I've been using Ridge Wallets for about 5 years now. I keep having issues with the screws falling out and getting cards in and out of the Ridge is a bit tricky.

So far, I absolutely love the Ekster for the way the cards slide out. As another reviewer posted it doesn't close flush when it's new but after carrying it around in my pocket for a week that issue works itself out.

My biggest complaint is that it says it holds 12 cards but the slide out portion can really only hold 5, and if you load up the side pockets with more cards then it will probably not close very flush.

Can't speak to durability yet, but I've been wearing out Ridge wallets every 2 years, so if it last 2 years I'll be happy. Overall, it's great. Easier to use and definitely more comfortable in your pocket than the Ridge if you can live without carrying more than 5 cards.

The product has really good quality and design. its unlike conventional wallets where this one is more rectangular in shape. But its still bulky enoguh where you cannot out it in your back pocket

So I've always had a traditional leather bifold or trifold wallet in the past and they've been great...however I started having more issues with my lower back and one of the things that my physical therapist said could be aggravating it was sitting on my jam packed full wallet for long periods of time during the day. Just so happens at this time I was in the market for a new wallet, so I took this opportunity to look into the "minimalist" kind.

This of course meant that I'd have to downsize...which I was reluctant to do at first because how was I ever to get along without the three year old business card of the AC guy that came out that one time...or the countless others...but one by one, I went through it all and came to the conclusion that I only really "need" my credit/bank cards, drivers license, various insurance cards, and opted for a type of tracking card incase I misplace my new wallet. I know that Ekster has their own tracking card, however I already had a Tile on my key ring and therefor was already using their app on my phone so I decided to give the Tile Slim a try (as it is about the size of two credit cards put together).

So after doing days of research, I decided that the Ekster Parliament would fit my needs as a wallet I could store all my essential things in and also as one that would fit nicely and compactly in my front pocket. This wallet also has RFID blocking in the compartment that holds your cards...so that was also another "˜check' this product had on my needs list.

The wallet itself seems to be made really well and the leather is nice and soft (exactly the same as I'd expect to find when looking at a traditional one). The card compartment has a nice feature at the bottom where a simple push of your finger inward while holding, will make the cards inside stair step up to where you can choose the one you are needing at that moment. I've seen where others have said that the feature makes all their cards come up in a stack and all I can say is that this isn't the case with the one I have. I would imagine the amount of cards in the compartment would dictate how it would work. I myself have five and some have raised lettering and numbers and some don't. I have found that how far the cards come up can be adjusted by how fast you click the lever in. If I push it in slowly with little force, they will come up just enough to see what I need...however if I click it with a fast press, they will stick up to how they appear in my picture above. Hopefully this mechanism will last for the long haul...at its price, it should...but only time will tell. The only other thing worth noting is that even with the few cards that I have in the wallet, the ones that are not in the holding tray, it does make the wallet not want to close. I do see that the manufacturer states that this will be the case until the leather naturally stretches and takes shape, which makes sense, however even if it doesn't, the pros of this product outweigh the cons to me and I wouldn't send it back because of it. For me anyway, it only stays open a slight bit while on the nightstand instead of closing flat but when I put it in my pocket, it keeps it closed all the way. I have included pictures with my Apple Watch to show size of this product and also its size compared to the Tile Slim...which I keep in the back opening.

All in all, I would definitely recommend this product if you're in the market for a minimalist wallet but are still wanting that leather feel and extra storage that you would have been accustomed to with a traditional wallet. I will update this review if I start to have any issues with the mechanism or any other issue that isn't self inflicted. Also wanted to mention that the wallet came in a nicely packaged black box that was plastic wrapped. If you receive one in which the box isn't wrapped in plastic, I'd be weary that it is probably a return and would seek a replacement....just my advice.

This wallet is absolutely beautiful. It holds all the cards I need it to. The problem is cash. It really doesn't like to hold more than a few bills. The thing that I don't like is that it doesn't stay closed. Having a magnet or a strap to keep it closed would be the difference between 4 stars and 5 stars for me.

I hope this wallet lasts me a long time, but when it is time to replace it I will like for one that I can keep closed.

TBH this is easily better and more handy than my old trifold wallet.
Looks sleek carry quite a lot with few issues.
Unlike a few reviews I had no issues with the spring system pushing the cards up. The 6 included dummy cards worked properly as did just my personal 3 cards I'm using in that cassette/magazine(if this wears out in the future ill update this).
Extra card holder exposed on the back is nice for personal business cards to hand out quickly without any possible unnecessary fumbling.

Drawbacks of design and craftmanship(sorry):
The elastic bill holder... works fine and I'm sure the spine of the wallet will expand in time to accommodate; however, you have to fold bills in thirds just to fit which makes the ability to just flip a few bills out quickly quite impossible. You have to take the whole stack of bills out, get what you need, then put everything back in. Honestly I would have strongly preferred an ever so slightly wider platform(were talking like 1/3 an inch more at most) where I could just have the bills folded over once making everything smoother, faster, and less bulky.
Very few lock/back stiches. I literally counted only 3 between the inside and out combined. This will shorten the lifespan. For reference there are 4 lock stiches holding the small logo to the elastic band, 1 more than all of the actual wallet(which I may just remove since it serves no purpose besides adding additional bulk).

Additional Info:
Leather source is ECCO Tannery(yes the same company that makes ECCO shoes).
"Assembled" in India, although other products are made in China. Ekster doesn't showcase really ANYTHING from their manufacturing besides the leather sourcing... so make of that what you will.