How to Double Sleeve MTG Cards [Helpful Guide]

I learned about double sleeving collectible cards early on in my TCG journey and it has been one of the most useful techniques I have learned as a card collector. Learning how to double sleeve my Magic The Gathering collection is likely the reason the most valuable cards in my collection are still in great condition.

As a whole, double sleeving MTG cards require both a protective inner and outer sleeve. Doubling sleeving cards protects them from damage that can occur from moisture. A double sleeve MTG card is less susceptible to damage and more likely to maintain its value over time.

Learning how to double sleeve cards is quite simple and the results will make any MTG card withstand the tests of time.

What is a Double Sleeve and Why is it Necessary

A double sleeve is a protective method that protects the collectible cards from getting water, grease, bending, and other sorts of damage on the card. The method consists of two useful items: an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve.

The inner sleeve is a plastic sheath that will tightly enclose the card. It fits perfectly around the card, making it difficult for any items to damage the card. The outer sleeve is another protective measure that is placed over the inner sleeve.

Some MTG players might think that using these protective measures might be a little too much. In most cases, overly abundant cards don’t need as much protection.

However, there are cards for sale that can range from $10 to $10,000.

For those of you interested in learning more about one of Magic The Gathering’s most expensive cards ever and why it holds the price tag it does, check out this post – Why is Black Lotus so Expensive: [Price, Power, History]

For those that have cards that are rare and pricey, they should definitely consider using this protective measure, especially if you plan on playing with the cards. Using a double sleeve will give players peace of mind that their cards can withstand the tests of time.

There are trade-offs when it comes to double sleeving MTG cards. Some of the obvious advantages are:

• The cards will be well protected from water and grease.
• Double Sleeving is more effective than single sleeving in terms of durability and protection.
• Cards are less likely to bend and fray over time.

Some of the drawbacks are:

• The cards will be bulkier and take up room.
• Some players complain that the deck is harder to shuffle.
• It can be time consuming to double sleeve cards.

It is up to each player whether they want to double sleeve their cards or not. It is important to note that if players want to keep their cards for a longer period of time or choose to trade/sell them later on, it is best to double sleeve their cards.

How to Double Sleeve MTG Cards

To double sleeve cards, the technique is quite simple to master.

However, depending on the number of cards that are needed to be protected, the method can be time-consuming. If you decide to double sleeve a few cards, it shouldn’t take too long. If you are going to do an entire Commander deck, be sure to set aside a good amount of time.

First of all, you will need to gather your materials:

• Your card/cards of choice
• The inner sleeve
• The outer sleeve

Then, you will take your inner sleeve and place the card inside.

Be sure to place the top of the card towards the closed seam while the opening seam is at the bottom of the card. This is an important step because it makes any damage, particularly water damage, more difficult to penetrate the card. If the closed seam is at the bottom of the card and the open seam at the top, then the card is much more susceptible to getting dirty, frayed, wet, etc.

After placing the card in the inner sleeve, check for any air bubbles that might have formed. If there are any, gently squeeze the inner sleeve from the seam to the opening to remove any excess air.

Once you have ensured that you have put on the inner sleeve correctly and that there are no air bubbles, then prepare your card to be placed into the outer sleeve. (Be aware that not all single sleeves can fit a card with an inner sleeve)

If you want to know what sleeves I recommend for Magic The Gathering cards if you plan to double sleeve your collection, you can get out my review of the best sleeve here – Best MTG Card Sleeves: [Durability, Shuffle, Opacity]

Then, place the card and the inner sleeve inside the outer sleeve, ensuring that the closed seam of the inner-sleeved card is at the top and in line with the open seam of the outer sleeve.

Some inner sleeves, such as the Perfect Fit Sealable, protect all four corners of the card. There is only one small extra step that you would need to take if you have purchased this type of perfect fit inner sleeve.

Once the card is placed in the inner sleeve, there is a bit of excess material at the bottom. Be sure to place this material into the inner sleeve while ensuring that your card is protected. Once you have completed this, you can move onto placing the inner sleeve into the outer sleeve.

If you are using brand new outer sleeves, there could be some resistance.

Make sure that you loosen the sleeve and maybe insert the card a few times to ensure that there is enough room. If there is not enough room, the card will stick out of the top of the sleeve and possibly get unsheathed from the inner sleeve. That is why it is important to make sure that there is enough room in the outer sleeve.

Just as the inner sleeve needs to be free of bubbles, the outer sleeve should be free of any excess air as well. Gently press any bubbles out of the sleeve and know that all of the excess air might not escape immediately. Over time, the air will work its way out of the card sleeves. This will makes the cards easier to shuffle as well.

Once you have performed a double sleeve on all the necessary cards, then stack the cards on top of one another. If the sleeves are new, expect some slipping and sliding. As time moves on, the cards will hold their place better.

