This is a detailed review of the Dango D01 Dapper wallet. We will go through every single aspect of it, all the good and bad sides, and see if it’s the right choice for you.
Dango D01 Dapper Wallet Review
The Dango D01 Dapper wallet is a lightweight, minimalist, stylish, TSA-compliant wallet for men that fits up to 12 cards and some cash. It has a few tactical features such as RFID blocking, the bottle opener, and the glass breaker. The wallet has a modern look and feel, the level of quality is pretty much premium, and yet it is priced as an affordable wallet.
Should you buy the Dango D01 Dapper wallet?
Most modern people will find the Dango D01 Dapper to be an excellent minimalist wallet.
There is one type of owner, however, that will find the wallet to be simply perfect.
If you are mindful of the objects you carry in your wallet, you like to stay organized, you hate clutter, then the Dango D01 Dapper will be the right choice for you.
The ideal owner of this wallet is the guy who only needs a few cards, and only carries little cash on him.
Buying
There are only two places online where you can buy the original Dango D01 Dapper wallet, and those are Amazon and the official Dango store.
I recommend buying through the Dango store, as the prices and the warranties on the product will be the same, but you will also get the option to buy the paracord handle, a.k.a. the tether (which I recommend getting). Still, check out the Amazon listing as well, as they may offer better prices at times.
Also, the Dango store offers the option to split the payment into 4 monthly interest-free installments of $17.25 through Afterpay.
Price and value for money
Usually, the Dango D01 Dapper costs $69.
With a price like that, this is far from a luxury wallet, but it’s not a budget wallet either.
Given all the stress and time this item will save you, the efficiency it can bring to your life, and the fact that you will probably never buy another wallet, I’d say this product is excellent value for money.
The Dango brand
Dango is a US-based manufacturer of higher-end wallets, but also accessories, clothing, apparel, and other everyday carry items. They have been on the market since 2015, and they focus on durable goods, with quality levels of higher-ticket items, while pricing them affordably and making them accessible to the regular customer.
Shipping
Shipping is free with both Amazon and Dango.
They ship from the US, so if you’re ordering outside of the US, there might be additional taxes and customs fees for your delivery. Shipping in North America can take anywhere from one to several days.
Customer support
You can reach the Dango customer support team through their contact page, or through their support email [email protected]. They will respond within one business day or less. The company is based in California, USA.
Warranty
Dango stands behind their products fully, and they offer a lifetime warranty on manufacturing defects, such as missing parts, broken metal, torn leather, ripped paracords, etc. This does not include damage from excessive use, wear and tear, etc, and that includes scratches, fading, basic longevity of materials, lost parts, ripped leather, chipped metal, chipped coating, etc.
If you file a warranty claim, you will have to cover the shipping costs for the item in both directions.
Return and refund policy
If you wish to return the Dango D01 Dapper for a refund, you have 30 days to do so. This applies when buying both through Dango and Amazon.
You should also keep the original packaging, as it is required for the refund to be valid. Both the packaging and the product should be in the exact same condition you’ve received them in. Keep in mind that the return shipping costs will be covered by you. The refund may take up to 7 business days to complete.
Basics
The Dango D01 Dapper wallet is small, lightweight, portable, minimalist, and very simple to use. It is arguably one of the best minimalist wallets for men made to date.
How to use
The most important parts of the wallet are the two compartments, and the silicone cash band.
There are three plates that make up the wallet, forming two distinct compartments for your items. Whenever you wish to put something in or take something out, you just have to open the compartments by pulling the plates apart.
The plates are more than simple rectangular shapes, and have notches in the form of tabs on both the top and the bottom. You can easily take out your cards either by pushing them through the notch on the bottom, or pulling them from the notch on the top.
Unboxing
The wallet arrives in a premium-looking tin can. The can is pretty sturdy, and damages during shipping are almost unheard of because of it.
You can (and should) save this can, both because you may need it in the case of a refund, but also because you may find other uses for it.
The box includes the wallet, the paracord if you’ve ordered one, and a small user manual with some basic instructions.
User manual
Every package comes with a brief, illustrated user manual.
The manual will not have some secret knowledge or hidden tips on how to use the wallet, and using the wallet itself is pretty straightforward. However, I still recommend quickly checking it out, as different versions of the product may differ slightly in how they should be used.
Quality
One of the strongest sides of the Dango D01 Dapper is its build quality.
