Designer Wallets for Men: Bifolds, Card Holders and Money Clips, Chosen by the Pocket

The best designer wallets for men are chosen by what he carries, not by the house. A flat card holder suits the man who pays with his phone and keeps four or five cards; a slim bifold holds eight cards and bills folded once; a money clip is for the man who tips in cash; a long wallet only works with a jacket or a bag. In our experience, grained calf, Prada's Saffiano and Bottega Veneta's woven Intrecciato wear best in a trouser pocket, and Berluti's Venezia leather suits the man who likes to watch leather change. Below are 70 luxury wallets for men from 22 houses in nine edits, organized by format and then by house, with the slot counts and sizes each listing gives. The full range sits in our men's wallets and card holders edit.

Designer wallets for men: choose the format first

Most wallets that disappoint are the wrong shape, not the wrong brand. Start from how he pays, then the pocket, then the house.

How many cards, and which pocket

A wallet's size is set by two objects. A US banknote has measured 6.14 by 2.61 inches since 1929, according to the US Currency Education Program. Folded once, it is about 3.1 by 2.6 inches, the space a bifold's bill compartment has to hold; folded twice, about 3.1 by 1.3, it fits the center pocket of a card holder. A payment card is the ID-1 size in ISO/IEC 7810, the international standard for identification cards: 85.60 by 53.98 millimeters, about 3⅜ by 2⅛ inches, with a nominal thickness of 0.76 millimeters. Eight cards therefore add about six millimeters, close to a quarter of an inch, before any leather or cash. The sizes we quote below are the listings' own, and every wallet grows once it is filled.

Our stylists count what a man carries in a week, usually a license, two payment cards, a work pass and an insurance card, and buy one or two slots more, not twice as many. In our experience a slot asked to hold two cards stretches for good, so an overfilled card holder looks old within a season.

Then the pocket. A wallet in a back pocket is sat on all day. Doctors in Bangladesh described three patients in a 2018 case series in Current Rheumatology Reviews, among them a truck driver and a bank manager, whose buttock pain ran down one leg. The authors attribute it to long use of a back-pocket wallet, call it wallet neuritis and note that it is easily mistaken for sciatica from the spine. Three cases are not a study, and leg pain is a matter for a doctor. Our point is comfort: for a man who drives or sits at a desk, a card holder or clip in the front pocket and a bifold in his jacket simply sit better. Jeans take a card holder easily and a bifold with effort; a long wallet needs an inside breast pocket or one of the men's bags in our edit.

Bifold wallets for men: the classic billfold

A good bifold is judged on the inside. Our stylists look for two bill compartments if he carries receipts or a second currency, leather where the cards slide, and a listed depth under half an inch. Bottega Veneta's woven bifold has eight card slots, two bill compartments and two slip pockets in about 4.3 by 3.7 inches and 0.4 of an inch deep, according to its listing. The Row's is pebbled calfskin with its logo embossed only inside, eight card slots and one bill compartment, about four inches by three and a half. Brunello Cucinelli's smooth calfskin wallet holds six cards and one fold of bills.

Prada's Saffiano bifold, with the enameled triangle on one corner, opens to eight card slots and two bill compartments, so dollars and euros never mix. Fendi's Selleria wallet is cut from Cuoio Romano leather with hand-sewn Selleria stitching along the edges, by its listing. Tom Ford's Exotic Line bifold looks like crocodile and is croc-embossed calfskin by its listing, which in our view makes it easier to carry every day than the real thing. Berluti's Makore billfold will change most with age, and Loewe's Puzzle Edge is a compact four by three inches.

Designer card holders for men

For a man who pays with his phone, a flat card holder is the whole wallet. The slots are quick at a turnstile; a center pocket takes folded bills and a receipt. Saint Laurent's Tiny Cassandre case has four card slots in 3.9 by 3 by 0.2 inches, a shape that disappears in a pocket. Prada's Saffiano holder has six slots and an inside pocket, in leather its listing describes as a crosshatch texture with a waxed finish. Bottega Veneta's woven case has six slots on the outside and a central compartment. Brioni's is grained leather its listing calls scratch-resistant, with hand-tinted sides and a hammered metal plaque.

