Trayvax: Our Favorite Wallets From the Washington-Based Brand

Alright, let’s get one thing straight. Or rather, a couple things straight. The wallet you’ve been using isn’t quite up to snuff. Actually, it’s (probably) not even close, unless it’s a wallet from Trayvax. Trayvax makes some of the best wallets on the planet, with innovative materials and remarkably durable construction to match, and once you dive into this brand, you’ll realize we weren’t kidding. From its leather wallets to its ridiculously tough aluminum wallets, this is a company to be reckoned with.

In fact, nearly everything about Trayvax defies convention. Eight years into the brand’s run, founder Mark King is still on a mission to make some of the slimmest, most durable and dependable wallets on the planet (and other accessories). This isn’t a wallet like the kind favored (and poorly, at that) by George Costanza. Trayvax wallets are perfect for your everyday carry, they’re a perfect gift for the guy who really, really needs a new wallet, and they’re perfect if you feel like streamlining and slimming down your everyday carry, quite literally.

The Washington-based brand is really on a mission to do things differently — they even hope to create 5,000 American jobs to support 5,000 American families. They’re not kidding around, either. King started out making and machining each wallet by hand on his own, using a countertop oven to powdercoat the aluminum-plated wallets. King’s got some help these days, as the Trayvax team now numbers more than 25, and they use that manpower to produce exceedingly handsome-yet-rugged wallets packed with more utility than you can shake a stick at (or perhaps, more than you can shake your old, overstuffed wallet at).

The wallets keep flying off the shelves, the rugged materials and construction continue to be top-notch, and you even get some crucial style points for picking up a Trayvax wallet. This isn’t even close to the wallets of days gone by, nor is it anything like your first wallet (you remember that one, right? For your lunch money?). No sir, Trayvax is helping you step up your accessories rotation in a major way. We like what we see (no, scratch that — we love what we see), and we’re willing to bet the farm that you’ve found your new favorite wallet.

But first, as ever, a few tips when it comes to buying a Trayvax wallet. After all, Trayvax reviews boast glowing things about many of the bran’ds products, but there are more than a few pointers to keep in mind when wallet shopping.

What to Look for When Shopping For a Wallet

  • Utility: But of course, this is a critical question when on the hunt for a new wallet. Ask yourself if you’ll keep things pared down to the very bare essentials (perhaps some spare cash, your I.D. and a credit card or two), or ask yourself if you need a bit more space (for instance, a zipper wallet for change and your essentials). Ask yourself if you’ll be rolling with your wallet in your trusty front pocket — don’t worry, Trayvax wallets are slim — or if you’re going to opt for something ever-so-slightly larger to slide into the pocket of your denim jacket or your field coat. Trayvax has a multitude of the best wallets around.
  • Material: Trayvax blends materials like leather with aluminum in some of its wallets, and even more still of its most minimal, tactical wallets forgo leather in favor of a sleek look. In our minds, a sleek leather wallet adds style points to your ensemble, while more tactical wallets (like the Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet — more on this one in a second) are more streamlined and less eye-catching. Figure out which one works for you, and shop accordingly.
  • Versatility: Just as with utility, you should consider how you’ll be getting around and precisely where you’re going to be bringing your wallet, if you want to opt for a highly specialized version. For instance, if you find yourself hopping on and off planes abroad with the frequency of James Bond, consider a passport wallet — and then be sure to keep using that wallet to store your pocket journal when you’re back home.

We can’t stress this enough, but before this feature is up, you’ll know precisely the wallet or wallets you need to buy for yourself, for your father, for your brother — really, for anyone who needs a great wallet. And you’ll know the brand to shop: Trayvax, of course. Here are our favorite Trayvax wallets.

The Best Wallets to Buy Now From Trayvax

Trayvax Original 2.0 Wallet

Trayvax Original 2.0 Wallet

You might say this is the Trayvax wallet that started it all, and boy, does it pack in some serious bang for your buck (it retails for just a shade under $35). It holds up to 15 cards in a slim profile, with space for five folded bills. It’s also TSA-approved and designed to slip into the front pocket of your jeans or chinos without missing a beat. It’s also worth mentioning that it comes with a 65-year heirloom warranty (yes, you read that right). This is a wallet worth passing down, we’d say, but we’ll leave that up to you.

Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet

Trayvax Armored Summit Wallet

Perhaps the most tactical of any Trayvax wallet, this durable number is made from a heat-resistant steel plate and builds in MIL-SPEC nylon webbing and an integrated money clip. That mans it can hold folded bills and up to 7 cards. The coolest part about it might be the built-in bottle opener, perfect for a bit of two-in-one utility. Like other Trayvax wallets, it’s priced remarkably well (try $34.99) and it’s also made in the States. It’s about as jam-packed as you could get for such a small wallet, and yet it’s a rigid wallet you’re going to get plenty of use out of all the same.

Trayvax Ascent Wallet

Trayvax Ascent Wallet

Trayvax practically threw the kitchen sink, or everything but the kitchen sink, at this wallet, as fine an example of the brand’s commitment to craftsmanship as any. It blends a stainless steel frame with a melonite finish and a top-grain leather body for the best of the best in materials and innovative design. The ID card window feature is quite neat, to say the least, and the MIL-SPEC nylon pull tab is yet another feature that ensures this wallet will last and last through years of daily use.

Trayvax Renegade Zipper Wallet

Trayvax Renegade Zipper Wallet

We’ll admit it, we love the name Renegade. It’s just got something going for it, and it’s pretty representative of the fact that this top-grain leather wallet isn’t just your standard zip wallet, the kind you’d use to store spare change for lunch way back in the day. It’s got room for credit cards, cash and coins, made with a YKK zipper and coated rivets, plus a nifty attachment point to haul it on the go. Never leave home without i.

Trayvax Explorer Passport Wallet

Trayvax Explorer Passport Wallet

We’ll go from a tactical wallet to a passport wallet, because Trayvax is a brand that can do it all when it comes to making the best wallets for men on the planet. This is the very passport wallet to take on jetsetting trips and to pack in your waxed canvas brief for jaunting around town. You’re getting Horween leather construction (Horween’s long-standing leather quality is the stuff of legend). You’re also getting durable nylon stitching and the space for 12 credit cards in another sset of slots opposite the holder. We can hear the call for our boarding group now.

Trayvax Contour Wallet

Trayvax Contour Wallet

Remember when we said your standard wallet couldn’t hold a candle to a wallet from Trayvax? Well, that’s because your standard wallet isn’t like the Trayvax Contour Wallet, made with leather accents, an integrated bottle opener and an adjustable sliding claps that allows it to hold up to 13 cards. It’s a thing of sleek design and even supreme beauty, the kind of thing you’ve got to see to believe. In fact, if Trayvax reviews are to be believed, well then, you’re in luck.

Trayvax Axis Wallet

Trayvax Axis Wallet

This wallet, at first glance, kind of looks like a luggage tag, thanks to the durable attachment point, but it’s got all the bells and whistles beyond that seemingly standard design. It’ll hold up to 14 cards and 8 bills, all in a sleek profile complete with RFID protection.

Trayvax Summit Notebook

Trayvax Summit Notebook

Have you noticed anything about Trayvax wallets? The brand can really do just about anything, from the sleek metal wallet to a streamlined and yet versatile passport wallet. The Trayvax Summit Notebook is a perfect complement to the rest of these pieces, the kind of everyday carry essential that’s a nice addition to have (that is, if you’ve not yet made a pocket notebook part of your daily haul). The Horween oil-tanned leather is finished off with tough nylon stitching ad it includes an integrated pen pocket for the famed Fisher Bullet Space Pen. They even threw in increased RFID resistance for good measure. It’s about as essential as it gets, no matter where your adventures take you (and yes, we’ll count a brewery visit as an adventure these days).

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Beau Hayhoe
Beau is Brooklyn-based style and lifestyle writer. He covers menswear, gear, spirits, craft beer and music. When not writing, Beau can be found shopping for vinyl or sipping on a Brooklyn beer.