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Wallets are an everyday essential, which is why you should put some thought into the kind you buy. The wrong one will be a bulky mess or worse, leave you without the card you need right when you need it. That’s why, when you’re picking the best wallets for men, you should think about what you like to carry and how you like to carry it. If you still heavily rely on cash, then you might want a classic bifold that keeps bills easy to access. If you prefer to keep your pockets as slim as possible, then a money clip or cardholder might be more your speed. Whatever you prefer, there’s guaranteed to be a wallet for your needs.
Buying a new wallet is also a great time to do a little tidying up; you can go through your old wallet and finally throw out those receipts and expired gift cards. Because no matter what kind of wallet you choose, it should allow you to carry what you need on an everyday basis without cluttering your life. It’s also crucial to pick a wallet that will make it easy to quickly grab your most used items, such as your debit card or metro card.
- Best Bifold Wallet: Bellroy Note Sleeve
- Best Cardholder: Bosca Old World Cardholder
- Best Minimalist Wallet: The Ridge Titanium Wallet
- Best Trifold: Acne Studios Leather Trifold Wallet
- Best Zip Wallet: Comme Des Garcons Zip Around Leather Wallet
There are a lot of reasons to buy a new wallet. Maybe that worn-down leather wallet dad gifted you as an undergrad has seen better days. Maybe you are a dad shopping for the best graduation gift. Or maybe you’re just looking for something new. No matter the reason, if the time has come to upgrade your wallet, we’ve picked out some of the best wallets for men.
Best Bifold Wallets
A bifold wallet is the most traditional wallet style. It has one fold down the middle, with a varying number of card slots and features. The cards and cash are stored horizontally. It’s a very versatile style because it allows you to store plenty of cash and cards without adding too much bulk.
As a middle-of-the-road pick, a bifold is neither as streamlined as a cardholder nor as spacious as a trifold. Even so, they’re the perfect size for most guys, and the best leather bifold wallets can last for years even with daily use.
SPY TESTED
Bellroy Note Sleeve Wallet
Slim, sleek, sustainable and stocked with multiple compartments, the Bellroy Note Sleeve hits nearly every mark and even manages to squeeze in some special features.
Bellroy’s handsome design appeals to minimalists, and it’s made from leather that feels pliable and soft. On the inside, you’re looking at three quick-access slots, plus a unique pull-tab for stashing less used cards. This wallet is unique in that the cards are stored vertically rather than horizontally. The extra height allows it to better accommodate taller foreign bills. With all that functionality and 10 colorways, you aren’t going to find any better men’s wallets in 2022 for this price.
Full Review: Putting Bellroy’s Famous Wallet To the Test
RUNNER UP
Nomad Bifold Wallet
The Nomad Wallet isn’t inexpensive, but it uses premium materials that more than justify its price tag.
The Nomad wallet is made from premium Horween leather, which is one of America’s most legendary tanneries. There’s a quick access slot on the outside of the wallet, plus multiple inner slots that can accommodate up to 15 cards. You can also add a specially designed card for your AirTag, which snaps into place so it won’t add bulk.
ALSO GREAT
Harber London Leather Bifold Wallet
Harber’s wallet is handmade from premium materials and snaps closed with a magnetic closure.
BEST VALUE
Herschel Supply Co. Hank Wallet
The Hank wallet is a great deal and a versatile wallet. It comes in a ton of colors, and the fabric construction is durable, making it a good option for anyone who doesn’t want a leather wallet.
MOST CLASSIC
Leatherology Thin Bifold Wallet
It doesn’t have as many innovative features as the Bellroy, but if you just want a stylish leather wallet with traditional card sleeves, this is the one to get. Plus, you can add a monogram.
MOST UNIQUE
Dynomighty Mighty Wallet
This wallet is made from Tyvek, a polyethylene material that looks and feels similar to paper but is durable and tear-resistant. It’ll last years and will take on a well-loved, worn-in look.
BEST SPLURGE
Burberry Check Billfold Wallet
For a luxurious pick, this option riffs on Burberry’s classic tartan plaid in a decidedly subtle way. It’s made in Italy and has eight card slots.
RUGGED LOOK
Shinola Slim Bifold Wallet
This wallet has a rugged look that will get better with age, and it has plenty of pockets for storing essential cards and cash. It can also be monogrammed.
BUDGET BUY
Calvin Klein Saffiano Slim Bifold Wallet
Calvin Klein’s simple leather wallet has a pleasant textured leather with an ID window and a quick-access slot on the back.
Best Cardholder Wallets
A cardholder wallet features no folds, making it one of the most streamlined options you can get. Cardholders are made from the same materials as regular men’s wallets, but the card slots are on the outside for easier access. But cardholders are not as secure and you can’t store as many items.
These are some of the best wallets for traveling when you want to keep your cards secure inside a bag or anti-theft carrying case.
BEST OVERALL
Bosca Old Leather Front Pocket Wallet
Bosca’s innovative cardholder wallet combines two wallet designs into one, with three slots for storing your cards on the front, and a clip on the back for storing cash, overflow cards or pretty much anything you can attach to it.
