The Best Everyday Wallet for Cards, Cash and Passport

You open your wallet more than almost anything else you own. That is why it's worth buying one that ages well, and why smaller is usually better.

Fewer seams, longer life

Every seam and every glued edge is a place a wallet can fail. The wallets that last are simple ones. Look for stitched, burnished edges and a clean fold rather than a stack of bonded layers.

Carry what you actually use

You probably carry two or three cards, an ID and the occasional folded bill. A wallet with twelve slots ends up thick and lumpy in a bag or a coat pocket. Count your cards before you shop.

Full grain, always

Full grain leather keeps the natural surface of the hide, so it softens and darkens with use. Lower grades are sanded and coated to look uniform, and they tend to crack along the fold within a year or two.

When you travel

A slim wallet is even better on the road. It sits flat in a jacket pocket through a long flight and comes out easily at the gate, the hotel desk and the café the next morning. The best travel wallets keep your passport, cards and cash in one place, so you're not juggling three things at security.

What to carry

The Everyday Wallet ($148) is slim, but it holds more than it looks. There are card slots for your everyday cards and ID, it's large enough for your passport plus cash, and a zip pocket keeps your coins from wandering. It's full grain Italian leather, handmade in Tuscany, and it slides easily into a coat pocket or a tote. When you travel, the Everyday Pouch ($128) holds your chargers and receipts, and the wallet holds everything else.

One last thing

A new leather wallet feels snug at first. Carry it for a couple of weeks and it relaxes into shape. If it's for a trip, start using it before you go.