Best Minimalist Wallet for 2025 Tested By CNET Experts

CNET

7 days ago

If you want specific materials then some wallets may not be suitable for you.
The number of cards you need will determine the size and shape of your minimalist wallet.
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Are you still using a bulky wallet that's packed full of receipts from who knows when and looks like it's about to burst at the seams? If so, it may be time to upgrade your wallet to something more minimal, sleek and stylish. With everything being done digitally nowadays, there's little reason to keep all those receipts like before, you know, "just in case." And if you don't carry cash, there's no good reason to have those old-fashioned wallets anymore.
Modern wallets seem to be trending toward simplicity and minimalism, with card slots for an ID, credit cards and a couple of other items. These wallets tend to be highly durable, with some offering RFID protection, and are secure enough to pass a vigorous shake test.
I've spent hours testing a variety of wallets to evaluate their feel, fit and functionality. Based on that experience, I can confidently say the options below are the best minimalist wallets available. Whether you're seeking a robust metal design or a luxurious full-grain leather wallet, you'll find the perfect choice below.
Massive wallets like the one George Costanza carried around are a thing of the past.
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What's the best minimalist wallet?
For our money, the Ridge wallets are the best minimalist wallets you can buy. Sure, they aren't the cheapest, but they are sturdy, good-looking and can be customized to fit your needs well.
Although there are plenty of bifold and trifold thin wallet options, we're mostly focused on one-panel design wallets here. These usually hold between four and 10 credit and debit cards, although some do it more artfully than others, and there is a variety of fabrics and colors to choose from. Some are hybrids, which combine a wallet and money clip or elastic band. Most offer some RFID blocking technology, which is advertised as a protective measure against electronic pickpocketing, like scammers skimming data stored on your contactless credit cards. (That may be an overblown concern.)
Tactical wallets also have built-in multitools, should you be the type to be randomly kidnapped and ditched in a forest somewhere. Just remember that you'll need to take any bladed multitools out before you fly, because TSA confiscating your wallet isn't fun. At all.
Best minimalist wallet of 2025
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Best overall minimalist wallet
Ridge Wallet
Pros Made from titanium
Keeps your cards tight and safe
Adjustable design
Cons Can be pricey for the best version
Of all the rugged, minimalist wallets I tested, I found the Ridge to be the most flexible, ironic for a wallet made of titanium (or aerospace-grade aluminum if you pick a different color). The sandwich design of the Ridge wallet securely accommodates one card as easily as it can 12, and the durable but pliable money clip holds one bill as tightly as a bigger wad. The cutout provides quick access to all of your cards, and the tough elastic strap that holds everything together inspires confidence.
This wallet is almost comically overdesigned, and you can use the included screwdriver to disassemble the pieces, remove the money clip and bring the money strap to the exterior. Ridge makes this wallet in China but backs it with a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects, which seems about right for the price. This burnt titanium Ridge wallet is probably my favorite color, although it's a little pricier than some of the other color variants, which start at $95.
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Ekster
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Ekster
Best mechanical minimalist wallet
Ekster Cardholder
Pros Elegant design
Great mechanism
Low profile
Cons Some scratches already
The Ekster's mechanics, along with its slim profile and lightweight materials, make it an elegant solution. The button used to raise the cards is really well done, with a hefty feel of a mechanism that will last as long as the wallet. The money belt is tight, keeping his small cash pile safe, and the wallet is plenty big enough for a few cards and Ekster's neat little Finder Card, so I could track it if the wallet did get lost. The finder card and its Android counterpart are so good that I recommend adding them to your wallet purchase. There's even a discount if you buy them together.
I gave it to my son to use at his prom, and it perfectly matched his maroon prom outfit though I have already noticed some wear in the paint, which is not ideal. If you keep it away from your keys, you should be OK, but the paint should last longer, even in a back pocket.
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Best minimalist wallet with Apple Find My built in
Groove Life Trace
Pros Great mechanical action
Apple Find My built-in
Cons No Android tracking
Groove Life already makes excellent mechanical wallets, but the Trace takes that a step further by adding a long-lasting, built-in battery that powers an Apple Find My tracker. It's surprisingly helpful for someone like me who constantly takes his wallet out of his pocket and leaves it in his office, car, bedside table or [insert anywhere he sits down here].
If you are looking for a wallet with extra smarts and you are using an iPhone, iPad or Mac, then this is the wallet for you. If you are using Android then the standard Groove Life wallet is a good choice, too.
