It’s really expensive, with no additional utility
The carbon fiber version of the Ridge Wallet is an incredible wallet, as you can see above, I’ve talked about how awesome it really is. However, when it comes down to it, it doesn’t do anything better than the entry level aluminum version that is nearly 50% cheaper. There aren’t any new ways to stack cards or hold cash. It’s the same size in every way, and other than the thin material plates on the exterior, there are no different materials.
So, really, you are truly paying for style alone (and a bit of more expensive carbon fiber, along with a few additional tools). You’ll have to be okay with that if you want to get this wallet.
Who should buy the Ridge Carbon Fiber?
Alright, who should buy this carbon fiber Ridge wallet? If you are someone who wants to set yourself apart from everyone else, or you just have an appreciation for carbon fiber (and how truly awesome it is), then this wallet is for you.
However, if you are just looking for a quality minimalist wallet and you have landed on the Ridge brand, you probably should just get the original aluminum version and save yourself quite a bit of cash. Me personally? The carbon fiber is too awesome to pass up.
Where should you buy this wallet?
I would highly recommend purchasing directly from Ridge on their website (Paid Link), as they tend to run quite a few good deals on different wallets pretty much all the time.
I get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.
- Extremely simple design
- It's quite durable
- Forged carbon with green looks awesome
- Cash strap is one of the best
- Great card capacity
- Comes with both a money clip and cash strap
- Still not the easiest wallet to get cards out of
- It's really expensive, with no additional utility
- Dimensions: 0.24" by 3.39" by 2.13"
- RFID Blocking: Yes
- Card Capacity: 1 to 12
- Cash Organization: Strap or Money Clip (both included)
- Coin Storage: No (accessory available)
- Weight: 45.3 grams
