Why Our #1 Pick is the Mutbak Bunker
The Mutbak Bunker is our top choice for a money clip cardholder wallet. It is most comparable to the Hanks Belts money clip cardholder wallet but comes at a much lower price. It is made of durable full-grain leather in 3 different colors, provides room for an adequate number of cash and cards, and is the only model to feature full RFID protection.
How We Ranked Each Wallet
For our thorough review process, we purchased each of these wallets and subjected them to a number of tests.
Unboxing. We opened each package and reviewed the shipping materials and the gift boxes included with each wallet.
Construction. We examined the wallets for workmanship and construction. We felt and smelled the leather. We checked the threading. We went so far as to cut up the wallets to see exactly how they were made.
Capacity. We inserted cards into each of the slots to see how many cards each wallet could hold and to determine how easy those cards would be to retrieve. We tested the money clips to see how many bills they could hold securely.
Wear. We scratched the surface of each of the wallets to see how well they would show abrasions and whether the leather changed color.
RFID protection. We inserted a smart card into each of the card slots in the wallets and scanned them with a 13 MHz radio frequency card reader to verify RFID protection. We did not have a 125 kHz card reader to verify if they blocked access cards.
Money-Clip Cardholder Buyers Guide
When you’re in the market for a new wallet, you want to make sure you’re buying something that will last. It also needs to have the capacity, design, and features you’re looking for to meet your needs. Here’s our extensive guide on how to choose your money clip cardholder wallet. We’ll discuss leather as well as some leather alternatives. We’ll tell you how to cut through the marketing speak and help you what to look for to find the best wallet.
Materials.
Your wallet won’t last very long if the materials it’s made from are lacking in quality. In this section, we’ll tell you how to examine the material that forms the outside of the wallet, or the main fold of the wallet. In the next section, we’ll look at the lining, stitching, plastic, and other added materials that your wallet might include. First, we’ll discuss how to judge leather quality and then briefly touch on some alternative materials that you might consider when buying a money clip cardholder wallet.
Leather Quality
When you’re browsing for a wallet, always pay attention to what type of leather the company or packaging says they’re using. It might say full-grain, top-grain, genuine, split, bonded, faux, vegan, or koskin. For the highest quality, you want to buy one that advertises full-grain or top-grain leather.
Full-grain leather is the most authentic in appearance. It is leather that preserves the original pattern of the animal’s hide. Every piece of full-grain leather will be unique because every animal hide is unique. From the pore pattern to birthmarks to branding to injuries from fences, branches, and other animals, and even mosquito bites, you’ll see the evidence preserved in full-grain leather. It’s not for everyone. It’s rustic. It’s manly. It might not be the fashion you’re looking for. It is extremely durable, though. A piece of full-grain leather can last a hundred years or more with minimal stretching and wear. It’s the best choice for those who want an authentic leather wallet.
If you’re looking for something more refined and fashionable, you want to look for top-grain leather. When companies use the term top-grain, they are referring to full-grain leather that has been slightly processed to erase the markings from the animal’s hide and deliver a more uniform appearance to the end customer. They sand and buff the leather. Sometimes, they emboss it with a stippled texture to imitate an animal’s pore pattern. It will be uniform across the piece, providing a smooth texture. Other times, they skip embossing to create an even sleeker finish. Top-grain leather is just as tight and just as durable as full-grain leather. It’s the best choice for men who want an “unblemished” product as the texture has been perfected in the tanning process.
Genuine leather, bonded leather, or split leather is the budget-conscious option. Rather than being made from the more durable top layers of an animal’s hide that would show its markings, this type of leather is made from the under layers of the hide, the tissue connecting the hide to the animal’s muscles. Normally, this type of leather would be used to make suede or nubuck. Instead, some manufacturers use it to imitate the top layers by coating it with a polyurethane finish. They might also emboss it with a stippled texture to complete the appearance of full-grain leather. Unfortunately, split, bonded, and genuine leather has very low durability. While being leather, it is durable when used in applications better suited for full or top-grain leather. A wallet made of genuine leather will see cracks in the polyurethane and stretching in the leather within two years of purchase. We wouldn’t touch it.
