The 5 Best USB Flash Drives

Max write/read speeds: 161/208 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 64, 128
The SanDisk Extreme Go 64GB displayed an excellent balance of cost and efficiency and proved to be one of the quickest drives during our testing. It completes numerous tasks rapidly, including moving a single large file or a big folder containing a large number of small files. For example, a 5 GB folder filled with thousands of modest files wrote to the drive in just 7 minutes, proving to double the other models' typical speed. Large media files moved even faster, taking only 31 seconds to write a 5GB HD movie. Topping off this stellar performance is the price tag — the Extreme Go 64GB sells for well under the price of many premium drives on the market. The plastic construction feels relatively sturdy, and a smooth sliding mechanism retracts the connector when it's not in use. It's not super tiny, but the body is still thin enough that it won't be in the way of any other ports while in use — we had no problem plugging in a large cable for headphones in the next port over beside the drive.

Though the price is on par with the performance, the cost may be too steep for sporadic use. The drive is also rather large — to the extent that it might make your keychain feel too bulky. Although its plastic build seems more durable than other models, we are not confident it can hold up to the everyday abuse that many of us subject a keychain to. That said, if you need to transfer several gigabytes of data all at once, we think the Extreme Go 64GB won't disappoint.

Max write/read speeds: 14/166 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 16, 32, 64, 128, 256

For the ultimate performance per dollar, check out the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 32GB. Even with its budget pricing, it logged an impressive 166 MB/s maximum read speed in our tests, outperforming almost everything else in this price range. The drive allows for a 5GB movie file to transfer to your computer in only 30 seconds. Surprisingly, despite the drive's low price, the plastic material's quality seems reliable and strong.

The write speeds are the obvious disadvantage to this drive, where the top performance only got up to 14MB/s during our tests. When pushing the drive even harder, speeds continued to decline. For instance, the drive took over 12 minutes when writing a 5GB folder full of modest files. However, if speed isn't a concern for you when saving things to the drive, it offers a great cost for a reliable way to save your files and access them fairly quickly when you need to.

Max write/read speeds: 45/312 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 32, 64, 128, 256

The Samsung Bar Plus 128GB perfectly fills the keychain niche for those moments when it just pays to have a USB flash drive on hand. The all-metal construction is super sturdy, and the relatively sleek design allows it to nestle onto even crowded keyrings. It is still long enough to insert it into a USB port without removing it from the keyring. It also provides good overall speed — in our tests, it wrote a 5GB folder with lots of small files in less than 4 minutes. Its read speeds are particularly impressive, meaning you can quickly access files stored on the drive. This makes the Samsung Bar Plus the perfect option for files that you don't want taking up space on your laptop's hard drive, but that you may need to access at a moment's notice.

Our biggest issue with the Samsung Bar Plus 128GB is the hump on the drive's back, where the keyring is attached. While these extra curves lend the drive even more of a space-age feel, they also make it bulkier and less sleek than some other keychain-oriented models. However, the Samsung Bar Plus's speed and performance so far outstrips that of its competitors that it still easily gets our top recommendation for those who prefer to attach a USB flash drive to their keychain permanently.

Max write/read speeds: 249/415 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 128, 256, 512, 10000
If you're constantly transferring large media files or data sets between computers, you'll love the PNY Pro Elite 256GB. This model is also great for editing photos and videos without moving them onto your computer. It's crazy fast — it wrote our 5GB speed torture test folder in just 2 minutes, a mere fraction of what it took most drives. It also gobbled up a 5GB movie file in only 20 seconds, and the read speeds are even faster. This blazing speed is backed up by a stylish and durable all-metal build. It is one of the few full-sized flash drives that we are confident could survive the wear and tear of living on a keychain.

The PNY Pro Elite 256GB is considerably pricier than most flash drives on the market. However, the extra speed it affords is worth the investment if you're the type who continually moves large files around.

Max write/read speeds: 47/156 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 16, 32, 64,128, 256

Now that many popular laptops and newer Android phones are moving to USB-C, it can be super convenient to have a flash drive compatible with this new port as well as the common USB-A. The only USB flash drive we have found that hits the mark in this regard is the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive 128GB. Both connectors can be retracted at the same time, allowing it to maintain a slim profile. If you use the drive with a phone, SanDisk provides a convenient app that will enable you to do manual backups by specific file type. Additionally, the Ultra Dual Drive is much faster than other Type-A/Type-C drives that we've tested.

