so glad i found this channel...was really wanting a slim wallet and looked forever at the ridge, which is great, but i wanted "more". spent the last week going back and forth and finally settled on this for the extra features. thanks for doing what you do. I didnt realize the wallet game was this crazy. Thanks for making this purchase easier.
Hello, the king of wallets. Ive came across your channel last night since then I have became a fan of yours. I have probably watched 70+ reviews since this morning. ITS SATISFYING!!! I have been using a slim Luxury leather money clip ( holds up to 4 cards) for the last 10 years until someone broke into my car 2 weeks ago.. now I’m back on the market. You have covered so much and I’m gonna keep on watch your video until I find a replacement. Didn’t know there were so many cool options out there nowadays. Fanthom, dango s,c, Treyvax caught my eyes alone with a few leather ones. The list keeps on going greater as I watch your reviews haha. Well you’ve got yourself a fan for life because what you doing (oh and your daughter) is awesomeness!
I bought this (18-20 cards variant; still waiting for delivery) and watching your review makes my purchase feel more justified! I wanted to buy the carbon fiber variant but it's way more expensive than the Obsidian Black aluminum variant so I just went with that one
Just got mine. Great wallet. Pull tab is greatly improved from the model reviewed here. Thanks for the great video that convinced me to order it. For those wondering it only took a week to get from Germany to Canada.
I also bought one after your review and I like it. It's much smaller than the wallet I used before. I must say that delivery (to The Netherlands, nearby Germany) was slow, though not through Aviators fault. Thank you for the review(s) and keep up the good work!
You sold me on the Aviator Slide. It forced me to remove some of the junk cards I don't really need, and to stop carrying my health insurance cards. I never knew it was advised to not carry that, and only for 1st time visits. I highly recommend keeping the coin tray. It makes the slide action much smoother.
I've never been a fan of pull straps on wallets, even though they are useful, they just seemed to give them a cheap look. I will say that I'm impressed with the design of this wallet, especially after you disassembled it and showed the different options and adjustments. This isn't something that was just slapped together, you can tell that a lot of thought went into the design.
I’m actually surprised that something this thoroughly engineered wouldn’t extend the felt to the inside edges of the coin drawer, hearing the change clatter makes it just sound cheaper than it should.
Thank you for the great review. I just purchased and aviator slide wallet though your link. I expect delivery sometime in May 2020 (next month) I ordered the double-thick coin tray to accomodate my tile tracker (hopefully) and I also added the aluminum frame option. I had difficulty deciding on whether to get the aluminum vs acrylic frame and I wish the difference between the two had been included in this video because $55 is a steep difference in price for that. Durability is the main concern in acrylic vs aluminum, but the company does offer a lifetime warranty. Still I went with the Al frame because I'd rather NOT have to deal with a warranty of my wallet just happens to explode sometime while I am traveling or our of the country! I also would like to see fitting of popular tracker devices for this waller in future reviews (e.g. Tile slim). Thanks so much for all your good work.
As always great review😁, i like the look and features, still pricey specially if you want a cash clip, nice they offered you a product that is not out yet😉,
Great company in Germany, very technical and they enjoy making something that tries to solve a problem. It was nice of them to provide an early look and a discount to the community.
Thanks for this great video, an excellent explanation. The wallet is really good with a minimalist design. I will buy an Aviator wallet. They have also a Titanium version,it is a good option too. !💪
They need to start saying how many embossed credit cards can be held. This goes for all manufacturers. There is not one single country that does not use embossed cards, yet nearly all websites say 7 cards, will never fit 7 embossed cards. It is very strange to me why they never mention that. Thx Mark 😀👍🏻
They're getting better about it, but many still miss it. I find that if you reduce their number 1/3 then you're into the mixed embossed, non-embossed territory.
@Jupp Schlabutt Whilst that is true IF you have ApplePay, it still doesn’t change the fact that these wallets won’t hold all embossed cards. My MagSafe Apple Wallet only holds 3 cards if 2 of them are flat cards. I am not stretching it to get embossed cards in as I change them about depending upon where I am going. Although right now with face masks on, my Apple Watch is the best thing ever. 👍🏻
After watching wallet review videos till the worms ate into my brain, I went with the carbon fiber Aviator Slide. It took ten days to get here from the Fatherland, and everything seems to be in order. Oh, the times we'll have.
I love your channel and your reviews, I’ve been watching them for quite some time in the pursuit for the perfect wallet that I have not yet found. Not to sound picky, but you often mention that you buy the wallets you review, however this one is not out yet, so I was wondering if you bought it as well or it was sent by the company for free?