Brunello Cucinelli's cognac nubuck holder has six slots and a velvety surface; in our experience nubuck darkens where the thumb pulls the cards out, which some men enjoy. Berluti's Bambou is Venezia leather embossed with the house's Scritto lettering, inspired by an 18th-century manuscript, according to the listing. Maison Margiela's case carries four white corner stitches, borrowed from the stitches that hold the house's blank clothing label, a signature only insiders read.

Folding card cases, for cards and a little cash

A folding card case closes like a book, so bills lie flat inside, and still fits a front pocket. Tom Ford's T Line case has six card slots and a note compartment and weighs a tenth of a pound by its listing; Givenchy's has six slots cut in a V and a note compartment. Thom Browne's keeps its tricolor stripe outside and four slots inside. Prada's pairs navy nylon with a suede top band; suede dislikes rain, so it is a city piece. Bottega Veneta's Intrecciato 15 snaps shut over ten card slots and a zipped coin pouch, a whole wallet's worth, and Saint Laurent's credit card wallet, taller than it is wide, has three card slots and three side slots for notes.

Money clips and money-clip wallets

A money clip is for the man who still pays the valet, the barber and the coat check in cash. The pure version is Ferragamo's GA80, a ridged clip in silver-tone brass; pair it with a card holder. A clip wallet puts the spring on the spine of a small leather case, with cards in slots. Tom Ford's T-Line clip wallet in navy grain leather has four card slots and a silver-tone clip, and Berluti's Figure Scritto adds six slots in Venezia leather. Brunello Cucinelli's listing says every metal part is nickel-free, worth knowing for a man whose skin reacts to nickel. Gucci's GG Marmont clip is calfskin heat-stamped to look like boar, with one large pocket and two card slots, about four by three inches. Fendi's Shadow is a flip-cover clip with six card slots and a red leather lining.

In our experience a spring clip grips a thin fold of bills best; a thick roll slowly pries it open.

Zip wallets and zipped card cases

A zip keeps coins, receipts and notes inside, at the cost of some bulk and a metal edge, which makes a zip-around a travel or bag wallet more than a pocket one. Saint Laurent's measures 8.1 by 4.1 by 0.8 inches and holds twelve cards, a zipped compartment and two bill sections, in leather its listing describes as metal-free tanned. Fendi's, in light indigo full-grain leather, has three gusseted compartments, and The Row's small zip wallet in nappa, about 5.1 by 4.3 inches, is the square one that still fits a coat pocket. Zegna's Secondskin wallet closes with a zip over ten card slots in 4.3 by 2.9 inches.

Zipped card cases are the front-pocket version: card slots plus a zipped pocket for coins or a folded bill. Alexander McQueen's Sling is listed at a tenth of an inch deep with four card slots; Saint Laurent's Fragments case has five. Givenchy's Cargo case, polyamide canvas with calfskin details, is the one for a gym bag.

Long wallets and travel wallets

A long wallet keeps bills flat and cards in one row, so it belongs to the man who wears a jacket daily or carries a bag; hold it against the inside pocket of his most-worn jacket first. Loewe's Puzzle Edge long wallet, 7.56 by 3.74 inches, has twelve card slots, two note pockets and a zipped coin compartment. Tom Ford's vertical strap wallet, about 4.25 by 7.75 inches, has seven card slots and closes with a zip at the top. Brunello Cucinelli's brushed leather wallet stands upright too, with a snap tab, four card slots and a zipped inner pocket. Balenciaga's Passport long wallet is the playful one, printed to look like a passport with a ticket sticking out; its listing gives the material as 70 percent calfskin with cellulose and polyurethane.

For the frequent flyer, a passport case keeps passport, boarding pass and one card together at the gate. Saint Laurent's has four card slots and a bill compartment on the front. Zegna's, in its Secondskin leather, is about 5.5 by 4.1 inches, and Brunello Cucinelli's has four card slots and a double bill compartment. Our luxury travel gifts cover the rest of his carry-on, and there are more pieces in men's travel accessories.

