14 Best USB Flash Drives (2025): Pen Drives, Thumb Drives, Memory Sticks

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• Best Overall

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Striking nan cleanable equilibrium betwixt speed, reliability, and price, nan SanDisk Extreme Pro is reliable to beat. It has a sleek and durable aluminum lawsuit pinch a loop for attaching it to a cardinal ring. Push nan integrative slider to uncover aliases hide nan USB-A plug, and it’s wholly operable pinch 1 hand. In our tests, nan speeds matched what SanDisk advertises (420 megabytes per 2nd read, 380 MB/s write), making it perfect for anyone regularly copying files betwixt devices. I person been utilizing 1 of these drives regularly for almost 3 years, and it still useful great. You get a assortment of retention capacity options (up to 1 terabyte) and a life warranty.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  Capacity:	128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB
  Max Speeds:	420 MB/s read, 380 MB/s write
  Warranty:	Lifetime

• A Compact Alternative

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    Photograph: Simon Hill

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    Photograph: Simon Hill

  Patriot

  Supersonic Rage Prime

  This thrust supplants nan PNY Pro Elite V2 arsenic our prime for a compact thrust because it’s a touch smaller, lighter, and cheaper. It consistently managed publication and constitute speeds astir nan 450 MB/s people successful my tests. A reddish LED lights up erstwhile nan thrust is busy, which is simply a useful ocular cue. It’s integrative pinch a sliding screen to protect nan USB-A plug, truthful there’s nary headdress to lose. There is simply a mini loop for a keyring, though it’s for illustration threading nan oculus of a needle. I tested nan 500-GB drive, but you tin spell smaller aliases bigger.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  Capacity:	250, 500 GB, 1 TB
  Max Speeds:	600 MB/s read, 600 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years

• Best USB-C Flash Drive (and nan Fastest)

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  The Kingston thrust copied nan full camera files from my Pixel phone to my laptop truthful quickly that I feared it must person failed. But erstwhile I checked my laptop, everything was coming and correct. It’s a very lightweight integrative thrust pinch a ridged apical that allows you to descent nan USB-C plug successful and out. A mini loop astatine nan apical intends you tin connect it to a cardinal ring. It’s a awesome prime if you want to backmost up aliases move files betwixt smartphones, tablets, aliases laptops pinch USB-C ports. It’s by acold nan speediest thrust I person tested (1,000 MB/s read, 900 MB/s write), truthful it’s particularly cleanable for transferring ample files. We've linked to nan 1-terabyte model, but location are 256- and 512-gigabyte options, too. Kingston offers a constricted five-year warranty connected this drive.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C
  Capacity:	256, 512 GB, 1 TB
  Max Speeds:	1,000 MB/s read, 900 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years

• Best High-Capacity USB-A Drive

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  With a whopping 1 terabyte of storage, this nifty SSD thrust from SK Hynix is accelerated becoming my go-to thumb drive. It is comparatively fat since it has an M.2 thrust inside, but it tin deed awesome speeds (around 1,000 MB/s read, 900 MB/s write) pinch nan correct cogwheel (USB 3.2 Gen 2 port). On that note, it useful awesome for watching 4K movies and tin slot into an Xbox Series X/S aliases PlayStation 4 aliases 5 for other crippled storage. It’s vanished successful soft achromatic plastic, pinch a screen that pops disconnected to uncover a USB-A jack. SK Hynix offers a three-year warranty connected this drive.

  Another high-capacity SSD successful flash thrust shape worthy considering is nan Seagate Ultra Compact SSD, which appears successful our Best External Hard Drives guide.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
  Capacity:	1 TB, 2 TB
  Max Speeds:	1,000 MB/s read, 1,000 MB/s write
  Warranty:	3 years

• Best Budget Flash Drive

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Affordable and practical, nan Pinstripe from Verbatim will not triumph immoderate races (my tests of nan 256-GB thrust saw adaptable constitute speeds of up to 80 MB/s and publication speeds a small faster), but I for illustration nan elemental design. The USB-A slides into nan lightweight integrative assemblage for protection, truthful there’s nary headdress to lose, and nan different extremity has a mini loop for a keychain. Did I mention that it's cheap? You tin get various sizes, each astatine charismatic prices for nan capacity. If you want to return files pinch you, and location is nary hurry to transportation them, this is 1 of nan cheapest ways. Just watch out, arsenic nan older exemplary of Pinstripe is simply a slower drive. Verbatim offers a two-year constricted warranty connected its drives.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  Capacity:	16, 32, 64, 128, 256 GB
  Max Speeds:	100 MB/s read, 80 MB/s write
  Warranty:	2 years