Faux, vegan, or koskin is “leather” that isn’t leather at all. It’s polyurethane-coated nylon, polyester, or cotton made to look like leather. We’ll discuss nylon and polyester materials next, but for now, what you need to know is that the polyurethane coating won’t last more than a couple of years. Like the coating on genuine and bonded leather, it will dry out and crack, destroying its own attractive appearance.
If you can’t find any information on the type of leather the wallet is made of, it’s a safe bet that it’s made from genuine leather. Full-grain, top-grain, and faux leather are considered to be high selling points. A company will advertise full and top-grain leather in their products for their durability. Other companies are proud to tell you that they’re animal-friendly and so have used faux, vegan, or koskin. No one is proud of using low-grade genuine or bonded leather. They’ll either try to make it sound like a good thing, hoping you don’t know what genuine leather actually is or they won’t specify the type of leather used at all, hoping you don’t ask. The wise consumer sees around marketing tricks and knows what they’re paying for.
Speaking of paying, full and top-grain is the most expensive type of leather. You can harvest less of the material from an animal’s hide than you can the lower layers, and it takes more time and skill to process full and top-grain leather. There’s less of it, it’s more time-consuming to make, and it’s in higher demand because it’s a higher-quality material. Expect to pay a little more for a wallet using higher grade materials. On the other hand, genuine, bonded, and any type of faux leather is extremely cheap to make. Often, you’ll see companies charging a high price for low-grade, low-cost materials. Don’t be fooled. You can find the same design feature or fashion style they’re advertising from a higher-quality wallet. Don’t pay premium prices for something that you’re going to throw away two years from now.
Leather Tanning
Tanning is the process of turning a hide into leather. The main part of the process can be accomplished using two primary materials, or tannins: chromium tannins and plant tannins.
Plant tannins or vegetable-based tanning is one of the oldest methods of tanning. Another ancient method is brain tanning, but you don’t want a brain-tanned wallet, do you? Besides, it’s not economical. Vegetable-tanning isn’t either. It takes a long time to tan with plant-based materials. Wallets with vegetable-tanned leather will often be more expensive. Unfortunately, this is one area where a higher cost doesn’t translate to higher quality for the consumer. Vegetable-tanned leather is more susceptible to water damage. If you get your wallet wet, you’ll start to see permanent dark spots appear on the leather that look just like water soaking into the material.
Chromium tannins or chrome-tanned leather will also show water spots but not as bad. It’s also faster and thus more economical to use chromium in the tanning process.
If you’re concerned about the possibility of your wallet getting a little wet from time to time, look for chrome-tanned leather. If you find a wallet that you like, however, and it’s made of vegetable-tanned leather, just be careful to keep it dry, and it will look just as nice and last just as long as a chrome-tanned wallet.
Leather Thickness
The next mark of leather quality is its thickness. If you’re shopping for a wallet in person, feel how thick the layers are. If you’re shopping online, you can watch our video reviews in which Trevor will judge the thickness of each wallet.
Animal hides are thick. There’s no way you could make or would want a wallet that uses the whole depth of the hide. Manufacturers split the leather into layers and use only the thickness that they want. High-quality wallets are made from the top layers. Low-quality wallets are made from the bottom.
Even in a wallet using top layers, however, you still need it to be thick enough that it won’t wear through with normal use. It also needs to be thick enough to support its own weight and retain its shape. One measure of thickness is to stand the wallet up vertically. Does it fall down or sag? It’s too thin. Look for something sturdier with a thicker sheet of leather.
The second test you want to perform is the pinch test. Pinch the wallet between your thumb and forefinger. Feel along the edge of the wallet. Do you feel anything between the layers? Wallets made of thin leather have cardboard or plastic inserts in the panels to reinforce it. It’s an effective method of helping the wallet keep its shape, but it won’t prevent the leather from wearing through. In fact, the leather will wear through faster with a hard insert stuck between its layers. If you feel anything but leather and lining, put it down and look for a higher-quality wallet.
Of course, wallets with thicker leather will cost more than wallets with thin leather. The manufacturer has used more of the animal hide to craft a more durable wallet and so should be paid more for their materials. If they used a thinner top layer, they would still be paid for the bottom layers by a lower-quality leather producer buying the material to use in their own goods, but then they wouldn’t be delivering as durable of a product to you.
