EKSTER Cardholder Carbon Forged Wallet 2022 REVIEW

EKSTER uses aerospace materials combined with modern fashion! Slim and Classy.

I am not sure why I feel the need to pack two weeks’ worth of underwear for a weekend campout.  However, as a habitual over-packer, I find myself overpacking for just about everything.  I have never had an accident or event that required a frequent change of undergarments or found myself in an “emergency survival” situation. 

Despite my love for Naked and Afraid, Survivorman, and the Corporals Corner YouTube channel, I have not had to test my mettle at man versus nature.  Yet, I feel the need to be ready.  Unfortunately, the need for preparation/redundancy extends to socks, clothing, charging cables, portable batteries, camping gear, paracord, etc.  I do not keep things just to keep them; I do not hoard things, and I do not show anxiety/fear about future events.  It just appears that I tend towards unnecessary over preparation. 

As a youth, I moved from a traditional velcro-style wallet into a bulky standard leather wallet.  Carrying the wallet in my right buttock pocket, I soon found the colossal leather wallet was a nuisance.  When I developed pain in my Sacroiliac joint (SI joint) and lateral thigh, a physical therapist recommended that I reduce the bulk of the wallet and move it into a front pocket. 

Luckily, my father and I ran into a vendor selling Big Skinny wallets while perusing the Del Mar County Fair venues in Southern California.  We decided to give them a try and ditched our old leather wallets.  The thin nylon wallet was a refreshing change for both of us, but we quickly found our wallets full of cards, receipts, and various unnecessary items.  Thankfully, a fully loaded Big Skinny wallet was the same thickness as an empty leather one. 

Alas, the loaded wallet printed through my pants pocket and was purely overkill.  I realized the problem when I purposefully decided that I did not need to keep packing a PlusUs portable battery and a foldable Nite-Ize phone kickstand in my wallet for “emergency” situations.

When I heard about the EKSTER brand of wallet, I knew that I needed to downsize.  I was able to add my store and loyalty cards to Apps Like STOCARD and Apple Wallet on my iPhone, and I rarely need to carry cash any longer.  With the goal of bringing my license, a few credit cards, and a small amount of money, the EKSTER experience promised the opportunity to enjoy as small of an imprint as possible. 

The EKSTER Cardholder Carbon Forged Wallet arrived in a sleek, 3 inches wide by 4 13/16 inches tall by 9/16 inches thick, tacticool black cardboard box.  The company name and magpie/“E shield” logo were etched into the surface of the cover panel in shiny black font.  I liked the shiny on matte black appeal, and the pseudo leather feel to the case.  The box’s rear panel provided a small white informational sticker with the product name, SKU barcode, company name, and brief design information.  

I gripped the thumb/finger cutouts at the top of the packaging, slid the inner tray out from within the outer shell, and removed the 2.7 ounces, 2 3/8 inches wide by 4 1/4 inches tall by 5/16 inches thick wallet from the cardboard tray.  The aluminum surface was cool to the touch and had a mesmerizing matte/satin marbled appearance. 

Along the center of the wallet, you will find a 13/16 inches wide elastic strap with a 7/8 inches long by 13/16 inches tall black metallic EKSTER “E Shield” buckle.  Encircling the wallet like a belt with buckle, the elastic band created a retention type add-on to the base card setup. I liked that I had the option to utilize the add-on metal backing plate for added security or the choice to minimize the experience. 

Hiding behind the RFID plate, you will find a black recycled cardboard card with information about the add-on feature.  The card discussed the ability to add six more cards without compromising upon a thin profile and the method to remove the cards.  The rear side of the card detailed the recycled nature of the cardboard, which is a welcome addition for the naturephilic amongst us.

To access the internally contained cards, you can either turn the case upside down and shake it firmly toward your hard, or you can use the intended method and press the button.  I was rather impressed with the friction hold within the case and the ease with which the cards left the shell once the button was pressed.  Instead of shooting the cards out of the case, the button created a fanned-out pattern. 

With the white EKSTER logo toward my top right and the button along the bottom left, the cards extended from front to back.  I repeated this process a dozen times with a variety of cards and found nearly the same response.  Occasionally, the rear most card would not extend beyond the penultimate or the second card failed to extend beyond the first.  However, the cards were easy to remove, easy to return, and easy to sort.  The internal instructional cards were designed similar to the one described above. 

One card provided a large QR code linking to the product User manual, and another provided a thankful paragraph.  A third requested a link to their Instagram, while a fourth described a bit about their heritage. The fifth and sixth cards provided QR links to become an affiliate, and to their “Give $15 Earn $15” friend program.  Each of the black recycled cardboard cards, like the one above, had a rear FSC recycled logo.

I removed the included test cards and added several of my own.  I added my driver’s license, two credit cards with raised numbers, my BestBuy card, GameStop card, and my prefilled haircut card into the case.  I do not typically carry my bank/debit card for fear of loss/easy access to my bank account.  I find the protections granted through credit card companies to be superior to bank debit cards. 

Thus, I chose to leave the card out.  Instead of adding extra cards to the outside, I chose to fold a $20, $10, $5, and five $1 dollar bills for use as a money clip.  For testing purposes, I found that I was able to add the cards beneath the plate securely.  The belt/plate combo ensured a snug fit against the shell of the case, without compromising retention. Without the ability to scan RFID, I was unable to assess the blocking ability of the plate.

Summary

The Ekster Wallet may be the ultimate tool for the minimalist; remove the fluff from your wallet and carry your favorite/most essential cards.  With the bonus RFID blocking plate, you can expand a bit further without compromising portability. The cost of the device may be a bit high for some.

However, the quality materials, slim-portable design, and durable frame will reduce the chances of buyer remorse. Combine the wallet with an EKSTER tracker card to enjoy a worldwide tracking network, 200-foot activation radius, 3-hour charge for 2 months of battery, solar-powered charging, and voice activation (REVIEW TO FOLLOW). Add the tracker to the RFID pocket or into the main compartment for added functionality.

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