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Best luxury minimalist wallet
Bosca real leather bi fold
Pros Beautiful craftsmanship
Very strong magnetic cash clip
Cons No clear ID space
Luxury wallets can be expensive, but with that money, you hope for a level up in quality, too. That's what you get with the Bosca bi-fold minimalist wallet. The leather is of excellent quality, and the stitching and finish are fantastic. I've been carrying it around for months now, and it's only getting better looking the more I use it. The slight blemishes in the leather that it has picked up and the shinyness from being polished in my pocket only highlight the beauty of it, and that's rare.
This particular one comes with an extremely strong magnetic money clip on the outside. It can handle 25 banknotes as easily as it can handle one, and it never feels like the money will slip out. I wish it had a window slot for my ID, but apart from that tiny issue, this is the wallet I love to use when I'm out for dinner with my wife or just looking to add a touch of class to my outfit.
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Best American-made minimalist wallet
Groove Life
Pros Made in the US
Mechanical slide action
Really tough
Cons Only fits around 5 or 6 cards
Employing "more than 200 people in Tennessee," Groove Life has created a precision-made wallet with a balanced weight that feels great in your pocket. Designed for five cards to fan easily, I found it could fit four credit cards and two insurance cards nicely, with an ID in the front leather sleeve.
The mechanism for releasing the cards is really nice, too. The entire front of the wallet slides up to help fan the cards out with a spring-loaded action that is satisfyingly mechanical. Like all metal wallets, the Groove wallet is RFID blocking, so you can have some peace of mind on that score. It's rugged too, so dropping it doesn't pop your cards out; at least it hasn't yet.
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Best Magsafe minimalist wallet
Bluebonnet Magsafe
Pros Incredibly strong magnet
Quality leather wallet
Very low profile against the phone
Cons Pricey for a two-card wallet
I always thought that having your wallet and phone together was risky, but I am far more likely to lose my wallet in a back pocket than I am to lose my phone in my hand. The Bluebonnet Magsafe wallet holds only one or two cards, but it sticks to the back of the iPhone so well you would think it was part of the case. The leather is premium, and the blue band that acts as a money clip is tight enough to use as a phone grip, too.
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Best branded minimalist wallet
Ridge NFL wallet
Pros Same Ridge quality
Sturdy elastic
Repping your favorite team
Cons The artwork could be more dynamic
The Ridge wallets are fantastic, and while the titanium series can be a little pricey, these NFL-branded ones feel well-priced for what you get. The solid aluminum constructed feels good in your hand and the powder-coated surface adds to that premium feel. If you love your football team and you want a way to show it stylishly and ruggedly, go for an NFL Ridge.
You also get a spare elastic and a money clip in the presentation box, making it the perfect gift for the football fan in your life. If I had one complaint it would be the lack of dynamic artwork, but if all you want is to show your team colors and logo, they work for that.
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Get it now $99 at Amazon $99 at Ridge
Other minimalist wallets we've tested
Not all of the minimalist wallets we've tested get to be called the best. Some of them are OK. Some of them are really not OK. Here are some of the wallets that did OK at testing but didn't quite make the cut.
Discommon Goods
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Discommon Goods
Discommon Wallet 3.0
I really like the aesthetic of the Discommon Wallet 3.0. The vacuum-formed shape and little hints of color look good and can hold six cards comfortably. It's also very well made and feels like it would stand the test of time. What keeps it out of our best choices is the clamshell. No matter how hard I try, the wallet doesn't stay closed enough to be entirely safe. I wish that there was a small magnet near the front to hold the edges closed so that it didn't open by itself.
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Vaultskin Notting Hill
Vaultskin's tasteful Notting Hill wallet manages to cram a lot into a small package. The defining feature here is the zipper. For some, it will be a deal-breaker — for its bulk, or whatever it connotes, style-wise — while others will find the security of a zippered compartment appealing for containing their credit and debit cards and money. If you're pro-zipper, there's much to like. The exterior features three slots that can accommodate cards or money. A fourth hidden slot can store two or three more cards, which you can eject out the top using the genuine leather pull tab. The inside has two pouches, one of which snaps down, and a strap that can stow several more cards. There's also a small key hook. Although it says "London" on the packaging, this wallet is made in China.
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Trayvax's Armored Summit Wallet
Trayvax's Armored Summit Wallet delivers an appealing combination of ruggedness and extra features at a reasonable price. It can hold up to seven cards and five bills, and like the Dango, it's built from sturdy materials — steel and melonite in this case — in the US. Also like the Dango, it has an integrated bottle opener. Still, Trayvax's buckling strap is a deal killer for me. It's nylon, not elastic, and I found it quite difficult to adjust when I needed to remove a few cards or make more room for additional money.
