Best Crypto Hardware Wallets 2021

What started as a silly fad some years ago has spiraled into a massive financial ecosystem worth billions – cryptocurrencies. Many are fascinated by virtual currencies, their value, and of course trading them. Much like real money, these currencies are stored in wallets – while online ones are the standard option, physical, hardware wallets are the more secure ones. Online wallets can be hacked, which is not a concern with physical ones, though they are in turn vulnerable to theft, loss, and damage.

Still, the security benefit that they offer is considerable – assuming you get a good one. Naturally, there are counterfeit ones floating around the crypto space as well, which will do little but clean out your wallet and defraud you. Be sure to buy your hardware wallets only directly from a trusted source like a manufacturer’s website – don’t fall prey to a ‘bargain’ that’ll cost you much more than what you would have saved.

Here are some of the top industry-recognised hardware crypto wallets you can get.

This ledger is definitely the ‘best in show’. Not only is Ledger considered THE brand as far as crypto wallets go, but the Nano X is their top-spec model. It’s convenient, compact, offers all the functions you could want, and has a good number of compatible Dapps out there as well. Unlike the Nano S, this wallet also allows you to connect via your iPhone or iOS device.

You can manage the wallet via Bluetooth and you can even restore lost funds via the included recovery sheet, making one of the most secure options out there. Of course, as a trade-off, it isn’t cheap, but in this case, it’s well worth the added spend.

The Nano S is the Nano X’s little sibling – it looks similar and indeed offers much of the same as the X does, but for much cheaper. It still supports the same large variety of coins and tokens, and only differs with some slight hardware changes.

The S can only connect to desktop computers and Android devices, and it also features a slightly smaller screen with a lower resolution. For those looking to dip their toe in the water, these are probably easy trade-offs considering that the Nano S is half the price of the X. It’s certainly a great, budget-friendly option for crypto-enthusiasts.

The CoolWallet S has taken a different approach to the more ‘common’ approach most hardware crypto wallets have – it’s meant for long-time holdings, and it fits neatly into any credit card slot in a regular wallet. That makes it perfect for safe-keeping on the go – even if charging it is a little bit awkward, given that it requires a specific charging dock to slide the card into.

That said, it offers a surprising amount of features, including an e-ink display and a physical confirmation card, as well as Bluetooth capabilities and more. While it supports fewer coins than a Ledger Nano would, it does cover all the most popular options out there, and is easily worth the mid-range price it costs.

Trezor is as much a respected name in the crypto wallet market as Ledger is. Their approach to hardware wallets is less of a disguised USB stick look, and more of a bulky, sturdy build. As an added security benefit, the Trezor Model T has a hologram on its USB port – if damaged, the device can be returned to the manufacturer to make sure no tampering has occurred.

Similarly, every piece of code on the wallet is open source and can be inspected online. Comparable to the Ledger Nano X in feature and price range, it is worth noting that this device does NOT have any form of EAL certification. There are other ways to measure how secure a wallet is, but for some, this could be a deal-breaker.

The KeepKey is another popular alternative to the big Trezor and Ledger brands. Owned by trading platform ShapeShift, this is one of very few wallets that lets you trade directly from your device, rather than requiring additional in-between steps. This is definitely an appealing aspect to it – as is the sophisticated design.

The KeepKey does lose some points for portability though – while the chunky screen-heavy device looks good, it’s not exactly convenient to carry, since it neither works as a keychain nor as a wallet add-on. This isn’t an issue if you don’t plan to carry it around much, but it could make other options more appealing.

These are some of the best hardware wallets you can get as far as security and features go. There are of course other models, and plenty of knockoffs floating around – please remember that you should only buy from trusted sources to keep your investments safe.