Hermes Calvi Cardholder Review – Pros, Cons, and Is It Worth It?

FTC Disclosure: When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Please note that this is not a sponsored post and all opinions are my own!

Whether you’re starting your Hermes journey in hopes of securing a quota bag or are simply curious about the legacy of the brand, you should try at least one of Hermes’ leather products at some point in your lifetime. One of the least expensive ways to do that is by buying the Calvi Cardholder. Today, I’ll be discussing the Calvi Cardholder’s pros, cons, and if I think it’s worth it.

What It Comes With

All of Hermes’ SLGs (small leather goods) are packaged in their classic Hermes orange box, tissue paper to protect the item within the box, and tied with the Hermes brown ribbon.

Details

The Hermes Calvi is designed in a simple, understated, yet practical way – which is exactly how the brand likes to be represented. Despite being the most coveted brand in luxury, Hermes is known to be fairly modest. You can see in the photo below that the Hermes name can only be found on the inside of the cardholder. Unlike many of their competitors who have logos plastered on every square inch of every product, Hermes avoids being flashy and ostentatious. Rather than designing their products with a ‘look at me!’ design and trying to attract as many consumers as possible, Hermes has maintained its clientele by remaining focused on producing products of the highest quality. Hermes is #1 in the market for all leather goods, and I would say they’ve rightly earned that reputation. Even with a product as simple as the Calvi, you can instantly feel the difference in Hermes’ leather.

The Calvi pictured here is made with Epsom leather, one of the fashion house’s staple leathers. It’s extremely lightweight, durable, easy to care for, and virtually waterproof and scratch-proof. Epsom is also exceptionally easy to clean, requiring a mere swipe of a damp cloth. Epsom holds its shape very well over time, so you won’t have to baby your Calvi.

In addition to Epsom being the most practical leather for a cardholder or wallet, it’s also known for its ability to show the vibrancy of colors. This specific Calvi is made in the color Vert Criquet, a unique pastel green meant to resemble the color of a cricket. I think having a pop-of-color SLG is a great idea since it allows you to spot your cardholder more easily amongst the items in your bag.

Capacity

Hermes’ Calvi Cardholder features two slots, each with a considerable capacity of 8 cards. This means the Calvi can comfortably fit up to 16 cards; you can see in the last photo below that there may still be room for 1 or 2 more thin cards such as a MetroCard, so you could likely fit a total of 18 cards in the Calvi.

Pros

Quality – As the #1 artisan of leather in the world, Hermes’ leather goods are incomparable to all others. Epsom leather is sincerely the best choice for a cardholder, especially given how much cardholders tend to be tossed around inside of bags.

Practicality – The beauty of Hermes truly lies within the brand’s practical products, and the Calvi is no exception. It was designed to be simple, practical, and long-lasting. Since the slots already have a large capacity, you don’t really need to worry about the cardholder ever stretching out.

Durability – Epsom is known to be extremely resistant to water and scratches, and it maintains its shape very well. All of these are factors that you’d want in an ideal wallet, and the Calvi has them!

Capacity – There’s just no beating the Calvi’s 18-card capacity. It’s unheard of for a cardholder to fit more than 8 cards, much less 18. Even if you don’t carry around that many cards, you can fit cards in one slot and cash in the other.

Cons

Design – If you like logos or intricate exterior designs, then the Calvi is not for you. Width-wise, the Calvi is also thicker than a standard compact cardholder, but this is due to the Calvi’s large capacity. Compact cardholders typically fit up to 5 cards, whereas the Calvi can fit up to 18.

Hard to get – Another reason Hermes’ clientele remains so loyal to the brand is due to the exclusivity of their products. The Calvi is known as a great introductory piece to the brand, making its already limited inventory even harder to get. Luckily, I do have this exact cardholder available to purchase at my small business, Isabelle Vita New York, so feel free to message me on my Instagram or Facebook page if you’re interested in buying it!

Is It Worth It?

Given its superb quality, practicality, and durability, I think the Hermes Calvi is well worth the money. It was my first Hermes leather purchase, and now I’m hooked! I’m glad that I was able to feel and experience the quality of the leather without having to shell out $10k for a quota bag. If you’re interested in purchasing a Calvi Verso in Vert Criquet, here’s one I found on eBay for a decent price. eBay also offers an authenticity guarantee on this item!

If you only like to carry around a few cards and prefer a slim cardholder, then you can also consider the Chanel Classic Flat Cardholder. You can read my full review on that here or watch my YouTube video comparing the two cardholders here.