The Wallet Shoppe
A long wallet is a vertical-style wallet built to carry cash flat instead of folded. Below, we’ll look at what it is, what else it gets called, and why you’d carry one over a standard bifold.
The Best Breast Pocket Wallets
We looked far and wide to come up with the 9 best long wallets on the market!
These aren’t “one size fits all” - there’s a range of price points and styles here, from budget picks to full-on luxury.
For those that want to jump straight in, the tables below covers every wallet we will review. The full reviews are after the tables, or click here:
What Exactly is a Long Wallet?
What exactly is a long wallet? In its simplest form, a long wallet is a vertical-style wallet that allows cash to be carried flat without being folded. It’s really as simple as that.
(Since they are vertical, “tall wallet” might be a better term)
These wallets were originally made popular by motorcyclists who wanted a longer style wallet with easy to access cash, but with a chain attached to keep the wallet secure. These chain style wallets are still popular today, but the long wallet has evolved and is now appreciated by other groups as well.
Nowadays these wallets (although still carried by bikers) can be seen being carried by business professionals and anyone who wants something a little different.
The reason for this is that they fit so cleanly in a breast pocket of a sport coat. It really helps to eliminate the bulk when carrying. Cowboys or “western style” guys also carry long wallets, often emblazoned with various badges or other rivets… it gives them a westernized look.
The point is this: cowboys, bikers, and everyone in between can make a long wallet work. They come in materials such as leather, canvas, alligator … more on that later.
What Are Other Names For Men’s Long Wallets?
What else are long wallets called? Actually, there are a lot of different names for this type of wallet. Some of the more common ones are:
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Long Wallet
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Tall Wallet
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Vertical Wallet
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Breast Pocket Wallet
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Coat Wallet, or Coat Pocket Wallet
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Checkbook Wallet*
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Suit Wallet
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Rodeo Wallet, or Cowboy wallet (typically with a Western motif)
*We disagree with this one. A checkbook wallet is specifically designed to carry a checkbook, while a long wallet is more of a preference as to the way you carry your bills…longways.
Why Carry One?
There are a ton of reasons that a long wallet makes sense. Because of the elongated shape of the wallet, the user can carry cash longways without needing to fold it. This makes accessing the cash extremely easy, especially if you carry a lot of cash — when you’re digging through fifties, twenties, tens and ones, having them all accessible makes life much easier.
There’s also an elegance to them that a short wallet doesn’t have. When someone reaches into their breast pocket and pulls out a long wallet, there’s an air of sophistication to it. A lot of really high-end brands make long wallets, and it’s definitely a fashion statement — the same kind of quiet upgrade a good turtleneck brings to a fall outfit.
Because of the tall shape, a long wallet is also easy to access from your back pocket. Some people see that as a downside, but if you chain your wallet, it actually makes accessing it easier.
Tall wallets tend to be slimmer than their short-wallet counterparts too, since the contents spread out over a larger surface area instead of stacking up.
One thing to watch: because the wallet sticks out the top of your back pocket, it’s an easier target for pickpockets, so treat that as your cue to be careful — unless it’s chained to you, we’d recommend using these as breast pocket wallets instead.
They’re also not the pick for a minimalist. Long wallets aren’t designed for a front shirt pocket or front pants pocket, so you’ll need to be comfortable carrying it in a back pocket or sport coat instead. See our minimalist wallets list if that’s more your style.
Best Value For Money
*We’ve looked at the best long wallets for men across all different price points, styles, and functionality. *
Kattee Vintage Long Wallet
The Kattee Vintage is a budget-friendly long wallet that guys will love. It’s made from imported “top grain” crazy horse leather. Although not as durable as full-grain leather, top layer leather wears extremely well and will develop a nice patina over time.
Inside, there is room for plenty of items, even a checkbook, with one [1] clear ID pocket, four [4] bill pockets and eleven [11!] card openings.
The stitching appears very strong (and hence holds up over time). All in all, a great option at a great price.
Ariat Patriot Long Rodeo Wallet
This is definitely a wallet made for a true American patriot.
Super tough leather and canvas make up the exterior facing of the wallet. The canvas really makes this wallet stand out. It comes in a “Digital Camo” that corresponds with the color of the leather – black, brown, or green. The top of the wallet is also set with an American flag emblem that stands out nicely against the leather.
The interior of this wallet really sets itself apart as well. The wallet features an incredible 17(!) card slots (some are in the main material, some in a plastic interior sleeve), two cash pockets, as well as a clear plastic ID window.
House of Jack Long Bifold
This wallet by House of Jack really rounds out the first set of wallets on our list perfectly.
