The Ogon Code Wallet Review

Ogon is one of the most popular wallet brands offering a unique array of hard case wallets. Hard case wallets themselves are unique being made from a strong, usually metal, material, while storing your cash, cards, and other items, within a closed container or case. While I give their original wallet a glowing review (featuring it in our Favorite Hardcase Wallets list), the unique aspects of their Code Wallet caught my eye, as no other wallet on the market combines a wallet with a combination lock. So how good is the Ogon Code Wallet? And how useful is having a lock as an integral part of your everyday carry? We delve into the subject with our full review of the Mini Safe Wallet by Ogon.

Look & Design

The Ogon Code wallet is a hard case design that aims to keep your cash, cards, and other belongings secured within the confounds of a case. Hard case wallets themselves are highly popular as they provide many distinct advantages including protection, water-resistance, and added security. In the case of the Ogon, this is probably on the smaller side of the Hardcase spectrum coming in at just 7.3 x 9.2 cm. This makes the wallet fairly minimalist in size, and compared to other wallets I found the wallet more pleasing to carry in a front or back pocket without causing too much bulk.

The wallet itself is made from a combination of lightweight aluminum which covers the entire outside and gives the wallet a premium look, with its internal compartment, and the entire case is made from shock-resistant plastic (an injected polycarbonate core). While both materials are durable and will provide high quality and long-lasting wallet, the plastic does cheapen the overall feel of the wallet. The Ogon Code Wallet also comes in a small array of color options to choose from including black, blue, carbon fiber, and even orange. 

Functionality & Utility 

Cards are stored internally in a card fanning style, with each card automatically fanned out in an easy-to-access way giving room between each card to grab and simply pull out. It’s a really satisfying way of access your credit/debit cards and works very well, while still retaining a large total capacity of up to 10 cards. Cash is stored in a dedicated slot to either side of the wallet, and although is less intuitive, still works well for a large wad of cash (folded). 

Finally, RFID Security is also included as a standard and protects all your cards for potential theft and data crimes. For those who don’t know, RFID protects your cards from crimes such as card skimming where contactless/wireless technology can be activated without your consent and money stolen. There’s a lot of debate over whether this type of crime is popular enough to warrant needing RFID security. You can read more regarding RFID in our full article here. 

Overall I was quite content with how the Ogon Wallet worked from storage and functional level. It has a capacity more than big enough and it was easy to access cash and cards (one the lock was actually open that is). 

How Useful is the Combination Lock?

The biggest problem I have with the Ogon Code Wallet is, futility enough, the actual code aspect of the wallet itself. Although a novelty item, the actual usability of the Combination lock itself doesn’t make much sense. If you’re Ogon Code Wallet is stolen I have no doubt that the criminal won’t have much of an issue getting into it using brute force. The wallet just isn’t made from materials high enough in quality to prevent, say a hammer, from smashing the thing wide open. 

So it begs the question, what’s even the point? When it comes to using the wallet yourself, I’ve never thought that needing a combination lock wallet was necessary, after all, I’m the owner. The only actually utility in the lock is it does give you additional time to react and cancel any debit or credit cards in the wallet before the thief has time to open it and use them. But modern-day cards can be canceled within seconds anyway with most modern banking apps having such features. For me, the Ogon Code Wallet seems more like a novelty item. Something unique that is really cool, but doesn’t translate well to real-world use. All it did for me was slow me down when it came to accessing my cash and cards which was annoying. 

Final Verdict

Overall, I wasn’t too impressed with the Ogon Code Wallet. It’s not that the wallet failed in any way. In fact, the wallet is more or less perfect in achieving what it set out to do. That being said, I can’t recommend the wallet, as I see no purpose in having a lock on a wallet in the first place. If you’re concerned about theft, then this wallet still won’t stop people from stealing your wallet, and even still 

Coming in at a price tag of $94.99 the Ogon Code Wallet isn’t cheap, and I would personally suggest if you’re looking for a Hardcase wallet stick to the Ogon’s classic wallet that does the same but without the unnecessary mini-safe feature. The locking mechanism really isn’t worth the hassle and if you’re like me you’ll end up using it less and less out of convenience (Ogon stipulate you can close it, without lock it if you wish). For more information on the Ogon Code Wallet check out their official website using the link below.