Great information. I received the aluminum card holder yesterday to replace my Ridge wallet and I am pleased with it. I put my paper money under the strap's logo for easier and quicker access.
I bought my self a Senate about half a month ago as an early Christmas gift and I love it so far. As someone who only carries about 6 cards, It’s perfect for me.
@@goleft4088 Yeah I do have some. I use the wellet almost every day. It's a nice minimalest carry (I carry 5 cards in the box, 1 card in the quick access slot and some slips of cash in between). Its deff a front pocket carry only, if I up it in my back pocket the card that I have in the quick access slot might bend and become warped over time. This is because I carry some paper money on me wich dose raise the card up and leave a gap between the cardholder and the quick access card holder. You do need to fold your cash into thirds wich means that it isn't as convenient to get bills out as another wallet. This isn't really a problem for me because I prettmuch pay for things only in card. While the card holding material inside the box has definitely gotten weaker, Ive never had my cards spill out when I have all my cards in there(5 cards). When I pull one out then it definitely gets weaker, if I shake when there are 4 or less cards in there I can get them to fall out. This really isn't a problem because the only time a card comes out of the box is when I need to use it for a couple of seconds to a minute at most. And for anyone that cares about this kind of thing, in the 9 months that I've owned this wallet I've only had like 2 people say "whoah, that's a cool wallet" to me. Wich is pretty neat but its not gonna be a "wow that's so cool" every time you pull it out. Over all I like this wallet a lot and will continue to use it.
Just a quick thanks. Love your channel and enthusiasm. You led me to Ekster Senate with tracker and I absolutely love it. Thanks for making my decision so easy.
The quick access pocket on the leather version is extremely useful & convenient. If only Ekster could solve quality/longevity issues with the leather detailing (which is what leads me to suspect that the all-metal version is a workaround for issues with failings of the leather trim). The leather version is/was, aside from leather adhesion fails in the edge trimmings, spot on. The back plate was large enough to completely obscure underlying cards (would’ve been nice with an integrated pull-tab solution for such cards: I made one myself!) and molded nicely around them with time.
what kind of issues with the leather did you have? I have the Senate (love it), but it is just a few weeks old. Also, did the spring give you any issues over the long-term?
Thanks so much for the review. I've been needing to get a smaller wallet as I now use less coins and cash and relying more on cards. Helped me make my decision to buy the Senate
While I don't like minimalist wallets, I was considering buying this one until I saw the amazon reviews. I've read so many reviews where the cards slip out very easily or you have the opposite problem and the cards refuse to come out and you land up needing a pair of pliers to get it out! To add to that, it doesn't take much to get things to the point where it won't close flat and instead bulges open.
@@TheTechnopriest I have the Ekster leather covered aluminium holder right now and as long as I load it up with 6 cards everything stays in place. So I would actually also vouch for the Ekster one. I still do believe though that Secrid makes the best portable wallets with regards to buildquality and reliability.
I've been reading of some people having problems with the card mechanism button breaking. Has that been a problem in your experience..? I really like the aluminum wallet but I'm on the fence because of these stories. On top of that, the warranty being for one year. If the button breaks after a year, you're out of luck.. For me, the wallet would cost about $100 (wallet, shipping, duty fee/taxes, and currency conversion) so I feel the need to contemplate this purchase more carefully. Can the button (or other parts) be repaired or replaced..?? I guess that's the main question.
As I've read information on this, no, the button cannot be replaced. The instances of the button breaking is low, but does happen. It depends largely on how you carry the wallet. Front pocket, much less than back pocket.
@@walletopia Hey, thanks for responding. A bit disappointing that there are no repairs or parts replacement possible because the wallet would cost about $100 for me because I live in Canada. I'm still thinking about purchasing one though..
I’m soooo glad you did this! I loved both of these so I bought them both haha. I have the green leather senate and the same blue aluminum card holder you have
@@walletopia I decided to use the aluminum card holder as a more fancy/formal wallet to use when I’m going out to like a nice restaurant or a show. I’m too worried about dropping it and having it get scratched or damaged. The leather one is my everyday carry since it can take drops and every day wear and tear better. If I scuff the leather I can buff it out and it won’t look bad. Scratch metal or aluminum and that’s all she wrote for it. Not to mention just accidentally having it scratch against keys or other things that might be in my pocket
I actually bought a bunch of these wallets to resell and I took apart some of the broken wallets to see the inner mechanism. The 2.0 wallets have a weaker trigger mechanism since the button can more easily bend side-to-side. The newer wallets have a small bar that goes up and reinforces the mechanism. From the broken wallets that I have, some common weak points I've noticed are from the linkage between the button and lift mechanism. The second weak-point was the button "face" breaking off (this was only a problem for 2.0 wallets since the newer wallets are one piece). Another observation was that the new wallets have a differently designed lift mechanism that actually has steps that can lift the cards higher.
