With the greater use of storing our credit cards on our phones, we need to carry less in our wallets. That’s led a number of start up companies to come up with new wallet designs. They vary from simple elastic straps to aluminum plates where you sandwich cards in-between. For the last several years I’ve been using a simple zippered wallet from Waterfield that’s able to carry more than a dozen credit cards, license registrations, insurance cards, airline memberships, and paper receipts. But at the same time, I’ve been intrigued with ways to reduce the bulk of what I carry in my pockets. I now carry an iPhone X in a case, AirPods, keys, and a pocket knife. The obvious place for bulk reduction is a heavy stiffed wallet.
I’ve been trying out one of the newest thin wallets designed to carry a few cards and currency, the Parliament from Ekster, a European company. It’s a well-designed leather case, no bigger than most credit card cases. It’s designed to carry 3 or 4 cards and several bills. It’s constructed of premium leather that’s built around a plastic compartment that and hold a few cards. A button at its bottom can be pushed to partly eject the cards to provide quick access.
The wallet also comes with a built-in tracker that allows you to find your wallet using an app. The tracker is the same size as a credit card and requires no battery; it has a solar window that can hold its charge for a few months. Adding to its tech features, the wallet also is lined with a material to block access to your credit cards by those trying to scan the data from the cards.
I’ve been carrying the Ekster wallet for a few weeks and have found it to be a good solution to reduce the bulk I carry. While it’s not replaced my fatter wallet – that now goes in my briefcase, It’s perfect for carrying just a few cards and bills.
The wallet with tracker costs $119, but there’s a promotion right now offering a 30% discount.
