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Carbon Fiber Aviator Wallet vs Ridge Wallet Review | Which is Best? - YouTube
Channel: UHOOHEXTRA TECH
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- In this video, a detailed look
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at the Carbon fibre Aviator Wallet and Ridge
Wallet.
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The carbon fiber Aviator Slide Wallet
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is handcrafted at their factory in Germany,
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and they sent me this one for free.
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I thought it would be cool to compare
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with the benchmark product,
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the popular Ridge Wallet,
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which I last reviewed a couple of years ago,
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when I showed you the Titanium Ridge Wallet.
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Here, I purchased the Ridge Wallet in carbon
fiber.
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So, both slim wallets share similar materials,
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hold a stack of credit cards,
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each have a strap to hold cash bills,
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and both have a coin compartment.
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Let’s see if they live up to their high-ticket
price tags.
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I keep these video concise and factual for
you,
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so if the video helps you in any way,
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please hit the like button,
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or, just watch the video to the end,
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which is what helps me out the most, thanks.
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First up, let’s take a look at the outer
materials
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and dimensions,
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starting with the carbon Aviator Slide Wallet.
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Its contour is sized to closely match a credit
card,
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to give that minimal wallet experience.
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I like the aesthetics,
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the real carbon fibre has a three-dimensional
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checkerboard effect.
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You can’t see it good on a still image,
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so let me try and demonstrate that for you
on video.
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It’s a smooth matt surface,
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with carefully rounded edges
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so it doesn’t catch or tear on your pockets.
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If you want to save some money
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you can checkout the aircraft grade aluminium
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at around half the cost, or you can use the
URL
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and discount code I placed in the description
below,
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which is active at the time of publishing
the video.
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For disclosure, if you use the code or affiliate
links
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in the video description I may earn a small
amount
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from that at no extra cost to you,
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that helps me make more videos.
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The Carbon Fiber Ridge Wallet
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is also a little bit different.
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I steered away from the usual boring
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carbon fibre weave.
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Instead, the finish plates have a forged composite
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which uses fibers mixed with resin
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that are pressed into shape as it cures.
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Just as strong and lightweight, but here,
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the forged carbon gives this camo-like appearance.
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Pretty cool.
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No rounded edges however,
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like we saw on the Aviator wallet.
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You can also get the Ridge Wallet
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Next, let’s look at the function and practicality.
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Sticking with Ridge Wallet here.
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You can store 1 to 12 cards.
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Ridge Wallets have two aluminium inner plates
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that act to block RFID signals,
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so that your contactless credit cards are
safe
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from attempted digital theft
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from card-skimming devices.
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If we look close, you see there’s a tapered
edge
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that allows you to insert your cards more
easily.
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This part helps keep your cards seated tidily,
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and the elastic track keeps firm pressure
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to hold your cards securely.
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Cards are pushed out though this cutout,
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placing the ones you use the most at the top,
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or the bottom of the pile.
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Getting at the ones in the middle is tricky.
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I’ve heard some people pinch the bottom
of the wallet
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to separate them a little,
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but I can’t do that easily with the optional
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Cavity Tray inserted,
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that’s where you might store your change,
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we’ll take a look at in a moment.
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With the maximum 12 cards inserted
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the wallet gets wobbly if you happen to have
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the embossed writing all on the same side.
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You have to rotate a couple of cards
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so that it's better balanced.
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So how does the Aviator Wallet compare?
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The Aviator Slide can store 1 to 20 cards.
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It also has a tapered edge here
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to help the cards go in.
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Again, the easiest ones to get at
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would be on the top or bottom.
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You can easily thumb cards forwards
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with just one hand.
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I can’t do that by the way with the Ridge
Wallet.
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Kinda awkward.
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(groans) You try.
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One of the features making the Aviator Wallet
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feel like a much more complete product
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is the pull-strap.
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This gives you a second way to eject your
cards,
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and from here you can fan them out a little.
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That’s not all,
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remember I said the card capacity is up to
20 cards?
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That’s because, unique to the Aviator Wallet
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is its inner adjustable elastic band
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and stainless steel bolt design,
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which allows for adjustment.
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Using the including screwdriver,
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remove the stainless steel torx screws,
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and remove the carbon facia.
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Now you can access the acrylic glass inner
frame
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and make adjustments for card capacity,
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so that the elastic track always has optimum
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pressure on the cards.
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With each bolt in the centermost position
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you can store 1-7 cards.
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Move one bolt outwards
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for a card capacity of 4 to 12 cards,
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and move both bolts outwards for 7 to 20 cards.
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You’ll need to adjust the pull-strap tension
too
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if you’re going to place more cards in the
wallet.
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On the Aviatorwallet website you see a dropdown
list
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of what looks like different capacity wallets.
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It’s the same wallet, they’re going the
extra mile,
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and will set it up to your preferred card
capacity
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at the factory before it’s shipped.
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So you may not need to take your wallet apart
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like this.
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I would guess the elastic strap will last
longer
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on the Aviator, because the adjustable tension
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means you’re never over-stretching it.
