Editors Rating
Ridge Wallet Review
You’re at the register. You nervously remove your wallet from your back pocket as the clerk stares deeply into your soul, watching, waiting. Under pressure, you flip a swollen bifold open, and a deluge of loose receipts rains to the ground. Others in line look away in horror as you sift through Post-it notes and expired gift cards for your long-lost form of payment.
Say it with us now: There’s got to be a better way.
Oh look, here comes one now…
The Ridge Wallet began as a Kickstarter campaign nine years ago and has since grown into a behemoth of form and function that challenges the wisdom of conventional wallets with a minimalist-first approach.
My Ridge wallet review will unpack exactly what that means to help you determine if this niche product is the right everyday carry for you.
Key Takeaways
In my Ridge wallet review, we’re going to introduce you to (or reacquaint you with) one of the sleekest, most durable minimalist edc wallets on the market today. What you’re working with: two plates held together by a piece of elastic.
But within that niche makeup is a dizzying array of design choices, add-on accessories, and materials to choose from. Tack on Ridge’s lifetime warranty, and there’s good reason to consider this a requisite addition to your wallet collection.
Ridge Wallet Review: Essential Elements
Material
The Ridge wallet is offered in three base materials, from which variations, nuances, and the occasional gold embellishment stem. In order of overall strength and durability, those base materials are aluminum, titanium, and carbon fiber.
If you’re a fan of the design and nothing else, Ridge’s aluminum variations should do just fine. If your job or lifestyle requires a hardier material, you’ll want to level-up to titanium. And if you’re looking for a mix of both, you can’t go wrong with sleek and tough-as-nails carbon fiber.
Design
This is where the rubber of our Ridge wallet review meets the road. The Ridge design has intentionally taken an anti-wallet approach. Yes, it will store your cash and credit cards in a way that’s impervious to the elements. No, it will not suffer fools. Or, at the very least, the foolish and all-too-common urge to overstuff a wallet to the point of extinction.
The Ridge wallet is two plates held together by an elastic band. Sure, there’s a bell and whistle or two, but at the end of the day, whatever fits, fits. Whatever doesn’t probably doesn’t need to be there in the first place. If you’re looking to pare down what goes in your pocket, the Ridge is designed to do just that.
Usability
No review of the Ridge wallet is complete without mention of its versatility. It’s slim enough to be completely hidden beneath a pair of suit pants, lightweight enough not to weigh down lighter garments like swim trunks or joggers, and sturdy enough to withstand a manual labor beatdown.
One thing to keep in mind is that this is a hard wallet, so it’s not a great fit for wearing while you work out or if you plan on doing anything that could result in injury or discomfort if the wallet meets an impact. But overall, if you’re willing to take the plunge and ditch the excess noise in your wallet, the Ridge can be your everyday carry no matter where the day takes you.
Durability
Quick, reach into your back pocket. Feel that? Maybe it’s leather. Maybe it’s some type of synthetic material. Doesn’t matter. What matters is that the corners are probably fraying, the exterior is probably cracking, and you can do better.
Don’t get me wrong, leather wallets will always have their place among the best wallets for men. But if you’re looking for a slim option that’s nearly indestructible, the Ridge is a tough wallet to beat. One thing to note, however, is that just because the Ridge is made of tough materials doesn’t mean it can’t get scratched or dinged. It can and it will. That said, the damage you’ll experience over the years will likely be minimal when compared to what can happen to a leather wallet. The icing on the cake? Ridge offers a lifetime warranty to back it all up.
Size & Dimensions
This wallet is about as sleek as it gets. With a length of just under 3.5 inches and a width of 2 and change, it’s almost exactly the size of a credit card. If you only take one thing away from this Ridge wallet review, it should be that this is a minimalist play. If you’re not looking to downsize, the learning curve of a hardcover wallet may not be worth it for you.
As far as its capacity, this wallet is capable of holding up to 12 cards between its two plates, which is a thoughtful and generous amount for a wallet this slim. We’ve seen some options that hold up to 20 and some that hold as few as four, but Ridge’s sweet spot is a nice balance between its weight (2 ounces) and its size.
