The North American company Fidelo is a pioneer of unique, innovative wallets. We took a look at both the Fidelio Hybrid and Fidelo Prestige wallets to see which we liked the most.
Fidelo Wallets – a Review of the Prestige and the Hybrid
Let’s go through the features and compare line by line.
How Durable Are They?
It is fairly easy to tell with use and with simply holding the wallet that both the Hybrid and the Prestige offer an aspect not often talked about – namely, they “feel” good in the hand. But are they going to last?
The Hybrid
The Hybrid wallet consists of an aluminum “box” or “Ejector” wallet, with a “Crazy Horse” leather sheath and an optional cash strap. The aviation-grade aluminum feels strong and sturdy, not flexing with use. Crazy Horse leather is leather that’s been treated to give it more water-and-sweat resistance and give it a longer life.
Cards are ejected through a trigger mechanism. This may be the main weak point of the wallet in terms of durability – this is the part that will eventually “go”, especially if you are prone to dropping your wallet.
- Pros: The hybrid features mean you can use the box alone, add the leather for a better “feel”, cash strap or no … up to you
- Cons: the ejector mechanism is a little stiff (its not spring-loaded) so not great if you have any dexterity issues
The Prestige
The Prestige wallet is of course Fidelo’s carbon fiber option. Carbon Fiber is known for being light and yet tougher than steel and has become a popular material for wallets. The cash strap has a silicone underside to grip cash and hold it more securely.
Cards are accessed by manually pushing up through a thumb-space at one end. This doesn’t look quite as flashy as the ejector mechanism on the Hybrid, but it does mean there are no moving parts to wear out.
Combined with the toughness of the carbon fiber plates, this might give the Prestige the edge when it comes to durability, the only weak point is the strap. It’s not optional as in the Hybrid, it holds the plates together. So if it goes, the wallet is no good.
- Pros: Tough, scratch-resistant material. No moving parts to wear out
- Cons: Not as comfortable in the hand as the Hybrid. Very dependent on the durability of the strap (will need replacements every so often)
Capacity
The Hybrid design offers the ability to hold up to 7 total cards, five of which are placed in the interior of the wallet, the other two in the optional and also nice-looking leather case. The “Prestige” goes a little bit further and CAN hold up to 12 cards, but it seems as though it functions best with somewhere between 6-8, so the card holding abilities are fairly equal for both minimalist wallets.
Each wallet features cash and accessory bands that come with them, making the “hybrid” an optional 3-piece design by including the wallet, case, and bands.
Card Access
To access the cards, we really like the options that both wallets provide. The Hybrid box wallet contains a carbon fiber push trigger to eject the cards. It’s simple, easy, and functional (although as we said earlier, this may be the part that wears out over time). With the Prestige wallet, you simply press firm on the thumb space to fan out and choose your cards. Both are a rather neat and secure way of accessing the cards within.
How Big Are They?
The Hybrid
| Height | Length | Width |
| 4.3″ | 2.6″ (2.9″ w/ leather case) | .32″ |
The Prestige
| Height | Length | Width |
| 3.4″ | 2.25″ | .45″ |
These small dimensions make it clear – these are both minimalist wallets. We’re big fans of slimming down your wallet, so you’ll get no complaints from us on that score.
What Colors Do They Come In?
As we mentioned earlier, the box part of the Fidelo Hybrid wallet is made from a premium aviation-grade aluminum.
The genuine leather case looks and feels good in your hand, coming in a total of ten color options at the time of writing. That’s not quite as radical as it sounds – they are all various shades of black, gray, and brown.
These color options provide a stylish, luxurious appearance that works very well with the modern aluminum wallet and carbon fiber accent ejector trigger.
The Fidelo Prestige minimalist men’s wallet is crafted from a 3k carbon fiber material.This presents as a light, modern style. Although the wallet itself only comes in one color, the attachable bands that secure your cash are available in the following colors:
- Black
- Grey
- Light Grey
- Blue
RFID Blocking
The Hybrid and Prestige Wallets both feature RFID blocking abilities. While its debatable how useful this really is, its available out of the box on both, so not a major deciding factor. two things to note though:
- The Hybrid has two external pockets in the leather sheath. Since the RFID-blocking is provided by the aluminum box case, these are NOT shielded
- The Prestige thumb-notch reveals a portion of the cards. Make sure you store the cards the other way around, with the chip completely covered
Are Fidelo Wallets Worth It?
Both wallets are are sleek, slim, and light. Both offer RFID protection, and similar functionality to other wallets at a much higher price point. If you want to try carrying a minimalist wallet, but you’re not convinced enough to lay down a lot of cash for (say) a Ridge or an Ekster, then this is a great, well-priced option.
Fidelo Hybrid vs Prestige – Our Verdict
So where did we land with these? Frankly, they are both great options. But on balance, we like the Hybrid for the flexibility – use with or without the leather sheath, with or with the cash strap, even have different sleeves and straps for different occasions or outfits! (Why not? Women have been matching clutches and purses to their outfits for ever – and at this price point its not a stretch to have a couple of styles available.
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Last update on 2024-12-21 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API