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Thread Wallets Elastic
The Thread Wallets Elastic resembles a fancy Ace bandage or compression sleeve. It's made of a stretchy material, and can easily hold 10 cards and some money. It also has a small key ring. Although it's billed as specifically "for women" — and it was my 10-year-old daughter's favorite of the bunch — that seems a bit reductive. This would be an excellent wallet for anyone. The only drawback to this simple, stylish wallet is that the excess material on the interior bunches up into a lump, a minor but considerable design blemish.
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Factors to consider when buying a minimalist wallet
There are many factors to consider when buying the right minimalist wallet. I've tried to boil it down to a few key ones but remember, we are all different, so your mileage may vary. The top things to consider are: How many cards do you really need?
Are you worried about RFID blocking?
Are you taking cash along with you?
What material do you want it to be?
The most important factor in this list is the first one and will often dictate what your minimalist wallet looks like. Do you only need two to five cards? then a no-folding wallet, or possibly a mechanical opening wallet could be a good choice. If you need more than that then a bifold or even trifold wallet may be your only option.
Most minimalist wallets these days come with RFID blocking as standard, so it's more than likely you will have that. Double check on the listing to make sure, if it's important to you, but know most do come with it. That's also true for some kind of money clip or elastic strap to hold a small amount of cash. If you are looking to take a large amount of paper money with you, a minimalist wallet may not be for you.
The size of the wallet will also dictate the materials used. A mechanical wallet will be made of a metal of some kind, while other minimalist wallets will be made of leather or a vegan leather substitute. Deciding on the material and the number of cards you want to carry will likely give you the best indication of the type of wallet you'll want to buy.
How we test minimalist wallets
Testing wallets is, as you might imagine, a fairly subjective process. These wallets come in many sizes, shapes and materials so it's important to test on those merits. Trying to jam 10 cards into a wallet designed to hold three is pointless and not a true test.
All wallets are subjected to a vigorous shake test where we try to dislodge the cards from the inside, and if they have a money clip/strap on the outside, I try to get that to fall out too. Then it's time for my least favorite test: sitting on the wallet in my back pocket for an entire workday. Mostly, I am making sure the wallet doesn't bend, or otherwise damage the cards inside, but I am also checking how uncomfortable it is to sit on for eight hours a day.
Any of the wallets that claim to be RFID blockers are subjected to a test using an Android Pixel phone and an RFID card that has my Twitter link on it. If the card can be read through the wallet and my Twitter bio opens on the phone, then the wallet fails the test. Finally, I spent a week using the wallet as my main cardholder in the real world. There are very few tests better than that to give you a clear idea of whether or not it is worth your money.
Minimalist wallets FAQ
Do minimalist wallets damage cards?
If you use a minimalist wallet correctly, it will keep your cards safe and sound. If you overstock it, then you run the risk of damaging your credit cards. Remember, the whole point of a minimalist wallet is to only take the few cards you need for the trip you are on. Most can hold five to 10 cards, so keep that in mind when you choose your wallet.
What pocket should you hold your wallet?
Despite the traditional notions of holding your wallet in your back pocket, it probably shouldn't be there. Not only does it make it much easier for pickpockets, but it also makes it harder for you to get to it when you need it. If you've ever tried to get your wallet while at a drive-through, you know what I mean. Having your wallet in your back pocket can also damage the cards inside. The cards will have the full pressure of your body, as well as the other cards and metal parts of the wallet pressing down on them.
Which minimalist wallet is best?
While this is a subjective question, the overall best minimalist wallet that we've tried is Ridge. That's because it's made with tough and durable materials but is still flexible enough to accommodate up to 12 cards. There's also a strap or clip for cash, too. The Ridge Wallet comes in a variety of colors, and NFL fans can also rep their favorite teams. If you get a Ridge, expect it to last for years.
Why are Ridge wallets so popular?
Ridge wallets have become very popular, and for good reason. These hard minimalist wallets have a unique aesthetic design, are made of titanium (or aluminum, depending on color) and can hold one card as easily as 12. They come in a variety of colors, have RFID blocking technology and look incredible. They're leading the market when it comes to hard, minimalist wallets.
Which RFID blocking wallets actually work?
Several of the wallets we mention in this list have RFID blocking technology, which means your cards won't get scanned by thieves. Out of the ones we've listed, the Ridge Wallet, Hammer Anvil Minimalist wallet and Groove Life have been reliable on the RFID blocking front. We tested this feature out by attempting to use an Android phone to scan an RFID card with our X link on it; these wallets prevented that from happening.
Do RFID-blocking wallets mess up my cards?
No, RFID blocking wallets will not mess up your cards. They're designed to prevent unauthorized reading of the RFID chips, but won't have an affect on the magnetic strip or chip on your cards.