The Best Card Sleeves for Magic The Gathering: BCW Elite Guard, KMC Super, Dragon Shield and More!

[@ryanoutram7059]

KMC: *has a problem with consumer confidence and quality assurance* Also KMC: *misspells 'strength' at the top of the packaging*

[@SignOfCross]

It’s funny, because my native language is Portuguese and I quickly noticed that when I saw it 😂

[@neverendinchaos4800]

In their last batch with the gold lettering, they misspelled tournament as "tounament." Edit: "I'm" to "In".

[@concretecastles878]

Wicked Child that makes no sense

[@nehemiahjudah2009]

@Leonardo Ahmir definitely, I have been watching on flixzone for since november myself :)

[@zaydencolt4352]

@Leonardo Ahmir Definitely, have been using Flixzone for since november myself =)

[@pops91]

Guys just always buy dragon shields, it'll save you a headache, I have all my 26 edh decks with those sleeves and my very first angel deck houses the first print of matte dragon shields and they are as good as new, and I store them in boulders and live in the desert of arizona. No bendong, no curling, no worries. I am married to dragonahield and the only thing I am waiting for is creating your own custom art on the mat dragonahields

[@andrewlaverghetta715]

At first I always bought DS and I still do to a large extent, but I've got my pauper goblins in orange DS and I can totally see through them. I also love my BCW and the only thing keeping me from getting more of them is needing to order them online since they aren't sold anywhere locally.

[@pops91]

@@andrewlaverghetta715 for competitive play I would just buy the opaque colors, or use dragon shields smoke inner sleeve

[@ajnutable]

how's the coating on your boulders? I just bought one a month or two ago and the frosted coating's been steadily peeling off.

[@pops91]

@@ajnutable yes they peel off, but is hard to see on lighter colors and you don't buy boulders for their looks, you buy them because you can literally Chuck them at someone, crack their head and your deck is still mint fresh

[@yarrrthekraken]

You misspelled Katanas

[@WinkenSmile]

I agree on the dragon shields. Thanks for reviewing these for us.

[@UEGIIVIRUSIIXO]

Excellent video, keep up the amazing work! With prerelease for me tomorrow, it couldn't have hit at a better time!

[@Commandersofthecoast]

Dang. Was really looking forward to seeing the follow up on butterfly kisses from ultimate guard ...

[@kevinpeng5525]

The Ultra Pro sleeves have come a long way. The original cheap ones(not the eclipses) are super good and I think you should re-evaluate them.

[@edrispro]

Eclipses are amazing too tho

[@edrispro]

@@andrewsparkes8829 really? I've used both, the cheap ones for drafts and eclipses for my cube but I've personally found that after replaying with my friends that the original ones don't last very long, the shuffle feel goes away pretty fast and always get dirty faster than the eclipses. I've yet to have any of my eclipses go bad in the years I've used them. For me the eclipses are about the same price as dragonshields (10 sgd), so I find them a relatively good buy.

[@edrispro]

@@andrewsparkes8829 fair enough, but I think the time saved spent resleeving my cube is worth the price difference plus the benifit of the feel of the bouble sided matte finish. As for the price, I live in singapore so mtg products seem to be cheaper here, a loose pack will be 4bucks in the US and 4sgd in Singapore, add the conversion and the price is always cheaper. Plus I always buy my sleeves when I buy my cards and sealed products, hence the shop's more inclined to offer a discount on everything since I'm spending more. Win win for both of us.

[@johndomaleczny8447]

Agreed, untill i tried dragon sheilds. Noticeably higher quality.

[@edrispro]

@@johndomaleczny8447 eclipses are also pretty great, I'd say they have an even better shuffle feel thanks to the double matted sleeves. But with the new non glares, I think the eclipses might have a run for it's money.

[@Ph10at]

I'm pretty sure the KMC sleeves are Super Alpha, not Super Q....

[@Danny.._]

yes, this

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Uhh....that was a test and....uh....you passed? Congratulations. (coughs awkwardly)

[@CaptainCBass]

Dont👏@👏him👏

[@federicobiondi431]

you know, american school system isn't very good

[@taitaisanchez]

CBass138 what, don’t Q him?