It comes in a vintage-style distressed leather across three different colors – black, brown and tan. The wallet features nine card slots on the inside as well as the ID window for your drivers license, etc.
Across from the card slots, the main cash slide compartment is great for carrying your bills without folding. Underneath the card slots there are for additional storage pockets for receipts, etc.
Clearly designed with hunters in mind, this wallet also has “Eat, Sleep, Hunt” screen-printed onto the interior cash pocket.
Mid-Range
Fossil Executive Tall Wallet
This long wallet from Fossil is a step up from the ones above.
The leather itself is supple and soft, definitely quality, with a cotton interior fabric lining for the pockets. It comes in two colors, brown or black. You really have to hold this wallet to appreciate the quality of leather, its very supple. Our only concern would be durability - the downside of being slim is that it might not take well to being treated roughly - something to bear in mind if your wallets tend to get a lot of wear and tear.
We really like the interior of this wallet because it keeps things simple and organized. It comes with seven card slots, a zipper pocket, one long bill pocket and one ID window.
BRASS TACKS Leathercraft Men’s Long Wallet
This long wallet from Brass Tacks has a slightly different design, with some of the card slots arranged vertically instead of the more traditional vertical alignment. We like the look of this design a lot.
Our only real criticism is that the card slots are very tight. Since there are only really 5 slots, thats a bit limiting as its hard (not impossible) to double-up cards. The wallet also has a transparent ID holder and a zippered pouch for coins.
Brass Tacks as a company are focussed on vintage-style leather goods, with hand-stitched designs, vegetable tanned full-grain Crazy Horse leather and waxed canvas.
All in all, this is a great mid-range option for a breast pocket wallet.
JooJoobs Leather Long Wallet
This beautiful wallet by JooJoobs out of Chiang Mai, Thailand comes in a fabulous distressed leather.
Measuring 3.25 by 6.75 inches, it comes with two long pockets for bills and six card pockets (although technically you can double up in each pocket for a total of 12 card slots).
All their products are hand-made, and custom ordered so you should expect a couple of days to put together and personalize your order before it gets shipped. Personalization for this wallet includes your initials in any size, font, and location, making this an excellent gift option.
Luxury
Bosca Coat Pocket Wallet
A quality men’s blazer needs a quality long leather wallet.
Bosca has you covered. Their wallet is vertically crafted to fit perfectly into your breast pocket inside your jacket. It has enough features to fit everything you’ll need, but its slim enough so you won’t even feel it inside your coat.
The design is practical too - we really like the way you can access your bills from the top of the wallet without having to open it up. Other features include five card slots as well as four stash pockets. The overall dimensions of the wallet are roughly 6.5″ x 3.75″.
Leather-wise, Bosca is in a different class from the others on this list. This vegetable tanned wallet is made from their signature old leather (“according to a centuries-old Tuscan technique”). A rich patina and classic look are both things you can expect - more a work of art than a utilitarian piece.
Michael Kors Tech Zip Around Wallet
The zip-around wallet is a little different in style to what we’ve seen so far.
A zipper encloses this beautiful Saffiano leather wallet to keep all of your contents secure. Inside, the wallet features twelve card slots, one zipper pocket, and a clear ID window.
There is also a bill compartment to allow cash vertically. RFID blocking technology protects the entire wallet. The overall dimensions of the wallet are roughly 8″ x 4″.
Some people might even find the wallet large enough to keep their phone inside if its a smaller model… definitely worth a shot.
XCraftsman Alligator Bifold Long Wallet
The last wallet on our list is from XCraftsman, out of Hanoi, Vietnam.
All the items from this Etsy store are handcrafted and unique, we’d encourage browsing the site to see the other products they make. This long wallet is the priciest on our list, but the price reflects the time that goes into each unique wallet. The exterior is a gorgeous dyed alligator leather – which certainly doesn’t look like any other wallet in our selection!
The soft goat leather interior has four pockets for bills, six card slots, and three extra pockets. Why have a wallet that looks like everyone else’s, when you can have a statement piece like this one?
FAQS
Why Is It Called a Rodeo Wallet?
A long, vertical wallet (typically with Western motifs) is sometimes called a Rodeo Wallet because of associations with the long wallets often used by rodeo cowboys
Why Are Rodeo Wallets So Long?
Rodeo cowboys used to have to pay their entry fees by cash or check, and the longer wallets were often used to carry checkbooks. This is less relevant today, but the style of long wallet with cowboy motifs is more fashion statement that practical device
Why Do Bikers Use Long Wallets?
Partly a style issue as western-style long wallets have cowboy associations, but partly because it’s easier to access a long wallet from safely inside a jacket. See also chain wallets.
