9 best travel wallets
Whether travelling for work or business, not knowing where you’ve put your passport, boarding pass, credit cards and currency, and having to rifle through your bag to find them can cause untold amounts of unnecessary stress.
An easy solution is to use a one-stop-shop travel wallet which has space for everything you need for the journey, and the destination when you arrive.
We’ve rounded up the best of the lot, from those which feature inbuilt Rfid-blocking (to avoid anyone electronically stealing your passport and bank details) to eco-friendly options, and elegantly designed leather affairs. We’ve put them thoroughly through their paces, road-testing them through airports, red-eye flights and on the road.
kikki K World is Waiting Leather Travel Wallet: £42, kikki K
kikki K is best known for stationery, but the Swedish brand’s travel wallets are packed with useful features.
While it’s available in plain black, navy, mint or pink, our pick is the jazzier mid-blue colour which is decorated with a silver foil cityscape, and ramps up the holiday vibe.
It’s on the larger side, and internal labelled dividers for “tickets” and “passport”, a long, zipped “currency slot” (you might not carry cash at home but you’re likely to end up with loose change abroad), ample room for cards, an additional document pocket (for, say, insurance or hotel confirmations) and pen loop make organising a breeze.
An external easy-access boarding pass pocket and clip on and off wrist loop are other handy touches.
Overall, it feels luxurious, does the job well and is good value for money.
Osprey Document Zip Wallet, £32, Osprey
This lightweight, two-tone zipped nylon wallet in grey and black, or a more tropical teal and grey, from outdoorsy backpack brand Osprey is designed to keep things as safe and secure as possible.
An Rfid-blocking liner keeps personal details safe, and an internal elastic strap in the passport slot means it won’t fall out, even when unzipped (and as we found, when shaken fairly vigorously upside down).
There’s a pen loop and two zipped compartments – one divided handily for smaller items such as keys and change – inside and a deep boarding-pass sleeve.
Other practical plus points include easy-to-clean material, and a strip of webbing which runs along the wallet forming a graspable strap.
Smythson Panama Slim Travel Wallet in Nile Blue: £325, Smythson
This elegant, pale blue, slimline travel wallet from grande-dame British leather accessory brand Smythson (also available in cobalt, navy, red, cherry or black) will suit the oldschool brigade who still consider travel an event worth dressing up for.
While the price is high, the craftsmanship and quality of materials is evident: a cross-grain leather outer is pleasantly soft; the lighter interior smooth as silk; while each compartment is stamped with delicate golden lettering denoting its purpose – “tickets”, “documents”, “passport” or “boarding pass”.
There’s room for a bank card or two, but no zipped space, so this is a good long-term investment for those who like a luxury product, but are travelling light.
We also loved the removable matching passport cover which slips neatly inside, too. Very chic indeed.
Muji Slim Passport Case – Black: £14.95, Muji
Japanese brand Muji is renowned for its stylish, simple and functional designs, and this black slim passport case is exactly that.
Made in lightweight polyester, with no embellishment except a detachable wrist loop, it has an outer zip pocket, and zipper opening which runs along two sides (the latter does limit how much you can stuff inside).
The design inside, however, allows for everything you need: including a mesh portion to tuck a passport and ticket behind, a currency section and six card slots.
A great choice for no fuss-travellers who pack light. At under £15, it’s a bargain, too.
Fjallraven Kanken Travel Wallet in green: £55, Fjallraven
Compact yet functional, this zipped wallet from popular outdoor gear brand Fjallraven packs in six bank card slots, a slender zip compartment for change, space for a passport and has a fleece-lined phone pocket to pop your smartphone in (ideal if you’re using digital boarding passes), as well as a roomy outer boarding pass pocket.
Made in robust polyester-cotton, decorated with the brand’s Arctic Fox logo, and coming in a multitude of colours, it’s cool without being OTT, and would suit teenagers and those heading off on gap year travels nicely.
Busy B Travel Purse: £19.99, Busy B
Crafted in faux leather, with a stamped dot pattern and outer gold-zipped pocket, this long, lightweight baby-blue purse from Busy B is a cute and reasonably priced clutch-style carrier. It fastens with a popper, and has a wide pocket inside for documents, Filofax-style tabbed sections, as well as long, labelled portions for a passport and currency.
Two pockets for bank cards are best used with cards angled vertically, as when placed in horizontally they slip out of sight, meaning they need to be pulled out before you can identify them.
BEGOLDEN Leather Travel Wallet in peach: £40 Not on the High Street
Those keen on the environment should consider this popper-fastened, envelope-style fold-out wallet, which is made from recycled leather offcuts from clothes, boots and handbag manufacture.
There’s no outer pocket, but inside is a neat row of individually stitched card slots, space for folded documents, a pen loop and passport slot.
A grown-up-looking wallet, it looks classic enough to remain on-trend, and isn’t a fortune either.
Extra-stylish jetsetters can go for a monogrammed version, and add on up to six letters for an extra £10.
Elvis & Kresse Fire-hose Travel Wallet: £99, Elvis & Kresse
One with a story behind it, Elvis & Kresse’s funky rust-red travel wallet is made from decommissioned British fire-hose – which would otherwise be destined to end up as landfill.
Fastening with a wide buckle, it’s sturdy and water-resistant so copes well in all weathers.
Inside it’s roomy – there are six card slots, plus sections for documents, passport and currency each lined with orange, reclaimed military-grade parachute silk.
It’s 100 per cent vegan, too; despite the name parachute silk is made from nylon, not silkworm silk.
While it’s not the cheapest option, and has a more distinctive smell than leather or polycotton, it will suit travellers looking for a product with a sustainable slant.
The price includes lifetime repairs. It comes in a cute pouch, while laser-etched personalised letters can be added for £10.
Lifeventure Rfid Travel Wallet – Mini: £19.99, Lifeventure
This wallet from expedition-gear specialists Lifeventure is only just larger than a passport, making it the smallest of the lot. However, clever use of space means you don’t have to compromise on what you carry.
There’s room for seven cards, space for a folded boarding pass, as well as a small zipped pocket, smartphone pouch and passport section.
It also has Rfid blocking technology inside. While the external pocket isn’t the logical place to stow bank cards, it’s worth remembering they won’t be Rfid covered unless inside the wallet.
Available in grey or deep purple for a dash of colour, it’s a good-value all-rounder.
The verdict: Best travel wallets
If you’re after a one-stop-shop wallet, which is both well-priced and well-made, we’d recommend kikki K’s patterned number.
Balancing sturdiness and style, the silvery, wanderlust-feel cityscape decoration adds a fun touch, and interior sections keep everything neatly divided. It also comes in a pretty matching box, and the wallet can be monogrammed for just £6 making it a strong gift option.
If you’re worried about security and prefer something more plain, the LifeVenture Mini Rfid wallet (for minimal packers) and the Osprey Document Zip Wallet (if you need room for more paperwork) are both reliable, highly recommended choices.
