Everyday Carry

The Top 6 Front Pocket Wallets for EDC

Authored by:
Mikey Bautista
Reviewed by:
Bernard Capulong
Founder and Editor-in-Chief
14+ Years Reviewing EDC Products
The Top 6 Front Pocket Wallets for EDC
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Do you ever notice your lower back and legs hurting after a long day of sitting on your wallet? Maybe you’ve even had your wallet slip out of your back pocket, or worse — had it lifted off you. If your daily billfold has become too bulky with cards and receipts to manage, it might be time to rethink your wallet situation. With a good EDC wallet, you won’t have to worry about those problems again.

The ideal wallet is…

  • Slim enough to ride in your front pocket, where it’s more secure (and much less likely to hurt your back).
  • Efficient by design, doing away with extraneous slots so you’re reminded to carry only the essentials.
  • Durable in construction and materials for a better-built and longer-lasting product than your generic department store fare.

Below are our favorite minimalist, front pocket wallet recommendations. These classics have made appearances in many carries seen over the years on this site, and are solid starts to beating the back-pocket bulge.


Saddleback Leather Front Pocket ID Wallet

Saddleback Leather needs no introduction in EDC circles as the build quality — and 100-year warranty — of their products speaks for itself. This minimalist offering is crafted from the same high-quality, full-grain boot leather as their other offerings, but with a much smaller footprint. The wallet has three slots for cards or folded cash including an ID slot, and are able to fit a total of 12 cards once broken in.

BUY ($33)

Big Skinny Compact Sports Bi-Fold Wallet

Big Skinny is a company whose sole focus is minimizing your wallet. This Sports model takes the classic bifold design and strips it of thickness, but still manages to house six rubber-lined pockets including a clear ID window. Made of thin and light nylon microfiber, the Big Skinny Sports wallet is water-resistant and durable enough for outdoor activities.

BUY ($19)

Victorinox Grenoble Vertical Wallet

Not just known for the quality of their pocket tools, Victorinox carries over their manufacturing excellence to their travel gear. The 100% pebbled leather Grenoble is a vertical bifold that features six card slots, four storage pockets, and a mesh ID window. It takes little room at 3.75" x 5", and is a classy option for carrying a few more essentials.

BUY ($65)

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Bellroy Slim Sleeve Wallet

Speaking of classy, one brand that always comes up in more formal EDC wallet recommendations is Bellroy. Their wallets have smart designs, use quality materials, and look the part for gentlemanly EDCs. Their Slim Sleeve gives easy access to your two main cards in its main compartment, with infrequent cards retrieved via a leather pull-tab. Most currencies also fit its bill pocket with a single fold. Look no further for a classy minimalist option.

BUY ($80)

Gerber GDC Money Clip

For something both a little bit more discreet yet a lot more usable, the Gerber GDC Money Clip is a handy option. At first glance, it's a simple money clip that holds up to five cards along with folded bills. Upon closer inspection, however, the GDC actually secretly stows a 1.75" stainless steel blade; large enough for a decent grip. If you need a bit more cutting power but don't want to carry a full-sized knife, this money clip makes the cut.

BUY ($20)

Victorinox Money Clip

Sometimes the best way to reduce a footprint is to take the shoe off altogether. Combining the utility of a Swiss Army Knife with a money clip, Victorinox gives you the option to consolidate a few pieces of your carry without losing functionality. The SAK comes in the handle material of your choice and with useful EDC tools in a knife, scissors, and file.

BUY ($30)


Are you still packing a leather brick in your back pocket, or have you moved on to a front carry? Tell us about your wallet in the comments below!

Mikey Bautista

Director of Everyday Carry Operations


About the Author
Mikey Bautista is an everyday carry (EDC) expert who has been working with the EverydayCarry.com team for nearly a decade, starting with an interest in EDC as a hobby and ending up as a writer for the site in 2014. Through the years, he’s led the site in editorial content and writing about products across every category, from knives to bags to flashlights and everything in between, as well as discovering, bringing exposure, and building bridges with many brands in the industry. Today, he is the site's Director of Everyday Carry Operations, leading the editorial team and managing day-to-day operations.

He has lived through many personal and professional lives, spending nearly a decade in the workforce management industry, a minor career in gaming, and has lent a hand with entrepreneurial efforts back home in the Philippines. He has also been an active participant and helped build a number of significant social communities online, both for EDC and his other hobbies.

Mikey has been at the cusp of gaming, technology, and the internet since the ‘90s and continues to lend his experience, expertise, and authority to all his pursuits. When not online, in a game, or watching movies, you'll find him in the gym, speedrunning his next hobby, or talking at length about EDC with anyone willing to listen.

Bernard Capulong

Founder and Editor-in-Chief


About the Reviewer
Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social media.

In addition to being the editor-in-chief and main social media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.

Discussion (53 total)

Dean Murphey ·
Recycled Firefighter Sergeant is a great front pocket wallet. I love mine.
nathan eck ·
THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR DOING THIS!!
Armando ·
The makr carry "flap slim wallet" fits this profile as well. Awesome quality that seems to age beautifully.
Bernard Capulong ·
I love the leather MAKR uses. My current wallet is their Slim Zip Wallet. It's not as thin as these, but it's just well designed and beautifully crafted.
Armando ·
I read the review. My flap was a gift and it's fantastic. I be had it for about 2 years. A great product.
Mike ·
Have literally spent years looking for that elusive 'perfect' wallet. 2 of my favourites appear in this top 6 list - Saddleback and Belroy. Great list!
Cthulhu ·
I'm surprised no one mentioned the Maxpedition Micro Wallet: small, practical, waterproof and bombproof.
Ben Martin ·
Aye, have had mine for probably 3 years now. Top quality.
Minofdef ·
I have the saddleback. It appears to remain bulletproof after 3.5 years
Yakov ·
Good
Shawn Wayne ·
I have the Big Skinny and I've had it now for probably 2 years and I love how thin it is! It's great! Highly recommended.
vertigocreative ·
After looking for the perfect wallet for a long time, and not finding it, I finally decided to just make it myself. Check out the Jot Case, which has a built-in Fisher Space Pen! Super comfortable and tough to boot! www.jotcase.com
Scott Johnson ·
I noticed there aren't pictures of the wallet's thickness.
Matthew ·
I went from a bellroy note to the Machine Era and now the Decadent Minimalist. One of the best front pocket ECD's I've found. Don't get me wrong, I loved my bellroy, but I needed something even smaller. And the machine era didn't hold enough cards amazing. Check out Decadent Minimalist if you need an insanely small and light weight option.
Timothy Broyles ·
TGT Cowman is my favorite wallet yet. I carry a wad of bill plus at least 8 cards.
Andrs Ds ·
I was surprised not to see a Trayvax make the list. The Element model would be a decent contestant with it's metal-leather-paracord game and could be a transition between the leather and metal wallets.
Matthew ·
I need more of these. I've been trying to downgrade from the tri-fold Costanza, like my dad always had, and always get stuck at the billfold. I don't want to go money clip, but somewhere between card carriers and billfolds lies my dream wallet
John Sanford ·
WHAT THE HELL? No mention of the Rogue Wallet, which is actually DESIGNED to sit in a front pocket, rather than in a square/rectangular pocket? Sheesh.
How does a money clip count as a wallet?
And where are any of the plate style wallets???
30 more comments