Here at Card Gamer, we’re huge fans of Vault X’s accessory range; they’re pretty much essential purchases for players and collectors. If you want to ensure you have the best, as well as the best looking, protection, display and storage solutions for your cards, you genuinely can’t go wrong with Vault X. It’s been a while since we last cast our eyes over a Vault X product though, so let’s check out the 4-Pocket version of the Vault X Exo-Tec Zip Binder, and let you know why this may well be an ideal solution for your card collection.
What Features Does the Vault X Exo-Tec Binder Have?
Aside from the pastel coloring (with this binder available in an impressive range of colors available) the first thing you notice when checking out an Exo-Tec folder is just how premium it looks and feels. That’s due to the textured, solid Exo-Tec exterior; this offers water resistance, is non-slip and has very strong and secure stitching, in a color which matches the binder. Even the Vault X logo, engraved into the exterior, feels solid and adds further to the overall aesthetic of the binder.
You can see that carries on to the back too; not only does it provide great protection, but the overall design aesthetic is genuinely impressive too. Moving on, but staying with the exterior of the folder, the spine also feels solid and well made; it’ll hold up to some punishment, but we’d still not recommend storing a binder like this horizontally if you’re going to be doing so longer term. Instead, all binders are designed for vertical storage, on a bookshelf for example.
The zip itself feels solid, with smooth motion and no snags. It also allows you to just about close the gap between the zip so there’s no chance of anything getting inside the binder. The rubber tag, shown in the close-up below, with a metal loop, feels strong and secure too.
Moving onto the interior, this binder has a soft, microfiber lining; though of course your cards will be in the sleeves, it just gives you extra peace of mind to have a soft, non-rough surface, which protects the binder internally, as you can see in the below image:
Of course, the microfiber interior also matches the exterior color scheme. Of course, all of this would be for nothing if the actual card storage element of the binder wasn’t up to scratch, but thankfully that’s not the case, as all owners of Vault X binders will attest to.
This particular folder has four pockets per page, and holds a total of 160 cards. Though that’s on the smaller side for storage, it makes this particular binder perfect for carrying cards to events, or perhaps for holding a “themed” set of cards. The pockets themselves are well made; each one is individually stitched to the page, and there’s enough room to easily get a standard-sized card, even sleeved, in (and out of) a pocket with no issues whatsoever. It doesn’t feel too restrictive, but importantly there’s not so much room that the card will slide out or reposition itself; everything is just right.
You can also see the solid center of the pockets here, which feels robust and secure. The cards remain flat, straight and well protected within the binder too.
The Card Gamer Verdict
We’re always really impressed with Vault X binders; they’re fully featured, functional and beautifully made too. They’re built to last, and you can always be confident that they’ll take care of your cards. This 4-Pocket Zip Binder is no exception.
It’s the ideal size for transporting to events or tournaments; though it’s relatively small compared to the larger sized binders in the Vault X range, it does still hold 160 cards, so you can still use it to hold a smaller subset of your collection. The range of colors is impressive, so if the pink edition we have in our images throughout this review isn’t to your tast, there are plenty more to choose from.
We highly recommend Vault X products here at Card Gamer. We’ve been consistently using them for many years without a single issue. Though we have binders in our collections which have not fared so well over time, our Vault X binders, particularly the premium Exo-Tec binders, are going to be taking care of our cards for a long time to come. This particular binder is a great addition to the range, and due to its relatively compact size (around the same size as a hardcover book), it’s perfect if you’re looking for something you can carry around as well as store on your shelf.
You can buy the Vault X Exo-Tec Zip Binders directly from Vault X, and we have our own discount code that’ll get you 10% off your first purchase (use CARDGAMER10 at checkout), which applies to any products bought from their online store.
Check out our guide to the best deck boxes, where we ranked Vault X’s Exo-Tec box as the best we’d tried! Also, if you’re looking for more protection for your cards, take a look at our guide to the best card sleeves.