[@ther3aper561]

Let me just say, I HIGHLY appreciate the freeze frames when trying to get the camera to focus on a close up shot. It really helps.

[@YourPalRowan]

I'm glad you used the purple dragon shields when you reviewed them this time. They look the best IMO

[@Gangstagonzo3]

Been binge watching these lately, so this is convenient!

[@mkol1998]

Glad to hear that Hyper mat is getting back in the swing of things!

[@blakehelwig6731]

The sheer depth of detail in this guy’s videos have been utterly steadfast for years! Thanks again for giving me answers to the incredibly specific questions I always have rumbling around in my noggin.

[@leesalt]

Hey prof, you got one thing half wrong with the BCW Elite 2 sleeves. The glossy sleeves have a way better shuffle feel than the matte sleeves. I bought a box of the mattes directly from BCW and complained that I couldn't shuffle them. They sent me a box of glossy for free, allowing me to keep the others that I gave to friends. Anyway, the glossy sleeves are extremely buttery smooth and maintain that shuffle feel through many, many events.

[@yarrrthekraken]

Man I love good customer service

[@ong5589]

I have a few Non-Glare Dragon Shield sleeves. I love it. The Matte Art sleeves are also great. I bought one for my Ur-Dragon deck for the theme. Now I think about it, my sleeves are all Dragon Shields lol.

[@Lenthaden]

Thanks for always being awesome, Prof!

[@NighthawkOpens]

i love kmc hyper matts with dragon shield perfect fit sleeves, great combo

[@SFTortoise]

Unless you have, you should do a review on the best clear sleeves on the market! Also with it, different sleeve sizes! For board games and other sleeve types not just for MTG!

[@malcolmweissman5602]

4:53 I loved that message!

[@mmonkeyman1403]

A video on popular deck concepts would be good to do every new set release I think.

[@intuit13]

uh, that's what the actual magic strategy sites are for. Channel Fireball, Star City Games, etc... TCC is not the place for competitive mtg advice.

[@adym15]

I have my new Yawgmoth EDH deck in the new DragonShield Black Matte non-glare sleeves, loving it so far! I double-sleeve the deck with KMC Perfect Hard, so it is one thick deck!

[@Trooper_No.2102]

That seems like a very thicc boi indeed 😏😏😏😏

[@Trashgriffin]

Thank you so much for making these videos. You have helped me a LOT in choosing the right sleeves in between that extreme mass of different products. I have chosen to use Dragon Shield smoke inner sleeves and Matte standard sleeves and they are AMAZING. So thanks for being such a great teacher!

[@puffin-onehandedgamer1164]

ultra pro matte sleeves, Dragon shield Matte sleeves and KMC Hyper matte are still my favorite sleeves today. I prefer matte sleeves over glossy

[@hi00118]

Bought the dragon shield Easter dragon art matte sleeves recently right before a draft. I hadn’t been a fan of the previous dragon shield sleeves, matte or otherwise. They previously felt like they got sticky easily, shuffle feel was wrong, idk... the new art ones were the first I bought since they changed their formula I think, and since they’ve done that, FANTASTIC. Best experience with sleeves that I’ve bought in a long time

[@d.c.courtney4953]

I got strangely excited to see the notification for this video. I was like "ooh, a classic TCC product review!". What have you done to me prof?

[@3n3rgy90]

These are his best videos. There is no one comparable anywhere for Magic product testing.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Nothing strange about being excited for a critical analysis of card sleeves.

[@jay_cadiramen]

Prof, after watching some of your videos I decided to double sleeve - I'm glad I discovered this way of protecting my cards so early in my return to the game. I've gone with the Ultra Pro Matte protectors and Ultra Pro inner sleeves and am happy with the result.

[@RockyOwl]

As someone who has been using the USA Limited Hyper Matte sleeves for a year and a half, I can say with absolute confidence that they are back to old form! Fantastic shuffle feel, durable AF, and good pricing since they're the 100 count!

[@TheBalogna7]

As someone who doesn't really have a lot of time (or desire) to investigate which of these products are good, I really appreciate these videos. Keep up the good work!

