7 Of Our Favorite Slim Bifold Wallets (When Card Cases Aren’t Cutting It)

by Brian Adee  |  in Accessories

After testing and comparing a wide variety of styles, we believe the slim bifold wallet is a solid alternative to the ever-popular card case, which can be limiting at times — that’s why we rounded up our seven favorite slim bifold wallets. No more limitations here!

Did you know that prior to the widespread use of paper currency, a man’s wallet was more commonly used as an everyday carry pouch?

It’s true: In a time where coins were the currency of choice, any man’s leather wallet was more likely to carry dried meats, snacks, or small tools.

Thankfully, wallets have come a long way from their earliest designs (and we’re sure they smell quite a lot better, too!)

Now recognized as an indispensable part of modern men’s everyday carry essentials, the wallet that you choose for daily use can contribute equally to your style and preparedness. 

Know Your Wallets: What’s the Difference Between “Bifold” and “Billfold”?

When you’re searching for a wallet to complement your wardrobe, there’s some terminology you’ll run into: bifold and billfold . Often used interchangeably, this refers to two different features and styles of wallets. 

Even more confusing, you can find wallets that are both bifold and billfold! Before going any further, let’s clear this up:

Bifold refers to how many panels your wallet has, and consequently decides how that wallet will fold. A bifold will have two panels, usually with dedicated slots for holding all of your cards. 

Billfolds are wallets with a cash storage space that allows the bills to lay flat when the wallet is open. You’ll find that most bifold wallets are also billfolds because the wallet folds your bills when you close it. This makes it much easier to keep your cash organized for easy access.

Which Type of Wallet is Better, Bifold or Trifold?

Compared to a trifold wallet, the bifold sports a slimmer profile that does a better job of keeping your garment lines looking sleek and sharp.

While a trifold wallet has more potential for storage space — sometimes holding double the amount of cards as a bifold. Ultimately, all of the extra material makes it too difficult to hold comfortably in your pocket.

For an everyday wallet, we strongly prefer the streamlined design of a bifold over the trifold.

Our Favorite Slim Wallets

In our search for the best bifold wallet around, we tested and examined a number of styles and models across every price range.

After comparing the merits of our favorite seven (listed below), we believe the best bifold wallets all share the following features:

  • High-quality leather construction
  • Space for 4 to 8 cards
  • Sleek and minimalist design
  • Available for under $100

1. Bellroy Note Sleeve

The only wallet in our review to be made entirely from sustainably sourced leather, Bellroy’s Note Sleeve bifold wallet offers the best in minimalist style. Not to mention, it’s available in a wide range of color choices to complement any outfit.

Top-down view of the Bellroy Note Sleeve
Bellroy Note Sleeve Wallet
$79.00

Bellroy’s Note Sleeve bifold wallet offers the best in minimalist style as well as a wide range of color choices to complement any outfit. Separate pockets for bills and cards allow for easy organization and quick access to your cash, complete with a lay-flat billfold style cash pocket.

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04/06/2023 06:07 pm GMT

Separate pockets for bills and cards allow for easy organization and quick access to your cash, complete with a lay-flat billfold style cash pocket.

Add on RFID protection and a 3-year warranty, and this versatile all-rounder wallet performs well above its price range. We’re confident in our recommendation of the Bellroy as the best slim bifold wallet available today.

Bellroy “The Low

Runner-up to the Note Sleeve was The Low, another billfold from Bellroy. Also worth considering if you like the Note Sleeve.

2. Stuart and Lau — The Slim Wallet

This may be the most uniquely designed slim billfold wallet that we’ve found.

The Slim Wallet by Stuart and Lau
$95.00

Minimalist in both its design and construction, Stuart & Lau’s Slim Wallet is a beautiful piece of modern craftsmanship. It has room to carry 10 cards, and a quick access slot on the back to grab your most important belongings. And of all the RFID wallets featured on this list, it has the least bulky silhouette thanks to its embedded blocking tech.

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Stuart and Lau’s Slim Wallet is made from just four cuts of leather. Designed to maximize storage with minimalist design, it’s on the pricier side thanks to its Italian leather construction and soft suede lining.

Offering space for ten cards and a lay-flat pocket for cash, the lining also features RFID blocking tech that will keep your cards’ electronic data safe and secure.

If you’re a fan of this wallet’s atypical look, it’s available in six colors to match your style.

