The MagBak wallet is what convinced me to try out the MagBak case. You don’t need a MagBak case to use the MagBak wallet though. The MagBak wallet is a MagSafe wallet that will work with any MagSafe iPhone or case. It even has the vertical alignment bar that the case lacks. The case has a few extra magnets along the sides, part of MagBak’s proprietary system of magnets. This gives it a very strong connection to the iPhone, while also allowing you to use it as a stand for your iPhone.
On top of all of that, it’s a wallet that can fit four cards and some cash thanks to a divider between the two sides. I just had to try it.
Like the MagBak case, I loved this wallet at first. I fiddled with it, I loved the loop on the back for my finger, I liked propping my phone up. Really, I thought I had finally found a replacement to Apple’s MagSafe wallet after the Moft wallet failed me. However, like the case, I soon found flaws that broke the experience for me.
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Specs (Empty)
- Width: 67.9mm
- ~3.7mm wider than Apple’s
- Height: 89.5mm
- ~1.4mm shorter than Apple’s
- Depth: 5.8mm
- ~0.37mm thinner than Apple’s
- Weight: 42g
- 9g heavier than Apple’s
It’s worth noting that Apple’s wallet case is formed. The size doesn’t change when you put up to three cards in it, which is all it fits. This wallet, however, gets wider with each card. So one or two cards in, and it’s thicker than Apple’s MagSafe wallet.
Looks
I feel like it’s a bit wide, which definitely makes it look less sleek on the back of my iPhone. However, it also has a more rugged, natural leather look than Apple’s MagSafe wallet. After I conditioned it with neatsfoot oil, it took on a really nice dark brown hue. However, I’d be careful with this. While I’ve conditioned other leather goods with it, the wallet seemed to soak it up heavily and got tacky afterwards. Perhaps it was user error, or maybe it was just a little too absorbent. It’s likely a combination of a few things, MagBak didn’t do much conditioning, the wallet was dry, and I overcompensated.
Being that this is natural leather, it’ll show wear over time. Eventually it’ll be as unique as your fingerprint.That’s part of the joy of leather goods.
MagSafe Strength
This wallet can really grip even non-MagBak cases with considerable force. The magnetic strength does feel stronger than Apple’s own MagSafe wallets. Then, when adding the MagBak case, you get a much stronger connection. The MagBak wallet actually does have a vertical alignment bar too, so you can use it with your iPhone without a case and with any MagSafe case as well.
Phone Ergonomics
The wallet is actually a bit wider than the iPhone 13 mini. I found I had to use it with a case, and, even then, it sometimes sticks out over the sides a little. On the back there’s a little leather loop you can put your finger through to better hold your phone. I really liked this, it reminded me of when I’d use a Phone Loop with my larger iPhone models. You can also remove this loop if you just want to use the wallet without it. The overhang isn’t too bad when on a case, so, overall, phone ergonomics aren’t bad.
Holding Cards (and Cash!)
Apple’s MagSafe wallet can only hold 2 or 3 cards. But the MagBak wallet? It can hold 4 plus cash. MagBak tells you to slowly add the cards, perhaps only putting two in for a day or so before increasing the number of cards you’re storing. This is likely to keep it from stretching out too quickly. Unfortunately, it will stretch out eventually regardless.
Apple’s wallet has a little mechanism in it to press against your cards and hold them in place. This means, whether it’s one thin Metrocard or two normal sized credit cards, they’re all held securely. The MagBak wallet does not have that. This gave me some issues. For example, at one bar I went to, they wanted to hold on to my card for the tab. This left enough of a void in my wallet that as soon as I pulled my phone out from my back pocket, my cards went everywhere.
I also noticed that, over time, it would loosen up with just those three or four cards in it. Eventually, I couldn’t trust it. I did find that, if I left the wallet alone for a few days with nothing in it, it would regain some grip on those cards, but not much. Not enough.
The lack of a physical mechanism really makes this useless as a card wallet… which is what I got it for.
Cash can be a bit difficult to get out. The back really should have had more than the thumb cutout. It’s such a shame. The magnetic array may be over-engineered, but the actual wallet functionality? Lacking.
Sustainability
It’s leather, so it comes from a byproduct or primary product of cattle. That’s not great for the environment. Parts would break down. The packaging for the wallet, like their cases, is larger than it has to be, and includes plastic. So, not great.
Durability
I had to superglue a corner of the leather back down. Perhaps due to squeezing the sides slightly to make cards more accessible, it peeled away.
It’s leather, so it’s going to show marks over time. I actually used some neatsfoot oil on it, which it soaked up like a sponge. This darkened it considerably, which I expected, but I also over conditioned it, making it tacky. Using alcohol I was able to dry it out and return it to a soft texture, but it now shows wear like it’s much older than it is. It still looks and feels nice though, although I noticed it can sometimes leave marks on other cases. This could just be due to the clamping pressure of the magnets under the conditioned leather. It may age well, but you may have to look after it too.
Odds & Ends
So, you can use this as a phone stand with the MagBak case, and somewhat with other cases. However, the viewing angles are limited and it’s a bit prone to falling over. It’s better than nothing, but if you’re looking for a good stand, it likely won’t be the one for you.
Overall
I really liked this leather wallet when I first got it. The MagBak wallet has more utility, great grip, and I liked the more rustic appearance. Plus, it could store more cards and cash. However, it quickly stretched out too much and I already had to fix it with super glue once. I just can’t recommend it as a wallet knowing that it’ll eventually loosen up too much to reliably hold your cards. MagBak could have fixed it all with a small piece of bent plastic or metal inside to push against your cards, but instead it won’t last you more than a few months.
Pros
- Fantastic MagSafe strength
- Fits cards and cash separately
- Finger loop makes holding your phone easy
Cons
- Gets too loose to reliably hold cards over time
- A bit too wide
- Leather pulled apart from the side of the case