Welcome to the detailed review of the Dango D01 R-Spec wallet, the most exotic edition of Dango’s D01 series.
Dango D01 R-Spec Review
The Dango D01 R-Spec is a thin, stylish, minimalist wallet with a fine metallic finish and prismatic powder coating. It has a capacity of 12 cards and 6 cash bills. The wallet has lots of useful features such as a band, bottle opener, attachment hole, and strong RFID protection for all the cards inside. It’s one of the most exotic, most luxurious open-frame wallets, and it can easily be classed as a first-grade product.
Should you buy the Dango D01 R-Spec wallet?
The D01 R-Spec wallet is a great choice for all automobile enthusiasts and sports cars lovers. It uses a modern, sleek, and sophisticated design inspired by the automotive industry, offering a cool and powerful alternative to the minimalist wallets that often use simple metallic or leather designs.
It’s a great choice for anyone looking for a thin and practical wallet, that also comes with a lot of style and elegance.
Buying
Like most Dango products, the official Dango store is the safest option to buy the D01 R-Spec wallet from, no matter where you are. You might also be able to find it on a few other regional ordering sites, depending on your location and time of purchase.
However, I would recommend dealing with Dango or some of their official dealerships directly. Their customer service, regular offers, and delivery process is top-notch and would be your best bet.
Additionally, they often give various discounts, generously lowering the price of products by up to 30%.
Price and shipping details
The D01 R-Spec model will usually cost you around $99.
Although compared to some premium Dango wallets it looks relatively cheap, it is still definitely a premium wallet on its own. After all, Dango does not offer that many budget-friendly products, and most of their wallets are in the premium price range. And we can’t expect anything less from one of the best-selling wallets brands in the past few years.
The company offers free shipping on all orders above $49, meaning you can get the R-Spec in 5 to 7 business days for free. Additionally, you can opt for the fast shipping option and get the wallet in 2 business days for about $8 extra.
Customer support
As we mentioned, Dango has a great customer support web. You can reach them through the Dango contact page, their support e-mail address [email protected], or at one of their social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Warranty and return policies
All Dango wallets come with a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty period. This warranty covers any defects that might occur to the wallet which are caused by a manufacturing or design fault.
You will also have a 30-days free return period, during which you can return the product and get your money back if you aren’t quite satisfied with it.
There are some rules and details that apply to these policies, most notably the fact that the wallet has to be returned in the same condition it was received in, you must have proof of purchase, etc…
Dango brand
Dango is an accessories brand, currently focused on designing and manufacturing wallets and watches. They have been an important member of this market for more than 6 years, during which they became one of the most well-known and best-selling minimalist wallets brands.
The company offers a large assortment of products, divided into multiple series and categories. Each series has some unique features bound to it. And these features are exactly what helps Dango stand out among all other companies.
Innovation is key to their design process, often putting a large focus on redefining the wallets’ builds, their systems, and the mechanisms they use. The main goal of Dango is to make the wallets a useful accessory that will stand out in your wardrobe the same way a classy watch would.
Basics
Dango’s D-series wallets are one of the simplest ones to use. Their signature design consists of two plates bonded to each other, making a single or double pocketed frame without any enclosing.
Many models from this series come with various exteriors and adapters, but the R-Spec one isn’t designed like that. Embodying high-performance and sophistication, Dango took a lot of inspiration from the motorsport industry here. They designed the wallet in the same style we’ve observed in most exotic vehicles which are often associated with coolness, performance, and style.
How to use the Dango D01 R-Spec wallet?
The wallet is made to be used as a standalone piece, with clean, sharp lines, maximizing usability with its two uncovered pockets that offer easy access to its contents. It doesn’t have any spectacular features or complexities, just a simple, exotic, double-pocket cardholder.
Both plates, which form the wallet’s build, are tightened together with a dozen of screws and a silicone band tied around them. In between them, there is a third, middle piece of fabric that divides the wallet into two compartments.
Each of the compartments is made to hold your cards, which you put in and pick out with a push of a finger. The silicone band forms an additional, third, open pocket at the backside of the wallet where you can store your cash bills if needed.
Build quality
Aside from its sleek looks, the R-Spec has one of the sturdiest builds in the game of open-frame minimalist pockets.
Materials
The main plates that form the wallet’s chassis are made from 6061 aerospace-grade CNC’d aluminum, a material found in all premium wallets today. It has passed the test of time as one of the sturdiest and most durable metals, easily justifying its price, and putting the wallet in the category of the best aluminum wallets.