Leather Scent
Leather has a distinctive smell. It’s clean and mild. If you’re shopping for a wallet in person, give it a quick sniff. If all you smell are chemicals, don’t buy the wallet. It’s most likely low-quality leather or faux leather that is coated in polyurethane. Full-grain and top-grain wallets are also processed using chemicals and finished with protective coatings, but they still smell like leather. If they don’t, we would doubt the overall quality of the wallet. A reputable manufacturer doesn’t send out a product still smelling like process chemicals.
When you find a wallet that smells like leather, you can be sure that it will retain that scent its entire life. It’s the natural odor that won’t dissipate and can’t be imitated. In our video reviews, Trevor smells each leather wallet we buy to give you an idea of what to expect from each manufacturer and model.
A naturally-scented leather wallet will cost more than one highly dosed in chemicals. It’s most likely high-quality, thick leather that doesn’t need to rely on polyurethane or other finishes to make it a viable product.
Leather Feel
The final test for leather quality is its feel. Run your fingertips along the exterior surface of the wallet. Does it feel like plastic? Is it slick? If so, it’s probably genuine or faux leather covered in polyurethane and other waxy finishes.
High-quality leather should be smooth with a light finish, but retain some roughness of texture as well. Your finger should stick a little moving across the surface.
A leather wallet that feels like leather shows its quality and therefore will cost more than one that is coated with layer after layer of finishes. Full-grain and top-grain leather of sufficient thickness doesn’t need all those chemical coatings.
Nylon
Besides leather wallets, there a number of material options you can choose from for your money clip cardholder. One such durable and comfortable option is nylon. Nylon is a thermoplastic, not a cloth fabric. It’s flexible and strong. Unlike faux leather that uses polyurethane-coated nylon, wallets made from the material itself are not coated in thick finishes and will not crack. Like leather, nylon absorbs water. It will not be damaged or stained by water, though.
It is an inexpensive material, making nylon wallets less costly than full and top-grain leather. However, it is also not as fashionable as leather. You might want to consider using a nylon wallet for outdoor activities while keeping a leather wallet for everyday use.
Polycarbonate
Another popular wallet material is polycarbonate. Like nylon, polycarbonate is a durable thermoplastic. Unlike nylon, it is not flexible or comfortable. Wallets made from this material come in the form of hard shells with compartments or a money clip and various methods of holding cards. If you’re looking into polycarbonate wallets, keep in mind that these are not pocket wallets. They won’t be comfortable to sit on or put in your front pocket. They’re the type of wallet you would keep in your bag or strap to your wrist while you run.
Like nylon, this synthetic material is not expensive to create or form into various shapes. Expect a polycarbonate wallet to be less expensive a full or top-grain leather wallet.
Construction
The primary materials are not the only indicator of a wallet’s durability. There are other necessary materials to consider, such as the quality of the stitching, the money clip, the plastic of the ID window, and any other non-leather components the wallet contains.
Stitching
Almost every wallet made from leather or nylon will have stitching. If it doesn’t, don’t buy it. It might look neat, but it’s held together by glue that won’t last.
For stitching, look for wallets that advertise nylon or polyester threads. These threads are the most durable. They’ll also stay tight and won’t fray. Cotton threading is the lower cost alternative. It’s still a decent choice as long as the stitching is sewn in a manner to reinforce itself. As with grades of leather, if the manufacturer doesn’t advertise the use of high-quality stitching, assume that it’s cotton and check the sewing pattern.
High-quality wallets will not be single but double-stitched. If they’re not double-stitched everywhere, they should at least have double stitching along the edges of pockets, where the most stress is from the pressure of cards. Cross or X stitching is another method of reinforcing the stitching, but might not look as finished. It’s a style that complements the look of some wallets.
The stitching should also be melted together at the ends, not tied off or looped. Melting the strands together ensures that the stitching won’t unravel or fray. When done correctly, it looks very professional and provides a finished appeal to the wallet.
Lining
The next necessary component to check is the lining of the pockets. The exterior of the wallet might be sound, but a pocket that rips out the back makes the entire wallet useless.
