What images come to mind when you think about minimalist wallets? Maybe a classic binder clip that holds a few credit cards and some cash? Or maybe a really thin traditional style wallet that is made of sail cloth? How about a handmade wood, carbon fiber, or aluminum wallet that can hold cash and cards while remaining sleek and stylish? That describes Alto Wallets. Let’s take a look.

What is it?

The Alto Wallet is a minimalist wallet that is available in three verisons: black aluminum, walnut or mahogany wood, or carbon fiber. The wallets are made by hand by the Alto brothers from Canada.

Design and features

I was sent one of each of the Alto wallets which you can see in the image above. The black aluminum version is on the left, the walnut is in the center, and the carbon fiber Alto is on the right.

Each wallet has a steel money clip on one side along with the alto brand in the bottom left corner.

And on the opposite side is a durable nitrile band that can be used to hold your credit cards. The bands are replaceable and each wallet comes with 2 extra bands of different colors so you can customize the look of your wallet.

The Alto wallet making process has several steps which include (depending on the material used) vacuum bonding, CNC cutting, laser cutting, CNC milling, bead blasting, anodizing, and sanding by hand.

The resulting wallet is very well made and is thin but strong. There are no screws, seams, or moving parts.

The nitrile band allows you to securely carry about 1-5 standard sized plastic credit cards. To remove a card, you just slide the stack out from under the bands. I found it a little awkward to do at first, but as I used the wallet for several days it because easier to do.

Cash can be inserted beneath the steel money clip. I found the clip to be really tight even when sliding only a few folded bills.

You can fold the cash in half or twice for a more compact look. Either way, it takes a little practice to side the bills under the tight clip without tearing them. According to the Alto brothers, the clip will loosen slightly after a short break-in period.

What I like

• Well made
• Can hold both cash and credit cards
• 3 styles

What needs to be improved

• Expensive
• Can take some effort and practice learning to access cash and cards due to the tightness of the band and clip.

Final thoughts

I really like the look and feel of the Alto Wallets. They are well made and I found no defects, burrs, sharp edges, or other workmanship issues.

I think the wallets are better suited for minimalist guys who have strong hands that can easily insert/remove the cash and cards from the bands and clip. Using the wallets was a little tough for me, so I must have wimpy hands. That said, Alto wallets are made to withstand a lot of everyday wear, tear, and abuse and should stand the test of time with no problems.

Price: $55 – $99 CAD ($43.62 – $78.51 US)
Where to buy: Alto Collective
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Alto Collective.

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Alto slim minimalist wallets review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 12, 2018 at 1:00 pm.

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I am a big fan of minimalists wallets because I don’t carry a purse and don’t want to carry a traditional wallet in my pocket because they are too big and bulky. I already have a favorite minimalist wallet (check my favorite gear page) but it only holds credit cards and has no way to carry cash. So, I’ve been looking for a minimalist wallet that can carry both cards and cash and the newest wallet that I’ve had the opportunity to test, is the Anti-Wallet from Anti-Gear Co.

What is it?

The Anti-Wallet is a minimalist wallet that is constructed of wide strips of black elastic that have been formed in such a way that the wallet can hold 1-10 credit cards, 1-20 folded dollar bills, keys, other paper items like receipts, and more.

Design and features

As mentioned, the Anti-Wallet is made of heavy duty black elastic and features three separate storage areas. It’s really up to you how you want to arrange your cash, cards, and other items in the storage slots.

On the Anti-Gear Co. site, they have pictures showing the Anti-Wallet with cash folded in half and stored in the center slot and credit cards in the top and bottom slots.

This works fine, but as you can see, the cash and the credit cards stick out the ends of the elastic storage “tubes”.

While I was testing the wallet, I carried five credit cards in the center slot. Although both ends of the wallet are open, the cards won’t fall out because the elastic holds the stack tightly.

I then used the storage slots on the top and bottom of the wallet to hold folded cash and folded papers like restaurant receipts. And since both ends of the tubes are open, it makes it quick and easy to insert or remove the cash just by pushing up from the bottom.

The Anti-Wallet also comes with a detachable key hitch which is a small metal clip with a cord attached to it. The key hitch clips to the rectangular metal “ring” and then the keys can be stowed away in the top or the bottom storage slots.

