RFID wallet for men: do you need one, and which to buy
Written by the team at Everyman. We didn't make the PROOF wallets on this page. We chose them. The Holden and the Grafton are ours. Each section says where the wallet falls short.
The short answer
An RFID-blocking wallet keeps a reader from pulling a response out of the tap-to-pay cards and badges inside it. It's worth having. It isn't worth buying a wallet for on its own. Buy the wallet you'd want anyway and make sure it blocks.
- Our pick: the PROOF Founder, $125. Aluminum frame, bomber leather, up to 25 cards and 20 bills, 1.75 oz, RFID-blocking material built in.
- Same frame, different look: every PROOF wallet we carry blocks RFID. The Executive, Monolith and Oracle are $125, the Operator is $115.
- You want leather, no metal: the New Oxblood Holden with RFID blocking, $110.
Add any wallet on this page to the cart and the solid Brass Grafton Mini Twist drops from $84 to $49.
Our pick for an RFID wallet
PROOF Wallet | The Founder
$125
"This will be the last wallet I will ever have to buy" PROOF owner
Shop the PROOF Founder See every PROOF walletWhat RFID blocking does, and what it doesn't
Tap-to-pay cards, a lot of office badges and many hotel key cards carry a small chip with an antenna. Hold a reader close and the chip answers. That's how you pay by tapping.
An RFID-blocking wallet puts a shielding layer around the cards so a reader on the outside gets no answer. In a PROOF wallet that material is built into the interior, and the cards sit inside a metal frame.
Here's the honest part. We don't have numbers on how often cards get read in a crowd, and we won't invent any. So treat blocking as something a good wallet should come with, not as the reason to buy one. Judge the wallet first: how it carries, how it holds cash, how long it lasts.
One trade-off comes with every blocking wallet. It blocks you too. A transit card or a door badge has to come out before you tap it.
Eight RFID-blocking wallets we carry, side by side
Every PROOF wallet below shares the same design, so the cards, cash and RFID blocking work the same way. You're choosing the material and the look. The two Holdens are leather wallets with pockets instead of a frame.
| Wallet | Price | Rating on everyman.co | Weight | Holds | Made of | RFID blocking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PROOF Founder | $125 | 5.0 (3) | 49.5 g (1.75 oz) | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Bomber top-grain leather, dark gunmetal aluminum | Yes |
| PROOF Executive | $125 | No reviews yet | 49.5 g | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Tobacco top-grain leather, dark gunmetal aluminum | Yes |
| PROOF Operator | $115 | 5.0 (1) | 49.5 g | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Olive drab ballistic nylon, black full-grain leather, satin gunmetal | Yes |
| PROOF Monolith | $125 | No reviews yet | 49.5 g | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Black ballistic nylon, black full-grain leather, dark gunmetal | Yes |
| PROOF Oracle | $125 | No reviews yet | 49.5 g | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Woven carbon fiber, dark gunmetal aluminum | Yes |
| PROOF Obsidian | $200 | No reviews yet | 93 g | Up to 25 cards, 20 bills | Black full-grain leather, brushed brass frame | Yes |
| New Oxblood Holden | $110 | No reviews yet | 1.8 oz | 12+ cards and cash, six pockets | 2 mm full-grain leather, crimson or indigo stitching | Yes |
| Holden Card Wallet | $90 | 4.85 (160) | 1.8 oz | Six pockets | 2 mm full-grain leather | Not listed |
Prices, specs and ratings from each product page on everyman.co. The PROOF wallets measure 3.75 by 2.25 inches and about half an inch thick, depending on how many cards you load. Swipe the table sideways on a phone.
PROOF Founder: the RFID wallet we'd buy first
The Founder is our best-selling wallet, and it's the easiest one to recommend. PROOF builds it on an aerospace-grade aluminum frame wrapped in bomber top-grain leather, finished in dark gunmetal.
The cards live inside the frame instead of in leather slots, so the plate takes the pressure and the card edges don't bend. The RFID-blocking material sits inside with them. Pull the leather tab on the front and the stack fans out in one motion, so the card you want is easy to find. Folded bills ride flat under an elastic strap on the back.
It holds up to 25 cards and 20 bills and weighs 1.75 oz. It's made for a front pocket: the corners are rounded, so it slides in and out without catching. It comes with a small stainless PROOF tool that fits the wallet's bolts. PROOF wallets are designed by a team of U.S. military veterans and engineers.
The photo is the Executive, the Founder's twin in tobacco leather. Same frame, same $125, same capacity. Pick the leather you like better.
"Very well made. Holds cash and cards very securely, unlike the 'trigger' style wallets."PROOF owner
"My cards don't go flying out when you open it like my previous wallet."PROOF owner
"I've had countless wallets over the years, but none as well executed as the one in my pocket now"PROOF owner
Where it falls short. It's stiff. Aluminum doesn't soften or shape to your pocket the way leather does, and owners say the switch from a back-pocket wallet takes some getting used to. Bills have to be folded to go under the strap. And on our page the Founder has three reviews so far, all five stars, which is less to go on than the Holden's 160.
PROOF Operator and Monolith: for hands that work
Same frame, same RFID blocking, same 25 cards and 20 bills. The difference is the wrap. Instead of leather on the outside, these two use ballistic nylon over black full-grain leather.
