Site icon Next Business 24

14 Greatest USB Flash Drives (2025): Pen Drives, Thumb Drives, Reminiscence Sticks

14 Greatest USB Flash Drives (2025): Pen Drives, Thumb Drives, Reminiscence Sticks


{Photograph}: Simon Hill

Different Flash Drives We Like

We’ve got examined many different USB flash drives that didn’t make the reduce. Listed below are a couple of that is likely to be value contemplating for some people.

Buffalo Exterior SSD-PUT Stick (500 GB) for $45: One other SSD in a flash drive physique, this drive hit 450 MB/s in my checks and provides shock safety for falls. There’s additionally a sliding USB-A, and it comes with a USB-C adapter. It’s fairly chunky for a flash drive, so chances are you’ll discover it blocks adjoining ports. You can even get moderately priced 1- and 2-TB variations of this drive.

PNY Professional Elite V2 (256 GB) for $25: This sliding drive has a plastic cowl to guard the USB-A plug, and was our compact choose for some time. It carried out effectively (learn and write speeds hovered round 415 MB/s and 425 MB/s) in my checks, and has a gap for a lanyard or keyring. I examined the 256-GB drive, however there are 512-GB and 1-terabyte fashions.

SanDisk Extremely Twin Drive Go (128 GB) for $16: This useful drive swivels to provide you USB-C or USB-A, and is available in varied sizes and a few enjoyable colours, however the decrease capability drives are sluggish (USB 3.1). You may get the 128 GB drive and up in USB 3.2 Gen 1 for as much as 400 MB/s learn and it’s a strong various to the PNY Duo above.

PNY Elite-X (256 GB) for $22: This super-compact, sliding drive has a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 jack and a loop on the top to suit on a keyring. It labored wonderful however proved unremarkable in my checks (round 200 MB/s learn, and 130 MB/s write).

Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 (16 GB) for $103: In the event you want a safe drive, Kingston’s IronKey boasts FIPS 140-3 certification, XTS-AES 256-bit encryption, and a particular epoxy on its circuitry to make it unattainable to take away elements. On the draw back, it’s costly, the keypad is fiddly, and 10 mistaken entries wipe the drive.

Samsung FIT Plus (256 GB) for $26: It’s better-looking than our greatest tiny drive choose, with a metallic physique and efficiency to match (as much as 400 MB/s learn for 128-GB or 256-GB drives). However Samsung’s drive can be considerably greater and costlier, although it does have a useful loop for a keychain.

Keep away from These Flash Drives

{Photograph}: Simon Hill

Silicon Energy DS72 Moveable SSD (1 TB): This can be a cheap value for a 1-TB drive with USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-A and USB-C connectors, and it persistently hit 450 MB/s learn and write speeds in my checks (it may hit 1050 MB/s and 850 MB/s with the fitting gear). It received fairly heat to the contact, however the motive I don’t advocate this drive is the silly plastic connector covers. It’s a must to bend them again, and so they get in the way in which whenever you’re attempting to insert the drive.

Verbatim Twin (64 GB): This teeny drive is reasonable and has each USB-A and USB-C plugs, however I discovered write speeds had been variable (60 MB/s for USB-C and 90 MB/s for USB-A) and browse speeds had been round 150 MB/s for each. There’s a cowl for the USB-A and a wee strap you may connect, however this drive is sort of too small, and it proved awkward to insert and take away. It additionally is available in 16- or 32-gigabyte choices.


Energy up with limitless entry to WIRED. Get best-in-class reporting and unique subscriber content material that is too necessary to disregard. Subscribe At this time.

Keep forward of the curve with NextBusiness 24. Discover extra tales, subscribe to our publication, and be part of our rising neighborhood at nextbusiness24.com

Exit mobile version