Best Bellroy Travel Accessories
Let’s do a little brand showcase here and take you through my favorite travel accessories from Bellroy.
Best Bellroy Travel Accessories Introduction
Bellroy, at this point, is not just a wallet company any more. Frankly, they haven’t been for a very long time. Wallets, and lots of them. Bags, lots and lots. Pouches and accessories, yup those too. At the end of the day pretty much everything they make is high end, well designed, and well thought out from a materials standpoint. Often, they are some of the first to use greener processes like their environmentally safer leather - I’d not seen that in other brands before Bellroy began doing it. Just really high quality stuff coming out of this brand. Their aesthetic also leans more professional, urban-Designer (meaning, you design things for a living, not Prada), clean and adult. So it’s a good alternative to those that don’t want the outdoors look, or the all-black, minimalist travel-ninja look.
But, with all the products they have now, how do you know where to start? Well when it comes to travel gear, I’ll help you sort it out. Think of this as my first brand showcase. I hope to do more in the future!
These are my top choices for the best Bellroy travel accessories in October 2022.
For my usual transparency: All of these items mentioned were purchased with my own money. If I’ve identified a product that’s worth checking out and I do not own it, I will clearly state that below. I had no collaboration with Bellroy for this article. Thanks for reading!
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I’m not a fan of giant, weighty wallets or travel folios. I know they serve a purpose for all your travel papers and what not if you need that. But I find those to be oversized, heavier than necessary, and one of those items that you’ll just fill with stuff - because you can. So for me, the purpose here is to slim down. If you want to be a smart wanderer, bringing less stuff is always a way to start. Do you really need to bring that NYC metro card? Or how about your Dad’s Discount Tire Club Card? Costco card? The answer of course is: No. No you do not. So just bring what you really need on a trip. Means less to lose, easier to hide, and just less faffing about when you need something. Bellroy has a great choice for those that want traditional folding, or my favorite, a zippered version. Keeping one of these around to just pack with travel-necessary cards as needed is a great way to slim down while on the go. Maybe it can bleed over into your daily life, too - you never know!
Best Bellroy Travel Wallets
The Slim Sleeve Wallet - This has been in my possession for nearly 7 years. When I really got interested in slimming down my daily carry and not taking everything I owned in my wallet, this was the one I decided on. Until pretty much the last six months when I moved to a 3 card daily set up and now use MagSafe wallets on my phone. I’d never bring that traveling however. You get lots of choices for leather color, and even two vegan options for those abstaining. The clever use of organization means less thickness overall because it uses less leather. The “pull tab” is also amazing both in design AND in-use. For those that want a traditional wallet feel, this should be your first stop.
The Card Pocket - The first item I ever purchased from Bellroy back in 2014. I liked it for travel so much that I just recently bought one of the updated items - because that Ranger Green color is absolute fire. Both are all the same principles here, though. A zippered wallet that holds up to 15 cards (they say, no need for that though) and keeps things from falling out while you’re running around a (possibly foreign) city for the day. There’s a small spot for a sim card, and one side is designed for coins (which is helpful in Europe and Canada). I use the other side for cards, and then fold any bills/notes and put them in the middle. Though each pocket allows you to put them in there if you want. When I travel, I just pop in all the cards I need depending on what perks I’m using. For a most basic travel set up: 1 Amex card, 1 VISA card, 1 debit card, and your License. Sorted. Since I have two I actually use my OG version to hold my “sock drawer” credit cards at home. That is, cards I don’t need on a daily basis (Should I write about the cards I use to help me wander smarter? Let me know on Instagram. I think I will, stay tuned).
Best Bellroy Travel Pouches
Are you a pouch addict? Oh man you’re going to love Bellroy then. While Bellroy doesn’t always make the most lightweight pouches (though they DO have one version!) - they always make awesome pouches. They’ve just got a little bit of extra panache. Better materials. Better looking. Little touches. These aren’t your utilitarian, black pouches you see everywhere. These are for someone that wants a little bit elevated, but still very useful, pouches for their travels. Bellroy makes a ton (Find them all here) but these are what I think are the best.
Tech Kits - I have to confess, I own both of these, but my favorite child of the two is definitely the Compact version. If you’re more of a digital worker and need to take a few more items with you, the larger of the two is probably your bag. For most people, I’d recommend letting go of all those useless things, get your tech kit down as light as possible, and consider the Compact version. There’s no reason 85% of people can’t fit their stuff in this one. They aren’t the MOST compact tech kits out there. But, they offer better protection than most and look better than most while doing it. Top notch design and materials on these.
