The best USB flash drives should offer the perfect marriage of compact form, high build quality, expansive space and zippy data transfer rates. You would ideally have a USB flash drive that you can tuck away in your bags or pocket and rely on to hold your files either to back them up or to transfer between your devices.
For most people, we'd recommend the Kingston DataTraveler Max as the best USB flash drive overall. It's a great pen drive that delivers performance close to an NVMe SSD, with great read/write speeds for what you pay for. There are some honourable mentions, however, including the Patriot Supersonic Rage Prime, which is lightning fast, and the SanDisk Ultra Fit which is a snug and compact drive with plenty of zip.
Our team has reviewed a vast array of storage solutions – including the best portable SSDs, best external hard drives, and best external hard drives for Mac. When it comes to USB flash drives, we benchmark performance, transfer speeds, and overall design.
Check out our recommendations below ahead of this year's Amazon Prime Day sale, which runs from 8 July to 11 July this year. We'll keep you in the loop over the latest deals as they drop, so be sure to come back if you're looking for a great deal on one of the best USB flash drives.
The best USB flash drives in 2025
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Best USB flash drive overall
The Kingston DataTraver Max is a blazingly fast USB flash drive that packs in the performance of an external SSD in small chassis. Thanks to a combination of high-speed USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C connector and fast TLC flash memory from Micron TLC, you can expect this flash drive to offer spectacular speeds.
It also features a keyring loop for additional portability and its sliding cover means that you will not have to worry about losing a cap.
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.
Read our full Kingston DataTraveler Max review.
Best USB flash drive for studying
Lightweight, capless design, loads of storage, long warranty, and ultra-fast speeds - we had no hesitation in giving the Adata Elite UE800 USB flash drive our Editor’s Choice award following our review. This tiny USB stick proved to be well worth the small amount of money it costs relative to the amount of storage you get.
The overall design is pleasing. The thin, sleek brush-metal body weighs just 13g and measures 73 x 21.3 x 8.9mm. It features a push-out Type-C connector, letting you use it on tablets and phones as well as laptops with OTG enabled. The push-out function also means it’s capless, so you don’t have to worry about losing that in your bag and getting dust inside the device.
Delivering speeds of up to 1.05GB/s over USB 3.2 Gen 2, this flash drive should be more than fast enough for most users. Benchmarking the Adata Elite UE800 with CrystalDiskMark showed read/write speeds of 1074MB/s and 1001MB/s respectively - and with other benchmarking tools showing slightly slower speeds of around 900 mb/s. That more or less chimes with the rated read and write speeds of 1050/1000MB/s.
There’s no software bundled with the device, but the price is low, and comes in 512GB, 1TB, 2TB variants. Beyond the affordability and storage space, what we especially like about the Adata Elite UE800 is the 5-year warranty, which will see you through most college and university courses.
Read our full Adata Elite UE800 review
Best USB flash drive for speed
For lightning-fast speeds and a razor-sharp design, the Patriot Supersonic Rage Prime is an exceptional little device that can outpace many SSDs. It's also available for a little less than many competing brands, meaning you also get incredible value for money with this nifty pen drive.
We previously highlighted how fast the Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 was, with reading speeds of 400MB/s and writing speeds of 300MB/s – and the next generation eclipses that – with up to 600MB/s read speeds, according to Patriot. Other sites that have tested this USB flash drive have confirmed as much, with blistering 553MB/s write speeds and 615MB/s reads, which is faster even than the likes of the Crucial X6 2TB SSD.
Elsewhere, its design is also a great feature – with a retractable connector that protects it when not in use. Its durability and build quality are also notable, with this device built to last. You also get a driver-free experience and an LED indicator that flashes when active. While the base model is 250GB, you can easily upgrade to 500GB and 1TB capacities for a little less than you might find other models available for too. It's ultimately a fantastic little device for professionals who regularly need to back up and carry large files.
Best budget USB flash drive
This is the cheapest USB 3.0 drive on the market per GB. It comes with a two-year warranty as well as a capless/retractable cap design.
It’s worth noting that Verbatim - a very well-known Japanese storage and memory manufacturer - sells it on its website where you’ll often find excellent deals on the device. As if it isn’t cheap enough as it is.
Since flash drives are portable devices that are stored in a lot of places and passed around between people, bacteria's bound to thrive. But Verbatim uses Microban antimicrobial protection that prevents the growth of microorganisms like bacteria. This technology is used during the flash drive's manufacturing, so it is a permanent feature that works constantly without wearing off. The antimicrobial technology works at a cellular level to hinder the growth of microorganisms.
