When shopping for a new wallet, you may want to consider purchasing a radio frequency identification (RFID) wallet that comes with built-in protection from electronic theft. RFID theft devices use radio frequency signals to collect personal information—including identification numbers, credit card numbers, driver’s license numbers, and bank account numbers—from the cards in your wallet.
To help protect against RFID theft devices, RFID wallets typically have built-in mesh or wrapping made of metal or carbon fiber. This wrapping interferes with radio frequencies that can detect personal information encoded in your ID and bank cards. The best RFID wallet for you is one that has this frequency-blocking material, suits your style, and has enough storage space for all of your cards and cash. From trifolds to cardholders, large wallets to small, we’ve found the best RFID wallets in each category.
- BEST OVERALL FOR MEN: Fossil Men’s Quinn Leather Bifold Flip ID Wallet
- BEST OVERALL FOR WOMEN: GDTK RFID Blocking Women’s Compact Bifold Wallet
- BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK: Travelambo Front Pocket Minimalist Leather Wallet
- BEST TRIFOLD: ESTALON RFID Blocking Slim Trifold Wallet
- BEST LOCKING: EXENTRI Trifold Wallets w/RFID Premium Leather
- BEST CARDHOLDER: SHEVROV RFID Carbon Fiber Card Holder with Money Clip
- BEST PHONE WALLET: S-ZONE RFID Blocking Crossbody Cell Phone Bag Wallet
- BEST PHONE CARDHOLDER: Arokimi Phone Card Holder RFID Blocking Sleeve
What to Consider When Choosing the Best RFID Wallet
Before buying a new RFID wallet, consider these important product factors.
Material
RFID wallets come in a variety of materials including faux leather, genuine leather, aluminum, carbon fiber, and canvas. However, all materials, including faux leather, genuine leather, and canvas, that do not naturally block RFID devices have interwoven aluminum, carbon fiber, or another RFID-blocking material.
- Faux leather RFID wallets are inexpensive and look like real leather but are susceptible to cracking and tearing over time. Still, faux leather might be a good option if you just need a cheap wallet with RFID protection.
- Genuine leather RFID wallets can range in quality but are typically softer and more durable than faux leather wallets. Be prepared, however, to pay a bit more for genuine leather.
- Aluminum RFID wallets are typically small cardholders, rather than bi- or trifold wallets. Aluminum naturally blocks RFID, so these cardholder wallets are good bets to keep your cards secure.
- Carbon fiber RFID wallets are similar to aluminum wallets in that most carbon fiber RFID wallets are cardholders, not larger wallets. However, carbon fiber material is sometimes used inside leather, faux leather, and canvas wallets to protect users from RFID theft devices.
- Canvas RFID wallets are cruelty-free and eco-conscious while still providing you with the security you need against RFID theft devices. These wallets are normally slim and flexible, allowing them to fit comfortably in your pocket.
Style
RFID wallets can come in a variety of styles and forms including cardholder, bifold, trifold, passport, and phone wallet.
- Cardholder RFID wallets are essentially just a single sleeve with RFID-blocking material on the exterior, with multiple pockets inside to hold your credit cards and IDs. These wallets can be made of flexible canvas, rigid leather, or solid metal or carbon fiber. Some cardholders attach to the back of a cell phone with adhesive tape.
- Bifold RFID wallets are the most popular style and are wallets that essentially fold in half. RFID-blocking material is sewn into the outside of the wallet to keep its contents safe. These wallets can hold multiple cards and cash without being too bulky.
- Trifold RFID wallets are larger than bifold and cardholder wallets. Trifolds hold a lot, so if they are too full they can be difficult to fit in your pocket. They are also more susceptible to tearing at the seams. If you have a lot of cards and want a wallet that is compact enough to carry in your pocket, a trifold is probably your best bet.
- Passport RFID wallets are designed to protect the chip in your passport from being read by RFID theft devices. Since these wallets are intended to hold a passport, they are much bigger than cardholders, bifolds, or trifolds, but they are likely to be used only when you travel.
