On release week, the same Pokémon TCG set is sold in five or six different boxes. The booster packs inside are the same. What changes is how many packs you get, what comes with them and what you end up paying per pack. Here is how the main sealed products compare, so you can pick the one that fits how you play or collect.

Booster packs and blisters

A single booster pack is the cheapest way to try a new set. Blister packs add one or three packs to a promo card or a coin, which makes them an easy gift. Per pack, though, singles and blisters are usually the most expensive way to buy.

Booster bundles

A booster bundle is a simple box of six packs with no extras. It sits between loose packs and the bigger boxes: a handful of packs to open, at a better price per pack than buying them one at a time.

Elite Trainer Boxes

The Elite Trainer Box (ETB) is the collector favourite. Recent English ETBs hold nine booster packs plus everything you need to start playing: card sleeves, Energy cards, dice, condition markers, a player’s guide and a sturdy storage box with dividers. Most include a promo card too. If you want one box per set to keep on a shelf, or you are just starting to play, an ETB gives you the most in one package. Contents can change from set to set, so check the product description.

Booster boxes

An English booster box holds 36 packs and nothing else. It has the lowest price per pack and the best odds of pulling a set’s big rares, which is why deck builders and people who open on stream tend to buy them. Sealed booster boxes are also what long-term collectors most often keep unopened. Japanese boxes are different: they are smaller and hold fewer, smaller packs.

Collection boxes and tins

Collection boxes and tins pair a few packs with guaranteed promo cards, oversized cards, pins or figures. You pay for the extras, so they make most sense when you want a specific promo or a gift that looks good unopened.

So which should you buy?

• Trying a new set: a booster bundle or a blister.
• Starting to play, or collecting one box per set: an Elite Trainer Box.
• Opening a lot or building decks: a booster box.
• Buying a gift: a collection box or a tin.

You can browse everything we stock for the game in our Pokémon section, and the latest sets under New Releases.