Dango holds several patents, for innovations in the wallets area but also for other products as well. They also have a patent for this particular wallet.
Durability
With a very simple design, and very few moving parts, there is a very big chance nothing goes wrong with this wallet for a long time. The Dango D01 Dapper is one of those wallets that will last you a lifetime, and their warranty policy vouches for that. All of the materials used are of the highest quality.
Breaking or seriously damaging the wallet in everyday situations would be close to impossible. You’d probably have to bang the wallet with a hammer in order to really damage it. None of the surfaces of the wallet scratch easily.
Materials
The frame of the wallet is made of 6061 anodized aerospace-grade CNC’d aluminum.
There are 11 screws made of stainless steel.
The leather used is genuine top-grained leather, and the band for the cash is made from silicone.
Known issues and problems
As with any popular consumer product, the Dango D01 Dapper is not without its downsides and issues.
Probably the most common issue reported is the sliding front plate. When the wallet is not full, there is some wiggle room, and one of the plates floats around and is held only by the band. Personally, I don’t see what the big deal here is, as this doesn’t really impact the wallet’s functionality, but it seems to bother a few people, so you should be aware of it.
I believe that the biggest potential issue with this product might be the difficulty of putting cards inside of the wallet, especially if you already have 5-6 cards in there. The process might take a few seconds, and honestly, I would love for it to take just one.
A small issue that can happen occasionally is that the part where the bottle opener is located may get stuck in your clothing or get tangled with other objects in your pocket. Almost nobody has complained about this, but I believe it may be an issue at times.
Another smaller issue reported by some owners is the screws being loose. To be fair, this has only been reported by a handful of owners (out of thousands of reviews), but it’s still an annoying issue. In any case, this is a defect that’s covered by the warranty.
Other rarely reported issues might include pulled threads and poor quality overall, although the latter one is truly rare.
Finally, you should know that the product has a California Proposition 65 warning, although that’s the case for a lot of other similar products including many other wallets.
Design
The Dango D01 Dapper goes for a minimalist, smart design, which is evident not only from its size, but also from its shape and color choices.
Aesthetics, look and feel
As with most Dango products, this wallet follows the “form follows function” rule as well. However, even though the wallet strikes a good balance between looks and functionality, it still errs on the side of style a bit more.
This is definitely not your grandfather’s wallet that can carry all of those nickels and dimes and 26 business cards of used car salesmen. What you get with this wallet instead, is the ability to make a statement about your style and your view of the world.
Colors
The Dango D01 Dapper comes in a wide variety of default color choices:
- jet black base with satin silver edges
- whiskey brown base with satin silver edges
- rawhide brown base with slate grey edges and red stitching
- jet black base with slate grey edges
- rawhide brown base with red edges
- all jet black
- all red
I’m an all-black type of guy, and I would recommend the all jet-black choice to most people. However, with this wallet, I might see a strong case being made for the satin silver and jet black combo, as those colors will emphasize the minimalist look of the wallet the most. The all-red option is also quite eye-catching and appealing to me, and I would recommend it to anyone looking to make a bolder statement with their accessories.
Keep in mind that when buying through Dango, you can choose the colors of the wallet and the band separately, which kinda liberates you from the default choices available on Amazon, and you can customize the look of your wallet further.
Additionally, you can choose the color of the paracord, and that way you can fully personalize the look of your wallet and make sure it fits with the rest of your items and clothing.
Fit to clothing style
If you care to match your wallet with the rest of your clothing, you should choose the appropriate color for the style you’re going for. In general, the Dango D01 Dapper is a very modern-looking wallet, and while style is subjective, I believe that this wallet will best fit elegant or business outfits, but it may also look great with a sporting or a casual look.
Features
With its brave yet clever design, this product practically forces you to focus on what’s essential, and get rid of all the unnecessary fluff.
Everyday use
This is a very compact, very neat wallet that is seamless and easy to use. It will definitely simplify your life and add value to it by helping you stay organized, clean, and efficient.
Unless you stuff your wallet with a bunch of items, you will have no issue using the contents of this wallet and getting them in and out easily. Using this wallet with about 5-6 cards is a very smooth and pleasant experience.
The wallet has two distinct compartments. I suggest using the one with the notch on the top for the cards you use the most often, such as your payment cards, and possibly some store cards, some key cards, transport cards, etc. Use the other compartment for cards that you must carry with you at all times but don’t necessarily need to take out all that often, such as your ID card, your driver’s license, etc.