• An Even Cheaper USB Flash Drive

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  I for illustration nan grippy texture connected nan slider of this Amazon Basics thrust because it’s easy to unfastened one-handed and locks successful spot securely. The loop astatine nan apical is cleanable for a cardinal ring, and this thrust has a super-lightweight integrative construction. Performance was limited, arsenic you mightiness expect astatine this price, but it consistently exceeded nan stated 130 MB/s publication and 30 MB/s constitute speeds for larger files. It was mostly slow successful my constitute tests and only had 116 GB usable retired of nan box. That said, it is very affordable and useful good if you’re not successful a hurry.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
  Capacity:	128, 256 GB
  Max Speeds:	130 MB/s read, 30 MB/s write
  Warranty:	1 year

• Most Secure Flash Drive

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Kingston

  IronKey Vault Privacy 50

  Designed to support delicate files safe from prying eyes, nan Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 has a snazzy bluish decorativeness pinch a elemental headdress apical and a mini optional strap. It useful pinch Windows aliases macOS computers and boasts respective information features, but you must tally Kingston’s package and group up a password aliases passphrase nan first clip you usage it. The virtual keyboard protects from keyloggers. Anyone trying to entree nan thrust will automatically erase nan contents aft 10 incorrect attempts, but you tin adhd a hint and an admin relationship that tin reset personification passwords. (An ancestor to this thrust plays a starring domiciled successful a WIRED feature astir an early Bitcoin adopter who has 7,002 bitcoins and only 2 password attempts left.)

  This USB flash thrust is FIPS Certified 197 and has 256-bit AES-XTS encryption. It offers protection against brute-force attacks and BadUSB. Manufactured successful nan US, this thrust is TAA-compliant. Kingston suggests publication and constitute speeds astir 250 MB/s and 180 MB/s, respectively, but it did a small amended than that successful our tests (around 300 MB/s and 220 MB/s for larger files). Offered successful USB-A aliases USB-C models, successful sizes ranging from 8 to 512 gigabytes, this thrust comes pinch a five-year warranty.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A aliases Type C
  Capacity:	8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 GB
  Max Speeds:	250 MB/s read, 180 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years

• Best Tiny Flash Drive

  

  Courtesy of Verbatim

  Many drives are not overmuch bigger than nan USB-A connector, but I find them a small excessively easy to lose. But, if you request a teeny-tiny drive, they don’t travel overmuch smaller than this one. Verbatim’s 32 GB Nano did somewhat amended than nan stated 80 MB/s publication and 25 MB/s constitute speeds successful my testing, but it’s still rather slow. I for illustration nan curved indent that makes it easier to extract (some of these mini drives are difficult to propulsion out). The bluish decorativeness lacks style, but it is easy to spot if you driblet it, and it is very affordable. There are besides 16- and 64-gigabyte models. Verbatim offers a two-year constricted warranty connected its drives.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A
  Capacity:	16, 32, 64 GB
  Max Speeds:	80 MB/s read, 25 MB/s write
  Warranty:	2 years

• USB-C and USB-A

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Machined from aluminum, pinch a spinning USB-A connector astatine 1 extremity and a rubber loop attached headdress connected nan USB-C astatine nan other, this thrust looks and stays cool. A USB flash thrust pinch some connectors is useful nowadays, and though this is rather a agelong drive, I for illustration nan creation (it doubles arsenic a fidget toy). There’s a mini spread for nan included lanyard strap. I tested nan 250-gigabyte exemplary (500 GB aliases 1 TB are options). OWC suggests speeds of up to 946 MB/s (based connected Thunderbolt USB-C pinch a MacBook). Testing pinch Windows and a USB 3.2 Gen 1 port, I only sewage astir 420 MB/s publication and constitute (you request Gen 2 aliases Thunderbolt to get nan faster speeds). This thrust besides useful pinch Chromebooks, Android, aliases iOS devices. The superfluous package is annoying, but you tin format nan drive. OWC offers a constricted three-year warranty.

  Specs

  Connectors:	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type C
  Capacity:	250, 500 GB, 1, 2 TB
  Max Speeds:	946 MB/s read, 946 MB/s write
  Warranty:	3 years

• A Smaller USB-C and USB-A Drive

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Whether moving files from an Android phone to a PC aliases backing up from aggregate devices, a flash thrust that tin header pinch different ports is handy. The PNY Duo Link is compact, made of coagulated metal, and has a loop for attaching to a keyring. The plug conception rotates to uncover some USB-C and USB-A connectors. I tested pinch my PC and a mates of Android phones, and I recovered that it worked well, though nan USB-C mightiness beryllium excessively short if you person a heavy lawsuit connected your phone. My tests revealed constitute speeds astir 110 MB/s and accordant publication speeds of 225 MB/s. I tested nan 64-GB version, but you tin besides get 128- aliases 256-gigabyte models. Folks pinch an older iPhone tin besides usage nan PNY Duo Link pinch Lightning and USB-A ($18). PNY offers a constricted one-year warranty connected its drives.

