Dango A10 ADAPT Wallet Review
The Dango A10 ADAPT Single Pocket Wallet is a minimalist carry option with a modular design. And as much as we wanted to love this wallet, there’s some minor friction with card access. Otherwise, the A10 does a great job at keeping things organized and secure within a relatively compact form.
Capacity: 7 cards
RFID: Yes
Weight: 85 g
Hardware: 6061 Aluminum
Dimensions: 10.4 x 6.8 x 1.6 cm
Manufacturing Country: USA
Warranty: Limited Lifetime
Length of Test: 4 weeks
Acquisition: in exchange for our honest feedback, Dango sent us the A10 ADAP Single Pocket Wallet with zero expectations. As always, the content of this review wasn’t shared with the company prior to publishing. Just know, our job isn’t to tickle the ego of a gear brand… its to provide you with the insights you need to make a sound buying decision – nothing more, nothing less.
Countries: Thailand
Climate(s): Tropical Savanna
Weather: Hot and Humid (highest temp 32 C)
The Dango A10 is designed for:
It’s not designed for:
Chassis: made of 6061 anodized aluminum that’s aerospace-grade, the body of the Dango A10 is definitely tough and has a sort of cool factor about it. And in a sea of leather wallets, an aluminum body that’s been precision milled with CNC machinery is truly refreshing and a highly welcomed alternative.
Just know that aluminum is prone to scratches, but unlikely to bend over the long-term. So as long as you’re okay with imperfections on the metal, the chassis is built-to-last.
Even the stainless steel bolts are mil-spec grade and unlikely to rust.
Capacity = 4 cards + 3 folded bills.
Pocket Adapter: made of Dango’s proprietary DTEX fabric, which is a synthetic material that’s tough yet pliable, the adapter hasn’t given us any near-term durability concerns despite its ultralight weight. And even if the DTEX material doesn’t stand up to long-term use, Dango sells individual adapters that can serve as a replacement.
As for hand-feel, DTEX is a textured fabric with a weave that has a sort of built-in tactile grip. And what’s great about its grippiness is its lack of abrasiveness. While most “grippy” materials suffer from too much tactility, the DTEX fabric is still relatively smooth and feels great in the hand.
Capacity = 3 cards.
Rail Mechanism: every once in a while, a company releases an innovative tool that you never knew you needed until you’ve seen it in action…
The engineers at Dango must’ve channeled their inner Elon Musk to develop the rail system and it’s definitely a game changer for wallets. It’s easy to use, modular, and generally a fun feature.
As a two part system, the track of the chassis connects with the polycarbonate underside of the adapter to form a rail that’s smooth enough to operate with just your thumb. In practice, this rail either conceals or opens up the cavity within the chassis for access to folded bills.
In theory, the rail system is a giant leap forward for wallet innovation, but in practice it still needs some refinement – at least on the Dango A10.
Ease of Access: outside of storing a single card in the adapter pocket, this is where the Dango A10 fell short for us… it can be difficult to access cards quickly.
Finessing the little toggles in the chassis that safely secure the cards was the bane of my existence. Maybe I’m impatient. Maybe I’m just too much of a brute, but it was frustrating trying to access my cards without a John Wick inspired focus. So unless your a master of finger jiu jitsu, don’t expect the Dango A10 to offer much in the way of quick access.
As for bill carry, the inner chamber in the chassis is quick to access but is only good for carrying emergency cash – nothing more. So if you’re looking to carry more than a few bills, we recommend getting the chassis clip for increased capacity.
Comfort: when stored in a front pocket, the Dango A10 was a joy to carry. It’s relatively slim and light, so there were no issues with excessive bulge or the metal pressing into our legs. For back pocket carry, no comment – metal + butt cheeks don’t mix.
Dango gave the A10 wallet a toned down industrial look – tacticool at its finest.
Aesthetically speaking, the Dango A10 definitely errs on the side of masculine with its angular cuts and straight lines. Personally, I’m a fan of it… but May finds the “King Kong ain’t got sh*t on me” vibe to be a bit too much.
Long story short, the Dango A10 is definitely meant to be a men’s wallet and makes no apologies for its testosterone-fueled design.
The Dango A10 is a premium offering that’s price fairly compared to the competition – especially for a product that’s manufactured in the USA. However, it’s still pricey piece of kit relative to its performance (which still needs some refinement).
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| Pack | Main Material | Capacity | Weight | RFID? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dango A10 ADAPT | 6061 Anodized Aluminum | 7 Cards | 85 g | Yes |
| Dango M1 Maverick | 6061 Anodized Aluminum | 16 Cards | 141 g | Yes |
| Trayvax Contour | PVD-Coated Stainless Steel | 13 cards | 113 g | Yes |
| Slim Sleeve | Pre-molded Leather | 8 cards | 25 g | Yes |
| Apex Slim Sleeve | Pre-Molded Leather | 8 cards | 37 g | Yes |
The Dango A10 ADAPT Single Pocket Wallet is an innovative minimalist carry option that serves the tacticool niche. And while this wallet didn’t work well enough for us, it doesn’t mean that it won’t serve your use cases well.
Overall, we value quick access above all and because of the Dango A10’s shortcomings in this area, we’ve decided to take a hard pass on continuing to use this wallet. With that being said, the Dango A10 isn’t a bad wallet – it’s well-engineered and constructed. And maybe, just maybe, the wallet only needed some more break-in time to be quicker to access – with only 4 week of testing, are assessments are in no way “definitive.”
Whether or not the Dango A10 is right for you depends on a multitude of factors – so, take our review with a grain of salt. If you do happen to like the design, aren’t too worried about quick access, and want a durable build (compared to traditional leather wallets), the Dango A10 ADAPT Single Pocket Wallet is worth your consideration.
While the wallet wasn’t right for us, it’s by no means a bad wallet. We just wish Dango made the cards easier to access – that’s all.
