Our 5 Favorite Wallet Design Features

Innovation is sweeping through many of our everyday items, from pens that can record what you write in an online document to ovens that allow you to check the temperature from your cell phone. There will always be an update or new feature to your items that you may not see coming. 

Innovation is key to our thriving as a society, so this is a good thing that gives us more options. In fact, innovation has even come to things that seem impervious to innovation, like wallets. Wallets were traditionally only for cash and card storage, but with advancements in technology, they’re capable of much more than you might think. 

Here at Andar, we take pride in our modern-minded, vintage-inspired lineup of wallets. We would like to showcase some of our wallets’ most useful, intriguing design features that really showcase the best in the world of innovation and design. 

With a few vital safety and utility features, we can transform your wallet into something that feels as technologically advanced as the many other tech items in your possession. 

1. RFID Blocking and Protection

This is perhaps one of the most important innovations in the world of wallets. RFID blocking is essential for living in the modern world because of its ability to protect you and your information from those seeking to scam and steal from you. 

What Is RFID?

RFID stands for Radio Frequency Identification. Think of it like a very weak radio wave that is put out incessantly by your credit card. When you tap your card to pay, you’re taking advantage of this radio wave as it’s picked up by the machine. 

The waves detail a particular ID of the card with its card information enclosed. It is a very weak transmission, but it clearly holds very important information within. 

What Does My Wallet Have To Do With It?

Because these radio waves are put out non-stop, there is a chance that they will be picked up by somebody that seeks to do harm with that information: a scammer. This is an increasingly popular way to steal in the United States, and sometimes, you won’t even know that you’ve been stolen from until it’s too late. 

RFID-blocking technology blocks the radio frequencies from being read when your card is inside that item (in this case, a wallet). You can still use your card when you pull it out of a wallet with RFID-blocking technology, like the Turner, but it doesn’t carry the risk of being scanned without your permission while you are walking around. 

2. Easy-Access Slots

One of the more annoying aspects of some wallets is that cards are not always easily accessible when you need them. We’ve all been in line at a grocery store, and everybody behind you seems annoyed with the speed at which you are paying—all because your wallet won’t release its hold on your credit card. 

Easy-access slots allow you to place your most used cards in a position that allows you to whip them out quickly. Not only is it useful in the grocery store, but it helps when you’re trying to be first to the check, and you can whip your card out and slap it down before Barry from accounting can. 

For wallets with easy-access slots, we recommend the Monarch. It has an elastic pull-tab for one of your most-used cards, so fishing a card out of your wallet will be a thing of the past. In addition, like all of our leather, it is made from full-grain, oil waxed leather that improves with age. 

3. The Money Clip

Money clips are making a huge comeback. They easily create a separation between cards and cash while also giving you easy access to both. For the same reason that easy-access slots for cards are ideal for wallets’ design, a money clip makes accessing your cash much easier. 

Our Pilot Wallet has both a money clip and easy-access slots. Its futuristic design makes this wallet one of our most popular option, while easy access to cards and cash make it a gamechanger. It also features RFID security and beautiful leather construction that ties this functional product up with a very pleasing aesthetic frame. 

Once again, technology shows to help make your life easier. 

4. Size

This feature is a broad spectrum of things, so we are going to break down the different sizes and designs that have a range of strengths depending on your needs. 

Once again, we are committed to providing you with the best wallet for your lifestyle, which is why our arsenal of wallets includes different mixes and matches of features, designs, looks, and, finally, sizes. 

Slim Wallets

One of the most popular updates to the wallet is the slim size that’s now popular. Bigger wallets can cause back issues for people who put them in their back pockets, as they place stress on the back. In reaction, wallets are slimming down to fit in the front pocket or just to take some pressure off your back.

We’ve worked hard to develop wallets that are both slim and functional. The Scout is a great example of this slim and functional design because it still provides you plenty of space. It can hold up to 10 cards while also having a pouch for cash. It is perfect for any minimalist sensibilities. 

Passport/Travel Wallets

Just like slim wallets, advancements in wallets have also made travel easier. Travel wallets and billfolds have been around for a while, but large, clunky, overwhelming constructions have made many turn away from them. However, we at Andar think that our Atlas finds a perfect medium. 

This wallet gives you peace of mind when traveling by holding your passport, tickets, and other travel documents. It cuts out unnecessary bulk while still having plenty of room with the ability to carry up to four cards along with your larger travel documents. 

5. Material Is Important

With all the new design features that the world of wallets offers us, the quality of the overall material is sometimes lost. Not at Andar. 

While most of our wallets use the age-old craft of full-grain leather, we also have options in a lesser-known material that we truly believe in: cork. 

We have taken four of our most popular wallets (the Apollo, the Freeman, the Ambassador, and the Scout) and made them in cork instead of leather. This creates a slightly more waterproof, lightweight wallet with all the bells and whistles of the full-grain leather version, including full RFID blocking. 

These wallets are a great alternative to standard leather wallets. They offer the same features and are also surprisingly durable. Cork has graduated from wine bottles to our pockets, and you have to feel it to believe it. We believe in this material, so consider the benefits of switching to a cork wallet for your everyday needs. 

This Is Not the End of Wallet Development

Wallets are not exempt from brilliant minds tinkering and developing them for the modern age. With more advancements and design features, the ability to express yourself and find a wallet that matches your needs well has been made much easier.

This is not the end of the road for development. It’s a snapshot of our favorite design features and how we have incorporated them into our already stellar lineup of wallets. Shop our full arsenal of wallets to find the one that makes your life just a little bit easier! 

 

Sources: 

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): What is it? | DoHS 

Why Your Wallet Gives You Back Pain | Men's Health 

There Are Plenty Of RFID-Blocking Products, But Do You Need Them? | NPR