BellroySlim Sleeve, slim leather wallet (Max. 12 cards and bills)

Love this product. But it is overpriced.

This tiny wallet is probably the most comfortable I have ever used. It is rather small but fits six cards comfortably and a few folded banknotes. It also looks great. The cards were little tricky to get out of it at first, but this became easier as the leather stretched a bit and I have become accustomed to it. It is the only wallet I can comfortably carry in the front pocket of my jeans. To give some idea how small it is, here it is tucked inside a *coin* pocket of my jeans (Levis 502). I would not carry it like this (sticks out too much), but this picture hopefully gives a useful perspective.

Heard good things about Bellroy, was excited about this, and was willing to pay the premium price. On its photos on Amazon and its website, it shows Canadian bills folded in half and tucked into one of its slots. However, once you put the folded bills in, the wallet does not fold properly. The bills sit beyond the wallet centre folding line - you end up with bills all crushed up when the wallet is closed and a bulky mess, which is the opposite of a slim wallet. It might work with smaller bills, but definitely not for Euro and CDN. They have other bigger wallet options for billfolds, but for those looking for true slim minimalist wallet, I would look elsewhere. Very disappointed, those photos were misleading.

I have had a Bellroy wallet previously but decided I wanted a minimal version for a few cards plus a small amount of cash in notes. As usual, the leather is good (though mine has a section that is damaged*) and the stitching and make-up excellent. This does what I want … but at a ridiculous price. Had there been a suitable alternative at a lower price I probably would have bought it, but there isn’t.*I was compensated by Amazon for the leather damage.

Bought this particular Wallet as I keep buying 'Leather' ones that fall apart after 18 months. Although not cheap, you get what you pay for - buy cheap, buy twice! The Leather is superb and the stitching is spot on. It holds my six Cards (including Driving License) with ease and is not bulky in the least. If you carry a lot of Cash, this probably isn't the Wallet for you; I found it held 50 quid in Tens folded up a couple of times, but probably wouldn't want to put more in than that. One criticism is, they should put the Bellroy 'Owl' logo on the front to make it look a bit more classy, but a minor quibble. All in all, it's a lovely piece of leather-work, if a considered purchase.

I have, with the increased use in contactless, been leaving lots of cards at home and cannot remember the last time I had coins or notes in my wallet. My old Marco Polo wallet - nigh on 10y old, whilst still presentable is a little worn and loose - time for a downsize and upgrade - ah bellroy, seems to get good reviews, why not? So here are my thoughts:- definitely small, definitely thin (2/3 the size of my outgoing wallet)- space for the 5 cards and a few notes for an emergency - 12 I reckon is tight and defeats the object of a slim wallet.- initial impressions - cool packaging, but underwhelming product for the money for the following reasons:1) embossing of the bellroy name is very feint - may as well not even bother2) the "new leather smell" which one associates with premium leatherware is nowhere to be seen and the leather itself "feels" more like a thick card or vinyl, not the pucka stuff.3) the leather has clear marks either from tooling or from the leather before assembly - either way - not something I would expect at this price point - but it's no Mont Blanc MeisterstueckDon't get me wrong, if slim-slim is what you are after you won't go wrong. I was hoping for something a little more premium for the price - this is one purchase that I will be returning, and I'll be heading to Aspinal for a credit card hold with notes pocket - Albeit slightly thicker, I know to expect a significantly higher quality, for just £10 more.