@@LamplughVideo I'm pretty sure if you buy a wallet from Ekster directly, you'll get a "3.0" version, no matter it be a Senate, Parliament, or aluminum wallet. The main factor would be WHEN the wallet was produced, not WHICH wallet since Ekster should have changed the old wallets with 3.0 versions. A fast way to tell the difference is to look at the trigger mechanism. The section where the thin bar connects with the button has a "slope" for 3.0 mechanisms but will be flat on 2.0 mechanisms. You can tell the difference from the faces at 2:58 (3.0) and 1:00 (2.0)
I had an issue with their metal wallets; I have both the parliament and senate and they never damaged my credit cards but the metal wallet did. thankfully they exchanged it for another
I want an aluminum cardholder with ejection functionality, wrapped in a thin leather sleeve with two additional card slots. Any I'm missing that might fit that description?
I like these minimalist wallets but it's sad that I can't find a minimalist wallet that has a key chain. I mean, it's not a deal breaker but I just find it good to keep my keys attached to my wallet for convenience.
What is unembossed is it the numbers on the cards when they are popped out? If it is that does the wallet work with those types of cards? Also if your only have one or two cards will they fall out of the box?
Unembossed are flat cards, embossed are the raised numbers and letters. They work with both types of card, but the number supported are lower for embossed cards. In my testing they tend to not fall out easier than when it's full due to more bulk with many cards which provides more weight. If you're not trying to force them out, they won't fall out from casual use.
I have the aluminum card holder. The rubber cash strap that holds the plate on is very loose and slides up and down a lot which gets in the way of the trigger. Very poor design
I really like what I'm seeing here. I think I'd like the aluminum better than the senate, but I have to carry an access card for work and I'm worried the plate on the aluminum wallet would hinder that signal. I don't know enough about "natural rfid" blocking technology, any thoughts?
The RFID blocking comes from the aluminum so no additional material is added. No different than wrapping your card with foil. The exterior strap is very good. When I did a carry test on the Senate I had 8 cards on the outside strap, never had an issue.
So the cards actually fall off from the card holder? Cause everytime you were yanking them they flew out, to the point you had to remove them to test the others behind the strap.
Thoroughly enjoy your videos, and that fact that you remain so in touch with your community! Keep up the good work! P.S. bought an Aviator slide wallet based on your review and I'm loving it!
Thank you! And I'm glad you like the Aviator. I know I'm on the right track when the review meets the expectation when you actually get the wallet. Thanks for being a member of the community!
I have the aluminum one. and I hold way more in my backplate business cards aaa cards and other cards and it holds everything just fine. had mine since January no issues
The Ekster has a button and being mechanical means there's a potential for it to break in the future, the Ridge doesn't have anything mechanical and you can service the wallet yourself with the include wrench if necessary.
@@ishmone21 I’m still loving it tbh. It’s held up great after 3 months. Cards still pop out smoothly. Release button still working fine. I also bought the tracker card and I’ve had no issues with that either. Still working but i might remove it. Just a personal opinion but i think it makes the wallet a little bulky but could be because i like to be as minimal as possible. But it’s not really a huge issue. I really like how the cards just pop out instead of just having to push them out with your finger in a ridge wallet. Makes everyday usage a bit fun if that makes sense. Just a cool feature. If it’s still holding up after 6 months I’ll most likely purchase another one.
If I was looking for a minimalist wallet with two quick access card slots, capacity for 12 to 14 cards total, and conceals a stack of cash, what would you recommend? I'm a long-time leather trifold guy. Thanks in advance.
Hi Jason, many options there. If you go to explore.walletopia.info you'll see an interactive way to filter down all the wallets we've reviewed to see if anything catches your eye.
I think I'm sold on this, love the compartment with the button slide out feature. But will cards come falling out of that thing if you only have 5 or 6 cards in there? Does it need to be stuffed in order to stay snug? Thanks for the review!
@@walletopia Bought 2 of the Senate's yesterday. Thanks so much for all these helpful reviews. Was originally just going to order a Ridge wallet (basically because I'd heard of them from podcasts), but after watching several of your videos on the Aviator, Bankr, Senate, etc. I was far more impressed with this one. Thanks! Subscribed!
Honestly, at this point it's so hard to narrow it to one. My Top 10 is pretty close based on wallets we reviewed in 2020, but I'm sure I'll have more favorites at the end of 2021.
Do you like a trigger or not? The trigger will fail before the Ridge elastic and the elastic can be replaced. Ponder that question and you'll find the answer.
Okay, your question created a rabbit hole for me. "Ekster" is the Danish name for Magpie. It's mentioned in a few Instragram posts about Rotterdam NY, but official stories indicate they have offices in Rotterdam, Netherlands and New York. But you won't find any addresses on their website. With distributed warehousing, even return labels wouldn't be to their home office. Interesting.
