If you find yourself constantly needing to transfer files between computers, I recommend you get yourself a high-capacity USB Flash drive. I made this list to help you guys make a buying decision. I listed these best USB flash drives based on their price, quality, security, durability and more. Let’s not waste any more time and take a look at them:

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Which Is The Best USB Flash Drive?

5. SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive

USB flash drives come in various shapes and flavors, depending on your needs and preferences. The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive is an amazing flash drive that is designed for iPhone users, it allows them to transfer files from your iPhone to your PC, and it is one of the best ways to back up your files, photos, and music. Just like the legacy model, the new model has the same functionalities, in a smaller and more compact package, with faster USB 3.0 transfer speeds and an updated app that is more user-friendly, It is also available in various sizes, depending on your need and preference.

The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive is built with metal and some sort of flexible rubber material, it has a curved design with the Apple Lightning connector on one side and the USB connector on the other side. When you plug it in your iPhone then the USB connector can be wrapped around the back, offering you to use the phone normally as if it doesn’t exist. The whole design is very well thought out, and it works perfectly, it may seem very simple but it is one of the most convenient options.

The SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive sticks into any USB port of your choice on your PC and sports USB 3.0 transfer speeds for moving data between two devices. However, there are no caps for protecting your flash drive on neither end, so it may be an issue if you are not careful, as it may get damaged really easily. But it is very small and portable so you can easily carry it in your pocket, or even attach it to a keychain, a very functional flash drive.

When you first connect the flash drive to your iPhone there will be a pop up taking you straight to the App Store to download and install the iXpand Drive app, which is required for the USB to function. Also, it allows you to use the backup, file, and file transfer features, the app works very well and is functional most of the time without crashes, and it offers great support to learn how the multiple tools work.

The best flash drive for iPhone users hands down.

4. Samsung BAR

At number 4 of our best usb flash drives list we have a great product from Samsung. The Samsung BAR has been one of the most popular flash drives in the market for a while and rightly so, thanks to its durable casing that features waterproof rating, and protection against magnets and extreme temperatures. It has good transfer speeds via the USB 3.0 features, good pricing, and it will definitely last for a long time at your side.

The Samsung BAR is a very small and compact flash drive, even among mini USB flash drives, it measures about an inch and a half, it has the USB connector on one end and on the other and it has a key ring included that is ergonomically shaped. The body of the device is built with metal all-around, that has a shiny silver metallic color, it feels nice in hands and it is extremely durable, but it is a fingerprint magnet though. The device is tested against shock, elements of the weather, magnets, and temperature, and throughout it worked pretty well after all the beating it took. It is pretty portable and it will slide easily in your pockets, and through the keyring hole, you can attach the drive to keys or backpack zippers easily.

The Samsung BAR doesn’t require any kind of setup or installation, you just plug it in and it starts to work. It comes formatted in the old FAT32 file system as a default, so if you need to transfer files larger than 4GB, you are required to format it to NTFS or exFAT file system.
I have tested the transfer speeds of the device using the Crystal Disk Mark benchmark software and a USB 3.0 port, and I noticed that the read speeds averaged 135MB per second and write speeds around 45MB per second.

I also tested the Samsung BAR’s transfer speeds in practical daily use to transfer movies too and from the flash drive, and I was generally pleased with the performance, while it was not the fastest I have ever seen.

I think this is the perfect USB flash drive, for those that are always out and about and tend to break or damage their flash drives. The Samsung BAR guarantees that no such thing will happen.

3. Samsung MUF-128AB

Technological advancements are made every day, and our tech is getting smaller and easier to carry every day, while also getting cheaper every day. I saw a photo yesterday of a 5MB storage in the 1980s being carried by a forklift, and today we have tiny flash drives that can carry data up to 256GB. One such small option is the Samsung FIT Plus MUF-256AB, a thumb-drive essentially, manufactured and designed by Samsung, it is the smallest in our list, and has huge capacity and amazing USB 3.1 file transfer speeds.

Design-wise the Samsung MUF-128AB, despite being very small and tiny, it looks very attractive, with its rugged plastic that features a key ring hole and the gray Samsung logo. The USB connector is very beautiful as well with its classic chrome color and dark gray characters that state the capacity and the USB 3.1 writing, it is a stunning flash drive overall. On top of that, the Samsung FIT Plus has a great build quality, with the best materials and the device won’t break and it will definitely be one of the longer-lasting ones.

