I’ve been carrying the Peak Design Slim Wallet for a few weeks and find it to be the BEST MagSafe AND in general minimalist wallet I’ve carried. Why? It works with my mobile phone and as a stand lone wallet without looking odd. Capacity is impressive, with usability and access being elegant.
(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Peak Design makes great gear and their Slim Wallet, if it could be described in one word, would be “clever”.
Peak Design’s Slim Wallet comes in a nice retail box equipped with a little hook. It comes accompanied by nice little instructions and it is climate neutral. It also comes with a mobile one, which is a bi-fold that acts as a stand for your phone, but I just like this simpler and easier to use one. This wallet’s material and especially how it is put together are quite interesting.
From a features perspective, this is a MagSafe compatible wallet. You can feel its rigidity and the magnet is both horizontal and vertical. The interior has one internal slot that comes with a pull strap. If you want to dig for your cards, you just pull the front down, which is really cool. However, if you do not want to pull it out, you can just grab the front, pull it down, and you will have access to the cards. This compartment can accommodate up to seven cards, plus one to three notes, nevertheless, you need to be aware of the balance that needs to be maintained between cards and cash. The wallet measures 3.6 x 2.4 x 0.15” and weighs 42 grams, or 1.5 ounces. As I mentioned at the beginning, it is clever and simple.
I inserted five cards and two slips of cash in the insertion test, but as I mentioned, it can hold up to seven cards that can be accessed by pulling the front or pulling the strap to get them out. The two slips of cash and five cards I inserted made it quite full, which means that to get a full set of seven cards in, you will have to sacrifice the cash. Moreover, the cards I inserted were a combination of embossed and non-embossed, and because of that I was able to make it work, but you will understand the balance once you get into using this wallet.
It is designed in the United States and made in China from a 100% recycled nylon canvas. It does have a nice tooth to it, but it is not really rough. Furthermore, it minimizes the bulk via the design pattern that is used. You can tell that this is an origami-looking feel, and I know there is adhesive that has been used, yet, I am not sure how this would hold up long-term against heat, water, salt, or other abusive elements, but I trust Peak Design because they are good. In addition, being that it is nylon, it will not have a tendency to stretch out, and the MagSafe magnets provide good structure for this wallet, even without cards in. You have to understand that this is not one of those wallets that are super flexible.
Several customers have complained that it only comes in one color, which is the charcoal we got for this review, but it is common that Peak Design does not have a ton of colors with its products. This particular wallet is priced at $50. I have mentioned that this wallet is clever, but how? What I love about this wallet is the magnetic flap to close over, but if you want greater access to the content or if you need to spend some time inside this little space, you can move it to the back and it will secure itself there. Furthermore, this magnetic flap prevents cards from falling out, and we have seen something similar with a Distil Union Wally Junior wallet where it was a pull strap, however it was a lot smaller in width while this one has the entire width. I mentioned two methods to access cards, watch the video for more details on how to grab some cards or cash.
One weakness that this wallet has is the vertical magnet on the MagSafe part. If you grab the wallet you can see that the vertical-wise is a little weak. The horizontal one is not all that great either as it is easily pushed side to side. It is not as strong as other MagSafe wallets that I have tested. I also did not test this with the Peak Design phone case, but regardless, it should work with any MagSafe specked cell phone case. I have been carrying this for the past week and I really like it, especially when I go on long hikes or bike rides. It is small, secure, easy to put in my pocket, and quite handy. Clever indeed.
The final score for Peak Design’s Slim Wallet is 4 for quality, as it is very durable and very well made. Price scores a 3, however, I find it interesting how I can get a fully functioning Peak Design Field Pouch for the same price, which tells that the price is following the market, and obviously, is not the cost of materials or labor. Features score a 4 since the pull strap and MagSafe supporter are quite utile, however, the weakness of the MagSafe magnet does affect its usability rating, but still being good overall, the usability scores being a 3, and finally perception gets a 4. This gives this wallet a final score of 3.6 out of 5.
Greater capacity MagSafe wallets are favorable since I like their flexibility to be used standalone or with my phone.
Consolidate your most important everyday carry with minimal bulk. Built-in magnetic attachment technology (called SlimLink) is ultra secure and feels like magic. Holds up to 7 cards