@@UltimoScorpion I have the ekster aluminum card holder and it’s awesome!! Bought the ridge to have something different in rotation. Btw you can purchase a tracker to track your wallet and there’s 1 for keys
@@prbigmoney22 I aslo got the ridge as well as Ekster and xsto. My personal favorite is the Ekster. The xsto really scratches your cards I used it for 2 weeks very light use as well and it scratches the cards badly. The ridge is nice if you have 3-4 cards any more then that and it's too much and hard to pick a card you want. The Ekster is the easiest to use and by far my favorite
@@kpeterk54 I love the ekster. The spring action is what sold me on it. I have 2 aluminum versions (midnight green & Matte black). I’ve been using the green 1 since January til I got the ridge recently. I noticed the elastic band was loosing elasticity compared to when it was new. What gives the ridge the upper hand is that you can buy replacement bands and lifetime warranty. I asked ekster if they sold replacement bands but they don’t. So if the elastic band can’t hold money than it’s partly useless. Now if I’m not using cash than I could remove the band and backplate and carry my most user cards and have the slim look. Oh btw I also got the tracker from ekster. Now I haven’t n using the ridge with both the clip and strap for like 2wks. I have like 11 cards, a few bills, and using the ekster tracker. I have no issues getting the cards I need and , at least for me, it seems easier to get it out of the pocket. The ridge is a little smaller than the ekster but like the ekster, it takes minimal space in my pocket. I do miss the spring action from the ekster watch at times. That’s some James Bond shit lol. Which ridge and ekster do you have? The Xstro didn’t appeal to me. I’m going to get other styles from ridge and have them in the rotation with ekster.
Non-embossed?? As in like “regular” credit cards that have the raised lettering?? I’m just about to buy these but (tires squealing) I come to a stop!! Those raised lettering cards don’t fit in the holder???
Non-embossed meaning they don't have raised lettering, they're smooth. But speaking of raised or embossed cards, I just tested it again and it can hold size cards if all of them are embossed.
@@walletopia Nice!! Thank you very much for your timely response! That was my only, new found, hold-up buying this wallet. On their website, Elster.com. Their prices are definitely much higher, even with a “20% discount” for Mother’s Day. Aluminum is $63, normally $79. Same with the Senate. Parliament is $71, normally $89. Tracker is $39, normally $49. One more question. Does the tracker have all its functions available across all phone platforms? Namely the iPhone? (12 pro, fully updated yaddah yaddah yaddah😂)
@@walletopia oh yeah i knew it was a $37 fee to add he just never mentioned it at all so i was wondering… i went ahead and got it anyways… i lost my ridge wallet yesterday and i had so many NEEEDEDDDD things in there i cant afford that ha so hoping it works out well!
Can someone chime in who owns one of these that carry in back pocket? I don’t like my wallets in my front pocket, due to having a phone in one and keys in other, and I’m trying to get out of old school ways with a bifold. My Nixon wallet is old and making my cards crack from it getting out of shape. Looking for a new wallet but I’m a back pocket carry and need help honest opinions on that.
There's this wallet I've been hearing about off and on and I have no idea if you already reviewed it since I am unable to scroll down the video list to check from my phone, it's called the Mondraghi Wallet. The brand Mondraghi is basically their wallet.
We don't have it yet, but that's a clever wallet. A twist on the i-Clip wallet. They only ship in Italy so I'll pick it up via a forwarder I use there.
@@walletopia Okay, you got me intrigued. I never came across the i-Clip, so I had to look it up. It *does* look like a twist of i-Clip, but personally - at least to me - the Mondraghi reminded me of a half-step upgrade of the Decadent Wallet you reviewed months ago. The card carrier component borrows some design elements of the Decadent, while adding a "purse" compartment for paper money. It's why I thought you already reviewed something like it, but I couldn't find it when I was scrolling through the list via phone.
Honestly, due to zipper wallets not being too common, to get a nice full grain veg tanned leather version I would suggest searching Etsy to find a great maker who can provide a nice handmade zipper wallet.
That rubber band gives the wallet as much as of clean look as my underwear rubber band does to my butt. Great review! I think I'll buy this wallet. Without the rubber underwear band, of course.
He bud ekster did a number again this time shipping between the issues under warranty and them not helping after 5 over a year warranty you might have to update review
I’d buy one for $55 but they’re upwards of $70 now… that’s too much for a plastic trigger that’s gonna break in a year or two…. You can get a metal card holder like this for like $6 on eBay
I have a beef with wallet manufacturers building wallets with RFID materials since it's not needed. It really degrades the quality of the wallet yet they charge more for it. All you need is an RFID card you can put in your wallet, then you can buy any wallet you want. I complain about it here: th-cam.com/video/QL2HEgOFQxc/w-d-xo.html
The reason I dislike these is because of the horizontal strap. Any pulling in and out of my pocket slides that bit up and down and pulls it off the cardholder part. I have tested both of these. Do you not seem to have this issue? That's why I prefer straps to go vertical if there is one.
Excellent observation. With the Senates backplate and elastic that’s seen into the backplate does that still happen as easily as it appears like it could happen on the Aluminum Cardholder?
