It’s 2024, and it’s time we faced the facts: a modern-day person needs a wallet with a modern edge. We decided to take the top-rated wallets on the market for a test drive to see, once and for all, which wallet is our #1 pick. For this comparison, we chose Ekster, Secrid, and Bellroy wallets as our main contenders – here’s what we learned:
If you never want to panic over a lost wallet again… Ekster
If you want to stay one step ahead of forgetfulness, Ekster's the way to go.
A trackable wallet is one of those features that can be a real game changer for some people. For this reason, we feel Ekster’s solar-powered tracking card add-on deserves honorable mention. It fits easily in its wallet and makes locating a misplaced wallet a breeze with the ability to ring it from one’s. There’s even the ability to map it from a digital map, and a worldwide lost & found network in truly dire circumstances.
Neither Secrid or Bellroy wallets offer a tracker add-on, so you’ll either need to be the kind of person who never misplaces their stuff, or motivated enough to find a tracing solution elsewhere. If you’re neither of those things, Ekster is likely to be your best bet.
If you’re after a slim wallet with smooth card access… It’s a tie between Ekster & Secrid
Now, we may be splitting hairs here, but how else can you make a confident purchase decision? We sought a wallet with both smooth access and excellent card storage potential.
Secrid and Ekster wallets are built with slim storage and quick card access that fans out at the click of a button. While both share a similar quick card access feature, Ekster was best suited for everyday needs, as their wallets carry up to 12 cards.
Most Secrid wallets can only hold between 4 embossed cards or 6 flat cards, plus 4 extra cards in traditional pockets. The exception is their Twinwallet, which can hold up to 8 embossed cards or 12 flat cards plus 4 extra cards in pockets, but we found it to be a bit bulky and cumbersome, as well less space efficient than its Ekster counterpart.
Bellroy wallets, however, are designed with traditional pocket storage exclusively, which didn’t make for the smoothest experience, particularly as we were ‘breaking in’ its leather. Some models have a pull-tab to access cards, but this manual tug wasn’t as easy as clicking a button. With the capacity to store anywhere from 2-11 cards, Bellroy’s options felt less exciting.
If you require maximum protection against RFID skimming… Ekster
On the surface, Bellroy, Secrid, and Ekster wallets all offer RFID protection, but we decided to take a closer look on principle. We found that while several Bellroy wallets offer RFID protection, just as many of their card sleeves and travel wallets did not. Secrid somewhat offers protection against RFID theft for cards stored in its fan extender, but not the ones that are stowed inside of its card pocket slots.
At the same time, Ekster exhibits the best protection in this area, as its card fan protects against skimming, and in the case of its Senate Aluminum Cardholder, an additional 8 cards can be stored and protected in the backplate for maximum coverage.
If you’re looking to get the most wallet for your money… Ekster
The amount you’ll spend on a wallet depends on the features you seek. With Secrid, you’re on average likely to spend around $100 for a wallet from a range of options that cost $44.95-$190. A Bellroy wallet will also probably hit around that $100 price point, with styles fixed between $55-$179. Ekster wallets meet a similar bracket, with several popular styles priced at $89, and depending on preference, you could spend as little as $39 for a MagSafe Cardholder or as much as $250 for an 18K Gold Cardholder. Taking Ekster’s built-in features into account, there’s a lot of value packed in their wallets at a competitive price.
Our top pick… Ekster
Ultimately, when we factored the versatile options between these three wallet brands, we found that Ekster came out on top across the board. For its form, function, style, security and tracking components, and cost-to-value ratio, Ekster stood out as the best of the best wallets to be had in the modern age.
