Most Durable Hardware Wallets

[hZti]

the quality of the physical performance of HW devices is often of poor quality.

Isn't that intentional? If it brakes, you'll have to buy a new one, so it's not designed to be physically strong (just like phones).

In many cases people have a bitcoin investment with less then 1000 USD. If the hardware wallet is created from high quality materials you can easily see prices that would even take away 30-50% of that initial investment. This makes absolutely no sense, so we see devices that cost only 80 USD and are made with cheap materials.

[1714838313]

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[Tibu]

If by "durable" you mean only the material used to make the device, it is better to use metal than plastic.
But if by "durable" you mean "long lasting", it is better to choose the device with the least sophisticated electronic components.

Yeah I agree with you, and I agree that credit card style hardware wallets could be most durable hardware wallet devices...they are so thin and small that you can easily make them fireproof and waterpoof.

A smart card such as Tangem, Satochip or Satscard might be the best choice for long-term storage.

Since you are here, is Satochip and other cards you sell waterproof by design?
 

Yeah... I'm a big fan of "the less tech you have, the longer you will stay". And yes, cards are "waterproof".
You can immerse chipcard in (non-corrosive) liquid for several minutes without any effect on the hardware. I'm doing it everytime I drink a beer and show a demo of our cards

[Husna QA]

I've seen some of the videos on the links the OP listed. The conclusion I got from several tests, especially for minor incidents that usually occur, such as falling or being splashed with water, is that the hardware wallet in the form of a smartcard is more durable.

The idea to test hardware wallets for durability isn't bad in itself. But I don't agree with the notion that a hardware wallet is supposed to be designed to survive fires, water, crashing buildings, and the like. I don't expect that of my laptops, my phones, or my hardware wallets.

I even keep the Trezor T and Ledger Nano X in a safe box (the Ledger Nano X is more often used and rarely stored in the box) with water and fire resistance because the main feature of the two hardware wallets is not to be resistant to it all.

The condition after being used for a long time: Re: Show off your hardware wallet.

[Pmalek]

I've seen some of the videos on the links the OP listed. The conclusion I got from several tests, especially for minor incidents that usually occur, such as falling or being splashed with water, is that the hardware wallet in the form of a smartcard is more durable.

That's because it's not really a hardware wallet. It's a debit/credit card with hardware wallet functionalities. It's an unfair comparison from the start in weight, design, hardware components, everything. You don't throw a human and ladybug off of a balcony to see which one suffers the most damage. We now the winner beforehand.   

The condition after being used for a long time: Re: Show off your hardware wallet.

Looks fine to me, which leads to the conclusion that you know how to take care of your belongings.

[Husna QA]

I've seen some of the videos on the links the OP listed. The conclusion I got from several tests, especially for minor incidents that usually occur, such as falling or being splashed with water, is that the hardware wallet in the form of a smartcard is more durable.

That's because it's not really a hardware wallet. It's a debit/credit card with hardware wallet functionalities. It's an unfair comparison from the start in weight, design, hardware components, everything. You don't throw a human and ladybug off of a balcony to see which one suffers the most damage. We now the winner beforehand.

Yeah, it's not fair to compare it from one side only because there are still other features that can be compared. Each hardware wallet certainly has its advantages and disadvantages.
It's pretty scary to see some hardware wallets like the Trezor One being deliberately tested by being hit with a hard object like a hammer.

I haven't seen anyone test the Trezor T like in the video link in the OP.

The condition after being used for a long time: Re: Show off your hardware wallet.

Looks fine to me, which leads to the conclusion that you know how to take care of your belongings.

And I did not want to test my Trezor T by hitting it with a hammer or poking it with a screwdriver because you can guess the results.

[dkbit98]

Yeah... I'm a big fan of "the less tech you have, the longer you will stay". And yes, cards are "waterproof".
You can immerse chipcard in (non-corrosive) liquid for several minutes without any effect on the hardware. I'm doing it everytime I drink a beer and show a demo of our cards

Is that apply for all credit cards and similar devices or Satochip has something special that other devices don't have?
I saw Tangem card wallet being tested in ice and water and it passed without an issue, I think it would probably survive smash with a hammer unless chip was directly hit and destroyed.

I've seen some of the videos on the links the OP listed. The conclusion I got from several tests, especially for minor incidents that usually occur, such as falling or being splashed with water, is that the hardware wallet in the form of a smartcard is more durable.

That is correct, but I think it's not hard to achieve water resistance for small devices, if you put then in sealed waterproof plastic bag.
Similar thing can be achieved for protection against fire, using fireproof bag or materials that can resist high temperatures.
I would still like to have one ''tank'' hardware wallet that can survive almost anything, but I don't expect all of them will be like that.

[hZti]

The chip can be destroyed by a strong electromagnetic force that can appear for example at the checkout counter of supermarkets or medical applications. So if you carry your satochip around all day I would be careful and definitely have some kind backup plan if the cards fail. In general cards like this are a very proven technology that does not easily fail and it is much more likely that it is lost/Stolen than that it is somehow destroyed.

[dkbit98]

If anyone wondered how easy is to destroy Keystone hardware wallet and how it looks after that, you don't have to do it anymore.
One very unhappy customer Michael Blast posted short video and photos of this ''procedure'' and he used hammer as his main instrument
He called Keystone a garbage, but he never explained what exactly happened to get him so angry.

Video ''procedure'' (if anyone knows how to do it, please archive this video):
https://twitter.com/MikeTampa69/status/1640810776666558467

Aftermath photo:

https://twitter.com/MikeTampa69/status/1640806004840452121

Thanks to latest information from maxirosson, we know that Keystone is made from fiberglass.
Maybe they will improve something in new generation device they are working on.

[LoyceV]

One very unhappy customer Michael Blast posted short video and photos of this ''procedure'' and he used hammer as his main instrument

He hits like a girl! I bet it's the first time he uses that brand new looking hammer.

Maybe they will improve something in new generation device they are working on.

If I hit a device with a hammer, I expect it to break.

[The Sceptical Chymist]

I don't see why  hardware wallets should be made like cheap chinese toys that easily breaks and stop working when sprinkled with water.
Floods are very common in some parts in the worlds, even my friends old house was totally flooded few years ago.

That's definitely true--and I can envision scenarios where idiots like me would drop a HW wallet in the toilet.  I think at a minimum any HW wallet should be able to survive a toilet; if it fails that test, it's certainly not going to make it through a flood, a swimming pool, or some drunk dickhead pissing on it.

This is a great experiment to do, IMO, although personally I'm not too concerned about heavy damage so much as a device ceasing to work over time.  In fact, I'm way more concerned about ease of use than something being near-indestructable.  Like the Bitbox 02; I like the user interface but it makes my mouse slow down and skip to the extent that I don't even use it anymore.  Anyway, good luck!