The Wallet Shoppe
Looking for the Best Carbon Fiber Wallet?
Carbon fiber wallets just exude so many qualities that you want in your everyday-carry. Luxury, quality, strength & durability are just a few of the things that make carbon fiber the perfect material for creating a really cool wallet.
What the makers below have done is take the things mentioned above and crafted them into really modern looking, crazy-functional, awesome ways to “carry”.
There isn’t a carbon fiber wallet on this list that we wouldn’t carry ourselves.
Originally we had a LONG list of more than 15 options, but we got the feedback that most people wanted to know which we called out as the best - so here’s the quick summary (with the more detailed reviews below):
Our Top Rated Carbon Fiber Wallets
Carbon Fiber - The Perfect Wallet Material
Before we go through the wallets themselves (click here to jump straight to the reviews), let’s take a quick look at the material known as carbon fiber.
You can find carbon fiber in everything nowadays - from musical instruments to shoes (even wallets). As we mentioned above, the reason for this is that it’s light, strong, and doesn’t look cheap.
There are two main advantages to using it for anything: strength and weight. Carbon fiber is a composite (very fine fibers set in resin), and it’s stiff and strong for how little it weighs.
It also shrugs off the things that wear out a leather wallet. Have you ever left your wallet in the car on a hot, sunny day? Ever spilled anything on it? You’re starting to see why carbon fiber makes sense for a wallet. (The finish can still scratch, and the elastic and hardware wear like on any other wallet.)
On a final note, you’ll notice there are typically two finishes on a carbon fiber wallet: gloss and matte. That’s purely down to looks.
The Best Carbon Fiber Wallets
OK people, As we said, we’ve narrowed down the list to the following carbon fiber wallets and money clips. But read on - we’ve got one bonus wallet not shown in the table above!
ÖGON Card & Cash Clip 3C
ÖGON makes the 3C in France from genuine carbon fiber, folded into a single clip. It takes up to six cards plus a few folded bills, and it’s tiny: 9 x 5.6 x 0.8 cm and 17 grams. ÖGON calls it the world’s smallest wallet, and we’re not going to argue.
A felt lining keeps the weave from scratching your cards, and a sheet of aluminum between the carbon and the felt handles the RFID blocking. The clip is one piece with no moving parts, so the only thing to wear out is its grip on your cards.
The design really has this awesome “futuristic” thing going for it (there’s probably a more technical term for that). Overall, the wallet is sleek, super user-friendly and has exceptional functionality. It will fit comfortably in any front pocket, whether it’s your pants, shirt or jacket pocket.
For an ejector-mechanism take on the same carbon fiber idea, see our aluminum ejector vs. carbon fiber wallet comparison.
Common Fibers SLM Carbon Fiber Wallet
Common Fibers uses real carbon fiber in a slim folding design. The SLM has three card slots and a ripstop interior, so it suits a smaller daily load than the older six-slot MAX bifold.
That folding format feels quite different from a stack held between rigid plates, and it’s great for a few essential cards. Common Fibers describes its current wallet range as a smaller part of its manufacturing business, with some older options being phased out.
PITAKA Magwallet, Modular Card Holder
The older PITAKA Magwallet is a magnetic, modular carbon-fiber design. (PITAKA’s newer phone-wallet accessories are different products.)
What we really love about the Pitaka is that it’s totally modular. What does that mean? You can customize it specifically for how many cards you want to carry. The wallet is stylish and completely adjustable, whatever you are wearing, and whatever the occasion, you can make this wallet work for you.
We mentioned it’s modular… basically this means it has individual storage compartments for EVERYTHING.
Optional modules were offered for coins, bills and keys; a basic cardholder does not include all of them. With this truly sleek, modern design, the user can decide how thick they want the wallet and can slide cards out of the device in one swift one-handed move.
KORE Slim Wallet and Carbon Fiber Money Clip
Very cool idea. The Kore is really a 2 for 1.
The wallet is primarily made from a nicely-sewn leather card holder, which is the main place for your credit cards. It’s made complete with an awesome carbon fiber money clip attached to the back side, which is obviously reserved for your bills. The wallet portion is made from full grain leather, while the money clip is composed of military-grade carbon fiber. It not only looks good, it delivers too.
The wallet has the ability to hold up to ten (10) credit cards and folded bills, and a smart pull tab for easy access. The money clip can also function without the wallet for the occasions when you want to carry lighter (suit jacket, blazer, etc..).
The central pocket of the wallet is equipped with RFID blocking protection too - for contactless-card shielding; the external pocket is for quick access.
Ridge Wallet - Carbon Fiber
There wouldn’t be a carbon fiber wallet list complete without mentioning the Ridge Carbon Fiber Wallet.
The Ridge combines carbon-fiber faceplates with a metal frame and replaceable elastic. Their wallet is completely modular, which makes for a modern looking, very functional wallet. Ridge doesn’t come with traditional card slots, but rather one main place to hold as few as one credit card, but up to twelve cards, according to Ridge’s specification.
We went back and forth between this and the Pitaka as to which was our overall “best” choice. Ultimately we decided we liked the Ridge best for their original metal wallets and liked the older Pitaka for its modular approach. But it was a close thing…
Check out our full Ridge Wallet Review.
BONUS WALLET!
Just for those of you that read this far, here’s an older bonus design we like from Walletology.
Walletology Carbon Fiber Card Holder Wallet
Is it a wallet? Is it a money clip?
The Walletology Card Holder is made using real, solid materials. Primarily made from Carbon Fiber, it also incorporates stainless steel for extra strength. This makes the wallet both beautiful and strong enough to actually hold up over time. It has built-in RFID blocking too.
It has the ability to hold up to ten (10) credit cards. It’s most definitely designed for front-pocket carry, and it’s so light you won’t notice it’s in your pocket.
Carbon Fiber Wallets - Buyers Guide
Trying to identify the best carbon fiber wallet is an impossible task really, especially with new products coming out all the time. And as usual, a lot comes down to personal preference.
Form Factor
The first choice you’ll have to make is the format.
Are you looking for something in the style of the Ridge and its many clones? A metal card-holder style but in carbon fiber? Are you looking for a money clip? A combination of the two? Or perhaps you’re looking for a classic bifold with a carbon fiber twist?
Ultimately this is a personal preference. But then we have to talk about quality and cost.
Why are Carbon Fiber Wallets So Expensive?
Something else that we need to be aware of when evaluating products.
True carbon fiber takes a lot of processing to make (the Department of Energy’s overview shows why), and that cost shows up in the price.
Keep this in mind when looking at the suspiciously cheap stuff out there. A lot of it is a printed carbon pattern or wrap over plastic (we saw a few of those as we went through our longer list). Check which parts are actually carbon fiber: the faceplates, a clip, or just the surface. A leather wallet with a real carbon-fiber money clip, like the KORE, is perfectly legit.
Hopefully we’ve given you food for thought, and you found something you like in our list above!
