A deck box is one of the simplest ways to protect a deck once the cards are sleeved. It keeps the cards together, protects the edges and corners while you are carrying them around and stops a loose deck from moving around inside your bag.
The main thing to get right is capacity. A normal 60-card deck will fit comfortably in most deck boxes, but a 100-card Commander deck, especially one that is double sleeved, needs considerably more room.
Our first choice is the Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ Xenoskin. It is a sturdy magnetic deck box with a soft interior and enough space for a 100-card double-sleeved deck. The Ultimate Guard Boulder and Vault X are also very good choices if you prefer a more compact box, while Card Guardian gives you plenty of room and the Ultra PRO is the simple option when you just need basic deck storage.
| Deck box | Capacity | Closure | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ | 100 double sleeved | Magnetic | Premium deck storage |
| Ultimate Guard Boulder 100+ | 100 double sleeved | Rigid fitted lid | Compact protection |
| Vault X Exo-Tec 80+ | 80+ double sleeved | Magnetic | 60-card decks |
| Card Guardian Premium | 100 double / 120 single sleeved | Magnetic | Commander and larger decks |
| Ultra PRO Solid Deck Box | Up to 80 sleeved | Self-locking lid | Basic everyday storage |
The best deck boxes for trading cards
Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ Xenoskin
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Capacity: 100 double-sleeved or 120 single-sleeved cards
Size: Approximately 104 × 88 × 78 mm
Closure: Magnetic
Exterior: Xenoskin
Interior: Microfibre lining
The Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ is our favourite of the five. It feels like a proper protective case rather than just a plastic box, with a tough Xenoskin exterior, soft microfibre inside and strong magnets keeping it closed.
It also has enough room for 100 double-sleeved cards when used with Ultimate Guard sleeves, so it works particularly well for Commander as well as normal 60-card decks. If you spend a lot of time carrying a deck to games, we think the extra protection is worthwhile.
The side-opening design also makes the cards easy to get at. You are not trying to pull the whole deck vertically out of a tight box, and the lid folds away so you can reach the cards properly while playing.
It is more deck box than everyone needs. If the cards mostly sit on a shelf at home, a Boulder or basic Ultra PRO box will still keep them organised. For an expensive deck that travels regularly, though, this is the one we would choose.
Ultimate Guard Boulder 100+
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Capacity: 100 double-sleeved, 120 single-sleeved or 210 unsleeved cards
Size: Approximately 76 × 75 × 98.5 mm
Construction: Rigid shell
Finish: Soft touch
The Ultimate Guard Boulder is much simpler than the Sidewinder, but that simplicity is part of why collectors like it. It is a hard, compact shell with a tightly fitting lid and very little wasted space around the deck.
Ultimate Guard rates it for 100 double-sleeved cards in its own sleeves, so it can handle a Commander deck without needing a much larger box. It will also hold around 120 single-sleeved cards.
The two halves pull apart rather than opening on a hinge. Once it is shut, the fit is secure, but it is still easy enough to open when you actually want the deck.
If you want something compact and tough without paying for a lined magnetic case, the Boulder is probably the sweet spot. It gives up the softer interior and premium feel of the Sidewinder but still provides much more structure than a basic folding plastic box.
Vault X Exo-Tec Toploading Deck Box 80+
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Capacity: 80+ double-sleeved, 100+ single-sleeved or 200+ unsleeved cards
Internal size: 69 × 73 × 96 mm
Closure: Magnetic
Interior: Microfibre lining
The Vault X is another box we like for a normal playing deck. It has the same sort of padded Exo-Tec exterior used on other Vault X products, a soft microfibre interior and four magnets holding the lid shut.
For a 60-card Pokémon or MTG deck there is plenty of space, even when the cards are double sleeved. Vault X rates it for more than 80 double-sleeved cards or more than 100 single-sleeved cards.
The main limitation is Commander. A 100-card single-sleeved deck can fit, but this particular Vault X model is not designed for 100 double-sleeved cards. If that is what you play, the Sidewinder, Boulder or Card Guardian makes more sense.
For normal decks, though, we like it a lot. It feels substantial, stays securely closed and gives the sleeved cards a soft interior rather than bare hard plastic.
One thing worth clearing up is the name: “Toploading” means you put the deck into the box from the top. It does not mean the box is designed to hold cards inside rigid toploaders.
Card Guardian Premium Deck Box
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Capacity: Up to 100 double-sleeved or 120 single-sleeved cards
Size: Approximately 105 × 85 × 80 mm
Closure: Magnetic
Interior: Soft lining
The Card Guardian is another good option for larger decks. It has hard front and back panels, a soft interior and four pairs of magnets holding the box closed.
There is enough room for a 100-card double-sleeved deck, which makes it a practical Commander box. The extra space also gives you a little breathing room rather than packing the sleeves tightly together.
When the box is open you can get at the cards from either side, which is useful at the table. It is a little bulkier than something like the Boulder, but the larger opening and soft lining make it comfortable to use.
We would still put Ultimate Guard and Vault X slightly ahead because they are brands we have more confidence in for card accessories, but there is nothing obviously complicated about the Card Guardian. It is a roomy magnetic box that suits larger sleeved decks.
Ultra PRO Solid Deck Box
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Capacity: Up to 80 sleeved cards
Card size: Standard trading cards
Material: Polypropylene
Closure: Self-locking lid
The Ultra PRO is the basic deck box in this group. It is a lightweight polypropylene box with a folding lid and enough room for a normal sleeved deck.
It does not have magnets, a padded exterior or a microfibre lining. That is also why it makes sense when you have several ordinary decks and do not want to put every one of them into a premium case.