@@walletopia yep. Just one of the major hummers with these trigger card cases. That's why I stick with the ridge with the horizontal strap. But I hate having money on the outside, so I 3d printed a card sized compartment to hold cash on the inside of the wallet. Like a container card.
For wallets, it's not needed to be built in. Due to the improved cryptography on cards it's unnecessary and is used as a fear tactic to sell wallets. And if someone is still worried, an RFID card versus a complete wallet is all that's needed. I go into the details here - th-cam.com/video/QL2HEgOFQxc/w-d-xo.html
ekster wallet worst purchase i ever made, they have not responded to my emails, and i returned the product and still no refund to date, absolute garbage
DO N O T BUY EKSTER. Received "Parliment Wallet" last week, have been trying to return it since. "Return Portal" is a piece of garbage like the wallet that boasts "fits 1-12 cards" I could barely get 8 in. Had it engraved, cam BARELY SEE the engraving. DO N O T BUY EKSTER, NO MATTER WHAT, is my advice. Support and CSR are the WORST...
Why the hell did you take the cards out I wanted to see it the aluminum held better so disappointed you did that I almost wanted to change my like to dislike 👎🏿
Great information. I received the aluminum card holder yesterday to replace my Ridge wallet and I am pleased with it. I put my paper money under the strap's logo for easier and quicker access.
I've been using a black leather Senate for over a year now and I'm really happy with it.
Great to hear!
So you CANNOT add a tracker to the Senate..? It says so on the website so im just trying to get reviews before i buy
I bought my self a Senate about half a month ago as an early Christmas gift and I love it so far. As someone who only carries about 6 cards, It’s perfect for me.
Nice to hear!
Any updates on the senate wallet?
@@goleft4088 Yeah I do have some. I use the wellet almost every day. It's a nice minimalest carry (I carry 5 cards in the box, 1 card in the quick access slot and some slips of cash in between). Its deff a front pocket carry only, if I up it in my back pocket the card that I have in the quick access slot might bend and become warped over time. This is because I carry some paper money on me wich dose raise the card up and leave a gap between the cardholder and the quick access card holder. You do need to fold your cash into thirds wich means that it isn't as convenient to get bills out as another wallet. This isn't really a problem for me because I prettmuch pay for things only in card.
While the card holding material inside the box has definitely gotten weaker, Ive never had my cards spill out when I have all my cards in there(5 cards). When I pull one out then it definitely gets weaker, if I shake when there are 4 or less cards in there I can get them to fall out. This really isn't a problem because the only time a card comes out of the box is when I need to use it for a couple of seconds to a minute at most.
And for anyone that cares about this kind of thing, in the 9 months that I've owned this wallet I've only had like 2 people say "whoah, that's a cool wallet" to me. Wich is pretty neat but its not gonna be a "wow that's so cool" every time you pull it out.
Over all I like this wallet a lot and will continue to use it.
@@Calvimh10 thanks! This is a valuable review 👏🏼!
Including id or not?
Just a quick thanks. Love your channel and enthusiasm. You led me to Ekster Senate with tracker and I absolutely love it. Thanks for making my decision so easy.
The quick access pocket on the leather version is extremely useful & convenient. If only Ekster could solve quality/longevity issues with the leather detailing (which is what leads me to suspect that the all-metal version is a workaround for issues with failings of the leather trim). The leather version is/was, aside from leather adhesion fails in the edge trimmings, spot on. The back plate was large enough to completely obscure underlying cards (would’ve been nice with an integrated pull-tab solution for such cards: I made one myself!) and molded nicely around them with time.
Agreed, great observations!
what kind of issues with the leather did you have? I have the Senate (love it), but it is just a few weeks old. Also, did the spring give you any issues over the long-term?
@ericballi4701 How's the senate wallet treating you after a year ?
Thanks so much for the review. I've been needing to get a smaller wallet as I now use less coins and cash and relying more on cards. Helped me make my decision to buy the Senate
"nothing is coming out of here" all the cards fall out..
I'm just checking to see if you're watching 😂
An interesting comparison but direct to the result now how much aluminum wallet do you recommend?
You can search the common brands but the one that came to me was the quite pretty aluminum Vionentus Smart400
And do you think it looks good on older people?
Of course, they are very elegant and can convince any traditional person
So I'll check to see how it goes, thanks
While I don't like minimalist wallets, I was considering buying this one until I saw the amazon reviews. I've read so many reviews where the cards slip out very easily or you have the opposite problem and the cards refuse to come out and you land up needing a pair of pliers to get it out! To add to that, it doesn't take much to get things to the point where it won't close flat and instead bulges open.
Yeah I read on Amazon that the button was crappy and it’s mechanism were made of plastic.
Buy a secrid instead
@@ronaldgoudaSecrid have the same issues.
@@TheTechnopriest I have the Ekster leather covered aluminium holder right now and as long as I load it up with 6 cards everything stays in place. So I would actually also vouch for the Ekster one.
I still do believe though that Secrid makes the best portable wallets with regards to buildquality and reliability.
