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

Other flash units we like

We have tested many other USB flash units that have not made the cut. Here are some that may be worth considering for some people.

Pny Pro Elite V2 (256 GB) for $ 35: This sliding guide has a plastic lid to protect the USB-A plug and was our compact choice for a while. It behaved well (the reading and writing speeds have passed to about 415 MB/if 425 MB/s) in my tests and has an opening for a cord or a keyring. I tested the 256 GB unit, but there are 512 GB and 1-tarabyte models.

SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go (128 GB) for $ 16: This comfortable drive makes you turn to give you USB-C or USB-A and is available in various sizes and some fun colors, but the lower capacity units are slow (USB 3.1). You can get the 128 GB unit and increase in USB 3.2 Jan 1 for a reading up to 400 MB/s and is a solid alternative to the PNY duo above.

PNY Elite-X (256 GB) for $ 22: This super-compact sliding unit has a Jack Gen 1 USB-C 3.2 and a ring at the end to adapt to a keys. It worked well but proved to be irrelevant in my tests (about 200 MB/s reading and writing of 130 MB/s).

Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200 (16 GB) for $ 100: If you need a safe disc, Kingston Ironkey boasts FIPS 140-3 certification, 256-bit XTS-AES encryption and a special epoxy on its circuits to make it impossible to remove the components. On the negative side, it is expensive, the keyboard is made and 10 wrong voices clean the unit.

Samsung Fit Plus (256 GB) for $ 23: It is more beautiful than our best Drive Pick, with a metal body and performance to be combined (up to 400 MB/s reading per unit of 128 GB or 256 GB). But the Samsung unit is also substantially larger and more expensive, even if it has a useful cycle for a key ring.

Avoid these flash units

Photography: Simon Hill

Silicon Power DS72 Portable SSD (1 TB): This is a reasonable price for a 1 TB unit with USB 3.2 connecting connectors 2 USB-A and USB-C and has constantly affected reading and writing speeds of 450 MB/s in my tests (it can hit 1050 MB/SE 850 MB/s with the right straight line). It has become hot enough to the touch, but the reason why I don’t recommend this guide are the stupid covers of the plastic connector. You have to bend them back and put in the middle when you are trying to insert the unit.

Verbatim Dual (64 GB): This teenage unit is cheap and has both USB-A and USB-C spines, but I discovered that the writing speeds were variable (60 MB/s for USB-C and 90 MB/s for USB-A) and the reading speeds were about 150 MB/s for both. There is a coverage for the USB-A and a small strap you can connect, but this unit is almost too small and has proved embarrassing to insert and remove. It is also available in 16 or 32 gigabyte options.

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