Gunther Werx Reveals 993-Based GWR 911 Restomod
Sep 7, 2024Tested: The 9 Best AirTag Wallets of 2023
- Nov 1, 2023
- 0 Comments
169
![Tested: The 9 Best AirTag Wallets of 2023](https://menshealthfits.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Best-AirTag-Wallets-0-Hero.jpg)
There are few things more frustrating than losing your wallet. It feels almost crippling when you’re about to leave the house and you can’t seem to recall where you last left it. Luckily, these days, options such as mobile pay exist, but our wallets are also used to hold our driver’s licenses, cash, and even gift cards — none of which we can access via our phones. Likewise, while most stores are now capable of touchless checkout options, restaurants still require a physical form of payment.
Fortunately, technology can still help us out when it comes to losing our wallets. Apple’s AirTag tracking chips don’t just help us find our lost valuables, but can provide us some peace of mind. Since its debut last year, AirTag has become incorporated by tons of companies who have since made products with built-in or add-on chip holders so users no longer have to worry about misplacing their most important belongings. Here to help you filter through the plethora of options available, we’ve compiled a guide to the best wallets for AirTag.
What Is AirTag?
Just Keeping Track
While Apple’s AirTag wasn’t the first device-tracking chip when launched in 2021, it’s quickly become the most popular and accessible. Now, over a billion iOS users can benefit from the technology to find missing keys, wallets, luggage, and pets, among other things. AirTag is water-, dust-, and splash-resistant, which only increases its longevity and chances for survival.
For short distances (around 30ft), iPhone users can track down their AirTag-equipped items using Bluetooth. Outside of that range, the chip utilizes surrounding iPhones from other people to pinpoint its location for you to find. If someone else finds the object, they can use their own app to figure out who it belongs to, accessing the information you’ve assigned to the AirTag, such as your name, address, and phone number.
AirTag Vs. Other Trackers
Pros & Cons
While fairly new to the tracker game, AirTag is just one type of tracker out there. However, AirTag’s versatility gets a big boost thanks to Apple’s ubiquity. In other words, brands want to make their products AirTag-compatible simply because more users want them to be. That said, some of the other options available are pretty handy, especially for non-iOS users. Here, we will break down AirTag’s most prevalent competitors and compare them to the Apple tracker chip.
Video Review: Best AirTag Wallets
Take a deeper dive into our hands-on review with our 4K video of the best AirTag wallets for EDC.
AirTag vs. GPS: Both GPS and AirTag trackers can be great in their own rights, but your situation will help determine which one you’ll want to choose. Since AirTag uses the cellphone position of other iOS users, it will work best If you live in well-populated areas. However, despite GPS services often needing some sort of paid plan, tracking your items in more rural and off-the-grid locations will be nearly impossible with AirTag, thus making GPS a better choice when taking your gear out hiking or overlanding.
AirTag vs. Chipolo: Although it’s been around much longer, launched from a 2013 Kickstarter campaign, Chipolo tracking works the same way as AirTag: via Bluetooth connectivity and the iOS Find My service. The Apple tracker has a few benefits over Chipolo, including a higher water-resistance rating, a more compact size, and more usability since most brands have now made AirTag-compatible products or add-ons. However, Chipolo does have both the thinner ONE Spot chip and the credit card-style CARD that can fit better into your wallet. Comparing chip to chip, the plastic case on the ONE Spot is more scratch-resistant and has a built-in keyring loop for hanging on your keys and wallet. And while the Chipolo chip is noticeably taller, AirTag is also slightly heavier and thicker when stuffing it into your wallet.
AirTag vs. Tile: This is another Bluetooth versus Bluetooth comparison. While both possess the same IP67 water-resistance rating and are pretty affordable if bought individually, Tile will be slightly less expensive and have more options. However, those options come with a caveat. Aside from the Tile Mate chip, the other devices have batteries that can’t be replaced, including the credit card-shaped tracker (albeit with a lifespan of several years). And while Tile is compatible with non-iOS phones, it requires the pinged users to also have the accompanying app, thus making AirTag’s location accuracy more reliable, since all iOS users have the Find My service.