The biggest advantage of this wallet is that it will completely eliminate “the bulge” in your pockets. In fact, the Dango D01 Dapper is barely noticeable even when you carry it in your front pocket, which is great news for both your style and for protecting you against theft.
One of my biggest pet peeves with wallets in general is that they often cause discomfort while sitting, especially if you’re not wearing loose pants. That’s not gonna be the case with the Dango D01 Dapper – you will barely notice that you have it on you, even when sitting down and wearing tighter pants.
Size and weight
The wallet weighs just 2.5 oz / 70.87 g.
It has the following dimensions:
- width: 4.375 in / 11.11 cm
- height: 2.625 in / 6.66 cm
- depth: 0.375 in / 0.95 cm
That makes this wallet a very lightweight and portable one.
Notches
Unlike most minimalist wallets out there that have either no notches, or just one, the Dango D01 Dapper has two notches – a larger one on the top, and a smaller one on the bottom. You can use the top one to easily pull the cards, and the bottom one to push them out, although pushing them from the bottom will likely be your preferred way of doing things, as it’s much easier.
Silicone cash band
The cash band is made from high-quality durable silicone, and it is very thick and very tight. It will securely hold any number of cash bills. Keep in mind, however, that you probably won’t want to carry more than 20 bills if you want to retain the minimalist look and function.
The band has been stress-tested by thousands of owners worldwide, and it doesn’t break or stretch out even after years of usage. In fact, breaking the band would require super-human efforts.
Paracord handle
One of my favorite features about this wallet is its paracord handle, sometimes called the tether. This nifty little addition addresses one of the most common problems with wallets, which is getting them out of your pocket easily. By reaching inside of your pocket, locating the paracord, and pulling it, you will get your wallet out in no time and very smoothly. You will even gain a reflex for this.
The paracord is optional, and you will have to buy it additionally. It costs an extra $15, but in my opinion, it’s money well spent. A case could be made that you could just use any old rope and put it through the hole for the paracord, but keep in mind that the original paracord has been tested and proven to be very strong and durable, and you also have a lifetime warranty on it as well, plus it will go well with the wallet from a style perspective, so it’s simply better to buy it in my opinion.
The paracord is only available if you buy through the Dango store, and not through Amazon.
Bottle opener
One of the everyday carry features of this wallet is that it can be used as a bottle opener.
This feature won’t help you win any bartending competitions, but it can be useful in a pinch and it can be a life-saver when you have a few friends over and a few cold beers but no bottle opener in sight.
Glass breaker
Probably the most tactical feature of this wallet is the glass breaker edge. Again, this is a complementary feature that will not be at the same level as a dedicated tool for the job, but it can also be a life-saver (this time, literally).
How many cards can the Dango D01 Dapper fit?
Officially, the Dango D01 Dapper can fit 12 cards, according to the manufacturer. While several owners have confirmed this independently, stuffing 12 cards in this wallet would make it so packed that getting the cards out would be quite difficult. Realistically, you can expect to put up to 8 cards in there without too much trouble, and I would probably recommend this wallet for a person that carries up to 5-6 cards most of the time.
Capacity
The largest number of cards that the wallet can hold is 12, and additionally, it can hold several dozen bills of cash with the silicone band.
Check out my guide on minimalist wallets that can hold a larger number of cards if that’s what you need.
Is the Dango D01 Dapper TSA-compliant?
The Dango D01 Dapper is TSA-compliant and it will not cause you any trouble at the airport. Of course, you will have to take it out in order to pass the radar check, as it’s still a metal object and if you try to go through the scanners with it, it will raise the alarms.
Does the Dango D01 Dapper have RFID blocking?
The Dango D01 Dapper has the RFID (radio-frequency identification) blocking feature, which prevents the chips from your cards to connect to the card readers of potentially malicious entities.
Is the Dango D01 Dapper a tactical wallet?
Although the Dango D01 Dapper has some tactical features, most notably the RFID blocking, the bottle opener, and the glass breaker, it lacks some other features that other truly tactical wallets have, so we can’t say it fully belongs in the tactical wallets category.
Cleaning and hygiene
You can use sanitizer to clean and sanitize the wallet.
You can use a damp cloth and some soapy water to remove stains from the leather. The leather is of the finest quality and it will not acquire that bad leather smell that cheap leather products acquire after a long time of usage.
See my guide on how to clean a leather wallet for more details.
