naoLoop Wallet Review [Buyers Guide]
The NaoLoop range of wallets is about as minimalist as it gets. These types of wallets that I’d ever describe as hyper-minimalist as their sole purpose is to store your belongings (cash and cards) in as little size as possible. NaoLoop achieves this wholeheartedly with clever use of an extremely flexible Latex (elastic) band that ‘loops’ around and can store a surprisingly large amount of cards and cash with ease.
NaoLoop first hit the scene back in early 2009 where german industrial designer Tim Richter developed and continually improved the range of wallets, over many years, in Shanghai. It’s clear that although their simple design might be deceiving the naoLoop range has gone through a partnership of design and continuous improvement that lasted more than 10 years.
‘naoLoop is created with the utmost care and attention. Its high-quality, robust materials are designed to last a lifetime. Both skilled craftsmanship and precise machining define our production process. We gradually improved the quality of naoLoop to be the best and most minimal wallet available’. – Founder 2020.
naoLoop Basic
The naoLoop Basic is the smallest and simplest wallet in the range. This wallet is made up of a simple elastic loop that is purposely designed for storing credit/debit cards. The Signature material used in all naoLoop products is a polyester latex band that can stretch more than 50%, retain its shape, and hold your items very tightly. I’ve reviewed many elasticated wallets in my time (for a list click here) and I must say the naoLoop is definitely in the top 3 for quality and durability.
naoLoop Pen
This is an improvement on the basic wallet with an additional slot for a pen. One thing to keep in mind is a normal-sized pen probably wouldn’t fit very well. In all the photography the wallet is shown to be holding the infamous fisher space pen that comes in at around 40mm in length. I tried with a more normal-sized pen (around 80mm) and it wasn’t very good. That being said, if you’re an avid user of the fisher space pen, or have another pen that is around that length, it is a very effective and secure means to carry a pen with you on a daily basis. The naoLoop Pen comes in at around $20.00.
naoLoop Beauty
Much like the previous wallet, the naoLoop Beauty offers two slots, one for cards and one for a larger beauty product sized for a typical lipstick shape. Although it’s advertised as the ‘beauty’ the size and shape of the elastic slot could accommodate a range of different items. For example, I tried chewing gum, a penknife, and lighter and they all fit fairly well and secure within the wallet. The Beauty comes in at a price tag of $20.00.
naoLoop Ultra
This is the largest and most versatile wallet in the range. The Ultra is a combination of all 3 previously mentioned wallets that hosts 3 separate slots each at differing sizes. The first one for cards and cash, the second for a pen and the third for a medium-sized accessory like a beautify product (lipstick) or stick of gum. The only downside to the Ultra is the awkward shape and larger size but if you’re someone looking to get the most out of a wallet such as this then it may be for you. The naoLoop Ultra comes in at a price tag of around $22.00.
Final Verdict
The naoLoop range of wallets is a nice refreshing batch of wallets with some unique features not seen in most wallets on the market today. If you’re a fan of carrying small items, such as pens, then you should very much consider these wallets for their versatility and affordability. These wallets won’t break the bank and their quality is high for a wallet of this price tag. For more information on the naoLoop range check out their official website with the link below.
