The fastest USB flash drives have made the working lives of millions of office workers, teachers, students, IT, and other professionals massively simpler. If you already have one (or a few) fastest USB flash drives then you’ll know just how incredibly useful they are.
If you don’t already own at least one of the best USB flash drives, this article will help convince you of their absolute usefulness in your working and personal life.
If you spend much of your day working with files and other data, you know that speed is key. Whether you’re a student taking notes or a professional who needs to be able to access large volumes of information quickly, you need a USB drive that’s capable of moving as much information as possible in the time that you have available.
Here is the list of the 10 fastest USB flash drives you should buy.
| Name | Storage Capacity | Buy on Amazon |
| 1. SanDisk – SDCZ48 Ultra | 16 GB – 512 GB |  |
| 2. PNY 256GB Turbo | 32 GB – 256 GB | |
| 3. SanDisk – SDCZ73 Ultra Flair | 16 GB – 512 GB | |
| 4. Patriot Supersonic Rage Pro | 128 GB | |
| 5. Samsung BAR Plus | 64 GB – 128 GB | |
| 6. Kingston Digital DataTraveler | 16 GB – 32 GB | |
| 7. Kingston DataTraveler Exodia | 32 GB – 256 GB | |
| 8. SAMSUNG MUF-32AB/AM FIT Plus | 32 GB – 256 GB | |
| 9. PNY 512GB Elite | 64 GB – 512 GB | |
| 10. Patriot Supersonic Boost XT | 16 GB – 256 GB | |
With this in mind, we examined dozens of different drives in order to determine which are the most reliable and fastest USB drives available today. Some of these cost more than others, but all are worth considering if you want the best performance for your money. Let’s take a look at how we determined which were the best options for fast storage.
1. SanDisk – SDCZ48 Ultra USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Memory Storage Capacity | 16 GB – 512 GB |
| Brand | SanDisk |
| Hardware Interface | USB, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 |
| Read Speed | 130 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- Transfer speeds up to 10x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); up to 130MB/s read speed; USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending upon the host device. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes
- Backward compatible with USB 2.0
- Secure file encryption and password protection.
2. PNY 256GB Turbo USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Color | GREY |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 32 GB – 256 GB |
| Brand | PNY |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Read Speed | 185 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- Read speeds up to 140MB/sec; Write speeds up to 80MB/sec.
- Store and transfer large files faster than ever with USB 3.0 technology.
- Allows for quick and easy transfer of all content.
- The 256GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive can hold approximately 47, 349 songs
- The sliding collar, capless design with an integrated loop makes it easy to attach to key chains, backpacks, etc.
- Backward compatible with USB 2.0 Ports, so you can utilize any USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port; Compatible with most PC and Mac laptop and desktop computers.
3. SanDisk – SDCZ73 Ultra Flair USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Color | Black |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 16 GB – 512 GB |
| Brand | SanDisk |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Read Speed | 150 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 150MB/s(1) [(1) Write to drive up to 15x faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); varies by drive capacity. Up to 150MB/s read speed. USB 3.0 port required. Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on the host device, usage conditions, and other factors; 1MB=1,000,000 bytes]
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes, and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9+; Software download required for Mac.
4. Patriot Supersonic Rage Pro USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Memory Storage Capacity | 128 GB |
| Brand | Patriot Memory |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.2 |
| Read Speed | 420 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- 128GB – USB 3.2 Gen. 1 Compliant (backwards compatible with USB 3.0)
- Designed with an aluminum-coated housing providing better thermal dissipation.
- UASP (USB Attached SCSI Protocol) supported, enabling Read and Write transfers simultaneously.
- LED Light Indicator
- With a 5-year warranty, the diverse Supersonic Rage Pro features multi-platform compatibility with Windows 10 Windows 8, Windows 7, Linux 2.6, and later, Mac OSX 10.X.
