BackpackGearTest
  Guest - Not logged in 

Reviews > Clothing > Accessories > All-Ett Billfolds Thinnest Sport Wallet > Test Report by Andrew Buskov

Thinnest Wallet packaging
All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport
The Worlds Thinnest Wallet by All-Ett.
Andrew Buskov

Initial Report: April 22, 2010
Field Report: July 25,2010
Long Term Report: September 17, 2010

Tester Biographical Information:

Name: Andrew Buskov
Age: 35
Gender: Male
Height: 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Weight: 216 lbs (98 kg)
Email: Rescue(at)Corridor9(dot)net
City, State Zip Madisonville, Kentucky  USA

Backpacking Background:

I’ve been backpacking for years now, and have slowly started developing my ideal style. I’ve gotten my pack weight down to roughly 25 – 30 lbs (11.3 - 13.6 kg) before water, and am whittling it down every hike. Day hiking is nice, but getting out over multiple nights is really what I enjoy. I like to take my time and enjoy the scenery as opposed to hiking hard. I also like being comfortable and insist on an air mattress. I usually tent or hammock, but stay in shelters when needed.

Packaging BackProduct Information:

Item: Thinnest Wallet: Sport
Manufacturer: All-Ett
Website http://thinnestwallet.com
Year of Manufacture: 2010
MSRP: $14.95
Listed Weight: .1 oz (2.83 g)
Actual Weight: .1 oz (2.81 g)
Listed Dimensions:3 1/8” x 3 3/4” (7.94 x 9.53 cm)
Actual Dimensions:3 1/8” x 3 3/4” (7.95 x 9.52 cm)

Product Overview:
(From Manufacturer's documentation & Website)

This is the World's Thinnest Sports Wallet. It is composed of spinnaker cloth, also known as rip-stop nylon. Although it is as thin as paper, it is incredibly strong and breathable. This breathability is supposed to help prevent you from sweating while wearing. The cloth itself is water resistant which may help to keep the contents dry, but is still a washable material. As per the manufacturer the spinnaker cloth is 100% recyclable. The manufacturer also states that no animal byproducts were used in the manufacturing of the product and that the expected lifetime of this wallet is between 3 to 5 years. However, it may last much longer.

Initial Impressions:

The package arrived t o my door in complete condition, without any missing pieces, and as expected. After opening the envelope, I found the packaging for the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport. You can see by the top picture that the wallet is very small in relation to the packaging.  The initial weigh-in was necessary for testing purposes. It was very hard to get a reliable weight due to the item being so light weight. In its thickest spot, there are only 3 sheets of  spinnaker cloth worth of thickness; almost immeasurable.

Open Wallet

The sewing quality is spot-on. There isn't a single bad stitch in the whole piece. The design is strikingly simple; it appears to be a single piece of ripstop fabric that is cut in a way that it can be folded and sewn into three different pocket areas. Two pocket areas are the size of credit cards and each hold roughly 5 standard credit cards before stretching the stitching. The third area is slightly larger than a standard size US dollar bill.

In all, general impressions are good. This wallet holds all cards that I want it to hold, and even has a pocket for cash that I didn't have before. It may not be a big wallet, may not have a multitude of pockets, but it does everything that I need in a wallet. It lived up to my expectations from everything I saw on the website. It is designed to be small... and it does that quite well. I look forward to testing this over the next few months.

Field Report: July 25,2010

Testing Locations:

I've had the opportunity to use the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport since the day that I received it. It has been my primary wallet for almost three months now and has seen quite a lot of use. I've worn it on hiking trips in western Kentucky in temperatures hovering around 85 F (29 C), as well as vacation trips that I've taken with my family to big cities where I really didn't want to pack around a large wallet. My primary testing information actually comes from wearing it at work where it is exposed to sweat and water on an almost daily basis.

Performance:

As mentioned above, I've used this wallet every day for the past three months. I've had the opportunity to use it with virtually all styles of pants, in various pockets, and with various results. My primary carrying position is on my right thigh in a cargo pocket. I've never been one to wear a wallet on in  my hip pocket simply due to the fact that I don't like sitting on it while driving. Having such a thin wallet to drop into the cargo pocket on my side has been quite an experience. Being lighter than anything I've ever tried and also so compact, I think I've found my primary wallet for life.

I've never needed to carry much in the way of cards or cash. Just a few fit nicely in the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport. In fact, I've had up to 15 different cards in one side of the wallet without it stretching or bulging. As it stands now though, I carry 5-7 cards on each side along with a couple dollars or some receipts in the cast section. Even after stuffing it with a few extra cards, the material held up real well and didn't rip or stretch. All of the stitching remains intact also, and there are still no hanging threads. It has been quite a durable wallet so far.

