Trezor Safe 3 Review: Security, Features, and Real-World Performance

If you’ve been following the crypto world, you know that security threats are on the rise. This is why self-custody hardware wallets have become an essential part of any serious crypto investor’s toolkit. By storing your private keys offline, you protect yourself from the most common online attacks, such as phishing, malware, and exchange hacks.

Trezor is one of the most trusted names in this space. With over a decade of experience, it has built a reputation for creating reliable, open-source wallets that balance security with ease of use. The Trezor Safe 3 is its latest release, designed to give you advanced security features at an affordable price.

But is Trezor Safe 3 worth it? In this article, we are going to answer exactly this question by looking at the feature provided by Trezor Safe 3 and how it compares to others.

A Quick Word on Trezor: A Pioneer in Hardware Wallets

Before diving into the Safe 3, it’s important to understand the company behind it.

Trezor was founded in 2013 by SatoshiLabs, a Prague-based team that launched the first-ever hardware wallet, the Trezor Model One, in 2014. Since then, it has released several popular models, including:

• Trezor One – Affordable entry-level wallet.
  
• Trezor Model T – Premium wallet with a color touchscreen.
  
• Trezor Safe 5 – Higher-end wallet with added durability and features.
  

Over the years, Trezor has earned trust from hundreds of thousands of users and crypto security experts. It has maintained a commitment to open-source software, meaning anyone can audit the code to verify its security.

What Is the Trezor Safe 3?

The Trezor Safe 3 is a mid-tier hardware wallet that sits between the Trezor One and the Trezor Safe 5. It delivers several key upgrades over the entry-level model, most notably the inclusion of a dedicated Secure Element chip for improved physical security.

Design highlights:

• Available in five colors: Cosmic Black, Stellar Silver, Solar Gold, Galactic Rose, and the limited-edition Bitcoin Orange.
  
• Compact, lightweight build with two physical buttons and a monochromatic OLED screen.
  
• Tamper-proof packaging to ensure your device hasn’t been compromised before it reaches you.
  
• Open-source firmware, allowing independent security audits.
  

The Safe 3 is beginner-friendly, making it easy to set up and manage your assets through Trezor Suite, the company’s desktop and browser-based management tool.

While the Secure Element strengthens Trezor’s defense against physical attacks, Cypherock’s approach avoids storing a seed phrase in a single place entirely, which eliminates that attack vector altogether.

Key Features of Trezor Safe 3

Secure Element (EAL6+ Certified)

The biggest upgrade in the Safe 3 is the EAL6+ certified Secure Element chip. This is a specialized hardware component that:

• Protects your PIN without ever storing it directly.
  
• Stores an additional secret that encrypts your recovery seed.
  
• Ensures the authenticity of the device during setup.
  

Earlier Trezor models lacked this chip, making them more vulnerable to highly sophisticated physical attacks if an attacker had direct access to your device.

Cypherock Comparison:

While Trezor protects the seed with encryption inside a single device, Cypherock never stores the whole seed in one device. Instead, it splits it into encrypted shares across four different cards and one main device, requiring a combination to recover your wallet. This drastically reduces the risk of losing funds if one device is stolen.

Bitcoin-Only Edition

For Bitcoin purists, Trezor offers a Bitcoin-only Safe 3. It’s limited to 2,013 units and comes in a bright Bitcoin-orange color.

• Ships with Bitcoin-only firmware for a streamlined experience.
  
• Includes the Secure Element, CoinJoin support, and Shamir Backup.
  
• €21 from each sale goes to Bitcoin education projects in Africa.
  

CoinJoin Support

CoinJoin is a privacy feature for Bitcoin transactions. It works by mixing your transactions with others, making it harder for outsiders to track where your coins came from or went.

Using CoinJoin with the Safe 3:

1. Add a CoinJoin account in Trezor Suite.
   
2. Send BTC to that account.
   
3. Start the CoinJoin process.
   
4. Confirm the action on both the device and software.
   
5. Keep the wallet connected until the process is done.
   

Shamir Backup (SLIP-39)

Shamir Backup lets you split your recovery phrase into multiple unique shares. You can set a threshold for how many are required to restore the wallet.

Example: In a 2-of-3 scheme:

• Create 3 shares.
  
• Any 2 can restore the wallet.
  
• If one is lost or stolen, your funds are still safe.
  

Cypherock Comparison:

Cypherock builds this multi-share resilience into its design by default. There’s no need to write down a seed phrase at all — the system automatically distributes and encrypts key shares across multiple devices.

Supported Assets and Integrations

The Trezor Safe 3 supports:

• 8,000+ coins and tokens.
  
• Bitcoin, Ethereum, Cardano, Ripple, BNB, ERC-20 tokens.
  
• Recently added Solana and SPL token support.
  

It works with:

• Trezor Suite for main management.
  
• Third-party wallets like MetaMask, MyEtherWallet, Exodus, Yoroi.
  

Not supported:

• Cosmos
  
• Avalanche

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Dedicated Secure Element chip.
  
• Optional Bitcoin-only edition.
  
• CoinJoin and Tor for privacy.
  
• Shamir Backup support.
  
• Affordable for its feature set.
  

Cons:

• No touchscreen.
  
• The plastic screen scratches easily.
  
• Missing some blockchain support.
  

How Trezor Safe 3 Compares to Alternatives

Trezor One

• More secure (Secure Element).
  
• USB-C port instead of Micro-USB.
  
• Broader asset support.
  
• Compatible with iOS.
  

Model T

• No touchscreen (Model T has one).
  
• Secure Element for stronger physical attack resistance.
  
• More affordable.
  

Ledger Nano X

• Open-source (Ledger is closed-source).
  
• No Bluetooth (Ledger has it, but that adds potential attack surface).
  
• Larger screen than Nano X.
  

Cypherock X1

• Trezor stores seed in one encrypted device.
  
• Cypherock splits encrypted key shares across multiple devices.
  
• Cypherock removes need to write down a seed phrase.
  
• Both are air-gapped; Cypherock has built-in redundancy.
  

How to Set Up and Use the Trezor Safe 3

Setup:

1. Connect Safe 3 to your computer.
   
2. Install Trezor Suite.
   
3. Update firmware if prompted.
   
4. Create a new wallet or recover an existing one.
   
5. Write down your recovery seed (or set up Shamir Backup).
   
6. Set a strong PIN.
   

Sending funds:

1. In Trezor Suite, open your account.
   
2. Click Receive and confirm the address on your device.
   
3. Copy or scan the address into your sending platform.
   
4. Verify funds arrived in Trezor Suite.

Final Verdict: Is the Trezor Safe 3 Worth It?

The Trezor Safe 3 is an excellent choice if you want strong security at an affordable price. Its Secure Element chip, Shamir Backup support, and privacy tools make it a reliable long-term storage solution for most crypto users.

For maximum resilience against theft, loss, or personal mistakes, consider pairing or replacing it with a Cypherock X1, which takes self-custody a step further by eliminating the single point of failure in seed phrase storage.

If you value open-source transparency, strong encryption, and a smooth user experience, the Safe 3 is a safe bet.

Start securing your crypto journey today—visit Cypherock X1 to learn more.

Connect with us:

Twitter: @CypherockWallet

Telegram: Join the Community