Anti-Gear Co. also offers a ClingR Card which is a credit card sized

With the way I like to arrange the cards and cash, the Anti-Wallet is compact and comfortable to carry in my pocket. The metal ring gets in the way since I don’t want to use it to attach the key hitch, but otherwise, the wallet is slim and small just the way I like my wallets to be.

Accessing cards and cash no matter which storage slots that you use is easy enough and the fact that the elastic can stretch means that this wallet can expand or contract to adapt to the number of credit cards and currency that you happen to be carrying.

What I like

The Anti-Wallet is well made and doesn’t look homebrew like some minimalist wallets that I’ve tried in the past. I like the simple minimal design and the fact that this wallet has three storage slots so that it can carry credit cards AND other items like cash and receipts. The design really does make this wallet convenient and handy.

What needs to be improved

I would like the option of buying the Anti-Wallet without the rectangular metal “ring” for the key hitch since it isn’t useful for someone like myself who doesn’t plan to attach keys to the wallet.

I’d also like to see other colors offered in addition to black.

Final thoughts

If you’ve been looking for a wallet that is slim and small but can still hold cash in addition to credit cards, the Anti-Wallet from Anti-Gear Co. is a really nice choice. It’s well made, easy to use, and it’s inexpensive so you’ll still have some money left over to store in one of the slots!

Price: $19.95
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Anti-Gear Co.

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Tagged: Wallets

Anti-Wallet minimalist wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on April 9, 2018 at 4:45 pm.

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I’ve been carrying a WaterField Designs wallet for over a decade. Since 2005 if you want to be exact about it. That’s when I posted my review of their zippered Catch wallet which I used faithfully until I upgraded to their Finn wallet 5 years ago. Even though my red leather Finn is still going strong with no defects, I’ve switched over to their brand new Finn Access wallet which I’m going to review for you today. Let’s see if this is another wallet that will serve me for the next decade and beyond.

What is it?

The WaterField Designs Finn Access wallet is a zippered leather wallet that is available in 3 sizes and 4 colors. The “access” part of the name comes from the quick access pocket on the outside of the wallet that is designed to hold your most used card.

Design and features

I was sent the smallest version of the Finn Access wallet in Grizzly brown leather. The full-grain leather is soft with an almost suede look and feel that will get scuffs and scratches as it’s used. This isn’t a bad thing though as it allows the wallet to gain character like an old friend.

As mentioned earlier, the Finn Access wallet has a quick access pocket on the front that is designed for your most used card like an office card key, bus pass, etc. The card fits snugly in the pocket with no worries that will slip out.

The wallet has a nylon locking zipper that zips around two sides of the wallet to keep all the contents securely inside. Zipper action is smooth and easy, with no jamming.

When you unzip the wallet, you’re greeted with a ballistic nylon interior that has two pockets on either side for the organization of your cards and cash. You can have your regularly used cards on one side, lesser cards on the opposite side and your folded cash in the center.

The Finn Access wallet hides another feature that you can’t see. It’s lined with a special certified RFID blocking material that will protect the data on your credit cards from hackers with wireless skimmers. Note that the quick access pocket on the outside of the wallet is NOT protected with the RFID blocking material.

Even though the smallest sized Finn Access wallet is very compact, it can still hold a lot like 5 plastic credit cards and 7 bills inside and another card outside in the quick access pocket.

Here it is loaded up. It might look full when unzipped, but when you zip it up, it stays thin just like the 4th image from the top. I don’t carry this wallet in my pocket, but it fits just fine in the back jeans pocket of my girl jeans. Guys should have no trouble fitting the wallet in either their front or back pockets.

What I like

• Simple but functional design
• Well made
• Quick access pocket
• RFID blocking
• Will last for decades

What needs to be improved

• Nothing

Final thoughts

The fact that I’ve been carrying a WaterField Designs wallet for over 13 years should give you a clue that I love and depend on their products. They are well made, look great, and last forever. I already know that this Finn Access wallet is going to be a favorite of mine for years to come and I highly recommend it.

Price: $79.00 – $89.00
Where to buy: WaterField Designs
Source: The sample for this review was provided by WaterField Designs.

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Tagged: Wallets

WaterField Designs Finn Access wallet review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 13, 2018 at 4:12 pm.

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