Review: distlunion Wally Stick-on

distilunion Wally Stick-on Review

For the minimalists out there, chances are your phone and your wallet make up the bulk of your carry. The Wally Stick-On wallet adheres to your iPhone, slimming down two of your most essential items to one. It’s promising in theory, but how well does having a wallet stuck to your phone and vice versa really work? Read more for my review of the Wally Stick-On wallet and to enter a Wally Case giveaway, all provided by distilunion.

The Wally Stick-On is a single-piece leather cardholder that attaches to the back of an iPhone using a high quality, 3M adhesive backing. It’s shaped and cut to protect the back of the phone from scratches, with some clearance left for the rear-facing camera and dual flash. With proper application, it sits tight and flush, without adding much thickness to the phone. At first glance, the Wally looks like nothing more than a protective leather cover for the back of your phone, especially when empty. A quick pull of the ribbon tab pushes the Wally’s contents up for quick and easy access: distilunion recommends three cards and a trifolded bill. After using the cards, pushing them back into the Wally also pushes the ribbon tab back into place. There’s no fussing with snap enclosures, zippers, or fighting resistance of rubber bands and magnets here. The ribbon  is easy to use for both retrieving and storing cards. It’s a surprisingly satisfying experience coming from such a simple mechanism.

Admittedly, I began testing the Wally with some skepticism — while I’m all for minimalist wallets, I’m not one to use a phone case. I find cases can change the physical feel of using a phone, while adding bulk and weight. I had to get used to the Wally Stick-On in a number of ways: first, my phone felt completely different in hand. However, the added thickness of just a few cards combined with the texture of the leather lent a pleasant, comfortable curvature to the phone, reminiscent of the iPhone 3GS ergonomics. The next thing I had to adjust to was the unwarranted anxiety of having your phone and wallet stuck together — sometimes I’d think I left my wallet at home. But for everyday use, it’s convenient and really simplifies my EDC. It carries not much thicker than do a phone or wallet on their own, so I could comfortably keep it in my front pocket where I’d normally keep wallet, and just as easily throw it in my back pocket where I keep my phone, which is some welcome versatility when it comes to carry options. However, with this setup, I couldn’t carry as much as I used to or wanted to. For the Wally to really excel at what it does, I needed to limit my cards to my three most important ones and carry a single $20 bill or no cash at all. Otherwise, the leather on the Wally stretches out a bit, and also pulling the adhesive towards the top of the wallet off slightly. While distilunion offers “recharge” packs to make the Wally stick like new, fixing stretched out leather is more involved. Although the capacity of the Wally leaves something to be desired, I really appreciated its simple, effective operation, the convenience of combining my phone and my wallet, as well as the pocket space it affords. Eventually, one of my coworkers saw the Wally, ripped it off my phone and stuck it to his, then immediately stuffed it with business cards. By effectively ending my testing period prematurely, he revealed just how appealing and versatile the Wally can be even for people who already have a wallet they prefer.

Reviewer Score: 4.0/5

Pros:

• Intuitive, efficient and satisfying operation
• Protects phone without much bulk
• Versatile as a secret pocket
• One less thing to carry, and it carries well

Cons:

• "Uh oh, I lost my phone!" becomes "Uh oh, I lost my phone AND my wallet!"
• Limited capacity and organization
• Doesn’t handle cash or change well
• Affects physical handling of phone

Calling the Wally a wallet might be a bit of a misnomer — it certainly can hold cards and some cash, but it really feels more like a phone accessory with a wallet functionality. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It just speaks to how readily the Wally unobtrusively takes a back seat and gives access to your cards while protecting your phone, and how versatile it can be as a secret pocket for business cards, emergency cash, or anything else you want with you out of sight and out of mind until you need it.

BUY ($39.99)

Because the review sample I tested has been slightly stretched and severely de-stickied (as well as taken by my coworker), we’re giving away a brand new Case version of the Wally, courtesy of DistilUnion. Good luck and carry on!