One concern of the original i-Clip minimalist wallet review was the polymer body which could break if dropped on a corner. The new i-Clip Heritage steel wallet has a metal body, leather top, with a flexible card and money clip. It can even handle Apple’s AirTag!
(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
The I-CLIP wallet has had a popular offering for many years, but their customers kept telling them that they wanted a metal version instead of the composite resin plastic model that had a tendency to break if dropped. With that information, they created metal versions, named the Heritage, including the stainless steel version we’re reviewing today.
The color on this wallet is the Milanese desert. The texture is very engaging and is very common in wrist watch designs. The internal card slot has capacity up to 10 cards. The clip is activated when you load cards on the top of it, creating tension to keep them in place and in so doing providing the second function of the clip which is for cash. Folded in half, the cash then slides under the clip with it then folding over the top and with the top flap of the wallet closed, cash is protected.
From a minimalist carry option, four cards would work just fine and the test had six. The company indicates it can hold up to 10, but when that happens, you can see that it begins to exceed the top of the frame, causing cards to spill over when the wallet is not closed. Thus, the wallet can be stuffed when needed, but isn’t practical for day to day use.
For a quality perspective, this is designed and made in Germany. The frame is made from Stainless steel, corrosion-resistant, temperature-resistant, skin-friendly, but above all, it’s hygienic, scratch-resistant and durable. The composite resin plastic version can twist, but the metal frame on the Heritage version does not. The clip itself is still made from the composite resin, which works fine as that’s the one piece of the wallet that requires that material to work as designed. The cover is a full-grain veg tanned leather with lightly burnished edges, and the snap is integrated into the frame.
All of these elements provide a more robust structure than the original I-CLIP wallet, where everything consists of the integrated composite resin. The original has been a good performer, but it’s been known to crack when dropped on corners. So this new stainless steel and Titanium version, make the Heritage wallet a tank.It comes in five colors, plus a polished Stainless steel version, and a version that provides a room for an Apple air tag to be inserted. I think that’s very clever.
From a usability perspective, like all I-CLIP’s, you see the viewing window of the cards which provides a thumb push space. The cards are secured tightly and require significant force to for them to fall out. It does not have RFID blocking, which is great and the company is very clear they don’t think much about the need for RFID blocking in wallets, which I agree with completely. You can read here why. It measures 3.5 x 2.5 x 0.5″. And it weighs 54 grams or 1.0 ounces, that’s a lot of stainless steel. Started in 2014, the company stands behind the quality of the materials and it comes with a one-year warranty. And finally, I’m impressed with the company due to the obvious no bullshit way they market their product. They’re very straightforward.
Now let’s get onto the final score. Quality of 4, done much better on this one version of the product. Price at 2, it’s almost double the price of the resin version. So I’m not really convinced the price is where it needs to be. Features of 3, usability of 4, very easy to use and perception of 5. That gives us a final score of 3.7 out of 5.
Made in German leather wallet is handcrafted in Germany with high-quality materials, so you receive a durable, well-made wallet. The innovative moneyclip holds your banknotes safely in the wallet and the practical cardslot has enough place for up to 10 cards
