As my love for Pokémon TCG grew, I became an avid collector of Pokémon cards. Because of that my brother and I have been collecting them for over a decade. Last year, however, as I was sorting through some old stuff, I found a bunch of my precious cards, dusty with a few of them scratched up.
Not wanting to diminish their value anymore, I went looking for the best and most budget-friendly way, I could store my cards. After consulting with experts and doing my own research, I found out that toploaders were the perfect way of storing my trading cards. So, in this article, I’m sharing a list of some of the best toploaders I found in the market for Pokémon cards. Continue reading to learn more.
Best toploader for Pokémon cards
| Toploaders For Cards | Brand | Material | Color | Max Input Sheet Capacity | Number of Plates | Dimensions | Item Weight | Suggested User | Card Type |
| BCW Topload Card Holder for Standard Trading Cards,3″ x 4″ | BCW | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 8.66 x 4.45 x 3.94 inches | 1.61 Pounds | Unisex Youth | Hockey, Baseball, Football |
| Ultra PRO 3″ x 4″ Clear Regular | Ultra Pro | Plastic | Multi | 100 | 100 | 6.54 x 4.06 x 3.23 inches | 1.61 pounds | unisex-child | All |
| Homthy 50 Count TopLoaders Card Sleeves | Homthy | Polypropylene | Clear | 50 | 50 | 4.41 x 3.78 x 3.43 inches | 1.08 pounds | Unisex | All |
| TitanShield 3″ x 4″ Toploaders | TitanShield | PVC, Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 3 x 1 x 2 inches | 1.91 pounds | Unisex | Most |
| House of Hobby 200pc Toploaders | House of Hobby | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 8.2 x 1.8 x 6.4 inches | 1.8 pounds | Unisex | All |
| Kitoyz 100 ct Toploaders | Kitoyz | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 7.8 x 4.49 x 3.46 inches | 2.9 pounds | Unisex | All |
| Fortress Trading Supply 100 Count 3×4 Toploaders | Fortress Trading Supply | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 7 x 3 x 4 inches | 1.78 pounds | Unisex | All |
| Star Collector 3X4 Clear Toploaders | Star Collector | PVC | White | 100 | 100 | 7.44 x 4.17 x 3.11 inches | 1.8 pounds | Unisex | All |
| Cingfanlu 100 Pack 3″ x 4″ Toploaders | Cingfanlu | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 7.32 x 4.69 x 3.46 inches | 1.79 pounds | Unisex | All |
| WINTRA 3″ x 4″ 100 Count | WINTRA | Plastic | Blue | 100 | 100 | 6.77 x 6.46 x 4.41 inches | 1.92 pounds | Unisex | All |
| Invested Alliance Premium Toploaders | Invested Alliance | Plastic | Clear | 100 | 100 | 7.52 x 4.09 x 3.19 inches | 1.92 pounds | Unisex | All |
BCW Topload Card Holder for Standard Trading Cards, 3″ x 4″
The BCW Toploader is one of the most popular cardholders in the collectable card sector. These toploading holders store, protect, and display collectable sports cards, such as football, hockey, and baseball, and trading cards, such as Pokémon. BCW Topload card holders have 12 millimeters thick panels and open on the short side.
Each cardholder holds a standard-sized card. Each BCW Topload pack comes with 25 cardholders. If you want 100 holders, BCW will deliver four packs to you.
Pros
- Budget-friendly
- It is made of high-quality, rigid PVC.
- Very easy to use
- Durable
- Offers better protection than sleeves
Cons
- The cardholders are thin. You cannot fit a card inside a penny sleeve into the cardholders.
Ultra PRO 3″ x 4″ Clear Regular
The Ultra Pro toploader offers your collectable trading cards rigid protection by minimizing physical damage and dents. The toploader features plastic card sleeves to protect your cards from moisture and dust. This card holder is made for standard-size trading cards (2.5 x 3.5 inches) up to 35 points thick. This toploaders’ inner side can hold 3 x 4 inches in size cards. On the downside, the toploaders are prone to scratches, which reduces their clarity.