Water resistance
The items you place in the wallet are not covered in any way, so obviously, they will not be protected against water damage.
The wallet itself, however, will not be damaged from contact with water for the most part. The stainless steel screws will definitely not suffer any damage, but there is a small chance for the aluminum to corrode, so make sure to dry off your wallet if it has been in contact with water. The silicone band will not be affected by water at all, and while the leather may soak up some water, it will not be damaged, either.
Dango D01 Dapper vs Ridge Aluminum
These are arguably the two most popular minimalist wallets on the market today, and it’s no wonder they are compared so often.
Both are aluminum wallets, both have RFID blocking, both weigh about the same, and can fit the same number of cards.
The Dango D01 Dapper is a bit cheaper. Also, in my opinion, it looks a bit more elegant, as the Ridge is almost entirely metal, and that may also prove to be less comfortable for wearing all the time, as it will be more rigid. The Ridge only has one notch, while the Dango has two, and that results in better usability overall. Also, the money clip of the Ridge will not be as strong as the silicone band of the Dango D01 Dapper, and the band of the Dango will probably prove to be more durable over the long run.
So, in most cases, I would probably recommend the Dango D01 Dapper to most people.
I would recommend the Ridge Aluminum to anyone that’s looking for that stellar brand recognition, as this is probably the most popular minimalist wallet ever. The Ridge wallet has a more sci-fi look and feel, so if you’re going for a more modern look instead of a more elegant one, then the Ridge might be your pick, too. Also, the Ridge is sturdier and harder, and while that may feel less comfortable in your pocket, it will also be better for durability. See my complete Ridge Aluminum review if that wallet sounds more interesting to you.
Reviews and customer satisfaction
At the time of writing, the Dango D01 Dapper has around 700 reviews on the brand’s store, and around 2700 ratings on the Amazon listing. It is clearly one of the most popular minimalist wallets ever made.
As we all know, reviews hosted on private brand listings may not always be very trustworthy. However, when it comes to the Dango store, we can immediately see that they’re not only showing the 5-star reviews, which is something I’m always pleased to see from a brand.
Even more importantly, the Amazon rating of this product is amazing as well, and that’s impossible to fake. Currently, the wallet has a 4.5-star average rating, with only 3% of the reviews being 1-star reviews, and about 74% of them being 5-star ones!
With those kinds of reviews, it’s more than clear that the Dango D01 Dapper is an amazing wallet.
Who should not buy the Dango D01 Dapper?
Even though not really expensive, this is not exactly a budget wallet. Maybe consider getting something cheaper if $69 is not a price you are happy to pay for a wallet.
This wallet is definitely not for people that want or need to carry a dozen or more cards with them. While the wallet may fit around 12 cards if you really push it, the everyday use of those cards will be difficult because the wallet will be too stuffed and the cards will often get stuck.
Also, this is not the right wallet for carrying lots of cash. Anything more than 20 bills will put a lot of strain on the wallet and make it difficult to use.
Finally, anyone that simply has a ton of items they expect to carry in this wallet, should look at other options.
Who should buy the Dango D01 Dapper?
People who hate the bulge that old-school fat wallets make in their pockets, will find this wallet to be just right.
Also, this will be a great wallet for people that ride the subway a lot, take other public transport frequently, or spend a lot of time in public crowded places, because it’s a theft-resistant wallet that’s hard to notice by pickpockets, and thieves can’t charge your cards because of the RFID blocking feature.
And, of course, the modern men that have at least a drop of style, like to stay organized and efficient, know what they need on their person and what they can leave at home, will also fall in love with the Dango D01 Dapper.
So, if any of that sounds appealing to you, check out the Dango D01 Dapper.
Where to buy the Dango D01 Dapper from?
Dango D01 Dapper Specifications
| Type | minimalist |
| Max n. of cards | 12 |
| RFID blocking? | yes |
| TSA compliant? | yes |
| Materials used | 6061 aerospace-grade CNC’d anodized aluminum, stainless steel, genuine leather, silicone |
| Height | 2.6 in / 6.66 cm |
| Width | 4.4 in / 11.11 cm |
| Depth | 0.375 in / 0.95 cm |
| Weight | 2.5 oz / 70.87 g |
| Features | push notch, silicone band, tether, bottle opener, glass breaker, RFID blocking |
| Water resistance | some |
| Warranty | lifetime (excluding wear-and-tear and extensive use damage) |
| Return period | 30 days |