- Phone RFID wallets are also much bigger than cardholders, bifold, or trifold wallets because they are large enough to hold a mobile phone. There are two types of phone RFID wallets: those with internal phone pockets that shield all the contents of your wallet from RFID theft devices, and those with external phone pockets that shield the cards inside your wallet but not your phone. The latter might be the better option if you find the RFID protection is interfering with your phone’s reception.
Storage
The amount and type of storage you need in your wallet is important to think about before you purchase a new RFID wallet. The number of card pockets, for example, can vary widely between individual products; some wallets or cardholders can hold only four or five cards, while others can hold up to 20.
If you want to carry more than just cards, consider a larger wallet that can hold your cards, cash, phone, and other useful accessories. Phone and passport RFID wallets are the largest and most accommodating. If you don’t have many cards in your wallet, a small cardholder with a slim profile is the best way to go.
Accessories
RFID wallets can come with a range of accessories that are designed to make the wallet more effective and appealing, including a locking clasp, money clip, ID window, picture sleeve, coin pocket, or slide pocket.
- Locking clasps keep a wallet closed when you are not using it, making it more difficult for thieves to physically remove its contents.
- Money clips use the tension of the clip to keep bills in place. Because they are typically built onto the outside of the wallet, these clips prioritize accessibility over security.
- ID windows make it easy to show your identification without having to remove the card from your wallet. These windows can also be double sided so you can have more than one ID available at short notice. While phone wallets don’t technically have an ID window, they may have a compartment with a clear window through which you can see and interact with the phone’s screen without having to remove it from the wallet.
- Picture sleeves are a great accessory to keep photos of your loved ones close at hand and can also be used as secondary ID windows.
- Coin pockets allow you to keep your coins separate from your bills and cards, which makes it much easier to find the change you need when you are grabbing a coffee.
- Slide pockets are card pockets that have been cut with a wider indent to allow you to quickly retrieve them. These pockets are typically reserved for the cards you use the most often.
Our Top Picks
The top-of-the-line products below were chosen for quality, efficacy, and price. This list of recommendations can help you find one of the best RFID wallets to keep your cash and cards safe.
With soft genuine leather used for both the interior and exterior, this bifold Fossil RFID wallet combines style and durability. One of the wallet’s coolest features is its double-sided flip-out ID window, which holds two forms of ID back to back in the same sleeve. It’s available in solid black leather with a brown stripe or in brown leather with a dark-brown stripe.
Fossil’s Quinn wallet has RFID-blocking material in the exterior of the bifold that keeps your credit cards and identification safe from RFID theft devices. The wallet also has a bill compartment with a polyester lining, two slide pockets in which to stow your most frequently used cards, and six additional card pockets. It’s stylish and holds cash and up to 10 cards, which is why it’s our top pick.
Photo: amazon.com
While you can get RFID wallets in a variety of materials, this bifold RFID wallet is a good choice for those who want the classic style and durability of real leather. This compact wallet comes in 9 different colors including blue, brown, dark blue, purple, wine red, and more.
The slim design of the GDTK leather RFID wallet fits comfortably into your coat or sweater pocket. RFID protection is woven into the exterior leather, which protects the cards in its six card slots from electronic theft. The wallet is equipped with one bill compartment, one coin pocket, and one slot with a window for easy visibility of a photo ID.
Photo: amazon.com
If you are concerned about RFID theft but don’t want to spend a lot to protect your personal information, the Travelambo Front Pocket Minimalist Leather Slim Wallet is an excellent choice. It’s made of soft and durable genuine leather, and it has a slim profile that can easily fit in a bag, purse, or pocket. Best of all, it’s inexpensive. The wallet has RFID-blocking material woven into the exterior leather so that your cards are kept safe from electronic theft.
The RFID wallet comes with a central bill compartment, four card slots on one side of the wallet, and one card slot on the other side of the wallet. Including its ID window, the Travelambo has room for six cards. It comes in eight colors including blue classic, brown, coffee, green ink, grey deep, grey light, khaki, and tan.
