Flexible Wallets

For most of us, carrying a wallet is a matter of necessity, not fashion. Unfortunately, the average wallet isn't always consumer-friendly, with many styles being unnecessarily bulky or inflexible. The main function of the average wallet is to hold cash, credit cards, IDs and coins. But most people carry additional items such as photos, loyalty cards, receipts, business cards and other small items. Traditional wallets aren't designed to carry all of these extras, so they quickly become thick, bulky and difficult to carry.

As a result of the added bulk, people who carry their wallet in their back pockets often complain of pain from sitting on it. The pain may be confined to the back or it can extend through the legs. It is caused by sitting on an uneven surface and adjusting your back or hips to accommodate for the difference between the left and right sides. There's actually a name for this condition - wallet sciatica. According to experts, sitting on an overly thick wallet can put pressure on the sensitive sciatic nerve that runs from the lower spine through the buttocks and into the lower legs. The pressure on the nerve results in pain throughout the legs and back as well as occasional numbness, which can become severe with extended use of the offending wallet.

If a thick wallet is a no-no for you, you can eliminate painful sciatic symptoms by reducing the number of items you carry or by opting for a thinner billfold. Most people carry excess wallet contents, so reducing the total number of items you carry will certainly help the problem. However, sometimes simply reducing the number of items carried isn't enough to eliminate the excess bulk since traditional wallets are often made of thick leather materials.