Flipside 3X Wallet review

It’s always fun to see how a popular product evolves over time. The new Flipside 3X Wallet has been updated with more capacity for bills and cards, stronger hinges, a newly redesigned locking mechanism, rugged new texture on the outer shell that resists most scratches and a smoother curve geometry, making it slightly smaller and more comfortable in pocket. If you prefer a non-leather wallet, the Flipside could become your next favorite cash and card transport system. Let’s take a closer look.

Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.

We’ve been featuring Flipside wallets for several years, so we’re already familiar with their design and features. In the image above, you see the Flipside 2 on the left, next to it, the Flipside 2X in green and the updated Flipside 3X in yellow. You’ll probably agree that the 2X and 3X look almost identical at first glance.

A closer look reveals a new scratch resistant texture on the exterior of the polycarbonate shell (which is available in 8 colors). The texture provides a better grip than the previous version of the Flipside, which was a bit slippery. The wallet shell is hard and rugged. It looks and feels like it could survive being run over by a car. I don’t suggest testing that theory though. Also be aware that the Flipside isn’t waterproof. If it falls in a puddle, lake or toilet, the contents will get wet.

The lid or top of the wallet has an embossed Flipside logo, but other than that, there is no other branding on the exterior or interior of the wallet.

Flip the wallet over and you’ll find the next update, which is the new detachable external clip that can hold credit cards, business cards, folded cash and more. The Flipside 2X had a two point attachment system and the 3X has been updated with a four point system.

The rubber band securely holds one or more cards, receipts, tickets or papers and is easy to use. It is also useful for holding some of the wider paper currencies, such as Canada notes or U.K. notes.

If I were able to make a change to the wallet, I’d find a way to attach the band without the thick clip, which adds more bulk. That said, maybe Flipside will introduce other clips for other purposes.

Pressing the latch on the side pops open the wallet, which is where the Flipside name originates. The latch mechanism has been updated to be stronger and it does feel more robust than the latch on the Flipside 2X. The latch is strong enough that I am confident that the Flipside would not pop open accidentally.

The wallet features three card slots. The two main card slots can each hold up to 3 standard sized plastic credit cards or more cards depending on thickness. These two main slots have RFID shielding to protect the cards from demagnetization or RFID theft.

The cards slide very smoothly into the slots, where even one card can be held securely due to the soft bushing that provides friction.

The top card can easily slide out by applying pressure with your thumb, but accessing cards below the top card isn’t as easy and requires you to remove all the cards in order to retrieve the one you want.

The Flipside wallet reminds me of a book with a front and back cover and flippable pages. When you flip over the main card holder, there is a slot for another standard sized plastic credit card. Note: this card slot does not have RFID shielding.

Wallets are not just designed to hold credit cards, they are meant to hold paper money as well. The Flipside 3X has a deeper money area which means that it can hold more bills than the 2X wallet.

You can store both cash and cards inside the newly lengthened cash slot, bringing the wallet’s total capacity up to 10 cards. Note that if you do decide to store cards in the cash area, that the the money clip doesn’t hold the cards securely like the dedicated card slots.

Although the Flipside 3X is supposed to be slightly smaller, I think the clip on the back makes it feel slightly larger than the Flipside 2X. The difference in size is so small that it’s a non-issue though.

My favorite wallet style continues to be a zippered leather wallet, but in the 2 weeks that I’ve been using the Flipside 3X, I’ve really enjoyed it. It’s fun to press the latch and have it pop open like a Star Trek tricorder (hey, I’m a geek, we like these things). The Flipside 3X has the capacity to hold all my important cards and keep them neat and tidy. Flipside continues to improve their design while keep the price low. I can’t wait to see what they do next.