What To Look for In AirTag Wallets
Specs To Check
Type: Whether you’re looking for a classic bifold style or a simple card holder, there are AirTag options for you. How you carry around your money will determine your wallet type. If you favor cash, perhaps go with bifold, trifold, or trucker wallets. However, if cards are your go-to, try a slim card holder (for a few cards) or a larger, deployable card holder.
Materials: Materials are a key element to the look, weight, feel, and durability of your wallet. Ranging from leather to nylon to aluminum, a wallet’s outer shell can be as much a matter of form as it is function.
Organization: Arguably the most impactful quality in terms of personal appeal, a wallet’s organization will determine whether or not it’s for you. For lighter carriers, you may want a way to access one or two cards, or your ID, easily. As far as higher-card wallets, you could go with pocket storage or a deployment system.
Closure: Applicable only to certain types of wallets, a closure system can range from G-hooks to Velcro to zippers to magnets, or anything in between. This won’t be as big of a factor for slimmer card holders or traditional bifold but may be a determining factor for some when picking a wallet.
Style: Obviously the style of your wallet, or its aesthetic appeal, will be up to your personal preference, and can vary depending on where you’re going and what you’re doing.
Price: Like material or style, a wallet’s price can vary greatly. While not all expensive wallets will be worth their price tag, not all cheap wallets will be worthless. Take the above criteria into account against the cost of the wallet when considering your purchase.
How We Tested
Our Selection Process
Regardless of the recent influx in contactless payment, wallets are still very much a necessity. The reality is that not every venue accepts Apple Pay, and physical bills are still an important way to pay for many things. If anything, the wallet brands available have become more innovative when it comes to function, materials, and saving space. There are more notable brands now than there have ever been and perusing the market without knowing which angle to take can be overwhelming.
When trying to figure out the best AirTag wallets on the market, we first looked at the brands we already know and love throughout our years of experience in this space. While many of them have continued to update their products, we opted for their most recent models. Once we made our short list, we proceeded to source the wallets themselves (at least the ones we didn’t already have in our possession). After that, our staff spent weeks getting hands-on with the wallets, carrying each one around for several days and testing it based on the overall design, utility, organization, build quality, and price, among other things. The following list compiles the AirTag wallets we felt were the best available.
Hawanik Slim Leather Wallet
Pros
- Specifically designed around the AirTag
- A lot of color options
- Inconspicuous AirTag design
Cons
- Pockets are pretty stiff before getting broken in
Best Budget Pick: Specifically designed for the Apple tracker, Hawanik’s Slim Wallet is a great choice if you’re looking to test out the AirTag’s capabilities and don’t want to shell out a ton of cash. Available in 12 colorways and made from artificial leather, this thin wallet keeps the tracking chip inside a buttoned compartment on one side. Its minimalist silhouette is perfect for those who don’t keep a lot of cards or cash on them. It’s capable of holding your ID, five standard credit cards, and six folded bills, which are stored nicely on the inside.
Our favorite aspect of the Hawanik Slim is how it integrates its AirTag chip to begin with. Unlike other wallet trackers, which almost advertise that they’re being tracked, thieves may fail to notice the chip on the outside of this one, making it less likely for them to remove it.
Capacity: ID, 5 cards, and folded bills
Material: Genuine leather
RFID-blocking?: Yes
Spigen Wallet S
Pros
- Really intuitive design
- Budget-friendly
Cons
- Not super comfortable in your rear pocket
- Plastic construction
Sleekest Design: Spigen is a brand that knows about outside-the-box designs. The South Korean mobile accessory expert always looks to level up its products in one way or another. With the RFID-blocking Wallet S, the elastic strap holds up to twelve credit cards in the middle, which can be accessed on one side by pushing them on the other. Meanwhile, a separate nylon elastic strap acts as a money clip of sorts on the outside, with silicone pads to ensure your folded bills don’t slip and slide.
