Top Picks: The Best Trading Card Game Deck Boxes Reviewed

I usually wonder what comes to mind first when you think about a Trading Card Game? Perhaps you feel the excitement of opening a new Booster Pack or maybe you think about some nice and super rare shiny cards, or even to be able to draw a key card and turn the tidy of a match. Whatever is the first thing that comes to mind, it is obvious that the main character of TCGs are the cards and, disregarding the game you pick, you know that you will end up with LOTS of them. You may not have thought immediately to this aspect when you opened your first pack, but I am sure anyone playing TCGs at one point had to face the massive problem of how to better store their collection of cards.

Interestingly, there are a lot of different options to store your cards ranging from the most budget-friendly suitable for your bulk (low value common/uncommon cards) to the most expensive binder or display options for your rarest cards. In addition to store their collection, players need to have a good Deck Box, a storage option that helps making sure your cards can be brought around safely. However, finding the right Deck box is not a simple task. There are definitely more factors to consider when buying a Deck box with respect of finding a good storage option for your collection. In addition, most players tend to play with multiple decks forcing them to consider different options depending on the available budget and the requirement of the game they are playing.

Getting the right accessories to suit all your TCGs needs is usually not the first aspect you consider when you enthusiastically jump into Card Games but it can make a massive difference in particular when you decide to play with your cards. Playing with your loved cards is in fact a great experience but it also means that you have to be extra careful to avoid damages that can lower their value or make them unsuitable to be used in a tournament. This is the main reason for putting efforts and time to find a very good Deck Box. Easier said than done, you may think, and that's why we thought of putting together a comprehensive review of Deck Boxes to allow every player to navigate the wide range of products available on the market. To start, let's discuss what you should consider to select the best Deck Box for you.

Criteria for Ranking Deck Boxes

At first glance, you may think that any box can actually be used as a Deck Box as far as it can hold your cards safely. In theory, this is not wrong but the difference between any “box” and a good Deck Box can be massive and it usually goes down a few key characteristics.  

Fist and foremost, you should consider the quality and the material the box is made of. This factor will determine how likely the box will be damaged or deformed while being carried around in your bag or if it accidentally falls. Obviously, the more damages the box suffers, the most likely is that the cards inside will be damaged as well. In addition, some materials may tend to get worn over time or to suffer from weather conditions such as warmth or humidity.

As a general rule, a single layer of soft plastic is usually the cheaper choice while rigid plastic is the most durable (and expensive) choice. The best Deck Boxes usually have a faux-leather exterior with a soft, velvety interior that is not only very sturdy but it also makes easier drawing cards from the box.  

The second aspect to consider are the size and the storage capacity. Almost all the deck boxes are designed to hold standard card sizes and can be used as MTG Deck box or Pokémon Deck box or Disney Lorcana Deck Boxes depending on your preference. Most of these boxes can also be used to store Yu-Gi-Oh cards but you should note that those specifically branded for this game are usually too small to be used for other TCGs.

Together with making sure your cards will fit into the box, it is important to check that the box will be large enough to hold your deck. The capacity of a box is however very dependent on the type and number of sleeves used on your cards. For example, a 100+ Deck box may be able to hold 80 single sleeved cards or 60 Double sleeved cards depending on the type of sleeves used. If possible, I always recommend to pick a larger box to increase your flexibility and to make sure your cards can be taken out from the box with ease.

The last but not least factor to consider is Design Functionality. In my mind, this category includes a lot of different details that measure the added value of the box with respect of the price you will pay. Some of the most obvious include the presence of drawers, the possibility to hold multiple decks at the same time and if the box comes with card dividers. I always consider very positive when a box comes with one or more card dividers as you can use them for various tasks including keeping your Main apart from the Extra deck if your are playing Yu-Gi-Oh! or have a few spare sleeves etc etc. On the other hand, the presence of a drawer or the possibility to store more decks in your box are features directly linked to the TCGs you are playing. A drawer can be good if you a playing Disney Lorcana or Pokemon but you may not need it for Magic: The Gathering or Yu-Gi-Oh!  

Together with these main features, you should also check and consider all the aspects of the design of the box to make sure they fit your needs. The closure mechanism for example can vary from a simple plastic flap to set of magnetic locking areas. The colour and the design can be important as they can add flavour to your games and also help you to identify your box immediately in a crowded event. In summary, every single detail counts and you should take the time to careful read the description of each box before buying them.

Top 5 Deck Boxes Reviewed

If you have never considered all the aspects mentioned above, you may feel that picking a suitable Deck Box may be a more challenging task than you were expecting it to be. In reality, once you start taking the criteria into consideration it is pretty simple to assess which box can be a better partner for your favourite deck of cards. To make your life easier, I thought you may like to check out the boxes I personally consider to best choices to suit very different TCG needs. I hope you can find this list useful at least as a starting point to find your best Deck Box.