Hi Georgi, great question and I'm glad you see the wisdom in the governing principle we have! For wallets that I review prior to general release, they send me a wallet for free, but we always end up purchasing one once they're available, which we generally give away to our subscribers from walletopia.info. We will ALWAYS purchase the wallets and we often turn down nice promotion contracts with companies due to restrictive clauses that would prevent us from giving a truly honest review :) . Integrity of our reviews and ensuring they're not bought is paramount to us.
Will there be more color options other than black? Followed your link and that was only option shown. Thanks for an excellent review. Almost purchased a ridge wallet till I saw this review.
Not that I'm aware. It would be a great option if you could make a color plate selection as part of the build since the adjustment plate is separate from the top and bottom plates.
The thing about a coin holder in this type of wallet is what if you get change back so you now have, say 6 coins. So you put the other two in your pocket. So now you may have to fumble around in your pocket AND this coin holder to find the right coins you want. If coins are an issue, just use your pocket or get a zipper wallet. Just my thinking.
Have you ever seen the “easy money working wallet”, by firebox stove? Very simple design but functions great. I think you could do a great review of it as well!
This wallet will appeal to people in the UK and Canada, who have to deal with coins on a such a regular basis. For me, i need a "no coin caddy" option, that makes the wallet thinner. I wish they had a titanium upgrade or something a little less cheesy looking than carbon fiber. Nothing about carbon fiber looks natural or classy to me, which is why they make so much carbon fiber vinyl wrap for cars. Kids can wrap their civics in "carbon fiber". It just looks cheap in my opinion. Ridge found a solution by having a Forged Carbon Fiber option, much better. In the U.S, i don't see minimalist wallet lovers giving a wallet with a coin compartment much of a chance.
Yes, this is really a great solution for those outside of North America. Good observation on the material, and yes the Ridge Forged Carbon Fiber does look good and is a differentiator to all the "carbon fiber" knock-off's that have hit the market which still providing a weight benefit.
only thing I wish is that when you pull the cards out with the tab, that they'd come out in a way where the cards at the back come out further than the ones at the front
@@walletopia I looked into other wallets and Esker has some that fan the cards out just like I was saying. I think you have a video on the one I was looking at too
If you take the slide strap out is there anything stopping the cards from falling out the opposite side of entry or is closed off without the strap now? That one this is what pushed me away from the rugged. Thanks!
Do you think it would be possible to put 1 or 2 business cards in the coin slot? Or perhaps cash? The coin slot isn't something I would use, but if I could put a business card and / or cash in that compartment and use the band for holding receipts then it would be more practical for me.
Seems like a really nice wallet with all the features. Also you seemed pretty giddie about the whole thing . for me that's kind of pricey but good job on the review.
Thanks Clay, yes I was a bit happy for this due to the innovation. You just don't see much with the sandwich band wallets and they've continue to push forward in a meaningful way.
@@walletopia I completely agree about pushing forward. I know I've seen the progression from records to 8 tracks , cassette tapes , to cd's. .even in artificial intelligence simulations of creative labs Dr zabatso in the 90's to the present day replika AI that has fluid conversations with you and learns. Somethings I will always get like my GD-350 Casio g shock.
I'm curious if the Aviator Slide would work if you remove the coin tray. We would lose the channel for the strap, yes, but does it also mean that if we, say... milled a similar channel into the bottom of the money holding side plate that it would become perfect then? I wonder why this has not already been made into the design.
@@walletopia that’s very reasonable and would simply serve to change the wallet’s card capacity from 1-20 to 3-22, which would be perfectly acceptable. The question is does it affect the utility of the strap. I think it would affect it very minimally. I think I’ll get one of these soon, even though I’m very happy with my ezgo wallet.
Hi Mark. Do you know if they redesigned the end of the pull strap so if it not so floppy. Also do you need to use the coin tray? If you do is worth spending extra on carbon fiber?
Yes, the version they're shipping has the pull strap head, it looks awesome. You don't need to use the coin tray, but will need at least 3 cards to compensate for it not being there to keep the tension. Personally, I don't see the worth in spending more for the carbon fiber coin slot.
@@walletopia Thank you for your response Mark. Just one more question on the coin tray. In the video you suggested to put a bill in the coin holder to buffer the coin noise. I was thinking that if I purchased the double coin holder to possibly use that to hold quartered cash (American) instead of having cash on the outside of the wallet. Do you feel that is feasible and how many bills would fit? Hope all is well.
