Nomatic Wallet
Back in May 2018, I wrote a review of the Ridge Wallet. While I liked the look and solid build of the wallet, I found the following issues with it over time:
The aluminum model I purchased showed signs of heavy wear on the finish after less than a year of use.
While accessing credit cards was easier over time, the wallet tended to scratch and cause heavy wear on whatever cards I stored in it. In some cases, I ended up having to replace damaged credit cards due to the stress caused by the wallet.
The money clip had a tendency to scratch other items (ex: my smartphone case) if it shared a pocket with anything else.
So in April 2019, I decided to take a chance on the Nomatic Wallet.
This has become my all-time favorite wallet and has caused my Ridge Wallet to be relegated to my nightstand drawer; however, before I tell you how outstanding it is I wanted to address its faults:
The Nomatic Wallet is not flashy!
In fact, it’s hyper-casual. Pulling this thing out of a suit pocket is definitely going to put you into the “non-executive” category.
The Nomatic Wallet may not replace a money clip!
The Nomatic Wallet works best to carry cards, but not cash. While there is a cash pocket, carrying anything more than 5 bills is cumbersome and distorts the shape of the wallet.
The Nomatic Wallet does not have RFID protection!
The Nomatic Wallet does not include any protective barriers to block RFID. It is solely a wallet.
So, here’s how and why the Nomatic Wallet won me over:
The Nomatic Wallet is lighter and less bulky than the Ridge Wallet.
The aluminum Ridge Wallet weighs 2 ounces and the Nomatic Wallet weighs 0.66 ounces (18.6 grams). Aside from the reduction in weight, the dimensions of the Nomatic Wallet are also smaller. The Ridge Wallet is 86 x 54 millimeters, whereas the the Nomatic Wallet is 55.88 x 25.4 millimeters.
What really stood out to me here is that as you load each wallet, you really begin to notice the Ridge Wallet in your pocket after 4-5 cards. This had a lot to do with the integrated money clip. With the Nomatic Wallet, even when fully loaded, it’s easy to forget that it’s in your pocket and is extremely low profile.
The Nomatic Wallet does not damage cards.
The Ridge Wallet looked so cool and I loved the concept, but it destroyed the magnetic and signature strips on the backs of my credit cards. Also, I noticed the front of several of my cards were scratched too.
There is nothing worse than fighting to get your payment card read by a terminal due to wallet-related damage. Well, except maybe when the same wallet rips off the signature strip and someone is trying to validate your signature.
Accessing cards in the Nomatic Wallet is faster and easier.
With the Ridge Wallet, there are a few different strategies for retrieving your cards; however after carrying it for a year, I was not able to successfully master any of them. Often, I looked like a fumbling idiot. On more than one occasion, I came close to spilling all of my cards while in grocery store. It always seemed to happen when I was completing a purchase with a cashier when I had to produce multiple cards (payment, ID, and rewards). Teri, my wife, had some pretty choice feelings about the Ridge Wallet and it often triggered teasing and apathetic looks.
The Nomatic Wallet has 3 pockets that are all easy to access; however, one of the three pockets includes an integrated pull-tab to rapidly access all of the cards in that ‘quick-access’ pocket. This is where I keep my payment cards. I use the other ‘fixed’ pocket for ID-related cards which are less frequently retrieved. And, the cash pocket works great for a small number of folded bills. I have never once lost control of my cards while using the Nomatic Wallet. The only inconvenience is that the Ridge Wallet’s integrated money clip is much faster to load than the Nomatic Wallet; however, in order to achieve a minimal footprint in your pocket, both wallets require folding your bills into fourths into order to achieve the best fit.
The Nomatic Wallet is much more affordable.
There is definitely a more premium aesthetic to the Ridge Wallet. This is undeniable! It’s a beautiful minimalist wallet that looks great and makes a wonderful gift to the right person. But, if you are like me, looks are not as important as function. The current MSRP for my old Ridge Wallet (Gunmetal Aluminum)is $75 USD vs. $19.99 USD (Black)for the Nomatic Wallet.
Think about it… You could buy multiple, if not all of the, colors of the Nomatic Wallet and still not hit the base price of the Ridge Wallet.
Bottom line: If the Nomatic Wallet’s conservative aesthetic works for you, then you probably won’t find a better minimalist wallet for the money. Overall, the quality of the wallet is excellent and it has held up to being accidentally being laundered multiple times, regular daily use, and the extreme Las Vegas weather. My Nomatic Wallet still looks as good as the day I bought it. Its super-functional, minimal, durable, and inconspicuous.
This is INTP Chic!
