6 best travel wallets

Keep your travel documents safe in foreign lands without sacrificing style

Traveling can get complicated, especially for work or business, not knowing where you’ve put your passport, boarding pass, credit cards and currency, and having to rifle through your bag to find them can cause untold amounts of unnecessary stress.

Luckily, there is an easy solution. A one-stop-shop travel wallet which has space for everything you need for the journey, and the destination when you arrive. Don't worry, you will look good doing it too!

We’ve found the best of the best, from those which feature in-built RFiD-blocking (to avoid anyone electronically stealing your passport and bank details) to eco-friendly options, and elegantly-designed leather affairs. We’ve put them thoroughly through their paces, road-testing them through airports, red-eye flights and on the road.

kikki K World is Waiting Leather Travel Wallet: $74.95, kikki K

kikki K is best known for stationery, but the Swedish brand’s travel wallets are packed with useful features.

While it’s available in plain black, navy, mint or pink, our pick is the jazzier mid-blue color which is decorated with a silver foil cityscape, and ramps up the holiday vibe.

It’s on the larger side, and internal labelled dividers for ‘tickets’ and ‘passport’, a long, zipped ‘currency slot’ (you might not carry cash at home but you’re likely to end up with loose change abroad), ample room for cards, an additional document pocket (for, say, insurance or hotel confirmations) and pen loop make organising a breeze.

An external easy-access boarding pass pocket and clip on and off wrist loop are other handy touches.

Overall, it feels luxurious, does the job well and is good value for money.

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Osprey Document Zip Wallet, $45, CampSaver

This lightweight, two-tone zipped nylon wallet in grey and black, or a more tropical teal and grey, from outdoorsy backpack brand Osprey is designed to keep things as safe and secure as possible.

An RFiD-blocking liner keeps personal details safe, and an internal elastic strap in the passport slot means it won’t fall out, even when unzipped (and as we found, when shaken fairly vigorously upside down).

There’s a pen loop, two zipped compartments – one divided handily for smaller items such as keys and change – inside and a deep boarding pass sleeve.

Other practical plus points include easy-to-wipe-clean material, and a strip of webbing which runs along the wallet forming a grip-able strap.

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Smythson Panama Slim Travel Wallet in Nile Blue: $475, Smythson​​

This elegant, pale blue, slimline travel wallet from grande dame British leather accessory brand Smythson (also available in cobalt, navy, red, cherry or black) will suit the old-school brigade who still consider travel an event worth dressing up for.

While the price is high, the craftsmanship and quality of materials is evident: a cross-grain leather outer is pleasantly soft, the lighter interior smooth-as-silk, while each compartment is stamped with delicate golden lettering denoting its purpose – ‘tickets’, ‘documents’, ‘passport’ or ‘boarding pass’.

There’s room for a bank card or two, but no zipped space, so this is a good long-term investment for those who like a luxury product, but are travelling light.

We also loved the removable matching passport cover which slips neatly inside, too. Very chic indeed.

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Muji Slim Passport Case – Black: $12, Muji​

Japanese brand Muji is renowned for its stylish, simple and functional designs, and this black slim passport case is exactly that.

Made in lightweight polyester, with no embellishment except a detachable wrist loop, it has an outer zip pocket, and zipper opening which runs along two sides (the latter does, however, limit how much you can stuff inside).

The design inside, however, allows for everything you need: including a mesh portion to tuck a passport and ticket behind, a currency section and six card slots.

A great choice for no fuss-travellers who pack light. At under $15, it’s a bargain, too.

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Fjällräven Kånken Travel Wallet in green: $60, CampSaver

Compact yet functional, this zipped wallet from popular outdoor gear brand Fjällräven packs in six bank card slots, a slender zip compartment for change, space for a passport and has a fleece-lined phone pocket to pop your smartphone in (ideal if you’re using digital boarding passes), as well as a roomy outer boarding pass pocket.

Made in robust polyester-cotton, decorated with the brand’s Arctic Fox logo, and coming in a multitude of colors, it’s cool without being OTT, and would suit teenagers and those heading off on gap year travels nicely.

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Lifeventure RFiD Travel Wallet - Mini: $34.29, Amazon

This wallet from expedition-gear-specialists Lifeventure is only just larger than a passport, making it the smallest of the lot. However, clever use of space means you don’t have to compromise on what you carry.

There’s room for seven cards, space for a folded boarding pass, as well as a small zipped pocket, smartphone pouch and passport section.

It also has RFiD blocking technology inside. While the external pocket isn’t the logical place to stow bank cards, it’s worth remembering they won’t be RFiD covered unless inside the wallet.

Available in grey or deep purple for a dash of color, it’s a good-value-for-money all-rounder.

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The Verdict: Best travel wallets

If you’re after a one-stop-shop wallet, which is both well-priced and well-made, we’d recommend kikki K’s patterned number.

Balancing sturdiness and style, the silvery, wanderlust-feel cityscape decoration adds a fun touch, and interior sections keep everything neatly divided. It also comes in a pretty matching box, and the wallet can be monogrammed for just £6 making it a strong gift option.

If you’re worried about security and prefer something more plain, the LifeVenture Mini RFiD wallet (for minimal packers) and the Osprey Document Zip Wallet (if you need room for more paperwork) are both reliable, highly-recommended choices.