In this article, we’ll share our top recommendations for men’s metal wallets you can buy this year.
When you think of a wallet, you probably imagine an overstuffed leather billfold. But have you ever considered a metal wallet?
Metal wallets have been steadily gaining popularity, and you may have even seen a few out in the wild. They’re a far cry from the leather wallets that you’re probably used to, and you might be wondering why anyone would choose metal over leather.
For one, metal wallets are extremely durable. While leather wallets do have the advantage of developing a unique patina over time, they can also wear out quite quickly. Metal, on the other hand, virtually never wears out.
Metal wallets also feature sleek profiles that make them some of the slimmest wallets available. So if you want a wallet that can take a beating but won’t take up much space in your pocket, a metal wallet might be for you.
Interested? Then check out our list of the 10 best metal wallets for men you can buy.
Quick Take
Short on time? Here are our top three picks for the best metal wallets you can buy right now:
This wallet is crafted from aerospace grade titanium, which is both resilient and lightweight (only 0.6 oz). At 0.28” thick, it’s wafer-thin and will take up almost no space in your pocket.
Made from high-quality aluminum, the Ridge wallet holds 1-12 cards and offers a choice between a cash strap or a money clip. Backed by a lifetime warranty, it is a great choice.
Read on for more info and the complete list…
The Best Metal Wallets for 2023
Here they are in no particular order…
Ridge Wallet
If you’ve seen a metal wallet before, it’s probably been a Ridge. Ridge wallets are widely considered to be the best metal minimalist wallets out there, and when you take a look at the feature set, it’s easy to see why.
The Ridge is made from high-quality aluminum and holds 1-12 cards. You can also choose between a cash strap or a money clip to hold your bills. Can’t decide?
You can get both or switch one out for the other thanks to the Ridge’s modular design. The wallet also provides RFID protection to prevent wireless theft.
All of this is backed by a lifetime warranty, but considering how rugged this wallet is, you may never need to use it. If you want even more durability, you can spring for the titanium version, and for the absolute best balance of strength and lightness, check out the carbon fiber version.
Secrid Cardprotector
For the true wallet minimalists, there’s the Secrid Cardprotector. This thin aluminum card holder has an impressively small footprint and a handy mechanism that makes it a breeze to access your cards.
To use the Cardprotector, you press a tiny lever at the bottom that causes the cards to spring out in a stack. This way, you can select whichever card you need without any hesitation. The Cardprotector can hold up to 4 embossed or 6 flat cards, and it weighs just 48 grams.
This wallet isn’t for everyone, as it has no room for cash and only holds a few cards. But if you only use a handful of cards and want a super slim wallet, you should definitely consider the Cardprotector.
Machine Era Ti5 Slim Wallet
Machine Era is best known for its range of sleek, utilitarian pens that aim to make you rethink your everyday carry. Their popular Ti5 wallet embodies that same design philosophy, and it truly is a solid addition to your minimal EDC.
This wallet is crafted from aerospace grade titanium, which is both resilient and lightweight (only 0.6 oz). The titanium is hand-finished with a corrosion proof finish that prevents the material from rusting or oxidizing. At 0.28” thick, it’s wafer-thin and will take up almost no space in your pocket.
The elastic band allows you to quickly stash your cash, and thanks to the open design, you’ll never need to fumble. As a neat bonus, the thumb slot on the back that allows you to access your interior cards doubles as a bottle opener. It’s a lot of wallet for just $65.
Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet
Have you always wanted the wallet equivalent of a battle tank? Look no further than the Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet, a heavy-duty affair that’s built to last.
This robust wallet fits up to 7 cards and 5 bills in a thin enclosure made from a heat-resistant steel plate. It offers several uncommon yet useful features, like an ID display window and an attachment point so you can attach it to a keyring or carabiner.
Despite the Armored Summit’s rugged appearance, it’s still quite thin, and the tactical look is great if you’re into the military aesthetic. (Pair it with a field watch for extra style points.)
Decadent Minimalist DM1
The DM1 is quite possibly the most minimal metal wallet in existence. What could be more minimal than a wallet that’s simply an outline?
The DM1 has done a fantastic job of reimagining the wallet through a minimalist lens. Simply slide your cards in and out of the titanium frame––that’s it. There are no extra parts to get in your way, and you can easily get access to all your cards (especially the outside cards).
Depending on the model, the DM1 can hold 4, 8, or 12 cards, and you can also purchase a money clip separately if you need one.
Decadent Minimalist notes that the wallet’s design allows you to use building access cards and other contactless cards without removing them from the wallet, which is a cool feature. However, because of its design, the wallet does not block RFID.
Radix Element Wallet
If brass isn’t your thing, then how about wood? Radix’s walnut version of their Element wallet brings a touch of the outdoors to your EDC.
Based on the popular Radix One wallet, the Element features beautiful walnut that sandwiches sturdy steel (which also blocks RFID). Thanks to the wood, the Element leans more sophisticated than utilitarian, so if that’s in line with your style, you’ll like what the Element has to offer.
The Element comes with two bands: one for 4-10 cards and one for 10+ cards. So if you carry several cards but still want a slim profile, the Radix is worth a look.
Gerber GDC Money Clip
Many guys prefer money clips for their ease of use. One money clip that caught our eye is the Gerber GDC, a slim clip that also features a fixed blade knife.
This titanium-coated multitool can hold up to five cards (and quite a bit of cash) in its thin enclosure. The main draw here is the short blade sheathed in the clip––press the button on the back and the knife pops out.
