The Best USB Flash Drives of 2024

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Flash drives are a great way to take your most important documents on the go. For such an important task, however, you don't want to use just any old drive—you'll want the best to ensure your files stay safe and secure.

We've reviewed our recommendations and updated our pick for the best flash drive for security.

The primary factor when shopping for a flash drive (also known as a thumb drive) is how much storage you'll need. Flash drives can get pricey depending on the brand you buy and how powerful it is. Generally, it's better to go for a higher-capacity flash drive so that you don't fill it up and need a replacement quickly.

Read and write speeds are also key to a good flash drive. If you handle large files regularly, you'll want to explore models with at least 100Mbps read speeds. Most flash drives today come with 150Mbps read speeds and write speeds hovering around 75-100Mbps, so this isn't too difficult of a requirement to hit. However, some of the cheaper flash drives on the market will have lower speeds, which will only cause you frustration in the long run, so be sure to double-check.

Security is also an important factor, especially as flash drives are meant to be highly portable storage solutions, which means they can get lost or stolen more easily. You may want an extra layer of privacy if the files on the drive are particularly sensitive. Finding a flash drive with good encryption and smart features like a fingerprint reader is ideal for any security-centric buyer. If the files you're carrying around aren't sensitive, these security features aren't a much-have, though they're always nice bonuses.

In our list, we've found the best options that strike an excellent balance between capacity, speed, and price and offer extra features like protecting your data from the elements and prying eyes.

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Pros

Cons

✓ Compact design

✗ Not ideal for USB-C users

✓ USB 3.1

✗ Top speeds require 128GB or 256GB storage

✓ Water- and shock-proof

Our pick for the best flash drive for most people is Samsung's Fit Plus. Featuring an incredibly compact design, this drive offers up to 256GB of storage and USB 3.1 speeds of 400Mbps. What's more, the drive is reasonably priced, with the 128GB model costing just $23.

The Fit Plus is waterproof for up to 72 hours in seawater and shockproof at up to 1,500 gravitational acceleration. It's also magnet-proof and x-ray-proof.

Oddly, Samsung only grants the larger-capacity 128GB and 256GB models faster storage, whereas smaller variants will be stuck with speeds that sit well below 400Mbps. In addition, this drive isn't ideal for those striving to switch all of their devices to USB-C since this drive sticks with a standard USB-A port.

Overall, though, it's hard to find a more well-rounded alternative to the Fit Plus.

If you need a well-rounded flash drive with good durability and fast performance, the Fit Plus is a great choice.

Pros

Cons

✓ Password protection

✗ Very slow 4Mbps write speeds

✓ Low price for the feature set

✗ No added external protection

✓ USB 3.0

The SanDisk Ultra Flair is a great option if you're shopping for a flash drive on a budget. Available with up to 512GB of storage, the Ultra Flair offers lower prices across the board than most of the competition, with the 128GB option priced at under $15.

For the money, you get a drive with a design instantly familiar to anyone. It features USB 3.0 and compatibility with the company's SecureAccess software, letting you lock it with a password. Plus, it's backward compatible with USB 2.0 ports.

With no added external protection from water or shock, this flash drive won't be for those who may have gadget-centric accidents more often than not. And while read speeds remain a terrific 150Mbps, write speeds are an abysmal 4Mbps. If you're dealing with big files, you'll want to up your budget a bit.

If you can live with these caveats, the Ultra Flair offers a solid mix of smart features and simplicity that many will appreciate.

If you just need a basic flash drive and don't mind slower speeds, SanDisk's Ultra Flair flash drive is a solid option.

Pros

Cons

✓ Dual USB-C and USB-A connectors

✗ Slower 35-40Mbps write speeds

✓ 150Mbps read speeds

✗ No additional privacy or durability protections

✓ Up to 512GB of storage

✓ Reasonable price

If you're looking for a flash drive that connects over USB-C, check out SanDisk's Ultra Dual Drive Go. Not only does it offer a USB-C connector, but it also comes with a secondary USB-A connector in case you ever need to connect it to a device with older ports.

The Ultra Dual Drive Go offers USB 3.1 speeds, which translates to 150Mbps read and 35-40Mbps write speeds. The drive is compatible with SanDisk's Memory Zone app, available for Android, to automatically back up important data when connected to your device. You can get as much as 512GB of storage if you need it.

Notably, there's no extra external protection against water, shock, or magnets. You also don't get any additional layers of security, so you'll want to ensure you don't lose it.

