Leather Wallet Cases

A wallet case exists so you can leave the house with one object instead of two. Phone, two or three cards, a folded note, and nothing in the other pocket.

It is the most bought thing we make, and the reason is boring and practical: most people already carry their phone in their hand, so the cards may as well travel with it.

The detachable designs are two parts: a slim shell that grips the phone, and a wallet the shell snaps into. That solves the usual objection to wallet cases, which is that you do not always want the bulk.

Pull the phone out of the wallet and it is a plain leather case again, which is what most people want at a gym or a dinner. The one piece folios are simpler and slimmer overall, and better if the case never needs to come apart.

Three cards sit comfortably in most of these. Four work once the leather has relaxed. Five make the case stand proud of a table and put strain on the stitching at the slot corners.

If you carry more than four, the folio designs with a full card panel are the better choice, and they are marked as such on each product page. Buying the slim one and forcing it is the most common regret we hear about.

On the magnetic versions the ring is set inside the shell rather than stuck to the surface, so a charger or a car mount grips through the leather without a plate on the back.

• Wireless charging works through the shell. With a folio, fold the cover back first.
• Keep cards out of the panel that sits against a magnetic charger. Modern bank cards are fine, hotel keys and older transit cards are not.
• Phones without built-in magnets need a clamp mount rather than a magnetic one.

Does it block RFID? On the models that say so, and it is stated on the product page rather than assumed across the range.

Will it still fit if I change phone? No. These are cut per model, which is the point. The wallet half of a detachable design often carries over, though, so ask before replacing the whole thing.

Can it be engraved? On most of them, set up on the product page.

A practical closing note. The card slots are the part that decides how long a wallet case lasts, and they are the part most people overload in the first week. Give the leather a fortnight at three cards before you push a fourth in. The slots will take it comfortably by then, and they will still be tight enough to hold a card when you turn the case upside down.