5. Samsung BAR Plus USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
- Redefine everyday file transfers with speeds up to 300MB/s
- Reliable and secure storage for your photos, videos, music, and files
- Rugged metal casing for durability with key ring to prevent loss
- Safeguard your data (Waterproof, shockproof, magnet proof, temperature proof, x-ray proof)
- USB 3.1 flash drive with backward compatibility (USB 3.0, USB 2.0)
6. Kingston Digital DataTraveler (DTSE9H/32GB)
Specifications:
| Memory Storage Capacity | 16 GB – 32 GB |
| Brand | Kingston |
| Hardware Interface | USB 2.0 |
About this item:
- Durable yet stylish metal casing with a sturdy ring that easily attaches to devices
- Convenient and small, capless and pocket-sized for easy transportability
- Compatible with Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 8, Mac OS (v. 10.10.x+), Linux v.2.6.x+, Chrome OS
7. Kingston DataTraveler Exodia (DTX/32GB)
Specifications:
| Memory Storage Capacity | 32 GB – 256 GB |
| Brand | Kingston |
| Hardware Interface | USB, USB 3.0 |
| Read Speed | 100 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 performance for easy access to laptops, desktop PCs, monitors, and other digital devices.
- Quick transfers and convenient storage of documents, music, videos, and more.
- Large loop easily attaches to key rings
- A practical cap protects the USB plug
- Available in capacities up to 256GB
8. SAMSUNG MUF-32AB/AM FIT Plus USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Color | Gunmetal Gray |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 32 GB – 256 GB |
| Brand | SAMSUNG |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Read Speed | 200 |
About this item:
- Redefine everyday file transfers with speeds up to 200MB/s
- Exceptionally compact USB flash drive for an unnoticeable, seamless fit, designed with a key ring to prevent loss
- Reliable and secure storage for your photos, videos, music, and files
- USB 3.1 flash drive with backward compatibility (USB 3.0, USB 2.0)
9. PNY 512GB Elite USB Flash Drive
Specifications:
| Memory Storage Capacity | 64 GB – 512 GB |
| Brand | PNY |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.1 Type C |
| Read Speed | 130 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Flash Drive is ideal for Type-C enabled PC and Mac desktop and laptop computers, as well as Type-C, enabled smartphones and tablets.
- Read speeds up to 130MB/s.
- Transfer speeds up to 30 times faster than standard PNY USB 2 0 Flash drives.
- Holds over 100,000 pictures at 18MP and over 94,500 songs or 29.5 hours of 4K Ultra HD video content.
- Store and transfer music photos movies videos and documents between your Type-C devices quickly and easily.
10. Patriot Supersonic Boost XT USB Drive
Specifications:
| Color | Black |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 16 GB – 256 GB |
| Brand | Patriot Memory |
| Hardware Interface | USB 3.0 |
| Read Speed | 150 Megabytes Per Second |
About this item:
- Up to 150MB/s Read.
- High Speed USB 3.0 Compatible (backwards compatible to USB 2.0).
- Rubberized housing provides a durable and rugged exterior that safeguards the drives from the elements.
- Plug and play compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS.
What’s So Great About Fastest USB Flash Drives?
Small
Before the creation of the fastest USB drives all external storage devices for computers were either bulky or awkward (dozens of blank discs for example) or sometimes an annoying combination of being both bulky and awkward.
USB flash drives are also called Thumb Drives because they’re about the size of your thumb (although some are much smaller now) and you can easily fit several gigabytes of data in your jeans or shirt pocket thus eliminating the bulky and awkward factor straight away.
Portable
Best USB drives are about the single most portable data backup device possible. They don’t require an external power source of any kind, nor do you need any cables or tools to set them up, and last but not least they don’t require any additional software to be installed for them to work on any modern computer (Windows 7, 8, 10 and most Macs) so you can quite literally pick them up and use them anywhere you want.
Reliable
Once the data is stored on a fast USB flash drive, you can rest assured that it’s going to stay there and be there when you next need it. This is totally unlike the world of floppy disks or rewriteable CDs/DVDs where they can stop working for no apparent reason.
Best USB flash drives were built to provide consistent and reliable performance. Most of these drives come with built-in write protection to prevent you from overwriting your own important data – if you were silly enough to do so.
