(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Today’s review is on the Pitaka carbon fiber magnetic wallet. I have received several requests to review this particular wallet. It comes packaged in a very big black box for such a small wallet. This wallet is the MagEZ. There is a faux carbon fiber pattern on the exterior of the box which slides out to reveal the wallet. The wallet attaches itself magnetically to the interior of the box which is a pretty unique concept. The packaging also includes a card with instructions and a QR code. DIrectly on the interior of the box there is a “Warns” message, I think they meant to say “Warning”. Unfortunately, it says that the magnets that are used within this product may demagnetize the magnetic strip of your bank card. That’s a show stopper right there!
The Pitaka MagEZ wallet is made of carbon fiber and has multiple layers. The modularity of this system is what is important, because it is one of the main features. The exterior layers allow a single card. Each of the interior card layers can hold an additional layer on the front and the back. This particular wallet has a configuration for six cards, one in each of the exterior layers and two per layer in the interior 2 layers. You can also add additional layers. They offer three different layer types. One for cards, a money clip, or a box. You can purchase them as separate add-ons. I bought the box layer as an additional accessory item. This is where you could put coins, extra cards, keys or SIM cards.
I was able to get six cards, six coins, and three slips of cash inside all the layers. For a minimalist carry, this could come down to one card since this is a modular wallet, it is simply a matter of taking layers off. If you wanted, you could just have one. I don’t think it would be very secure, so I would suggest you add the other external layer for a sandwich for two cards. This will still give you a fairly thin wallet. It basically comes down to how many layers you want to carry, and how thick you want your wallet to be.
This is made in China. There are two models. This is the MagEZ wallet. There is also the MagEZ wallet UE. The strength of the magnets work well to hold the wallet together. Upon doing a drop test, the different layers fell apart, but the cards stayed inside. It naturally has RFID protection because it is made from carbon fiber.
The modularity of the system is a big selling point of this wallet as it allows you to choose which cards you want to carry on any particular day. It has rounded corners which prevents it from causing holes in your pockets.
The difference between the two versions is stunning, and not for good reason. The original MagEZ wallet will demagnetize all of the stripes on your credit cards, whereas the MagEZ UE will not. I don’t understand why you would even buy the regular one, when it will demagnetize the stripes on your cards. Pitaka fixed a problem that should not have existed in the first place, by marketing the new UE product like a unique offering, whereas it should have been that way in the original version. To make matters worse, both wallets are different sizes. Therefore, if you bought the original wallet and realized it could demagnetize your cards, you would not be able to buy the updated version and swap the layers. I think it is a bad choice for their customers.
It measures 3.9 x 2.6 x .4”. This measurement is before you add any additional layers. It weighs 69 grams. This wallet comes across like they had a cool idea to use magnets and carbon fiber and make it into a wallet. It seems like they were trying to put cool into a wallet.
For the final score; for quality a 3, price a 2, which would be lower if you added additional add-ons. Features a 3, and usability, a 3 which would have been dropped to a 2 if they hadn’t fixed the demagnetization with perception a 2. This is just a poor marketing effort on introducing a new product, when they really should have just provided it to their customers. That gives us a final score of 2.8 out of 5. As you can tell, I wasn’t too impressed with the Pitaka. I think the concept is okay, but magnets are very hard to do with wallets.
This wallet has been discontinued, a similar wallet is available below
Card Mod features a lightweight aluminum housing that fans up to 5 flat cards, or 3 raised cards for easy sorting. Add other mods to customize & get more functionality, or rock it by itself.
