Bellroy Card Slip Review

Much digital ink has already been spilled between the Pack Hacker crew on minimalist wallets. Whether it’s about their amazing packability or the sacrifices you must make if you’re used to a jam-packed wallet, we’re keenly aware of the usual pros and cons. It’s pretty much the same story with the Bellroy Card Slip, although you may still have to make a few cuts to your card collection.

With an on-paper capacity of just four cards—which checks out in daily use—it’s even more limited than Bellroy’s other minimalist wallets, such as the Card Sleeve and Card Pocket. So, without further ado, let’s check this wallet out.

The Rundown

It’s made of leather, and you know what that entails? Patina. No, two weeks of testing won’t produce the same marks and creases you can only earn through years of usage. However, our sample has broken in quite nicely, so cards slot in easier than when we first got the wallet, while the wallet itself remains pretty much aesthetically pristine.

You won’t find much visual clutter around the Card Slip. There’s a debossed logo at the front and stitching around the edges, but that’s about it. Bellroy points out that the edges are painted, and we’ll credit them for that. When there’s not much wallet to cover, tiny details like that are more noticeable, so we’re glad they’re giving it warranted attention.

The wallet’s layout is very simple. There’s a slip pocket at the back and a divided slip pocket at the front. The back pocket has a slight yet flat divot, while the front pocket has a wide curved-shaped divot. The difference is minimal, but we assume it’s there to minimize confusion. Yes, there are only two sides, but those who’ve tried to plug a USB device can attest that mix-ups can still happen.

That’s three slots available, but the total on-paper capacity is four cards. You may think Bellroy’s playing it safe and being conservative with their numbers, but surprisingly, no. We’ve tested this with standard PVC cards (the thick style of typical credit cards), and we could fit two cards at the front and two at the back. You technically can fit one or two if you fit a mix of thick PVC cards and those flimsy ones they usually use for transit cards, but even that’s stretching it.

We’d stick to four cards so that you can still pull cards out with relative ease. Those using card-shaped smart trackers may still find fitment tight since those are usually thicker than even PVC cards. That happened when we tried testing with our Chipolo CARD Spot, though it’s not so tight that the wallet is unusable.

On a related note, the Bellroy Card Slip has RFID protection, which may be surprising given how open and minimal the design is. Conventional thinking would suggest so, but the wallet’s materials do cover a card’s chip area around the middle, so it shouldn’t be too surprising.

Packability

Okay, if you are in the market for a minimalist wallet that can hold up to just four cards, then that minimalism pays dividends in terms of saved space. On a trip to Boston where we didn’t need that many cards on us, the Bellroy Card Slip proved adequate in capacity and—more importantly—very easy to bring.

Whereas a travel wallet might require a sling, the Bellroy Card Slip’s very slim design fits comfortably into most pockets—even shallow ones the fashion industry puts on women’s dresses and pants. And for those who are still bringing a sling, the Card Slip just gives you more space for other gear (or snacks, honestly speaking).

Quick Comparison

We’ve loved Bellroy’s Card Pocket for a long time. With its zippered main compartment and card capacity of up to 15 or more, it’s a more conventional design that’s also coin and cash-friendly. We could even throw a key or two inside if we wanted to. However, overall, it is much thicker and larger than the Card Slip.

A much closer comparison would be the Bellroy Card Sleeve. With two slip pockets at the back and front, plus a middle sleeve for the bulk of your cards, it can fit up to eight cards. Apart from the vertical design, it is a thicker wallet, but not by much. The footprint is also pretty much the same as the Card Slip.