Toploader Sizes Explained: 35pt to 360pt, and How to Measure

A toploader's size has two parts: its outside dimensions, which for sports cards is almost always 3" x 4", and the card thickness it is built for, measured in points, where one point is a thousandth of an inch. A standard base card goes in a regular 35-point toploader. Thicker memorabilia, patch and relic cards need a thick toploader rated for at least the card's thickness, and makers sell them from under 60 points up to 360.

The dimensions and ratings below come from Ultra PRO's and BCW's own product pages as listed in September 2026. We describe what each is listed to hold; we don't claim to have tested them.

Points, explained

BCW's guide to holder thickness puts it simply: card thickness is often measured in points, and one point equals .001 inch, or .0254 millimetres. A 35-point card is about 0.035 inch thick; a 130-point patch card is nearly four times that.

Toploader and magnetic-holder ratings use the same scale, and the number is the thickest card the holder is made for. So a 100-point toploader is for cards up to 100 points, not exactly 100.

The standard 3" x 4" toploader

This is the everyday rung-two holder on the protection ladder: a rigid, clear PVC sleeve, open on one short side.

• Ultra PRO's regular toploader is listed with outer dimensions of 3" x 4", for standard 2 ½" x 3 ½" cards up to 35 points thick, made of super clear rigid PVC and sold 25 to a pack. Ultra PRO 3" x 4" regular toploaders, 25 count.
• BCW's standard toploader is listed at 3" x 4 1/16" outside and 2 ¾" x 3 ⅞" inside, for standard cards up to 35 points, with 12 mil thick panels and an opening on the short side. BCW 3x4 standard toploaders, 100 count.

Put the card in a penny sleeve first; Ultra PRO lists penny sleeves as the companion product for its regular toploader. The sleeve protects the card's corners on the way in and stops it sliding around inside. Our Ultra PRO vs BCW penny sleeves comparison covers the sleeve itself.

Thick toploaders: the size ranges

Both brands keep the same 3" x 4" outer size and make the inside deeper.

Ultra PRO lists its thick toploader as holding standard-size cards up to 100 points, 25 to a pack. Ultra PRO 100-point thick toploaders. Its thick-card range, gathered on one collection page, also includes 3" x 4" toploaders rated at 75, 120, 130, 180, 200, 260 and 360 points. Most of the super-thick sizes come ten to a pack, and the 360-point version five to a pack.

BCW runs its thick toploaders from 59 points up to a 360-point holder that it lists as holding one 360-point card. Its toploader category page shows 59, 79, 108 and 138-point sizes, and BCW also mentions a 168-point size on its blog, among others. BCW's product codes give the thickness in millimetres instead: a BCW staff answer on its blog explains that its 168-point toploader carries the SKU 1-TLCH-TH-4.25MM, the millimetre equivalent.

The two brands' steps don't line up exactly. If a card measures 110 points, BCW's 138-point or Ultra PRO's 120-point holder is the next size up, while BCW's 108-point holder would be too tight.

Quick reference

Holder, as listed	Rated for	Outer size	Pack
Ultra PRO regular toploader	Up to 35 pt	3" x 4"	25
BCW standard topload holder	Up to 35 pt	3" x 4 1/16"	100 (also sold in 25s)
Ultra PRO thick toploader	Up to 100 pt	3" x 4"	25
Ultra PRO super thick toploader	130 pt in the description, 120 pt in the bullets	3" x 4"	10
Ultra PRO super thick toploader	Up to 360 pt	3" x 4"	5
BCW thick topload holder	One 360 pt card	3" x 4"	1

What toploaders are made of

Both makers list their toploaders as rigid PVC: "super clear, rigid PVC" for Ultra PRO's regular holder and "rigid, high-clarity PVC" for BCW's standard holder, which BCW says has 12 mil panels. Sleeving a card before it goes into a toploader means the card's surface touches the soft sleeve rather than the rigid holder, which is one more reason the sleeve comes first.

Loading a toploader without damage

1. Sleeve the card, handling it only by the edges.
2. Hold the toploader open side up and squeeze its sides very gently so the opening widens slightly.
3. Slide the sleeved card straight down, keeping it level so a corner can't catch on the rim.
4. Stop if it binds. A card that won't go in easily is probably too thick for that holder, and forcing it risks bending the card.

How to find a card's thickness

Measure rather than guess. BCW offers a card thickness point gauge: it prints the gauge on its toploader and magnetic-holder packages and publishes a printable PDF version. If you print it, BCW says to print at 100% scale, with no fit-to-page scaling, or the gauge will be wrong.

Once you know the thickness, choose the smallest holder rated at or above it. A card much thinner than the holder's rating can shift inside it; a card thicker than the rating shouldn't be forced in.

When the numbers on a listing disagree

Read the whole listing, because they are not always consistent. Ultra PRO's page for its 130-point super-thick toploader describes it as holding cards up to 130 points in one line and up to 120 points in a bullet point below. The same page gives the inside dimensions as 2.75" x 3.88" x 0.138". An inside depth of 0.138 inch is 138 points, which fits a card at either rating.

When a maker contradicts itself, go by the lower number, or by the measured inside depth if the listing gives one.

Toploaders are for home, not for graders

A toploader is the right holder for a card at home, in a box or on the move. It is the wrong holder for a card going to a grading company, where a flexible semi-rigid holder is the norm. Our Card Saver 1 review explains why graders ask for one.

For a card you want to display rather than store, compare toploaders with magnetic holders in our guide to magnetic holders vs toploaders.

FAQ

What size toploader do I need for standard cards? A 3" x 4" toploader rated for 35-point cards. Ultra PRO lists its regular toploader for standard 2 ½" x 3 ½" cards up to 35 points thick, and BCW lists its standard toploader for cards up to 35 points.

What does "pt" mean on a toploader? Points, a thickness measure. BCW explains that one point equals .001 inch, and a holder's point rating is the thickest card it is made for.

What toploader fits a patch or relic card? Measure the card first, then choose a thick toploader rated at or above that thickness. Ultra PRO's and BCW's thick ranges run from under 100 points to 360 points while keeping the 3" x 4" outer size.

Are all 3" x 4" toploaders exactly the same size? Close, but not identical. Ultra PRO lists its regular toploader at 3" x 4" outside, while BCW lists its standard holder at 3" x 4 1/16" outside and 2 ¾" x 3 ⅞" inside. Both are made for standard 2 ½" x 3 ½" cards up to 35 points thick.

Do toploaders come with sleeves? Not usually. Most packs are toploaders only, so buy penny sleeves separately. Ultra PRO lists its penny sleeves as the companion product for its regular 3" x 4" toploader.