Ledger Stax Review: Wallet Security At Its Best
Ledger recently announced the launch of its latest hardware wallet Ledger Stax.
Developed in partnership with the iPod co-creator Tony Fadell, Ledger Stax claims to entirely revolutionize crypto storage & transactions.
Ledger Stax is a crypto hardware wallet that offers a better user experience than its predecessors, the Ledger Nano X and Nano S, thanks to the built-in touch screen. Being a crypto investor, I’ve used dozens of hardware wallets and have always found myself leaning toward Ledger as the OG in crypto storage
However, is the new Ledger Stax truly a technological breakthrough or just another cool gadget?
With this in-depth review, I’ll help you find out if the Ledger Stax Crypto Wallet is worth your investment.
Ledger Stax Review
Summary
Ledger Stax is a crypto hardware wallet that offers a better user experience than its predecessors, the Ledger Nano X and Nano S, thanks to the built-in touch screen. Being a crypto investor, I’ve used dozens of hardware wallets and have always found myself leaning toward Ledger as the OG in crypto storage.
Overall
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User Friendly
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Security
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App Integration
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Secured Recovery
Pros
Cons
Is Ledger Stax Worth It- Honest Analysis
Why Use Ledger Stax?
The most important factor that stands out when we talk about cold wallets is security. Crypto investors with large holdings prefer signing transactions through a cold wallet as they are considered a far more safe option than simply keeping your crypto in a hot wallet alone (like Metamask. Also, don’t even get us started on the downsides of centralized custodial wallet solutions. So it’s always best to use a self-custody hardware wallet; however, using hardware wallets frequently comes with downsides, like a lack of functionality.
While the Ledger Nano series had excellent security, they only came with two buttons and a tiny screen, which can be extremely hard to operate.
Moreover, signing transactions are riskier on a Ledger Nano X or Nano S Plus since you can’t read the entire smart contract address on the tiny screen.
This can make for a slow and choppy user experience.
Ledger Stax solves this problem by offering a credit-card-sized touchscreen. This means making transactions and keeping track of your digital assets becomes safer, more stylish, and easier than before.
This is one of the main reasons to get yourself a Stax, among others listed below.
Supports over 500+ NFTs and Coins
You can use Ledger Live, an in-built app on Stax, to manage over 500 cryptocurrencies. With the help of third-party apps, you can further expand the portfolio and choose from over 5000 tokens available on multiple blockchains.
Mobile-friendly and Bluetooth Connectivity
Just like the Nano X, Stax comes with Bluetooth connectivity which allows a user to pair it with their smartphone. Stax is compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Personalization
The wallet allows you to customize your lock screen wallpaper using one of your NFTs. Since we talked about user experience, this feature by Stax makes the wallet even more desirable for NFT Degens looking for a little lock screen personalization.
Better battery and wireless charging
The Stax wallet comes with a lithium-ion battery of 200 mAh. The black and white E-Ink touch screen makes it last even longer as it consumes far lower juice than OLEDs. This extends the battery life of Stax to several months when left unused.
You no longer need to carry cables to charge or connect your Stax as it’s equipped with Qi wireless charging.
Integrates with Ledger Live App
The Ledger Live app allows you to manage, buy, swap, and monitor the crypto market with ease. While the Stax comes with a built-in Ledger Live app, you can integrate more such DeFi apps into your Stax wallet.
Rating: 5/5
How Easy is it To Use Ledger Stax
Since the Ledger Stax was designed in partnership with the iPod co-creator, the expectations for ease of use are high. Most crypto investors who owned Ledger Nano S Plus and Nano X complained about poor design.
The Nano series had an extremely tiny screen, which could only be operated using buttons.
People with poor vision or those moving fast and carelessly were at a higher risk of making mistakes while signing transactions. This again affects not only the design but also the security of the cold wallet.
Ledger Stax comes with an easier-to-read touch-screen and magnetic case in a credit-card-sized body, which easily fits into your pocket.
Unique Touchscreen
The 3.7-inch touchscreen on the Ledger wallet is one of the main highlights and the primary selling factor of this device. The curved display, along with E-Ink tech, makes the device look even more premium.
You can quickly monitor the battery percentage, device name, and the lock or unlock state of your Ledger Stax on the curved screen.
Magnetic Case
Stax comes with embedded magnets that allow crypto users to stack multiple Ledger Stax wallets. Nevertheless, having all your Ledger Stax wallets stacked together makes storage convenient. The aluminum and plastic body makes the device weigh much lighter.
User-Friendly Design
One of the crucial factors that make the Ledger Stax wallet a user-friendly device is it perfectly fits into your palm. While it’s much smaller than a traditional smartphone, the high screen-to-body ratio ensures the wallet occupies limited space.
Rating: 4.8/5
How Secure Is Ledger Stax?
