There’s a particular kind of minimalism we like at Luxe Digital. Not minimalism as an aesthetic exercise, or having less for the sake of it. The useful, intentional kind. The kind that asks: what can you take away without compromising what matters?
That question is at the heart of Arc, founded in Groningen, in the north of the Netherlands, in 2019. The Dutch brand takes everyday objects we rarely question (our phone case, our wallet) and strips them back to the essentials, using precise engineering and serious materials to do more with less.
It’s an approach that feels familiar. When it comes to the things we carry every day, we’d rather have fewer, better-designed essentials than layers of superfluous stuff.
So I put two of Arc’s signatures to the test: the Arc Pulse, a phone case designed to preserve the feel of the phone itself, and the Arc Vault, a slim metal wallet built around one beautifully simple idea: make your cards easier to reach without making your wallet bigger.
Neither is for everyone. You could even argue they’re both a little polarizing. But question the minimalism all you like, there’s very little to argue in the quality, precision and craftsmanship behind it.
The Arc Pulse is the best case for anyone who loves their phone's design and treats it with a little care. If you've gone mostly digital and carry a handful of cards, the Arc Vault is a compact, fuss-free everyday companion built for quick access. If your wallet doubles as a filing cabinet, look elsewhere.
The collection at a glance
- Tested
- Arc Pulse in Matte Black, Arc Vault in Onyx Black
- Arc Pulse
- Two-piece metal bumper case, aerospace-grade aluminum or Grade 5 titanium
- Pulse protection
- Up to 10 ft drop protection (aluminum)
- Arc Vault
- Aluminum card holder, up to 5 cards (4 if embossed)
- Vault size
- 71 x 97.3 x 9.1 mm, 90 g
- Vault warranty
- 2 years
- Price
- Pulse from $69.99 ($299.99 in titanium); Vault $149.99 to $189.99
What we loved
- Pulse: the closest thing to a naked iPhone that still counts as protection
- Pulse: precision machining you can feel: tight tolerances, no rattle, no glue
- Vault: the one-press card fan is genuinely satisfying, every single time
- Vault: built-in RFID protection, and it snaps magnetically onto compatible phones
What could be better
- Pulse: leaves the screen and much of the back exposed
- Vault: no room for cash, receipts or "just in case" extras
- Vault: Onyx Black shows fingerprints easily
Why can you trust Luxe Digital?
We jumped on the minimalist train (many) years ago. Since 2018, we’ve been testing the everyday essentials that earn a place in our lives, from EDC and tech to bags and accessories. We look past the first impression to how something is made, how it feels to use, and whether it genuinely adds something to your day. And we’re not shy about saying where a product falls short. Minimalism lovers, in other words, on a constant hunt for well-made things worth owning.
For more on how we test products, see our HAPPY philosophy for buying luxuries.
Arc Pulse review: the case that almost isn’t there
I came to Arc out of curiosity.
I’ve used a Mujjo case on my iPhone for the past two years, and I liked it. But every so often, I’d slip it off just to hold the phone the way Apple designed it. The glass. The metal frame. The proportions someone in Cupertino clearly obsessed over.
The Arc Pulse takes that feeling and builds a case around it.
It’s the closest I’ve come to using my iPhone without a case, without actually using it without a case. Read that twice; it’s still the most accurate description I can give you.
Arc calls it “jewelry for your tech.” I’d normally roll my eyes at that line. But after 3 weeks with the Pulse on my phone, I’ll allow it.
- Arc Pulse
- 9/10
- What it is
- Two-piece metal “bumper” case
- Material
- Aerospace-grade aluminum; Grade 5 titanium option
- Protection
- Raised edges around screen and camera; up to 10 ft drop protection (aluminum)
- Extras
- Wireless charging compatible
- Finishes
- Matte Black, Silver, Graphite, Gold and seasonal shades; Titanium Onyx Black
- Price
- From $69.99; $299.99 in titanium
Pros
- The closest thing to a naked iPhone that still counts as protection
- Precision machining you can feel: tight tolerances, no rattle, no glue
- Lets the phone itself stay the star of the show
Cons
- Leaves the screen and much of the back exposed
- Costs more than a conventional case, and particularly the titanium version
Our verdict:
The Arc Pulse is the best case for anyone who loves their phone’s design and treats it with a little care. Meaningful protection, without putting a bulky layer between you and the device.
