Zilfer Cycling Phone Wallet

The Zilfer Cycling Phone Wallet is slim, waterproof and extremely effective – it even looks 'normal' enough to use off the bike. You can't use your phone without removing it first, but that only takes a second and seems a small price to pay for an almost entirely faff-free design. Tragically, the actual price is not small at all, and will likely put many off.

• Pros: Convenient, comfy in pockets, simple, instant phone protection
• Cons: A little tall for some rear pockets, not the nicest texture, crazy expensive

If you want to use your phone as a GPS, to liveblog rides to the corner shop or – woah there grandad – make phone calls, there are hundreds of clear-fronted options to strap to your bike. Meanwhile, if you simply want to protect your phone from rain and sweat, it's generally a choice between bulky, tricky-to-fit phone armour or a rubbery bag sealed with an awkward plastic stick. None of these offer convenience or an easy fit in a pocket.

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I've tried waterproof rear jersey pockets (didn't work), plastic bags (look shoddy but work) and wedging the phone in saddle bags (usually incredibly awkward), but nothing works as well as this simple, water-resistant wallet. Slide phone in sideways, close wallet, slip in pocket. Done. Already raining? Slide phone behind the long zip, do up, slip in pocket. Done. And it only takes seconds to remove the (dry) phone for use.

Inside the light padding you find two pouches, one with four slots for credit cards, library tickets and your corner shop loyalty card. Bank notes, cake receipts and IOUs fit full length inside either main pouch. Basically, everything lies flat and stays thin for minimal bulk.

It's worth noting that the water-resistant pocket is actually a full-width, 17cm square, so it can take quite large papers without turning them into origami or, at least for a while, papier maché. All the strong-feeling seams are heat-sealed rather than stitched, so there are no holes, and the zip is water resistant.

It's the fabric itself that eventually fails, but it resisted a full minute submerged in my calibrated testing facility (aka sink), though 10 minutes overwhelmed it. You could accidentally drop it in a river and get away with it, plus it floats. More usefully, it's going to resist heavy rain for a considerable time before wetting through (it shrugged off everything I got caught in, though this was no more than an hour of any ride).

At 17cm long it takes my 13 x 6.5cm iPhone, case and all, and still closes naturally. Any device larger than 15 x 7cm would be a bit of a squeeze, and it doesn't fit Plus phones. The wallet's around 12mm thick folded and empty. Zilfer makes a thing of it being 'elegant' enough for everyday use, but it's way too long to fit in a front trouser pocket.

In fact, my only niggle is that it's almost too long for jersey pockets too. If it were just a little shorter it would sit more snugly below most pocket closures and feel more secure. That said, the rough (if slightly plasticky) texture helps it stay put, and I had no issues with it moving even in pockets from which it stuck out.

> Emergency essentials: 10 things you should take on every ride

Zilfer's phone wallet is light at 52g, slim, adds a little padding should you crash, and is as water resistant as you're likely to need on a road bike. It's all great – except the price, which at £51 feels improbably high for a plastic wallet.

Unfortunately for Zilfer, Fickaskap's rival wallet is half the price while being totally waterproof, transparent on one side and available in two sizes to fit all phones. Velovita's Pocket Pack is less waterproof but also available in two sizes, also sweat-proof and also £25... You get the picture. The Zilfer just isn't competitive, nor is it versatile or plain sexy enough to justify the premium. And that's without even mentioning how many plastic bags £25 buys you, never mind £51...

Verdict

A stylish, versatile and useful phone protector and wallet, but you'll need deep pockets – in every sense