Accessories
Cash in with the Best Men’s Leather Wallet Options
There are few personal accessories that intersect fashion and function as succinctly as a men’s leather wallet — and given that a wallet is the one item you’re unlikely to leave home without, carefully selecting the one that’s right for you is extremely important.
Beyond holding the necessities that you just can’t leave home without, your wallet also sends a strong message about who you are. Are you someone who relies on traditional bifold or trifold designs, or are you more into modern functionality like magnetic enclosures and zippers? Do you prefer a sleek and slim front pocket wallet, or the bold statement a travel wallet provides?
No matter your preference, we’re here to help you navigate the top contenders for the best leather wallet for men, broken down into the most sought-after categories, and sizing up the various features and price points of each selected winner.
Table of Contents
The 8 Best Men’s Leather Wallet Options
Best Traditional: Harber London Leather Bifold
When looking for the best men’s leather wallet, a traditional style in either a bifold or trifold design won’t let you down. Our selection for the best traditional leather wallet for men is the Harber London Leather Bifold Wallet with RFID Protection.
Made of full-grain leather and available in seven colors, this wallet is handcrafted by Spanish artisans and will fit most currencies, including Dollars, Pounds and Euros. Despite having a super-slim design, this wallet fits more than 18 cards, features a coin compartment, and includes a magnetic enclosure, providing extra security without the extra bulk.
The Harber London Leather Bifold Wallet strikes the perfect balance of minimalistic design without sacrificing quality and function. Coming in at just £79 (or about $110 USD), you can count on the Harber London Leather Bifold Wallet to provide you with a high quality, highly functioning wallet for a nearly unbeatable price.
Best Zippered: Vaultskin Notting Hill Zipper Wallet
When it comes to accessories, there are few items we love as much as a zipper wallet. There’s nothing worse than losing your precious cards and keys — and nothing more irritating than having to replace them when lost. With a zipper wallet, you never have to worry about anything coming loose or disappearing.
The Notting Hill Zipper Wallet by Vaultskin is designed in Britain with the goal of combining elegance, comfort and convenience — and in our opinion, they’ve absolutely nailed what they sought out to achieve.
This zip wallet is a product that’s not only well thought out in its design, but also well produced in execution. Made of top-grain Italian leather and featuring high-quality stitching, the wallet also comes in your choice of four colors and is available for just $44.99. What’s more is the inclusion of a leather release strap that offers quick access to your most frequently used cards, and internal pockets that offer protection against RFID scanners.
Best Minimalist: Taylor Stitch Minimalist Billfold
Minimalist-style wallets are the best men’s leather wallet option for those who simply want to get the job done without carrying any extra weight. Our choice for this category? The Taylor Stitch Minimalist Billfold Wallet in Black with tan leather lining (shown above).
Made of full-grain Spanish cowhide, the sleek design of this wallet will keep your pockets lean. Its slim profile features a hidden card slot liner which minimizes bulk, and includes six card slots and one interior cash slot, allowing you to carry your must-haves without adding unnecessary baggage.
The Minimalist Billfold Wallet is offered at just $98 and is backed by a repair or replace guarantee, ensuring that your wallet performs the way it’s intended at no risk to you.
Best Card Case: Coach Zip Card Case
If you’re into the idea of card cases, look no further than Coach. Starting at $95 (and sometimes found on sale for even less), the Coach Zip Card Case comes in a variety of patterns, colors, and styles, with the brand often partnering with artists and celebrities on exclusive artistic collaborations.
These card cases come in a variety of leather options, including glovetanned, pebbled and sport calf. They also feature card slots on the outside of the wallet for easy access and room for up to six cards. This card case’s slim design makes it a great candidate for a front pocket wallet; it takes up minimal space, offering room for only your must-have cards.
Best Travel: Bellroy Apex Passport Cover
A travel wallet is one of those items that you never knew you always needed until you tried it for yourself. After reviewing several different travel wallet options, we crowned the Bellroy Apex Passport Cover as the cream of the crop.
Available for less than $200, the Apex Passport Cover is heralded as the next generation of travel wallet and has spared no expense in its design. Made of premium, precision-molded leather and assembled with stitchless lamination, this wallet is ultra slim but still packs a serious punch.