  Specs

  Connectors:	USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C
  Capacity:	64, 128, 256 GB
  Max Speeds:	200 MB/s read, 110 MB/s write
  Warranty:	1 year

• Best for iPhone to Laptop Transfer

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  If you want a flash thrust to backmost up and transcript photos and different files from your smartphone, I for illustration nan iXpand Luxe. It has a Lightning plug for older iPhones and iPads astatine 1 extremity and flips to uncover a USB-C plug astatine nan other, truthful you tin transportation files to aliases from newer iPhones, Android devices, and laptops. It has a metallic casing pinch a loop for a keychain, and it is very slim. This creation intends that 1 plug is ever exposed, and while SanDisk includes a abstracted integrative screen that slots on, I fearfulness I'll inevitably suffer it. Storage options apical retired astatine 256 gigabytes.

  If you want to usage this thrust pinch an iPhone aliases iPad, you must instal nan iXpand app (not required for Android devices). It useful well, but it’s not nan fastest thrust (90 MB/s read, 35 MB/s write). Backing up photos from my wife’s iPhone took a mates of hours nan first time. Handily, you tin configure nan app to automatically backmost up photos erstwhile you insert nan drive. Don't person a USB-C larboard connected your laptop? Then nan very akin iXpand Go is nan measurement to go. It sports a Lightning larboard connected 1 extremity and a USB-A plug connected nan other. SanDisk offers a two-year constricted warranty connected these drives.

  Specs

  Connectors:	USB 3.1 Type-C and Apple Lightning
  Capacity:	64, 128, 256 GB
  Max Speeds:	90 MB/s read, 35 MB/s write
  Warranty:	2 years

• Minimalist USB-A Design

  

  Courtesy of Samsung

  An elegant one-piece creation makes this USB flash thrust eye-catching and practical. The metallic casing comes successful metallic aliases gray, pinch a curved creation that makes it easy to retreat and a loop truthful you tin gaffe it onto a keyring. Test publication speeds were conscionable awkward of 400 MB/s, pinch constitute speeds conscionable complete 100 MB/s, but nan smaller drives (32 GB and 64 GB) are importantly slower. The Bar Plus is besides a durable option, pinch Samsung claiming it is waterproof, shock-proof, temperature-proof, magnet-proof, and x-ray-proof. Samsung grants a five-year constricted warranty connected this drive.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.1 Type-A
  Capacity:	64, 128, 256, 512 GB
  Max Speeds:	400 MB/s read, 60 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years

• Minimalist USB-C Design

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  This dinky thrust is cleanable for slipping connected a keyring, pinch a metallic enclosure that includes a useful loop. There’s a textured integrative slider connected nan underside for extending nan USB-C jack, and it stays successful spot securely. Test publication and constitute speeds hovered astir nan stated 400 MB/s. The little capacity thrust (64 GB) is somewhat slower astatine up to 300 MB/s. SanDisk offers a constricted five-year warranty connected this drive.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C
  Capacity:	128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB
  Max Speeds:	400 MB/s read, 400 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years

• Most Durable

  

  Photograph: Simon Hill

  Corsair

  Flash Survivor Stealth

  Seeking a flash thrust pinch a durable enclosure? The Survivor Stealth from Corsair is reliable to beat. It has a ridged, cylindrical, anodized aluminum lodging pinch ridged rubber covers astatine each side. One extremity has an opening for a keychain, and nan screws unfastened to uncover nan drive, which has a modular USB-A plug. When screwed unopen properly, this thrust is waterproof to a extent of 200 meters, and nan enclosure is vibration- and shock-resistant. I dropped it successful a solid of h2o and fto nan feline pursuit it around, and it still useful fine. Its capacity is reasonably mean (85 MB/s read, 70 MB/s write), truthful it takes a while to complete a large backup aliases transportation ample files. Speeds apt alteration pinch different retention capacities. Corsair offers a five-year constricted warranty connected this drive.

  Specs

  Connector:	USB 3.0 Type-A
  Capacity:	16, 32, 64, 128, 256 GB, 1 TB
  Max Speeds:	85 MB/s read, 70 MB/s write
  Warranty:	5 years