Hey, it’s Ernest from Trip Astute.
In this video, we’re reviewing a wallet that you’ve probably seen in a lot of my
videos -- the Bellroy Card Pocket.
It my daily wallet that I use to carry all my credit cards and cash.
(light chiming music)
Being a points and miles collector has certain challenges, especially when it comes to the
number of cards that you carry.
I love the idea of being a minimalist and only carrying what I need, but when it comes
to credit cards, I can’t just use one card, especially when I’m trying to maximize bonus
categories with different credit cards.
Which is why I’ve used the Bellroy Card Pocket for several years now.
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For many years, I carried a traditional bi-fold leather wallet.
Though what I found was that the pockets eventually got stretched out because I was cramming so
many cards in them.
And since I was rotating cards in and out depending on the rotating bonus categories,
I found I never had the same number of cards in my wallet every quarter.
I also tried a non-leather minimalist wallet for about a year called the HuMn wallet.
It’s definitely an innovative design, and I’ll probably do a separate review on it
at some point.
But when I was using it, I still preferred using a softer material.
I just find the harder materials to be a bit more rough in the pocket and more noticeable.
When I got the Bellroy Card Pocket, it was exactly what I was looking for.
I know a lot of you have been asking me questions about the wallet in many of our videos, so
today I thought I’d run through the features and show you why I like this wallet so much.
First off, Bellroy is an Australian company that was started in the early 2000s with the
goal of creating minimalist and responsibly-sourced wallets.
They now have all sorts of products, including wallets for both men and women, bags, laptop
and tablet sleeves, phone cases, pouches, key cases, and notebooks.
Their goal is to create highly functional products that improve the way you carry items
in your daily life.
Also, in case you’re wondering, I do have two different colors of this wallet.
It’s a long story, but basically my first Amazon order was lost, but then showed up
a month later,
so I decided to keep both.
Ok, let’s run through what I like about this wallet.
Number 1: Simple design.
The zippered wallet has a simple design with two inner pockets, and one main
area in the middle.
I use the smaller inner sleeve for my cash.
I basically tri-fold the bills and slide them into the side pocket.
Bellroy markets the other pocket for coins, but I use it to store business cards and a
Tile Slim.
Then I use the middle area for all my cards.
Bellroy says that the wallet can accommodate more than 15 cards, and I believe them.
Right now I have nine in my wallet and it still has plenty of room for more.
Not only does the zipper keep everything secure inside, but I find it keeps out a lot of the
dirt and dust that tends to build up in more traditional wallets.
I know some people have expressed concerns about the cards getting scratched or worn
out by being loosely held in the wallet, but I haven’t noticed any issues with my cards.
It might be because we’re using the chip rather than the magnetic strip more often
for transactions, but I honestly haven’t seen any major wear on my credit cards from
being in my wallet for over the past few years.
One thing that I like to do is to order my cards with my dining card first and my debit
and driver’s license toward the end.
This makes it easy for to find my my cards in the stack and also remember which card
I need to use when trying to maximize a bonus category, especially when it comes to dining
out.
The liner inside is some sort of elastic nylon.
Bellroy also adds a print to the liner to give it a bit of personality, which is a nice
little touch.
Number 2. Small size.
I like that the wallet design is minimal.
This means that there aren’t layers of materials on top of each other that would normally create
bulk in a wallet.
Despite having a lot of capacity, the wallet is very small.
This is actually the smallest wallet I have ever used, and is one of the reasons I continue
to use it every day.
I’m able to keep it in my front pocket along with my keys without it feeling bulky or really
noticeable.
Number 3: Full-grain leather.
Bellroy uses full-grain leather in their products which is responsibly
sourced.
It doesn’t feel as substantial as some of my other full-grain leather wallets, but I
think it might be because the leather is thinner to make it more slim.
Though it still works really well, and has aged nicely in my pocket.
Also, the fact that it’s responsibly sourced and environmentally certified makes me feel
better about it too.
Number 4: SIM card slot
I have to admit that I don’t really use this feature, especially since
I use T-Mobile to roam for free when traveling.
However, it’s a neat little feature if you regularly need to carry a spare SIM card.
Number 5: Three year warranty.
Bellroy products comes with a three-year warranty.
I personally haven’t used their warranty service either, but I noticed that their customer
service has been proactively reaching out to folks with any issues on Amazon, which
is a good sign.
Number 6: Responsible business practices.
The wallet is made in India, and uses vegetable tanned
leather that is sourced under the Leather Working Group environmental protocols.
Bellroy is very involved and committed to the environmental practices in their business,
which includes not using toxins in the products and packaging.
I personally love that this is a big part of their mission.
I truly believe that we can influence and improve the world with our wallet … or not
technically our wallet but how we spend money.
You know what I mean!
Ok, so what don’t I like about this wallet.
Well, there are a couple of things to keep in mind with the Bellroy Card Pocket that
you should be aware of.
Number 1: Trifold cash.
This is actually a big one.
If you regularly use cash in your life, I honestly wouldn’t recommend using this wallet.
Having to tri-fold your cash and slide it into the pocket is not a seamless or convenient
process.
I tolerate it because I like the small size and I find myself using cash less and less
in my daily life.
But when I travel abroad and am using more cash, I actually carry a completely different
wallet that’s designed for easier access to my notes.
Number 2: Zipper quality.
While it’s perfectly functional, I definitely think the weakest point on the
wallet is the zipper.
I haven’t had one rip yet, but the leather tab does seem like it will eventually wear
out.
It does fall off, I’ll probably just add a small lanyard to the zipper.
Again, it’s not a dealbreaker for me, but I’d love to see Bellroy upgrade the wallet
at some point with one of the locking or water resistant YKK zippers.
In fact, they are using the water resistant zippers in their All-Conditions Wallet, which
is similar to the Card Pocket, but more rugged for outdoor use.
The cost of the Bellroy Card Pocket is $60, and it’s available on Amazon or directly
from Bellroy.
Overall, I really like this wallet.
It’s not the fanciest wallet, but from a functionality point of view, it’s served
me very well over the years.
As I mentioned earlier, Bellroy also has a similar wallet called the All-Conditions which
is water resistant, in case that’s something that you want or need.
They also have some new zippered wallets like the Pocket Mini and Zip Wallet, so definitely
check out the different options available.
Have you tried the Bellroy Card Pocket?
If so, let us know what you think.
Also, if you have another wallet that you recommend, please share as well.
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Until next time, travel safe and travel smart.