Tough
For years people fiddled with boxes of floppy disks and CDs/DVDs. These were bulky, easily lost, and easily damaged. External hard drives also provided another method of transporting data between systems but the smallest jolt was and is enough to kill an external hard disk stone.
USB drives are based on what’s called Solid-State Memory – this simply means that it’s the same as standard computer memory in that it has no moving parts and is therefore almost impossible to damage (except for jumping up and down on it or maybe hitting it with a hammer for example. Please don’t test either of these theories at home!)
Mass Storage
The first USB thumb drive only offered between 16MB and 64MB of storage space. The incredible popularity of these fastest USB pen drives has driven the desire for more and more storage space to new heights every few months. Currently, 8GB USB drives are becoming pretty common and it won’t be long before the 12GB and 24GB models hit the market.
To put this in perspective 8GB is enough to hold 2 full DVD quality movies or about 2,700 high-quality MP3 files – surely this is enough for you? No?
The portability of the best USB drive combined with reliability and the more than generous storage provided by such a tiny device make them the smart choice for anyone who needs to move files between PCs or simply just keeps the second copy of their most precious data on a secure and reliable storage device.
People Also Ask
Is a 3.0 or 2.0 flash drive faster?
Generally speaking, USB 3.0 flash drives are faster than USB 2.0 flash drives. USB 3.0 has a maximum transfer rate of 5 Gbps, while USB 2.0 has a maximum transfer rate of 480 Mbps. This means that USB 3.0 can transfer data more quickly than USB 2.0, making it faster for activities such as copying large files or backing up data.
However, the actual transfer speed will depend on several factors, including the performance of the flash drives itself, the file size and type, and the speed of the computer’s USB port. In some cases, a slower flash drive plugged into a USB 3.0 port may still perform slower than a faster flash drive plugged into a USB 2.0 port.
In summary, if you want to achieve the fastest transfer speeds possible, you should use a USB 3.0 flash drive with a USB 3.0 port, and make sure to check the read and write speeds of the flash drive itself to get an idea of how fast it can transfer data.
What is the difference between 3.0 and 3.2 flash drives?
USB 3.0 and USB 3.2 are both USB standards for data transfer, but USB 3.2 is a newer and faster version of USB 3.0.
While both USB 3.0 and USB 3.2 can transfer data more quickly than the older USB 2.0 standard, USB 3.2 has the potential to be twice as fast as USB 3.0. However, to achieve the maximum transfer rate, both the flash drive and the computer or device it’s plugged into must support USB 3.2.
Can I use a USB 3.2 device in a USB 3.0 port?
It’s worth noting that USB 3.2 is backward compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, which means that a USB 3.2 flash drive will still work with a computer or device that has a USB 3.0 or USB 2.0 port, but the data transfer rate will be limited by the slower standard.
What is the difference between USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-C?
USB 3.2 is a data transfer standard that supports high-speed data transfer rates of up to 10 Gbps. USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-C are different physical connectors that can be used to connect USB devices to a computer or other device.
USB 3.2 Type A is the standard rectangular USB connector that has been around for many years. It is the most commonly used connector for USB devices and can be found on most computers, laptops, and USB hubs. USB 3.2 Type-A connectors have 4 pins and can be used for both data transfer and charging.
USB 3.2 Type-C is a newer connector that is smaller and more versatile than the Type-A connector. Type-C connectors are reversible, which means they can be plugged in either way, making them more convenient to use. They are also capable of carrying more power, allowing devices to charge more quickly than with Type A connectors. Additionally, Type-C connectors support other protocols such as DisplayPort and Thunderbolt 3, which allows for video output and high-speed data transfer over the same cable.
One key difference between the two connectors is that USB 3.2 Type A is not compatible with newer devices that use USB-C connectors, while USB 3.2 Type-C is compatible with both Type-A and Type-C devices. This means that if you have a device that only has a Type-C port, you will need a Type-C to Type-A adapter to connect it to a device that only has a Type-A port.
In summary, while both USB 3.2 Type A and Type-C are capable of high-speed data transfer rates, Type-C offers additional benefits such as reversible connectors and support for other protocols, making it a more versatile option for newer devices.