The Apex has truly thought of everything, including space for your cards, money, passport, and travel forms — and even includes a micro pen so you’re not left awkwardly scrambling in your seat when it’s time to fill out your customs forms before landing.
Best Leather Alternative: Oliver Co. London RFID Compact Wallet
Finding the best men’s leather wallet doesn’t necessarily mean selecting materials sourced from animals — there are many great leather alternatives that can give you the look and feel of leather without the ethical dilemma. Our choice for the best leather alternative? The RFID Compact Wallet by Oliver Co. London, which retails for less than $100 USD.
When it comes to leather alternatives that look and feel premium, the RFID Compact Wallet is unrivalled. Beyond the smooth premium apple leather, the wallet is lined with 100% recycled polyester premium Italian microfiber and Oxford lining, giving it the luxurious feel of suede.
Best Money Clip: Fossil Quinn Magnetic Card Case
This ain’t your grandpa’s money clip! The Fossil Quinn Magnetic Card Case provides the features of a traditional money clip with a modern twist, offering two credit card slots and two side pockets, because in today’s day and age, you’ll almost always need to carry more than just cash.
This money clip retails for less than $50 USD and is made of soft leather and cotton. With its extraordinarily compact design, it makes for one of the best front pockets available on the market, allowing you to carry the things you need without feeling like you’re carrying much at all.
Best Splurge: Louis Vuitton Coin Card Holder
Ready to splurge? If budget isn’t a concern, our choice for the best leather wallet for men is the Louis Vuitton Coin Card Holder, which retails for $400.
This selection isn’t one purely based on the fashion house’s name — these wallets last for years! I had one of these wallets for over a decade and only replaced it due to losing it while on vacation.
The Louis Vuitton Coin Card Holder is made of taiga cowhide leather with a cowhide leather lining. Not only do these mens leather wallets hold up incredibly well and look phenomenal, they’re also extremely well designed. These wallets feature several card slots, include a zipped pocket for coins, and offer a compartment for banknotes and other documents. When it comes to the Louis Vuitton Card Holder, you simply cannot go wrong — your toughest choice will be choosing from the sleek design patterns available.
The Takeaway
And there you have it: our choices for the best leather wallet for men.
When it comes to selecting the right wallet for you, go beyond your style statement (or lack thereof, by choice, of course!) to consider how you want the wallet to function. How many cards will it hold? Does it offer a coin holder? What kind of enclosure does it have? Will I carry this in my pocket, and if so, how bulky or thin will it be?
Once you ask yourself these key questions, your quest for the perfect men’s leather wallet will become much more clear, and your selection is much more likely to be one that you’ll love for years to come.
FAQs
To clean your leather wallet, first wipe your wallet down with a soft, dry cloth to remove any loose dust, dirt or debris. Next, take a clean, soft cloth and apply a solution made especially for leather, or use a combination of warm water and gentle soap, such as dish soap or baby shampoo.
Using a soft, clean cloth, apply the solution or water and soap to your wallet in a gentle, circular motion. For best results, be sure to follow up with a conditioning treatment, and always be sure to spot test before applying anything to your leather wallet.
To shrink your leather wallet, simply soak the wallet in lukewarm or warm water for 10-15 minutes. Next, you’ll want to take special care in shaping your wallet as it dries by molding its shape with your hands or even placing a single card on either side of the wallet as it dries.
To speed up the drying process, put your wallet near a sunlit window (note: not directly in the sun!) or set the wallet on a flat surface on top of the fridge or dryer while it’s running. Once your wallet has been drying for about an hour, you can sparingly and carefully apply a conditioning treatment to help soften the leather as it takes its new shape.
While opinions differ on the best type of leather for a wallet, many believe cowhide to be the frontrunner due to its tight-packed fibers. An alternative to cowhide leather is kangaroo leather, which is even stronger and more flexible, allowing wallets increased durability when used frequently.
The fastest, safest way to dry a leather wallet is to first remove as much water as possible with a soft towel. Next, you’ll want to let it air dry in a closed, flat position. While you should avoid heat or fans during the drying process, you may put your wallet near a sunlit window or on top of a running dryer or fridge to help speed up the process without risking harm to the accessory.