Pros
- The top holder is made of durable material.
- Comes with sleeves
- The sleeves are impressively clear and durable.
- The sleeves are flexible. You can fit your cards into the toploader without damaging their edges.
- The sleeves are a loose fit around standard-size cards.
Cons
- They scratch easily. Scratching reduces their clarity.
Homthy 50 Count TopLoaders
Each pack of the 50-count toploader from Homthy holds 50 toploaders, 100 resealable sleeves, and 100 soft trading card sleeves. These toploaders are designed for all standard-size trading cards. You can use them to display any card, from baseball cards, Yugioh, sports cards, proxy cards, football cards, MTG, Skylanders, and other standard-size cards.
Pros
- Sturdy and durable. Made of high-quality and durable material (polypropylene).
- Soft and rigid for maximum protection from physical damage.
- Reinforced seams protect card edges, keeping them tidy and as good as new.
- Clear display.
- Great for all standard-size cards.
Cons
- They scratch easily. Some sleeves might be damaged or scratched when you get them.
TitanShield 3″ x 4″ Toploaders
The Titan shield toploaders keep your cards safe during trade, display, and shipment. The toploaders are made to accommodate standard-size cards that are up to 35 points thick. You can use them to store MTG cards, Pokémon cards, Yugioh cards, and most sports cards. Though they are not included in the package, the company recommends that it would be best if you used these toploaders with their premium inner sleeves and card sleeves.
Pros
- Made of premium high-quality material (ultra-clear PVC).
- Compatible with most trading cards.
- Premium look and feel.
- They have smooth edges.
- They are very clear.
Cons
- They scratch easily
House of Hobby 200pc Toploaders
The House of Hobby toploaders protect your cards from dirt, scratches, fingerprints, and scuffs. All these could damage your trading cards and lower their value exponentially. House of Hobby advises using these toploaders with their penny and Pokémon card sleeves for better protection. You can use them to store or display your Yugioh cards, NFL trading cards, Pokémon cards, NBA cards, and more.
Pros
- Made of high-quality plastic material.
- Seamless edges.
- Scratch-resistant film layer.
- Made of crystal clear plastic.
- Keeps your cards in pristine condition.
Cons
- Cards that are 35 points thick barely fit into these toploaders, especially if they are in a penny sleeve.
Kitoyz 100 ct Toploaders
Kitoyz promises you dual protection by providing you with triple sleeves (soft, hard and resealable) to protect your delicate trading cards. A combination of soft and hard card sleeves offers your cards double protection. These sleeves will keep your cards safe from physical damage and scratches. You can use these toploaders to protect your credit card, K-pop photocard, fit for trading card, and MTG.
Pros
- They are high-quality. Made of superior rigid plastic material.
- The cardholders are impressively clear.
- Offers your cards triple protection.
- Perfect fit for all standard-size (3 x 4 inch) cards.
- The toploaders are dust, water, and scratch proof, and anti-fading.
Cons
- The toploaders are thin and tight, making it hard to fit thick cards or cards with penny sleeves.
Fortress Trading Supply 100 Count 3×4 Toploaders
The Fortress Trading Supply toploaders are one of the best budget-friendly toploaders designed to keep your trading cards safe and scratch-free. They are made of non-PVC material and are acid-free. They are designed for all standard-size cards. To protect your card, peel off the outer film, place it inside the holder, and store it in a safe place or display it. The crystal clear material gives a striking display for your cards. However, to get your hands on these amazing features, you will have to pay a hefty price.
Pros
- Made of high-quality plastic material.
- Flexible but challenging to break.
- Protects your cards from UV rays.
- The toploaders are crystal clear.
- Sleeves are included in the package.
Cons
- Expensive. They are expensive compared to other same-quality toploaders.