The Operator is olive drab with a satin gunmetal plate, $115. The Monolith is all black with a dark gunmetal plate, $125. If your wallet rides in work pants or a pack, these two look the part.
Where it falls short. Nylon looks like gear. With a suit it reads as casual, and the Founder or Executive looks more at home in a boardroom. The Operator has one review on our page and the Monolith has none yet.
PROOF Oracle: carbon fiber, no leather on the front
The Oracle swaps leather for woven carbon fiber over a dark gunmetal frame. It's the most technical-looking wallet we carry, and it carries the same as the rest: up to 25 cards and 20 bills, RFID-blocking material inside, 49.5 g. $125.
Buy it if you like the look of carbon and want a wallet that matches a black watch, a black phone and black keys.
Where it falls short. Carbon fiber is about looks here, not weight. The Oracle weighs the same 49.5 g as the leather Founder. And it has no reviews on our page yet.
PROOF Obsidian: a brass frame you'll feel in your hand
The Obsidian is the one exception to the aluminum frame. PROOF cuts this one from 260 brass with a brushed finish and wraps it in black full-grain leather. It still blocks RFID, still holds up to 25 cards and 20 bills.
It weighs 93 g, close to double the aluminum wallets. Some men want that. A wallet with weight feels like it was made to last.
Where it falls short. At $200 it's the most expensive wallet on this page, and the extra weight is noticeable in a front pocket. If slim and light is the point, stay with aluminum.
The New Oxblood Holden: an RFID wallet that's all leather
Not everyone wants metal in his pocket. The Holden is our own card wallet, and the New Oxblood Holden is the version with RFID blocking built in.
It's 2 mm full-grain leather in a deep oxblood, with crimson or indigo stitching. Six pockets hold 12 or more cards and some cash. At 2.88 by 4.25 inches and 1.8 oz, it's small enough for a front pocket. $110.
Our standard Holden Card Wallet is $90 and has 160 reviews averaging 4.85 stars, but RFID blocking isn't listed for it. If blocking matters to you, this is the Holden to get.
"This wallet will last you a life time and there's no other wallet out there with this kind of design and dimensions. It's the perfect wallet." Davidson, Holden owner
Where it falls short. There's no cash strap. Bills fold into a pocket, and a thick stack makes it bulge. The oxblood Holden is new, so it has no reviews of its own on our page yet. And leather doesn't protect card edges the way a metal frame does.
Shop the New Oxblood Holden, $110 See the Holden Card Wallet, $90
The pen that goes with it: Brass Grafton Mini Twist, $49 with a wallet
With any wallet on this page
Brass Grafton Mini Twist
$49 with a wallet (normally $84)
A man who picks his wallet this carefully often still carries a pen from a hotel nightstand. Put any wallet on this page in the cart and this one drops to $49 on its own, no code. It's twice the weight of an aluminum Grafton, and you'll feel that the first time you sign something. You twist it open, so there's no button to go off in your pocket.
"Fantastic weight and feel. It has heft which helps make writing a breeze. The look of the brass is classic." Jake B., Brass Grafton owner
See the Brass Grafton Mini TwistHow to choose an RFID wallet
Check the listing, not the photo. RFID blocking is inside the wallet, so you can't see it. If the product page doesn't say it, don't assume it. Every PROOF wallet and the New Oxblood Holden say so on our pages.
Count your cards. Six cards or fewer and some cash, a Holden is enough. Eight to 25 cards, go with a PROOF frame. It's about half an inch thick, depending on how many cards you load.
Think about cash. If you carry bills every day, the PROOF strap holds 20 folded bills flat on the back. The Holden fits cash, but not much.
Pick the material for where you'll carry it. Leather for the office, ballistic nylon for work and outdoors, carbon fiber for the look, brass for the weight.
Know the badge trade-off. Whatever you choose, cards inside won't tap through it. With a PROOF, the pull tab gets the card out in a second.
Damage or lose a PROOF wallet you bought from us, and we will replace it. Reach out to us at info@everyman.co. If your Grafton ever fails, we fix it or replace it, for as long as you own it.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an RFID-blocking wallet?
It's worth having, but it shouldn't be the only reason you buy a wallet. Tap-to-pay cards and many badges carry a chip a nearby reader can talk to, and a blocking wallet stops that. Choose the wallet you'd want anyway and make sure it blocks. Our pick is the PROOF Founder, $125.
Do PROOF wallets block RFID?
Yes. Every PROOF wallet we carry has RFID-blocking material built into the interior. They hold up to 25 cards and 20 bills. The aluminum-frame models weigh 49.5 g and the brass Obsidian weighs 93 g.
Is the Holden Card Wallet RFID-blocking?
The New Oxblood Holden is. It has RFID blocking built in and costs $110. RFID blocking isn't listed for the standard Holden Card Wallet at $90.
Can I still tap to pay with an RFID-blocking wallet?
Not through the wallet. Blocking works both ways, so take the card out to tap it. In a PROOF wallet the leather pull tab fans the cards out in one motion.
What if I lose or damage my PROOF wallet?
We will replace it. Reach out to us at info@everyman.co.
Is there a deal on a pen with a wallet?
Yes. Put any wallet from this guide in the cart, PROOF or Holden, and the Brass Grafton Mini Twist drops from $84 to $49 at checkout. No code needed.
The RFID wallet we'd buy first