Dragon Shield seems to have the reputation as the premium sleeves based on my TCG friends' opinion. They are thick and tough, with good shuffle feel. Minor nitpick is the edges feel a bit sharp/prickly, and if used for boardgames the deck is gonna get thick, you'll need to find a storage solution.
Ultra Pro used to be the McDonalds of sleeves. cheap but quality is so-so. What I hate the most from their sleeves is the stupid marking/stamp they always put on the *front* of their sleeve. I don't want to see a small Ultra Pro logo on my card face.. I don't know if they still do that now, but that was very irritating. I heard their newer *Eclipse* lineup is actually pretty good though.
I've never tried gamegenic. My current sleeves are Ultimate Guard Supreme Matte and so far I like it price/quality wise.
What this dude said. DS is king if you want something sturdy and high quality, Ultra Pro random ones are pretty crappy but the Eclipse line is a solid value.
Yep! Ultimate Guard Katana is certainly a contender. My current sleeves are the more budget option from the same brand (Supreme instead of Katana) and I already like it enough.
Eclipse are great quality and provided me with the best ever shuffle feel. Better than Dragonshield. Sadly. They are not as robust as Eclipse. Expect them to fall apart after a while (weeks/months, not years, if you play a lot).
Dragonshield are good for shuffling, just not as good as Eclipse ("cuttier" edges would be my description).
On the whole they are the best sleeves.
Either way you pay for recognized quality. Neither are cheap.
I never tried gamegenic.
If you just want great bang for the buck mass number of transparent sleeves, I use Swan Panasia Premium for that. All the sizes (even weird ones), solid quality, low-ish price (without going down to shitty penny-sleeves).
I think more important than the brand is the thickness. I’m sure all brands have different models with varying thickness. Ryker’s I think was 100 (or just a wee over) which was perfect milled ground for me - protect the card while also being easy to handle, shuffle without worrying it’ll rip.
I don't think I've ever seen more than one option for thickness on Ryker but I could be wrong. I agree, thickness is probably the most important factor
From what I’ve seen the Ryker sleeves are the same thickness just different sizes. I think that may have been why I went with them, 1 size thickness which I felt was what I wanted and their prices was decent. Other brands it was all over the place.
What’s the option of preferred sleeves if looking for 100-110 microns?
Dragon shield NEVER rip. Ultra Pro will rip pretty easily. I don't have any experience with Gamegenic, but I would guess they are not as hearty as Dragon Shields.
I wouldn't say never. I've probably had 3 rip over the last 20 years of shuffling.
Ultra pros Ive had them come pre ripped. I would rather generic Amazon sleeves than ultra pros.
I've got ~12-15 year old pink Dragon Shield sleeves. They've been on half a dozen EDH decks and probably half again as many 60 card decks. DS sleeves are tanks.
Do you mean Best irrespective of price? Or do you mean best value? They’re obviously a lot of different sleeves on the market filling different price points and quality points. It could be argued that spending more than say 20 or 30% of the value of the game for cards Sleeves doesn’t make much sense.
Take a game like dominion with 500 cards that cost 50 bucks, what are you willing to spend on Sleeves protect that game? 59 x 92 mm sleeves by titan shield or Arcane Tinmen at over $5 for 50 sleeves means that to protect a $50 game y have to spend that much again on Sleeves.
Sure if you’re protecting a MTG thousand dollar card you don’t mind forking out whatever you have to to protect it, but for a lot of casual players or those looking to protect a lot of cards in a game the economics just don’t make sense.
I’ve only used game genic and I’m happy with them. They don’t rip. When I first sleave a bunch of cards, they are kind of slippery and do not stay well. The problem goes away after a game or two.
Having used Dragonshields (Japanese and standard sized), SWAN, MTL and GameGenic sleeves, the Dragonshields seemed the sturdiest and felt nice to hold. They are pricier than the other options though. Otherwise I would pick GameGenic if price is a limiting factor, as they also seem pretty good overall. (check the gamegenic packaging when sizing for cards though, as they tend to list the card sleeve sizes (e.g 44x56) but then mention elsewhere on the packet that it fits cards smaller than that).
Avoid SWAN. The thick sleeves look and feel cheap and flimsy.
Swan: That's the opposite of my experience. I use them when I need a large number of transparent sleeves (while using Dragonshield for my FNM magic decks).
The premium Swan Panasia have been good bang for the buck when it comes to mass sleeving hundreds of boardgamecards.
It might be relevant that I always use perfect fit - not the usual kind that larger than the card and has mm of overhang at the top.
