The Five Best USB 3.0 Flash Drives
Thanks to the convenience of cloud storage, USB flash drives may seem like old news, but the best ones are portable, fast, nearly indestructible, and offer tons of space – just enough to have them. This week we’ll be taking a look at the top five based on your nominations.
Earlier this week, we asked you to tell us which USB 3.0 flash drives were the best . They may have been tiny and portable, but they had huge storage for files that were too large for cloud storage. Perhaps you just carry them around to access important files on the go that you don’t trust the cloud. Perhaps they were just super cheap and had cool features like regular and mini USB ports.
We have a bunch of nominees, but as always, we only have room for the top 5 (so be sure to return to the call for more options!) Here they are, in no particular order:
Data Traveler USB 3.0 Kingston Digital 64GB Flash Drive
The Kingston Digital Data Traveler line of USB 3.0 flash drives is affordable, high-capacity and fully portable. The photo above also seems to be telling a fairy tale. The all-aluminum body makes it tough enough to carry with your keychain and withstand the drops and bumps your keyring can withstand, yet small enough to easily slide into a USB port anywhere without blocking adjacent ports. It’s fast and backward compatible thanks to the requirement that all of our rivals be USB 3.0, and even comes with a five-year warranty. The above model is the 64GB version of Kingston, which will set you back $ 30 on Amazon . If you prefer, you can get the 32GB or 16GB version on Amazon for a slightly lower price, or head to Kingston directly to buy their 128GB version – all in the same form factor, of course.
Those of you who have nominated the Kingston Data Traveler praised its form factor and portability, and especially liked the form and form factor. Many of you said you kept yours on your keychain, others said you just loved how small it was for the storage capacity on offer. You loved the aluminum case everywhere, saying that you broke or damaged so many cheap plastic drives over the years that it was nice to have a drive that will last for years without breaking. You can read more personal stories and accolades in his nominations thread here .
SanDisk Extreme 64GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive
SanDisk makes great SD cards, but they also make some of the fastest USB 3.0 flash drives on the market. The 64GB SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0 Flash Drive (shown above) boasts transfer speeds of 245 MB / s reading and 190 MB / s writing; quite fast even compared to some other SanDisk drives (more on that later). The drive is on the large side, and is definitely a stick you’ll want to keep in your bag until you need it, but the retractable USB port ensures it’s never damaged and kept in a safe place whenever you need to use the drive. In case you’re wondering, the 64GB version costs $ 35 on Amazon , while the 32GB and 16GB versions are available slightly cheaper.
Those of you who nominated the SanDisk Extreme praised its ultra-fast data transfer rate and retractable USB plug, both for keeping the port safe and free of debris while transporting the drive, and for being a fun little fidget. when you have nothing else to do with your hands. Plus, getting this kind of transfer rate at this price is a welcome thing, especially when you have a lot of data to move. Some of you have pointed out that you use yours as an installation USB drive, which is a great use case when the added speed can really make a difference. Some of you have pointed out that it is slightly larger than many rims these days, so it is easy to break if you are not careful, and may not work for you if you drive rough. You can read more in his nominations thread here or in this thread here .
USB 3.0 PNY Turbo Flash Drive 64GB
PNYs are well known for their affordable storage and memory, and their USB 3.0 flash drives are no exception. The PNY Turbo USB 3.0 line of flash drives is portable and tiny, easily stowed in your pocket or anywhere in your laptop bag, boasting reliable and fast data transfer speeds, and large enough to carry around whatever you might need. We’re allocating a 64GB higher version that will set you back just $ 20 on Amazon . In fact, it was the $ 30 128GB version that ended up in a stream of nominations , which should indicate exactly how competitive the price of these little things is. There aren’t many bells and whistles here, however, so the price remains low. It’s simple, affordable storage in a plastic case with a lid to keep your USB plug clean while you carry it around. Anyway, if you want cheap storage this is the best option. If you’re not interested in the 64GB or 128GB version, there are cheaper 16GB and 32GB versions, as well as the massive 256GB version for a pretty hefty $ 73 .
