Unboxing The Ridge 2.0 Wallet
The Ridge Wallet was originally a kickstarter project that raised $266,622 on the original Kickstarter campaign, and then an additional $126,873 on a second kickstarter campaign for the 2.0 revision. I recently got my hands on The Ridge 2.0 and used it to replace an old leather bifold. I haven't looked back since.
The Ridge Wallet is a very slim very sleek front pocket wallet that blocks RFID transmission so your RFIC/NFC enabled cards can't be skimmed, and the information can't be stolen, unless someone actually gets their hands on your wallet. I haven't yet tested the RFID blocking capabilities so I'm taking the company's word on that for now. I know, I like to live dangerously.
“So slim in fact, sometimes I forget that I have it in my pocket and momentarily panic about a lost wallet.”
In practice however this wallet delivers on its promise to slim your wallet down. Even with 7 cards on the inside and two on the outside it feels really slim. So slim in fact sometimes I forget that I have it in my pocket and momentarily panic about a lost wallet. It fits nicely in my front pocket, even with keys, lip balm, and change in there with it. Other than slimming down your pocket, it has the obvious health benefit of not misaligning your spine when you sit down. It's amazing how not having a massive brick of cow skin in your back pocket can do that. I still however struggle to remember that my wallet is in my front pocket not my back pocket, but I guess that will come with time.
One of the best parts of The Ridge Wallet is one the areas that it stands out against other wallets in this category. Most of the wallets are metal or plastic plates held together by elastic or rubber. Which The Ridge is as well, however with The Ridge there are pieces of elastic around the sides and bottom as well that keep your cards from coming out of the wallet. The only escape is from above. It has a finger indentation in the bottom so that you can push your cards out from below and grab them from the top. It's pretty intuitive actually. On my first day with the wallet I was already using this method without even thinking about it. It's just where the mind goes first, and speaks volume about the great design of this wallet. Another great feature is that weather it's one card or seven, no matter how hard I shake the wallet, the cards absolutely will not fall out. They're safe and secure. I do worry about how long the elastic will last, but you can find replacement elastic and screw kits on the Ridge website. So that's not much of an issue.
There are two different options for the wallet for holding cash. You can get a ridge with a cash strap (the one I opted for), which is just an extra elastic strap over the outside of one of the plates. It can hold the cash in either bifold or trifold, I prefer trifold. The other option for cash is a standard money clip. I haven't tried that, I'm happy with just the cash strap. I tend to put in my job's keycard on this strap as well so I can just pull out my wallet and put that on the door sensor. Works really well Although I wish there was another strap on the other side as well. The other option, which I've done a few times as well, is to just trifold your cash and put it on the inside of the wallet. I hardly ever carry cash on me anymore anyway. Which is something I believe everyone can relate to in this day and age. Technology; be it credit/debit cards, or NFC enabled cell phones, has mostly replaced cash in our lives.
“ I feel safer having my wallet in my front pocket, my pants bulge a lot less, and I don’t have the stigma of murdered cow following me around in my back pocket.”
In short; I really have enjoyed my Ridge Wallet. It has fit into my life seamlessly, something I rarely say nowadays about anything. I feel safer having my wallet in my front pocket, my pants bulge a lot less, and I don't have the stigma of murdered cow following me around in my back pocket. It's easy to forget about but I'll put that in the plus column for now at least. Everything feels more convenient with this wallet, which for me is a lot to say. I can sit without having my leg fall asleep or having my back hurt from misalignment. It's really all pros for me with this wallet. I can't find anything to complain about, and I'm usually full of complaints. If I want to be nitpicky I could say that it's hard to carry money around, but again, that is being really nitpicky since it's only slightly worse than a regular wallet. All in all I'd recommend this wallet to anyone. Jump on the bandwagon, I sure did, and I'm never looking back.
