(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
We’ve reviewed the regular Bellroy Slim Sleeve, Slim Sleeve Designer Edition, Slim Sleeve Apex, and now we have the Slim Sleeve Premium Edition. I don’t know how many versions of this wallet they can make until they get it right. But I have a suspicion we’re going to see the culmination of all of Bellroy’s learnings with the Premium Edition.
The wallet I have is in the Darkwood color, and as you would expect, it has the same working design that you would find in all Slim Sleeve wallets. Slightly different from the original, the Premium is consistent in design with slanted card slots like we saw in a Designer Edition.
With all Bellroy Slim Sleeves, there are no exterior features available. If we go to the interior, we notice two slots, one on each side. Behind the front vertical slots there are two more horizontal slots which work for additional cards in the right-hand slot with a pull strap and cash, folded once or twice on the left slot.
The Premier Edition applied the learnings from both the original and the Designer Edition Slim Sleeve wallets. I would call the Premier Edition the pinnacle of the Slim Sleeve design currently available from Bellroy. It’s designed in Australia, made in India or the Philippines, and it’s made from environmentally certified full grain veg tan leather, using the waterless process from the ECCO Group. Called Drytan, it’s a specific tanning method which uses very little water in a traditionally substantial water process. This leather can come from various locations around the world including the Netherlands.
Regarding construction we see several areas where we have double stitching, because double stitching is what we really like to see to provide reinforcement so leather pieces don’t tear away. Being able to see the flesh side of the leather in the card slots is great to see. Being closer to the actual leather is better, in my opinion, than additional liner fillers that don’t contribute to the function of the wallet.
It says it’s RFID protected, which is unfortunate, as it must be in between the back pieces, it’s not crunchy, so they’ve hidden it pretty well.
Overall it’s very easy to use, even with cash that will poke out slightly, which can annoy some people, but it really doesn’t interfere with the spine, so closing it is no problem.
Measurements are 3.8 x 2.9 x 0.5”, and it weighs 38 grams. The Premium Edition is the destination of the journey Bellroy has taken from the original Slim Sleeve, experimented with the Designer Edition, then they’ve gone off with Apex, and this Premium Edition really is a culmination of all their learnings. In my opinion, all Slim Sleeve Wallets should be made like the Premium with the quality of the leather, the finish, the sewing and construction, but more priced like the original. It has a three-year warranty on it, now let’s get onto the final score. For quality, a 5; price, a 2; features, a 4; usability, a 4; and perception, a 4. That gives us a final score of 3.9 out of 5.
Evolving from Bellroy's Original and Designer Slim Sleeve, the Premium provides more finishing touches and is the pinnacle of the designs evolution.