The whole chassis is additionally covered in prismatic powder coating, adding to the glossing, metallic looks. And of course, there is the carbon fiber backplate. While the front side of the wallet is made from nice, top-grain leather stitched to the chassis, the wallet has a high-quality, luxurious carbon fiber-made plate on the backside, screwed into the frame.
It all adds up to result in one of the most stylishly looking, “adrenaline-powered” minimalist wallets I have stumbled upon so far.
Aesthetics
Dango’s D01 R-Spec wallet is, simply put, a motorsport-inspired wallet, with sharp colors, sleek, elegant design, designed to fit anyone who considers their car to be a big part of their identity.
Design and fit to style
The design of the wallet implements pure minimalism, contrasting elements, and clean lines to deliver an item that will fit like a glove in any fast car enthusiast’s pocket.
The front of it has a nice, leather surface with accented stitching, while the back comes with a standout carbon fiber backplate, perfectly adding to the sleek, contrasting figure of the wallet.
The D01 R-Spec comes in 4 color variations:
- red
- white
- black
- grey
Each color has its own identity and is made to fit all the different kinds of exotic sports cars admirers. And, of course, the wallet is specifically built for such people. Car enthusiasts, motorsport people, adrenaline junkies – this is the one thing that has been missing from your pockets all along.
Features
As is the case with sports cars, from where this wallet draws most of the inspiration, you will often sacrifice features and utility, to get an exotic and luxurious look and feel. With the D01 R-Spec, Dango has done exactly so, sacrificing some features to make this wallet sleek, thin, compact, and drastically imposing.
Weight, size, dimensions
The specific dimensions of the wallet are:
- Height: 2.62 in / 6.65 cm
- Width: 4.37 in / 11.1 cm
- Depth: 0.4 in / 1 cm
Judging by these numbers, it’s obvious that this is one of the smallest and thinnest wallets found on the market. Additionally, it only weighs around 2.5 oz / 70 gr, the perfect size and weight for someone who plans to spend a lot of time in the seat of their car.
RFID blocking
As is expected with such strong aluminum and carbon fiber build, the wallet has complete RFID protection and will keep all your cards safe from information theft.
You should have in mind that this only applies to the inner pockets designed for cards, which is not the case with the outer pocket found on the silicone band. That pocket is completely open, non-RFID protective, and is there purely to hold your cash bills.
Wallet band
The wallet band tied around the frame is made from silicone and is strapped very tightly and neatly. It helps keep the contents fastened while making the wallet elastic, and its pockets accessible.
It serves as a multipurpose band, on one hand keeping the wallet tight and safe, while on the other acting as a cash holder on the outer side.
Although it only comes in a dark black color, it still looks astonishing on all four color variations of the wallet’s chassis. And even if you aren’t fond of its color, you can always buy an additional one for an extra $5. Dango offers them in a wide variety of colors, all available on their web store.
Bottle opener
One of the regular features Dango included in all their latest editions is the built-in bottle opener.
The opener is found at the edge of the chassis, mounted on the side of the plates. It’s not on par with the best bartending tools but will come in handy when you are about to pop a few beers with your friends but have no bottle opener in sight.
Attachment hole
Also mounted on the side of the chassis is the attachment hole, a multifunctional feature that will be very useful to all the adventurers, and people who like to have their accessories serve as hybrid tools as well.
You can attach many things to this hole, such as a rope, tether, key chain, and many, many more items that will ease your daily life.
How many cards can the Dango D01 R-Spec wallet hold?
The D01 R-Spec wallet is designed to hold up to 12 cards in its two compartments.
The main pocket can hold up to 8, while the second one up to 4 cards inside. You can, of course, stick a few within the silicone band as well if needed, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Those cards will be very loose, unsafe, and really won’t fit in the open, outer pocket.
How much cash can the Dango D01 R-Spec wallet hold?
The wallet can comfortably hold around 6 bills within the silicone band, folded in quarters to be sufficiently tight.
However, if the wallet is slightly emptier and with fewer cards inside, you might be able to fit up to a dozen of the bill on it. It’s a pretty spacious wallet overall and storage is not an issue with the D01 R-Spec model.
Is the Dango D01 R-Spec water resistant?
With the open pockets, simple frame, and no exterior cover, this is not a water-resistant wallet at all. While it’s built from strong materials that won’t be damaged by any water contact, it still won’t protect your cards from it.
Is the Dango D01 R-Spec TSA compliant?
The Dango D01 R-Spec wallet is perfectly safe to be taken to the airport and on to the plane.
Since it has a metal structure, you will have to take it off for an additional check-up by the security (which is why it may not be considered one of the best TSA-compliant wallets exactly), but you should have no problem taking it onboard with you afterward.