For a 60-card Pokémon or MTG deck it does exactly what you need: keeps the deck together and gives the cards another layer of protection while they are stored or carried.
If the deck contains expensive cards and travels around regularly, we would spend more on one of the sturdier boxes above. For an everyday deck or several decks sitting at home, the Ultra PRO is perfectly adequate.
What should you look for in a deck box?
A deck box is a fairly simple product. The main thing is making sure your complete sleeved deck fits comfortably and that the box stays closed when you carry it.
After that, the differences are mostly about how much protection you want. A basic plastic box is fine for keeping a deck together at home, while a harder magnetic box makes more sense for a deck that regularly travels in a backpack or contains cards you would rather not have knocked around.
Choose enough space for your sleeved cards
Do not choose a deck box based only on how many bare cards it can hold. Sleeves make a deck noticeably thicker, and double sleeving adds even more.
A little spare room is normally better than a box that is completely full. The deck should stay upright, but you should still be able to lift the cards out without pulling hard on the sleeves.
60-card and 100-card deck boxes
For a normal 60-card deck, an 80+ deck box gives you plenty of room for sleeves and a few spare cards. That makes boxes such as the Vault X 80+ and Ultra PRO suitable for most normal Pokémon and MTG decks.
A 100-card Commander deck needs more space. If the deck is double sleeved, we would look for a box specifically designed to hold 100 double-sleeved cards rather than trying to squeeze it into an 80+ model.
The Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ and Boulder 100+ are both designed around that larger capacity, while the Card Guardian also gives a 100-card sleeved deck plenty of room.
Magnetic or simple plastic deck box?
A magnetic closure is useful if the deck box is regularly being carried around. It helps keep the box shut when it is turned over or moved around inside a bag.
That does not mean every deck needs an expensive magnetic box. For decks that mainly sit at home, a simple plastic box such as the Ultra PRO can be perfectly adequate.
Should cards be sleeved before going in a deck box?
Yes, if it is a deck you actually play with. The deck box protects the cards as a group, but it does not replace sleeves around the individual cards.
The sleeves protect the card surfaces and edges while you shuffle and handle the deck. The deck box then keeps the complete sleeved deck together and gives it more protection while it is being stored or carried.
The normal setup is simply:
Card → sleeve → deck box.
If you are still deciding what to sleeve the deck with, our trading card sleeves guide covers the main options.
Best deck boxes for different trading card games
You usually do not need a deck box made specifically for one trading card game. The important things are the size of the deck, whether the cards are single or double sleeved and how much extra space you want inside the box.
Best deck box for Pokémon cards
A standard Pokémon TCG deck contains 60 cards, so you do not need a particularly large deck box. Any of the boxes on this page has enough room for a normal sleeved Pokémon deck.
For a deck that travels to games regularly, we would choose something sturdy such as the Vault X or one of the Ultimate Guard boxes. If the deck mainly stays at home, the much simpler Ultra PRO box can do the job perfectly well.
There is no need to buy a Pokémon-branded deck box unless you simply prefer the artwork or design.
Best deck box for MTG and Commander
A normal 60-card Magic: The Gathering deck fits the same type of deck box as a Pokémon deck. An 80+ box is generally plenty once the cards are sleeved.
Commander is where capacity becomes much more important because the deck contains 100 cards. For a double-sleeved Commander deck, our first choice from this group would be the Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+. The Boulder 100+ is a more compact alternative, while the Card Guardian also gives a large sleeved deck plenty of room.
We would not choose the Vault X 80+ for a 100-card double-sleeved Commander deck because its double-sleeved capacity is lower. It is much better suited to a normal 60-card deck.
Best deck box for Yu-Gi-Oh! cards
Yu-Gi-Oh! cards are smaller than Pokémon and MTG cards, but you can still use the same deck boxes. The deck will simply have a little more space around it inside a box designed for standard-size trading cards.
The more important difference is the sleeve size. Yu-Gi-Oh! cards normally use smaller Japanese-size sleeves, which we cover separately in our Yu-Gi-Oh! card sleeves guide.
Deck boxes for One Piece and Lorcana
One Piece and Disney Lorcana cards use the same broad standard card format as Pokémon and MTG, so they do not need a different type of deck box.
Choose the box according to the number of sleeved cards you need to carry. For a normal deck, an 80+ box is usually plenty. If you also keep spare cards or accessories with the deck, a larger 100+ box gives you more room.
Deck box or trading card storage box?
A deck box is designed for cards you play with. It is compact, easy to carry and normally holds one complete deck with a little spare room.
If you are trying to organise hundreds or thousands of cards from a collection, deck boxes quickly become impractical. A larger trading card storage box is a better choice for bulk cards and collections that are not being used as playing decks.
Which deck box should you choose?
If we wanted one high-quality deck box, we would choose the Ultimate Guard Sidewinder 100+ Xenoskin. It is sturdy, closes securely and has enough room for anything from a normal 60-card deck to a 100-card double-sleeved Commander deck.
The Ultimate Guard Boulder 100+ is our choice if you want something smaller and harder without the padded exterior and lining of the Sidewinder. It is compact but still has enough capacity for a 100-card double-sleeved deck.
For normal 60-card decks, the Vault X Exo-Tec 80+ is another very good option. Card Guardian gives you plenty of room for larger decks, while the Ultra PRO Solid Deck Box makes sense when you simply want a basic box without paying for premium materials or magnetic closures.
There is no need to make the choice more complicated than that. Make sure the whole sleeved deck fits comfortably, leave a little room so the cards are easy to remove and choose a box sturdy enough for how often you plan to carry it around.