Bank note protective pouch / wallet, which one?

We have started to collect bank notes, can anyone please recommend what pouch or wallet would be best to keep individual notes in, and to see both sides without having to remove the note?

Thanks very much 

There have been a lot of threads warning against using any type of PVC sleeve for a banknote, because when PVC degrades it produces gases that can damage the banknote. What is often recommended is a material called Mylar. I have found it impossible to source that at a reasonable price here in the UK. 

I have a small collection of around 1600 notes and most of those are kept in rigid sleeves. I have three different types:

1. Uncle Paul sleeves (two sizes, which accommodates 90% of the banknotes I have)

2. BCW large size. These sleeves can accommodate half of the over-sized notes I have

3. Ettosun large size sleeves. These will hold whatever is too wide for the BCW sleeves

The Uncle Paul and the BCW are advertised as being made from a plastic that is stable and will not damage the banknotes. We will see if that is the case. 

The Ettosun I think is a generic Chinese manufactured sleeve made from an unknown material. I was unimpressed by the quality, many of them had blemishes, cracks and even debris inside the sleeves. For every ten of those I bought, one was a throwaway. But that is the only large format sleeve I could get.

What I have done to mitigate any potential issues with these sleeves is I have placed each banknote in a Storage Boutique banknote pouch first. These are thin, flexible plastic pouches made for holding banknotes. The manufacturer specifically says this plastic will not damage a banknote.

The Uncle Paul sleeves are nice, they are clear if you are just looking under white light at the note. Same with the BCW.

Note that all of the hard sleeves I mentioned will diffract UV light and therefore you cannot leave a note in the sleeve and inspect it under UV. You have to take it out. So that is the downside for me,  as I am a major UV junkie!

Thanks very much odd job, very comprehensive and informed reply, greatly appreciated - and 1600!!? ….we have several dozen :)  

My apology as this is not the first time I am mentioning this here. I have been using Leuchtturm Vario sleeves with single, 2, 3 and even 4 pockets (for Transnistria notes) for over 35+ years and I would recommend them. This product protects my notes even after so many years. Lately, I found out that many dealers are not stocking them now as it's getting a bit expensive compared to other brands in the market (a dollar or 2+ per pack more).

If you have good notes or expensive types, I would recommend them. In order to protect your collection, it is also important to note that good banknote sleeves are just one part of the solution. It is also the surrounding environment where you are staying and how you store your notes. High humidity environments are bad for banknotes as it may cause foxing on the notes. 

Everyone has to start from ground zero. My first notes were a few Taiwanese circulated notes given to me by my sister after she came back from her holidays. I still have them in my collection. If you are a serious collector, your collections will grow, and in no time, you will have more than 1,600 pieces in your collection. Nowadays and in order to save a bit of money and space, I place more than one note in one sleeve, especially those from the series series.

Good luck and welcome to this wonderful hobby. 

Thanks very much ahkai, we greatly value the opinion of experienced Collectors, and want to get on the right track from the start.