Bellroy Card Sleeve 2nd Edition: Best Minimalistic Wallet of 2024
Did you know that a bulky wallet placed in the back pocket could very well become one of the fairly ignored root causes of constant back pain? Surprised? Let's do a short anatomy lesson. Here is an image of the Sciatic nerve, the longest, largest nerve in your body that runs on each side of your spinal cord.
It allows you to walk, run, and even stand. Now when you sit with a bulky wallet in your pocket, you upset the alignment of your spine and this compresses your sciatic nerve.
Over time, this can lead to problems like piriformis syndrome, also commonly known as “fat wallet syndrome causing severe pain in the lower back and down the leg. And all this means one thing: It's time for your wallet to hit the gym. I know, wallets are a very personal thing. And everybody has different needs for what to carry in a wallet. But over the last couple of decades, wallets have become bigger and bigger. There is so much stuff that goes in there like banknotes, coins, credit cards, loyalty cards, and whatnot.
In a way, wallets are a bit like basements in our home. The more space we have, the more likely we are to fill them up with crap. And this makes it difficult to get things when we actually need them, increases the weight of our wallet, and as we said earlier, affects our posture in the long run. So, a few years ago, I asked myself, Do I really need to carry all this stuff? What can I do about it? I started looking for a solution and I found this, Card Sleeve from Bellroy.
Bellroy is an Australian company known for its high-quality, environment-friendly, minimalistic yet stylish products.
They are B Corp certified, meaning they are committed to meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance, public transparency, and legal accountability. In short words they don't just make products to maximize profits, they also aim to better the world we live in.
I have been a loyal customer of Bellroy for the past 9 years. So when the thought of trimming down my wallet came, my first place to look was on the Bellroy website. I wanted something sleek, but still big enough to carry all my essentials, and I came across the Card Sleeve. I have been using it for the past 4 years and the single fact that I created a complete blog about it shows how happy of a customer I am.
But while doing my research, I noticed that Bellroy had released a second edition of the card sleeve. Since I didn't have any need to replace my wallet anytime soon, I wrote Bellroy an email and they were kind enough to provide me with a sample to showcase on the channel. Now they are not sponsoring and this article fully reflects my own opinions. I wouldn't talk about a product here that I haven't personally tested and found to be useful.
The Card sleeve wallet has a sophisticated, minimal aesthetic. It is just basically leather and stitching, that's it. The leather feels soft and sturdy, and the stitching is secure. The wallet is 105mm long and 70mm wide. And when it’s empty, it is just 7mm thick.
The Card sleeve has three slots: one in the front, one in the back, and a main compartment in the middle. The main slot can carry up to 8 cards, which can be pulled out using a pull tab.
The cards that I use less frequently such as my driving license my train pass and a few other debit and credit cards go here. The slot in the front is a quick access card slot, which nicely fits 1 to 2 cards. And the angle at which the card slots are cut allows you to show an ID without removing it from your wallet. I rarely carry cash, but when I do, the few bills can be stored nicely in the back slot.
The Card Sleeve is available in 9 different colors, so it won't be difficult to find something that best suits your style. The branding is done subtly with the Bellroy logo stamped on the lower right part of the wallet. Also, there is a little surprise when you pull the tab, you can see the text that says, “Your companion for the moments ahead."
I know it's nothing and most of those who own this wallet may not even notice it, but when I see such minute attention to detail it makes me admire the thought and effort put into making such a wonderful product. The wallet costs €59 and comes with a 3-year warranty. But it's not all rainbows and sunshine. There were a couple of drawbacks, that I noticed while using it over the last 4 years.
Card Sleeve is a leather wallet and over time the leather ages. Nothing broke, no stitch came loose or anything else, just that over time it looks used. And you have to get used to that.
Another thing that the card sleeve lacks compared to similar wallets in the category is a see-through slot for an identification card. I don't miss that much, since there are very few instances when I have to show an ID card. But I can understand how it would be "a nice to have feature" for some. Also, it doesn't have RFID protection, so if this is important to you, then you should look somewhere else.
But the one drawback that I found most relevant for all of us is that the Card Sleeve doesn’t handle large amounts of currency very well. This is a wallet built to cater more to cards than anything else, so if that’s mostly what you’re using in addition to a small amount of cash, then you will probably be okay. In Germany, I mostly pay with my credit card, so I don't have to carry around a lot of cash.
However, this is not the situation when I go to India. Indian currency notes are longer than in Germany and somehow they don't fit nicely in the card sleeve. For such use cases and for all those who want a bit more space in their wallet, there is the Slim sleeve from Bellroy.
The Slim Sleeve is the big brother of the Card Sleeve and is also more expensive at €85. It is a bit bulkier due to 2 additional layers of leather.
It has multiple slots for your cards, notes, and coins where you can organize your cards based on how frequently you use them. And just like in the Card sleeve, there’s a little tab that, when tugged, pulls the cards out nicely from the slot. But keep in mind that the wallet doesn’t have a full-size cash sleeve although there is a slot for cash when you carry it. But if you need even more space, then you can check out the note sleeve or the hide-and-seek wallet from the same brand, although now we are not in the ultra-minimalistic space anymore.
Now whether it's a card sleeve or a note sleeve, their products are so successful that, 10 years on, the company is also making backpacks, watch straps, and phone cases. I personally own a tech kit, toiletry kit, and Apple watch strap from them in addition to the wallets.
Now I do want to call out as we wrap up, that Bellroy wallets are expensive. I'm sure you can find similar ones out there for less money, but we could say the same about most products. It's like saying iPhones are overpriced, which in my opinion, they are. But if you buy one, you know exactly what you're getting. These wallets are made to last and I can highly recommend them to all those folks that want to carry their things minimally, but with style and quality.