Stax shares the same level of security compared to its predecessors’ Nano S and Nano X. It is also claimed that none of the Ledger devices have ever been hacked since their inception into the crypto market.
Ledger Stax is built on a CCEAL5+ Secure Element chip which has been rated the best amongst other cold wallets.
Clear Signing
When we talk about signing transactions, the Ledger Stax beats the Nano series.
I use the Nano series, and pressing buttons to navigate or sign transactions is rather time-consuming. Stax has a clear and intuitive display that helps you make transactions like a software wallet app that you operate on your phone.
Secure Element Chip
Using online software wallets and crypto exchanges carries a risk of exposing your private key to third parties. This is different on Ledger devices, where you have complete control over your key phrase and digital assets (they never leave your cold wallets).
The Ledger Stax stores your data offline on a Secure Element Chip.
But what makes this chip so safe?
Secure Elements chips are commonly used on credit cards, passports, and highly-sensitive payment systems. Ledger Stax uses this chip to generate and store private keys for your crypto assets.
Secure Element chips are built to mitigate side channel, software, and fault attacks among various others. On a regular chip, these types of attacks could steal your sensitive information, crack a passcode, or even cause errors within the device.
Security Features
The best part about owning a cold wallet like Ledger Stax is you would never lose access to your assets even if the device gets lost, stolen, or destroyed.
All you need to do is have access to your Secret Recovery Phrase. Every time you get a new Ledger Stax wallet, slide in your recovery phrase to gain access to the funds.
In case someone gains access to your Ledger Stax wallet, they still need to input a security pin to access your assets. Entering the wrong pin three times in a row would automatically set the Stax to its factory settings. This works as an added layer of protection to avoid theft.
Rating: 4.8/5
What Is Ledger Stax Price?
The Ledger Stax wallet is currently priced at $279. You can pre-order it from the Ledger website and expect delivery by the end of March 2023.
The price difference between Stax and other Ledger wallets is significant. The Nano X costs $119 as it comes with a battery that lasts up to 8 hours.
The Nano S is not in production anymore and has been replaced with the Nano S Plus wallet, which costs $79.
Ledger Nano vs Stax: Which Is Better?
| Wallet | Ledger Stax | Ledger Nano X | Ledger Nano S Plus |
| Price | $279 | $119 | $79 |
| Screen Resolution | 400×672 px | 128×64 px | 128×64 px |
| Touchscreen | Yes | – | – |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes | – |
| Security | CCEAL5+ | CCEAL5+ | CCEAL5+ |
| Battery | Yes | Yes | – |
| OS | Android, iOS | Android, iOS | Android |
| Token Support | 5500 | 5500 | 5500 |
| Wireless charging | Yes | – | – |
| Embedded Magnets | Yes | – | – |
| Third-Party Wallets | 50+ Wallets | 50+ Wallets | 50+ Wallets |
| Secure Element Chip | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Further Options: Is Arculus Wallet good for cold storage of crypto?
Should You Pre-Order Ledger Stax Hardware Wallet?
Now that you know about all the specifications and features of the Ledger Stax hardware wallet, it would be easy to make a well-informed decision. We’ll also compare the Stax to the only other touchscreen hardware wallet in the market – Trezor Model T.
The Trezor Model T is cheaper than Stax. However, it offers a much smaller 1.54” LCD screen. Unlike Stax, Trezor Model T does not offer wireless charging. Hence you need to use a USB-C cable to keep it charged.
This makes Ledger Stax a superior hardware wallet in terms of usability, features, and ease of access. If you already own a cold wallet to sign transactions and are looking for an upgrade, the Ledger Stax is an excellent option.
If you have the funds, you should consider pre-ordering Ledger Stax and using it as your main wallet since signing transactions is much easier with the touchscreen.
Ledger Stax Review FAQs
Ledger Stax is a secure hardware wallet that helps you buy, swap, sign, and verify crypto transactions. It was designed in partnership with iPod creator Tony Fadell. Stax is currently the most expensive cold wallet among the Ledger device family, like Nano X and Nano S Plus.
Ledger Stax comes with E-Ink touchscreen functionality, while Nano X and Nano S are operated using buttons. The battery on Stax lasts much longer than Nano X. The Nano S does not come with a battery and must be connected using a USB.
Ledger Stax costs $279, much higher than the Nano S, which was available for $59 before the production stopped, and the device was replaced with Nano S Plus ($79) with added features.
Follow the tutorial on the support page of Ledger to transfer funds from a software wallet to Ledger Stax.
Ledger claims that none of its cold wallets have ever been hacked.
However, in July 2020, Ledger’s marketing and e-commerce database was breached, which exposed the email address of millions of customers.
Ledger Stax was designed by iPod designer Tony Fadell along with Benjamin Hubert from Layer Studio.