Those of you who have nominated PNY Turbo commented that it is hard to beat storage at such a cheap price, even if it comes with caveats sometimes – some of you have mentioned that these drives have let you down in the past due to seemingly random blackouts and others. problems. Others said that you have yours for ages, without any problem or problem. Some of you have pointed out that this is your first and only USB 3.0 drive so far, and you are happy with the data transfer speed and form factor – it has all the external storage space, but not. Many of you have noted that you have often seen them for sale through Kinja Deals, which is why you are purchasing them at an affordable price. Anyway, you can read about all of these experiences, good and bad, in the nominations thread here .
Corsair Flash Voyager Go 64GB OTG Flash Drive
If you’re looking for a USB 3.0 flash drive that works well with your computer, whether it’s a Mac or PC, or your Android phone or tablet, the Corsair Voyager Go is a great option. You get 64GB in a tiny, rugged case with an aluminum body and a carrying strap that can be plugged into your keychain, or small enough to fit almost anywhere you need it. After all, it’s only about 37mm long. It can also switch from USB 3.0 to micro USB port, so any Android device that supports OTG (On-The-Go) will work with it and treat it as additional storage. Best of all, cross-compatibility between desktops (and desktop operating systems) and mobile devices, storage and portability won’t cost you any extra money – it’s only around $ 30 on Amazon . If you don’t need that much space, you can save a few dollars with the 32GB or 16GB versions. Heck, it all even comes with extra covers in case you lose the included one. It’s a nice touch.
Those of you who have nominated Voyager Go praised it for offering USB 3.0 and microUSB on a single stick, small enough to fit in your everyday carry bag or attach to a keychain, and for being offers features that you simply cannot get on other drives. without overpricing to get it. You praised it for not requiring drivers, apps, or anything similar to run on your computer, smartphone, or tablet. In fact, none of you even mentioned the cons. You can check the nominations thread here .
SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.0 Flash Drive 64GB
For maximum portability – the type I remember seeing mockups on tech blogs years ago wondering “could flash drives get so small” – the SanDisk Ultra Fit is a great option. So small that it barely sticks out of the USB stick you plug it into (its size is similar to the Logitech Unifying receiver if you’re more familiar with it), the Ultra Fit comes with a plethora of storage options, none of which changes. basic form factor. The 64GB version shown above is only $ 23 on Amazon , while the more massive (and more popular) 128GB version costs just $ 44 . All models are equipped with a USB 3.0 interface and feature fast data transfer rates, a five-year warranty, and even come with a small protective cap to keep the USB connector clean when not in use.
Those of you who have nominated the Ultra Fit line of drives have noted that the profile is so low and that these drives are so small that many of you simply leave them in your laptops and computers for additional storage through the USB port. It’s small enough that you don’t even need to remove the drive when you pack your laptop on the road. Some of you actually noticed that they can be difficult to remove, especially when inserted into a USB port as there is nowhere to really grab them, while others noted that while the USB 3.0 speed was excellent if you use it in the port USB 2.0 is unfortunately slow. Others have noted that these things get very hot for their size, so keep that in mind as well. You can read all about this in the nomination thread here .
Now that you’ve seen the top 5, it’s time to put them to a general vote to choose the Lifehacker community favorite:
Honorable mentions
The first honorable mention this week is for the Corsair Survivor , a near-indestructible flash drive that will set you back $ 50 for the 64GB model on Amazon , but mostly because you can run it over with a truck or drop it from an incredible height, and it Not only survived, but also did a great job. These items feature a hard-anodized aircraft-grade aluminum case, waterproof seals, impact-resistant casings and bumpers, all backed by a five-year warranty. If durability is your top concern, this is the drive for you – fast and reliable. You can read more reviews in his nominations thread here .
We also want to highlight the SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 OTG Flash Drive as our second honorable mention, which is SanDisk’s dual-port offering to compare to the Corsair Voyager Go in the top five above. The 64GB version costs $ 23 on Amazon , and while it’s not as sturdy or durable, it still offers two USB 3.0 and micro USB ports for connecting to your desktop computer and Android smartphone or tablet. Plus, it’s still small enough to take with you wherever you go, protects the connectors when not in use, and even has a small notch on the center ring that curves around the body to attach to a key chain or lanyard for storage. You can read his nominations thread here .
Do you have anything to say about one of the applicants? Want to substantiate your personal favorite even if it wasn’t on the list? Remember, the Top 5 is based on your most popular nominations from the Call for Applicants thread earlier this week . Don’t just complain about the top 5, let us know which option you prefer and justify it in the discussions below.