“Non-embossed of course” ….. that was the first Ive heard of that detail….since half of my cards have the raised printing….thank you!
I've been reading of some people having problems with the card mechanism button breaking. Has that been a problem in your experience..? I really like the aluminum wallet but I'm on the fence because of these stories. On top of that, the warranty being for one year. If the button breaks after a year, you're out of luck.. For me, the wallet would cost about $100 (wallet, shipping, duty fee/taxes, and currency conversion) so I feel the need to contemplate this purchase more carefully.
Can the button (or other parts) be repaired or replaced..?? I guess that's the main question.
As I've read information on this, no, the button cannot be replaced. The instances of the button breaking is low, but does happen. It depends largely on how you carry the wallet. Front pocket, much less than back pocket.
@@walletopia Hey, thanks for responding. A bit disappointing that there are no repairs or parts replacement possible because the wallet would cost about $100 for me because I live in Canada.
I'm still thinking about purchasing one though..
I’m soooo glad you did this! I loved both of these so I bought them both haha. I have the green leather senate and the same blue aluminum card holder you have
Awesome!
@@walletopia I decided to use the aluminum card holder as a more fancy/formal wallet to use when I’m going out to like a nice restaurant or a show. I’m too worried about dropping it and having it get scratched or damaged. The leather one is my everyday carry since it can take drops and every day wear and tear better. If I scuff the leather I can buff it out and it won’t look bad. Scratch metal or aluminum and that’s all she wrote for it. Not to mention just accidentally having it scratch against keys or other things that might be in my pocket
I actually bought a bunch of these wallets to resell and I took apart some of the broken wallets to see the inner mechanism. The 2.0 wallets have a weaker trigger mechanism since the button can more easily bend side-to-side. The newer wallets have a small bar that goes up and reinforces the mechanism. From the broken wallets that I have, some common weak points I've noticed are from the linkage between the button and lift mechanism. The second weak-point was the button "face" breaking off (this was only a problem for 2.0 wallets since the newer wallets are one piece). Another observation was that the new wallets have a differently designed lift mechanism that actually has steps that can lift the cards higher.
Wow Kenny, that's fantastic knowledge and great to see how they're progressing the mechanism!
So I'm a little confused about the term "2.0 wallet". Which one has the more durable button mechanism? Aluminum or the leather Senate one?
@@LamplughVideo I'm pretty sure if you buy a wallet from Ekster directly, you'll get a "3.0" version, no matter it be a Senate, Parliament, or aluminum wallet. The main factor would be WHEN the wallet was produced, not WHICH wallet since Ekster should have changed the old wallets with 3.0 versions. A fast way to tell the difference is to look at the trigger mechanism. The section where the thin bar connects with the button has a "slope" for 3.0 mechanisms but will be flat on 2.0 mechanisms. You can tell the difference from the faces at 2:58 (3.0) and 1:00 (2.0)
@@Jakielopez Ah! Thank you, appreciate this feedback. Thanks for being so knowledgable.
@@LamplughVideo not a problem, I might as well help since I've stared at these wallets for a couple months now
I had an issue with their metal wallets; I have both the parliament and senate and they never damaged my credit cards but the metal wallet did. thankfully they exchanged it for another
Nice to hear they exchanged them without too much hassle, I've heard opposing stories too.
@@walletopia they have that Father’s Day sale and I’m so tempted to get that space gray bundle for 199
Ekster wallet's trigger breaks after a couple years and they just tell you to buy a new one because it's not covered under warranty. Horrible.
So Ridge is better ?
I want an aluminum cardholder with ejection functionality, wrapped in a thin leather sleeve with two additional card slots. Any I'm missing that might fit that description?
😂
But where would you put the tracker card??? That's why I say mine would be the parliament
Good point, your only option would be the external strap.
I like these minimalist wallets but it's sad that I can't find a minimalist wallet that has a key chain.
I mean, it's not a deal breaker but I just find it good to keep my keys attached to my wallet for convenience.
TAIWAN #1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Could get a magnetic one and attach it to this aluminum one right?
I'm looking for that also. But it has to hold a key fob. I'd like a grab 1 thing and go lol. I'd pay good money for that
Grip 6 has a loop on it
What is unembossed is it the numbers on the cards when they are popped out? If it is that does the wallet work with those types of cards? Also if your only have one or two cards will they fall out of the box?
Unembossed are flat cards, embossed are the raised numbers and letters. They work with both types of card, but the number supported are lower for embossed cards. In my testing they tend to not fall out easier than when it's full due to more bulk with many cards which provides more weight. If you're not trying to force them out, they won't fall out from casual use.
@@walletopia cool m8 I just got my first job and I'm thinking of getting one.
I have the aluminum card holder. The rubber cash strap that holds the plate on is very loose and slides up and down a lot which gets in the way of the trigger. Very poor design
Senate looks really good actually. I'd be considering that one as my Secrid replacement.
BTW gz on 17k (sooin) subs. I remember when you had 2k :)
Great idea and thanks for sticking around with us!
