Who wants to carry or sit on a couple of inches of leather, plastic cards, and paper, or deal with back pain?
Not me, which is why I got rid of my bifold wallet years ago. I started carrying a DM1 aluminum wallet from Decadent Minimalist instead. And I LOVE it. It’s a staple in my everyday carry.
If you’re interested in trading your back pocket wallet for something slimmer, the good news is that there are TONS of options.
There are so many options that you might find it tough to know where to start. That’s why I created this list of the best front pocket wallets for men – to help you narrow your search and find a wallet faster.
Check my list out below. I tried to include something for everyone. But be forewarned – you might not be able to make it through this list of front pocket card holders without adding one or two to your everyday carry.
You might also check out Amazon for a list of quality front pocket wallets.
Royal M1 from Little King Goods
It’s tough to choose only one wallet from Little King Goods. Ryan has developed a couple of different minimalist wallets worth checking out.
I decided to include the Royal M1 in this list for a few reasons.
- The blackout colorway. Not many minimalist front pocket wallets are entirely black, but the Royal M1 is.
- The Royal M1 has a money clip. This is a feature that is hit or miss on smaller wallets.
In addition to cash, you can carry up to six cards, two in each of the three slots. You might be able to fit a couple more if you take the time to stretch the leather.
One thing I appreciate about LKG is that Ryan gives you the option to have your wallet machine or hand stitched. I suggest hand stitched, but machine stitched is plenty fine if that’s all your budget will allow.
The bottom line – if you’re looking for a leather front pocket wallet with money clip, then you’ll have a hard time finding a better option than the Royal M1 from Little King Goods.
Decadent Minimalist (DM1) Wallet
This is an easy recommendation for me because I OWN this wallet. I’ve been carrying it for several years. You can learn everything I like and dislike about it in my Decadent Minimalist wallet review.
I have the 8-card aluminum wallet in the black colorway. Your colorway options include red, blue, pink, and green, though it’ll depend on the metal you choose.
My DM1 wallet is aluminum, but you can also get a titanium or nickel wallet. Decadent Minimalist even offers a Damascus wallet but be prepared to pay a small fortune for that.
One of my favorite features is the money clip. There are two different finishes – titanium and stainless steel. I have both.
Keep in mind that the money clip takes up one slot, so if you need to carry more than four cards and you want a money clip, then you’ll want to get the 8- or 12-card wallet.
That’s the gist. As I said earlier, I LOVE this wallet – so much so that I’ve not carried anything else since I got it 5+ years ago. It’s a great option if you’re looking for a metal front pocket wallet with money clip.
Read my review for more details or visit Decadent Minimalist to check it out for yourself.
Ridge Titanium Wallet
If I didn’t get a DM1 wallet, there’s a good chance I would’ve gotten a Ridge cardholder instead. There are a few things about their wallets that appeal to me.
One is their finishes. There are a few finishes or colorways you can choose from.
- Burnt
- Matte
- Gunmetal
- Matte cobalt
- Stonewashed
I love the stonewashed finish because it looks raw, but the burnt titanium wallet is sexy too. It has that color you get when you temper metal.
I wouldn’t be surprised if each burnt titanium wallet was unique since it’d be tough to get a uniform finish from one wallet to the next. This means your Ridge wallet would be unique from everyone else who owns one.
Truthfully, I’d be tempted to spend the $525 necessary to own them all.
You only need one Ridge wallet to be set for life, though. Since these are made from titanium plates, you don’t have to worry about the wallet bending in your pocket. The elastic band is replaceable, too.
Between that and the lifetime warranty, there’s no reason why this couldn’t be the last slim front pocket wallet you ever buy.
Click here to learn more about the titanium wallet from Ridge.
The Boatswain from Pirate Goods
The Drunken Boatswain is a handmade leather front pocket wallet from Vitalii Hilevych. Vitalii is a leathercrafter from Kyiv, Ukraine.
I’m a fan of many of his leather goods. His designs are clean, minimal, and functional. He has great tastes in leather and colors, too.
All the thin front pocket wallets from Pirate Goods look like great everyday carry options, but there is one wallet I like the most – The Boatswain.
The Boatswain is as simple as a cardholder gets. It has three slots which fits 2-3 cards each. There is also room to carry some cash.
Every Pirate Goods wallet is handstitched and dyed too, so you can expect this wallet to look great and last for a long time.
Visit Pirate Goods’ website to learn more about this everyday carry wallet.
Crazyhorse by Growley Leather Co.
I’m usually not a fan of wallets with snaps. They remind me too much of women’s wallets. But I can see myself making an exception for the Crazyhorse wallet from Growley Leather Co.
What I find interesting about this wallet is the lack of sleeves or cardholders. There is only one pocket, but that pocket is big enough to carry a variety of items such as your keys, multi-tool, cards, and cash.
A pouch or pocket organizer appeals to me because my everyday carry key setup is bulky. I use the KeySmart key organizer, but it can’t hold the key fob for my car.
But I could toss it all in the Crazyhorse, along with my cards, cash, Chapstick, and other everyday carry gear.
