Rite in the Rain Monsoon Series: Every TPU Wallet and Pouch, Reviewed

Introduction

Finding a wallet you can recommend to just about anyone for under $20 has long been a challenge, and the Monsoon Series from Rite in the Rain might finally settle it. The lineup has been out for at least six months, and it leans hard into functional, super-durable territory. This guide walks through every piece, from the larger zipper pouch down to the small field wallet that emerges as the clear standout.

Why the Monsoon Series Stands Out

Everything in the Monsoon Series is built from TPU, a marine-grade material used widely on boats. It is completely waterproof, extremely tough, and when layered it stays remarkably thin. If your lifestyle involves water, beach trips, or water sports, this is a system designed not to get wrecked the way leather would.

One thing to know up front: everything comes in a single military green-brown color. If you don’t like that look, that’s simply the whole palette. Function clearly wins over style here.

Zipper Pouch

The zipper pouch is the priciest item at around $30, and it isn’t really a wallet per se. It is made of very tough TPU with a waterproof zipper and an open internal pouch. There are pen slots on the outside and slots for cards too, so it could technically serve as a wallet, but it is too large for a pocket.

It has a strap that appears designed to wrap around your leg, possibly to keep your belongings together while riding a jet ski or similar. As a pouch for water sports, it is genuinely slick and worth consideration, just not what most people would call a wallet.

Notebook Keeper

The larger notebook keeper sits around the $30 price point and fits much larger notebooks, with two different slots for two notebooks. Because the straps sit in the middle, you can also attach additional notebooks, giving it a lot of flexibility. The TPU construction uses two layers that stay very thin and very strong.

The one oddity: there are no card slots on the opposite side, which seems like a strange omission given how little thickness it would add. Still, it makes a great take-to-the-beach notebook option, and the design is well executed overall.

Vertical Wallet

The vertical wallet pairs with Rite in the Rain’s 3x5 notebook, which is quite thick on its own. Add cards to the three slots and it gets really big fast. The good news is that the slots are cut wide enough to fit two cards each, even embossed ones, so you can carry more than the three shown.

Cash goes on one side, cards on the other, and all of this comes in under $20, which keeps it a serious consideration. The main drawback is pen compatibility: very few pens actually work well with the vertical form. Only one Rite in the Rain pen works well in it, and it does stick out a bit, which at least makes it easy to pull out for a quick note.

Horizontal Wallet

The horizontal version uses the same 3x5 notebook and also has six card slots, but it works with a much bigger pen, which makes it preferable to the vertical wallet. It is a good option, though it ends up very thick as well, and it was not the favorite of the wallet-style designs.

Card Holder

The stick-on card holders are the weakest part of the lineup. Only about two or three non-embossed cards fit, and getting them in is a real struggle. A pack of two costs around $10, and they are meant to stick to notebooks.

Neither use case makes sense: cards are exposed and easy to lose, and notebooks are disposable, so you would have to reposition the holder constantly. Best to skip these unless you have a specific use in mind.

Pocket Top Wallet

On Amazon this one comes bundled with three credit-card-sized waterproof OTG notebooks and a Rite in the Rain pocket pen, landing around $27 total. On the brand’s own site the wallet alone is only $12, technically the cheapest piece in the series. The notebooks are perforated, waterproof, and credit-card sized, though a three-pack runs around $10.

The back has a single slot that holds the notebook and probably leaves enough room for a spare card. Inside, five non-embossed cards fit with room to spare, and realistically five embossed cards work too, with room to stretch further. The buttoned closure and an extra tab for attaching to a lanyard make it a very secure design. Purely functional, but very well done.

The Winner: Field Wallet

The field wallet is the piece that has been carried daily for three to four weeks, and it is the best wallet found under $20, and it is not close. At around $17 without a notebook, adding a pack of notebooks still keeps you just over $20. It uses Rite in the Rain’s proprietary notebook size, but it also fits the Moleskine Volant extra small, and small narrow notebooks from office supply stores work well and offer far more pages.

There are three card slots, but six cards carried comfortably with two per slot, and thin insurance-style cards even allow three in one slot. A cutout with a narrow space lets you trap extra cards underneath so they cannot slide out, which worked out to seven or eight cards at a time plus cash on top. Flashcards tuck under the flap nicely too.

The elastic band over the top keeps everything contained, and you can push the pen up from the bottom and use it without even opening the wallet. The included notebook keeper-style design, the secure closure, and the lanyard tab make this a solid, rugged piece. If you are looking for a sub-$20 wallet, this is it.

Pens That Pair Well

The Rite in the Rain pocket pen that comes with the bundle is made in the US and takes a Fisher Space Pen insert. It is easier to use one-handed than a standard space pen, which makes it a genuinely pleasant pairing with the smaller wallets.

The other strong match is the Aviator B3, a tiny narrow pen that fits the field wallet as if it were made for it. It packs a pencil, a red and black pen, and an eraser into that small body, making it an ideal everyday companion for this system.

Buying Advice

If you want a single recommendation, get the field wallet at around $17 and add a notebook pack. If you need a larger organizer for outdoor use, the notebook keeper or zipper pouch make sense, and water sports users should give the zipper pouch a serious look. Skip the card holders entirely, and choose between the vertical and horizontal wallets based on whether you prefer the pen compatibility of the horizontal version.

Conclusion

The Monsoon Series is a genuinely useful waterproof system for anyone with an active lifestyle that involves water. The TPU construction is marine-grade tough, the sub-$20 wallets are excellent value, and the field wallet in particular stands out as one of the best wallets at any price under $20. Start there, and build out the rest of the system only if your needs call for it.