While this drive provides at least average speed for most file transfers, it can sometimes get bogged down when writing many small files. It took 26 minutes to write our 5GB small file testing folder. We also found the lanyard attachment annoying. It sits in the center of the drive body, is too small for a keyring, and requires a master seamstress's skills to thread. Despite these small drawbacks, for those that want both USB Type-A and Type-C connectivity, the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive is the best option available.

Max write/read speeds: 70/356 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 32, 64, 128, 256

If you need a super slim and portable thumbnail-style drive, the Samsung Fit Plus 128GB is sure to please. Despite its small stature, it was one of the fastest drives we tested, writing our 5GB testing folder in less than 4 minutes. Perhaps more importantly, its read speeds are phenomenal — it read that same folder in a mere 41 seconds. This makes it the perfect tiny drive to use as a secondary storage option for your laptop, allowing you to access all of its files with nary a lag. Plus, it provides all this impressive performance at a relatively average price.

The one aspect we wish was slightly different is the design of the keychain attachment point. It is slim enough that most keyrings get clamped down, forcing the drive to sit at a 90˚ angle. This negates the small footprint and makes it very difficult to use without removing it from the keyring. A lanyard would mitigate this problem, yet we found even thin lanyards hard to thread. We wish it were easier to attach this drive to an object since its small size makes it easier to lose. Still, we feel the Samsung Fit Plus 128GB is the best option for fans of the extreme portability of super tiny thumbnail drives.

Max write/read speeds: 20/34 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 16, 32, 64, 128, 256

A good option for anyone looking for a lot of digital storage on the cheap is the classic SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 128GB. In many instances, this drive costs half as much as other models of the same capacity. Perhaps most importantly, it provided consistent and reliable performance in our testing. We have run into many budget drives that fail in the middle of long file transfers, but the Cruzer CZ36 completed every task we asked of it — even if it took a little longer than some other models. The USB connector retracts and clicks solidly into place when extended, making it easy to slide into ports.

Speed is the biggest shortcoming of the Cruzer CZ36. Of the drives that receive our stamp of approval, it is one of the slowest. When we wrote a 5GB folder of many small files to this drive — the biggest speed challenge for any drive — it took 15 minutes to complete. While certainly not blazing, this speed is still tolerable for occasional file backups. It is an excellent choice for those who want to increase their important files' redundancy without spending a bunch of money.

Max write/read speeds: 25/106 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 32, 64, 128, 256

The PNY Turbo 64GB provided very reliable, if somewhat slow, file transfers throughout our testing. It also has a protective cover that slides over the USB connector, a feature that many of the other budget options on the market lack. We found the slim profile to be fairly unobtrusive when hung from a keychain.

The diminished speed is the apparent downside of the PNY Turbo 64GB. It took this drive a whopping 51 minutes to write our 5GB test folder filled with small files. It was much faster in writing a single 5GB video file, taking just over 3 minutes, but that was still toward the back of the pack. Suffice it to say, this drive isn't for people who regularly transfer large amounts of data via flash drives. However, the PNY Turbo 64GB is a good choice at a reasonable price if you just want a model that you know will work for the odd times that you need it.

Max write/read speeds: 47/135 MB/s | Available sizes (GB): 16, 32, 64,128, 256

The SanDisk Ultra Fit CZ43 256GB is a classic thumbnail-style drive that offers good write/read speeds in a tiny package. Though not the fastest thumbnail-style model we have tested, we found its speeds acceptable enough for working with both large media files and folders filled with word documents and spreadsheets. Perhaps most importantly, its read speeds are quite good, so you shouldn't notice lagging if you leave it plugged into your laptop all day as secondary storage for important files.

Our least favorite aspect of using the Ultra Fit CZ43 256GB is removing it from USB ports. It fits quite snugly, and the small and somewhat slick plastic body provides little purchase. The lanyard attachment slot is also too small to accommodate most keyrings. Still, for those seeking a super small thumbnail-style flash drive, the SanDisk Ultra Fit CZ43 delivers an excellent overall experience.

Why Trust GearLab

Lead author and tester Max Mutter is no stranger to USB flash drive data transfers. In his years as a nomadic ecologist, he carried giant data sets stored on multiple flash drives between different remote research stations. At these stations, he often constructed intricate spatial statistical models using that data on outdated computers — a tenuous situation where a slow flash drive can grind everything to a halt. Spending weeks or months in remote locales far from the reaches of the internet turns a flash drive full of your favorite movies into an essential commodity. In the last few years as a Senior Editor for GearLab, Max has transferred and edited terabytes of testing footage from camera drones, security cameras, and dash cams using a multitude of flash drives.

