Every travel addict needs a good travel document wallet. There’s nothing worse than having your passport and paperwork loose in your bag – that just leads to awkward scrabbling at security checks, and no one wants that.
So travel document wallets are the perfect way to stay organised and keep all of your important things in one place. And as well as helping you stay organised, they also help you perfect your seasoned-traveler look. But if you’ve ever tried to find a vegan and eco-friendly travel wallet, you’ll know it can be hard to find something that’s both ethical and stylish.
But lately one travel wallet has been catching the eyes of vegans and eco-warriors: the Watson & Wolfe vegan travel document wallet. So naturally, I wanted to try it out for myself.
Watson & Wolfe: A Bit About The Brand
Watson & Wolfe is a boutique vegan leather company based in England. They sell wallets, cardholders, and now a travel document wallet. Every one of their products is both sustainable and ethical – they’re dedicated to creating vegan products that are both environmentally friendly, and people-friendly.
They believe the future is plant-based, so they’re vegan through and through, but still want to provide customers with the luxury of products that look and feel like real leather.
Their products have a sleek and timeless design, and sorry ladies, they’re designed with men in mind. Of course the wallets are more than suitable for us girls too – the classic black design goes with any outfit, handbag or luggage set. But by targeting men, these wallets are filling a gap in the market. Helen, the founder of Watson & Wolfe mentioned the need for a luxury vegan accessory brand for men in her interview with Vilda Magazine:
“There are a lot of female vegan accessory brands already, doing a fantastic job of proving that non-leather can compete. However, men are hugely under-represented…We need to offer this level of quality to entice more men to shop sustainably. To remove the stigma that sustainable is less luxurious.”
And sure enough, each Watson & Wolfe product perfectly blends luxury with sustainability in effortlessly classy designs.
Watson & Wolfe Vegan Travel Wallet Review
The Unboxing – Christmas Come Early
The wallet arrived in an eco-friendly cardboard sleeve, which popped open at the side to reveal layers of ec0-tissue paper. And underneath, the much-anticipated vegan travel wallet.
I’ve got to admit, the way the wallet was packaged and presented made it an exciting unboxing. And one thing’s for sure, this travel wallet would make a great vegan gift idea for any avid traveler – it’s practically already gift-wrapped.
Inside the cardboard sleeve, there’s also a small card from Helen (the founder) with information about Watson & Wolfe’s mission and values. It outlines what the material is made from and what makes their products so sustainable. This is a great inclusion especially if you plan on buying this vegan travel wallet as a gift for someone who’s new to the Watson & Wolfe brand.
First Impressions: Quality At Its Finest
Taking a look at the travel wallet for the first time, I was thoroughly impressed by the quality. At first glance, you’d think it was real leather. The vegan leather became even more impressive when I read about how it was made – from 50% BIO plant material. But the sustainability doesn’t stop there, Watson & Wolfe also make sure the plant material used doesn’t divert from food sources for humans or animals.
The sleek black design has a smooth finish and the Watson & Wolfe logo embossed into the corner of the front cover is the perfect addition. The little wolf logo adds a bit of detail to the front without interrupting the classic simplicity of the design. When you open the wallet there’s also ‘Watson & Wolfe England’ embossed into the leather of the passport compartment.
Whilst at the airport I actually had several people ask me what brand the wallet was – the unusual logo sets it apart from other brands, and adds to the wallet’s quality appearance. And if you want to add further detail to the wallet, there’s the option to have it embossed with your initials (up to four initials).
Inside the wallet, the black vegan leather is contrasted with elegant red stitching, creating a luxury feel. And when you open up the zipped compartment, the lining is a vivid red to match the stitching. The lining mimics the material used by luxury leather companies and feels just as high-quality. But rather than using polyester (a material that requires harsh chemicals, petroleum products and a lot of energy to make), Watson & Wolfe have created this lining from 100% recycled plastic bottles.
Practicality: Perfect For Every Occasion
The travel wallet is just the right size to hold your passport, any paperwork (including visas), boarding passes, credit cards and there’s even a zipped compartment for any coins or valuables.
A4 paperwork will need to be folded to fit inside the wallet, which is slightly smaller than a5 size, but this isn’t a problem at all, and the compact size means it can be easily slipped into any sized bag, or perhaps even a large pocket.
There are several different compartments for cards, papers, and whatnot, and there are actually two passport compartments which came in useful when traveling with a friend. So if you’re traveling as a couple, this definitely a great feature which lets you keep your important documents and passports in one wallet. Or if it’s just you, you’ve got a choice when it comes to organising where to put things in the wallet.
I took this wallet on a road trip around Europe and it was perfect for storing car-related documents (insurance papers and registration documents) and toll tickets. It fit perfectly in the door pocket of my driver’s seat, so whenever I came up to a security checkpoint, all I had to do was whip out this handy little folder.
I live in the UK, in the country’s most uneventful city, where the most interesting story in the local paper is about banning dressing gowns in supermarkets.
I travel and I write, because surely there are more interesting stories than that to write about and share.