I have not found this wallet to be as water resistant as I would like, but the quick drying aspects of the wallet make up for that fact. I would assume that the water resistance capabilities of the fabric are easily overcome by the environment that I usually wear use it in. On my days off, I don't have a problem with water. If I'm hot, I generally go inside to cool off. Because of this the wallet stays nice and dry. However, at the fire department, there are quite a few times when going into a cooler environment is not an option. It is times like this that the wallet really shines.

Though the cash, and sometimes the receipts inside the wallet often get soaked with sweat or water spray, the wallet continues to hold the contents in place nicely. Because the cash and receipts are placed in an outside fold of the wallet, they dry really quickly. I've never had a receipt so wet that I couldn't easily read the printing on it. This is definitely a plus for me as I often have to turn receipts into the department for purchase, and having a blank or smudged receipt doesn't generally fair well. The cards, even though they get a bit wet, don't really stick together so this isn't too much of a problem either. One definite plus that I have noticed is the lack of a nasty moldy smell. Due the frequency that my wallet gets wet, other wallets that I have used with smell moldy after a few months of use. This is not something that I've had to deal with so far.

One thing that does occasionally get me is the fact that it is at times easy to lose the contents. If I don't make an effort to keep the wallet in a position where the cards are on top, it is easy to lose them all over the floor. This has happened a couple of times when I pulled the wallet out of my pocket and didn't have a good hold on it. One entire side of cards  will inevitably go sprawling over the floor at the most inopportune time. It's something to get used to, but not something that I feel is a major problem. I really couldn't recommend a solution either due to the construction and light weight characteristics.

In all, I've been very pleased with the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport. It has served me well and will continue to be my primary wallet for years to come.

Long Term Report: September 17, 2010

Testing Locations:

I've continued to use the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport since the day that I received it. It has been my primary wallet for almost 5 months now and has seen quite a lot of use. I've worn it around town, at work, on vacations, and on the trail in a recent trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. It has been used in temperatures ranging from 30 F (0 C) to 115 F (46 C). It's been used in rainy conditions as well as dry. It has even survived being soaked completely a few times while at work.

Performance:

I'm quite glad that I had the opportunity to test the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport. Had I not tested this item, I can't say that I would have forked over the suggested $14.95 for it. However, after testing it, I can truly say that it's well worth the price in my opinion. If the one I'm testing does eventually wear out I will not hesitate to purchase another as a replacement.

The fabric is still in excellent shape with no rips, tears, or blemishes at all. The pocket that I usually carry my wallet in is lined with a metal zipper. Even after scraping the wallet along that zipper for hundreds of times there is no signs of wear at all. All threads remain intact and in place with no hanging or lose threads to be found on the entire wallet. Even the screen printing on the tag manufacturers tag is still in great shape.

I've learned how to better hold the wallet so as to not throw the contents on the ground. It hasn't been that much different than with my other wallets. I just need to remember that I can't swing or throw the wallet open else I risk losing the credit cards on one side. I recently cleaned out a bunch of stuff that I wasn't using on a regular basis and found that items fit a bit more loosely. However, this hasn't been a problem to date.

There is still little to no feeling of the wallet during wearing. As I wear it on my right thigh, it tends to sway back and forth while walking. However, this doesn't feel bad, nor does it feel uncomfortable in any way. Even during my hikes or while scrambling up steep slopes I have yet to find it uncomfortable. In all reality, I usually don't even think about it as I don't realize it's there.

Water resistance is still the same and still not a problem. I don't carry around too many paper documents that I need to worry about having my stuff protected from water. Besides, I've yet to carry a wallet that provided protection from the elements or being dunked in water. If anything I'd have to say that having the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport makes it easier to retrieve my items after an accidental wetting due to the fact that they aren't sticking to the wallet like they would in a traditional leather wallet.

I can't say enough about how happy I am to have tested this. I've never cared for a thick wallet, but until now have never found a wallet that was thin and served my needs. I can honestly say that I will never go back to a traditional wallet for anything. I will likely use the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport for the rest of my life. I'd like to thank All-Ett and BackpackGearTest.org for allowing me to test the All-Ett Thinnest Wallet Sport and become a true convert.

Read more reviews of All-Ett Billfolds gear
Read more gear reviews by Andrew Buskov

Reviews > Clothing > Accessories > All-Ett Billfolds Thinnest Sport Wallet > Test Report by Andrew Buskov



Product tested and reviewed in each Formal Test Report has been provided free of charge by the manufacturer to BackpackGearTest.org. Upon completion of the Test Series the writer is permitted to keep the product. Owner Reviews are based on product owned by the reviewer personally unless otherwise noted.



All material on this site is the exclusive property of BackpackGearTest.org.
BackpackGearTest software copyright David Anderson