Coin purses, and wallets with a coin pocket

In our experience few American men carry coins every day, so a coin purse is a second wallet for the man who spends time where €1 and €2 or £1 and £2 coins are everyday money. Prada's Saffiano coin purse zips around a pocket and two card slots in 4.3 by 2.9 inches. Loewe's Puzzle Edge coin cardholder and Balenciaga's Monaco, in Arena lambskin with a zipped pouch and five card slots, are long and flat enough for a front pocket.

For one object rather than two, choose a built-in coin pocket. Saint Laurent's Tiny Cassandre East-West has four card slots, a coin purse, two bill compartments and two receipt pockets. Fendi's wraps a band of FF Zucca jacquard around black calfskin and keeps a buttoned coin pocket inside, Givenchy's closes its coin pocket with a press stud, and Tom Ford's coin pouch folds over. Valentino's Stud Up pairs nylon with grainy calfskin, three card slots and a zipped coin section.

Leathers that wear well: calf, Saffiano, Intrecciato and Venezia

Smooth calf is the most elegant surface and the quickest to show a scratch; in our stylists' view it suits a jacket pocket better than jeans. Grained and pebbled calf, the leather of most Saint Laurent and Tom Ford pieces here and of The Row's bifold, wears more slowly in a pocket, in our experience. Saffiano is Prada's: the house describes it as a calf leather patented by Mario Prada, resistant to scratches and water and defined by its crosshatch texture, on its own product pages. It is the leather for the man who keeps his wallet in the same pocket as his keys.

Intrecciato is Bottega Veneta's woven calf: strips of leather woven into a lattice, with no logo needed on the outside, and in our experience the weave hides small marks well. Venezia is Berluti's, and the most interesting leather here. According to Berluti, the Italian tannery it works with perfected Venezia in 1993 to take the house's patina: a full-grain calfskin tanned twice, first with minerals and then with vegetable tannins from roots, tree bark and fruits. The patina is the colorist's work: Berluti describes a cotton cloth wrapped around the fingers, the stain rubbed into the pores in a circular motion, color after color until the shade is reached. In our experience a Venezia wallet deepens in color where it is handled, so no two look alike after a year.

Zegna's Secondskin is a soft calf that its listing says molds to its owner over time. None of the 70 wallets here is real crocodile, lizard or any other exotic skin: both croc patterns are Tom Ford's, listed as croc-embossed calfskin and croc-effect leather. Several are not all leather, and their listings say so: Burberry's check is a cotton blend, Gucci's Ophidia is GG coated fabric, Givenchy's Cargo is polyamide canvas, Valentino's Stud Up and Prada's folding case pair leather with nylon, Balenciaga's long wallet contains polyurethane, and several Loewe pieces list nylon or polyamide alongside the leather.

Caring for a leather wallet

Zegna's listing gives the rules most houses would: keep the wallet away from moisture and direct heat, clean it with a soft cloth, use no solvents or polish, and keep hand cream, sanitizer and perfume off it. Our stylists add two habits. Clear out receipts every week, because paper, not cards, is what stretches a bill compartment out of shape. And let a wallet that got wet dry at room temperature, never on a radiator.

Monogram or plain

A wallet is seen every time he pays. The quiet ones are Bottega Veneta's weave, The Row's (logo inside only) and Brunello Cucinelli's small debossed emblem; the logo wallets below are for men who like the house to show. Fendi's FF appliqué has been a symbol of the brand since 1965, its listing says. Burberry's check, according to its listing, was introduced in the 1920s as the lining of the trench coat; here it covers a cotton-blend bifold lined in leather. Gucci's Ophidia pairs GG coated fabric with the Web stripe and the Double G. Loewe's Anagram, Valentino's VLogo, Versace's Medusa and Balenciaga's Le City plaque are smaller signatures on plain leather. Saint Laurent's tonal monogram is the logo for a man who wants it felt more than seen: black on black, on textured leather.

