This is a very detailed review of the Trayvax Ascent Wallet, one of the most sophisticated and popular minimalist wallets for men at a more limited budget.
Trayvax Ascent Wallet Review
The Trayvax Ascent is an affordable, minimalist, elegant, leather wallet that can hold around 5 cash bills and up to 7 cards. The wallet also includes a Quick access card slot and pull tab (2-4 cards), engraving, and RFID blocking. The wallet is very slim and weighs only 3 oz/ 85 grams, but has bigger dimensions than other minimalist wallets.
Why should you buy the Trayvax Ascent Wallet?
Minimalist wallets seem to keep rising in popularity, and the same goes for the Trayvax Ascent Wallet.
The biggest advantage this wallet has is that it delivers the functionality of a minimalist wallet while keeping many well-loved characteristics of a traditional wallet. It has a high level of quality and enough capacity, all for a reasonable price. This wallet would be very appealing to a wide range of men since it has a very simple design that goes well with everything.
Buying and discounts
The Trayvax Ascent wallet is available through the official Trayvax store, or Amazon.
Prices with both options are usually the same. I would recommend getting it from the website since you have more options for personalization, and you can get 5% off the price by using my discount code tray5vax at checkout (or 15% if your order totals $600 or more with the coupon code pizzaslice15).
Still, you should definitely check out the wallet on Amazon as well, since you can come across great deals there as well.
Price and value for money
The price of this wallet on the official website is $59.99.
Considering the materials used to make this wallet, I consider this to be a fair price. The price on Amazon is typically around $70.99. Even though it’s not exactly a low-budget wallet, the price seems to be justified by the high quality.
Trayvax brand
Trayvax was started in 2013 and has grown quite a bit over the years. Made in the USA, they offer minimalist wallets, front pocket wallets, and metal gear. With around 39.000 reviews and a lot of positive feedback, we can clearly see that this is a very serious, well-respected brand.
Shipping
If you purchase from Amazon, shipping is generally free.
If you get one wallet through Trayvax, you may have to pay a $4.99 delivery fee, but because the wallet is likely to be cheaper on Trayvax than on Amazon, the ultimate cost will be similar.
Trayvax also offers free delivery for purchases over $59, so if you get two wallets, you’ll receive free shipping and save a few bucks.
Standard delivery will take 3 to 7 business days, and expedited shipping will get the wallet to you in 2 to 4 business days.
You can find out more on Trayvax’s shipping policy page.
Customer support
The Trayvax brand seems to be present on all social media, but if you would like to directly reach the Trayvax team faster you can try:
- their dedicated customer support phone number, available on Trayvax’s contact page
- their customer support email: [email protected]
- the chatbot on their website
- their various social media profiles
They are available from Monday to Friday, 9am – 3pm PT.
Warranty
Trayvax guarantees its quality and that’s exactly why they have a 65-year warranty. Like most of Trayvax’s customers, you will probably be very happy with your long-lasting quality wallet.
However, regular wear and tear, inappropriate maintenance, surface-level wear, accident, loss, abuse, theft, negligence, or the natural breakdown of materials over time are not covered by the warranty.
Return and refund policy
If you are unhappy with this product, you have 30 days to return it, whether you ordered it from Trayvax or Amazon.
While it isn’t required, it’s a good idea to keep the wallet’s original packaging since you may be denied a refund if you don’t. In addition, the wallet must be in the same condition as when you received it.
Trayvax Ascent Basics
The best qualities of the Trayvax Ascent are that it’s simple to use and at the same time it looks and feels amazing.
How to use
The handling of this wallet is very easy. You can access your cash bills instantly since the cash storage is on the backside of the wallet.
The main focus is set on the cards. You can access them in two ways since there are two places where you can keep them.
First is the card selection window where you can store important cards for quick use. This is a way to save on time when frequently used cards are in question.
The second way to access your cards is to pull the nylon pull tab that’s on top of the wallet. This will open a card sloth that’s designed to hold 2-3 cards in it. It’s one of my favorite features since it removes the problem of taking out all your cards just to get to the last one.
Unboxing
The product arrives in a simple black box.
The packaging seems to be of good quality and the contents inside are protected in the well-designed box. Inside there is only the wallet and a little instructions card that has information about the features of the wallet, the wallet type, how to use it properly, etc.