All in all, The Dual Drive Go is a respectively versatile flash drive that should suffice for anyone who strives to use as many USB-C devices as possible.

With both USB-C and USB-A connections, the Ultra Dual Drive Go is a great flash drive for anyone making the transition to USB-C and still need something reliable.

Pros

Cons

✓ Blazing-fast read and write speeds

✗ No protection against water or shock

✓ High capacity

✗ No additional security features

✓ USB-C

✗ High price

If you need a flash drive to manage a ton of data, you'll want to check out the Kingston DataTraveler Max.

This USB-C flash drive has up to 1TB of storage, featuring USB 3.2 Gen 2 performance for up to 1,000Mbps read and 900Mbps write speeds. It's ideal for those who may have to regularly move big files like video projects around. It's also great if you'd rather have something compact like a flash drive over an external solid state drive.

Without water resistance or additional security features, the Kingston DataTraveler Max might not be for everyone. The storage also comes at a high price, costing quite a bit more than the other options on our list.

But if you're looking for a flash drive with a lot of storage space that can make managing big files a breeze, it's certainly worth considering.

With up to 1TB of storage, 1000Mbps read speeds, and 900Mbps write speeds, the Kingston DataTraveler Max is perfect for anyone who needs a lot of storage on the go.

Pros

Cons

✓ Aircraft-grade aluminum enclosure

✗ Lacks additional security and encryption

✓ Protection against water and dirt

✗ No USB-C option

✓ Good performance

Looking for something rugged that can handle an adventurous lifestyle? Check out the Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth. It offers a strong anodized aircraft-grade aluminum enclosure that's waterproof up to 200 meters. Thanks to a molded shock-damping collar, it's also vibration—and impact-resistant.

In terms of specs, Corsair uses a traditional USB 3.0 connector that offers good read and write speeds of 150Mbps and 90Mbps, respectively. It can also be configured with up to 256GB of storage.

If you want extra security, you won't find it here as there's no password protection or other types of encryption. It can survive the elements, but you'll want to make sure not to lose this flash drive if you have sensitive documents.

Overall, the Flash Survivor Stealth is ideal for anyone who might value extra durability given their lifestyle.

If you need a flash drive you can take on a rigorous adventure without worrying about external damage, Corsair's Survivor Stealth is a great choice.

Pros

Cons

✓ Protective case and keychain loop

✗ Smaller capacity drives have slower read/write speeds

✓ Rechargeable battery

✗ Expensive

✓ Can unlock the drive before connecting

✓ Compatible with all operating systems

✓ IP57 rating

If you have sensitive documents that need protection, the Kingston Ironkey Keypad 200 is a highly secure USB flash drive. It might be an expensive option, and the base configuration may only have 8GB of storage, but what price can you put on security?

The Ironkey Keypad 200 is available in larger capacities all the way up to 512GB (at a somewhat eye-watering price), and you can choose from either USB-A or USB-C options. It’s lightweight and not much bigger than a regular flash drive, and its read and write speeds are good, especially for those with larger capacities. 8GB to 32GB models have a read speed of up to 145MB/s and a write speed of up to 115MB/s. If you opt for the high-capacity options of 64GB to 512GB, you’ll get much faster speeds of up to 280/200MB/s.

While these speeds are good, this drive is all about security. With military-grade encryption that meets the requirements of FIPS 140-3 Level 3 certification and XTS-AES 256-bit hardware-based encryption, you’re getting a level of security that’s ideal for handling confidential information. It’s designed for professionals, such as lawyers, or individuals needing a safe place to store personal documents.

Users must first create a numeric or text PIN and use that secret code whenever they want access to your files. You can create this code on the prominent alphanumeric keypad on the device, and you can set both Admin and User PINs. As the admin, you will have access to all the advanced security features, but you can grant limited access to other users. If the Admin PIN is entered incorrectly ten times, all the data on the drive is automatically erased. The admin can reset user PINs in the event of ten mistyped PINs.

The keypad features a polymer layer to prevent fingerprints, safeguarding against any potential PIN analysis. Furthermore, the casing is fortified with epoxy, a strong synthetic resin that offers dust—and water-resistance to protect the inner circuitry. If you need to use the drive on an unsecured system, you have a Global Read-Only mode that denies any data from being written onto it. This feature enhances security further and ensures sensitive information remains protected even in the event of it falling into the wrong hands.

The Kingston IronKey Keypad 200 is a premium, highly secure USB flash drive that prioritizes data protection through robust encryption and physical security measures.

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