Best travel wallet in 2019: Bellroy, Tumi, Cuyana, Fjallraven, and more

If you're a regular reader of Insider Picks Guides, chances are you're already familiar with Bellroy — after all, the company makes ourfavorite wallets. The young Australian brand has a smart, minimalist and functional design philosophy. It also uses ethically-sourced materials and has a great manufacturing process to produce high-quality gear.

What I love about Bellroy's travel wallet is that it holds everything — It has room for all of the travel documents you might need over the course of a multi-stop international trip, plus cash, credit cards, a SIM card, and even a pen.

At first glance, the wallet looks like an oversized bifold, opening just like an everyday wallet. One side has room for your passport, with a dedicated pocket that takes up that whole side. The other side has credit card slots — either two or four, depending on which edition of the wallet you choose — positioned vertically so you just drop the cards in. The wallet also has an open top pocket like a traditional bill compartment, but it's divided into two sections.

There are a few more "hidden" card slots and a sim card holder within the inner cash compartment, as well as my favorite feature of this wallet: a tiny pen, which is kept tucked away right in the middle so that you can fill out landing cards and jot any quick notes you need.

The wallet is big enough to hold just about any currency, and I like to keep a little bit in one of the sections of the large cash/document pocket. The other section is great for holding boarding passes, custom cards and any other travel documents you might need to have handy. I prefer putting these in the outermost section so that they don't crease when folded. I use the inside part for cash — You can put cash in both sections, using the divider to keep different currencies separated.

In theory, Bellroy intends the travel wallet to be your everyday wallet on the road, something you can carry with your cards, cash, passport and everything else you need for a day of exploring.

I think it's a little big for that. I can certainly fit in in a back pocket or jacket when I'm in the airport, but it's big enough that I would be worried about theft walking around a city with it. It's great to keep everything handy in the airport and during transit, but once I reach my destination, I'd probably carry my daily cash, credit cards and ID in a regular wallet and leave the travel wallet behind in a hotel safe. 

The wallet is available in a few different colors, plus, there's a RFID-blocking version and a new "designer's edition." The designer's edition is meant for the luxury market and has a softer leather with a few design tweaks. It also only has two credit card slots on the main part of the wallet, rather than four. Other than that, it's basically the same product as the original. Whether you choose the regular or the designer's edition, you can't go wrong.

Pros: Keeps everything you need handy while traveling, easy to navigate, great organization, includes a pen, small enough to carry in a pocket in the airport

Cons: Too big to use as a daily wallet during trips

Source: Business Insider

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