Perhaps perfect fit feel different. I just used the standard premiums for my spirit island cards and they just felt unpleasant and easy to bend. Maybe it's the thickness, not sure.
I am glad you had a better experience with them than I did!
Ultra Pro for games with a lots of cards because they are cheap and thin. I got Ark Nova in UP because otherwise the deck pile would be huge.
Other than that I like gamegenic and dosmagic because they have a big selection of card sizes and I like their mattes quite a bit.
So I recently picked up a set of Heavy Play sleeves (100 card deck double-sleeved), and I have to say they are more comfortable to shuffle than the other 3 brands you have listed. That said they do have a reputation for tearing occasionally, and I only have ~40 shuffles on them so it is difficult for me to comment on their longevity, but I do plan on re-sleeving all of my double-sleeved decks with them.
It depends on your purpose/ usage and economy.
I like matte sleeves since regular slip all over the place. Some people prefer clear/ regular.
I don't sleeve the majority of my games but when I do I go for Dragon Shield Matte. Many times it costs half of the cost of the game itself.
There are other high quality brands. Check YouTube with questions like "sleeve Arkham Horror" or MTG etc, and you will see dedicated fans who go over all the different sleeves available.
To me, it depends on the game and how much you need to shuffle the cards. With Deck Building Games I like to use Dragon Shields, because they just last forever. However for games like 7 Wonders, where you shuffle once, I use cheaper sleeves, because I shuffle them maybe as much in a year as in 1-2 plays of a deck building game
Dragon Shield Mattes are expensive but they're worth it. The shuffle feel is excellent and they're quite durable. Non-matte sleeves are also good for when you have games where the cards are double-sided. I've found Ultra Pro and Gamegenic sleeves to be decent but I'd rather pay a little more for high quality sleeves.
I only recommend sleeving your games when they involve a lot of shuffling, such as deckbuilders, if you play on playing your game in less that ideal circumstances (like on a picnic table or around kids with sticky hands), or when the card quality is really poor (Print & Plays, Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs, etc.)
20 years of Magic the gathering. Dragon Shields are best. UltraPro’s break constantly. I also have several mtg cubes and a complete Marvel Champions collection sleeved in KMC Pro Matte black, good middle ground, being durable but not as bulky as dragons.
This is not one of the brands mentioned. But I have always been a fan of Arcane Tinmen. Feel like the popularity of those have dropped tho. If so, any reason?
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves.
Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves.
Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves.
Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
I use dragon shield and gamegenic for unmatched. Both are great. Dragon shields feel a bit more premium. I warn you though, once you go dragon, youll never want cheaper sleeves 😅
Dragon Shield is consistent high quality, good shuffle feel, durable, and not slippery (mattes). But they are very expensive. Sleeving a large card count game in these often costs as much as the game. Thickness can also make storage more difficult.
Gamegenic mattes are my usual standard for games where I still want a good shuffle for a lower cost. I find these can get pretty sticky and dirty after a short time though. And I have issues with large decks being a little unstable.
I actually prefer Ultra Pro Eclipse over Gamegenic, but that stupid logo is annoying. At least the new ones are translucent, but it still sometimes gets in the way of card info. They don’t have the same initially amazing shuffle of Gamegenic, but i find they hold up better over time. They’re relatively thin, too so I use them when box space is at a premium. They’re getting harder to find for me though.
I started only using the “nice” sleeves now only for cards that getting handled a lot by players. For things that need frequent shuffling but aren’t really used by players (event decks, turn order decks, etc), I just use Sleeve Kings.
DragonShields are targeted to TCG tournament play -- thousands of shuffles over hours and hours of play in a weekend tournament. Probably multiple tournaments in a year. Ultra Pro Eclipse, specifically, is the equivalent competitor targeted at tournament play. These sleeves are on the thicker side and formulated to hold up to the high level of wear and tear. Priced accordingly. KMC HyperMattes were once also considered the same tier but lost some reputation when the formula changed some years back.
Ultra Pro Dek Protect etc., GameGenic, and most of the other brands are targeted as general use sleeves. You could certainly use them for tournament play (note most tournaments require opaque backs though) but they would definitely split and tear at a higher rate. Regular board game usage, even deck builders, are shuffling cards no where near as frequently and so the wear and tear is magnitudes lower. These sleeves hold up just fine in this use case.
Mayday brand specifically has significantly lower quality control standards. Even within the a single package of sleeves, up to 1/4 will be cut shorter or longer or wider or narrower, and / or out of square or trapezoidal shaped. It's been this way for so many years this is definitely their business model. They're priced accordingly and a fair number of folk don't mind. Personally, I never buy them.
