For a multisig you want three devices from three different makers, so a bug at one of them can’t hit all your keys at once. Each one needs to work with your wallet software and show addresses on its own screen. These all do.
Where to buy
Buy from the manufacturer’s own shop or Amazon.com when the listing says “Ships from and sold by Amazon.com” (not a third-party seller on Amazon). Nowhere else: not from a reseller (why not), not second-hand, not from a third-party seller on a marketplace, not from an auction. If you want to be as sure as possible, buy directly from the manufacturer. Whichever shop you use, do the tamper check when it arrives. A device that arrives with a seed already on it goes straight back.
Trezor Safe 5
Color touchscreen that shows a full address in one go, the easiest screen to read an address on. It doesn’t remember your multisig, though; Sparrow sends the setup each time. Open-source firmware and a secure element. Set it to a 24-word backup during setup; the 20-word default can’t be restored on your other devices.
Read the full review → · Buy from Trezor · Buy on Amazon
BitBox02 (Bitcoin-only)
Swiss, small and easy to use. Fully open-source firmware with reproducible builds, meaning anyone can check that the software on the device matches the published code. Skip the microSD backup during setup and write the words down instead.
Read the full review → · Buy from BitBox · Buy on Amazon
Ledger Nano S Plus
The cheapest of the lot and works fine as the third key. Since Bitcoin app 2.1 it handles multisig properly, including checking addresses on its screen. Its secure element runs closed-source code, which is a real downside for a single-key wallet and a much smaller one when it can never sign alone.
Read the full review → · Buy from Ledger · Buy on Amazon
Blockstream Jade
A common alternative to any of the three above. It can work without a USB connection, by scanning QR codes with its camera. I don’t use one myself, so there’s no full review of it here.
Buy from Blockstream · Buy on Amazon
Through this link Blockstream gives you 10% off, or use code Y9CHA5 at checkout.
Keystone 3 Pro
Another device that works only through QR codes, with a large 4-inch touchscreen and a fingerprint sensor. It has a Bitcoin-only firmware, open-source code with reproducible builds, and works with Sparrow for multisig once that Bitcoin-only firmware is installed. The company started in China as Cobo Vault, and the devices are made there. Like the Jade, I haven’t used one myself.
Buy from Keystone · Buy on Amazon
How to combine them
- Three different makers, always.
- At least one device that registers your multisig and checks addresses against it, such as the BitBox02 or the Ledger. That’s the check that catches a tampered computer.
- Check that each works with your wallet software before you order. All of the above work with Sparrow.
Side by side: Trezor Safe 5 vs BitBox02 · Trezor Safe 5 vs Ledger Nano S Plus · all of them in one table: best hardware wallets for a multisig.
How each device works in a Sparrow multisig: Trezor Safe 5 (and the Safe 3) · BitBox02 (and the Nova) · Ledger Nano S Plus (and the Flex and Stax) · Blockstream Jade · Keystone 3 Pro · Coldcard · SeedSigner. Why some of them check addresses against your setup and others don’t: wallet registration explained.
Before you set up a new device, do the tamper check. The first step of the setup guide explains why this combination makes sense.