Among the wide variety of hardware wallets, few stand out as much as those made by Ledger and Trezor. However, new competitors appear every day with innovative designs and improved features that provide more options for users.
There are quite a few hardware wallets, and more continue to appear, just as the number of cryptocurrencies available in the world multiplies. Despite the great variety that exists, two manufacturers are fighting for the first place in the preference of crypto fans of cold storage, Trezor and Ledger . In this selection of the best by outstanding feature, Coolwallet has gathered enough merits to sneak in among the greats of offline wallets.
Coolwallet S: true portability for your cryptos
Although all the wallets that make up this group are the right size to carry comfortably, the Coolwallet S device is the only one that is truly small enough to keep your credit cards in your wallet. With a highly stylized design, this astonishing piece of engineering has an electronic paper screen , where the user can control what happens inside it. This ultra-slim wallet supports bitcoin (BTC), bitcoin cash (BCH), ether (ETH), litecoin (LTC), and ripple (XRP).
The Coolbitx mobile app is the wallet’s matching partner, with which it communicates via Bluetooth, making the presence of a personal computer to act as a bridge unnecessary. Its ultra-light size and ease of use give the Coolwallet S the first place in terms of real portability among these gadgets.
Ledger Nano S: better multi-currency support
If there is a hardware wallet that aspires to be the UN of virtual currencies, it must be the trusty Nano S from Ledger . The manufacturer of the Nano does not stop including more and more cryptocurrencies to its devices. Now, Ledger will announce the new cryptos accepted during the first week of each month, choosing Tuesdays to include the coins.
In the first edition of his “#FirstTuesdayCrypto” campaign, Ledger listed kowala, ICON, vechain, PoA, wanchain, RSK, ontology, and particl. The Nano S not only supports ERC-20 compliant tokens , but is constantly increasing its support for other cryptocurrencies. This device is the best option for those who seek diversity and love how convenient it is to have all the cryptos at hand in one place.
Keepkey: foolproof cold efficiency
When it comes to efficiency , the Keepkey cold storage device stands out among the rest. This wallet is ready without ado, right out of its packaging. Its robustness enables it to face any workload assigned to it by its users.
The Keepkey wallet doesn’t boast the slim figure like the Coolwallet S, and it’s definitely a lot less elaborate than Ledger’s Nano S. Saving these details, the Keepkey does what it has to do the first time, without going through the connectivity problems that sometimes afflict the Nano S (depending on the intermediary pc and the online wallet that you want to consult). This device supports BTC, BCH, ETH, LTC, DOGE, DASH, and ERC20, and offers integration with the ShapeShift cryptocurrency exchange app .
Trezor Model T: safety first
The security offered by each of the previously seen hardware wallets is sufficient to provide peace of mind to users and due protection to their accounts . As always, there are provisions that must be followed and that minimize vulnerability to malicious actions by third parties.
Deciding which is actually more secure than the other is not easy, but the security features present in the Trezor Model T make it worthy of separate consideration. These include the write-protected boot manager , which verifies that the firmware has not been tampered with, and support for BIP39 twelve-word security phrases . If security is your concern, with the Trezor Model T wallet, you can be confident that unauthorized access to your cryptos won’t be easy.
The Trezor Model T is the most expensive of the devices in this group, showing a list price of US$193.49 (Amazon).
Whichever wallet you choose, you’ll need to do your part as well. Sometimes the weakest link in the security chain is the user himself. Remember to follow one of the most basic recommendations: keep your recovery seed printed in a safe place, and apply the principle of redundancy, keeping a copy elsewhere. While the Trezor Model T, Coolwallet S, Keepkey, and Ledger Nano S are great options, there are others out there, but this quartet lays the foundation for what other hardware wallets on the market should offer.