Summary and selection of thin and small compact wallets

What we look for in a compact wallet is thinness, small size, capacity, functionality, design, and quality. Is it selfish to think that I don't want to compromise on any of these?

Yes, I think it's selfish. But it is possible.

However, unfortunately , many compact wallets do not achieve all of these requirements, so you need to be careful when purchasing.

In this blog, we have summarized how to choose and think without making mistakes for those looking for a compact wallet.

What is a compact wallet?

Even though it is called a compact wallet, the word itself does not have a clear definition.
What do you look for in a compact wallet?

The literal translation of compact is small, but are you also looking for thinness?

Those looking for a compact wallet tend to consciously seek these two main features.

Main function

・Small/Thin

On the other hand, there are a wide variety of sub-characteristics that people potentially seek, as shown below.

sub function

・I want a bag that is small and thin but has a certain capacity for coins and banknotes ・I want to put a lot of cards in it ・I want to put my house keys in there too ・I want a novel design that won't overlap with others ・I want a simple design that will never get old High-quality, luxurious materials are good. Genuine leather is good because you can enjoy aging. It is good to be left-handed. It is good to be able to use it comfortably. Made in Japan. Made by Japanese craftsmen

For those who are looking for the term "compact wallet," we recommend that you first clarify the main features (functions).

It's easy to do.

Type 1:
Anyway, small is good → Main function: Small

Type 2:
Anyway, thin is good → Main feature: Thin

Type 3:
Small + thin is better → Main function: Small and thin

Which type were you?

The reason behind the popularity of compact wallets

It goes without saying that compact wallets are a trend, but one of the reasons behind this is the spread of a cashless society.

In fact, I make most of my payments with my smartphone or credit card, so I only use bills or coins once or twice a day. If you're not good at it, you might not use it even once in a day.

I'm sure you all do the same.

Another reason is that with the spread of minimalism, the idea of ​​reducing one's possessions has taken root. I'm sure there are many people who are aiming to become minimalists, or who have already adopted a minimalist lifestyle.

How to choose a compact wallet

In this blog, I would like to define a compact wallet as a small, thin wallet, and then talk about how to choose a compact wallet.

If you are looking for a "thin wallet" or "small wallet" rather than a "small and thin wallet," we will talk about them in separate blog articles, so please take a look there as well.

The premise is that it is difficult to achieve both “small” and “thin”

First of all, I think it's safe to say that it is extremely difficult to achieve both the ``small'' and ``thin'' requirements of a compact wallet.

Let's imagine it as a normal wallet (here, a long wallet or bifold wallet).

Although long wallets are large, they are generally thinner than bi-fold or tri-fold wallets.

If you try to make it smaller, the thickness will generally increase by the amount you make it smaller. A good example is a bi-fold or tri-fold wallet, which is thick as shown below.

Why is a small and thin compact wallet possible?

If you fold a thin long wallet into two or three, it will become thicker. I feel like I've said the obvious thing, but how is it possible to create a small and thin wallet? Don't you come to this question?

Just folding it normally would make it thicker, but we were able to achieve this by devising the method of making (designing).

Design idea for a small, thin and compact wallet 1:
Eliminate unnecessary parts

You might get angry if you call it redundant, but for example, by eliminating the flaps that separate each card, you can reduce the number of overlapping pieces of leather by 5 to 10.

In addition, most wallets have a gusset in the coin compartment to secure capacity, but depending on the design, this can be omitted.

Design innovation for a small, thin and compact wallet 2:
Structure that prevents coins and cards from overlapping

The biggest reason why it looks thick is because there are a lot of things that overlap. In Idea 1, we reduced the amount of overlap by reducing the amount of material itself, but in Idea 2, we ``shifted'' things that would normally overlap to prevent them from overlapping in the first place.

However, the problem with this structure is that the coin storage section tends to be less convenient to use. The reason is that compactness is so important that the coin storage section is very small + the wallet body is often structured so that it interferes with the operation of inserting and withdrawing coins, so it is difficult to fit your finger in when inserting and removing coins. They don't give me anything.

rest assured.
There are ways to solve that too.

Design innovation 3 to create an easy-to-use, small, thin and compact wallet:
Coin storage location

In the final point 3, we will introduce a solution to the inconvenience mentioned above in 2. In order to eliminate the cause of the coin compartment being difficult to use, we have devised the position of the coin compartment and created a structure that is easy to put in and take out even though it is small.

First of all, it is important to make the coin compartment independent, as it is obvious that it will be difficult to put in and take out the coin compartment if it interferes with the card compartment or banknote compartment.

Now, I would like to return to the main topic.