Known issues and problems
No matter how neatly designed they are, open-frame wallets are never without an issue, at least the models released so far.
First, the materials this wallet is made from are not all that great.
Some of them, such as aluminum, or carbon fiber, will offer durability and longstanding usage.
But the other materials, like genuine leather, which is among the worst types of leather, or the silicon used for the wallet band, will quite easily wear off after a couple of years. The band will also continuously stretch, until it becomes too loose and usable, forcing you to change it for a new one.
And second, the usability of the wallet can be a bit complex. Accessing your cards in tight wallets like this one is often a struggle, especially for new users who are accustomed to their old, more relaxed wallets. This issue becomes more apparent the more cards you stuff inside.
This is, of course, up to your personal preferences and how accustomed you are to minimalist wallets.
It should be noted that when it comes to their usability, open-frame Dango wallets are often rated pretty low by most users. This is largely thanks to the tightness of the wallet and the fact that it uses a stretching elastic for its pockets.
Dango D01 R-Spec vs Dango D01 Dapper
Carbon fiber plates and automotive aesthetics are great, but for most people quite redundant features that don’t hold any real value. And for such people, there is another, similarly built wallet, found in the same D-series.
The D01 Dapper is the best-selling Dango wallet out of their whole assortment, and has passed all possible tests with flying colors.
It has the same build, capacity, and features as the R-Spec version. The only difference is the materials used in it. The D01 Dapper’s backplate isn’t made from carbon fiber, but from aluminum, just like the main chassis.
The plates are not covered in prismatic powder coating as well, and the whole wallet has a much more vintage, leather style, rather than the exotic, metallic one found on the R-Spec model.
And, naturally, all of this comes at a much better price, with the D01 Dapper costing around $69. It’s a much better choice, budget-wise, for people who weren’t too fond of the fierce approach of the D01 R-Spec wallet.
Who should not buy the Dango D01 R-Spec?
If you aren’t looking for a wallet that is ultra-thin and exotic at any cost, then the D01 R-Spec may not be the one for you.
This is not a wallet for people who prefer style over functionality. There are many other, similarly priced wallets, with lots more features that offer a great style as well. They may not be as extravagant and flashy as this one, but I doubt that is your main concern if you need more features.
Also, I wouldn’t recommend this wallet to people who carry lots of cards on them daily. Although the official storage for the D01 R-Spec is 12 cards, stuffing it so much makes it very hard to use. Besides its usability, putting 12 cards in its pockets pushes the backplate too far away from the chassis for it to be considered safe.
This wallet is priced at around $100 usually, which may make it unaffordable to some people. If that’s you, take a look at my guides on the best wallets under $50 and the best wallets under $30.
And finally, the prismatic powder coating and carbon fiber backplate form very strong and flashy metallic looks that are not sufficiently contrasted by the leather upfront. And if your attire is not something so flashy or exotic too, the aesthetics of this wallet might not suit you so well.
Who should buy the Dango D01 R-Spec?
This wallet is a perfect fit for adrenaline junkies and people fond of the motorsport industry.
Owners of sports cars, muscle cars, racing motorcycles, and other power vehicles always love to have their whole outfit in tone, not letting a single piece stick out from their atoned attire. And if you recognized yourself in this description, then Dango has finally got you covered with its auto-moto-inspired D01 R-Spec wallet.
Aside from the obvious style fit this wallet has, a few other people come to mind that will find it useful.
I would recommend this wallet to anyone carrying around 5 to 8 cards, coupled with a few bills in their pockets. The simple, open pockets design makes this model a perfect cardholder if you don’t expect anything more from your wallet.
And finally, as one of the slimmest wallets available today, the thin and elegant figure will make the D01 R-Spec a great choice for a lot of people that like to remain clutter-free. Many of you don’t look for a model with tons of features, and just a thin replacement for their old, bulky wallet. And with its depth of less than half an inch, this Dango wallet is just perfect for you.
Where to buy the Dango D01 R-1 Spec from?
Dango D01 R-Spec Specifications
| Type | minimalist |
| Max n. of cards | 12 |
| RFID blocking? | yes |
| TSA compliant? | yes |
| Materials used | aluminum, carbon fiber, stainless steel, genuine leather, silicone |
| Height | 2.62 in / 6.65 cm |
| Width | 4.37 in / 11.1 cm |
| Depth | 0.4 in / 1 cm |
| Weight | 2.5 oz / 70 g |
| Features | RFID protection, wallet band, bottle opener, attachment hole |
| Water resistance | some |
| Warranty | lifetime |
| Return period | 30 days |