It also has a sturdy, serrated thumb grip and a textured ring to ensure a safe grip that won’t budge.
This wallet could be a game changer if you find yourself in need of a knife often. It’s a solid addition to any EDC, and it provides an added touch of practicality that you won’t find with most other wallets.
Vulkit Slim Minimalist Metal Wallet
Modeled after the style of the Ekster wallet but offered at a much lower price, the Vulkit Slim Minimalist Metal Wallet is a budget alternative to a big brand name. But is it really a good choice? That depends on what you’re looking for.
When they say “minimalist” for this wallet, they mean it. The Vulkit can only hold up to five cards, and no cash at all. You heard that right — no cash, and no options for adding a money clip or elastic band, either.
So if you like the style of the Ekster wallet’s card flipper and don’t carry cash on you, the Vulkit can be a good substitute. But overall, it has less storage capacity and versatility as a tradeoff for its much lower price.
Muradin Tactical Bifold Wallet
Most metal wallets follow a straightforward, one-piece design strategy. Not so with the Muradin, which essentially acts as a classic bifold wallet while retaining a metal wallet’s core.
Inside the wallet’s aluminum frame, you can store up to 12 cards and a few bills’ worth of cash. That’s paired with a fold-down faux leather overlay to hold your ID and one or two cards for quick access.
So who is this wallet best for? Probably for a guy that isn’t fully ready to give up his traditional leather wallet, but wants to try out the slimmed-down features of a metal wallet too.
Extremus Tactical Wallet
Extremus’s Tactical Wallet features a curious combination of materials: Lightweight carbon fiber at its core, and a heavy duty stainless steel skeleton.
Taken together, these two materials split the difference between heavyweight strength and lightweight performance. It’s neither the lightest nor the strongest metal wallet we’ve seen, but it has a fine balance that puts it right in the middle of the category.
With a 15-card capacity and an integrated money clip, the Extremus has plenty of storage space. True to its name, the Extremus is a very intense-looking wallet that might fit best with a rugged outdoor style.
New Bring Keyholder and Wallet
Minimalism be damned: The New Bring Wallet is a brutalist and maximized take on the metal wallet that makes other wallets cower in fear.
It’s a wallet. It’s a money clip. But you know what else it is? A keyholder. Ridiculous? Maybe. Innovative? Probably.
Look, this wallet has a clear purpose: It’s for the guy who wants to cram as much as possible into a metal wallet, then throw it against a brick wall, let it block a bullet in an action movie, drop it from an airplane, and then dust it off to head to the office the next day.
Mulberry Money Clip
What’s more minimalist than a minimalist wallet? A wallet-sized money clip, of course.
That’s exactly what’s on offer here from Mulberry, in a fancy, engraved, silver-tone clip.
At just 2.4 inches high and 1.2 inches wide, the Mulberry Money Clip is about as small as a wallet substitute can get. If you’d like to trim your cards and cash to an absolute minimum, it’s a classy way to do so.
Aviator Slim Wallet
Billing itself as the “ultimate slim wallet”, the German-made Aviator is a handsome and customizable cash-and-card-carrying solution.
This is the most choice-laden metal wallet you’re likely to find, with options for how many cards to store, whether to have a cash clip, the option for an integrated coin holder, and even an inner frame choice between acrylic and spacecraft-grade aluminum.
The pull-out tab on the Aviator is a very convenient way to access your cards, though it does tend to dangle oddly when not in use. Overall, it’s an excellent wallet, but one that you’ll pay a pretty penny for if you’d like to have all of its upgrades.
Akeeni Carbon Fiber Minimalist Wallet
Made from aerospace-grade aluminum and carbon fiber, the Akeeni Minimalist Wallet is one of the lightest ways to store your cards and cash.
Despite this lightweight construction, the wallet itself is not entirely minimalist — in fact, it’s quite a bit thicker than most of the wallets featured here.
Available in 4, 6, 8, or 10 card configurations, the Akeen is a solid choice for a metal wallet as long as you don’t mind the bulk. And it’s made in America too, which is a rarity in this category.
Dango D03 Dapper Wallet
It doesn’t get much more lightweight than an aluminum frame, a small strip of leather, and an elastic band — and that’s all that Dango’s D03 Dapper Wallet is made of.
Even with these sparse materials though, the Dapper wallet is surprisingly functional. It has a bifold three-pocket design that can accommodate up to 14 cards, and the elastic band safely secures your cash.
If you like the look of this Dango wallet, it’s quite a bargain given the quality of materials and American-made manufacturing.
Frequently Asked Questions
And before you leave, here are the answers to some of the most common questions asked about metal wallets.
Are metal wallets uncomfortable?
Metal wallets can be uncomfortable if you usually carry your wallet in your pants pocket. A lot of guys who choose metal wallets carry them in their jackets or bags instead.
Are metal wallets good?
Metal wallets are good in that they are durable and attractive. But some guys will still prefer the look and feel of a classic leather wallet.
Do ridge wallets block RFID?
Yes, Ridge Wallets are designed with RFID blocking materials.
Final Thoughts
Metal wallets are by no means traditional, but they offer some exciting benefits for the contemporary man. If having a lightweight, easy-to-access wallet is appealing to you, then you’ll be happy with any of these metal wallets.
Do you agree on our picks for the best metal wallets for men? Planning on grabbing one of these soon? Let us know in the comments!
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