ekster Fortuna Parliament Wallet Review

A premium wallet to meet your modern needs

The definition of a purse (small bag for holding money) has had different meanings throughout geographical regions and with time.  In America, we may refer to the above as a wallet, whereas England and Western Europe might describe it as a Purse.  What we see as a purse is often seen as a Handbag in many regions of the world (larger bag that holds more items than money).  As a lover of history, I am always curious about why things are the way they are and about when certain events happened/changed.  For example, men carried purses for money/documents until about 1670 with the advent of pockets.  Through time, these smaller pocket pouches morphed into what we now refer to as wallets.  As a quick history, I invite you to review the loveyourleather.ca website for a more in-depth view of a “Brief History of Purses.”    

With digital technology advancing, men often utilize backpacks, satchels, messenger bags, laptop bags, or briefcases to carry all of their every-day-carry “EDC” needs. However, these are often overburdened and contain larger electronic devices.  For typical excursions or quick jaunts out, many might carry a wallet, keys, or perhaps chapstick, a pocket knife, or a few other essentials.  The wallet (purse) has remained an integral aspect for many of us due to the need to carry paper money, plastic bank/credit cards, and licenses. Some have moved to money clips, and others stuff items into their pockets. Instead of a boring, generic wallet experience, why not upgrade to a more modern offering. Luckily, companies like Ekster have just the device you are looking for.

The Ekster Fortuna Parliament wallet arrived in a classy 3 inches wide by 4 13/16 inches tall by 7/8 inches thick black cardboard box.  At first glance, the packaging appeared quite barren. However, after a more thorough evaluation, I could visualize the glossy, black-colored EKSTER name and Logo/Design.  The dark black cover panel slightly masked the black glossy text/imagery and added a degree of mystique to the experience.  It felt like I was opening a package of a secret society like the movie “Skulls.”  The front panel provided a glossy black Ekster logo with the “E” within a shield.  Other than this logo and the design on the cover panel, the top, right, left, and bottom panels were left unadorned.  The bottom panel did have an add-on sticker that provided the product SKU barcode, product manufacturing labels, name/logo, color, and batch number.  I liked the placement of the sticker and the overall packaging design.  It takes a lot of confidence to leave a panel blank, and I appreciated the simple yet alluring Ekster presentation.

I lifted the lid of the outer packaging, removed the Ekster tissue paper, and lifted the 2.8-ounce (cards removed) wallet from the inner box.  Beneath the wallet, the company provided a nice Ekster shield Logo, a comforting paragraph thanking me for using their product, and an invitation to visit www.Ekster.com/usermanual to get started.  My first impression of the Fortuna Parliament wallet was one of luxury.  I loved the gold etched logo along the bottom right, the Cognac color, the black plastic thumb-button along the bottom left of the cover, and the well-spaced light tan stitching surrounding the edges of the wallet. To start, I pressed the ejector button along the lower left and removed the six informational cardstock cards.  The back surface of each of the black cards had a small rectangular design with FSC, www.fsc.org, “recycled,” Paper made from recycled material, and FSC C074709.  The front of the cards provided information about their story, a user manual QR code (Ekster.com/user manual), information about their Instagram giveaway, information regarding becoming an affiliate (ekster.com/affiliate), a review card, and a 10% coupon code with a QR link. 

The wallet measured 2 1/2 inches wide by 4 3/8 inches tall by 3/4 inches thick in the closed position.  The front flap had a golden shield and “E” along the bottom right and well-spaced leather stitching along the margin.  The back panel had a 3 1/2 inches wide by ~1 7/8 inches tall pocket designed for an optional Ekster tracker device or an extra card (credit card, business card, rewards card, etc.).  When opened, the wallet measured 5 1/2 inches wide and resembled an upside-down letter “U.”  As noted above, I loved the smooth cognac-brown colored leather surface and the fashionable leather texture.  For the leather enthusiasts, the highlights did not end with the texture.  The experience was enhanced by the alluring smell of the leather/tanning process.  I opened the inner flap and found a golden “EKSTER” name along the bottom of the panel.  Similar to the “E” shield on the outer surface, I appreciated the golden accents.  The inner flap contained two card slots, which could each hold 1-3 cards depending on the thickness of each card.  If using a card with raised/embossed characters, you may only get 1-2 cards in the slot.  However, if you inserted rewards cards, GameStop/Best Buy cards, insurance cards, a driver’s license, etc., you may be able to fit ~3 cards into the slot.  

The main body of the wallet consisted of a leather-encased aluminum shell, an extractor button, and a 1-inch wide elastic retention strap.  Within the strap, you will find a 1-inch square section of leather with the Ekster “E” shield stamped into the surface.  Interestingly, the company added a symmetrical 8-stitch upper/lower section, while the left/right sides remained unstitched.  I am uncertain of the intended purpose of this aspect of the case or if it simply served as a classy embellishment.  However, I found that I could fold a bill and slide it under the strap.  With the added elastic strap and spacing built into the wallet, one could add several bills (folded into thirds) under the elastic retention/money-holder strap. Despite the added features listed, the main feature of the Ekster Fortuna wallet was the aluminum cardholder.  I found that I could insert up to seven unembossed cards into the holder or approximately four cards, if using credit cards with raised surfaces.  As a bonus, the retention mechanism did a great job at retaining a single credit card against a forceful shake.  The card did peak out mildly, but when more cards were added to the device, the increased friction prevented the movement further.  With two or more cards placed into the holder, I needed to press the extraction button to remove the cards. 

I have used the wallet over the last two weeks and have fallen in love with this wallet style.  I have traditionally loved slim wallets, but found myself carrying non-essential cards, receipts, and junk.  The luxurious Ekster wallet was designed for thoughtful minimalism!  By design, I was able to carry my two credit cards, my insurance card, my license, and several denominations of paper money.  Combined with a digital keyring App on my iPhone, I found I did not need to carry every brand of reward card available.  Instead, I packed the daily essentials and found that the extraneous cards only weighed down my pockets. In addition, I liked that I could press the ejector button, and the cards would separate.  I selected the needed card, pressed the other cards back into the holder, and then reinsert the card where I wanted it to go.  Combined with the convenience factor, the packaging, the device, the utility, and the overall ambiance summated to an exceptional experience.  If you desire to take your wallet experience to the next level, look to Ekster to fulfill your need. As a father, I would have been glowing to get this from my family so I can easily say this would be an amazing fathers day gift if you are looking for one.

Learn more about Ekster Fortuna Parliament Wallet.
Follow on Facebook and Twitter.