
The Wanderwave set is a fully comprehensive money belt system designed exclusively for women, and is designed to keep all the essential valuables any intrepid female traveller will need safe, secure and discreetly hidden at all times.
This is a paid article written in partnership with Wanderwave, with products or services supplied by them. Full editorial integrity is maintained at all times. The views and opinions expressed are entirely the authors own based on personal experiences when travelling and are honest and factual without any bias.
Travel safety and security is a huge issue for any traveller. No one wants to have their cash or passport lost, stolen or pickpocketed, and as a result it is often advised to keep them and any other valuables with you at all times. Unfortunately that is not always easy, and the traditional money belts designed to do that often cause as many problems as they are designed to solve.
Enter the Wander Belt, an evolution of the traditional money belt that is designed to solve all those issues and provide a comfortable and discreet way for women to keep their valuables safe and discreetly hidden.

Designed by women, for women.
Unlike traditional money belts, this system was designed exclusively with women travellers in mind, and as such sits in a comfortable position on your rib cage and under your arm by attaching itself to your bra or bikini top.
The practicalities.
The system comprises of two components, the Wander Belt itself and the Mini Wallet, and both come in two colours, plain and a printed map version.

The Wander Belt is the primary system and consists of three separate, dedicated pockets that are big enough to carry your passport, some cash, a few debit or credit cards and maybe even a room key.
It is substantial enough to ensure that any essential you need can be hidden away in one of the pockets whilst keeping them flat against your torso and completely discreet no matter if it is worn under a dress, a t shirt or anything else.

It has two secure points, a loop that attaches to your bra and a secondary adjustable strap that will fit anything from XS to XXXL, and it can be worn on either side, left or right without an issue, making it extremely versatile.
The Mini Wallet is the second part of the set and is an ingenious little pouch that is big enough to hold a debit card or two plus an extra stash of daily cash so you can get quick and easy access to it without needing to go into the belt itself.

This is absolutely perfect for holding just enough cash to get you through the day so you aren’t flashing huge wads of cash about when you are paying for anything. It also has a handy key ring for your dorm or hotel room key.
The Mini Wallet is very versatile and can be worn in a variety of positions depending on comfort or need. It has two loops, a tight one across the back for attaching it to a belt, or a long strap that can allow it to be attached to a belt and hidden inside a pocket or inside your trousers or shorts, or discreetly attached to the Wander Belt itself or your bra if you are wearing a dress.
Comfort.
Made of a mixture of cotton and polyester, the wanderwave set is smooth and comfortable to wear. It has a sweat proof lining to protect your valuables and this can be fortified further with the use of strategic waterproof pouches.
As expected it isn’t exactly breathable (but to be fair it isn’t designed to be) and being held right next to your skin you will sweat a little in tropical heat where the belt was thoroughly tested (if worn in cooler climates than south east Asia then you should have no problems at all) but no more so than an average tight T shirt will make you do in this climate. The women it was tested on reported no significant discomfort throughout the day doing a variety of activities, from shopping and exploring in the city to heavy trekking, and none reported any noticeable pull or discomfort on their bra or bikini strap.
The material itself is comfortable to wear, easily washable and quick drying.
Both the Wander Belt and the Mini Wallet are extremely discreet and aren’t too bulky even when padded with cash and passports. They genuinely can’t be seen when wearing the vast majority of everyday clothing, dresses, T shirts, it doesn’t matter. As long as your torso is covered, the belt will be too.

One thing I did think would be a slight problem is the printed map version of the belt and wallet may be visible under lighter clothing but after seeing it under a wide variety of colours from plain white to light pastels, this really isn’t the case.
Will it keep your valuables safe?
This is the big question.
One thing all money belts are meant to do above all else is keep your valuables safe and secure. The big problem is the vast majority of traditional money belts fail significantly at this one crucial point.
As someone who has taught martial arts, self defence and safety and security to both civilians and professionals for many years, I know a thing or two about keeping yourself and your valuables safe, and one thing I will never recommend to anyone – ever – is traditional money belts. They are just not fit for purpose, and this is for two main reasons.
Apart from the comfort and horrible sweat factor that most belts have, there are usually one of two types. The ones that go around your waist, and the ones that go around your neck.
Any professional or half competent thief or mugger knows this, and if they have targeted you as a tourist then that is the first thing they will go for. Trust me, I have seen and heard about this a lot. They will look for that pot of gold around your waist or neck, because they know that is where tourists will keep the stuff worth stealing!
It really is obvious when you think about it.
The second reason is the fact that those money belts that hang around your neck can also very easily be grabbed and turned into a weapon to throttle you.
Not the best idea is it?

The Wander Belt and Mini Wallet does not have that problem. The average thief, pickpocket or mugger will very quickly check your waist and neck, they will not think to look at your bra or your torso, That is why this system works so well.
The Wander Belt’s biggest advantage is that it does the unexpected. It sits discreetly in a surprising place that few people will think to look and is not immediately obvious to those who may want to separate you from your valuables.