Check price: Arc Pulse review: the case that almost isn’t there at Arcat Arc · Trusted by shoppers
Unboxing: I thought they’d forgotten something
It arrived in a box so small I assumed there’d been a mix-up with my parcel. It’s barely bigger than my earphones case. Which, in hindsight, was the first clue.
You can’t fit a regular phone case in a box that size. This is not a regular phone case.
Materials & craftsmanship: two pieces of metal, zero compromise
The Arc Pulse comes in two parts: one shell slides onto the top of your phone, the other onto the bottom. No adhesive, no clips. The pieces hold through a precisely engineered pressure fit, with an elastomer lining inside for grip and shock absorption.
The aluminum versions are machined from aerospace-grade aluminum with an anti-scratch coating.
Want to go all in? There’s a Grade 5 titanium version finished in Onyx Black tungsten carbide.
Fitting it is oddly satisfying. Each half slides on and it seats with a firm, precise bite of friction. There’s no awkward bending, stretching or wrestling with the case. It simply fits.
And that’s where the craftsmanship shows. There is so little material here that there’s nowhere for a sloppy tolerance to hide.
Aesthetic & design: the naked-phone feeling
This is where the Arc Pulse won me over.
If you love Apple’s industrial design (and if you’ve spent upward of $1,000 on a phone, I suspect you do at least a little), most cases feel like throwing a raincoat over a tailored suit.
The Pulse keeps the suit on show.
You can still feel the glass on the back. You can still see the color and shape of the phone. Your hand settles into the curves of the device itself, and the two shells become natural resting points for your fingers when you’re scrolling one-handed.
Bare minimum, in the best possible sense: it uses only what it needs to protect what matters.
Colors & finishes: more choice than you’d expect
I went for Matte Black, which looks sharp against my Space Gray iPhone.
Depending on your model, the Pulse comes in Matte Black, Silver, Graphite and Gold, plus a rotating cast of seasonal shades. The titanium version comes in Onyx Black.
It’s designed for recent iPhone Pro and Pro Max models, as well as selected Samsung, Google Pixel and Nothing phones. Check your exact model before ordering.
Matte Black
Functionality: protection where it counts
Rather than wrapping the whole phone in material, the Pulse concentrates its protection around the corners and edges (the areas most vulnerable to impact) and leaves the rest of the phone alone.
The two pieces protrude just enough on the front and back to create a protective buffer around the screen and camera, while the raised corners help distribute impact away from the device itself.
That’s the clever part. It protects the phone without trying to hide it.
But there is a trade-off, and it’s not a small one.
The Pulse is not a full-coverage protective case. It won’t shield the screen or the back from scratches, scuffs and everyday knocks the way a conventional case would. I’d consider a screen protector essential if you want some additional reassurance.
Ultimately, it comes down to how you live with your phone.
If yours rattles around the bottom of a handbag with your keys, sunglasses, and everything else, this probably isn’t the case I’d pick for you. If you’re careful with your phone and quietly resent the bulk of conventional cases, it’s an easy yes. Real protection where it counts, with almost none of the bulk.
Care & maintenance: barely any
A wipe with a soft cloth now and then. That’s it. No fabric or leather means nothing to stain, stretch or yellow.
Price: from fair to firmly indulgent
At the time of writing, the Pulse starts at $69.99 in Matte Black and climbs to $129.99 for Gold. The titanium edition is $299.99.
The aluminum versions are fairly priced for a case made from high quality metal with this degree of precision. The titanium Pulse feels more like a considered upgrade. Beautiful, but you’re paying jeweler’s prices for a “bumper”.
