(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Today we are reviewing the Bellroy’s Hide & Seek wallet.
As we open the Bellroy Hide & Seek bi-fold wallet we see that it comes in the typical Bellroy packaging which is very good looking. The company has a consistency in all of their packaging which includes sewn edges very much like all of their products that are sewn. When we open this up we have this careful packaging and the wallet. I could only purchase this in black. I typically like to get wallets in lighter colors so they are easier to see. However, we can get a good view of this wallet if we get a little closer. This is a bi-fold which looks nice. There’s folded over edging and the hide and seek features.
The following features are on the Bellroy Hide & Seek. There are not any features on the outside of the wallet, but as we move to the inside, this is going to be a game of find the features with this particular wallet. On the left hand side, we have a card slot in the front, which can hold one or two cards. There is a secondary slot which is much deeper that can carry a lot of cards that you may not use often. On the right hand side, we have three different card slots. One card per slot is the intent here, so you have quick access to these cards. As we get into the billfold area, we start getting into interesting territory. On the front side of this billfold, we have another slot. This slot is used for a secret card area that can hold one or two cards. We might think this is all there is, but you’d be wrong, because behind it we have under this flap yet another place for cash and another billfold slot. So we have two, one in the front and one in the back, but we’re not done, because underneath that, we have another slot where you could put a card or even coins. This is yet another place to put something sneaky and hide it. There is a whole flap which folds over the front of the billfold.
Now onto the card and cash insertion test. I hope I can find them after I put them in all of their hiding places. We got 10 cards and 10 slips of cash, 7 in the main first billfold slot, and 3 in the hidden area, as well as 4 quarters in the coin area. You can also do additional cards. It can’t handle international currencies, because this is called the “low version” because it’s not very high. They do make a higher version which can accommodate taller currencies like euros and yen, but as you saw, it could get bulky rather quickly, so they’ve engaged in the design to play around with storing cards, cash, and coin in various places, but no matter how you look at it, you’re going to create bulk.
Quality is always something to look at with wallets. This is designed in Australia and made in India. It is made from environmentally certified top grain leather. It’s veg tanned, RFID and it has rolled corners which really compensates for the RFID material that’s in there. Therefore it has the effect of reducing the amount of leather in the wallet, which has come back as a persistent problem with customers that are reporting, that because of the thinness of the leather, it tends to not wear as well. There is a three year warranty on this, so they do back their products. The price is $89, and from a usability perspective it’s really easy to get to all of the areas, except for that hidden billfold. They are a certified B corporation and meet the highest standards of verified social environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability to balance profit and purpose. They don’t just make products to maximize profits; they try and better the world we live in. They were founded in, and based in Australia since 2010. I really like Bellroy products, and their warranty and customer service is really fantastic. If you ever have an issue with their products, I know they will take care of you.
Now let’s get to the final score. For quality a 4, for price a 2, features a 4, usability a 3, and perception a 4. So that gives us a final score 3.4 out of 5.
A slim all-rounder with classic good looks and clever hidden storage for extra bills, coins or business cards.
