The Best Travel Wallet

Buying Guide

Boarding a plane and traveling to faraway destinations makes you feel free, but there’s nothing free about getting there. Buying luggage, paying for plane tickets and reserving hotel rooms are all part of the package. One of the most important investments you’ll make when you travel is a travel wallet to hold your passports, ID cards, money, cell phone and more. 

Staying organized from takeoff to landing and beyond will reduce your stress level and make your entire trip more enjoyable. A travel wallet is a lightweight way to keep everything you need at your fingertips. 

The first feature you’ll want to look for in a travel wallet is the number of pockets and compartments. Will you be carrying lots of credit cards? Look for a wallet with plenty of card slots. Are you leading a group trip with multiple passports? A wallet with a deep passport pocket, or multiple passport pockets, is ideal for your needs. Mesh compartments make loose change easy to carry around, and a keyring will keep your front door key at the ready for when you return home.

A clear pocket for your ID cards comes in handy when walking into a new pub on the other side of the pond. You’ll also want an easy access pocket on the outside of your wallet for any boarding passes or train tickets. 

An important feature that many companies are incorporating into their wallets is an RFID-blocking shield. Radio-frequency identification (or RFID) refers to a digital tag on each of your credit cards that can be captured via radio waves. This comes in handy when you’re using a touch-free payment feature at the grocery store, but it also puts your RFID-ready credit cards at risk. 

Digital pickpockets can skim RFID cards from a few feet away, stealing your payment information and making out like bandits. RFID-blocking shields are built into some travel wallets. They block digital skimmers from reading your cards, keeping your money safe and sound. You’ll definitely want an RFID-blocking wallet if you carry RFID cards when you travel.

Some travel wallets are designed like regular fold-out wallets that you see every day. Others have an interesting book design, where different pockets and slots fold out like pages for easy organizing. Some also come with a long loop, so you can wear them around your neck and hide them under your shirt. You can also wear them over your shoulder and use them as a small handbag.

Once you’ve decided on the general design of your ideal travel wallet, check out our Tips & Advice to hammer out the details.

• Buying travel wallets comes down to one thing: location, location, location. The demands of your destination will determine what type of wallet you should buy. If you’re traveling to countries that use a lot of coins (like Belgium or Australia), make sure you’ve got a decent-sized change pouch. If you’re going to locations that rely on paper currency (like China), look for a wallet that has plenty of paper money slots. Traveling to multiple countries in one trip may require wallets with easy-access pockets for boarding passes. Wallets with room for more than one passport are ideal for traveling with your family or another large group.
• The best travel wallets have two features: superior organization and tough security. Having separate pockets for passports, cash, credit cards and boarding passes will help you move through airports and trains more quickly. It will also reduce the risk that you’ll lose track of an essential document. 
• Security features to look for on a wallet include RFID-blocking technology (to protect yourself from digital pickpockets), tough zippers and straps that keep your wallet close to you. Some travel wallets have long neck loops so you can wear them under your shirt. Others have a wrist strap, so you don’t drop the wallet when you’re out on the town.
• Water-resistant or waterproof materials are the way to go when looking at travel wallets. You don’t want a sudden downpour, a rogue water bottle in your bag or a drop in a puddle to wreck your vital documents. 
• Buying a travel wallet made with ripstop nylon will help prevent wear and tear. Double-stitching also helps a travel wallet last longer.