Check price: Price: from fair to firmly indulgent at Arcat Arc · Great deals every day
Who is Arc Pulse best for?
The Arc Pulse is best for careful phone owners who miss the feel of their device—and don’t see why protecting it should mean hiding it.
Arc Vault review: the ultimate minimalist metal wallet
The Arc Vault takes the same thinking in a different direction. Instead of asking how little case a phone needs, it asks how little wallet you need.
The answer, apparently, is 90 grams of aluminum and five cards.
Full disclosure: I’m quite classic when it comes to wallets. I’ve been using (and loving) Bellroy’s Hide & Seek billfold for years (check our hands-on review of the wallet). So I was curious whether Arc could talk me into paring it all back.
One caveat before you even think about switching: if your current wallet is a billfold stuffed with receipts, ticket stubs and notes to self, you’ll need to purge first. The Vault holds five cards. That’s it.
And perhaps that’s the point. A minimalist wallet doesn’t just take up less space in your pocket. It makes you decide what actually needs to come with you. Get that right, and you end up carrying less, and keeping your wallet for longer.
- Arc Vault
- 8.5/10
- What it is
- Metal card holder with a one-press fan-out mechanism
- Material
- Aerospace-grade aluminum (6063-T6), machined from a single block
- Capacity
- Up to 5 cards (4 if embossed)
- Weight
- 90 g
- Dimensions
- 71 x 97.3 x 9.1 mm
- Extras
- MagSafe attach point; RFID protection
- Finishes
- Silver, Onyx Black
- Warranty
- 2 years
Pros
- The one-press card fan is genuinely satisfying, every single time
- Compact enough that your pockets will thank you
- Precision machining and a reassuringly solid feel
- Built-in RFID protection
- Snaps magnetically onto compatible phones
Cons
- No room for cash, receipts or “just in case” extras
- Onyx Black shows fingerprints easily
- Pricier than a conventional slim card holder
Our verdict:
If you’ve gone mostly digital and carry a handful of cards, the Arc Vault is a compact, fuss-free everyday companion built for quick access. EDC, stripped to the essentials. If your wallet doubles as a filing cabinet, look elsewhere.
Check price: Arc Vault review: the ultimate minimalist metal wallet at Arcat Arc · Competitive prices
Unboxing: small, solid and surprisingly satisfying
Take the Vault out of the box and the first thing you notice is how compact it is. The second is the weight. It has a density that tells you straight away this isn’t a flimsy card holder.
At 71 × 97.3 × 9.1 mm, it’s slightly larger than a credit card, and about as thick as a pencil.
A small, solid object designed to do one thing very well.
Materials & craftsmanship: small object, serious engineering
The Vault is machined from a single block of aerospace-grade aluminum and finished by hand. The Silver version is mirror-polished; the Onyx Black gets a tungsten carbide coating for extra scratch resistance.
There’s no excess material, no decorative detailing, nothing added to make it look more complicated than it is.
That restraint is very much the Arc signature.
The full metal body also blocks RFID signals, shielding your contactless cards from unwanted scans without a separate sleeve.
In short: it’s tough, compact and purpose-built.
Functionality: press once, everything appears
This is the party trick. And it never really gets old.
Press the release button and your cards fan out, each in its own slot, staggered so you can see exactly what’s there. No digging through a stack. No nudging cards out with your thumb. No shaking your wallet over the counter while the queue behind you sighs.
Press once. Everything appears.
Does a wallet need to be this fun to open? Probably not. But I’ve been fidgeting with it all week, opening it for no reason at all. It feels less like opening a wallet and more like operating a beautifully engineered little machine. I’m a little nerdy like that!
The catch: minimalism means editing
The Vault’s strengths are also its limits.
Technically, it isn’t really a wallet. It’s a very clever card holder.
Five cards, or four if they’re embossed. Full stop.
No cash. No receipts. No loyalty card for every coffee shop in town.
The Vault forces an edit.