Star Collector 3X4 Clear Toploaders
If you want to keep your trading cards in mint condition, go no further. Star Collector toploaders are one of the best trading card protectors on the market presently. What sets these toploaders apart from rival brands is the company’s crystal clear PVC. These toploaders are scratch free, and their corners and edges are seamless. Also, they are not too tight; therefore, you can insert and remove your cards into the toploaders without damaging them. Each toploader comes with a sleeve to maximize protection from dust, moisture, oils, fingerprints, debris, or minor surface damage. Place your cards in the sleeves before putting them into the toploader. Doing so will ensure that your card is safe during storage, handling, or shipping.
Pros
- The toploaders are made of high-quality PVC plastic.
- They are super clear.
- They are scratch-proof.
- Comes with high-quality penny sleeves that are acid-free.
- A reliable customer support team is at your disposal.
Cons
- A few may split.
Cingfanlu 100 Pack 3″ x 4″ Toploaders
Are you looking for affordable and good-quality toploaders? If you yes, buy the Cingfanlu toploaders. They are made of superior rigid plastic to protect your trading cards from physical damage, moisture or water, dust, and scratches. You can use these toploaders to store football cards, Yugioh cards, Pokémon cards, baseball cards, sports cards, K-pop photocard, and more.
Pros
- Made of sturdy and durable material.
- Made of a clear material.
- Water and dustproof.
- Protects trading cards from scratches.
- Protects trading cards from UV rays which can cause fading.
Cons
- They are expensive compared to other same-quality toploaders.
WINTRA 3″ x 4″ 100 Count
If you are a card collector looking for affordable and good-quality toploaders, you are in the right place. They are one of the better-priced toploaders in the market currently. Your trading cards will fit perfectly into the penny sleeves and the toploaders. The toploaders are clean, and their thickness is ideal.
Pros
- The toploaders are of decent quality.
- They are clear.
- Comes with premium quality soft sleeves. They are made of acid-free, non-PVC, archival-safe material and scratch and wear-resistant.
- Keeps your card collection in pristine condition..
- Fairly priced.
Cons
- The toploaders are too tight. It might be hard to fit 35 points size cards into the toploaders without damaging them.
Invested Alliance Premium Toploaders
This is a value purchase because these toploaders protect your cards from dirt, dust, and oils. It also protects your cards from blemishes, scratches, and from bending. Your cards will also be safe from physical damage and other elements.
Pros
- Made of durable and sturdy material.
- Comes with sleeves.
- Ultra clear. You can display your cards proudly.
- Protects your cards from oils, water, moisture, dirt, and dust.
- Keeps your cards straight and in mint condition.
Cons
- Some toploaders might be bent when you receive them.
Conclusion
Toploaders offer you perfect storage for your trading cards. They protect your cards from water, moisture, dust, dirt, and oil. If you are a serious card collector, you can use one of the toploaders I reviewed above, depending on your budget.
FAQ SECTION
How to use toploaders
Place your trading card into a penny sleeve. This will protect it from dust, dirt, oil, moisture, and fingerprints. Place the sleeved card into a toploader and store it safely away from direct sunlight.
Can toploaders damage your trading cards?
Substandard toploaders are known to damage cards at times. Ensure the toploaders you purchase are sturdy and high quality to protect your cards from physical damage or scratches during storage, display, or shipment.
Are toploaders better than cardsavers?
Since card savers are made of hard plastic and mainly used to store valuable cards that owners have no intention of moving often, they are better if you want something to protect or keep your extremely rare cards. You have to sleeve your cards before putting them in the cardsaver.
Which is better, BCW or Ultra Pro 3?
Ultra Pro 3 is better than BCW. Though a bit more expensive than the BCW toploaders, Ultra Pro 3 toploaders are made of sturdier and better-quality material than the former. The BCW toploaders are too thin.
Since I started playing Pokemon at a tender age, my love for the game kept growing. My passion is what inspired me to pursue video game journalism. This helped me gain immersive experience of 5 years. I have a lot of expertise in the gaming industry since I have been editing game-related content for a long time. Since I have also been studying this game in-depth for years, I am now a professional player. My desire is to share everything I know about Pokemon to help you broaden your knowledge on the game. You can read more about me on the about us page.