User manual
The user manual is a simple illustration that shows you how to use the wallet. There is nothing complicated in there, since it is a fairly easy-to-use product.
You should still read it carefully since it can contain valuable information about your specific product.
User experience
The biggest part of the reviews and comments on this product are very positive. Customers have only good words for the quality of the wallet, and some have even a couple of them.
On Amazon, 93% of the reviews are 5-star reviews, which tells you a lot about this wallet.
Most people define it as very well made and simple to use. They are so satisfied that they don’t wish to ever go back to traditional wallets (most of them complain that they used to carry too much useless stuff).
Design
The Trayvax Ascent wallet is a hand-stitched minimalist leather wallet with so many options for personalization, it’s no wonder that its popularity just continues to rise.
Aesthetics and design
On the front of the wallet, there is an easy-access id window that allows access to 2-3 cards. This is very convenient for someone who has cards that they use regularly. On the back, there is a cash sloth for bills and receipts.
The wallet has a slim stainless steel frame and very nice black oxide-coated brass rivets.
Look and feel
Since most of the wallet is completely wrapped in leather, it reminds quite a bit of a traditional wallet. The design is very aesthetically pleasing and elegant. On top of that, the corners of this wallet are round, so this lowers the chance of your wallet getting stuck somewhere. In my opinion, this is one of the best-designed wallets available today.
Colors
You can choose from several color options for the leather:
- Mississippi mud
- Tobacco brown
- Steel grey
- Stealth black
All the color options have a sophisticated look and can easily match most types of fashion.
There is also an option to choose the color of the metal. The available options are:
- Black
- Raw
With all of these options available you can experience personalizing your wallet and design it to your tastes.
Styling
This leather wallet is probably one of the rare ones that go well with casual and formal wear. On top of that, the features of this minimalist wallet make it very practical to use on a daily basis.
Features
Even if this is a simple product, it still has interesting features, and it has more to offer than you would think at first.
Weight and size
The Trayvax Ascent wallet is smaller in size compared to other minimalist wallets, and one of the slimmest wallets around in general. This makes it very compact for anyone who prefers to keep their wallet in their pocket or other small spaces.
The dimensions of the wallet are:
- width: 2.75 inches / 6.9 cm
- height: 3.8 inches / 9.6 cm
- depth: 0.3 inches / 0.76 cm
It weighs 3 ounces / 85 grams, which puts it on the heavier side of minimalist wallet choices.
How many cards and bills can it hold?
The Trayvax Ascent wallet is designed to fit four to seven cards, even though some owners have managed to stretch it out and add 8 cards.
The official recommendation is to put 2-3 cards in the front pocket and 2-4 cards in the back pocket. Overall, it has enough space for you to carry all your important cards in one place and allows very easy access to them. Still, the number of cards it can hold is not very big so this wallet wouldn’t be a great choice for someone who uses many cards on a regular basis.
The card dimensions are not a problem since the wallet is big enough for them.
This wallet doesn’t have a high capacity for bills since it can only hold 5 of them at a time. Even though this is a fairly normal capacity for a minimalist wallet, you might be able to fit more cash bills if you fold them correctly.
RFID blocking
The Trayvax Ascent is an RFID-blocking wallet. There are not many complaints against it, however, it is somewhat worrying that the front side of the wallet is open, as this is where the cards are kept.
Anyway, this is a problem that you can easily fix by keeping the most important cards in the quick access card sloth. This way, none of the information that could be used will be visible, so you will be able to protect your payment cards.
Engraving option
A very interesting option you have with this wallet is engraving it. So, if you are thinking of giving someone a special and personalized gift, this would be a great decision. An engraved, minimalist leather wallet is most definitely a go-to choice when picking a heartfelt gift.
Quick access card slot
One of the cooler features of this wallet is definitely the quick access card slot that holds 2-4 cards. On the top of the wallet, there is a MIL-SPEC nylon pull tab. The way it works is you fill the slots with cards and pull on the tab to quickly access all of them at once. This gets rid of the issue with most minimalist wallets that give you a harder time accessing your cards.
TSA approved
It’s important to mention that this specific wallet is TSA-approved, so no need to worry when going to the airport. This allows you to have a stress-free flight since your wallet definitely won’t give you issues getting through security.