I also like how they use antique brass hardware (the snaps), which I prefer over plain brass. Plain brass is too shiny for my tastes. It reminds me too much of gold.
Anyway, if you’re looking more for a front pocket pouch rather than a wallet or cardholder, then you should check out the Crazyhorse by Growley Leather.
It’s also a good choice if you want to buy a leather front pocket wallet made in the USA.
Popov Leather ID Wallet
This wallet from Popov Leather makes my list because it’s one of the few front pocket wallets with an ID window.
Another thing I like about their wallets is their thread – it’s a little larger compared to the thread that other leathercrafters use.
It looks like they use a round leather punch instead of a diamond pricking irons too. The result is a straight thread pattern instead of the zigzag pattern you’ll find on most handmade leather wallets.
This makes Popov Leather wallets stand out, which is something you might appreciate.
The Popov Leather ID wallet has two card pockets and a slot for cash. You can choose from four leather colors and two thread colors. And you get all this for $60 – $70 if you decide to add custom engraving.
If I were looking for a slim leather front pocket wallet with an ID window, then one of my first stops would be Popov Leather’s website.
Port Wallet from Craft & Lore
One thing that stands out about Craft & Lore’s leather goods is their simplicity. They don’t use crazy colors (often) and their designs aren’t flashy.
What I like most is that their stuff is meant to be used rather than stored away and collected. There are no safe queens here.
Now, what’s unique about the Port Wallet from the other front pocket wallets on this list is that it’s one piece of leather folded three or four times, and then sewn in one corner.
The folds create all the pockets. It also eliminates the seams that most handmade leather wallets have. This reduces the odds of the wallet failing since the stitching is the weakest point of any wallet.
The Port Wallet is slim yet can still carry quite a bit of money. It holds up to 8-10 cards and a couple of bills. You might be able to squeeze in a little more once you’ve used the wallet for a while.
You can choose from 4-5 colorways depending on the model you choose. Craft & Lore sometimes does limited runs too, so you might be able to pick one up a color other than brown if you’re willing to wait.
Visit Craft & Lore to learn more.
Houbei 2.0
The Houbei 2.0 from Open Sea Leather Co. is one of the most unique looking minimalist wallets on this list.
It’s like The Port from Craft & Lore in that the bulk of the wallet is one piece of leather folded a couple of times. It also has minimal stitching.
Where the Houbei differs from The Port is that there is a second piece of leather wrapped around the bottom. This gives the wallet a two-tone look, as well as adds another sleeve for your cards or cash.
Open Sea Leather says they’ve fit as many as 8 cards and 20 bills in this wallet, making this one of the largest leather wallets for front pocket carry on my list. You get less bulk but without having to sacrifice how much you can carry.
Another thing you might like are all the colors you can choose from. Open Sea Leather Co. lets you choose between 20 leather colors and 19 thread colors.
All these options give you the opportunity to pick up a truly unique front pocket wallet. You can see all the options on Open Sea Leather’s website.
Brass Spine Wallet
If you want to carry the thinnest front pocket wallet around, then you don’t have to look any further than the Spine Wallet. It’s easy to see why it’s called that. The Spine Wallet is literally a flat piece of metal with an elastic band.
Without seeing it, you might think this is too plain of a wallet to add to your everyday carry. That’s not the case, though.
While the shape is nothing special – only a rectangle – the finish is what makes this wallet stand out. There are several finishes to choose from, including copper, Damascus, and colors like charcoal, black, and OD green.
I’m a fan of copper, but the Brass Spine Wallet catches my eye too. It has a duller finish than brass usually does. It also changes a bit depending on the light that hits it.
The brass will patina too, which is awesome. Over time, this wallet will become more and more unique to you. No two Spine wallets will be the same.
Since this is a flat metal front pocket wallet with elastic band, you won’t have a problem holding several cards and cash. Push comes to shove you could always find a bigger elastic band to use.
There is also a built-in bottle opener. This is a rare feature for any type of wallet.
You can’t beat the price either. You can add a Spine Wallet to your front pocket carry for as little as $25. Visit the Spine Wallet website now to see if it’s the right wallet for you.
Tanner Goods’ Journeyman Cardholder
I’ve already added a couple slim leather front pocket wallets to this list, so why do I have the Journeyman from Tanner Goods on the list? There are two things I like about it.
The first is the color. One of the color options is a darker English Bridle leather they call cognac. This looks great as is, and it will likely darken as the wallet patinas.
You can also get the Journeyman in other colors like natural, black, and saddle.
The other reason I like this wallet is the design of the card pockets. It starts out flat and then slants towards the other side. Depending on the angle, it looks like the back pocket tucks into the front.
Not only does this design look good, but it’s practical too. The pockets will hold your cards tight, and the small slants will help you pull your cards out when you need them.
In addition to the four card pockets, there is also a center pocket you can use for cash.
Overall, the Tanner Goods’ Journeyman looks like a great minimalist wallet to carry in your front pocket. You can learn more about it on their website.
