I Tested the Instagram-Famous Ridge Wallet and I’m a Convert

The Ridge wallet is two pieces of metal sandwiched together with an elastic band and screws. There are additional accessories (more on those in a second), but the overall premise is a refined, svelte container for the bare necessity cards you need to keep around. It can hold one to 12 cards, and you can tighten or loosen the metal “sandwich” using the included Torx screws and screwdriver. You’ll use your thumb to fan out your cards, pulling out whichever you need, and then when it’s time to put the card back you’ll slide it into the top of the sandwich. I keep my ID and debit card on the outermost parts of the stack for easier access, though it’s not too hard to fan them all out (and you can always adjust the tension if need be).

Once I got used to this fan-and-sandwich process, it became difficult to imagine anything else. I don’t want to go back to the olden days of my overstuffed wallet inside my overencumbered purse, digging through endless receipts to try to find my Costco membership card or whatever.

The Ridge wallet is customizable and modular, too. There’s a money clip on the outside that comfortably holds a few bills—I wouldn’t try to carry more than four—and the elastic and screws are all replaceable. You can swap out different parts, like the faceplate or cash strap, and add in items like a coin tray, a tracker card, or a wallet chain (which I use and really like). So your base wallet will always have space for cards and some cash, but you can spend a little more to customize the experience further.

There’s also a MagSafe version of this wallet, which I did not test, but my fellow reviewers that have tried it did like it. Ridge sells other daily carry products like key holders as well. I’m considering buying those with my own money, because the only real issue I have with this wallet is that it doesn’t leave a lot of room for life.

Girls Carrying Stuff

Photograph: Louryn Strampe

I think a lot about the Girls Carrying Shit Instagram account, which documents the ways in which women have adapted to their lack of usable pockets. I truly am always carrying an assortment of nonsense. When I try to temper my penchant for an inventory by minimizing my purse size, I still stuff it to its gills and then end up carrying items loosely in my hands anyway. The Ridge wallet is great for keeping track of my necessities, especially with the accessory chain so I can always fish it out of my bag. But it doesn’t leave a lot of room for me to feel fully free from the burdens of my loot.