Our stylists' rule of thumb: one logo at a time. A man with a branded belt buckle or a monogrammed bag is better served by a plain wallet; a man who wears no logos can carry one on his wallet without it shouting.

Wallets in color: buy once, or enjoy for a season

The wallet to buy once is plain and dark: black grained calf, Bottega Veneta's weave or Prada's Saffiano. Color is the second wallet. Saint Laurent's Cassandre wallet is a deep berry red, close to burgundy. Ferragamo's olive and Valentino's military green are colors he can live with for years. Berluti's tangerine Makore, with Scritto calligraphy across one side, is the color piece for a man who already wears the house's patinated shoes. The one-season pleasures are Tom Ford's leaf-green croc-effect bifold, Loewe's Flag with its diagonal of navy and bright blue, Bottega Veneta's navy weave with a yellow edge and Christian Louboutin's red money-clip wallet.

The best men's wallets from each house

Giving a wallet as a gift

A wallet needs no size, which makes it a safe present; the usual mistake with a men's wallet gift is the format. Look at the one he carries now. If every slot is full, give a better bifold; if half are empty, give a card holder and keep the old wallet for travel. Moving a cash carrier to a card holder asks him to change how he pays.

• Match his leather family. A man in black shoes and a black belt will use a black wallet. A man who lives in brown suede will reach for brown.
• Give a pair. A card holder for weekdays and a money clip for evenings, or a passport case with a slim card holder for the trip.
• Initials. None of these listings offers monogramming, so plan the gift around the wallet itself, not his initials.
• Budget. In this guide, card holders and clips start at about $320, bifolds run from roughly $450 to $950, money-clip wallets reach $1,000, and the long and travel wallets run from about $750 to $1,100.

For smaller pocket pieces under $300, see our stocking stuffers for men; for bifolds under $500, our gifts for men under $500; for her side of the list, our guide to designer wallets for women. Or ask our AI stylist: tell it how he pays and which pocket he uses, and it will suggest wallets from the same catalog.

How we chose

• Numbers from the listings. Every slot count and size quoted is the listing's own; where a listing gives none, we describe the piece from its photographs and say nothing about capacity.
• Seven formats, about eight of each. A real choice inside each format, and no house with more than three pieces in an edit.
• Colors from the photographs. Zegna lists its zip wallet as dark blue and Saint Laurent its four-slot case as midnight blue; both photograph close to black, so we describe them without a color.
• New, and mostly above $500. All 70 are new and none repeats a piece from our other gift guides for him, which cover card holders under $300 and bifolds under $500. Gucci's two pieces are sold by Gucci itself.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best designer wallet brand for men?

It depends on what he values. Bottega Veneta for woven leather with no logo, Prada for hard-wearing Saffiano, Berluti for leather that develops a patina, Saint Laurent for slim card cases and Tom Ford for money-clip wallets.

Is a card holder better than a wallet for a man?

For a man who carries six cards or fewer and little cash, yes: it fits a front pocket and adds a fraction of the bulk. A man who carries bills every day needs a bifold, a folding card case or a money clip.

How many card slots does a man need?

Count the cards he uses in a week and add one or two. Most card holders in this guide have four to six slots, most bifolds six to eight, and the long wallets up to twelve.

Should a man keep his wallet in his front or back pocket?

Our stylists put a slim card holder or clip in the front pocket and a full bifold in a jacket or a bag. It is more comfortable to sit on nothing, and a small case series of three patients described leg pain its authors attributed to long use of a back-pocket wallet; anyone with that pain should see a doctor.

Do luxury wallets have RFID protection?

Only if the listing says so. None of the 70 designer wallets in this guide claims RFID blocking, so we claim none; if it matters to him, buy one whose listing states it.

How much should I spend on a designer wallet for a man?

Spend most on the wallet he will carry daily. Here, a good card holder starts at about $320, a bifold from house leather costs roughly $450 to $950, and a long or travel wallet runs to about $1,100.

Keep reading

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• The holiday gift guide for him
• Men's designer bags, sized to the laptop
• Gifts for the man who has everything