[@sleepyracoon4811]

I'm glad to hear that double sleeving on Dragon Shield has improved ! I had to sleeve a few decks with those and after being done, I was hesitant to use them again. Thanks to your review I think I'll give them another try. Thanks Prof !

[@whalesequence]

I bought a 24 pack case of the KMC Hyper Mattes, and I can assure you, they are incredibly nice, just as good as the original ones.

[@RobotronicKillforce]

Watch out for the new KMC sleeves, they have excellent 'Strengh' instead of strength.

[@magebotr8357]

5:58 I got chills. So iconic.

[@melodicmetal3843]

I got the summer dragon sleeves and playmat. The playmat is amazing quality. It even has stitched edges to prevent splitting.

[@gillman611]

My LGS recommended these and I am glad that they meet the grade. Thanks!

[@jacobtietjen2099]

As always, excellent work professor. These videos are appreciated as I continue to refine my tastes in product.

[@barreltech8949]

I ordered some BCW gloss sleeves in cool grey, these sleeves are amazing. Smooth shuffle and feel very durable. I purchased them for my keyforge decks because of the extra 2mm height. Highly recommend these sleeves for keyforge and magic

[@PicklerEntertainment]

The best inner sleeves are the "Side-In Perfect" series from KMC. Those fit perfectly around the card which means they can fit within nearly every other main line sleeves for those wanting to Double Sleeve. For my main decks I'm using the Side-In Perfect for the Inner Sleeves and the new Katanas for the outer sleeves.

[@actuallogic6411]

I loved that disclaimer cut!

[@edipo4ever]

Congrats, Prof. Y're The Best. Great Video !!!!!! 😎🤓

[@josephs.4813]

I really love your channel prof. Keep up the amazing work!

[@bernieswim]

I just bought some non glare dragon shield yesterday. It's way better than ultra pro eclipse. Maybe the best sleeve I've ever felt. I can't wait to hear what you think about them!

[@Timaeus1643]

Where did you find them? I have only seen black ones.

[@draheim90]

Dragon Shield art mattes are by far the best sleeves I’ve ever used and I probably will not purchase any other types for a long, long time. Been using them since they first came out and haven’t had to replace a single one due to damage, with the only con being they do get a little dirty from extensive use. The Summer and Easter Dragons feel slightly different than the Gaial sleeves in a way I can’t quite discern, but still wonderful.

[@thezeldaman3306]

I have used Dragon Shield sleeves longer than I can remember. I still have a set of them I use for Commander that have seen regular use for nearly 3 years and they are still kicking!

[@juju2421]

I still have a set of gold dragonshields from around 2006-2007 that I still use. they are a little marked now so I just use them for tokens, but man did they last.

[@christophergarcia8810]

Thanks Prof! Amazing, informative, and witty as always. Appreciate you.

[@vincentnunez6569]

Im commenting not having looked to see if you have an updated video on card sleeves or if this was it, but one thing id add to the info of the sleeves is what the microns are to compare easily. IMO Id like to know exactly how "thick" or "thin" said card sleeve is. None the less, superb video.

[@andrewlaverghetta715]

I can back up the quality of the BCW Elite2. I have my Mizzix EDH deck double sleeved with them and it feels great. I bought them after they were recommended by Jeff Hoogland. He may still have a code available. Though they are $8, I had to order them online which incurred shipping, of course. I love how the back of them is thick and shiny. I also use Dragon Shield matte, but with the glossy front sides. I like them, but I feel like I need to double sleeve with the DS sleeves because they get stuck a lot on the edges. I wonder how these new non-glare ones are when they aren't double sleeved. Lastly, those thin sleeves remind me of the UltraPro eclipse sleeves. They felt really good at the start and I liked how they were thing, but they definitely tended to scratch and get marked up on the back if I wasn't careful. You definitely don't want to play without a playmat with some of those thinner-back sleeves.

[@Aexium]

Professor, would you mind posting on the description of your next sleeve reviews the overall ranking with all sleeves evaluated and their grades? You did this once a long time ago and I feel it's such a valuable list to have

[@BfDelano]

I still have a hard time shuffling, but I'm also new to both MTG, and trying to shuffle. Love the Dragon Shields, and have used them so far for both my standard deck and Commander.

