SanDisk 512GB Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Product Information

Samsung has delivered one of the better-looking USB drives with the 32GB Bar. And if it's a head-turning device you're after, Samsung's option might be the best flash drive, period.

A cap on the connector keeps the drive safe from damage when it's not in use, and thanks to a loop at the end, you can connect the DataTraveler to a keychain to reduce your chances of losing it when you're walking around town. Above 128GB, you might want to consider a SSD if you want ruggedness, portability, versatility and better performance without the cost. The number after USB indicates the version of USB that is used by a particular device. Older generations have lower numbers as well as slower transfer speeds. If you don’t need the fastest USB drive around, you can save a bit by opting for a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 drive but it will take longer to transfer files onto and off of the device. Flash drives or thumb drives can connect with other devices using either USB Type-A or USB-C connectivity. How to choose the best flash drives for you?PNY's popular Turbo flash drive sports both a rugged design and ample storage, making it an ideal choice for someone who often travels and doesn't want to risk losing their data.

The Rage 2 has readings speeds of 400MB/s and writing speeds of 300MB/s, which is significantly faster than the previous model (the Supersonic Rage XT has reading and writing speeds of 180MB/s and 50MB/s). When buying a USB flash drive, you’ll want to focus on storage first. If you have a large number of files, videos, or songs you want to carry around with you, getting a USB drive with at least 64GB is critical. Most USB flash drives go up to 256GB and a few now have 1TB versions. As mentioned earlier in this guide, there are a number of different USB types and protocols that you need to be aware of before buying a USB drive. USB 2.0 is sufficient for smaller capacities but not for bigger ones where write speeds can get sluggish. Larger flash drives (128GB or more) often come only with a USB 3.0 connector. While the 1TB model will allow you to bring all of your most important files with you, Kingston also offers both a 256GB and a 512GB version. The USB-C port does limit compatibility with older devices but this USB flash drive will pair well with most modern Android smartphones.Still, this hard drive rightly deserves a spot on this list, with its zinc alloy body with aluminum accent and read/write speeds of 380Mbps and 70Mbps, respectively. Let’s just say that it’s no slouch. Plus, it also comes with a five-year warranty. Since it has both USB-A and USB-C plugs — there's a slide to expose one or the other — the SanDisk Ultra USB-C offers a nicemix of fast data transfers and future-proofing, so you can be sure it'll work with a variety of devices going forward. The USB 3.0 device offers transfer speeds of up to 10 times what you get in a comparable USB 2.0 drive. Add that to Turbo's maximum 256GB of storage, and you should be able to store nearly 48,000 songs on the device — and transfer them with ease. To test the best flash drives, we examined them across numerous factors. For starters, we looked at their storage capacities, connectivity option (USB-A or USB-C), and read and write speeds.