Price
Ridge wallets start at $95 for aluminum options, hover around the $110 to $150 mark for their titanium and carbon fiber lines, and top out at $195 for the impressive selection of premium, laser-engraved Damascus wallets. Kits are also available—each includes the wallet plus items like key cases, Airtag cases, and pens—for anywhere from $140 to $340.
Since its Kickstarter inception, the Ridge wallet has had several imitators, and with those imitations come lower price points. If you’re looking for cheaper options, there’s no shortage of options out there. But considering a Ridge wallet is likely to last you a long time (not to mention outlive your leather wallet that you picked up for twice the cost), I find the price point to be reasonable.
Trend and Popularity
The Ridge, as we’ve mentioned, has been knocked off time and time again. It’s a solid and innovative design that backs up its form with equal parts function and durability. The leather wallet isn’t going anywhere, nor should it. But there should and always will be a place for this type of wallet on the market.
The Ridge has sold millions of wallets and is consistently ranked one of the best minimalist wallets on the market today. Whether it’s your everyday carry or yet another carefully curated option in your stable of wallets, the Ridge is here to stay.
We’ve covered a lot so far in our Ridge wallet review. Let’s recap the pros of this niche specimen of pocket candy.
- It’s going to last. A long, long time. And if for some reason it doesn’t, Ridge offers a lifetime warranty to back things up.
- RFID-blocking. All Ridge wallets are made of RFID-blocking materials that help prevent theft from credit cards that are enabled with radio-frequency identification technology (read: yours).
- Slim design. It may not feel like it, but this is a biggie. If you’re wearing a suit, heading to the gym, or doing anything active, an excellent slim wallet is a must. The Ridge delivers in spades.
- For everything the Ridge has going for it, it’s not without its minor pain points. If you’re a traditionalist and have never strayed from leather-wallet territory, you’ll find that there’s a steep learning curve involved when going from your tried-and-true to something like the Ridge. Just like anything, though, it’s easy enough to get used to.
What Are Customers Saying about the Ridge wallet?
Online reviews for the Ridge wallet are mostly positive, with an overwhelming number of customers citing how slim and lightweight the wallet is. Many other reviewers comment about its impressive durability. Most negatives focus on how different this wallet feels from more traditional options and how it takes some getting used to.
Final Verdict
As we wind down our Ridge wallet review, there are a few key takeaways you should keep in mind when considering this product. The Ridge takes everything you knew about traditional wallets and turns it on its head—it’s a good thing considering it’s a sleek, slim powerhouse that’s going to last a lifetime. And though it’s designed to eliminate clutter, it holds 12 cards, which is a generous amount for a minimalist wallet.
Alternative Options
If you’re still exploring other options after reading my Ridge wallet review, here are a few alternatives:
1. Hayvenhurst pop-up
Like the Ridge, this wallet is still about the size of a credit card. Similarly, it blocks RFID chip readers and has a sleek, minimalist design. If you’re looking for a sturdy wallet at a fraction of the price of a Ridge, Heyvenhurst offers a solid alternative.
2. Secrid Cardslide Wallet
Secrid’s modular wallet is every bit as compact as the Ridge. It features an RFID-blocking card case and a money band for storing bills. The wallet also comes with a free engraving—a nice touch whether you’re giving this wallet as a gift or looking to commemorate a special occasion
3. Dango D01 Dapper Wallet
The D01 Dapper Wallet from Dango holds up to 12 cards, is TSA-compliant, and even features a built-in bottle opener.
FAQ
-
-
As we’ve covered in our Ridge wallet review, this is a niche wallet but one that’s also perfectly suited to be an everyday carry. Though it’s certainly capable of stashing cash, this wallet’s design is better suited to carrying cards. It’s all about easy access and minimal clutter.
-
The Ridge wallet can hold 12 cards. The plates of the wallet itself are the size of a credit card and license. This design helps encourage card-carrying and discourages the accumulation of clutter.
-
The Ridge is designed to last a lifetime and has a lifetime guarantee to back it up.
-
With prices starting at $95 and considering its lifetime warranty, adding a Ridge to your stable of wallets can only be considered a strong move. Keep your leather wallet handy for life’s more traditional moments, but don’t sleep on the Ridge when it’s time to get moving.
-