[@BfDelano]

@Snoop Doug Still haven't double sleeved, I'm just really not used to shuffling. :p Especially with a commander deck.

[@benghis_kaan]

I have the Ult Guard Island version of the lands II sleeves on my Yuriko commander deck, and I double sleeve my cards. I didnt have any issue double sleeving with these so not sure why prof did. I think a D is a mis-grade, they are more like a B in my opinion - not quite Dragon Shields or Katanas but still way better than many of the other sleeves out there

[@Bouillestfu]

Weird how Ultimate Guard makes a bad Artwork Sleeve when the Katanas are basically perfect...

[@MrCeall]

Ink science should be past that right?

[@chrispellbois6498]

Indeed , the katanas are sooo awesome , its to wonder why the bad artwork sleeves didnt come out as perfect :S

[@tdewald]

The katanas gunk up really quickly.

[@vortex594]

i got some Katanas at the M20 prerelease. tbh, they were terrible. after just a few games, the shuffle feel was terrible, and after unsleeving and comparing them to the ones i hadn't used, they were visibly different colours. additionally, by the end of the second event of the day, the backs were scuffed to the point of being marked. the same happened with the second pack. i'll stick with Dragon Shields. i have decks that have been sleeved in those for months, and i've never had so much as a split sleeve.

[@Bouillestfu]

@@vortex594 I've sleeved one of my most played commander decks with Katanas on day 1 of their release and they're still perfect. Maybe you got a bad batch?

[@jtt0004]

KMC, the pioneer in new ways to spell "strength".

[@kianhwa24]

I have to say those classic art dragon shields are gorgeous Got a few of them for my commander decks and playgroup went crazy

[@MrWingman]

Just bought some dragon shield sleeves yesterday at the Prerelease event. Thank god I made the right choice :-)

[@pr0fessorz0om68]

Thanks for the review Prof. Was in the market for sleeves for my commander.

[@CimInc]

I find Dragon Shield to have a too big lip up top if you push your card in all the way, and they are taller than Katanas or Hyper Mats, I had issues with Dragonshields catching on my deck boxes (Boulders and Aaron Cain boxes), so I have switched over to the new Hyper Mats on my decks.

[@YourPalRowan]

The reason is because they are intended to double sleeve, especially with the tight-fit clear sleeves that they offer. I've had issues with it too, but I think it's just one flaw that doesn't really detract that much from the protective quality of the sleeves

[@andreyaraujos]

Prof, there's a new Brazilian sleeves manufacturer called Central Distribuidora. It's cleary not the best sleeves of the world, but it's a great option for brazilians. It costs R$30~35 (abbout 7.85~9.16 USD) I'd love to see you making a review of these in the future

[@Ph0b0ssss]

I've been using Dragon shields since the start. 1st pack of sleeves I bought were classic gold ones, played thousands of matches and they're still usable. I cracked maybe 2-3 sleeves since I bought them in 2015. Matte sleeves on the other hand tend to get dirty over the course of time and I don't really prefer the shuffle feel compared to classic sleeves. I also noticed that some colors of sleeves tend to be better than others and I've only "tested" classic ones. So imo best ones that held well over the course of time are gold, purple and black. This ain't really certain but that's just my experience.

[@emdub9679]

Ultimate guard art sleeves! So awesome!

[@Definesleep938]

nice a new one , started watching this channel after seeing this guy on Alpha Investments

[@SvviftDeath]

I remember when I was just getting into the game 9 years ago and buying a set of KMC HyperMat sleeves. I must have gotten them just as they had their factory defects because the set I had was terrible. I asked around and was recommended Dragon Shield and I haven't been disappointed since.

[@atlys258]

The only sleeves for me since they came out have been Dragon Shield mattes because of their micro-stipple texture, so smooth and light, I've never been able to get past the stippled backs of KMC or BCW or pretty much any other sleeves since. The only other sleeves that I like are the refreshed 100ct Ultra Pro Eclipse, those are some damn good sleeves too.

