The Ledger Stax is the top-of-the line model in Ledger’s range of hardware cryptocurrency wallets. However, its impressive set of features is also accompanied by a hefty price tag – the Stax is sold for $399 in the United States and €399 in the European market.
In this Ledger Stax review, we’ll highlight the most important benefits and disadvantages of the Stax to help you decide if this wallet is the right choice for you.
Key facts about the Ledger Stax
Before we take a closer look at the Ledger Stax, let’s highlight the wallet’s most important features:
- 3.7 inch E Ink touchscreen display for reviewing and authorizing transactions
- Private keys and other sensitive data are stored on an EAL6+ CC certified secure element chip
- Clean design with minimal bezels and a curved display
- Compatible with laptops, desktop computers, and smartphones (both iOS and Android)
- Connects to other devices via USB-C, Bluetooth and NFC
- Enough storage for up to 100 crypto apps
- Supports more than 5,000 different cryptocurrencies overall
- Can be personalized their wallet with a custom lock screen (images or NFTs)
Buy the Ledger Stax
Ledger Stax at a glance
The box for the Ledger Stax includes the hardware wallet itself, a USB-C cable, a recovery sheet for backing up your recovery phrase, and a black magnet shell case.
The Ledger Stax has roughly the same width and height as a credit card, although it’s obviously a bit thicker. The device itself is constructed out of aluminium and plastic and fits nicely into the palm of your hand, with no sharp edges that would make handling awkward. The build quality of the Stax is very solid, as expected from a $399 hardware wallet.
The 3.7 inch E Ink touchscreen is a big improvement over Ledger’s traditional hardware wallets, which have button-based interfaces that can get quite tedious if used often. The display makes the typical workflow of entering your PIN code, reviewing details of a transaction and confirming the transaction a breeze.
Some E Ink displays we have used in the past (for example on certain ebook reader models) have felt sluggish, but the display on the Ledger Stax feels quite nice and responsive. Of course, you won’t get the same kind of instant responsiveness as you would get on a smartphone display, but that’s not really an issue for sending cryptocurrency.
The battery in the Ledger Stax lasts for about 10 hours of normal use, which might not seem like a lot at first glance. However, if you think about how quick the process of reviewing and confirming a crypto transaction is, the 10 hours of battery life actually goes a very long way and you won’t need to charge your device very frequently. Once the Stax does run out of juice, it can be charged via a USB-C cable or wireless chargers that support the Qi standard.
Using the Ledger Stax
The Ledger Stax is a lot more convenient to use compared to Ledger’s traditional crypto hardware wallets, such as the Nano S Plus and Nano X.
To send cryptocurrency, you first have to initiate the transaction using your wallet application (we recommend beginning with Ledger Live). This includes entering the recipient’s address and specifying the amount of crypto you intend to send.
Next, your Ledger Stax will prompt you to verify the transaction details. Thanks to its E Ink display, which provides significantly more screen space than the Ledger Nano S Plus or Nano X, it’s simpler to confirm that you are sending to the correct address and that the transaction amount is accurate.
Once you’ve reviewed the transaction details, the device will request your approval to sign the transaction. This is done by holding your finger on a designated area of the screen for a brief moment.
Supported cryptocurrencies and connectivity
One of the best things about choosing a Ledger device over other hardware wallet manufacturers is the unparalleled range of supported cryptocurrencies, and the Stax takes full advantage of this as well.
If you use Ledger’s Ledger Live software in tandem with your Stax, you can manage over 500 different crypto assets. However, if we also take into account third-party software wallets that support Ledger hardware wallets, the Stax supports more than 5,000 different cryptocurrencies overall.
The flexibility of the Stax also extends to its connectivity with other devices. The Stax can be used with computers and smartphones alike, and can connect via USB-C, Bluetooth or NFC depending on which device you’re connecting to. When it comes to laptops and PCs, the Stax can be used with devices running Windows, macOS and Ubuntu. On mobile, the Stax supports both the iOS and Android operating systems.
Is the Ledger Stax right for you?
The Ledger Stax is a top-tier hardware wallet. It supports an extremely broad range of crypto assets, has an EAL 6+ certified secure element, provides the best user experience we’ve seen from a hardware wallet so far, and can be used with smartphones, PCs or laptops.
Despite this, the device’s $399 price tag means that it’s clearly not for everyone. For practical purposes, you can achieve almost the same level of security with a Ledger Nano S Plus, which is about 5 times less expensive ($79).
We recommend the Ledger Stax if the following describes you:
- You want the most premium hardware wallet experience available.
- You make a lot of crypto transactions and find existing hardware wallets difficult to use.
- You want a very high level of security for your crypto investments.
- You want a hardware wallet that works with both computers and smartphones.
- You appreciate the ability to customize your wallet with custom backgrounds.
We don’t recommend the Ledger Stax if the following describes you:
- You don’t make cryptocurrency transactions very often and are satisfied with the user experience of existing hardware wallets.
- You want a secure crypto wallet but are looking for more budget-friendly options.
The Ledger Stax is a good choice for those who use crypto frequently and don’t mind paying a premium price for a beautifully designed and high-quality product. If you’re a budget-conscious shopper, on the other hand, you can get a lot more bang for your buck with another wallet.
Ledger Flex – A more affordable alternative to the Stax
If you like the idea of having a Ledger hardware wallet with a touchscreen but think that the price of the Stax is too high, Ledger offers a more affordable alternative called the Flex.
The Ledger Flex, which costs $249, has a smaller 2.84 inch touchscreen, a slightly less elegant design with larger bezels, and doesn’t support wireless charging. Apart from these shortcomings, however, the Flex provides the same level of security and the same feature set as the Stax. You can learn more about the Flex in our dedicated Ledger Flex review.
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Source: https://coincodex.com/article/53358/ledger-stax-review/