A new deck of double sleeved cards will also appear larger than single sleeved or unprotected cards. Be sure to press down on the full deck of cards to release any excess air so that the deck doesn’t appear as tall and the cards don’t slide around as much.

For those who are visual learners, this video can be very helpful so that you can learn how to properly double sleeve your MTG cards.

Tolarian Community College is a highly reputable source in the MTG community and has many other videos online about Magic: The Gathering on Youtube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZ2tMSQcBr0&t=126s

Best Sleeves for MTG Cards

Magic: The Gathering players understand that not all sleeves are created equally.

Since the cards are collectible, players want sleeves that are durable and will protect the cards. Players have their preferences of which inner and outer sleeves work best, but there are a few brands that always stand out.

One of the best sleeves for MTG cards available for purchase today is the Dragon Shield Packs. They come in a pack of 100 with a price tag of $10-$13 USD per pack on the brand’s website. Players like these sleeves for their strength and the variety of colors and designs.

You can check on the dragon shield website for all the different outer sleeve options. Dragon Shield sleeves can be tricky to place on since their fit is very tight, but they are a great brand to keep cards safe and secure.

Another outer sleeve pack that MTG players use for double sleeves is the Ultimate Guard Katana Sleeves. The sleeves have an opaque front, similar to Dragon Shield’s outer sleeves. They have a variety of colors to choose from as well, although they do not have varying designs and textures like Dragon Shield. The only downside to these outer sleeves is that you cannot purchase them from their website directly.

KMC outer sleeves are also an option for MTG players. Their sleeves have a few different designs on their website ranging from $5.99 to $12.99 USD. Fortunately, these sleeves can be bought directly from the company’s website.

For the inner sleeves, many MTG players recommend the KMC store perfect fit sleeves or the Dragon Shield DS Perfect Fit sleeves. Each pack comes with 100 inner sleeves, which is more than enough for any Standard, Legacy, or Modern deck and exactly enough for a Commander deck.

Best Deck Boxes For Double Sleeved Cards

There are several different formats that you can play in Magic: the Gathering, such as Vintage, Standard, Legacy, Modern, and Commander.

Almost all of these decks contain 60 cards. The only deck that uses more is the Commander deck, which has 100 cards.

Since there are different sized decks, it is important to choose a deck that can fit all of the cards. It is important to note that cards that have a single or double sleeve will take up more room than an unprotected deck of cards. When researching for a container for your cards, make sure that the box will hold a double sleeved deck, not just a single sleeved deck.

Highly recommended deck boxes specifically made for double sleeve protected cards are the Ultra Pro Satin Tower and the Ultimate Guard Boulder.

The Ultra Pro Satin Tower can hold up to 100 cards with double sleeves. The storage container also has a compartment on the bottom that can hold dice and other MTG accessories.

There are multiple designs and colors of this box, which can fit any style. The Ultra Pro Satin Tower can easily be found on Amazon or the Ultra Pro website with a price tag ranging between $18 to $30 USD.

The Ultimate Guard Boulder deck box can also hold up to 100 double sleeved cards. There isn’t a bottom compartment for dice or other accessories, but it still proves to be a durable case.

On Amazon, the prices for this deck box can range between $9.99 up to $17.81 USD. These boxes are a bit more affordable than the Ultra Pro Satin Tower but they are both great game deck boxes that can fit double sleeved MTG cards.

Can a MTG Card be Triple Sleeved

Using a double sleeve usually is enough to keep cards from getting frayed or damaged.

For those that really want to keep their cards in pristine condition, using a triple sleeve is an option. However, it is important to note that using a triple sleeve will make the deck even bigger, forcing players to buy a different deck box. It can be tricky to find a box big enough to store a whole deck that has been triple sleeved, but using an Ultimate Guard Dual or Flip N Tray deck boxes both work well.

To triple sleeve an MTG card, you must use an inner and outer sleeve as mentioned before, but then you must use a larger second outer sleeve, such as a top-loader or a penny sleeve.

You would sleeve the card in the inner sleeve from bottom to top, and then the first outer sleeve from top to bottom, and then you would take the second outer sleeve and load the card from bottom to top.

Putting a card in a triple sleeve adds even more protection to the card and lowers the chances of the card getting any sort of damage. Doing a triple sleeve isn’t necessary for every card, but that is ultimately up to the player. Using a triple sleeve is usually used for highly powerful and rare cards.

A drawback to triple sleeving cards is the amount of time that it takes to shuffle the cards.

It takes substantially longer than double sleeved cards since the triple sleeved cards are bulkier. Besides this, triple sleeved cards are beneficial to rare and powerful cards so that they can stay in perfect condition. It is also super rare for a player to triple sleeve a deck they are actually going to play with.

Triple sleeving is commonly used to protect cards that aren’t being used in a deck and I wouldn’t recommend trying to play a game of Magic with an entire deck that is triple sleeved.