Hands-On Review: Groove Wallet

Gone are the days that I’m comfortable carrying an oversized, excessively bulky, much-too-easy-to-swipe billfold wallet.

Oh, I’ve got one. It sits on my shelf, stores all my bills and extra cards, and generally looks pretty.

But for my EDC loadout, I’ve graduated to minimalist wallets that let me carry just the basics: a few cards and some cash.

I’ve tested nearly all the card wallets in the past and so far the Peak Design Slim Mobile Wallet has my heart.

But after testing Groove Life’s newest Groove Wallet (released just a few weeks ago), I’m seriously reconsidering. 

Below, you’ll find my full hands-on review of this handy, ultra-tough minimalist card wallet and my verdict on whether or not I recommend it for you. 

Specs: Versatile and Durable

Before I get into my thoughts, let’s examine the wallet’s specs:

• Product Dimensions: 99.44 x 63.83 x 9.03mm
• Product Dimensions with Money Clip: 100.1 x 63.83 x 13.13mm
• Weight: 2.75 ounces
• Materials: aerospace-grade aluminum coated with scratch-resistant Teflon

Size and Capacity 

At just under four inches long and a little over two-and-a-half inches wide, the Groove Life wallet fits snugly into my pocket along with my keys, pen, and other essentials. 

However, it’s got the capacity to fit the four credit and debit cards I carry every day, along with my driver’s license. In fact, as you can see, there’s even space to accommodate one more card:

It’s roomy enough to house six non-embossed cards, or four to five if they’re the fancy, embossed, extra-chunky cards. 

However, if I ever want to expand, the Groove Go attachment allows me to carry two additional cards plus more cash. Definitely a fan of that!

And speaking of cash, the money clip built into the rear of the wallet is the ideal bill-carrying solution.

It won’t carry cash the “normal” way. Both U.S. and Canadian bills end up being just a little too wide for the wallet.

However, once I saw the images on the website that showed the “right” way to fold bills, they fit just fine.

I could comfortably carry around $100 in cash ($10 and $20 bills) without it feeling too bulky. 

Durability

It’s safe to say that I’m a bit of a rough handler. I tend to drop my wallet, or it rattles around inside my commuter backpack along with the rest of my daily loadout. When wallet shopping, I tend to look for something that’s tough enough to withstand a lot of wear and tear.

The Groove Life wallet is built from a resilient aerospace-grade aluminum, and the manufacturers doubled down on its toughness by adding a scratch-resistant Teflon finish. 

In the two weeks that I’ve been carrying this wallet around, it has remained unscratched, un-dinged, undented, and otherwise undamaged. No scuffs or scrapes, no chipping or flaking of the finish, and really no signs of wear or tear whatsoever. It looks basically brand new!

Time will tell if it holds up for years, but from what I’ve seen from past Groove Life wallet models (which I owned before settling on Peak Design), it’s more than sturdy enough to stand up to my rough handling. 

Smooth and Slick

The one thing I always examine closely with these minimalist card wallet is their deployment action. If the mechanism sticks, clicks, or requires excessive force to fan out/extend my cards, it defeats the entire purpose of convenience and user-friendliness.

Of all the wallets I’ve tested to date, none have felt quite as slick as the Groove Wallet. The mechanism slides so smoothly and with almost no effort. I’ve started using it as a fidget toy (at home) because of how easily it extends and retracts. 

I particularly appreciate the integrated thumb grip. It provides a convenient place to push against and keeps my thumb from sliding around. No effort wasted or excessively tight grip needed. The combination of the smooth action and built-in thumb grip delivers efficient performance with every swipe.

Safety

This is one area where I felt the Groove Wallet lacked just a little.

When the wallet is in the retracted/storage position, the cards are securely locked in place. I can (and did) fling the wallet across the room and the cards went absolutely nowhere.

It’s a different story when the cards were extended. 

The mechanism holding them in place is loose enough that it’s easy to pull the cards out without having to struggle (like I have with some other minimalist card wallets). However, if I accidentally dropped (or intentionally flung for a test’s sake) the wallet with the cards extended, they were more likely to slide out.

This feature isn’t a deal-breaker by any means. It’s just something for guys who are clumsy or prone to dropping things (like me) to be aware of.  

One safety feature I particularly liked was the money clip. It was a bit of a struggle to slide the bills into the clip due to the tension of the mental. Once the bills were in, they stayed firmly in place. However, sliding them out (the side, not the top) was a breeze. 

For a final safety feature, the Groove Wallet comes with integrated RFID transmission blocking to protect digital data. 

My Favorite Features

The Groove Life Wallet won me over with a few specific features:

• The very smooth, slick extension mechanism.
• The ample storage space (I can fit six cards/IDs, with more as an option with the Groove Wallet Go attachment).
• The integrated high-tension money clip.
• The built-in thumb groove for easy card deployment.
• The ease of adding/removing cards, both when the wallet is open and closed.
• The durability and resilience of the lightweight-yet-ultra-tough wallet. 

What I Didn’t Like

The only thing I could say I didn’t like was how easily the cards slipped out when fully extended.

Other card wallets I’ve tested in the past still keep a solid grip on the cards when fanned out/extended. These wallets do require a bit more effort to pull out the cards, which can be a minor annoyance. However, I’d trade that annoyance for the knowledge my cards are fully safe even if I drop the wallet when the cards are extended.

Best Uses

The Groove Life wallet is a sturdy, reliable, and spacious wallet great for any guy who needs a minimalist wallet capable of standing up to a rough-and-rugged lifestyle. Tradies, daily commuters, hunters, and anglers will love it for its durability and versatility. 

It’s a bit chunkier than some of the other minimalist wallets, but keep it in your backpack or pouch, and you can trust it’ll keep your cards safe.

Recap: 

The Groove Life wallet impressed me with its toughness, its smooth performance, and its ample card and cash storage space. 

While I’m not yet ready to give up my Peak Design Mobile Wallet (nothing beats the MagSafe magnetic attachment to my phone for hands-free carry), when the day comes that I need to switch up, this wallet is definitely the front-runner.

Price: $75+

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