The lining of the wallet will most likely be pigskin, nylon, polyester, suede, silk, or cotton. Pigskin, or pig leather, is the most durable. Suede is a soft alternative. As leather made from the lower layers of a hide, suede is suitable for interior linings, just not the exterior of a wallet. Nylon and polyester make durable lining materials as well. Silk and other types of cloth are questionable. Imagine sliding your credit card against silk or thin cotton cloth. If you snag the cloth with a rough edge, it’ll rip right through.
You also want to check how the lining is stitched. Look inside the pockets and make sure that the threads do not cross the pocket or extend into the pocket from the edges. If they do, your cards will snag and pull the threads as you retrieve and replace your cards. Not only will it make it annoying to take cards out and slide them back in, but it will also ruin the stitching and cause the lining to unravel from the pocket.
Clips, Snaps, Hinges, and Hardware
If you’re browsing for money clip cardholder wallets, one of the most important “extra” components is the money clip. Don’t take a manufacturer’s word when they say that the wallet features a strong money clip that can hold X amount of bills. Test it!
Feel how strong the magnets are. Test the spring. If it tightens manually, try it to determine how reliable it is. How secure is the money clip fastened to the wallet? A strong money clip that holds your bills securely isn’t worth anything if it isn’t securely fastened to the wallet.
The wallet you’re interested in might have other pieces of hardware as well, including snaps, hinges, or chainrings. Move each component to determine how secure they are.
Snaps and hinges should take a little bit of force to open and close them.
Chainrings should be full metal circles on both the exterior and interior of the wallet, not exposing any unfinished leather. They should also be stitched around the circle, reinforcing the leather to hold its own weight and protecting the material from tearing when the chain pulls on it.
If there is a button release on the wallet, such as hinged polycarbonate wallets often have, test the lever and spring. Ensure that they’re securely attached without any loose movement.
The looser or more flimsy the hardware, the more likely it is to break or tear away from the fabric or shell of the wallet.
Zippers
Zippers are common in security wallets. To be a truly secure zipper, it needs to seal all way to the end with no teeth left split open at the top of the zipper. It should also take a little force to open and close the zipper. Zippers that are too easy to open will eventually slide down on their own. A tight zipper ensures that it won’t wear out. Also, inspect the stitching attaching the zipper fabric to the wallet’s exterior. Because you will frequently be pulling on the zipper, the stitching should be tightly sewn and double-stitched along all sides.
Plastic and Elastic
Two of the most likely common components to fail in a wallet are the plastic ID window and elastic bands circling the wallet or attached to a pull-tab. All of these are convenient features. Of course, you want to be able to show your driver’s license, student ID, or work badge without having to pull it out your wallet. And we can certainly see how elastic bands are useful for storing quick-access cash or cards. Pull-tabs are neat features to store less-used cards in a large pocket.
The problem is that plastic and elastic are not the durable materials the rest of the wallet is made of. Plastic cracks, dents, and tears. Elastic stretches and frays.
Our advice is to look for a wallet that features an interior ID window, where the plastic will be more protected than if it was on the outside of the wallet. And if you can find a wallet that you like that doesn’t use elastic or any type of bands, buy that one instead. When the fabric on a pull-tab breaks or an elastic band stretches out, one of the main features of the wallet, or in some cases the wallet itself, will become useless. Simple wallets are more durable because they have fewer pieces to break.
Craftsmanship
After you’ve checked the wallet to see how durable the materials and construction are, you’ll want to examine the overall craftsmanship. This shows how well the manufacturer used their materials. Do they take shortcuts in producing their wallets or do they carefully craft each one? You can tell by looking at the cuts of the material and how well the edges and corners are finished.
Cuts
First, look at the edges of each cut. Whatever the material, the edges should be straight and even. They should also be lined up in the wallet so that all pockets on a side are parallel or perpendicular to one another. You don’t want to see a pocket sewn at an angle unless different angled pockets are part of the design.
Pocket Edges
Next, look at the top of the pockets. Are they cut straight across or are they folded or rolled over?
If the pocket is folded over, make sure that the leather or cloth material extends all the way to bottom inside of the pocket. If the folded edge stops partway up, cards could snag on the edge. It will be more difficult to pull the card out, and the stitching along that fold will come loose with repeated use.