Trifold RFID wallets are ideal options for those who have lots of cards, cash, and other documents to carry with them at all times. The ESTALON RFID Blocking Slim Trifold Wallet is built for mega storage: It has two bill compartments and a total of 10 card pockets, including seven regular card slots, two slide pockets for preferred cards or personal documents, and one ID window.
The wallet is made of genuine leather and has RFID-blocking material woven through all three sections of the trifold design so that your cards and information are kept safe. With this RFID wallet you can choose from 11 different colors and patterns, including single colors like mocha, fudge, and teak, or a combination of two colors, such as charcoal/sierra. The Estalon RFID wallet has a slim design that should fit comfortably in your pocket but will bulk up once you fill it to capacity with cards and cash. It comes in a box featuring the Estalon logo for optional gift giving.
The Exentri trifold wallet keeps your cards, cash, and personal information safe with built-in RFID protection, and its stainless steel locking clip physically keeps it closed—and keeps prying hands out. It is made of soft genuine leather, and the interior pockets are lined with nylon. Despite its trifold design, this wallet is slim and fits comfortably into your pants pocket.
The RFID wallet has plenty of storage space, including a large bill compartment, a ticket slot to keep your parking or event ticket handy when you are out on the town, and six card slots, including two slide pockets for easy access to your favorite cards. You don’t have to sacrifice style for safety, as the Exentri comes in nine different colors including black, brown, sand, emerald, and more. The Exentri locking wallet comes in a sleek black box and makes a great gift as well.
Ideal for those who have gone cashless, this SHEVROV wallet is a great way to keep your cards safe without having to carry around a bulky bifold or trifold wallet. The durable carbon fiber outer case is treated with anti-scratch technology to maintain its sleek look, and it naturally blocks RFID theft devices.
The SHEVROV carbon fiber wallet features a flexible money clip, so you can hold up to 12 credit cards and nine bills in one slim design. This minimalist wallet offers easy access to your cards quickly when you need them. The cardholder also comes in an attractive box for gift giving.
If you carry your phone and wallet with you wherever you go, a product like the S-ZONE RFID phone wallet is a great bet. It keeps your cards and personal information secure from electronic thieves, while also keeping your cash and phone safe. The phone pocket is designed to fit most smartphones including several iPhone and Samsung models, and the pocket has strong magnetic snap closure on the exterior so your phone won’t slide out.
RFID-blocking material is woven into the wallet’s realistic faux leather exterior to keep your cards safe from electronic theft, and there’s space for your necessities. This wallet has one coin compartment, one bill compartment, four slide pockets, and eight card slots. It is available in nine different colors and comes with a versatile carrying strap.
Arokimi designed this phone card holder with ultra-minimalists in mind who want to save as much space as possible. This artificial leather sleeve features a 3M strong adhesive compatible with virtually all smartphones that are 4 inches or more. The durable faux leather maintains its shape and no sticky residue remains when the sleeve is removed from the back of your phone.
The Arokimi phone card holder fits up to five cards comfortably, or four cards with several bills tucked in the remaining compartment. Its pull up design lets you access all cards and compartments at once. When not in use, the cards tuck inside the outer sleeve secured by a magnetic closure, protected by a layer of RFID material beneath the faux leather.
FAQs About RFID Wallets
Here are answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about RFID wallets.
Q. What is an RFID wallet?
A radio frequency identification (RFID) wallet, or RFID-blocking wallet, is a wallet that blocks transmissions from RFID devices. These devices can steal your money, account information, or other personal identification electronically and from many feet away from your location. These wallets usually contain carbon fiber or metal in the casing to block these radio frequencies.
Q. How can an RFID wallet protect my confidential data?
An RFID wallet will typically have some type of conductive material like metal or carbon fiber to block exterior RFID transmissions from reaching your debit, credit, or identification cards.
Q. How do I know if my RFID wallet is working?
If you aren’t sure that the RFID wallet you have is protecting your information, test it. The next time you are paying for something at a PayPass terminal or a similar card reader, try to scan your card while it is inside the wallet. If you can scan your card, then your wallet is not RFID secure. If the scan does not work, then you know the wallet has adequate RFID protection.