[@ScottyWiard]

I do want to say that I've had small issue with Dragon Shield Matte Jet sleeves splitting, albeit minimally. Maybe 3 or 4 sleeves in each box.

[@ultimateo621]

I don’t think I’m ever going to get any non-dragonshield sleeves. They are just so reliable.

[@gundamassassin241]

Same. The one time I didnt get D.S. I got eclipse sleeves, then one busted.

[@chrispellbois6498]

@@gundamassassin241 Katanas if you want non artwork sleeves in the same quality , but DS all the way for artwork and overall sleeve quality :)

[@LunarWingCloud]

Dragon Shields are nigh unbeatable for sleeves. You can't go wrong with em. My friends and I almost exclusively run them and we have about 30 decks amongst all of us

[@FearOgre]

I use dragonshields for my edh decks and eclipse for my 60 card decks

[@BlaineTog]

Honestly, there's no reason to go with anything but Dragon Shield right now, not unless you want cheaper sleeves or novelty artwork. Eclipses are fine, Katanas are fine, KMCs are sometimes fine, but Dragon Shields are just the best.

[@postertown]

thanks professor , your videos are always informative !

[@aramfingal]

Not only like but Love The Professor's sleeve reviews! He is the Alton Brown of mtg! 😆

[@johnroyston3859]

Dragon Shields FTW. I have been using them only in the past year about but I see no reason now to switch to other sleeves. Additionally, I just tried their sealable inner sleeves and they're similarly amazing 👍

[@FlackooPretty]

Most underrated and best card sleeves are KMC hyper matte. Shiny on the front, matte at the back, look perfect feel great!

[@PapaKroeger]

Literally said "Oh damn!" out loud to no one at 6:25. As someone just getting back into trading cards, I'm not used to this kind of durability. The ones I had growing up would break at the seems if you even looked at them too hard.

[@MissRandom710]

Thanks for the video Prof!

[@m4erlin]

Hey prof, it seems Ultimate Guard's Katana took a nosedive in quality (at least in the batches we're getting here in Europe). Can you investigate? I have three packs (red, orange and blue) and all three are terrible for double sleeving and split with little effort. It is strange because i had two packs of purple and they were excellent.

[@carumsarene]

I use Dragon Shield Matte Green. I've gotten about 5 boxes so far for cards, need 5 more at least.

[@MarkIzaguirre]

I remember my ultra pro backs fading. We have come a long way

[@Brawler_1337]

I’m pretty sure that’s a lowercase alpha, not a Q.

[@Rukalin]

beat me to it

[@Boyahda]

don't @ him

[@rogero8443]

The Japanese on it reads スーパーアルファ which is "Super Alpha" so yes!

[@PurpleJett]

Q

[@DeeJaysWord]

He’s an English professor not a math professor 😂

[@NeiroAtOpelCC]

Regarding matte and glossy - I use the cheapest of the cheap ultra pro sleeves, and they're using matte and glossy to refer to the transparent front as well. I had no idea anyone was using it to refer to the backside prior to this video.

[@EpicMTGMusic]

Also, Prof. , how about making a review on market watch worldwide while comparing wage numbers and card pricing? That should say A LOT about competitive format in different countries.

[@dungeonrancher]

Great reviews, super informative.

[@spyder2238]

I snagged a box of some non glare dragon shields on top of the katanas. They're both fantastic

[@jennhall522]

Oooooo I love your tie.

[@karnliberated8891]

DS ALL THE WAY. Had like 3 sleeves OUT OF THOUSANDS split on me over a 5-6 yr period. Love the art sleeves, trying to buy all of them, eventually.

[@RuuuhhhssPersonal]

Hyper Phoenix are my new fav over ds and katana

[@juliansoria7733]

Thanks proffesor!

[@BiggerSpork]

Wow thanks professor I know which sleeves to get at my game store thank you 🙏

[@jeremiahbachmann3901]

Finally!!! Another MtG peripheral video!!!

[@tjencolman8024]

I recently bought the Dragon Shield Non-Glares and when I do the same durability test as you (pulling it apart) it seems to be extremely easy to tear them and hardly have to pull at all to tear both sides apart. They tear even when using just 2 fingers on the same hand. With your reviews though, the same Dragon Shield sleeves seem to have high durability. Any idea how this is possible?

