This $75 aluminum wallet is built to last a lifetime, and it’s so slim that I can carry it in my front pocket

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• Most people (myself included) tend to overstuff traditional billfold wallets with unnecessary junk like old receipts and empty gift cards.
• To get rid of the huge bulk in my pocket, I switched to The Ridge Wallet, a $75 aluminum-body wallet that holds up to 12 cards and a large number of bills in the cash strap or money clip.
• Designed to carry everything I need and nothing I don’t, the wallet is super slim and compact. For the first time ever, my wallet comfortably fits in my front pocket. 
• At $75, The Ridge Wallet is a smart purchase that’s built to last a lifetime.

Give anyone a billfold wallet and they will, without a doubt, overstuff it.

Your current wallet is probably home to more receipts, empty gift cards, movie ticket stubs, business cards you’ll never need, and expired coupons than you’d like to admit. Plainly, you’re probably carrying around a lot of trash. 

I tried to eliminate the gigantic lump in my back pocket by going with a slimmer billfold, but it didn’t work. Over the course of a year, my slim leather wallet slowly but surely became packed with random garbage that I had no use for. It took me switching to The Ridge Wallet, a new kind minimalist wallet, to see just how impractical traditional wallets can be.

Designed to carry everything you need and nothing you don't, The Ridge Wallet features a durable aluminum body, elastic straps that expand to hold up to 12 cards, and your choice of a cash strap or money clip on the back. The wallet also boasts RFID-blocking technology to keep tech-savvy thieves from accessing your bank accounts or stealing your identity. 

Your cards slide into the wallet at the top and can be accessed by pushing up on the cut out at the bottom. They'll come out in a fanning motion and can be more easily accessed by pinching the bottom of the wallet. From there, you can quickly grab whichever card you need. The back of the wallet is where you'll find the cash strap or money clip. I personally prefer the cash strap because it seems a little more secure than the clip design. And, when you're not carrying any cash, it doubles as a good spot to keep things you'd want quicker access to like a metro card or bus tickets.

Another thing that makes The Ridge Wallet special is that it's built to last a lifetime, not just a long time. Before the Gucci billfold pictured below, I had a different leather billfold from Ralph Lauren. It lasted me about eight years, which is a decent amount of time, but I ultimately had to replace it — and if I were to keep using the Gucci one, I'd have to replace it, too. The Ridge Wallet, on the other hand, is completely re-buildable. A T5 Torx screwdriver for disassembly comes included in the box and you can buy replacement screws and elastic for $7 each.

The bottom line

After carrying a bulky wallet for many years, it's become instinctual to tap my back pocket to make sure I have it on me. The Ridge Wallet is starting to break me out of that habit because for the first time ever, my wallet fits comfortably in my front pocket.           

At $75, I'd say The Ridge Wallet is a smart investment. It's way cheaper than overpriced designer wallets (like the Gucci one I received as a gift) and a few dollars less than more affordable options like Bellroy. Whether your budget falls above or below The Ridge Wallet's price, keep in mind that you'll eventually have to replace pretty much any other option.