The best budget-friendly Deck Box: Ultimate Guard - Deck Case 100+

Ultimate Guard is among my favourite brands of TCGs accessories and I consider their 100+ Deck Case the best budget option to store your cards. The box main selling point is obviously its price as you can easily find it for around £3 (£2.50 on Magic Madhouse). However, this budget-friendly box does not compromise on quality as its soft plastic is thicker than other budget options and it has a larger closure lid to increase card protection. Moreover, it has a very good capacity of 100+ single sleeved cards and it comes with a card divider that adds even more value to your box.

The Ultimate Guard Deck Case can be a perfect option if you are starting playing TCGs and you do not want to invest of more expensive boxes. It is also a great product to use to store your alternative decks at home if you want to invest on a more expensive option to bring a deck around.

The Best Organized Deck Box: Ultimate Guard - Twin Flip`n`Tray 200+ XenoSkin

If you are playing Pokémon or Disney Lorcana, you will likely need additional storage space for your tokens and dice and this is when the additional compartments of the “Twin Flip'n'Tray” will come in handy. This box was specifically designed for Commander/EDH decks in 2022 and it offers enough room for at least two full decks and a large tray for tokens. Perfect also for other games as mentioned, this box beats other similar products due to the high quality of the materials and the very tight magnetic closure. This last feature in particular is perfectly designed considering how large this box is.

The Largest Deck Box: Ultimate Guard - Omnihive 1000+

In general, most of the Deck boxes are designed to store one or two decks at the same time but there are also some that can store large amounts of cards and even multiple smaller Deck Boxes. The largest one of these is the Omnihive 1000+ that offers enough space to either bring with you 1000 double-sleeved cards or multiple decks. The inner space of this large box is divided in two separate areas that are also large enough you can store a play mat in one of them. The box also comes with two magnetic trays designed to hold tokens and dice but that can also be used as dividers for your cards or decks.

Together with the immense storage capacity, I think the value of this box comes from its adaptability. The Omnihive can in fact be used to organize your card collection or your decks and keep them safe at home and if you need to bring them around. Moreover, it allows you to bring everything you need for your games safely and with style in particular if you need to have multiple decks with you at once or if you play more then one TCGs.

The most Luxurious Deck Box: Ultimate Guard – Katana, The Shogun's Journey - Part 1 "Samurai's Chest"

If you love the Ultimate Guard Omnihive for its large storage capacity, you may want to consider the first instalment of their “Katana” series. This particular version is called “The Shogun's Journey!” and represents an upgraded version of the classic Omnihive in the style of traditional Japanese wood art. The chest keeps the same features and storage capacity mentioned above in the standard version of this large Deck Box but it also comes with a Play-Mat in theme with the art of the box.

Overall, I think the Omnihive is already a great product but the style and the art featured on this new box together with the free play mat are definitely worth the higher price. Moreover, it seems that there will be more versions of this box coming in the future as we already had a version of the Omnihive featuring the art and style of Magic: The Gathering. Unfortunately, it is quite hard to find now but I will be looking forward to see more of these boxes soon.

Best Deck Box Overall: Dragon Shield Nest Box with Dice Tray

After reviewing all the best boxes in the above categories, I wanted to look for one that may not the best in any category but the most balanced solution for all your gaming needs. In my experience, the gold crown for this goes to the Dragon Shield Nest+ 100 Box, a gorgeous spacious deck box that can hold 100 single sleeved cards in its main compartment together with tokens and dice in its removable dice tray.

The box is composed of two halves made by very durable blank 'Dragon Skin' and features a velvety coloured interior. One of the two halves acts as a lid with strong magnetic seals but, when opened, the two portions can be rearranged in various ways to conserve board space or to hold your deck while playing. Last but not least, the price of this beautiful box is quite affordable and its compact size makes it very easy to bring it around from one event to another.

Where to Buy Deck Boxes at Magic Madhouse

I hope the short list of very good deck boxes I discussed above may have shown how many different type of products can be found on the market and how many different aspect can be considered when choosing one. Whatever you are mainly driven by: budget, quality or capacity, you can surely find many different products that can easily suit your needed. I know it by a fact as I was completely overwhelmed when I first looked for a Deck box.

Among the different online shops, I always found Magic Madhouse to be one of the sites that offers the largest variety of options for your TCGs accessories and this means that if you have a look today, you will find more than 500 different Deck Boxes in stock (800 including those not in stock at the moment). On one hand, this is amazing as there is a lot of variety but on the other hand it means that even using the tips and suggestions provided above, it may take sometime to find the perfect fit.

If you want to do your own browsing, I would recommend to make sure you only look for products in stock and you organize the search to fit your budget. Magic Madhouse has a lot of offers going on in particular on the Ultimate Guard series thus keeping the price range a bit broader should help you in getting the best value for your money. Last but not least, I would suggest to take the time to look to the main characteristics of all the products the search will retrieve. It may seems tedious but with all the amazing products on offers every week taking a bit longer to decide may go a long way.