The Top Two iPhone 5/5s Wallet Cases

Phone, wallet, keys. It’s been my routine for countless years that’s translated into the post-leaving pat down. Phone in the front right pocket, wallet in back right pocket and keys in the back left – check… ready to go. My desire to be more minimalist and simple has always waged war against the boy scout motto of “always be prepared”. Any opportunity that seems to arise where both preparedness and simplifying is always a win for me, and it finally struck me the other day that if I could find a decent iPhone/wallet combination then just maybe I could get off this mound that’s left me sitting lopsided for far too long.

1. The requirements were simple:
2. No flip cover non-sense
3. Simple, clean, and professional look
4. Needed to hold more than 2-3 cards
5. Needed to provide basic protection

After scouring the web to see what people were saying, I finally boiled my list down to the top two iPhone wallets that people were buying:

Distil Union Wally Case for iPhone 5 (Holds 3 cards) – $39.99

Vault Skin for iPhone 5 by Lexx (Holds up to 8 cards) – $39.99

Distil Union Pros and Cons
Pros:

1. Integrated case and wallet design keep the cards separate from the phone. This is important to keep the cards from scratching up the back of the iPhone each time you pull out a card.
2. The case features a slick “draw strap” for quickly accessing your cards for use.
3. The case is clear plastic while the rest of the “wallet” portion is black leather (also available in tan and red)
4. Even though I could fit 4 cards in (stretching the leather a bit) the canvas draw strap still adds enough friction to keep only 3 cards (after going down from 4) from flying out due to an overstretched leather case. This may, however, eventually become problematic.

Cons:

1. Space. Even though I could stretch the case to 4 cards, I still had to remember to find my costco card anytime I wanted to make a trip. Don’t think you can sneak anything (including a slip of paper) inside the case behind the phone – the fit is perfect and any additions will cause the case not to grasp the phone as intended.
2. Stretching. Though in my limited testing (two weeks) I found the canvas draw strap to still apply enough friction to keep my cards from flying out, I think that the leather portion could eventually stretch enough to become loose resulting in the contents falling out.

Overall Impression:

With the Distil case freshly in my hands I quickly realized that I needed to prioritize what 3 cards I truly needed day in and day out. My drivers license, debit card and credit card were all “must haves” but I also had two small paper licenses I needed to carry on me at all times. I knew going into this case that there was a 3 card limit but I thought for sure that two extra thin pieces of paper shouldn’t make a big difference. While the extra two paper licenses fit, I quickly realized that anything that’s not cut to the exact dimensions of a credit card would quickly get shredded from being pulled out of my pocket and shoved back in x number of times a day. I was overall pleased with the quality and craftsmanship and the case accomplishes what it claims – to handle 3 cards well. If you think you could boil your wallet down to only 3 cards without fudging then this is the case for you.

The Vault Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Off the bat, this case touts a whopping 8 card capacity that expands or shrinks to fit your preference (folded leather that extends as you fill the wallet). This means a thinner case the less cards you carry – something the hard case wallets couldn’t offer.
2. The wallet portion of the case is made out of leather and is also adhered to a hard case that keeps your phone and cards separate. As mentioned before, this is key for keeping your phone scratch free.
3. Unique mechanism for securing cards. The wallet portion is attached all along one side, the bottom and then the open side has a magnet at the top that is actually quite strong. This allows the case to be opened quickly and then lock shut without ever worrying about it wearing out.

Cons:

1. Magnet. No matter how great this mechanism is, it makes me nervous! Two things that usually don’t go well with magnets – phones and magnetic strips on debit cards. So far I’ve yet to destroy either!
2. The wallet is adhered to a case that is really thin. This case is my favorite so far, but I’m not excited at all about the thin plastic case that’s supposed to protect my phone in case it falls. If you go with this case, I’d recommend taking extra pro cautions to ensure you don’t drop it.
3. In the two weeks I’ve tested this case, the leather that goes around the camera has pealed off of the case from repeatedly being pushed into my pocket (see image below). Though easily fixed, be sure to put the phone in your pocket with the home button facing down.

Overall Impression

I actually really like this case. I can carry cash, cards, and a few receipts with ease which seems to better suit my lifestyle. The magnet on the back is still kind of weird for me. I can actually hang my phone on the side of a file cabinet. I’ve had to be more mindful of what I set my phone on top of (my iPad, computer, or anything else sensitive to a magnet). The flimsy case it’s attached to is also a concern, but it’s held up through the 1-2 times it’s taken an unintentional drop. While those seem like some fairly big cons, I’d still recommend giving this case a shot.

Conclusion:

Moving to an iPhone case may not be for everyone. Some of us just simply have to carry by necessity more stuff than a case can afford. For those considering making the switch, just keep this one thing in mind: If you often find yourself asking, “where’s my phone?” then this probably isn’t for you either. The added convenience of one less thing to carry also cuts the other way. Loosing your phone now means loosing your phone and wallet. If switching to an iPhone wallet still looks attractive to you, either of the cases above would be a great choice. Which one would you choose? Do you use a different case? Let us know in the comments section below.

You can buy the Vault Skin (pictured left) case here.

You can buy the Distil Union Wally (pictured right) case here.

Note: These cases are not compatible with the iPhone 5c