Also, Samsung has added tons of security measure to keep your data secure from external elements. It is waterproof as it can last up to 72 hours under seawater, it is shock proof withstanding up to 1500 gravitational acceleration, it can operate from -25 to 85 degrees Celsius, it is also magnet proof up to 15000 Gauss equal to an MRI scan, and finally it is worth stating that the flash drive can endure x-rays up to 50 roentgen, equal to those machines that are present in airports.

The Samsung FIT Plus is designed to be convenient and is best suited for notebook users as it blends in with most notebook and ultrabook designs. You can even just leave it there as it will not prove to be a liability and will not add to the size, it will only act as extra storage.

The Samsung FIT Plus has amazing sequential read and writes speeds, as it achieved 300MB/s read speeds and also equally remarkable write speeds thanks to the USB 3.1 interface and performance.

An amazing and tiny power flash drive.

2. SanDisk Cruzer CZ36

The SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 is a great piece of a flash drive that has a good range of capacity options, decent file transfer speeds, convenient design and for a low price that you can’t say no to. It definitely provides the most value on this list, that budget-conscious buyers will be pleased. In a time where online file sharing services and back up systems are more than common, the SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 with its attractive price and encryption system that provides security will make for a worthy buy.

The SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 is a small USB flash drive that has the USB connector inside to keep it secure, it has a black durable plastic body and has red accents just on the SanDisk logo and the retraction mechanism for the USB connector. The mechanism worked very well and it was very smooth throughout the process, and I noticed that it is built with quality materials so you won’t have to worry about the lifespan of the device, as expected by SanDisk. The USB flash drive ships in the Certified Frustration-Free package, that is very easy to open due to its excellent design, unlike most of the packages that wreck your nerves this one is very convenient to open and protects your device in the best way possible.

SanDisk has been a leader in the USB flash drive market, however, they choose not to incorporate countless features in this USB. Although they have provided a feature that will be perfect for users that are concerned for their privacy, you can set password protection for your files, that only you can get access, and it is protected by 128-bit-AES encryption that will protect your files or photos from those who want to take a peek at your privacy.

Also, to set up hidden folders and such you have the SanDisk SecureAccess software to protect your more sensitive files, thanks to the software amazing features.

It features moderate USB 2.0 speeds, it performed good sequential read and write speeds, and it was a little slower in random large file transfer, but it was a good performer all-around. Considering everything about this flash drive, i would say that it’s a great option and it definitely deserves its spot in this best usb flash drives list.

1. Patriot Supersonic Rage 2

Coming in at number one in our list is the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2, a great USB flash drive and also the one that features the fastest file transfer speeds on our list. But not only that, the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 has a high capacity, MLC NAND and the best IC controllers, and an LED light indicator for transfers. It is a versatile flash drive as in everybody can use it, but thanks to its high capacity and high file transfer speeds I would recommend this for media professionals and generally for those that demand high-performance from a flash drive.

When I first took a look at the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2, I did not assume that it had such a high performance, because it has a very simple black rubberized body, with some accents of bright blue branding and rounded edges. Other than that, there is also a good slider mechanism that retracts the USB connector to protect it against the elements between uses, plus a keychain loop on the other end. A very standard and utilitarian design, but it is a sturdy flash drive, also I have to mention that it is a tiny device.

The Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 is available in both 128GB and 256GB capacity option and both feature a marketed 400MB per second read speed and 300MB per second write speeds, this may be only sequential speeds, but they transfer to everyday speeds as well. Straight from out of the package, it comes in the FAT32 file system format, ensuring compatibility with every operative system. When I tested the sequential read speeds with the synthetic benchmark software, it achieved the marketed 400MB/s, but not quite on the write speeds, it only managed to average 250MB/s, which is still pretty fast and impressive.

Then I tested file transfer speeds with random large transfers, and the results in reading speed were again very impressive at 250MB per second, however, it was not as good in write speeds where it averaged around 50MB per second.

With an amazing build quality that will last for many years, the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 with its high capacity and high transfer speeds will prove to be useful for every user.