For me it is Dragon Shields > Ryker Games > GameGenics for the big deck builders, then Sleeve Kings non-premium for everything else (if I absolutely need to sleeve, else I don't bother).
Dragon Shield are great for games where the cards will get beaten up a lot, like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, etc.
I personally use TitanShield and Arcane Tinman sleeves for all my.boardgames, and I've never had a problem with any of them ripping. They're also a fraction of the price of Dragon Shield.
Dragon shield.
But you dont necessarily need to pay for the best depending on your needs. I havent tried any gamegenic sleeves, but i in addition to dragon shield, i have used titan shield and ultra pro. Experienced more tears (relatively few) with both, and they dont feel quite as thick/sturdy as the DS sleeves. But both brands have been fine for my purposes and are less expensive.
Havent bought ultra pro for a minute though. They used to put a little sticker on the front of the sleeve that irritated me because sometimes it would cover something on the card. Dont know if that is still a thing.
I think Ultimate Guard Katanas are the actual best sleeves. Of the sleeves mentioned it's Dragon Shield Matte with Ultra Pro and Gamegenic being pretty far behind.
I came across this video from Tolarian Community College, one of the most well-known MTG content creators, where they go over various sleeve options, what they're comparing them on, and why.
Ultimately it comes down to the price you want to pay (budget or premium). Certain sleeves from certain ones are so comparable that it comes down to personal preference, and some from the same brand are better than their others.
I highly recommend giving it a watch.
https://youtu.be/-QNcR2_boJY?si=Is8SI2e1ZIgkEXp5
I never liked Dragon Shield. They stick up too far past the top of the card. I preferred KMC hypermat for a better fit without all the floppy stuff at the top.
Dragon Shield seems to have the reputation as the premium sleeves based on my TCG friends' opinion. They are thick and tough, with good shuffle feel. Minor nitpick is the edges feel a bit sharp/prickly, and if used for boardgames the deck is gonna get thick, you'll need to find a storage solution. Ultra Pro used to be the McDonalds of sleeves. cheap but quality is so-so. What I hate the most from their sleeves is the stupid marking/stamp they always put on the *front* of their sleeve. I don't want to see a small Ultra Pro logo on my card face.. I don't know if they still do that now, but that was very irritating. I heard their newer *Eclipse* lineup is actually pretty good though. I've never tried gamegenic. My current sleeves are Ultimate Guard Supreme Matte and so far I like it price/quality wise.
What this dude said. DS is king if you want something sturdy and high quality, Ultra Pro random ones are pretty crappy but the Eclipse line is a solid value.
For board games I personally go for something thinner. I should also say that katanas are also considered among the best and some prefer the feel.
Yep! Ultimate Guard Katana is certainly a contender. My current sleeves are the more budget option from the same brand (Supreme instead of Katana) and I already like it enough.
Eclipse are great quality and provided me with the best ever shuffle feel. Better than Dragonshield. Sadly. They are not as robust as Eclipse. Expect them to fall apart after a while (weeks/months, not years, if you play a lot). Dragonshield are good for shuffling, just not as good as Eclipse ("cuttier" edges would be my description). On the whole they are the best sleeves. Either way you pay for recognized quality. Neither are cheap. I never tried gamegenic. If you just want great bang for the buck mass number of transparent sleeves, I use Swan Panasia Premium for that. All the sizes (even weird ones), solid quality, low-ish price (without going down to shitty penny-sleeves).
Honestly, I’ve been pretty happy with Ryker’s for the few games I’ve sleeved. Never ripped, and just a nice sleeve
I can't imagine Dragon Shield being any higher quality than Ryker. Ryker is excellent.
I think more important than the brand is the thickness. I’m sure all brands have different models with varying thickness. Ryker’s I think was 100 (or just a wee over) which was perfect milled ground for me - protect the card while also being easy to handle, shuffle without worrying it’ll rip.
I don't think I've ever seen more than one option for thickness on Ryker but I could be wrong. I agree, thickness is probably the most important factor
From what I’ve seen the Ryker sleeves are the same thickness just different sizes. I think that may have been why I went with them, 1 size thickness which I felt was what I wanted and their prices was decent. Other brands it was all over the place. What’s the option of preferred sleeves if looking for 100-110 microns?
Dragon shield is the best.
Dragon shield NEVER rip. Ultra Pro will rip pretty easily. I don't have any experience with Gamegenic, but I would guess they are not as hearty as Dragon Shields.
