It’s 2024, and a bulky bifold wallet just isn’t going to cut it. Why have the same style wallet your dad had in the ‘70s when you can upgrade to a smart wallet instead? But you might be thinking, “Sure, they’re sleek and stylish, but are they even useful?”
From our research, we discovered that smart wallets aren’t just a slimmed-down version of a classic. Some wallets are trackable via your phone if they go missing, and others can protect from electronic theft. Sounds pretty helpful, right?
So, we decided to take the top smart wallets for a test drive to see which wallet is the smartest. For our comparison, we chose Ekster and Groove Life as our two contenders. Here’s what we learned:
Ekster Wallet Review
In terms of both capacity and style, Ekster’s wallet is a very attractive option. Ekster’s Carbon Fiber Cardholder is made with 3K carbon fiber, so it’s light and looks sleek and modern. With the click of a button, the expandable metal backplate can fan out up to 12 cards and bills, but it’s still way slimmer than a bifold wallet. Ekster wallets also stop electronic theft in its tracks thanks to RFID protection.
Ekster also offers the option to add a solar-powered tracker card ($60) to the cardholder, so you can easily track its location using your smartphone. What’s more, Ekster allows you to connect your wallet to your Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Siri. Ekster’s Carbon Fiber Cardholder costs $125, but many of their wallets start around $69.
Ekster offers free shipping over $50 to the US, Canada, and the UK, free returns within 100 days, and a 12-month warranty.
Groove Life Wallet Review
Groove Life’s Groove Wallet is slimmer than a regular bifold, and it holds about 6 cards, or 9 cards with the addition of the leather card sleeve. The Groove Wallet has RFID-blocking technology and a single-thumb swipe feature for easy card access. It’s also made of aerospace-grade material, so it lasts a lifetime (or at least as long as their warranty, which is 94 years)!
Not feeling the leather card sleep? Groove Life offers a Money Clip option with their Groove Wallet, too. The Groove Wallet plus Money Clip costs $89.95, whereas the Groove Wallet and Leather Go sleeve is priced at $119.95.
Groove Life doesn’t offer free shipping, and you’ll have 30 days to return your product.
Overall Verdict
Ekster and Groove Life are undoubtedly slimmer than traditional wallets, and their designs make it easy to access cards with the press of a button or single-thumb swipe.
However, Ekster’s Carbon Fiber Cardholder takes the cake on account of style and function. The additional Tracker Card option is a HUGE benefit, and it holds at least 3-6 more cards than Groove Life’s wallet. On top of that, Ekster’s shipping and returns policy can’t be beat. It’s far and away our winner—find out why Ekster has over 30,000 5-star reviews!
