The 3C Smart Wallet by Ögon Designs is a plate style slim wallet that is made from carbon fiber, a material that is fast gaining popularity among minimalist wallet designers because of its light weight and superior durability. It is also the same material that is used in high end race car and airplane bodies. The 3C stands for Carbon Card Clip. With the 3C Smart Wallet, Ögon Designs set out to design the slimmest wallet ever which we think they have mostly succeeded.
The design of the 3C Smart Wallet is based on the plate wallet design which usually consists of the wallet contents sandwiched between 2 thin plates that are held together with an elastic band. However, in order to simplify the design further, Ögon Designs decided to do away with the elastic band together altogether and just use a single piece of carbon fiber that is folded over to give its clamping ability.
Since there is no elastic band, it eliminates the number one problem with classic plate wallet design, broken or lost elastic bands. The clamping force is created by the carbon fiber plate itself. The 3C Smart Wallet can securely store a single card and up to a maximum of 7 cards plus a little cash. The spring tension will always remain strong because carbon fiber always returns to its original position.
The inside surface of the wallet is covered with a layer of micro fiber velvet which prevents your cards from being scratched as well as make it real easy for the stored cards to be extracted with just a gentle push. The recommended method to pick the card you want is to push out the cards and then fan them out. Tri-folded bank notes can also be stored in the wallet.
The design of the wallet is simple but practical and it is an excellent example of minimalist design at its finest. There are no sharp corners that poke into you. The wallet is extremely lightweight at only 0.5 oz (15g) thanks to the use of carbon fiber. However, thanks to the toughness of the material, it is also extremely strong. The outer layer is completely scratch proof so you don’t have to worry about your bunch of keys ruining the looks of your 3C Smart Wallet while in your pocket. The unique pattern of the carbon fiber also gives the wallet a futuristic look.
Like many newer slim wallet designs, the 3C Smart Wallet comes with RFID protection. A thin aluminium foil protective layer is inserted between the micro fiber velvet layer and the carbon fiber plate.
Overall, the 3C Smart Wallet is a very well designed plate style minimalist wallet that mostly delivers what it promises to be – the slimmest and lightest slim wallet ever. We like it a lot and about the only drawback we found is that unlike most plate type wallet that can fit in a large number of cards, this wallet maxes out at 7 due to its unique one piece design. If this is not a problem for you, the wallet is definitely worth your consideration.