Here are some tips on how to choose a compact wallet, but it's easy to get distracted by how small or thin it is.

Of course that's important, but the most important thing is

It's really easy to use .

If you're thinking, "You won't know how easy it is to use until you try it," you're smart! That's right.

So, how do you check the usability of compact wallets, most of which are only sold online, before you buy them?

Although there is no substitute for actually trying it out, we recommend the following actions before purchasing.

How to conduct a preliminary survey on the usability of compact wallets

1. If there is a video explanation on the product description page, check it carefully Points to check :
① Is it easy to put in and take out cards, coins, and banknotes (especially coins!)?
② Does the amount you want to store fit comfortably? (Actual storage capacity, not the maximum capacity written in the product description)

2. How to carefully check reviews :
① Reviews on shopping sites ② SNS (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
*Confirmation points are the same as 1.①②.

Examples of compact wallet failures

I also recommend using the example of failure as a teacher. Here are some examples of failures I have heard from over 1,000 customers who have ordered compact wallets.

Examples of failures caused by overreliance on explanations on mail order sites
-When I was looking at the online shopping site, it looked small, thin, and highly functional, but when I actually tried using it, it was difficult to take out coins and cards, so I ended up returning to my old wallet.
→ Solution: Carefully research the video explanation and word of mouth in advance.

Examples of failures caused by focusing too much on “thinness”
・It's a wallet that sells its thinness, and it's certainly thin, but the leather material is also thin, so it tore in no time.
→ Solution: Check the thickness and quality of the material.

Failure example of not checking capacity assumptions
・On the mail order site, you can store 15 coins! It was written that, but the moment there were two 500 yen coins, I couldn't fit it at all. Was the premise of storing 15 coins mainly 1 yen coins?
→Solution: Check the basis and premise of the explanation written on the website etc.

Examples of failures caused by focusing too much on “small”
・I chose a wallet with a focus on small size, but it's a pain to have to fold bills into thirds or fourths every time I get change.
→ Solution: Thoroughly understand the structure and why it is “small” and “thin” and check in advance whether there are any disadvantages that arise from that structure.

What does moku's compact wallet look like?

We currently have two moku compacts available. We believe that they are all the best compact wallets, but they are not perfect.

Single piece leather compact wallet ICHI

Three features of ICHI
1. “7mm thin” so it won’t be bulky even if you put it in your pocket

2. Even though it is thin, it has the storage capacity that allows you to go out with just one ICHI

Although it is thin, it can hold 20 coins and 20 bills each. The card compartment can hold 5 to 7 cards depending on the thickness of the cards.

3. High durability made possible by a single piece of leather with a thickness of 1.5 mm

The photo above shows the actual ICHI before it is sewn, but as you can see, ICHI is made by sewing together a long piece of leather. Furthermore, by using 1.5mm thick leather, this wallet is durable and difficult to damage.

Small and thin wallet Saku

It is the successor of ICHI. This is a compact wallet created by moku that combines the ``small and thin'' features that are common among compact wallets, and the ``easy to handle coins and sufficient capacity'' that are said to be difficult to achieve at the same time.

Three features of Saku
1. Quickly! Designed to make everything dramatically easier to take in and out

2. “Thin and small” is no longer the norm

The thickness is 12mm when it contains 8 cards, 10 bills, and 15 coins.
The size is 94mm in width and 89mm in height.
Although it is not as thin as ICHI, it is smaller than ICHI.

3. Large capacity for 8 cards, 20 coins, and 25 banknotes

Most other companies' products in the same genre (including ICHI) can only hold 5-6 cards and 15 coins, but Saku can hold 8 cards and 20 coins. .

The bill compartment has a simple structure with no partitions, so it can hold 20 to 30 bills.

The reason I told you that neither is a perfect leather wallet is because if you compare ICHI and Saku, they will be relatively inferior in some way.

Advantages of ICHI: Thinness, sharp design
Advantages of Saku: Capacity, small size (mini), ease of use

Looking at them individually, we are confident that both are the best compact wallets.
I would like to suggest one or the other depending on what you prioritize.

What they both have in common is that the coin purse is designed using a zipper. This allows us to avoid unnecessary leather materials and overlaps between leathers, resulting in a thin and compact wallet.

If you are interested in ICHI, Saku, please take a look below.
Single piece leather compact wallet ICHI
Small and thin wallet Saku

Please note that moku's products are not divided into men's and women's products. The design is unisex, meaning it can be used by both men and women, and the actual user ratio is almost 50/50.

At moku, we would like to continue to plan products from the user's perspective.

Thank you very much for watching until the end.