MIL-SPEC nylon pull tab
As previously mentioned, the MIL-SPEC nylon pull tab is a special feature that gives easy access to a couple of the cards in your wallet. You won’t have any worries getting to the last card you put in the pile, which seems to be a big problem with other minimalist wallets on the market. This very practical feature is one of the main reasons you should consider the Trayvax Ascent to be your next wallet choice.
Black oxide-coated brass rivets
It goes to show that small details seem to capture the eye the most. These black oxide-coated brass rivets not only look amazing, but they are also very practical. This is because black oxide helps to add mils corrosion resistance and minimize light reflection.
How does the Trayvax Ascent compare to other similar wallets on the market?
On the market as a whole, the Trayvax Ascent is a very well-liked and highly praised product. It holds up well with the competition, although it still lacks in some ways that may be important to you.
Trayvax Ascent vs Trayvax Original 2.0
The Trayvax Original 2.0 is cheaper than the Trayvax Ascent wallet. The Trayvax Original 2.0 wins in the capacity aspect, since it can hold 15 cards while the Ascent can only hold 7.
The Trayvax Ascent is bigger than the Trayvax Original 2.0, but the latter has adjustable depth, a pry bar, a bottle opener, and a card hole.
The better choice between the two would be very dependent on what you are looking for. The warranty on both of these products is the same.
Trayvax Ascent vs Flipside 4 Wallet
Both of these wallets are minimalist but they are very different.
The Flipside 4 wallet is enclosed, so it might be a better choice for someone who likes the contents of their wallets to be firmly shut.
The Flipside 4 also has a more tech-like look, so it would please people that don’t like leather and classic wallets.
When comparing the size, they are similar. They weigh exactly the same.
The Flipside 4 is cheaper, but doesn’t have many more extra features compared to the Trayvax Ascent. The 2-year warranty on the Flipside 4 is way smaller than on the Ascent.
Reviews and customer satisfaction
Most reviews about this product are very positive. All the customers seem to have a high level of satisfaction with every aspect of the Ascent brand.
Who shouldn’t buy the Trayvax Ascent wallet?
There are some people that I would not recommend this wallet to.
Those who like high-tech-looking wallets will probably not like this wallet too much. There are many of those on the market, but this particular wallet looks a bit more elegant, since it’s made of leather. It also has fancy-looking details like the Black oxide-coated brass rivets.
One bad thing said about this wallet was that it was a little bit stiff at the beginning. If this is something you may find to be an issue, this wallet won’t fit you. But still, most of the reviewers that report this problem, also report it resolves quickly after the wallet stretches from the cards.
The capacity of this wallet is arguably not one of its strengths. Check out my guide on the best wallets for many cards if that’s what you’re after.
Another important matter is that the wallet’s design includes a metal frame. If your style consists of tight clothing and you are a fan of keeping your wallet in your pockets, you should seriously consider this factor since it can cause discomfort.
And lastly, for some people, the reliability of the RFID blocking feature could be a problem. Although no one has reported the RFID-blocking to not work properly, you should still double-check this, before making a purchasing decision.
Who should buy the Trayvax Ascent wallet?
My first recommendation goes to people looking to upgrade their old traditional wallet to a simpler, minimalist one.
If you are someone who thinks they carry way too much unnecessary stuff in their wallet, you shouldn’t really think too much about transferring to a simpler more organized option.
On the topic of organization, this wallet is a great choice for people who are neat and want everything to have its own place. If practicality is your friend, then so is the Trayvax Ascent wallet.
Next on my list are people who would like to try owning this type of wallet, but still don’t want to completely let go of the traditional feel of their current wallet. Since the Trayvax is made out of leather it can give you both the pleasure of feeling a good texture, and a modern and improved wallet at the same time.
Lastly, I would recommend this wallet to people who pay attention to their wardrobe. Since the wallet itself is so elegant and simple, it would be an amazing addition to almost anyone’s style.
Where to buy the Trayvax Ascent from?
Trayvax Ascent Specifications
| Type | minimalist |
| Max n. of cards | 7 |
| RFID blocking? | yes |
| TSA compliant? | yes |
| Materials used | leather |
| Height | 3.8 in / 9.6 cm |
| Width | 2.75 in / 6.9 cm |
| Depth | 0.3 in / 0.76 cm |
| Weight | 3 oz / 85 g |
| Features | RFID, easy id access, mil-spec nylon pull tab |
| Water resistance | some |
| Warranty | 65-year heirloom |
| Return period | 30 days |