Great review as usual. Kinda pricey, but it's more of a techie card and coin wallet - with the cash strap as an afterthought. The pull strap definitely makes it easier to remove and fan the cards out without having to pinch the bottom. This makes it marginally better than the Ridge, because I've heard some people complain that their cards go flying out when pinching the Ridge in their haste to remove a card that's maybe in the middle of the deck. Am still not a fan of how the cash is exposed on these types of wallets, though.
Yes, the biggest complaint is about cash exposure. Some handle it better than others, but loading it on the exterior does tend to feel like an afterthought.
@@walletopia would using the coin holder (or the double decker one) for cash solve that problem? exposed cash is a deal breaker for me but I like the rest of the wallet
walletopia I feel like if you have to worry about loosing cash from the cash strap maybe people should be looking for a different wallet altogether. I feel it’s secure enough for a minimalist wallet and if someone wants more security for cash they should get a small cash wrap or bifold 🙄
@@walletopia thanks. That's what I figured. And I guess a good or bad depending on the way you look at it you can only get the cards in one way with this design. Personally I like that feature.
The pressure of the elastic holding the top and bottom pieces together against your cards. Sounds weak, but it holds it very well. I've not had any problems with sandwich wallets losing cards, the strength of the elastic does a good job.
When the review was done the complete plate was an option, I'm also not seeing it on the site. I would shoot them an email and ask about it. They're very responsive.
@@walletopia Thanks for the reply. I already orded my wallet and one for my dad for father's day, but having the thumb slide might be useful for an ID.
You’ll like the wallet, German engineering also applies to wallets 😁 The thumb slide is still very useful. There are about 4 solid different ways to get cards out, the wallet is very versatile that way.
@calebwolf did you ever get an answer about solid faceplate? I am interested in that feature too. Unfortunately none of the slide specific products are listed on “parts & accessories” page.
All I can is it's German 😂. But no, that strap has seen improvements, look at the new one on their site now, much improved from this early model I reviewed.
walletopia I still don’t see the improvement does it tuck underneath did they include a snap as a closure? The strap can’t be flopping around to me it looks the same
@@OpenerMC In case you are still contemplating buying the aviator slide: I consulted the costumer support regarding the all metal top, they are still working on it but don't have an expected release date yet. This is the actual response: "Thank you for your message and your interest in our products. Yes, the full front covered wallet is in planning but we can't say yet when it will be so far. Our product developer is on it :) If you subscribe to our newsletter you would get the information, when it is available."
It's been incorporated into new reviews since we spoke about it a while back. Unfortunately, we're still working through pre-recorded reviews that didn't have it. BUT if there are particular wallets we've already reviewed that you have compatibility interested in, let me know and I'll pull them out for a test.
@@erikkalifornia5182 Yes, I'm seeing that more and more. Traditional wallets will always support business cards, but generally, as business card usage becomes more antiquated in favor of digital I believe we'll see wallets not purposely accommodating them.
Can you remove the coin tray and still have it function properly? From the review it sounds like the groove in the coin tray functions as some type of guide for the pull strap. Also great reviews and format. I think I have narrowed it down to this or the xsto.
Yes you can! The guide with the tray is to prevent rubbing with coins, but you can use the wallet without it. You'll need at least 3 cards on the smallest card configuration to work without the tray.
Wait, there is something wrong with the measurements. I am assuming the imperial units are correct while the metric units should approximate: 107.95 x 82.55 x 6.35 mm
@@walletopia Well I bought the ridge wallet forged carbon but fees will be 150% so I don't want to pay like to wallets so ill cancel my order and refund... I'll probably go with aviator slide because it won't cost me fees ... Do you think its better than ridge? Aviator or maybe other wallet? What do you recommend Well 75$ is the maximum I can pay because 76$ + will cost me lot of fees so...
@@OpenerMC They're both great wallets, so if the Aviator (being that they're in Germany) is an easier purchase, I'd go with that. Outside the Ridge and Aviator there isn't anything else in Europe better.
@@walletopia so should I go for aviator slide? I really wanted the forged carbon this is very disappointing that I will have to pay 150% fees 😒 Well aviator is same quality as ridge in your opinion? Maybe there is better wallet that u recommend which is slim and minimalist at maximum price of 75$ free shipping included Well because ridge dosen't offer free shipping to my country i can't even buy the aluminum version...
Well.....we have the Trove Cash Wrap review releasing March 2! The Trove Coin Caddy has been filmed and edited and is scheduled for first week in April.
@@walletopia any names of these knockoffs? I haven't been able to find any that have the same sort of design like the Aviator. I've had a knockoff ridge and wanted to compare which I liked most before taking the plunge on the more expensive version. Thanks
@@AdamJ3 I've not found knockoffs for the Aviator yet, but there are tons for the Ridge and others. Going to Aliexpress gives you a great idea of what wallets are being knockoff.