Classic Pouch - This is another one that’s been in my stable for a few years at this point. It’s great for EDC, or honestly whatever you want. I had gotten this for my wife years ago and she’s been using it mostly as a travel makeup kit. Has worked great for her. It’s also seen time as my general extra cables and connectors pouch while at home in my drawer. My wife also has one at work that is her “work tech kit”. All the little things she might need if she’s out and about, she can just grab that. EDC, travel, at-home. You can use this for any time you need an organization pouch - just follow your dreams on that. Lol. Also note - they’ve made a similar pouch for their “Lite” lineup. Check that out if you want something just as handy but a little less robust and more lightweight.
Pencil Case - Yes - it’s a pencil case. But the really CRAZY thing about it? It’s whatever case you want it to be! Yeah! OK jokes aside if you’re an artist or designer, it’s really great as a classic pencil case and that’s what it’s made for (My wife used it for a time this way). But for travel? You can use it for all sorts of things. Super minimal electronics/chargers case. Or like me, when I’m traveling wicked light on my toiletries? Yup, I use this thing. It’s just long enough for a manual toothbrush and it fits all I need. Only downside is no organization here, but hey sometimes compromise is OK. It fits nearly anywhere and takes up almost no space. And in terms of the Bellroy echo chamber here - they are very, very well made.
We interrupt this program…
…to bring you some materials-porn. By that, I mean let’s get some close ups of those high end, varied material choices Bellroy uses. This isn’t like a lot of brands that make different accessories out of all the same fabric. Bellroy even varies their weave and sometimes the entire fabric, just based on the color of the item. Check this out! And of course, these are just highlights from the items here. You can read all about their material choices on their site if you’re interested.
Other Great Bellroy Accessories
Here’s a round up to the best of the rest from my travels and experience.
Sling - Bellroy has a lot of options for a sling. I myself tested the larger one out while I was in and around Rome last year. I liked it a lot for what it is. Their smaller sling, is something I’d recommend people look into if they want to bring a walk-around, packable solution and don’t want a backpack. Their hardware and materials are as expected, top notch. Each sling has good organization. And they all pack flat so you can put them in any larger bag under your cubes. Even better, they’ve come out with a sling in their “lite” line up, so you can shave more weight off. I will say, I’m not really a sling person. But since I did test one I can speak to its quality.
Lite Backpack and Tote - These two should be pretty straight forward. They’ll certainly add a little more weight to your set up so keep that in mind. But, if you want to bring a bag for walking around that’s a little bit more robust than the usual packable nylon totes or packable backpacks, then these could be the bags for you. Better org, little better protection, but still roll-able or lie-flat and lite for packing away while you’re en-route. And yes, you can still onebag while taking a packable with you. To be up front, I’ve not tested these ones, however.
Key Cover - This is something I have literally every day. I keep my home keys in it. I like it because it helps to keep them organized in your pocket and not all jangly and all-over the place. I can see you needing the bigger one if you have lots of keys, and I don’t think it’s great for a car-fob, but for NYC and travel? It’s awesome. Works very well if you’re airbnb folks and they use keys instead of the newer keypad systems. Bellroy does have a couple of key accessories in general that are worth checking out.
Toiletry Kit - Being up front, I don’t own this one. I tend to be really minimal these days on my toiletry kits so I’ve been sizing down heavily over the years. With that caveat though, I feel pretty good recommending these just because I know Bellroy and I know how they do organization. There are two versions, a larger and a smaller one. If you’re looking for a new kit that’s well designed and looks nice, give this one a look. I’d recommend the smaller for most people.
Final Thoughts on the Best Bellroy Travel Accessories
And there you go - my thoughts on the best travel related accessories from the good folks over at Bellroy. I’ve been a fan of this brand for a long, long time and I think in very quick fashion, you’ll become one as well.
Whether you’re looking for tech solutions, general pouch solutions, toiletry solutions, etc. - they probably have you covered. And to top it off they do all that with style and design chops. Lots of small details that you’ll notice in owning one of their products. The past two years Bellroy has really been working to release more color choices and I have to say. The colors they have now are amazing. I’ve never been a straight up black fan. But their blues are deep, nice blues. Their neutral sand colors are amazing. Their green and bronze colors are also wonderful additions (I will end up with a bronze item one day, mark my words!).
I will admit that they aren’t the most budget friendly brand, but they are not billing themselves as such, either. So, this won’t be for everybody but if you’re not after the cheapest budget possible, you’ll be fine here because they aren’t exorbitant. Higher end materials, better design, and even more sustainable manufacturing - isn’t cheap or very scaleable yet. You need to assume you will pay more for those kinds of products.
While I didn’t list them here as I don’t consider them travel accessories - their travel bags (and all their bags really) are also tremendous products. I’ve reviewed the Transit Plus and the Weekender Plus so check those out if you’re interested in more.
Give them a look, and see if you fall in love with their design language like I did. I’d recommend buying directly from Bellroy in this case for best prices and service.
Thanks all - wander more, and wander smarter!
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