The Ultimate Double-sleeving Guide Image

The Ultimate Double Sleeving Guide

Written by Double Sleeved

3 minute read

It can be a daunting task with so many brands and types of TCG sleeve on the market to pick 2 that may or may not fit your needs, sleeve well (or at all) together, and at the end of it all, fit into your chosen deck box. 


In this guide we have combined the most popular inner and outer sleeves and tested their fit into every deck box we could get our hands on - so you don't have to!


Simply select your choice of inner sleeve and outer sleeve from the dropdown menus and you will find our detailed findings on that exact combination. To see our in depth reviews for each individual product, please visit our collection of product reviews here.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using GamegenicThick Inners due to an extremely tight fit and high likelihood of bending the cards. Both inserting the card into the Thick Inners as well as inserting the Thick Inners into outer sleeves face the same issue.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit sleeves due to manufacturing inconsistencies. The sleeves we tested had slanted seams and did not fit well, leading to an almost unusable end product. We do not know if all Precise Fit sleeves have the same issue or we got unlucky, but it is worthy of caution all the same.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

We would not recommend using Ultimate Guard Precise Fit Resealable sleeves due to the nature of the seals. As all of the seals are on one end of the sleeve, the extra thickness adds up for an extremely lopsided fully sleeved deck. This lopsided deck will NOT stand upright during play and makes it difficult to fit into many deck boxes. Poor design compared to other sealable inner sleeves.
For more information, see our detailed review coming soon.

Index:


Fit: Bad fits are when the card slips out of the inner sleeve when inserting into the outer sleeve. Please see below for how to fix this!


Thickness: 1000 microns = 1mm. All sleeves are measured with a micrometer.


100 Double-Sleeved Card Thickness (mm): Practical thickness is what to expect in reality after trapped air and imperfect fits.


Water Test: We submerged double-sleeved cards of every combination under water to see if the water was able to reach and damage the cards.


Great Fit = No issues at all.


Tight Fit = The fit into the deck box is tight but acceptable. No excessive force or risk of bending if done carefully.


Very Tight Fit = Physically fits into the box but requires pressure and risks bending, both from inserting the cards and then the resulting pressure within the box.


Does Not Fit = This combination of inner/outer sleeves physically does not fit into the deck box.

Why double-sleeve?

  • Double-sleeving offers fantastic protection for your cards during play, protecting them from scratches, surface wear, and spilt drinks at home or at the game store.
  • It is also one of the best ways to protect foil cards from the moisture in the air to prevent curling. 
  • For tournament players, using a smoke backed inner sleeve ensures your cards are fully opaque, even on some brands or colours of outer sleeve that may otherwise be translucent.

How to double-sleeve

To double-sleeve, first insert your card upside down into the inner sleeve. Once done, flip the inner sleeved card the right way up and insert into the outer sleeve, ending with the opening of the inner sleeve at opposite ends to the opening of the outer sleeve. 


This is important as we want to prevent the card from being exposed to moisture, whether airborne or otherwise. For this reason, we cannot recommend using a side loading inner sleeve as they leave the top corner exposed, defeating the point of double-sleeving in the first place.

Demonstrating how to double sleeve and the problem with sideloading inners

How to double sleeve to minimise air and moisture exposure.

With certain combinations of inner and outer sleeve, the card will slip out of the inner sleeve when inserting into the outer sleeve. While not ideal, this can be remedied by adding an unsleeved card on top of the inner sleeved card and then inserting as normal.


This works by tightening the fit into the outer sleeve to the point where the inner sleeved card is held in place and has nowhere to move. Simply remove the extra card when done. While it can be time consuming to have to do this for every card, it works every time! Check our guide above to see which combinations require this method and which sleeves fit perfectly straight out of the box.

How to fix bad fits while double sleeving

When faced with bad fits, add another card on top of the inner sleeved card to prevent any card slippage. 

Naturally, when double-sleeving, a lot of air gets trapped within both sleeves. To compress the air out safely, simply stack a heavy book or two on top of the cards until you can feel the air has escaped. This is a vital part of the double-sleeving process as too much trapped air will prevent your deck from fitting into most deck boxes. It is also worth noting that no matter how much you compress, some air will remain. This means that the theoretical thickness of any combination of sleeves will always end up slightly thicker in practice. You can see the real life differences in the tool above.

Closing thoughts

We hope you found this guide helpful. If you did then check out some of our other useful reviews here and consider checking out our TCG store - we sell many of the sleeves and boxes mentioned in this guide at great prices.


As new inner sleeves, outer sleeves, and deck boxes make their way into the market, we will continue to expand upon this guide. If we have left out your favourite product then feel free to leave a comment or get in touch with us to let us know your thoughts. Happy sleeving!

Double Sleeved was founded in 2019 by Andrew and Jon, two lifetime card game enthusiasts with the goal of providing amazing prices, service, and creating helpful content for the community. Today, we are one of the best rated TCG stores on Trustpilot with 98% of customers giving us a perfect 5 stars!

Card Sleeve Comparison Image

Card Sleeve Comparison Tool - Find Your Favourite Pokemon Sleeve or MTG Sleeve!
Double Sleeving Dragon Shield Gamegenic Inner Sleeve Outer Sleeve Ultimate Guard Ultra Pro

Add a comment

* Comments must be approved before being displayed.