I currently have a leather wrapped secrid. Did you happen to pick up the Ekster, and do you recommend it?
@@josiahlopez5724 My Secrid is still working fine
I really like what I'm seeing here. I think I'd like the aluminum better than the senate, but I have to carry an access card for work and I'm worried the plate on the aluminum wallet would hinder that signal. I don't know enough about "natural rfid" blocking technology, any thoughts?
The RFID blocking comes from the aluminum so no additional material is added. No different than wrapping your card with foil. The exterior strap is very good. When I did a carry test on the Senate I had 8 cards on the outside strap, never had an issue.
i just love my ekster, so much better than my ridge and aviator crap.
If I have 3 embossed cards, what's the maximum number of cards I can fit within the lift compartment?
So the cards actually fall off from the card holder?
Cause everytime you were yanking them they flew out, to the point you had to remove them to test the others behind the strap.
Thoroughly enjoy your videos, and that fact that you remain so in touch with your community!
Keep up the good work!
P.S. bought an Aviator slide wallet based on your review and I'm loving it!
Thank you! And I'm glad you like the Aviator. I know I'm on the right track when the review meets the expectation when you actually get the wallet. Thanks for being a member of the community!
I have the aluminum one. and I hold way more in my backplate business cards aaa cards and other cards and it holds everything just fine. had mine since January no issues
I want to buy the aluminum ekster but that lifetime guarantee from the ridge 🥵 what y’all think is best ?
The Ekster has a button and being mechanical means there's a potential for it to break in the future, the Ridge doesn't have anything mechanical and you can service the wallet yourself with the include wrench if necessary.
Just ordered the aluminum one a couple days ago after being loyal to Ridge for years. I think I’m going to like this one.
What's your analysis now?
@@ishmone21 I’m still loving it tbh. It’s held up great after 3 months. Cards still pop out smoothly. Release button still working fine.
I also bought the tracker card and I’ve had no issues with that either. Still working but i might remove it. Just a personal opinion but i think it makes the wallet a little bulky but could be because i like to be as minimal as possible. But it’s not really a huge issue.
I really like how the cards just pop out instead of just having to push them out with your finger in a ridge wallet. Makes everyday usage a bit fun if that makes sense. Just a cool feature.
If it’s still holding up after 6 months I’ll most likely purchase another one.
@@Unclemike909 thx for the reply!!
@@ishmone21 No problem take care!
If I was looking for a minimalist wallet with two quick access card slots, capacity for 12 to 14 cards total, and conceals a stack of cash, what would you recommend? I'm a long-time leather trifold guy. Thanks in advance.
Hi Jason, many options there. If you go to explore.walletopia.info you'll see an interactive way to filter down all the wallets we've reviewed to see if anything catches your eye.
Ridge Wallet
I think I'm sold on this, love the compartment with the button slide out feature. But will cards come falling out of that thing if you only have 5 or 6 cards in there? Does it need to be stuffed in order to stay snug? Thanks for the review!
No you shouldn’t need to have all the cards for it to work. It has friction strips on both sides of the wallet to prevent cards from falling out.
@@walletopia Bought 2 of the Senate's yesterday. Thanks so much for all these helpful reviews. Was originally just going to order a Ridge wallet (basically because I'd heard of them from podcasts), but after watching several of your videos on the Aviator, Bankr, Senate, etc. I was far more impressed with this one. Thanks! Subscribed!
@@LamplughVideo Glad we could help!
@@LamplughVideo how has your experience with the senate been since getting it? Considering on getting one myself
@@LamplughVideo do any updates on the wallet? How's it holding up?
hello man, may I ask what is your favorite leather wallet you have reviewed?
Honestly, at this point it's so hard to narrow it to one. My Top 10 is pretty close based on wallets we reviewed in 2020, but I'm sure I'll have more favorites at the end of 2021.
Can you get the aluminum one with a non rubber strap? I hear it collects lint big time
Just received my senate and there is no serial number. Should the senate have a serial number or is that only on the aluminum version?
Should I get the ridge or the Ekster I’m really stumped
Do you like a trigger or not? The trigger will fail before the Ridge elastic and the elastic can be replaced. Ponder that question and you'll find the answer.
On box saids Rotterdam, NY. What is the significance of this city? Just curious.
Okay, your question created a rabbit hole for me. "Ekster" is the Danish name for Magpie. It's mentioned in a few Instragram posts about Rotterdam NY, but official stories indicate they have offices in Rotterdam, Netherlands and New York. But you won't find any addresses on their website. With distributed warehousing, even return labels wouldn't be to their home office. Interesting.
Good review box wallets hard on the pockets as no flexing and not into plastic
I think that back slot on the Senate would be perfect for my ir access card i need at work.
Does the aluminum one still have tracking?
Tracking is done via a separate card which you can attach to any of their wallets.
Can you do an ekster vs ridge. Love the ekster aluminum and just bought the ridge burnt titanium to have a different style wallet in the rotation
Great idea!
Exster or ridge?