To start this review, we researched over 100 USB flash drives before purchasing the most promising models on the market. We then ran a plethora of real-world speed tests using large media files, folders full of songs and photos, and folders stuffed with word documents and spreadsheets. We also spent time assessing each drive's construction, determining how well they would stand up to wear and tear, and evaluating the quality of any sliding mechanisms or swivels. In the end, we whittled the list down to only the top drives we would recommend for a variety of specific use cases.

Analysis and Test Results

Most of our USB flash drive tests focused on write and read (upload and download) speeds. Our three tests utilized different file types and sizes to assess speed. We also ranked the overall user-friendliness of each drive, meticulously evaluating their construction, how well they fit on a keychain, and how easily they slide into and out of USB ports.

Speed

We conducted three separate speed tests: a large file transfer test, a small file transfer test, and a video streaming test.

Large File Speed

A common use for flash drives is backing up or transferring movie or music collections. We tested each drive's speed in transferring these larger files by writing (saving to the drive) and reading (transferring from the drive) a 5 gigabyte (GB) HD movie file, timing the process. From there, we were able to calculate the exact upload and download speed in megabytes per second (MB/s). Large individual files are generally the easiest for drives to transfer, so these speeds represent the best you can expect from each drive.

Posting field-leading write and read speeds of 249 MB/s and 415 MB/s, respectively, the PNY Pro Elite 256GB was the clear winner in our large file speed tests. The SanDisk Extreme GO 64GB was the only model that could get close to the PNY Pro Elite's write speeds, hitting a pace of 161 MB/s. However, its write speeds were about half as fast at 208 MB/s.

Though the Samsung Fit Plus 128GB displayed average write speeds in our large file test at 70 MB/s, it showed impressive reading performance, benchmarking an average rate of 356 MB/s. The Samsung Bar Plus 128GB offered similarly fast read speeds, making both models great portable options for storing movie collections.

Small File Speeds

Reading and writing lots of small files is a much different task than doing so with large files, so we tested this ability separately. We constructed a 5GB folder jam-packed with a mix of photos, some songs, and lots of spreadsheets and word documents, and timed transferring that folder to and from each flash drive. Transferring thousands of small files at once can bog down even the best of flash drives, so the results of this torture test are likely the worst speeds you can expect from each drive.

Also dominating our small file transfer tests, the PNY Pro Elite 256GB wrote at an average of 37 MB/s and reading at 133 MB/s. Both Samsung models stood out in this test as well, achieving write speeds in the mid-20s and read speeds in excess of 100 MB/s.

The SanDisk Extreme Go 64GB hit well above average speeds in this test, achieving 12 MB/s write speeds and 77 MB/s read speeds.

Movie Watching

If we could plug a drive into a computer and watch a full 1080p HD movie stored on the drive without any lagging or dropped frames, the drive passed. This is a vital ability for those that like to keep their movie collection stored on a flash drive but don't want to have to download those movies to their computer every time an opportunity for movie night arises.

Luckily all of the models we tested passed, allowing us to watch and even fast forward an HD movie with no lagging. The PNY Turbo technically passed this test, but it takes 10-15 seconds before it will display a movie file. Once that initial lag elapses, however, it is flawless.

Ease of Use

We spent days using each one of our flash drives, carrying them on our keychains, plugging and unplugging them into multiple devices and USB ports, and extending and retracting their USB connectors.

The Samsung Fit Plus 128GB offers the best balance of portability and durability of all the models we tested, thanks to a super slim profile and sturdy construction. However, it lacks an easy keychain attachment. The Samsung Bar Plus 128GB is slightly bulkier, but it is just as durable and is designed to be carried on a keychain.

The SanDisk Ultra Fit CZ43 256GB is a bit difficult to detach from a USB port, but it is super small. It isn't a dealbreaker for us, but it could be annoying if you need to switch out your USB flash drives between devices regularly.

The SanDisk Extreme GO 64GB has one of the smoothest and sturdiest sliding mechanisms for extending and retracting its USB connector. It's plastic, but it still maintains one of the most solid constructions of any device of its type.

The SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive 128GB is the most convenient option for those that want both USB Type-A and Type-C functionality. A smooth sliding mechanism allows you to access either connector easily, and both can be retracted inside the protective metal and plastic body. Our only complaint is that the lanyard attachment hole is extremely small to the point of being useless (we were never able to thread it successfully).

Conclusion

Though USB drives may seem to be a dime a dozen, some models offer far superior speeds and features than their competitors. We hope our objective testing results have helped you find a flash drive that will serve you well and become an everyday accessory. In addition, we have tested USB hubs that accept a wide array of USB drives, USB-C cables, microSD cards, and more.