Magpul DAKA Everyday Folding Wallet: A Tactical Take on the Classic Bifold

Wallets are an essential piece of gear, yet it can be hard to find one that’s just right for the active outdoorsman. Sometimes they’re too bulky, too small, too big, or not accessible enough. You might find one that’s comfortable to carry but doesn’t offer enough space for your essential cards and bills. Or, you might find a wallet that is filled to the brim with pockets, but it’s too clunky to fit comfortably in your pocket. It’s a never-ending game of cat and mouse. At least that’s what I thought. If you’re in the market for a lightweight and durable wallet, consider the Magpul DAKA Everyday Folding Wallet. It’s perfect to hold exactly what you need while remaining nearly undetectable on your person during the day.

Specifications

Magpul wallet exterior pocket — This wallet has just enough room for essentials, making sure not to use up excess space with extra bells and whistles. [Photo credit: Grace Stevens]

I mean it when I say this wallet is small. When folded it’s 4″ x 3″, and while open it sits at around 5.6″ x 3.0″. When filled with the suggested 7 standard cards, it’s around 1″ thick, and 0.125″ when empty. It’s smaller than the average men’s leather bifold wallet by 0.25″ in length and 0.5″ in width which may not sound like much, but with wallets, it makes a difference.

Magpul wallet full from side — A side view of the wallet shows that even when filled completely both sides remain slim. [Photo credit: Grace Stevens]

It also only weighs barely an ounce empty, and though it will vary between people, mine weighed around only 2 ounces when full. Believe it or not, that’s a big difference from most wallets since the thickness of leather (whether real or fake) or cloth layers add up quickly. Some don’t mind this difference, but personally, having an extra light wallet was a game-changer from comparable daily carry wallets. Especially for those already carrying a concealed handgun, taking a little weight off your waistband won’t do anything but help you.

Features

This wallet is made of reinforced polymer fabric. Similar to Magpul’s other polymer accessories, they made sure it had an additional non-slip texture added to keep your things close with ease. This stands out from a lot of wallets as well. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve set my wallet on a less-than-level surface and lost it to gravity. During use, I never really had this issue. I honestly think I’d trust it at the top of a slide, though I haven’t tried it yet.

Though there isn’t a way to fully close this wallet, the material it’s made of is resistant to water absorption and chemical exposure. Portions of cards sticking out of the pockets can only be so protected in some situations since they remain open, but anything behind the fabric sure is protected. In the external pocket, an average credit card can sit fully covered similar to the ID slot, though the additional slot on that side opens it up a bit. However, most wallets don’t have weather protection at all, so I’ll chalk this one up as a win.

The edges are strong, using RF weld technology (which uses electromagnetic energy to fuse the surfaces) to secure them, and they’re tough to protect the corners of your cards, but still flexible to fully take the blow of a drop or scuff. When filled, the wallet overall gains some extra structure, but the bendy edges remain without affecting the cards.

Magpul wallet ID pocket — The transparent ID pocket makes it easy to show your license when needed instead of fishing through pockets awkwardly all the time. [Photo credit: Grace Stevens]

In total, there are 5 slots available for use. One is on the outside with two more on the respective inner panel. The side with the ID pocket has an extra pocket behind it created with an extra hole in the material, mimicking the layered storage most wallets have. You can comfortably double up cards in the ID and external pocket, making up the space for the suggested 7 standard cards. These two pockets also appear to be the best option to store cash due to space, though personally, I’d store mine behind my ID for extra space and slightly easier access. Either way, the external pocket is best for anything you want quickly overall.

Magpul wallet open — When opening the wallet, you can see the mimicked wallet construction layering cards. To keep it slim and simple, Magpul added additional slits instead of separate pockets. [Photo credit: Grace Stevens]

The ID pocket is made of sheer material, making an ID visible for the most part though the material can lightly blur certain small details–which is worth it since the polymer fabric keeps everything so safe. The remaining material of the ID pocket makes up the kind of ‘loose binding’ it creates, making it easy to flip open and closed. I’m not a fan of breaking in wallets just so they stay closed, so I really like the accessibility Magpul gives.

The Magpul DAKA wallet comes in four colors: black, flat dark earth (FDE), stealth gray, and olive drab green. The one I have pictured is FDE. Online, this wallet costs around $22-23, which in the sense of wallets is very affordable. Finding a sleek, quality wallet is a task I’d normally plan to put $50+ into, but this one sits at a very reasonable price.

Field Use

Magpul wallet standing on it's end in front of bag — Magpul created a perfect medium between wallet types. It carries just enough and fits anywhere I need it. [Photo credit: Grace Stevens]

Typically my wallets of choice are massive in comparison to this one. This has been a nice change of pace, especially in the sense of bi-fold wallets. I normally have the first issue of bi-folds not building the flexibility to stay closed, especially since I typically carry my wallets in a bag or in my hand since my pockets are typically too small. But this wallet has a very flexible binding right out of the box, taking away the need to “break it in.” In fact, it’s so flexible that I found myself flipping the wallet around in my hand like a toy whenever I’d carry it.

Further, this wallet fits into your shirt pocket without standing out just as easily as it can be thrown in a back pocket or purse. Even with notoriously small pockets, I had a much easier time carrying this wallet in comparison to others I’ve used. Its slim and light construction makes carrying comfortable and easy while keeping a low profile. No one else around me can normally tell I’m carrying it, and half the time I could forget it’s there because of its structure.

The accessibility is pretty good too, with the external pocket making it easy to push cards or cash out with a gloved or ungloved hand, just the same as the inner pockets. However, the external pocket does have the ability to completely cover a card if pushed all the way down, so keep that in mind for gloved days. The sheer ID sleeve also comes in handy so awkwardly digging through debit and gift cards at the counter won’t happen anymore. I especially liked this to use for my student ID occasionally, since it’s easy to flash when needed without making a hassle or carrying it on a lanyard like usual.

Both men and women can benefit from the qualities of this wallet, the only downside really being you can’t carry a high amount of cash or change—but that’s really not a deal-breaker (especially since carrying lots of cash isn’t the safest anyways). I had no problem carrying my cards, ID, and punch cards, and rarely had to go digging for one. This is a great upgrade from the typical leather bifold without losing functionality, style, or most space.

This even matches up to leather in durability, since polymer fabric has similar weather resistance, strength, and protection as most basic leather wallets.

Final Thoughts?

Magpul has created a minimalistic option great for those tired of their current bulky and potentially deteriorating option.

Finding a wallet I’m happy with can be a tough journey. Maybe I’m just picky, but wallets always seem to be too bulky when they have enough space, or be a perfect compact size yet barely hold more than a few cards and bills. The Magpul everyday folding wallet has surpassed my expectations and shown its worth with its construction, capacity, and size; all without breaking the bank.