@@UltimoScorpion I have the ekster aluminum card holder and it’s awesome!! Bought the ridge to have something different in rotation. Btw you can purchase a tracker to track your wallet and there’s 1 for keys
@@prbigmoney22 I aslo got the ridge as well as Ekster and xsto. My personal favorite is the Ekster. The xsto really scratches your cards I used it for 2 weeks very light use as well and it scratches the cards badly. The ridge is nice if you have 3-4 cards any more then that and it's too much and hard to pick a card you want. The Ekster is the easiest to use and by far my favorite
@@kpeterk54 I love the ekster. The spring action is what sold me on it. I have 2 aluminum versions (midnight green & Matte black). I’ve been using the green 1 since January til I got the ridge recently. I noticed the elastic band was loosing elasticity compared to when it was new. What gives the ridge the upper hand is that you can buy replacement bands and lifetime warranty. I asked ekster if they sold replacement bands but they don’t. So if the elastic band can’t hold money than it’s partly useless. Now if I’m not using cash than I could remove the band and backplate and carry my most user cards and have the slim look. Oh btw I also got the tracker from ekster. Now I haven’t n using the ridge with both the clip and strap for like 2wks. I have like 11 cards, a few bills, and using the ekster tracker. I have no issues getting the cards I need and , at least for me, it seems easier to get it out of the pocket. The ridge is a little smaller than the ekster but like the ekster, it takes minimal space in my pocket. I do miss the spring action from the ekster watch at times. That’s some James Bond shit lol. Which ridge and ekster do you have? The Xstro didn’t appeal to me. I’m going to get other styles from ridge and have them in the rotation with ekster.
Non-embossed?? As in like “regular” credit cards that have the raised lettering?? I’m just about to buy these but (tires squealing) I come to a stop!! Those raised lettering cards don’t fit in the holder???
Non-embossed meaning they don't have raised lettering, they're smooth. But speaking of raised or embossed cards, I just tested it again and it can hold size cards if all of them are embossed.
@@walletopia Nice!! Thank you very much for your timely response! That was my only, new found, hold-up buying this wallet. On their website, Elster.com. Their prices are definitely much higher, even with a “20% discount” for Mother’s Day. Aluminum is $63, normally $79. Same with the Senate. Parliament is $71, normally $89. Tracker is $39, normally $49. One more question. Does the tracker have all its functions available across all phone platforms? Namely the iPhone? (12 pro, fully updated yaddah yaddah yaddah😂)
What do you mean by non-embossed cards? Also, are all Ekster products manufactured in China?
Many credit cards these days don't have raised numbers, the card is flat. And yes, they're all currently made in China.
So the Senate doesnt have a tracker but it says so on the website????
You can buy a tracker but it doesn’t come with the wallet, it’s not integrated.
@@walletopia oh yeah i knew it was a $37 fee to add he just never mentioned it at all so i was wondering… i went ahead and got it anyways… i lost my ridge wallet yesterday and i had so many NEEEDEDDDD things in there i cant afford that ha so hoping it works out well!
Can someone chime in who owns one of these that carry in back pocket? I don’t like my wallets in my front pocket, due to having a phone in one and keys in other, and I’m trying to get out of old school ways with a bifold. My Nixon wallet is old and making my cards crack from it getting out of shape. Looking for a new wallet but I’m a back pocket carry and need help honest opinions on that.
Thank you sir, at 8:24 I was convinced to go s different route 🤣
6:40 omg with headphones I got scared for a second thought there was someone from the left of me lol
There's this wallet I've been hearing about off and on and I have no idea if you already reviewed it since I am unable to scroll down the video list to check from my phone, it's called the Mondraghi Wallet. The brand Mondraghi is basically their wallet.
We don't have it yet, but that's a clever wallet. A twist on the i-Clip wallet. They only ship in Italy so I'll pick it up via a forwarder I use there.
@@walletopia Okay, you got me intrigued. I never came across the i-Clip, so I had to look it up. It *does* look like a twist of i-Clip, but personally - at least to me - the Mondraghi reminded me of a half-step upgrade of the Decadent Wallet you reviewed months ago. The card carrier component borrows some design elements of the Decadent, while adding a "purse" compartment for paper money. It's why I thought you already reviewed something like it, but I couldn't find it when I was scrolling through the list via phone.
Hey, I have a Paul Smith wallet and the stitching is amazing. I wanna get my dad a nice, full-zip wallet with proper stitching. Any ideas? Thanks.
Honestly, due to zipper wallets not being too common, to get a nice full grain veg tanned leather version I would suggest searching Etsy to find a great maker who can provide a nice handmade zipper wallet.
@@walletopia really, never thought of that. Thanks so much!
Great video! Although I couldn't figure out how to change playback speed, seemed to be on 1.25 the whole time 🤣😏
This video helped me make my decision on which to purchase, thanks!
Any chance you can do a review on Taylor Stitch minimalist wallet? Caught my interest lately.
Sure thing, we have that wallet in our inventory, so I added your vote to it!