If the wallet material is not folded, it will either be straight cut or rolled over in the front. If it is straight cut, feel the thickness of the pocket. The leather should be thick enough on the pocket to keep a straight form, not sagging. If it is rolled, the leather should be thick at the bottom of the pocket and then shaved to allow the material to turnover. This type of rollover is done by hand. It takes both skill and time. If a wallet has rolled edges like this, expect to pay a little more for it. If, however, the pocket is thin all the way up and then rolled, it’s just thin leather with a finished edge. While stylish, we suggest you look for a wallet made of thicker material.
Corners
Finally, inspect the corners and the vertical edge of the wallet. Can you see each layer of leather? Is it stacked, creating a staircase down the edge or does it form a straight line? Maybe a smooth incline? Stacked edges have a certain rustic appeal, but don’t show any talent in finishing the edges. The highest-quality wallets will feature blended edges, where the leather has been thinned at the corners to blend into one another. The corners will also be thinned and rounded.
A shortcut is to add a bonding material to the edges and corners. It smooths the uneven surfaces. But like polyurethane on a piece of genuine leather, this bonding material is likely to crack and peel away from the leather, eventually exposing what it was meant to cover.
For the highest-quality, look for blended edges, but expect to pay more for the skilled craftsmanship.
Warranty
Warranties are a little tricky. Some high-quality wallet manufacturers offer warranties up to 100 years. Others don’t offer any warranty beyond the required 30-day return policy. How long of a warranty should you expect? And what should be included in the warranty’s coverage?
If you’re buying a high-quality wallet, meaning it’s made of durable materials and exhibits skilled craftsmanship, a warranty of 1-3 years is adequate. You’ll have enough time to use the wallet and discover any mistakes or weak points. Warranties typically only cover errors in craftsmanship and materials. If, for example, the stitching comes loose on one of the corners, the company will replace the wallet or repair the stitching. If you drop it in a puddle or let your dog chew on it, they won’t. So, after a year or two, if you haven’t found a problem with the workmanship or materials, you and the company can agree that the wallet was made correctly.
Be wary of a company that doesn’t offer a warranty or offers a very short warranty, such as 3-6 months. Short warranties should be a red flag, indicating that the company itself doesn’t expect their product to last more than a year and doesn’t want to offer you a refund or a replacement when the wallet you bought falls apart. Also, beware of warranties that offer to refund your money “no questions asked.” A company that produces high-quality wallets should stand by their product and offer to repair or replace it, not wash their hands of you with a quick refund.
Warranties lasting less than a year are a sign of trouble. Warranties lasting more than 3 years are unnecessary and are just part of the marketing campaign, telling you the wallet will last. Money-back warranties are a sign of low quality while repairs or replacements show that a company believes in their own craftsmanship.
Size and Weight
Here’s the part where start talking about using the wallet. This first point determines how comfortable your wallet will be and how much it will hold. While polycarbonate wallets are an interesting choice, most men prefer a wallet that will fit comfortably in their front or back pocket. Most men also need a wallet large enough to carry an ample amount of bills without triple folding them. The best design for a money clip cardholder wallet is to have the bills lay flat in the clip and then fold over once when you close the wallet.
A wallet measuring 3.5 inches by 4.5 inches will close on a folded bill with some room at the edges. It also allows cards to stack vertically in the interior pockets. You can also find some models with slightly smaller measurements, but you can consider 3.5” x 4.5” to be a comfortable fit for most front, back, and suit pockets. If you’re wearing skinny jeans, nothing will help.
A wallet measuring 3.5” x 4.5” should also weigh about 40-75 grams. Anything lighter is an indication of material that’s too thin. Anything heavier could make your pants pockets sag.
Capacity
Before you buy a new wallet, determine how much cash and how many cards you actually need to carry. Most of us have cards in our wallet that we haven’t used for years. Pare your contents down to the bare essentials and leave everything else at home or store the necessary information on your phone. Our guide on How to Reduce the Contents of Your Wallet can give you some tips.
