Pokemon Booster Box vs Elite Trainer Box: Which Should You Buy?

"Should I get a booster box or an Elite Trainer Box?" is probably the most common question we get about Pokémon cards. The honest answer is that it depends on what you want out of it. Here's how the main sealed products compare.

Booster pack

One pack, usually 10 cards with at least one rare. It's the cheapest way to try a set, and it's fun to rip, but buying packs one at a time is the most expensive way to get cards per pack.

Booster bundle

A booster bundle is 6 packs in a simple box, with no extras. It's a nice middle ground if you want to open a handful of packs from a new set without paying for accessories.

Elite Trainer Box (ETB)

An ETB comes with 9 booster packs plus a set of extras: card sleeves, dice, condition markers, energy cards, a promo card and a sturdy storage box with dividers. Pokémon Center exclusive ETBs usually have a couple of extra packs.

Good to know: ETBs don't have better pull rates. The packs inside are the same packs you can buy on their own. You're paying for the accessories and the box.

An ETB is a great gift and a great pick for newer collectors and players who'll actually use the sleeves and dice. Plenty of people also keep ETBs sealed as a collectible.

Booster box

A booster box has 36 packs and nothing else. It costs the most up front, but it's the best price per pack by a wide margin, often close to half of what you'd pay per pack in an ETB. If your goal is opening as many packs as possible and chasing the set's big cards, this is the one.

Booster boxes are also popular to keep sealed. A sealed box from a popular set tends to get harder to find once the set goes out of print.

Quick picks

• Just trying a set: a few packs or a booster bundle
• Gift, or a newer collector: an Elite Trainer Box
• Most packs for the money: a booster box
• Keeping something sealed: ETBs and booster boxes both work, store them out of the sun

Opening vs keeping sealed

There's no wrong choice. If you open, sleeve your best pulls right away (our card storage guide covers how). If you keep sealed, protect the boxes from sunlight, moisture and crushing, since a dented box is worth less to collectors.

One more tip: only buy sealed product from sellers you trust. Resealed packs and boxes exist, and we cover the warning signs in how to spot fake Pokémon cards.

Shop sealed Pokémon in our Pokémon TCG section.