The Best USB Flash Drive

Buying Guide

USB flash drives are ubiquitous and versatile, providing either semi-permanent extra storage or an easy way to move files between devices.

When buying USB flash drives, the first consideration is how much memory to purchase: Look to get a bit more than you think you’ll need. It’s better to buy a 16-gigabyte drive straight off than to buy an 8 gigabyte one and end up needing a second.

Another consideration is durability. Given how small USB flash drives are, they are often fragile. Look for USB drives made from materials like aluminum, or flash drives rated against water, shock and magnets.

Also consider security. Many flash drives come with encryption and password-protection, which can be an easy and cheap investment to protect your data.

Finally, while low-profile tiny drives can be an attractive option, especially as semi-permanent additional storage for a desktop or laptop, consider physically larger thumb drives or thumb drives made to be attached to a keychain.

USB flash drives are easily and commonly lost, so a way to keep track of it or attach it to your person can help prevent the unfortunate loss of treasured photographs or important files. If you plan to attach a drive to a keychain, make sure it’s waterproof. Lost USB drives are also a good reason for encryption and password protection.

• Check the USB version of both the drive and of the devices to which you plan to connect it. The most recent standard, as of 2019, is USB 4, which requires USB-C connectors. However, many common devices today still use USB 3.1 or 3.0.
• USB 3.0 and 3.1 devices are backward-compatible in that they will work with USB 2.0 and lower standards, but you won’t get the same speed as with modern devices. If your read and write speeds are low, this is likely the reason.
• Think carefully before labeling your flash drives. On the one hand, it can help tell similar drives apart or remind you what you stored where. On the other hand, it can be a security risk.