@@walletopia I have 10-13 cards, so I don't need the coin holder, I was thinking the compartment needs to stay there to keep the shape but will be getting this over the ridge because its more left handed user friendly. thanks
A bit of a dilemma though. I use a wallet card tracker and it seems even carbon fiber may block it. I use the orbit card and since it's the size of a credit card it won't fit in the money band. Bummer
Their recent CardSlide wallet is interesting. I picked one of those up, only complaint which will come out in the review is the tray is very shallow. It could have been very useful for cash if the design was slightly modified.
@@walletopia Oh... if you could mention what coins will fit in the review, as always... :) Also, if it's possbile to add the coin holder to the standard slim / miniwallets...? Thank you!
You have to like the intricacy and engineering on this to like it, so if complexity is not something you enjoy, then this wallet won't be very enjoyable. And yes, I agree that band wallets do fight against you, a bit more friction in operating than a regular wallet.
bought this and really liked it at first but it bent in my pocket on the first week... definitely would not recommend for the price they're selling this thing for
Nope, not going to happen 😀 No paid review and no promotions. They provided it to me ahead of its release, which is great and something I'm talking to other manufacturers about, so we can all get a look ahead of time. Once the improved pull strap head releases we'll be making our purchase and then giving the original away, via drawing, to subscribers on walletopia.info. As a matter of fact we don't make any money or kickback on the discount they provided to the community either.
walletopia I think you should be careful here. It seems to me that it can start to bias and influence reviews, simply by having that level of communication with the wallet manufacturer. You communicate with Aviator, they send you an unpurchased wallet for review, with the idea you'll buy the final finished product? This doesn't feel the same as you randomly buying a wallet online for review. That's just my two cents.
Agreed, but it's very difficult to purchase a prerelease wallet until after it releases, and is my only exception to purchasing the wallet straight away, so I purchase it once it releases. Bit of a chicken and egg, but I still review the way I'm going to review it, so if the manufacturers don't like it, it's not my concern and they'll think twice before asking if they want me to look at a prerelease in the future. If you think back to the SHFL3 wallet I reviewed, that was a prerelease wallet the company was promoting on Kickstarter...it currently sits as the second lowest scored wallet I've ever reviewed...and I STILL bought one from the campaign. Otherwise, if a wallet is already on the market, it's always bought as usual. I've had plenty of companies already approach me with influencer agreements, which other wallet reviewer readily sign, and in so doing they hand over approval of their final work. These agreements even discourage or prevent you from doing comparisons...so limiting. I've never signed nor intend to ever get involved with them. The investment I've made in this channel by purchasing all the wallets we review (and massive amounts of time) to ensure the reviews are my own and not influenced by anyone will continue. There are many lenses to look at around what could possibly create bias that might be perceived as violating our channel principles and/or create suspicion. For example, I've consulted with several wallet companies to review what they're designing or improvements on their existing products. I've never been paid for it, but does that create bias? If they happen to adopt what I'm suggesting, then yes, as I feel it creates better value for those who purchase it and I will mention in a future review how much I like feature x, y or z, but not because I suggested it, but because I feel it does provide a better product outcome for users. Aviator was no different. They asked me to look at this wallet, I really disliked the pull strap head and gave them suggestions on a better approach. They adopted that change which should be shipping soon and is why I waited to purchase as I want the new one 😀 . BUT, fundamentally, my enthusiasm for the Aviator product is due to my enthusiasm for their quality products and the company and nothing to do with a prototype wallet they asked me to look at. Thanks for the followup question Erik, my intention is to be completely transparent on how I approach reviewing wallets on the market so there's no question about my impartiality to represent those PURCHASING the wallet and NOT those who sell the wallets.
walletopia Thanks for providing such an in depth and transparent response to our concerns Mark. I don't think it's possible to remove ALL bias when doing reviews, but you've reassured me that you're making all realistic efforts to do so, while maintaining a high level of interest in the products you review. It's appreciated!
Do not buy this wallet, it feels as cheap as the ones on amazon. Im trying to get a refund, i can't believe i got screwed like this.. Even the thumb slide dosent work and im not going to grease my cards to make them slide.. God i miss my solid fireti!!
I'm curious on what you are referring to when you say it feels cheap. You dont like the elastic band? Something about the finish on the plates? Are the plates too thin?
It’s not what anybody likes to do. But if you live in an environment that requires coin usage just to get around (most of the world outside North America) it’s a good option.
