Monet Phone Wallet/Stand/Ring Review: I Hate How Much I Love This Thing

Cameron Summerson

You know those wallets you stick to the back of your phone? How about the rings that also work as kickstands? Well, Monet is both of those things in one. And I hate how much I love it.

For the majority of my time as a smartphone user, I’ve been totally opposed to cases. In recent years, I’ve come to accept them as a necessary evil—as phones become more “premium,” they also become more slippery and fragile. So cases are pretty much a must.

I also refused to stick any of those stupid “hold your phone better with this ring!” or “attach your credit cards to your phone with this wallet!” gadgets to the back of my phone. It was bad enough I had to use a case, but I was absolutely not interested in making my sleek, svelte smartphone bulkier.

But then I had an idea. I’m a cyclist, and I’ve been putting my phone in a plastic bag, then throwing my driver’s license and debit card in the bag with the phone when I’m on the bike. That then goes in my jersey pocket. But I got sick of doing this—I wanted a simple way to carry all three in one place. So I thought one of those stupid stick-on wallet things would do the trick. I could throw my essential cards in there when I’m on the bike, keeping it all together and easily accessible.

What is Monet and How Does it Work?

One day while shopping at Sam’s Club, my wife found these things called Monet—it was a two-pack for $10 (they’re $15 on Amazon or $20 directly from Monet for one so you might want to keep an eye out at your local Sam’s Club or Costo).

The Monet is a pretty sleek little phone wallet that also has another neat trick: a pop-out “ring” that also works as a kickstand. Intriguing! As far as phone wallets, rings, and kickstands are concerned, it’s definitely one of the more interesting designs I’ve seen.

Monet is made of faux leather and holds two cards (maybe more if you really stuff it full, which I don’t recommend) in a crisscross pattern. Just below that, there’s a little “tab” of sorts that slides out, serving as a ring and kickstand. The design is really well thought out. Also, if you look at Monet’s website, they have an absolute ton of different colors and designs. It’ll cost you to buy direct ($20 versus $15 at Amazon versus $10 for two at Sam’s), but hey—you can’t put a price on uniqueness, right?

Being the curmudgeon that I am about stuff like this, I mulled it over for a while. The thought of sticking this crap—as clever as it may be—on the back of my phone didn’t sit well with me. But one more long ride with my phone, license, and debit card in a plastic bag, and I knew I wanted to do something differently. So we went back to Sam’s and picked up the two-pack—one for me, one for my wife.

I stuck it on the back of my phone with the intention of only using it when I went riding and otherwise trying to ignore the fact that it’s there. But man, let me tell you: I couldn’t help but start using it. And now that I have it, I never want to go without it.