5 Best Crypto Hardware Wallets

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A crypto hardware wallet makes it easy to securely store your cryptocurrency. Sometimes called “cold storage,” since your hardware wallet is not stored on any network, a hardware crypto wallet is virtually unhackable, giving you the greatest peace of mind about your crypto investment.

However, to provide the peace of mind you need, you will want a wallet that:

• Will stand the test of time and not break or wear out
• Have a reliable, secure backup system
• Is impervious to fires, floods or shock damage so you always have access to your investment

Most hardware wallets resemble USB flash drives or external hard drives. They are not connected to the internet unless you connect them to an internet-connected computer to transfer money into or out of your wallet. As long as you remember to disconnect your wallet when you’re done, hackers can’t access your crypto investment remotely online.

Some crypto hardware wallets do not connect to the internet at all. Instead, you access your investments through QR codes or a touch screen on the device.

Of course, there is still the risk of losing your crypto wallet or having it stolen, so it is always important to keep it in a safe place.

Best General Crypto Wallet: Ledger Nano X

On its Amazon product page, Ledger calls the Nano X crypto hardware wallet “the best way to securely buy, manage and grow all your digital assets.”

Does the cold wallet live up to the hype? At $149, the Nano X isn’t the cheapest hardware wallet — but it’s not the most expensive, either. (Keep reading to see which cool wallet gets that honor.)

Nano X connects to any smartphone via Bluetooth technology and is small and convenient to carry, about the size of a USB memory stick. Nano X allows you to manage up to 100 different types of crypto at once. It is compatible with more than 5500 coins and tokens.

If Ledger Live does not support your preferred coins or NFTs, you can use an approved third-party wallet to invest and trade. These features make Ledger Nano X the perfect crypto wallet for both beginners and advanced investors.

Benefits

• Competitively priced
• Supports 5500+ coins and tokens
• Small in size
• Supports iPhone and Android

Cons

• Smaller touchscreen than some wallets
• Can’t buy crypto with USD through the wallet

Best low-cost crypto wallet: Ledger Nano S Plus

If you’re looking for a high-quality, secure, streamlined, easy-to-use crypto wallet for under $100, the Ledger Nano S Plus would be GOBankingRates’ top pick. That’s because the Nano S Plus has many of the same features as its big brother, the Nano X, including USB drive styling and a 4.5-star Amazon rating, for a price of just $79.

Like Nano X, you can install more than 100 apps at once and manage more than 5,500 digital assets. Both stations use the same sophisticated security and are independently certified by ANSSI. The main difference is that the Nano X has a larger storage capacity, a battery life of up to eight hours in standby mode, and is Bluetooth compatible to work with both Android and iOS mobile devices. Nano S Plus can only work when connected to receive power. Because of this, it is also slightly lighter in weight.

Benefits

• Affordable alternative to Ledger Nano X
• Manage more than 5,500 digital assets
• Less than $80 in price

Cons

• Not Bluetooth compatible
• No battery storage
• Small touch screen may be difficult to use for some people

Best Mobile Compatible Cold Storage Wallet: Arculus Key Card

When you search Amazon for “best cold storage wallets,” the Arculus Key Card pops up as an alternative to hard drive storage. This sleek metal card, which has the Arculus logo embossed in black, retails for $99, and is being hailed as the next generation of cold storage technology.

Keys are not stored online anywhere, but instead are embedded in the card and protected by three-factor authentication. The card also uses the same best-in-class CC EAL6+ Secure Element Hardware Classification as Ledger hardware wallets. Instead of using a Bluetooth connection or USB-C interface, the Arculus Key Card uses NFC technology to communicate with your Android or Apple mobile device. You can also access blockchain apps through WalletConnect using Arculus. No power source or battery storage is required for Arculus, making it the most streamlined and lightweight offline crypto storage solution you can find. It’s no wonder the keycard received 4.5 stars from Amazon reviewers.

However, it is worth realizing that Arculus only supports a few dozen cryptocurrencies to store, send or receive, and less than 10, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, that you can buy and exchange, compared to the wide variety supported by Ledger hardware wallets.

Benefits

• Elegant and streamlined
• Low cost
• Completely offline solution
• No power source required

Cons

• Requires the Arculus Wallet app to function
• Supports limited number of cryptocurrencies compared to some other options

Best Touchscreen Cold Wallet: Ngrave Zero

One of the major user complaints about some of the best cold wallets is that their small touchscreens can be difficult to operate. The Ngrave Zero solves this problem with a large, full-color touchscreen that’s 4 inches long, compared to just 1 or 2 inches of other brands.

Ngrave Zero also uses biometric security via your fingerprint to establish your key, unlock your device and sign transactions. All transactions are carried out via QR codes, so your wallet never actually connects to the internet.

Ngrave Zero doesn’t support as many cryptocurrencies as Trezor or Ledger do, but its innovative security sets it apart. Ngrave Zero supports more than a dozen cryptos, including Bitcoin and Ethereum, plus many ERC20 tokens and NFTs. Designed for advanced crypto traders with large investments to protect, it costs $462, putting it in a class of its own when it comes to pricing.

Benefits

• Extra large 4-inch LCD touch screen in full color
• Completely offline operation through QR codes
• Mobile compatible
• Biometric security

Cons

• Only supports limited types of cryptocurrencies
• Much more expensive than the competition

Best for trading and buying crypto: Trezor Model T

The Trezor Model T crypto hardware wallet isn’t cheap at $255, but its capabilities and advanced security make it well worth the investment.

First, the Model T allows you to buy, sell, or trade crypto, including Bitcoin, directly through your wallet without connecting to a third-party crypto trading app. Your investment is always safe and backed up offline by a 12- to 24-word recovery seed. You can also choose to store your seed on the Cryptotag Zeus metal seed plate.

Model T connects to your device via USB-C and includes an LCD touchscreen for operation. You can also choose to install only Bitcoin firmware or use your Trezor for two-factor authorization for added security.

There is one drawback worth mentioning: the Trezor Model T is not compatible with iOS for iPhone users, but you can connect through the Firefox and Chrome browsers.

Benefits

• Offline backup options available
• Allows you to trade crypto through your wallet
• Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, Firefox, Chrome and Android (via USB-C)

Cons

• More expensive than some alternatives
• Not directly compatible with iOS

Final Take

A hardware wallet is the safest way to store your crypto investment. However, it is still important to remember that investing in cryptocurrency is highly speculative, and even if your investment is safely stored, you can still lose your money due to market downturns. The stability of various NFTs and cryptocurrencies varies widely. How much you invest in crypto – and whether you invest at all – will depend on your personal risk tolerance.

With that in mind, if you decide to put any of your fiat money into cryptocurrencies, you’ll want to make sure to protect your investment by storing it in one of the best cold wallets available and making sure to disconnect your device from the internet when you do not make a transaction.

The information is accurate as of 30 August 2022.