Available in two attractive colors –– gunmetal and black –– this AirTag holder does feature an aluminum RFID blocker on the inside, but its outer walls are made of plastic, despite the metallic appearance, which can be a deal breaker for some buyers. Nevertheless, the price matches the construction and is a fraction of most metal-walled wallets of similar construction.
Capacity: 12 cards + folded bills
Material: Polycarbonate
RFID-blocking?: Yes
Apple Leather magSafe Wallet
Pros
- Can be traced with Find My support, even if detached from phone
- Classy aesthetic
Cons
- Only holds 3 cards
- Doesn’t actively track wallet
Best MagSafe Wallet: While this nifty MagSafe-compatible wallet from Apple doesn’t technically hold an AirTag chip, it attaches via magnets to your iPhone itself, which itself is traceable thanks to Apple’s Find My support, which increases the searchable range beyond the 30ft offered with AirTag’s Bluetooth. This works for tracking the wallet even if it manages to fall off the phone, which we love.
However, we didn’t love how the Find My feature doesn’t actively track the wallet; it only tells you where the wallet became separated from the phone in the first place –– which isn’t ideal in the case of theft. Because of this, you may want to consider a different option if you’re traveling or prone to losing your wallet. Aesthetics-wise, the wallet comes in several colorways and is made from premium European leather.
Capacity: 3 cards
Material: European leather
RFID-blocking?: No
Bellroy All-Conditions Card Pocket
Pros
- Unzips more than just halfway
- Includes interior compartments and key tether
- Water-resistant
Cons
- Some may not love that cards & bills aren’t in specific sleeves
Best Pouch Wallet: Unlike traditional zippered wallets that just unzip on one side, Bellroy’s All-Conditions Card Pocket comes more than halfway open. Capable of holding up to 10 credit cards and a plethora of folded bills, the wallet also sports a raised internal pocket for coins and two additional stretch pockets for extra SIM cards, keys, and the like. The interior is divided by a stretch mesh to keep all your things intact, as well as an elastic key leash. Equipped with a reverse coil Aquaguard zipper, the pre-molded water-resistant leather is eco-friendly and sourced from tanneries that have been gold-rated by the Leather Working Group.
While this Bellroy pocket wallet doesn’t sport a built-in AirTag holder, the coin pocket is perfect for keeping one inside. The brand has truly gone above and beyond with this durable wallet, making it a mini-EDC pouch in its own right at just over 4″ long and nearly 3″ wide.
Capacity: 10 cards + folded bills
Material: Water-resistant leather
RFID-blocking?: No
Fantom Wallet with AirTag Holder
Pros
- Fans out your cards when needed
- Minimalist design looks really nice
- Great range of sizes
- Very durable
Best Overall: A staple in the EDC space, Fantom’s wallet line has long been a favorite of ours, which is why we were excited when it added a proprietary AirTag pouch to its shop. Made to fit on the end of the minimalist Fantom R and S flagship wallets, the AirTag holder comes with screws and a hex driver for easy attachment. Built from carbon fiber or race car-grade aluminum, the S and its upgraded R wallet have options that range from a 7- to 13-card capacity, while smaller versions are available as well.
Unlike a standard hard-sided wallet that has a push deployment, the Fantom features a super-innovative fanning feature to make it much easier to find what you’re looking for, which is great for those who carry a lot of different cards. The manual lever is highly satisfying to use –– not to mention it’ll impress onlookers. As for the external AirTag holder, it’s a 3M adhesive compartment, which won’t be as durable as some other options and is more of a hassle to remove.