Yes there is a chance that the Mini Wallet may be found if you keep it in your pocket and a mugger can take that from you (and you should give it up too), but that has two advantages. First, your assailant will very rarely be looking for a second wallet or purse, and may assume that is your hidden stash, grab it and run. (It essentially acts as the dummy wallet many people carry around for such an occasion). If you do lose it, then all you should have lost is your daily stash, a small amount compared to your main cash haul in your belt and secret place in your pack. (Even with a belt as good as this it is still a good idea to separate your cash).
So all in all yes, I would genuinely say that the Wanderwave set is a great weapon in reducing your risk of becoming the victim of theft or a mugging, and along with other reasonable safety precautions will reduce that risk significantly.
The Wanderwave Wander Belt and Mini Wallet are a fantastic set that will significantly increase your safety factor on your travels and are the perfect accessory for any intrepid female traveller. I have no hesitation in recommending this product to all my female readers, and am in fact a little jealous that I can’t take advantage of it personally!
Ready to buy? You can get your very own Wanderwave set here. Don’t forget to add the exclusive code BBWW10 in at checkout to get 10% off!
Related Articles.
5 Easy Tricks To Avoid Being Robbed On Your Gap Year.
How To Outsmart And Avoid Pickpockets And Thieves On Your Gap Year.
Is Solo Travel Safe? Essential Gap Year Safety Tips For All Solo Backpackers.
I love that this is designed just for women. Does the printed version really not show up under clothes?
Well I can’t speak for every piece of clothing Teresa but we tested it with a variety of tops and colours, including white, and could not see the pattern through any of them since the pattern on the belt itself is quite pale and subtle. And in terms of the belt itself being hidden you genuinely cant tell if someone is wearing one or not even with a relatively form fitting vest top, just check out the picture above.
I’ve been put off using money belts in the past because of the comfort thing, I don’t want a super obvious and uncomfortable bum bag strapped to my waist all the time. This looks like a good alternative.
It genuinely is, I normally don’t advise using money belts at all because most are plainly obvious (as a neck tie or round the waist as a bum bag) but this is genuinely different.
This is pure genius! I need one of these for my trip next year!
I would definitely recommend them. Where are you headed?
I need to get one of these! Thanks for the detailed review (and the discount code)!
You are more than welcome Sophie.
It really is about time something like this was invented for women, I love it!
It is impressive. 🙂
Thank you for the thorough review, I really love the idea of this and definitely have to get my hands on one! A quick question though, how much can it actually carry because it is hard to tell from photos really.
Quite a lot actually, the belt and purse are not designed to be a replacement for your purse or anything and I wouldn’t advise stuffing them full, but basically on the belt you have three separate pocket. The top one is perfect for your passport, the smaller bottom one is perfect for a few credit cards and/or your hotel room key and the larger bottom pocket can fit a flat stack of paper cash and has two pouches inside that can hold two cash cards too. Basically all your essentials, and I can’t imagine you wanting to carry any more than that in it? With all of that you do still have a bit of wriggle room if you want to wrap everything in a thin waterproof pouch to be extra secure, and it will still keep everything discreetly hidden (see the photo above with the models top down, that was taken with the above items in every pocket and you cannot tell she is wearing it.)
This is such a cool belt, it is an amazing idea to have it hook up to your bra instead of around your waist or neck! Are they RFID protected too?
Not as far as I am aware Erin no, but you can get RFID sleeves for your cards pretty cheaply and simply slide them inside the pockets with your cards.
This is such an amazing idea! My daughter is going on her gap year and I have been looking for something like this to give her as a going away present, anything to help her stay safe. Thank you.
This would make an ideal present Linda! Feel free to use the exclusive discount code for 10% off!
Does this come in any other colours?
At the moment it only comes in printed and plain. I’m not sure if any are coming in the future but bright colours probably may not be as discreet under certain clothes.
Do you mind if I ask a quick question about this? I’m not exactly the same size as the model in the pictures and have a few more curves to contend with, does the belt really stretch out to larger sizes?
Not at all that’s what I’m here for, and you really don’t have to worry. It doesn’t stretch as such, but it has an adjustable strap that can make it fit any size at all from XXS to XXL, so you should have absolutely no problems at all. Hope that helps?
Where can you by this?
If you follow the links to the Wanderwave website you can buy directly from there, and don’t forget to use my discount code and save some money! ;D
Do they not have something similar for guys? 😀 Seriously I am looking for some sort of hidden wallet but am not impressed at all with the traditional money belts.
Not unless you want to start wearing a bra or a bikini top Robert! They do however have variations on the mini wallet that you can attach to your belt.
These genuinely look amazing, I love your point about it being on your body and hidden. but not in a traditional place that a mugger would think to look like round your neck or waist, especially in the heat of the moment when I imagine they just want to get out quick. I’ll be buying one of these for my next trip!
That’s exactly why I love this brand when I wouldn’t normally advise using traditional money belts at all Lisa, and you are absolutely right muggers tend to be opportunistic and want to get in and out, so this money belt, hidden on your torso plus a cheap throwaway purse with a few small denomination notes and old redundant cards in are the perfect combination.
I love this belt, such a genius idea. I would never carry a normal money belt but am getting one of these!
That’s great to hear!