Over the years we have been lucky enough to review some very interesting products, but not once have we ever been offered to do a hands on review of a wallet – or two in this case. We were contacted by the good people at NODUS, where they sent us the Hifold Wallet and Compact 4 Card Wallet, both of which you are able to protect your cards while still being able to pay contactless.
You might wonder what is so great about this, but we have found that most leather wallets are too thick and bulky, and so once your contactless card is placed inside, the contactless payment machine is unable to read the card. Ok, so you can get thinner ones, but these are often cheap, nasty plastic cases, which does not look good when you are in the city with an expensive suit and you pull out that ugly piece of plastic.
While there is not really a great deal we can tell you about a wallet because they are simple by design, and only offer you one feature, and that is somewhere to seep your cards. We have to say, we were very impressed with the their compact design and the quality of the finish. All it takes is one gentle sniff to know that these are made from genuine leather, although NODUS has not gone for any ordinary type, but a full grain vegetable tanned Italian leather.
Even the stitching is faultless, although you would not expect anything less from such a company. In terms of the NODUS Hifold Wallet, you can actually store 4-13 cards, along with flat notes and also 1 key, but only of the slim variety. All of your inner cards can be kept safe and offers RFID protection for one of them, which basically stops people from skimming your cards. Like we said above, you are able to pay contactless thanks to a hidden card pocket.
We did try to add several cards into this wallet, but felt it did add just a bit too much bulk, and therefore we found that around 8 is the ideal number. We also liked the fact that we could carry just enough cash with us, and a street door key. You will notice that the grain on the Hifold is deeper than the Compact, which we actually prefer, and to help finish off the look is a nice little embossed emblem of the company logo on the front of the wallet.
As for the NODUS Compact 4 Card Wallet, this is described as a lim, minimal wallet, although actually the size of a card holder. This also allows you to pay contactless without the need to remove your card, along with an RFID protected side so people are unable to skim your card – something that seems to be on the rise since contactless payments has taken off.
This Compact wallet hold 4 cards folded notes and 1 key. The design of this one is very different because it’s not foldable, but like we said early, more a card holder design. We did actually find this perfect when going out for an evening because of it being less bulky, and seeing as though you do not usually have to worry about having too many cards, as you are unlikely to need any of your loyalty cards, and so one debit card, a credit card and your driving licence is just fine. Well that, and a little bit of cash and your house key – if you did not bother brining your car that is.
The finish is a little different because while this Compact 4 Card wallet is still made from full grain vegetable tanned Italian leather, it’s much smoother with far less grain. This is in no way a bad thing, but we much prefer the heavier grain.
Pricing, colours and availability – Both wallets come in Chestnut Brown, Ebony Black, Dark Teal and Taupe Grey. As for price, the NODUS Hifold Wallet costs £69.99 and will begin to ship the week beginning 5th December. As for the NODUS Compact 4 Card Wallet, the cost of this is £44.99 and also ships the same time.
In closing – If you are stuck what to buy your man this Christmas, then these two wallets are certainly a good option. Ok, so we know that there are cheaper wallets available, and it is hard to justify spending so much on them, but it’s worth paying the price just for the quality of their finish, and the ability to still use your contactless card while protected inside your wallet – and also the fact it has RFID protection.
