For the security conscious, and especially those with large crypto holdings I’d say that a hardware wallet is an absolute essential. There are 2 big players in the market, namely, Trezor and Ledger, both offer a range of solutions, but they are not without there security flaws (see here for articles about Trezor and Ledger).

Introducing the Cobo Vault

Let me introduce the Cobo Vault, a high-end cryptocurrency hardware wallet, which eschews the minimalist and inexpensive design of many wallets, in favour of premium design using what appears to be a single piece of aerospace-grade aluminium alloy, and offering a no-compromises approach to both security, and protection against physical damage to the device and its recovery phrase.

Design

The Cobo Vault probably has the best build quality of any hardware wallet currently on the market. Its construction gives the device a sturdy feel and gives confidence that it can withstand the rigors of everyday use. The device measures up at 111.8mm x 64mm x 14.6mm, relatively large compared to some hardware wallets on the market, it’s about the size of a small smartphone and weighs in at a substantial 190g. Yes it’s bigger than some, but the Vault is still eminently portable and can be carried with little hassle.

The Cobo Vault has a 4-inch, 640 x 1136px LCD display, and the rear features a built-in camera. The back can also be removed to reveal a swappable 1,540mah battery. There is a single button used to power the device on and off, giving the Cobo Vault a distinctly minimal and industrial aesthetic. Continuing in its premium vane the Vault also ships with a Cobo Tablet metal wallet to store your 12-24 word recovery phrases, letter blocks for each letter of the alphabet, a protective case and charging dock, and a 1 meter Cobo-branded USB to USB-C cable.

Use and Security

Using the Cobo Vault is a breeze, first you need to create a new vault on the hardware wallet by generating and confirming a new 24-word mnemonic phrase. After confirming the Cobo Vault takes about 15 seconds to generate the vault. Then you select which cryptocurrencies you want to use with the device, create a 10-30 character password (including upper and lowercase characters, digits and symbols), and also have the option of adding an unlock pattern for additional security. Then you scan your unique QR code in the Cobo Vault mobile app, which syncs the Cobo Vault wallet with the Cobo Vault app.

The large colour touchscreen on the Cobo Vault makes it easy to use. As part of its security conscious design the Vault does not need to connect to other devices in order to send payments. Instead, wallet users use the device camera to scan QR codes displayed on the associated Cobo Vault app to sign transactions. This lack of physical connection to another device significantly improves the device’s security, however, the process of sending payments is a slightly more involved process than with other wallets because of this. In my opinion the extra security outweighs the little extra work needed to make a transaction. The Cobo Vault is also one of the few hardware wallets to support multi-signature for Bitcoin and Ethereum.

Continuing with the theme of high security the device has no input ports or wireless connectivity. The device is completely air-gapped, and any updates are delivered using a MicroSD card, with files downloadable from the official site. By choosing not to include Bluetooth and USB connectivity, the Cobo Vault is protected against man-in-the-middle and side-channel attacks. The device utilises an open source secure element graded FIPS 140-2 for security. Cobo protects itself from brute-force password attacks by adding an incrementally increasing lockout period, which delays subsequent password attempts. Additionally, the Cobo Vault includes a "self destruct" function, which will automatically wipe the secure element if an attacker attempts to open the body of the device. Owners can also create additional hidden vaults on their devices by creating a unique passcode for each.

The device is also durable it is also IP68 rated, which means it can survive submersion in up to 1.5m of water for at least 30 minutes; it is MIL-STD-810G certified for temperature and vibration resistance; it is rated IK9 impact resistant, which means it can sustain survive an impact of 10 joules of impact force. Plus, it ships with a protective case which Cobo claims is strong enough to withstand a tank driving over it!

I found the inclusion of the Cobo Tablet, a stainless steel recovery phrase storage card, to be a nice addition. This can be used to store the 24-word recovery phrase provided  during setup, ensuring it remains safe if you ever need it in the future.

The Vault currently supports 11 different cryptocurrencies on the device including eight of the top 10 cryptocurrencies by market capitalization.

Cryptocurrencies currently supported are:

• Bitcoin (BTC)
• Ethereum (ETH)
• BitcoinCash (BCH)
• Dash
• Litecoin (LTC)
• Ethereum Classic (ETC)
• Tron (TRX)
• EOS
• Tether (USDT)
• XRP
• Decred (DCR)
• Zcoin (XZC)

You are also able to store Ethereum, Tron and EOS tokens on the device. Cobo also release firmware updates several times a year which generally adds support for one or more cryptocurrencies.

The Verdict

The Cobo Vault is designed for the most security conscious Crypto enthusiast. This security, premium design and build quality do come at a cost $479 for the most premium model, the Cobo Vault Ultimate. However, Cobo also offer The Cobo Vault Pro at $149 which forgoes some of the features of the Ultimate, mainly around durability such as waterproofing, and impact resistance. They also offer the Cobo Vault Essential at $99 which, importantly, retains the air gapped QR Code communication for the more budget conscious consumer.

Having used the Cobo Vault Ultimate for over 3 months now I can safely say it is very intuitive. Yes there are additional steps to the transaction signing process, however I am comfortable with this for the peace of mind the device’s security gives me.

If you'd like to pick up a Vault yourself then please visit Cobo at: https://bit.ly/2NQrYgS