(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
In this review, we have three wallets from topologie, the Card Wallet, the Slim Coin and the Slim Coin Plus.
They all come in the same packaging. The Card Wallet has a little bit of a gusset and is very easy on the eyes. I got it in the navy color, they also come in black. The other two wallets handle coins. People forget that coins are used throughout the world, but, just because we live in a country that has a lot of tap pay, it does not mean that it is the case everywhere else.
The next is the Slim Coin, which is a bit larger than the Card Wallet. It is a traditional billfold wallet with a couple of interesting card slots. The last wallet, the Slim Coin Plus. They all have a consistent look, but where does the clever design start falling short?
The Card Wallet has a magnetic closure and it helps keep the wallet closed. However, if the wallet gets a little bit bulky, it may not close, but I like the fact it tries to keep it together. The wallet has no other feature on the exterior, and when we open it up we have three card slots and a gusseted area. Gusset means that it has a bit of a pouch to it because it has an extension on the side. The total capacity is up to 15 cards and the wallet is equipped with a split RFID protection that allows the cards to have some level of protection, but when closed it can still tap for transit or for pay.
The Slim Coin wallet has no external features but on the inside, there is the coin pouch that has a spring closure to keep it down, preventing it from opening up accidentally. In addition, it has three card slots. It also has a short billfold pocket that has a short width and nothing interferes with inserting and extracting notes.
The Slim Coin Plus has also nothing on the exterior. We still have the coin pouch, albeit it is bigger and slightly larger for coins. What separates this particular wallet from the regular coin wallet is the number of cards and how they fit. Some cards are inserted horizontally, not vertically like with the Slim Coin wallet. In addition to two slots in the front, there are five slots in the center area integrated into the divider between the two billfold pockets, making a total of seven card slots with a capacity of about 7 to 10 cards. Thee two billfold pocket areas allow for multiple currencies to be stored, any shape notes as well as receipts will fit in this space.
All three wallets are designed in Hong Kong and made in China from top-grain cow leather. The lining is microfiber, it provides protection for cards and has a very nice tactile feel to it. The machine sewing is done well and is reinforced in all the expected places. The Slim Coin Plus has a lot of lining that is found in between the card slots in the center section. Apart from the leather toppers, the lining goes all the way down, and in addition, that is RFID lining.
From a usability perspective, the Card Wallet has a nice magnetic closure that makes it feels like the Bellroy card holder which was sadly discontinued. The size is good, tap pay works on one side, and it can take folded emergency cash. This is not designed for coins, but it makes a great commuter wallet, considering the size and everything else. Therefore, I quite like it.
The Slim Coin is a vertical wallet. Coins are still a big thing around the world, as I mentioned, and when the coins are in, it remains closed. Nevertheless, the fact that there is space on the other side of the spring, I can get my finger in there and this huge space provides difficulty in coins sliding out. Still, I really like the offset card slots.
Now, onto the behemoth, the Slim Coin Plus, this one begins to get way too wide for my liking, and the slightly larger coin pouch compared to the Slim Coin causes an increase in thickness of the wallet. However, accessing the coins in the Slim Coin can also be challenging if they get caught in the lip and require you fishing to get them out.
During the card and cash insertion test, I had a significant struggle with the Slim Coin Plus inserting cards in the middle slot. The reason is due to the thin piece of leather dividing between both areas, which does not hinder access to cash and fit all currencies, however, inserting the five cards in the five slots is not easily done. Still, the two card slots on the front are easily accessible.
All these wallets have a two-year warranty but are only available on and off on their website, depending on when their supplies are available. So you will have to check their website.
The final score for the Card Wallet is 3 for quality as they are all done in top-grain leather, which is not bad, but not great either. Price scores 2 because I think it is expensive based on that. Features score a 4 since it has got quite a few, like the split between RFID and non which I find very splendid. Usability scores a 4 because it is easy to use, and with 3 for perception, the Card Wallet scores 3.2.
The Slim Coin, similar to the Card Wallet, scores 3 for quality, same kind of situation; price scores 2, and features score 4, we have the coin feature which is quite nice. Usability scores 4 because it is very easy to use and I quite like it, and with 3 for perception, this Slim Coin wallet gets a final score of 3.2.
Finally, the coin slim plus scores, similarly, 3 for quality, and 2 for the price as these are all really expensive for the quality they offer. Features score a 4 since, again, coins are incorporated and although this does not have a split RFID, non-RFID, that is okay. Usability scores a 2 because while a nice idea, in practice it just doesn’t work. With 3 for perception, this Slim Coin Plus wallet gets a final score of 2.7 out of 50.
The wallets works both as card holders and an ultra-minimal coin wallets. With an expandable slot, it stores easily your stack of business cards or folded cash, with two extra card slots to separate your cards and the ones you receive.
