Bellroy Passport Cover Review

Is it time to travel again? Clutching your passport bare might’ve been fine for your first few trips, but maybe it’s time to take better care of it. As such, a passport wallet might just be what you need. And if it’s a stylish one that first pops into mind, Bellroy has a few compelling options, such as the Passport Cover.

The name might suggest something barebones, but it’s more akin to a travel wallet than just a cover. Featuring a few card slots, a spot for your cash, and even a quick-stash pocket on the outside, it has a lot of the things we look for in a passport wallet—let’s have a closer look!

The Rundown

Honestly, there isn’t anything drastically different about the Passport Cover’s aesthetics. It has everything you’d expect from a Bellroy wallet: premium-feeling leather, solid stitching, and eye-catching colorways. At the time of writing, you can get this wallet in Black, Everglade, Deep Plum, and Caramel, which is the one we’re testing. It does somewhat feel large when you’re used to the more minimalist and compact wallets in Bellroy’s lineup, but that’s probably just us since we test a lot of them.

Out-of-the-box stiffness is pretty high, as you would expect of a leather wallet. It is most pronounced along the wallet’s spine, which is quite bulky and overarching. However, that provides an allowance when you put more cards and items inside, causing the thickness to expand. Two weeks of testing hasn’t let any patina develop, though we fully expect the leather to have a few wrinkles and creases beyond that. As is usually the case, patina is inevitable, so hopefully, you’re into that.

Otherwise, the Passport Cover is one clean-looking wallet. The edges are tapered, with tastefully applied stitching that doesn’t go all the way around, just along areas where they’re legitimately holding something to the main material. On that note, one of these “things” is the lone external pocket, which is wide enough to hold a passport. It makes sense to have one on a passport wallet since you’re likely to find yourself handing over and receiving random bits of paper (boarding passes, info slips, tickets, etc.). Having a spot where you can quickly stash them is very convenient.

It’s worth noting that the Passport Cover closes securely via magnets embedded in the leather. We were a bit apprehensive about this since the magnets weren’t all that strong on another leather wallet, the Bellroy Under Cover, which we used every day. Fortunately, the magnets are a bit stronger here, though you can definitely still overpack or shake the wallet enough to cause the magnets to give way.

The layout is pretty simple (or complex if you thought this wallet was just a passport cover). We’ve seen covers that only fit a passport and boarding passes, but the Bellroy Passport Cover is way more functional than that. On the right side is the slot where your passport goes. Meanwhile, the left side has two inward-facing card slots. Each slot can fit up to three cards for a total of six. This wallet is also RFID-protected if you’re worried about card skimmers.

At the back of the twin card slots is what Bellroy’s generously calling a hidden flap for folded bills and receipts. However, it really isn’t all that concealed. It’s more like the usual back slot for bills on most wallets. It is a deep slot, and bills aren’t likely to poke out of it, but calling it hidden is a bit of a stretch. Naming aside, you do have to fold bills for them to fit since the slot’s oriented vertically.

Packability

Like most passport wallets, the Bellroy Passport Cover doesn’t struggle to fit inside most of the slings we’ve tested alongside it. Even storing it in tight-fitting front pockets with a smartphone and a set of keys, we didn’t usually have issues accommodating it. As the leather wears down, it’ll only get even flatter and easier to pack.

The back pocket of your pants is easily the best place to store it, although keeping it in your side pockets isn’t that hard, either. However, it’ll poke out a bit and might even pop out once you sit down.

Quick Comparison

Treating the Bellroy Passport Cover as an outright passport wallet may not be entirely fair when we compare it against its sibling, the Bellroy Travel Wallet. The latter is more functional, with more storage and a travel-sized pen included. On the other hand, the Passport Cover is perfectly fine for those who only need a few cards and cash alongside their passport. Plus, the notebook-style opening is arguably less cumbersome than the lengthwise opening of the Bellroy Travel Wallet.

If you’re not into the whole leather look, the Allett Travel Wallet is a very functional option. Because of its thin fabric, the slots can accommodate more items. Plus, its overall footprint isn’t that much bigger than a passport, so it’s even more compact than the Bellroy options we’ve just mentioned.