Once you know exactly what you need to carry, you can consider the storage options different wallet models provide. Some include everything in one large center pocket or tucked away in a pull-tab. Others have a few interior pockets with a quick-access band on the outside of the wallet. We prefer traditional pockets that separate cash and 2-3 cards in each slot. As we said earlier, bands and pull-tabs break. Large center pockets are inconvenient with everything mixed together. Outside pockets can be a nice feature to store an ID or your most-used credit card.
Features
Besides cash and card layout, you could consider whether you want your wallet to include an ID window, a coin pouch, keys, SIM cards, or receipts. Pull-tabs are useful for tucking away cards you don’t use very often but still want to carry on you. Zippers can help with protecting the contents of your wallet from dirt and grime while on a worksite or playing in the mud.
Think about how you’re going to use your wallet and determine which features make the best fit for you. We counsel simplicity, but we’re not the one using your wallet.
RFID Protection
Most new credit and bank cards store sensitive financial information that can be scanned via radio frequency through your clothes and through your wallet. Some states also store personal information on your IDs. Key access cards store a code that allows you to open certain doors. All of these smart cards pose a threat.
To protect yourself from identity theft, unauthorized charges, and illegal entry, look for a wallet that features RFID protection. Wallets that have it will include a thin, metallic mesh in the lining or between the layers. There are two types of RFID protection. Inserts that block 13.56 MHz protect credit cards, bank cards, and IDs. Some also block 125 kHz, the radio frequency that key cards operate on.
You can choose to purchase a wallet that blocks one or both frequencies. With most wallet manufacturers still not including RFID protection, you might want to purchase separate RFID card protector sleeves. On the downside, they will add to the thickness of your cards, reducing your wallet’s overall capacity, so it is best to find a wallet that already includes the protection you need.
Design
Many wallet brands want you to advertise for them or wear logo as a point of pride, so they print their name loud and large on the exterior of the wallet. If you like the logo or the brand, you won’t mind.
But what happens if the brand goes out of style or your tastes change? Like an outdated tattoo, you’ll be stuck living with the design or have to replace the entire wallet. Save yourself the hassle and look for a wallet that doesn’t splash their name all over the material.
Purchase Options
Durability, craftsmanship, capacity, and features are the essentials. But we wouldn’t want to carry an ugly-colored wallet even if it was the greatest product in all other categories. With color options ranging from 1-16, there’s no need to settle for the wallet that doesn’t appeal to you. Black and brown are not the only options.
While picking out a color, though, think about whether you’re going to that certain color for the life of the wallet. Consider how well the color would fit your total lifestyle. Could you pull it out to pay for lunch with a colleague or would it be best left in your pocket during certain situations?
Packaging and Gift Boxes
When you’re buying a wallet online, the packaging is important. You don’t want to receive your new wallet only to see that the box was punctured and the wallet scratched in transit. It should be packed in its own box inside the shipping container to protect it from damage.
You might also be looking for a gift. Beware that many companies who offer a gift box will actually send you nothing more than a cardboard envelope or plain box. Whereas these do make it easier to wrap, we wouldn’t call them gift boxes. A gift box is a sturdy flip-top or lift-off box with a printed design. You might not even need to wrap a proper gift box. The lack of a stylish gift box shouldn’t necessarily sway your decision, but look at the pictures of what they’re going to send you so you’ll know what to expect.
Price
High-quality costs more. It also lasts a lot longer. Pay the price once for a wallet that you might not ever need to replace rather than paying for something that will be trash in a couple of years.
Branding should not determine the price. Quality and ease of use should. If you can find a wallet from a lesser-known manufacturer that has all of the best materials and the same capacity that a top-brand does but at a lower cost, buy the lower-cost option.
Design and features should not determine the price. Consider them to be stylish or useful add-ons to a high-quality wallet. Materials, construction, craftsmanship, and capacity should always come first.
Conclusion
Which money clip card holder should you buy? It primarily depends on how many bills and cards you need to carry, and how particular you are on your quality of leather. If you want the best quality, Hanks is the way to go, but it is a bit pricey, that is why we chose the Mutbak. If you have a large budget and need a few more card slots or color options and the flap pocket and crappy designed center pocket doesn't bother you, the Leatherology is an option. To slim down on size and budget, go with the Mutbak or if you don't like that one, the Viosi is a solid choice. The Alpine Swiss will get the job done if you’re on a tighter budget.