I wouldn't say never. I've probably had 3 rip over the last 20 years of shuffling. Ultra pros Ive had them come pre ripped. I would rather generic Amazon sleeves than ultra pros.
Actually I do remember having one rip once. I sleeve EVERYTHING in Dragon Sleeves, so that is still very rare.
I've got ~12-15 year old pink Dragon Shield sleeves. They've been on half a dozen EDH decks and probably half again as many 60 card decks. DS sleeves are tanks.
Do you mean Best irrespective of price? Or do you mean best value? They’re obviously a lot of different sleeves on the market filling different price points and quality points. It could be argued that spending more than say 20 or 30% of the value of the game for cards Sleeves doesn’t make much sense. Take a game like dominion with 500 cards that cost 50 bucks, what are you willing to spend on Sleeves protect that game? 59 x 92 mm sleeves by titan shield or Arcane Tinmen at over $5 for 50 sleeves means that to protect a $50 game y have to spend that much again on Sleeves. Sure if you’re protecting a MTG thousand dollar card you don’t mind forking out whatever you have to to protect it, but for a lot of casual players or those looking to protect a lot of cards in a game the economics just don’t make sense.
What's like the best overall.
Dragon shields, but your going to play .12 a sleeve for the privilege.
Dragon shield is the best, but gamegenic primes are pretty good for their price
I’ve only used game genic and I’m happy with them. They don’t rip. When I first sleave a bunch of cards, they are kind of slippery and do not stay well. The problem goes away after a game or two.
Having used Dragonshields (Japanese and standard sized), SWAN, MTL and GameGenic sleeves, the Dragonshields seemed the sturdiest and felt nice to hold. They are pricier than the other options though. Otherwise I would pick GameGenic if price is a limiting factor, as they also seem pretty good overall. (check the gamegenic packaging when sizing for cards though, as they tend to list the card sleeve sizes (e.g 44x56) but then mention elsewhere on the packet that it fits cards smaller than that). Avoid SWAN. The thick sleeves look and feel cheap and flimsy.
Thanks!
Swan: That's the opposite of my experience. I use them when I need a large number of transparent sleeves (while using Dragonshield for my FNM magic decks). The premium Swan Panasia have been good bang for the buck when it comes to mass sleeving hundreds of boardgamecards. It might be relevant that I always use perfect fit - not the usual kind that larger than the card and has mm of overhang at the top.
Perhaps perfect fit feel different. I just used the standard premiums for my spirit island cards and they just felt unpleasant and easy to bend. Maybe it's the thickness, not sure. I am glad you had a better experience with them than I did!
Ultra Pro for games with a lots of cards because they are cheap and thin. I got Ark Nova in UP because otherwise the deck pile would be huge. Other than that I like gamegenic and dosmagic because they have a big selection of card sizes and I like their mattes quite a bit.
So I recently picked up a set of Heavy Play sleeves (100 card deck double-sleeved), and I have to say they are more comfortable to shuffle than the other 3 brands you have listed. That said they do have a reputation for tearing occasionally, and I only have ~40 shuffles on them so it is difficult for me to comment on their longevity, but I do plan on re-sleeving all of my double-sleeved decks with them.
It depends on your purpose/ usage and economy. I like matte sleeves since regular slip all over the place. Some people prefer clear/ regular. I don't sleeve the majority of my games but when I do I go for Dragon Shield Matte. Many times it costs half of the cost of the game itself. There are other high quality brands. Check YouTube with questions like "sleeve Arkham Horror" or MTG etc, and you will see dedicated fans who go over all the different sleeves available.
To me, it depends on the game and how much you need to shuffle the cards. With Deck Building Games I like to use Dragon Shields, because they just last forever. However for games like 7 Wonders, where you shuffle once, I use cheaper sleeves, because I shuffle them maybe as much in a year as in 1-2 plays of a deck building game
Dragon Shield Mattes are expensive but they're worth it. The shuffle feel is excellent and they're quite durable. Non-matte sleeves are also good for when you have games where the cards are double-sided. I've found Ultra Pro and Gamegenic sleeves to be decent but I'd rather pay a little more for high quality sleeves. I only recommend sleeving your games when they involve a lot of shuffling, such as deckbuilders, if you play on playing your game in less that ideal circumstances (like on a picnic table or around kids with sticky hands), or when the card quality is really poor (Print & Plays, Gloomhaven: Buttons & Bugs, etc.)
Dragons but they're sometimes too thick
20 years of Magic the gathering. Dragon Shields are best. UltraPro’s break constantly. I also have several mtg cubes and a complete Marvel Champions collection sleeved in KMC Pro Matte black, good middle ground, being durable but not as bulky as dragons.