If most of your life already lives on your phone, that’s exactly what you want. If you still carry cash, multiple loyalty cards or anything else that isn’t a standard bank card, it won’t be.
Better together: the MagSafe trick
The Vault has a second trick up its sleeve: a MagSafe attach point that lets it snap onto the back of a compatible phone.
Your phone and your most-used cards become one compact everyday carry, aligned neatly and ready to go.
One important compatibility detail to check before buying: It works with the Pulse on Pro Max models from the iPhone 14 Pro Max onwards.
If that’s your setup, this is where Arc’s little ecosystem clicks. Two very minimal objects become one even more compact one.
Colors & finishes: Onyx Black or Silver
I went for Onyx Black. Dark, matte and almost stealthy. It looks fantastic.
My one real complaint is the fingerprints. I find myself reaching for a cloth far more often than I expected.
It’s an aesthetic annoyance rather than a functional problem. But if you like your everyday objects looking immaculate, consider yourself warned.
Onyx Black
Care & maintenance: keep a cloth handy
There’s nothing to condition, nothing to break in and nothing particularly delicate to maintain.
A microfiber cloth for the fingerprints, and you’re done.
Arc covers the Vault with a two-year warranty against faults and defects, reassuring for an object that will live in your pocket every day.
Price: you’re paying for the engineering
At the time of writing, the Vault costs $149.99 in Silver and $189.99 in Onyx Black.
That’s undeniably more than most slim card holders.
Is it worth it? If you value how an everyday object feels to use, yes. If a card holder is just a card holder to you, a simpler one will do the job for less.
For me, the answer is yes.
Check price: Price: you’re paying for the engineering at Arcat Arc · Fast, reliable delivery
Who is Arc Vault best for?
The Vault is best for anyone who has gone mostly digital and carries just a handful of cards—especially if your phone already handles the cashless part of daily life.
If you still need cash, multiple loyalty cards and a receipt from every coffee shop in town, the Vault will probably feel more restrictive than liberating.
Frequently asked questions about Arc
Does the Arc Pulse really protect your iPhone?
It protects the corners, edges, screen perimeter and camera, which is where most drop damage happens. Arc rates the aluminum version for drops up to 10 ft (3 m). It doesn’t cover the back glass or the screen surface, so pair it with a screen protector.
Does the Arc Pulse work with wireless charging?
Yes. Because the back of the phone stays uncovered, wireless charging works with the Pulse on.
How many cards does the Arc Vault hold?
Up to five standard cards, or four if they’re embossed. Each card sits in its own slot.
Can you carry cash in the Arc Vault?
Not really. The Vault is designed around cards only, with no clip or strap for bills.
Does the Arc Vault block RFID?
Yes. The full metal body blocks the signals used for contactless skimming, so you don’t need a separate RFID sleeve.
Does the Arc Vault work with the Arc Pulse?
Yes, but only on Pro Max models from the iPhone 14 Pro Max onwards, where the Vault attaches via MagSafe.
Where to buy Arc?
The full Arc range is available directly from Arc’s online store.
Check price: Where to buy Arc? at Arcat Arc · Secure checkout
Final thoughts: less, by design
We talk a lot about buying fewer, better things. Usually, that means the big purchases: the coat, the watch, the wooden desk. Arc is a reminder that the same principle applies to the small things we touch dozens of times a day.
And that’s perhaps what connects the Pulse and the Vault most clearly. Neither is trying to reinvent an everyday essential just to be different.
Both start with one question: what does this actually need to do? Then they remove everything else.
The Pulse strips a phone case down to the parts that need protecting and leaves the phone’s design on show. The Vault does the same for the wallet, swapping bulk for a clever mechanism and just enough room for the cards you actually use.
Neither product will be for everyone—and we like them more for it. They’re not trying to accommodate every possible preference.
Because good design isn’t always about adding more. Sometimes, it’s about knowing exactly what you can take away.
Where to buy
Prices checked at time of review. We may earn a commission — it never changes your price or our verdict.
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