3. Danner Latigo Bifold Wallet

Portland-based Danner Leather Goods may be better known for their impressive line of shoes and hiking boots. However, this naturally treated leather bifold wallet shows off their craftsmanship just as well.

Danner Latigo Bifold Wallet
$60

This USA-made wallet is constructed with premium Horween leather and features four card slots in addition to a single bill pocket.

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Made of thin but high-quality Horween leather, its four dedicated card pockets and lay-flat billfold cash storage make it ultra-slim.

Overall, Danner’s Latigo is a simple wallet that’s built to last. Even better? It’s available for a surprisingly low price, given the quality of the leather.

The only potential downside? This wallet’s naturally treated leather is only available in one color, albeit one that will patina beautifully over time.

4. Olpr. Leather Goods Co. Slim Bifold Wallet

Eschewing everything but two pockets and a fold, Olpr. Leather Goods’ slim bifold wallet is truly the most minimalist of any wallet that we’ve found.

Olpr. Leather Goods Co. Slim Bifold Wallet
$65

This simple yet stylish, the chestnut slim bifold wallet is augmented with boundless features like two full-length compartments for notes, carefully designed ample pockets that help keep your identification and credit cards organized, as well hidden multipurpose pockets for extras like receipts, and reinforced corners to achieve longevity.

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Available only in natural Horween leather, it’s built to last a lifetime and will continue to develop character as it ages.

Another outstanding feature for this slim wallet: Optional personalization.

For a small fee on top of its reasonable base price, you can have your name or a logo custom embossed on the bottom right corner of your wallet.

5. Forrest & Harold Slim RFID Bifold Wallet

Super compact and sporting attractive dual-tone color combinations, the Forrest & Harold slim bifold wallet forgoes a billfold style in favor of a soft leather cash strap.

Featuring super-soft top grain leather and built-in RFID blocking, this wallet is an absolute steal for the price — and comes with a 2-year warranty, to boot.

While it has the most limited storage capacity of any wallet on this list, we’ve actually found that to be a plus for certain personalities.

If you tend to overstuff your wallet, the best way to keep it slim and stylish may be to not give yourself extra storage space in the first place!

6. Nomad Goods Slim Wallet

Four card slots, two cash slots, and one strikingly minimalist design give the Nomad Goods slim wallet everything you need for everyday carry.

Nomad Goods Slim Wallet
$59.95

Four card slots, two cash slots, and one strikingly minimalist design give the Nomad Goods slim wallet everything you need for everyday carry.

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The vegetable-dyed Horween leather is available in either raw, brown, or black — making the Nomad the only natural leather wallet on this list that can match a variety of outfits.

With regular applications of a leather conditioner, this wallet has the potential to age into a perfectly soft and unique-to-you patina finish.

While it can hold up to 12 cards, keeping it to a more moderate six (plus cash) will better maintain this wallet’s sleek lines.

7. Taylor Stitch “The Minimalist” Slim Billfold Wallet

Made from top-grain Spanish leather, Taylor Stitch’s “The Minimalist” includes a clever feature that we wish more wallets offered: A stiff card slot liner. This is designed to minimize stretching and disfiguring over time.

Taylor Stitch “The Minimalist” Slim Billfold Wallet
$98

Made from top-grain Spanish leather, Taylor Stitch’s “The Minimalist” includes a clever feature that we wish more wallets offered: A stiff card slot liner, designed to minimize stretching and disfiguring over time.

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Without adding any bulk to its slim construction, this liner does an amazing job of maintaining the wallet’s integrity.

This is the most expensive wallet on our list, but we couldn’t resist.

The thoughtful design features and super-durable construction also make it one of the most long-lasting. If it were available in more color options, The Minimalist may have been our top pick.

Final Thoughts: Tips and Tricks to Keep Your Wallet Slim

If you’re intent on keeping your everyday carry as minimalist as possible, choosing one of these seven slim bifold wallets will only get you halfway there.

Of course, you’ll also need to make sure that you have a place for everything else that usually accumulates in a wallet.

Getting into the habit of unloading your wallet each night when you get home will go a long way towards keeping your wallet slim.

But the best part about making the change to a slim bifold wallet? You won’t have the space to let receipts, business cards, or loyalty program vouchers pile up.

Which slim bifold wallet do you think will work best as part of your EDC essentials?

What’s changed?
04/06/2023Updated text and images
10/08/2020Original publish date