MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 Review: Create an Everyday Carry That Is Tough, Attractive, and Uniquely Yours!

I tend to go through cycles with my wallet. Sometimes it’s bursting with receipts, business cards, and every card I’ve ever thought I might need, but every once in a while, I get the urge to slim down my everyday carry to a more reasonable level. I was recently given a chance to check out the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0, a customizable minimalist wallet, and I figured it might be worth a try.

Before we get into my experience using the wallet, we have to look at the wallet itself. The MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 is not “minimalist” in the sense that some company pressed a cou0ple of pieces of metal together to make a wallet that holds four cards on a good day with no flexibility in design. Instead, the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 is whatever you need it to be, and you can make it uniquely yours.

The MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 customization starts with the plates on each side. You can add a design or just use the MGear logo; you can also customize the background and logo colors. I opted for the MGear logo plate in green on one side black on the other.

You can also choose “sidekick” accessories, i.e., the items that slide into small elastic holders on either side of the wallet. You can opt for one, two, or no sidekick accessories, and the side elastics are removable, so you can take them on/off depending on your use case. I opted for a flashlight and a small storage tube, and the other option was a mini EDC bolt-action pen.

As if all that isn’t enough, MGear offers accessories that can be carried in your wallet as well, including two wallet-sized multitools, a wallet-sized USB drive, a magnifying glass, an outdoor survival reference card, and a small measuring and conversion card.

I’m not a fan of wallet-sized multitools, so I opted for the magnifying glass and the two reference cards. They’re all thin enough to fit in your wallet alongside a few other cards, and they’re rigid plastic that appears to be able to take quite a beating.

One of the cool things about the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0’s customization is that you can pick your accessories to fit what you want to get out of the wallet. I chose each of mine carefully and for specific reasons. I tend to get headaches, so a small container holding Advil would be very handy. I also opted for the flashlight, which takes standard AAA batteries.

At first, the flashlight seemed redundant since I always carry a smartphone, but I like having the flashlight for the same reason that I wanted the survival and reference cards — sometimes you have to conserve battery life, or you’re not getting a signal wherever you are. Those items seemed like small but useful analog items to have on hand for emergencies.

Since I was building an indestructible wallet, I figured these items would tie in nicely for emergency preparation. And the fact that the flashlight uses standard batteries means that when it does need a new battery, I can grab some from anywhere without the stress of trying to find a special coin-shaped battery.

With all the accessories attached, the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 works out to be about the size of my regular leather wallet, so while they do push it out of the truly “minimalist” range, it’s hardly a monstrosity. MGear also provides a metal storage box for the wallet along with a tiny Allen wrench and extra screws and sidebars, so you can easily remove the accessories if you’d like and store them safely.

This wallet is so customizable that you can literally change it based on your mood and needs throughout the day!

The wallet is quite sleek and easily pops into my front pocket without the side elastics. I had to reduce what I carry, but I found that I could comfortably fit around 5-6 cards. The biggest issue I ran into was one of my debit cards; my bank wants to be fancy and “upscale,” so my debit card is thick and metal, which is handy if you want a card that doubles as a throwing star, but it’s less handy when it takes up 1.5x as much space as a standard card.

Still, if you can get away with carrying just a few cards and some cash, the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 is a great way to keep things simple, and the cards slide in and out from the thumb space at the bottom very smoothly.

MGear also includes holes and a ball chain you can thread through the wallet if you have the urge or need to wear it around your neck. Wearing your wallet around your neck might be handy if you don’t have pockets and want to keep your wallet close to your chest or if you want to pretend you’re Jake Peralta from Brooklyn 99.

Minimal wallets come in many styles and flavors, and the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 is definitely one of the most unique and interesting out there.

All that customization does come at a price, though. The base MGear is $55, and if you go crazy with accessories and customizations, you could easily top out at over $100. Is it worth that?

In my opinion, it depends. If you really only need to carry a few cards with you, and you’re never going to need more space, the MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 is a great splurge. It’s solid, you can customize it to exactly what you want, and the metal/carbon fiber build will last through any adventure. If you’re the type to swap out wallets for different experiences, this is pricey as a secondary wallet. But it’s also tough as nails and the only wallet I’d want with me on a hike, fishing trip, or camping!

Best of all, right now, you can save 10% off your wallet with code GD22!!

The MGear Gadget Wallet 3.0 starts at $55; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample

What I Liked: Extremely well built; You can customize the wallet and its accessories; You can remove and add the side holders; Accessories are helpful and well made; Reference cards are a nice touch; You can personalize your wallets design and color scheme

What Needs Improvement: Can only hold a few cards at a time; It’s expensive