Capacity: 7 to 13 cards
Material: Carbon fiber or aluminum
RFID-blocking?: Yes
Ekster AirTag Card Holder
Pros
- Deploys easily with clever ejection mechanism
- Holds a lot of cards
- Really durable
Cons
- Easier for right-handed users
- AirTag band not sold separately
Best for Big Spenders: Ekster’s AirTag Card Holder is a fan favorite in the smart wallet space right now thanks to its pristine construction and versatility. Built from aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum, the wallet also has an expandable backplate for holding up to 15 credit cards, which fan out when needed thanks to a patented ejection mechanism, and six folded bills. The minimalist design comes equipped with a silicone AirTag holder on the outside as well as RFID-blocking technology to prevent contactless theft.
Unlike the Fantom above, the fanning deployment is vertically oriented, which is just as satisfying but may be easier for right-handed users. We love this wallet and also admire the purpose-built AirTag holder. However, the latter isn’t sold by itself, so if you already own an Ekster wallet, you’ll have to buy an entirely new unit.
Capacity: 15 cards + 6 folded bills
Material: Aircraft-grade 6061-T6 aluminum
RFID-blocking?: Yes
NOMAD Goods Card Wallet Plus with Airtag Card
Pros
- Classy aesthetic
- Very slim
- Lots of card room
Best Classic Fold Wallet: NOMAD is great at making a number of products. Towards the top of that might be its Card Wallet Plus. Constructed of signature thermoformed American-made Horween leather — which prevents the skin from stretching out when stuffed with money or an AirTag chip — the wallet combines both a slim silhouette and dynamic capabilities. It’s able to hold up to 16 credit cards, or 12 cards with folded bills, and includes an external pocket for a single card. Likewise, since it’s made to last for years to come, the leather develops a nice patina over time.
While the wallet is beautiful and recommended, with or without an AirTag chip, NOMAD also makes a separate AirTag card available that’s built from polycarbonate and finished with a soft TPU surface. This accessory, just like the AirTag itself, has the thickness of 10 credit cards and thus is meant for larger wallets (i.e., not hard wallets or cardholders). The AirTag chip is not included but fits inside the card easily.
Capacity: 16 cards; 12 cards + folded bills
Material: Horween leather
RFID-blocking?: No
Ridge Smart Wallet Kit
Pros
- Wallet holds a lot of cards
- AirTag pouch actually matches wallet material
Cons
- Metal AirTag holder lessens range
- Pricey
Honorable Mention: There are quite a few metal deployment wallets out there, but Ridge’s flagship Wallet was the one that helped pave the way. A successful Kickstarter campaign from 2013, the brand now offers its handy money holder in countless colorways. There are also a few accessories in tow, such as this Smart Wallet Kit, which features an AirTag holder that actually matches the metal housing material and a money clip.
While the full metal case decreases the AirTag’s transmission, the compartment seals off the chip entirely, which makes it less prone to falling out or getting damaged. The wallet holds over 12 cards and comes in either carbon fiber or aluminum housing.
Capacity: 12+ cards
Material: Carbon fiber or aluminum
RFID-blocking?: Yes
Elevation Lab TagVault: Wallet
Best AirTag Card: While most of these wallets have built-in holders for AirTag chips, Elevation Lab was thoughtful enough to make its own proprietary AirTag Card for those who don’t want to upgrade their favorite money holder. It’s designed to fit flush inside any wallet to prevent the stretching or warping caused by the small, round chip when inserted by itself.
Considered to be the world’s thinnest AirTag card insert, the TagVault Wallet is made from flexible silicone and is only 3.25″ x 1.5″ x 0.05″, which is just big enough to fit the chip itself. Not to mention, we love the affordability on this unit, which comes in at just $10. Great for those who swap their wallets all the time, it can fit with any traditional bifold or cardholder. We also love how it can be used for things besides just wallets, such as backpacks and laptop sleeves.
The Absolute Best Men’s Wallets
If you’re looking for the best men’s wallets, AirTag or otherwise, head over to our dedicated guide where we tested the cream of the crop.
Publisher: Source link