Between the sun and your body heat, your jersey pockets can quickly become like an oven. That means items like cash, phones or other small items can end up covered in sweat or they can easily fall out. Topeak’s PakGo rigid wallets are compact zippered wallets specifically designed to fit in jersey pockets and make it easier to stay organized. As with Topeak’s other PakGo bike and gear bags, the wallets have a rigid exterior with sleek black finish. The wallets are offered in three sizes from small to large where the small size is better suited for cash or keys. In this review we have the $49.95 medium size and the $52.95 large size which are large enough for a majority of cell phones. The medium size is 4.8” tall while the large size is 6.1” to better accommodate modern oversized phones.
The Topeak PakGo wallets offer a convenient and sleek rigid construction to store phones, small valuables and money while cycling.
| Retail Price | $49.95 (M) / $52.95 (L) |
| Rating | 8.0/10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 96 (M) / 120 (L) |
| Likes | + Rigid construction + Easy to stay organized with multiple pockets + Sweat proof design keeps items dry and clean |
| Dislikes | – Lacks color options – Difficult to find items with all black interior |
| Where to Buy (US) | Todson (S) / Todson (L) |
UNBOXING
The Topeak PakGo wallets come in compact white and yellow cardboard boxes with specs and illustrations printed on them. There is even a transparent window cut into the front that allows you to see the exterior of the wallets. Inside the box, you’ll just find the wallets.
FIT & FINISH
Topeak’s PakGo series of bags offer everything from bike transport boxes, and GearPack to these new wallets. As with the other products, the PakGo wallets have a rigid construction that combines silicone, EVA foam and PVC for lightweight yet durable finish. Topeak offers the wallet in three different sizes: small, medium and large. The smaller sizes are better suited for credit cards, coins or keys while the larger sizes can fit cell phones. Visually the wallets have a sleek black textured finish with rigid front and rear. The textured finish and ridges are similar to rigid carry-on luggage designs, simply shrunken down to a wallet size. You have a full wrap around zipper with fabric pull that allows you to access all the internal items.
The interior has a smooth velvet black interior and multiple mesh pockets to organize items. We’re a bit disappointed to not see the high visibility yellow Topeak uses on their saddlebags as it is easy to lose items with the all black interior. To help organize things you have a mesh zippered pocket and an elastic pocket on each door, one with a zipper and the other with an elastic opening. There are even two silicone straps on each corner to hold on to the corners of a cell phone and prevent it from sliding around. We’d recommend referring to Topeak’s website to ensure your particular cell phone model fits the wallet before selecting which size to purchase.
ON THE ROAD
With its sweatproof design and multiple pockets, we found the Topeak PakGo wallets to be an excellent way of carrying cash and valuables. Even the large version easily fits our various jersey pockets and makes it easy to keep track of smaller items. It’s a particularly useful design if your jersey pocket lacks a fourth zippered pocket which we usually use for keys. Compared to popular fabric pouch style cycling wallets, the PakGo offers more protection and some insulation to prevent phones from being damaged in accidental drops. The downside of the rigid padded design is that the PakGo wallets are a bit bulkier which makes them less suitable for minimalists.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Topeak PakGo wallets offer excellent organization with a rigid construction. As with the PakGo GearPack and bike bags, the wallets have rigid padded sides that offer some additional protection from drops. The multiple interior pockets and cell phone holder make it easy to store credit cards, cash, keys and other smaller items securely. We found the wallets to be a convenient and more secure way to keep track of items as you’re less likely to drop items when reaching for snacks or other items. We would have liked to see Topeak offer more exterior color options and utilize a high visibility interior color to make it easier to find items on the inside. That said, if you’re looking for a durable cycling wallet that’s large enough to fit a cell phone then the Topeak PakGo wallets are good options.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Topeak. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.
Is the wallet and zipper waterproof?
No., Topeak describes it as “sweat proof” as the zippers aren’t waterproof. It is highly water resistant though and keeps light showers / sweat out of the bag.