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Bandit Zip
Cost: $14.99
Dimensions: 4 ⅜ x 3” wide (11 x 7.6 cm)
Weight: 1.13 oz (32 g)
Bandit Bi-Fold
Cost: $18.99
Dimensions: 4” by 2 ¾ (10 x 7 cm)
Weight: 1.13 oz (32 g)
Bandit Lo-Pro
Cost: $10.99
Dimensions: 4” by 2 ¾ (10 x 7 cm)
Weight: 0.64 oz (18 g)
Chums Surfshorts Wallet:
Cost: $18.99
Dimensions: 4.3” x 3.0” (11 x 7.6 cm)
Weight: 0.6 oz (19 g)
Materials: Ripstop nylon, generic zips
Chums wallets are awesome. For years, my favorite minimalist travel wallet has been the Chums Surfshort wallet. It’s tiny, has separate zipper pockets for cards and cash, and includes a keychain so I can attach it to a cord and wrap it around my belt for added security.
Chums has recently released a new lineup of minimalist wallets. Here’s a quick, side-by-side look at the three new options: Bandit Zip, Bandit Lo-Pro, and Bandit Bi-Fold, along with how they compare in size, features, and capacity.
Chums Wallet Roundup
I consider these minimalist wallets because they’re small, designed to carry a minimal number of cards and cash, and they don’t include large pockets for receipts or coins.
All three are about the same overall size. The Surfshort and Bandit Zip are slightly larger at about 4 ⅜” x 3″ (11 x 7.6 cm). The Bandit Lo-Pro and Bandit Bi-Fold are about 4″ x 2 ¾” (10 x 7 cm). In practice, the size difference isn’t big enough to really matter or be noticeable in your pocket.
Quality of the Chums Wallets
In terms of quality, Chums wallets have always felt a bit mid-range: not amazing, but good enough to do the job, and fairly inexpensive for what you get.
They use a polyester ripstop-style fabric with small off-brand zippers, and the stitching isn’t exceptional, as there are noticeable small errors and slightly crooked seams. That said, I’ve used the Surfshort wallet for many years, and while it shows noticeable wear (especially on the zipper paint), it has never broken, ripped, or torn. So even though these aren’t amazingly crafted, they’re sufficiently built for the job and are a good deal for an inexpensive wallet.
Design & Function: Chums Minimalist Wallets
The Bandit Zip and Bandit Lo-Pro are both variations of a cardholder. Each has an elastic band for cash and a card slot on one side.
On the reverse side, the Lo-Pro is more minimalist, with another elastic band and only one additional card slot. That slot isn’t as deep, so the card sticks out a little for easier access. The other side goes all the way down (with a bottom indent to help push the card out). Overall, it’s a very simple, slim minimalist design.
The Zip gives you three card slots on the reverse side, plus a larger zippered pocket. It’s a better design if you carry more credit cards or want your cash more secure inside a zipper pocket. The Zip wallet is also a little wider, and the pocket isn’t as deep, so cards are easier to remove, and you don’t need the bottom indent.
The Bi-Fold is a completely different design. It’s basically two slim card-holder wallets connected together and secured with a magnetic strap. This design offers more flexibility, with four card-holders inside, and it looks more like a traditional bi-fold. It still keeps money on the back via an elastic band, and it adds a final clear-window ID holder on the other side.
Card & Cash Capacity
Capacity-wise, all of these are very minimalist, and none are meant to hold more than a small amount of cards and cash. The old standby Surfshort is the largest because it has two expandable pockets. A stack of 10 credit cards and 2 MetroCards easily fits in one side, and the other side is large enough for a stack of folded cash.
Next is the Zip, which has four card holders. It claims it holds 7 to 9 cards, and that’s technically true if you fill every pocket, but it gets tight, and there’s not room for anything else (other than the cash strap). Something like 4 to 6 cards feels more reasonable.
Then the Bi-Fold, with four card slots plus one clear ID window, effectively maxes out at 5 total cards plus the cash strap.
The smallest is the Lo-Pro, with only two card slots and two elastic cash straps. Chums claims it can hold 5 to 7 cards, but that’s only possible if you start sticking cards into the elastic.
Additional Features of the Chums Minimalist Wallets
One of my favorite features of the Surfshort wallet is the keychain that doubles as a cord attachment. You can put your keys on the ring and tuck them inside the pocket, and you can also attach a cord and wrap it around your belt. That makes it much harder to be pickpocketed or to accidentally lose your wallet.
The new lineup has something similar that can be used for a cord, but none of them are as nice. The Lo-Pro has an actual metal D-ring, while the other two just have small fabric loops. Those loops aren’t really designed to hold weight, and I probably wouldn’t trust them for that.
Chums also claims RFID protection. Their website says the wallets come with an RFID-blocking card (the included Booby Bird Driver’s License card). Apparently, it’s RFID blocking, but only if you carry it with the wallet, which takes up a card slot. It’s also cardboard, so I wouldn’t expect it to last long, especially if it gets wet. So while these wallets technically have RFID-blocking capability, in practice they really don’t.
Summary & Verdict
Overall, these are three good minimalist wallet options from Chums. They come in nice style and color options, stay small, and are inexpensive, especially useful for daily carry while traveling, when you only need a small amount of cards and cash.
My personal favorite of the three new wallets is the Bi-Fold. It feels more secure, looks the nicest, and is the most useful overall thanks to the magnetic clasp and four internal card slots.
If you want a very cheap minimalist option, the Lo-Pro is hard to beat at $10.99. It’s small, useful, and includes a ring attachment, but it’s really only practical if you carry just a few cards.
The Zip is a little larger, but the zipper pocket is kind of small. If you specifically want a zipper wallet, the Surfshort does it much better: it holds more and feels much more secure.
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