[@ramunasguobys6809]

Same here, Older glossy selves was very good. new matte one splinting apart just from shuffling, also strange that Professor did durability test on all sleeves except Dragon shield matte.

[@TheVytle]

Prof. you personally had me sold on the Ultimate Guard Katana's. I almost find it hard to go back to dragon shield after Katana's. HOWEVER, Katana's still suck poopy when it comes to double sleeving with KMC perfects or even Dragon shield perfect fits. My best suggestion, buy either side loaders or the new dragon shield seal fit!

[@sykorixgraveborn7142]

Dragons Shield are the only ones I'll buy, they are just really really good at keeping your cards safe and protected

[@kAoSSAbYsS]

Prof. Nice video as always... please think about doing Bushiroad HG sleeves

[@pshanetju2598]

What are those? The super hard bushi sleeves?

[@kAoSSAbYsS]

@@pshanetju2598 No they are High Grade sleeves. Most of them if not all are also character backed sleeves

[@jasonyoung9329]

Glad to see Dragon Shield is still on top!

[@Kernaus_]

I'd like to point out that me and several of my friends have been having lots of problems with Dragon Shield mattes lately, with sleeves splitting in just a few days of play (OR EVEN BEING SPLIT OUT OF THE BOX IN MY CASE), i do not know if anybody else has had that sort of problems but it does seem to exist. Now my LGS has just received a new batch of them and we all bought a new package so we'll see if it really was just that single batch that had problems, but nevertheless it does point at a potential lowering of the QA with dragon shield. also wanted to try out these new KMCs but they're only for the north american market, sad.

[@andrewmorehead3704]

One pack I bought from amazon about six months back was a total dud with extremely fast splitting. The other four packs I have bought have been amazing though so it just seems to be q few.

[@mohammadtaufiq8796]

I don't play card games but I do accompany my friends who played Magic The Gathering, Vanguard and Yu Gi Oh at our local shops and I must admit it's like ASMR hearing the smooth card sleeves shuffling etc is it weird?

[@richurro20]

I remember your last review and you said KMC hyper mattes were the best sleeves. Since then I gotta outta the card game until today and am surprised to hear you say that KMC has fallen off. Looks like I'll buy Dragon Shield since I trust your opinion. I remember watching your best card bags and bought the dragon egg bag by power9. To this day its the best card bag I ever owned. Sucks they discontinued it though

[@Nipa96M]

I have red and pink dragon shields and I must say that those two show my Itlimoc cradle of the sun trough the back of the sleeve from a mile away. Also those don't have as nice feel when suffling the deck deck as ultra pro sleeves for example. Wouldn't give them A but that's my opinion and I might be very well wrong with my statement.

[@moxavenger]

I never buy sleeves (being a collector only) but I love your videos!

[@noodosoop]

It's been awhile since we had one of these

[@Sakkyun]

ultra pro uses glossy and matte to describe the front of the sleeves as well

[@maggiedean5691]

Dragon shields are all I use. I like the matts and the arts matte and classic.

[@vinnythewebsurfer]

I bought this summer dragon sleeves sleeves a week ago and they’re lovely. I really need some of this stuff woth yugioh art god damn it.

[@Ink_Eyes_]

"High quality with excellent strengh" any one else notice the misspelling on the packaging?

[@lapislazuli5165]

my only issue with Dragon Shields is that they get those black posts pretty fast, even when you use them with a clean playmat. BCWs do get them too (like every other sleeves) but those keep clean way longer. outside that Dragon Shields are my forever favorites

[@Morathi2003]

@Tolarian Community College Question: what do you think about the UltraPro Eclipse Sleeves that in each wave the orange is a different color? Aren't they using the same color manufacture? I bought 3 packs of Orange Eclipse Sleeves, 3~4 months apart each time and all the sleeves are different shades of Orange.

[@WoWhunter007]

Hey Professor, will you be updating your site's report card? I see that it hasn't been updated since 2016. Also, another question: what is the best clear backed sleeve on the market?