Sergeant Front Pocket Wallet from Recycled Firefighter
Is it possible to create a list of the best front pocket wallets without including a wallet from Recycled Firefighter? I don’t think so.
What I love about this wallet is that it’s made from decommissioned firehose. This makes it unique as every piece of hose will have markings and writing that other pieces of hose won’t.
Firehose is durable too. Jake also uses T-90 nylon thread, which has a breaking point of 15 pounds. So, you can expect this wallet to last you forever. You can get away with having only one of them.
You might not want only one Sergeant wallet, though. There are nine different color schemes you can choose from, including red/black, black, green/black, and yellow/black.
Recycled Firefighter’s Sergeant wallet is affordable too at only $29 per wallet. You could buy all nine colorways without breaking the bank.
Each Sergeant front pocket wallet holds between 4-8 cards and has an elastic band on the back for cash.
The bottom line – if you’re looking for a unique front pocket wallet with an elastic band that is not made of leather or metal, then you need to take a closer look at the Sergeant from Recycled Firefighter.
Benefits of Carrying a Wallet in Your Front Pocket
Here’s a question I’ve seen a few times – why should I carry a wallet in my front pocket instead of my back pocket?
Everyone’s needs are different. I can’t say whether YOU should carry a wallet in your front pocket. What I can do is share a few of the benefits to carrying a wallet in your front pocket that you won’t get carrying one in your back pocket.
- Front pocket wallets are thinner and won’t stretch your jeans.
- It is tough for pickpockets to get your wallet when it’s in your front pocket.
- You’re less likely to have back pain, which many guys experience due to carrying a back pocket wallet and sitting on it throughout the day.
- Your cards will last longer since you won’t be sitting on and bending them.
- Front pocket cardholders enable you to access your cards and cash much faster compared to bifold and trifold wallets.
- Front pocket wallets are significantly smaller than your standard back pocket wallet. They force you to be selective about what you carry. This will reduce the bulk in your EDC carry.
- Slimmer wallets look nicer than bulky wallets.
- If you carry a wallet and phone in the same pocket, this will reduce the odds of you carrying your keys in that pocket, which can lead to scratching your phone screen.
These are a few of the many upsides to carrying a wallet or cardholder in your front pocket instead of your back. There aren’t many downsides, other than maybe not being able to bring as much with you.
But considering so many of us have multiple items in our everyday carry kit, I think being forced to carry less is a good thing. We should strive to reduce our daily EDC whenever and however we can.
Buying a Front Pocket Carry Wallet – What to Consider
Odds are you don’t need me to tell you how to buy a wallet. You’re a grown man (or woman) – you can buy your own wallet.
However, I do want to point out a few things you should think about or consider when buying a smaller wallet. You might find these points especially helpful if you’re used to carrying a bifold or trifold wallet.
- Pockets – Most slim EDC wallets have fewer pockets compared to bifold and trifold wallets. Most have 4-6 pockets and enough room to carry between 4-20 cards and some cash.
- Money Clip – Few front pocket wallets have money clips. The good news is that many of the wallets that don’t will have an elastic band or extra pocket you can use for cash instead.
- Material – You will have a lot of options including leather, metals such as aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel, and even wood. The material will affect how the wallet looks as it ages, its durability, and its price.
- RFID Blocking – Many front pocket wallets don’t have RFID blocking. However, you can always add RFID cards to your wallet. Just be prepared to lose a card slot if you do.
- Warranty – Many of the wallets on my list have excellent warranties. If you’re going to buy a wallet for $50, $100, $200, or more, make sure you’re protected in case it fails.
- ID Windows – Slim wallets with ID windows are rare. I pointed out one or two options above but be prepared to do a little research to find a quality option if those aren’t right for you.
- Cost – You can find wallets as low as $25. However, handmade leather wallets and wallets made from titanium or stainless will cost much more. You should expect to spend as much as $150 (or more) for the best front pocket wallets.
- Personalization – Most of the companies above offer personalization or engraving. You’ll pay a little extra for it, but it shouldn’t be more than $10-$20. Keep in mind that personalizing your wallet will mean that you can return or exchange it.
Those are the key things I’d keep in mind when shopping for and buying a front pocket wallet. This should help you decide whether a slim wallet is right for you, and what to expect as you try to find one.
Summary
There you have it – those are my top picks for the top front pocket wallets.
You can’t go wrong with any of these choices. It just boils down to your preferences – the material you want, how much you need to carry, what you’re willing to spend, etc.
I love my DM1 wallet from Decadent Minimalist. It may get dinged up as it’s only aluminum, but I bet it still outlives me. It’s hard to beat a metal wallet regardless of where you get it though.
If I ever decide to get a leather wallet for my front pocket carry, I’ll probably go with the Royal M1 since it has a money clip. Or I’ll pick up the V1, another three-pocket minimalist wallet that Ryan makes.
The bottom line – I think you’ll be happy with any of the wallets I listed above. All you need to do now is figure out which wallet is right for you.
I hope this list has helped you get closer to figuring that out.
Featured image credit goes to Spine, Pirate Goods, and Little King Goods.