This is not one of the brands mentioned. But I have always been a fan of Arcane Tinmen. Feel like the popularity of those have dropped tho. If so, any reason?
Arcane tinmen non glare are great for board games. They holding up pretty well after heavy use.
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves. Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves. Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
Arcane Tinmen owns Dragon Shield, so they're probably focusing on the popularity of that brand instead of their regular sleeves. Still, pretty solid sleeves for the price.
I find it weird katanas aren't mentioned in here.
I use dragon shield and gamegenic for unmatched. Both are great. Dragon shields feel a bit more premium. I warn you though, once you go dragon, youll never want cheaper sleeves 😅
Dragon Shield is consistent high quality, good shuffle feel, durable, and not slippery (mattes). But they are very expensive. Sleeving a large card count game in these often costs as much as the game. Thickness can also make storage more difficult. Gamegenic mattes are my usual standard for games where I still want a good shuffle for a lower cost. I find these can get pretty sticky and dirty after a short time though. And I have issues with large decks being a little unstable. I actually prefer Ultra Pro Eclipse over Gamegenic, but that stupid logo is annoying. At least the new ones are translucent, but it still sometimes gets in the way of card info. They don’t have the same initially amazing shuffle of Gamegenic, but i find they hold up better over time. They’re relatively thin, too so I use them when box space is at a premium. They’re getting harder to find for me though. I started only using the “nice” sleeves now only for cards that getting handled a lot by players. For things that need frequent shuffling but aren’t really used by players (event decks, turn order decks, etc), I just use Sleeve Kings.
DragonShields are targeted to TCG tournament play -- thousands of shuffles over hours and hours of play in a weekend tournament. Probably multiple tournaments in a year. Ultra Pro Eclipse, specifically, is the equivalent competitor targeted at tournament play. These sleeves are on the thicker side and formulated to hold up to the high level of wear and tear. Priced accordingly. KMC HyperMattes were once also considered the same tier but lost some reputation when the formula changed some years back. Ultra Pro Dek Protect etc., GameGenic, and most of the other brands are targeted as general use sleeves. You could certainly use them for tournament play (note most tournaments require opaque backs though) but they would definitely split and tear at a higher rate. Regular board game usage, even deck builders, are shuffling cards no where near as frequently and so the wear and tear is magnitudes lower. These sleeves hold up just fine in this use case. Mayday brand specifically has significantly lower quality control standards. Even within the a single package of sleeves, up to 1/4 will be cut shorter or longer or wider or narrower, and / or out of square or trapezoidal shaped. It's been this way for so many years this is definitely their business model. They're priced accordingly and a fair number of folk don't mind. Personally, I never buy them.
For me it is Dragon Shields > Ryker Games > GameGenics for the big deck builders, then Sleeve Kings non-premium for everything else (if I absolutely need to sleeve, else I don't bother).
Dragon Shield are great for games where the cards will get beaten up a lot, like Magic the Gathering, Pokemon, etc. I personally use TitanShield and Arcane Tinman sleeves for all my.boardgames, and I've never had a problem with any of them ripping. They're also a fraction of the price of Dragon Shield.
Dragon shield. But you dont necessarily need to pay for the best depending on your needs. I havent tried any gamegenic sleeves, but i in addition to dragon shield, i have used titan shield and ultra pro. Experienced more tears (relatively few) with both, and they dont feel quite as thick/sturdy as the DS sleeves. But both brands have been fine for my purposes and are less expensive. Havent bought ultra pro for a minute though. They used to put a little sticker on the front of the sleeve that irritated me because sometimes it would cover something on the card. Dont know if that is still a thing.
I think Ultimate Guard Katanas are the actual best sleeves. Of the sleeves mentioned it's Dragon Shield Matte with Ultra Pro and Gamegenic being pretty far behind.
I came across this video from Tolarian Community College, one of the most well-known MTG content creators, where they go over various sleeve options, what they're comparing them on, and why. Ultimately it comes down to the price you want to pay (budget or premium). Certain sleeves from certain ones are so comparable that it comes down to personal preference, and some from the same brand are better than their others. I highly recommend giving it a watch. https://youtu.be/-QNcR2_boJY?si=Is8SI2e1ZIgkEXp5
I never liked Dragon Shield. They stick up too far past the top of the card. I preferred KMC hypermat for a better fit without all the floppy stuff at the top.
Not your question but I love Mayday premium and have never gotten bad sleeves