Have you read our guide on how to choose the ideal wallet? If you haven’t, I’ll urge to do so before continuing. If you did, maybe the decision is close at hand but you’re looking for inspiration to expand your research. Thus, without further ado, allow me to introduce you to 6 of the most popular eco-friendly wallet brands.
All brands on this list offer at least one eco-friendly wallet with the following characteristics:
- Made of recyclable materials (e.g., fabric, plastic) or other eco-friendly materials (e.g., faux leather).
- Case or sleeve type coupled with the occasional bifold option.
- May include multiple card slots and a dedicated bill section.
- May offer RFID protection in certain models.
Simply put, an eco-friendly wallet will help you ease your conscience if you’re trying to reduce your carbon footprint. On top of that, you’ll be acquiring a fashionable and light wallet with any of these materials.
| Brand | Classic | Card holder | Fabric | Plastic | RFID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpaka | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Black Ember | ✔ | ✔ | |||
| Buffway | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Magpul | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ||
| Pioneer | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ | |
| Re:Form | ✔ | ✔ |
Alpaka Gear
- Origin: Australia
- Types: Bifold, sleeve
- Materials: X-Pac VX21 fabric
- Card capacity: 4 – 14
- Additional features: Pull tab, bill section, RFID
- Prices: €28 – €46 (EUR)
- Website: alpakagear.com
Based in Melbourne, Alpaka is an Australian manufacturer established in 2016. Sustainability is at the heart of everything they do, using eco-friendly materials in most of their products. Alpaka offers exclusively three wallet models made of a carbon neutral, weatherproof fabric in a few color versions. A bifold wallet and a card wallet with card slots and another for bills, both RFID-protected. The remaining Alpaka product is a small cardholder with no RFID protection.
Black Ember
- Origin: USA
- Types: Bifold
- Materials: CORDURA re/cor RN66 nylon
- Card capacity: 4 – 8
- Additional features: Card slots, folded bill slot, magnetic closure
- Prices: $45 (USD)
- Website: blackember.com
Black Ember is a design studio established in 2014 in San Francisco, CA. They develop innovative technical packs made for urban lifestyles, using the most advanced materials and construction techniques. Black Ember, in contrast to other brands, produces a single wallet made of CORDURA re/cor RN66 nylon. This model is not RFID-protected and, since it uses magnets for closure, it isn’t recommended for cards with magnetic strips.
Buffway
- Origin: China
- Types: Sleeve
- Materials: Faux Ieather
- Card capacity: 4 – 8
- Additional features: Card slots, folded bill slot, thumb slot, ID slot, RFID
- Prices: $15 – $36 (USD)
- Website: buffway.com
Chinese brand Buffway has been heavily advertised on Amazon since 2015. With a focus on high quality faux leather products, they advocate elegance and durability of their products to provide a pleasant user experience. Buffway produces basically two models, both with a large selection of colors and textures to choose from. Basic features on their wallets include card slots, bill section, thumb slot for easy access, and ID slot. All Buffway wallets are RFID-protected.
Magpul DAKA
- Origin: USA
- Types: Bifold, sleeve
- Materials: Reinforced polymer fabric
- Card capacity: 3 – 7
- Additional features: Card slots, bill section, ID slot
- Prices: $17 – $25 (USD)
- Website: magpul.com
Magpul is an American brand founded in 1999 and based out of Austin, TX. Better known as a designer and manufacturer of high-tech polymer and composite firearms accessories, they also produce EDC gear under their DAKA line. Magpul sells two bifold models and two sleeve models, all made with their reinforced polymer fabric with anti-slip texture. Each model offers a handful of color variations, plus they come with standard features such as card slots, ID slot, and bill section (bifold models only). None of their wallets are RFID-protected.
Pioneer Carry
- Origin: USA
- Types: Bifold, sleeve
- Materials: 3XD / 10XD fabric (polyethylene/nylon mix)
- Card capacity: 4 – 16
- Additional features: Card slots, bill section, folded bill slot, RFID
- Prices: $55 – $89 (USD)
- Website: pioneercarry.com
American brand Pioneer started in 2016 in San Francisco, CA. It was founded by an industrial designer, who was tinkering to create a wallet that matched the premium precision of technical outerwear and innovations in footwear. Pioneer wallets, as a result, consist of a line of bifold wallets and cardholders in various colors and fabric strength. Bifold models offer both card slots and bill section, whereas cardholders can only accommodate folded bills. Only certain models offer RFID protection.
Re:Form
- Origin: Germany
- Types: Sleeve
- Materials: RE:FINE synthetic rubber
- Card capacity: 4 – 9
- Additional features: Card slots, folded bill slot, coin sleeve
- Prices: €79 – €89 (EUR)
- Website: reformcarry.com
German brand Reform Carry (styled as RE:FORM) was founded in 2020 in Zossen. Their mission is to streamline daily essentials, while bringing about minimalist and functional design. RE:FORM produces only two folding cardholder models, both with room for cards and folded bills, with an added coin sleeve in one of them. They are made of a custom chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber. None of their wallets offer RFID protection.
Key takeaways
In conclusion, here are some pros and cons of choosing a product from any of these popular eco-friendly wallet brands.
Pros of an eco-friendly wallet:
- Thin and extremely light
- Resistant and durable
- Less expensive than metal or leather wallets
- Very easy to clean
Cons of an eco-friendly wallet:
- Plastic and vegan leather may not be entirely environment-friendly
- Not all materials offer RFID protection
- Less storage space than other wallet types
- Not as fashionable as wallets in other materials