MOST STREAMLINED
Bellroy Card Sleeve
Bellroy’s cardholder is a more streamlined version of its wallet. It has a slim design with a pull tab for quick access to less-used cards.
BEST SPLURGE
Tom Ford Leather Cardholder
Tom Ford’s stylish cardholder has four card slots, with the front slot forming a T-shaped cutout. It’s a bit of branding, but it’s also a clever way to make your most-used card easier to access.
BEST VALUE
Madewell The Leather Card Case
The thing holding your money shouldn’t cost all of it. Madewell makes plenty of affordable genuine leather accessories, such as this card case. It has a total of two card slots on each side, plus a main sleeve in the middle for storing cash.
CONTENDER
Filson Front Pocket Cash & Card Case
For something rugged and minimalist, check out Filson’s simple front pocket cardholder wallet. There are three compartments in total, including a pouch for folded-up bills.
BEST COLORS
Fossil Steven Card Case
This simple and streamlined card case is a great everyday option for carrying a handful of cards. It comes in a wide range of colors, so it’ll be easy to find one that suits your taste.
Best Minimalist Wallets
Brands like The Ridge have exploded traditional wallet classifications, making products that exist somewhere between cardholders and money clips. Since they usually have specialized storage solutions, the drawback is that they may not work for everyone’s needs.
BEST OVERALL
The Ridge Titanium Wallet
The Ridge is a sleek, minimalist wallet with a smart design.
The Ridge has two metal components with an elastic middle portion that holds all your cards tightly together. A convenient thumb slot allows you to push your cards out when you want to access them. The back of the wallet features a money clip for storing cash, receipts or anything you might want quick access to. This titanium wallet features all the security and convenience you could want from a modern wallet, with a bit of style.
BEST COLORS
Bellroy Slim Sleeve
Bellroy’s Slim Sleeve takes the reliable design of the Note Sleeve and slims it down, swapping out the standard cash sleeve for a smaller pocket for folded bills. There are two quick-access pockets and a pull tab for extra cards.
MOST UNIQUE
Ekster Parliament Wallet
Ekster’s smart wallet features a built-in aluminum cardholder with a quick-release mechanism that ejects your most-used cards in the order you want.
BEST VALUE
Thread Wallets Slim Minimalist Wallet
The Thread wallet is minimalist in the best way possible; it’s small in price and size. It has one main compartment and an additional external pocket, and it’s designed to hold between two and eight cards.
MOST SIMPLE
Craighill Station Money Clip
Craighill specializes in small metal goods made from rugged materials like brass and titanium. This money clip is attractive in its simplicity. There are no moving parts to break, it’s just a folded piece of metal that you can slip cash and cards into.
Best Trifold Wallets
A bifold has two folds, and a trifold has, you guessed it, three. A trifold opens similar to a brochure and stores cards vertically, rather than horizontally, making a trifold best suited to larger pant pockets or jacket pockets.
A trifold will have a lot of slots, making it a good option if you have many cards to carry. The biggest problem with trifold wallets is bulkiness.
BEST OVERALL
Acne Studios Trifold Wallet
While a trifold typically has three parts that open like a brochure, this one has a flap that opens upward and another that opens to the side, forming an L-shape. There’s also a pouch for coins.
MOST STORAGE
Leatherology Trifold
Leatherology’s trifold has plenty of slots; there are nine card slots, plus three interior slots. You can choose between full-grain leather or more premium vegetable-tanned full-grain German leather. A monogram is $10 extra.
BEST VALUE
Carhartt Men's Trifold
This rugged wallet has three panels, including one with an ID window and two with three card slots each. The wallet is made from sturdy nylon and has a clip for attaching to a chain.
Best Zip Wallets
Zip wallets and button wallets add extra security to your essentials, ensuring your cards, cash and coins won’t fall out, no matter what you’re doing. The drawbacks are that zip wallets tend to be on the bulky side, and it takes more effort to access your cards.
BEST OVERALL
Comme Des Garcons Zip Around Leather Wallet
For such an experimental brand, this wallet is surprisingly practical and simple. The black leather wallet features a handy pouch for holding coins and cash, as well as slots for your cards.
BEST NON LEATHER
Rains Zip Wallet
Rains’ stylish zip wallet is made from water-resistant synthetic material if you’re looking for an alternative to leather. It has a zippered compartment, a snap compartment for folded bills or coins, and three card slots.
BEST SPLURGE
MAKR Leather Zip Luxe Wallet
MAKR is a small studio with a considered approach to handcrafted leather goods, such as this simple zip wallet made from premium leather. Several sophisticated colors are available.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Bellroy Note Sleeve is a great option for most men. It has a streamlined design, but hidden features make it a functional option for storing coins, extra cash and infrequently used cards.
RFID-skimming sounds scary — it's basically digital pickpocketing, in which a thief scans data from your cards. But the truth is, there's hardly any evidence of real-world theft committed by RFID-skimming. Getting an RFID-blocking wallet certainly won't hurt, but you shouldn't pay extra for it.
Trifold wallets are bulkier than bifolds, but if you have a lot of cards, a trifold can be a great option. For most people, a bifold will be sufficient for cards, cash and IDs.
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