Just found your channel , and immediately subscribed
Great! Welcome!
do u think you could put an apple AirTag in the back plate pocket?
Have aluminum, cards don't fall out with shake test. Returning Senate as it failed shake test. As your video shows.
What is a non-embossed card?
When the card is flat with the numbers printed or etched.
Very informative, the exact information I was looking for. Much appreciated.
Good video. But what was up with the ghoulish sound when you mentioned RFID ???
That rubber band gives the wallet as much as of clean look as my underwear rubber band does to my butt. Great review! I think I'll buy this wallet. Without the rubber underwear band, of course.
😂. the visual....
thanks for the detailed review may repplace it with my old secrid
Great review thanks!
Thanks for watching!
He bud ekster did a number again this time shipping between the issues under warranty and them not helping after 5 over a year warranty you might have to update review
I’d buy one for $55 but they’re upwards of $70 now… that’s too much for a plastic trigger that’s gonna break in a year or two…. You can get a metal card holder like this for like $6 on eBay
Indeed, if you go to Aliexpress, you can find a knockoff of all the favorites for about 1/4 to 1/3 the price and they're pretty good.
Great wallets keep it up i remember when you only had 2k
Appreciate that
I don't get the joke what is the problem with RFID?
I have a beef with wallet manufacturers building wallets with RFID materials since it's not needed. It really degrades the quality of the wallet yet they charge more for it. All you need is an RFID card you can put in your wallet, then you can buy any wallet you want. I complain about it here: th-cam.com/video/QL2HEgOFQxc/w-d-xo.html
I don't like that the money is out in the open worried it would get lost.
It holds on pretty good, but if you're a heavy cash carrier, then these types of wallets are not the best.
Mark do a review of the vext slim wallet from sleek life design
Coming up in January.
people need to start reviewing these type wallets with embossed cards ,people dont use wallets to hold business cards
The majority of the credit cards used aren’t embossed.
Am I the only one who got scared to shit from the moaning zombies when he said RFID?
You're not alone! 😀
I started looking around my room like” what in the world”
I don't get it though, I thought RFID tech is good so you know your shit is protected? I don't get the boos unless people want their money stolen.
@@weyland-Yutani-Intern same like why would you not want something that helps protect your identity and money
Loving the vids
Thanks!
I almost bought it. Thanks for showing how the cards fall out
The reason I dislike these is because of the horizontal strap. Any pulling in and out of my pocket slides that bit up and down and pulls it off the cardholder part. I have tested both of these. Do you not seem to have this issue? That's why I prefer straps to go vertical if there is one.
Excellent observation. With the Senates backplate and elastic that’s seen into the backplate does that still happen as easily as it appears like it could happen on the Aluminum Cardholder?
@@walletopia yep. Just one of the major hummers with these trigger card cases. That's why I stick with the ridge with the horizontal strap. But I hate having money on the outside, so I 3d printed a card sized compartment to hold cash on the inside of the wallet. Like a container card.
@@trumpeter93 Love it, so cool that you made the modifications yourself.
Kinda like the ekster senate
cool
why do you hate RFID blocking
For wallets, it's not needed to be built in. Due to the improved cryptography on cards it's unnecessary and is used as a fear tactic to sell wallets. And if someone is still worried, an RFID card versus a complete wallet is all that's needed. I go into the details here - th-cam.com/video/QL2HEgOFQxc/w-d-xo.html
I tuned out after you mentioned MADE IN CHINA.
Try some shell from ashland. You won't regret it
Shell is incredible and Ashlands is amazing, love those guys.
Hello sir
Can you take a look at GOLDBLACK wallets?
You move your hands waaay too much, I couldn't even see the product. Were both wallets red? Or was one of them green?
ekster wallet worst purchase i ever made, they have not responded to my emails, and i returned the product and still no refund to date, absolute garbage
Not a good outcome!
absolutely horrible experience, and i will let everyone know, its disgusting
Not a fan of this style of wallet, great review as always though.
No good, the cards fly out, Its not designed for safety of the cards. THEY WILL COME OUT!!!!!! JUST LIKE THEY DID WHEN HE SHOOK IT!!!!!
Very nice very impractical wallet on ekster lol
Ey mark you should check this wallet out ‘the wolyt by loft of cambie’
We have it in our inventory! I'll add your vote to it!
China can make best and worst ……. Don’t judge them….
couple shakes and cards flying all over the place. what a piece of crap. lol
DO N O T BUY EKSTER. Received "Parliment Wallet" last week, have been trying to return it since. "Return Portal" is a piece of garbage like the wallet that boasts "fits 1-12 cards" I could barely get 8 in. Had it engraved, cam BARELY SEE the engraving. DO N O T BUY EKSTER, NO MATTER WHAT, is my advice. Support and CSR are the WORST...
Why the hell did you take the cards out I wanted to see it the aluminum held better so disappointed you did that I almost wanted to change my like to dislike 👎🏿
The interior construction is exactly the same there’s no difference in how they hold cards