Note: this product was provided for review.
The number of trips I take where I need my passport is very low, but passport wallets are really great for passport-sized notebooks, as well as for an auxiliary wallet when you’re traveling (extra cards and cash, etc.). Which is exactly how I’ve been testing this wallet since receiving it.
It’s impressively compact, and I’m in love with the materials choice.
Materials & Specs
The model I got is “black baby ballistic,” which Pioneer Carry describes as: Baby Ballistic™ — We shrunk down a well-known workhorse fabric and put it through finishing school. Maintaining the rugged/tactical spirit of ballistic nylon, we reduced the bulk, shine, and oversized weave, creating a refined and precise material better suited for your pocket and our fine-tuned construction.
This material feels really exceptional in hand and looks really nice as well. Quick feature set:
- Fits standard passport (36 or extended 52 page versions)
- Holds one passport (right side), up to 8 cards, folded bills, tickets/receipts
- Secure inward-facing card and cash slots
- RFID protection
- Closed: W: 4.06″ x H: 5.31″ x D: 0.16″
It’s a compact and well-designed kit. I used it with a passport-sized notebook, and it fits perfectly. It’s about as slim as you could get for something like this while still having the space to stuff receipts and other odds and ends into it.
In Use
First, here’s the design goal:
We wanted a wallet to complement what we already carry with us, that can keep up with any type of travel.
This nails that spot, as it’s very easy to slip into an inner jacket breast pocket, into my purse, or nearly anywhere in my bag. It’s discreet, and it’s very functional. I’ve been carrying this with one tracker card, two credit cards, a passport notebook, and a small pen. It’s been fantastic to use, and it’s held a trip’s worth of receipts with ease.
I love the tactile response of this. The materials feel really nice, and even in the short time I’ve had it, they’re slightly forming to what I carry in them and how I carry it. I can only note a single complaint: I wish there was a pen slot, as that would be golden.
Outside of that, it’s quite nice. It slips into my jacket pocket so well that it’s become something nearly always on my person, so I can take notes as I need to. I wouldn’t hesitate to use this as intended, but as it is, it’s become something that goes literally everywhere with me.
When loaded how I normally carry it, it measures out between 14–17mm thick depending on whether or not you compress it. It’s not very thick at all, even with stuff in it, and the rather close overall footprint means it feels quite trim.
You can carry a passport or notebook two ways: in the 3D molded sleeve, which has you drop the passport in from the top on the right-side pocket, or you can slide the back cover behind that pocket. As most travelers know, you always need your passport bare, so it’s nice to have a wallet that recognizes that. But for notebook-carrying folks, it’s also very nice that you can slide the back cover in and use it like a booklet.
The cards you put in this are very secure and decently hidden as well — there’s no worry about them dropping out as you move through immigration lines. The top pocket on the left flap is tighter in fit, making it a nice place to stash train/transit tickets or receipts as needed.
Overall
There’s not much about this that I don’t like. And while I got it to test as best I could even without international trips planned, it turns out I found something that might be my new go-to pocket notebook cover — with the added utility of a few extra stash spots for cards and cash.