Types of Wallets for College Students

We touched on this recently in the last blog post, when we discussed the best luxury wallets for college students. We encourage you to read through that post if you’d like to learn a bit more about what makes a good “luxury wallet” for college students.

But today, we’ll expand on that last part – what type of wallet does your college student need? After all, they’re college students. They’re not exactly – or shouldn’t be, at least – loaded up with credit cards, cash, insurance cards, and business cards. They have far more specific, typically more minimalist needs. 

So what type of wallet does a college student need?

First: Material

As far as material is concerned, there isn’t necessarily a wrong decision here. We are believers that fabric wallets should generally be avoided, as they get dirty easily, feel rough on the skin, and are more likely to rip than other options. But both nylon and leather make great materials.

Nylon is going to be for more active people that need a wallet that can breathe and move with them. If your college student is into bicycling or hiking, for example, ripstop nylon is a great choice, as it is breathable, won’t rip, and perhaps the thinnest material available on the market today. However, make sure that it is a very high quality, well made design so that it doesn’t feel or look cheap.

For everyone else, leather is an upscale option. Avoid genuine leather, as it is cheap, thick, and will fall apart quickly when handled by college students, but Nappa leather is a great choice for college students as it is a material that looks high end and will last for years.

Second: Style

Once you’ve determined a material, the next step is deciding what style of wallet to consider. Some of the wallets we have available are designed for working individuals that carry and need a lot of cards. Our Original design, for example, has space for a lot of cards that are all designed to be easily accessible. College students probably do not need that much room or that many cards.

Instead, look for wallets that are very easy to handle for a minimal number of cards:

• ID Wallets – College students need quick access to their ID and a few cards at most. ID wallets meet this need and then some. They have room for 10 cards, so if they do get a lot of gift cards there will be plenty of space to keep them all. But they only should require a smaller wallet with space for only a few cards, including their ID, and ID wallets are the best choice for that.
• Sports Wallets – Sports wallets are even smaller than ID wallets but much better for those on the go. They do not have an ID window, but since most college students are under 21, an ID window is less useful as there are very few services that are likely to require an ID. They are ultra small and ultra thin, because they’re designed to be for those on the go. The space they take up in the pocket is minimal, but they still have plenty of room for cash and other items.
• Hybrid Card Wallet – Although it may have other names from other wallet manufacturers, our wallet which we call the “Hybrid Card Wallet” is frequently given as a gift to college students because it combines some of the advantages of other wallet types. It has a flip out ID window, while the other side has room for the cards they may bring with them. It is very small, making it also useful for those on the move.

Another wallet worth considering is our card holder wallet. Since most college students no longer carry cash and pay each other and stores using their phone, a card holder wallet is very small and keeps only the cards a person needs with them, very little else, making it a simple go-to wallet for many students. 

Third: Color

Last but not least, the color of the wallet. Wallets do not have to be black or brown only (although those remain popular colors. Does your college student like a bit of color? Are they unique? Many types of wallets come in a variety of colors – including our leather wallets. There is no right or wrong choice here, as what matters is the college student’s personality.

BONUS: Micro Pen and Micro Pen Pocket

One of our favorite features with our wallets here at Allett is our micro-pen pocket, which fits a very small pen that we craft here at Allett. College students genuinely appreciate these micro-pen pockets and wallets, because they will often be in class or around campus and not have a pen on them when they need it most. Knowing one is in their wallet means they always have a pen in an emergency. 

Explore and Find Your Next Wallet

Allett is a designer wallet manufacturer that creates some of the finest quality wallets available today, hand crafted in California. Find the perfect wallet for your college student – or yourself – by exploring our wallets right here at Allett.