I am always looking for the ideal travel wallet. Something that can hold my cards securely, carry some cash, and have very little bulk. A bulky wallet in the back pocket is a bullseye for pickpockets. And with without proper RFID protection pickpockets don’t even need to take your wallet because they only need to get close enough to steal your credit card information.
The Cobra Wallet is exactly what I am looking for. It is currently on Kickstarter and looking for backing. They are already half way to their goal of $30,000 to go into production.
The Cobra Wallet
The design was inspired by the look and feel of mobile phones which are made to easily slide in and out of your pocket and fit in your hands. The Cobra Wallet has a curved back which minimizes lines. This does two things: 1) the curved backing hides the wallet in your pocket from an outside perspective, and 2) the flat part holds well against the leg.
The Cobra Wallet
What Fits in the Cobra Wallet?
Josh and Alex, the designers of the Cobra Wallet and frequent travelers, made the wallet to hold exactly what they needed based on research and testing for the last two years.
Cards
The wallet can hold up to 8 cards. I think this is more than enough for travel and regular day to day use. If you are carrying more than 8 cards it is time for an intervention.
The Slim Design
The colored areas demonstrate how cards fit inside.
Ease of Access
Your two most frequently used cards are always on top. This means no removing the cards from the wallet to find which one you need because they are right there when you open it up. If you do need a card that is used less frequently all you need to do is shuffle through the cards without actually removing them from the wallet.
Cash and Other Bills
There are still a lot of places today when you need to carry cash. While I don’t carry much at home I still need it when I travel. You can’t negotiate with locals in a developing country with your AmEx so having a reserved spot for cash is important.
There is a hidden compartment inside the wallet to hold a few bills. It is located inside the top cover of the wallet. This is also good for holding a spare key or a memory card.
The green area is the hidden compartment for cash in the top cover
RFID
Maybe RFID protection isn’t on your radar yet but it is a threat. Basically, todays thieves can simply “tap” or get close enough to your credit cards to scan them with an RFID scanner and steal all of your information. This is how you tap your Visa card at checkout or other similar cards. They can simply brush into you which is as good as stealing you wallet if not better. Since you don’t realize your cards have been stolen right away this means thieves have more time to disrupt your bank accounts. It is a nice added protection of a modern wallet.
Cobra Wallet Bonus
The cobra wallet compliments your phone very nicely. They designed the wallet to prop up your smart phone for watching videos or even taking photos. It doesn’t matter what type of phone you have because it will prop it up for you.
See the photos below to see it in action:
Another example of hands free viewing. This could be pretty handy on a flight or to use for a video call.
Overall
I am going to back the Cobra Wallet on Kickstarter. The classic black wallet can be backed for $39 and the colorful editions for $49. I can see myself using this for travel around the world and back home. I like the way they turned it into a stand for your smart phone as well. And the RFID protection is just an added bonus.
If you want to back the Cobra Wallet on Kickstarter and get a deal before it hits the market then head over to Kickstarter and choose the pledge you want. They start at $35(for early birds) but the next pledge level is a great deal at $39. I am personally backing this project today and can’t wait to start using it.
Watch their video for even more info on the Cobra Wallet
