Wallets, a New Year, and Reflecting on 2025
The trends that defined the wallet industry this year.
With the new year here and gone, it's time to reflect on what were some of the biggest trends in the wallet world in 2025 and give a few mentions to the new wallets that I really enjoyed using this year. 2025 was a year that saw big changes in many aspects of the wallet industry, but honestly, could be seen as dull to many. Below are just some of the trends I've identified that made 2025 what it is and just a few comments about the future and 2026.
An explosion of tracking cards
Being able to track a wallet’s location used to be reserved exclusively for smart wallets, or at the very least, people who were happy to pay for an AirTag. The biggest problem for most, including myself, is there wasn’t a very good tracker for people using Android. That all changed in 2025, and it seems like overnight a generic tracker was released, which saw big and small name brands slap their logo and branding on it and release it as their own. Ekster, Ridge, among others - all suddenly have a self-branded tracker working on Android’s own network. Pretty sweet.
The era of premium wallets
Many big-name brands this year either leveled up their wallets with a revamp or released an entire new range of wallets with a larger focus on quality, in terms of both craftsmanship and materials used. Ekster was at the forefront of this with the release of two wallets, the Ekster Pro and Ekster Cardholder Pro, that beefed up their wallet’s durability with a metal pop-up mechanism and premium Italian leather. Secrid followed suit with their Premium+ range, with their fluted style being one of my personal favourites of the year. Finally, Ridge released a highly anticipated Ridge 2.0 Wallet with some nice quality-of-life updates.
Discover Secrid’s Premium Range
Slider wallets are all the rage
One fairly new category of wallets got hyped up and picked up by a bunch of different brands in 2025. A slider wallet is similar to the classic pop-up wallet but with one key difference: instead of a lever or button, you simply slide upwards on the body and your cards come flying out. Invented and popularised by Groove Life back in 2023 and quickly picked up by Ogon with its Slider wallet, this style didn’t see much engagement at the time, but that changed in 2025. Brands have quickly caught onto the unique nature of this wallet, and the likes of Dango and Puncube have all since released their version of the slider wallet.
Kickstarter quietened down?
Kickstarter has been a dominant platform for young brands and innovators to get their wallets seen. But the trend and popularity of wallets is nothing but a shadow of its former self. In 2025, fewer and fewer wallets were funded through the platform. What’s caused this? Well, the wallet industry isn’t doing as hot as it was back in the early 2010s when we saw a wave of innovation in the space, from bulky bifolds to sleek minimalist designs. That innovation has happened, the space has been transformed, and now it’s understandable that the industry takes a breather, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong, there’s still innovation happening. In 2025, the likes of the KCOPE Wallet hardcase and the Slidemorph wallet—which utilises a unique fan system for easy card access.
Discover the Kickstarter Craze
Where we are and where we’re going: 2026 and beyond
Overall, 2025 wasn’t very exciting and wasn’t anything I’d shout home about in terms of innovation or wallets released. It’s interesting to compare where the industry was five years ago versus now, back then, every month brought something genuinely new. Now, we’re seeing refinement rather than revolution. Premium materials, better build quality, and convenient features like universal tracking are the focus.
And honestly? That’s not a bad thing. The foundations have been laid. The minimalist wallet category has matured, and brands are now competing on execution rather than concept. As for 2026, I’m hoping to see slider wallets continue to evolve, more brands embrace tracking as standard rather than a premium add-on, and maybe, just maybe, something on Kickstarter that actually surprises me. We’ll see.