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Let’s try 12 cards like we had in the Ridge
earlier.
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It doesn’t feel stressed this time.
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Also, the elastic track runs across the width
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of the wallet, not the length,
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so you don’t get the wobbly problem
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the Ridge Wallet presented.
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If we add another eight cards
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now we have the full 20-card maximum capacity.
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One downside, is if you want your Aviator
Wallet
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to be RFID blocking,
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you have to configure your wallet
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selecting an extra-cost aluminium insert,
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instead of the lightweight acrylic frame
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that comes as standard.
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Next let’s look at the cash straps
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on the reverse of the wallets.
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Here, both feature a cash strap plate.
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They help distribute even pressure on the
cash.
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And you see the Ridge Wallet
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has even got these grippy little feet
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on the reverse, which is great detail.
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But, I find it almost impossible to grab onto
them
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to pull up a little to slide my cash underneath.
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You can configure your Aviator Wallet
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without the metal plate,
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or remove it if you don’t like it.
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It’s easier to remove them
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with the carbon face-plates removed.
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I’ll show you on the Ridge Wallet,
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then you can learn how to replace
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the elastic track too.
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The Ridge Wallet also come with a screwdriver,
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and comes with four spare screws.
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I notice some pre-applied retaining compound.
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That stops them coming loose accidentally.
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There’s no spares with the Aviator product
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that I have,
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which is not good considering the price.
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In fact, das nichts points to Aviator.
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Better check their’s none under here
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now I’ve beaten them up about it.
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Nein!
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So with the carbon plates removed,
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we see the two aluminium RFID blocking plates,
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and you’re able to remove the elastic track
now
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if you ever needed to replace it.
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Notice this outer loop.
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The cash strap would not be present
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if you ordered your Ridge Wallet, instead,
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with an optional money clip.
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It’s easy to remove the pesky metal cash
strap plate.
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You can see it's designed with a gap at each
end,
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which enables the strap to be pushed through.
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The same applies for the Aviator Wallet.
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I've reassembled my Ridge Wallet
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with the buckle removed.
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I think it looks better, it’s flatter,
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and now I can push cash under here
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much more freely.
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Okay, the coin compartments.
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Oh, and hit subscribe if you want to see
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more videos like this one, thanks.
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Turn the Aviator Wallet over, grip here, and
slide.
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This is you one-piece aluminium coin holder
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with inclusive anti-rattle insert, nice!
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Now you can fit around seven coins.
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The fuzzy stuff is only on one side,
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so coins can still rattle against this part.
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You’ll definitely love the coin compartment
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for its geek factor.
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Maybe it’s good for a spare key.
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I’ve been using mine
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to stash some handy antiseptic wipes.
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On the reverse it has a channel cutout
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so that it locates and slides perfectly.
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It’s designed so that you can’t put it
in backwards,
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and you can’t push it out the opposite side.
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It’s engineered as integral part of wallet
design,
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and doesn’t interfere with the card eject
function.
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In contrast, the Ridge Wallet’s aluminium
Cavity Tray
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is not inclusive, but an extra-cost option.
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There’s no ant-rattle protection,
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and it doesn’t feel like part of the wallet.
(coins rattle)
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It simply slides in where your credit cards
go.
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When you push your cards out for selection
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the Cavity Tray comes out too,
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so you’ll have to be careful not to drop
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the contents of the tray, tricky!
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Wherever you put it, it’s not great.
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I can’t remember which way up it is
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if I put it in the middle of the stack.
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So, facing upwards at the top or bottom
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of the card stack worked better for me.
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So how slim are they?
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With one card inserted in each wallet
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they’re about the same,
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but the Aviator is rockin’ its integrated
coin holder,
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the Ridge isn’t, here.
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If we insert the Cavity Tray
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the Ridge gets quite a bit thicker.
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So, here’s the key factors that stood out
for me,
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that separate these two wallets.
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First is card capacity.
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The Ridge Wallet is advertised
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as holding 1 to 12 cards,
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but I found it not great with 12.
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And I had to take the tray out to fit the
12 cards,
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otherwise I felt the elastic track
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stretched a little too much.
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That said, I don’t think anyone
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wanting a minimalist wallet
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really wants to carry 12 cards.
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The Aviator is designed for 1 to 20 cards,
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and without over-stretching its elastic,
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due to its adjustable design.
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How easy were they to use?
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I found it much easier to access cards
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and coins from the Aviator Wallet.
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And, the Aviator’s coin holder is an integrated
part
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of the wallet design,
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whereas the Ridge Wallet’s Cavity Tray,
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to me, feels like an afterthought,
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and further hinders my card access.
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If you chose the Ridge Wallet,
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I think you’ll like it better without the
Cavity Tray,
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so you can appreciate its fantastic minimalist
design.
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RFID blocking is standard on the Ridge Wallet,
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and optional at extra cost on the Aviator.
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Each are manufactured immaculately
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and present a very high-end product.
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Which did you like best?
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