Flipside 5 Wallet Review: What's New Compared to the Flipside 4

Introduction

It has been over seven years since the Flipside 4 first appeared, and in that time the clamshell wallet earned a reputation for being surprisingly durable and fun to use. In June, Flipside finally released a successor: the Flipside 5. After carrying the new model for a week, the changes are easy to sum up: it keeps the spring-loaded clamshell action fans loved, and adds the two things people kept asking for, quick access card slots and a more premium build.

Here is a closer look at what the Flipside 5 changes, what stays the same, and whether the older Flipside 4 still makes sense.

Build and Design: Aluminum Meets Polycarbonate

The biggest structural change is on the outside. Where the Flipside 4 was entirely polycarbonate, the Flipside 5 adds anodized aluminum face plates attached to a polycarbonate body. Open it up and the inside remains all polycarbonate, with the plates clearly visible as the only metal components. The anodized finish has a nice sheen and a solid feel in hand, and since the outside of the body is aluminum, it naturally blocks RFID.

The spring action has also been tuned. The wallet shoots open at the press of a polycarbonate button, and the spring feels a little stronger than the Flipside 4’s, which already had famously snappy action. In hand the wallet weighs 2.7 oz (76 g) and measures 2.72 in long, 4.23 in tall, and 0.73 in thick, and because it is a case-style wallet, it never gets thicker than that no matter how much you load into it.

It is available in four colors: stealth black, blossom pink, solstice gold, and galaxy blue. Branding is minimal, with a single Flipside logo on the front and nothing else anywhere on the wallet. The Flipside 5 also carries a 5-year limited warranty and is made in the USA.

Quick Draw Slots: The Biggest New Feature

On the Flipside 4, quick access to your most-used card required buying a snap-on accessory. The Flipside 5 builds that capability directly into the wallet with quick draw slots on both the front and back, each paired with a large thumb slot to push cards up smoothly.

Each quick draw slot holds up to three credit cards depending on thickness, so you can keep your most-used card on the front and, say, a store card on the back. Cards click into place as you slide them down, an audible confirmation the Flipside 4 never had. Since these slots sit on the outside of the wallet, that click matters: it tells you the cards are locked in. The slide-up action is impressively smooth, essentially the same satisfying feel the Flipside 4 was known for.

Cash and Cards: How It Carries

Inside, there is a dedicated ID window that holds exactly one card, handy for a driver’s license or work badge, and a cash compartment secured by a stainless steel cash clip. This clip is a major upgrade over the Flipside 4’s plasticky clip, and it supports two carrying styles: fold your bills in half for a tidier load, or leave them unfolded and let them wrap over the front of the clip, cash-wrap style.

With seven cards loaded (six across the quick draw slots plus one in the ID window), the wallet held 10 bills comfortably. Note that the cash area can also squeeze in a couple more cards, but every extra card under the clip means fewer bills you can carry. One nice detail: when the wallet is closed, bills stay in position, so opening it to show your ID does not send cash flopping around.

Durability and Capacity

The Flipside 4’s most famous moment came when it was claimed it could survive being run over by a car, and after the test it took only minor damage and kept working. That polycarbonate toughness carries over to the Flipside 5, whose body remains polycarbonate inside and out beneath the aluminum plates. Total capacity is between seven and nine cards plus up to 10 bills, a slight step up in flexibility thanks to the dual external slots.

Flipside 4: Still Worth Buying?

Flipside has not discontinued the older model. The Flipside 4 remains on sale alongside the 5, and a new version of the Flipside 4 is reportedly in the works. If you do not need the quick draw slots or the aluminum face plates, the Flipside 4 is still the same smooth, spring-action case wallet with the clever clamshell design that won people over in the first place.

Accessories and Everyday Carry

Flipside offers an AirTag accessory that snaps onto the back of the wallet. It attaches through small holes on the sides of the wallet, tab fitments lining up with matching slots, and neodymium magnets hold it shut. The accessory swings open when you need access to that side of the wallet and snaps back into place when you are done. It is a neat solution for anyone who wants location tracking without a separate pocket tracker.

Buying Advice

If you have been waiting for a Flipside with quick card access built in, the Flipside 5 is that wallet, and at $59 it is relatively inexpensive for what it offers. The aluminum face plates, the stainless steel cash clip, and the dual quick draw slots with that satisfying click make it a genuine upgrade rather than a refresh. If you already own and love a Flipside 4, nothing here is broken, but the quick draw slots alone are a strong reason to consider the jump. Either way, check current pricing and color availability before you buy, since both models remain on sale.

Conclusion

The Flipside 5 takes a wallet that was already clever and fixes its two weakest points: slow card access and a plasticky cash clip. With aluminum face plates, RFID blocking, quick draw slots on both sides, and the same snappy clamshell action, it is an easy recommendation for anyone who likes structured, case-style wallets. Hopefully it is not another seven years before the next one.