Best USB flash drive for business
SanDisk has earned its reputation for producing high quality and fast storage solutions and the SanDisk Extreme PRO flash drive is no exception to this rule. Its performance can reach a blazing-fast 420 MB/s for reads and 380MB/s for writes, giving you plenty of oomph if you're hoping to transfer large files at once. While this device lacks USB 3.2 Gen 2, it's still plenty quick.
It's a brilliantly fast flash drive that also gives you 128GB of storage capacity – while it's base configuration not as expansive as some other newer solutions, you can pick up a blockbuster 1TB version without totally breaking the bank.
We also loved the flash drive's sharp metallic design, with its miniature chassis made from aluminum, and its impressive build quality. It feels great when you plug it into your devices, and it runs relatively cool as well. This is great as you'll likely need a device like this for prolonged data transfers.
Finally, the SanDisk Extreme PRO also comes with a few bells and whistles in the form of useful software-based encryption (128-bit AES) and data recovery tools. This might be especially useful for the security-conscious among you, or professionals who need to transport sensitive files.
Best USB flash drive for gaming
The Patriot Viper Fang is a USB 3.1 drive (compatible with USB 3.0 and 2.0) from one of the most established memory players on the market. However, the manufacturer is a relative newcomer to this segment.
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.
The flash drive's aluminum casing offers shock resistance and a fairly durable feel. The Viper Fang is compatible with Mac, Windows, and Linux, and it doesn't require any software or drivers to run.
This flash drive's available in four sizes: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. Since new AAA games are anywhere between 15GB to 100GB in size, the 512GB and 1TB models will be quite useful for avid gamers.
Best 256GB USB flash drive
PNY is another memory manufacturer turned player in the USB market. The PNY Turbo 256GB USB drive one of the best flash USB drives right now, featuring a capped design for protecting as well as read/write speeds of 80Mbps and 20Mbps respectively.
These are not the fastest speeds out there so if you require something with more oomph, then check out some of the other USB drives in this roundup. The PNY Turbo is a good pick if you're prone to losing your flash drive caps. It features a sliding mechanism, so even when the cover is extended, the flash drive is the same size as when it's retracted. But a problem with this is that you can't use it single-handed, and you'll find it easier to use both your hands to expose and cover the USB port.
Best high-capacity USB flash drive
The Buffalo SSD-PUT is one of the largest USB flash drives on the market, both in terms of its physical dimensions as well as its storage capacity, offering a mind-blowing 2TB of SSD storage space. It also offers blazing-fast speeds (thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2 standard), with up to 600MB/s read speeds, allowing you to use it as a repository for multiple large files. One of the best parts about this drive is that it's also relatively affordable.
There are some considerations you will need to make too, including the fact its casing has a cheap and cheerful quality to it – which is not what you ideally want in a high-end bit of kit.
It's also really wide and bulky, and more akin to an SSD with a USB connector attached to it than a sleek and compact flash drive. While it's relatively small compared to SSDs and hard drives, you might want to look elsewhere if maximum portability and compactness are your main priorities.
We would love Buffalo to release a version of this hardware with a more premium-looking feel as well as one that's a little more condensed; it could well be the best USB flash drive out there. As it happens, it's still a brilliant device and represents great value.
Best compact USB flash drive
If you don't want a USB stick jutting out the side of your laptop or tablet while you use it or having one is simple not ideal – for example, when you’re using it while traveling, then a low-profile USB stick is an excellent choice. Take the SanDisk Ultra Fit CZ43. It’s small and light enough to easily carry around. And, when it's plugged into your laptop, it doesn't stick out much from the body, making it more secure when you’re using it on the go.
That’s not all; it’s also very cheap, at around £10 for the 32GB version, with 64GB and 128GB versions also available. It's not quite as fast as many of the best USB flash drives we mentioned here, but if you want a small form factor USB stick, it's worth the trade-off.
Best USB flash drives: FAQs
What is a flash drive?
A flash drive is a tiny storage device that has no moving parts. Unlike external hard drives, these compact devices are better suited for short-term use and portability.
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?
• It's not worth looking for memory sticks smaller than 64GB simply because the price difference you pay for two or four times the storage is tiny.
• Make sure you include delivery price when doing the numbers as quite often you end up paying more for the postage than the drive itself, particularly for low cost models.
• 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.
• If you plan on moving files to and from portable devices (tablets or smartphones), consider a memory stick with a microUSB connector and a full-size USB one.
• Avoid buying your memory sticks from vendors with little feedback on auction websites as these drives might turn out to be fake. All the vendors listed are tried and trusted ones.
• Above 128GB, you might want to consider a SSD if you want ruggedness, portability, versatility and better performance without the cost.
• Note that the capacities are likely to be lower than stated when they are formatted and mounted on an operating system.
Can I use a USB flash drive for long-term storage?
Flash drives typically last between five to ten years without encountering any issues – but it varies based on plenty of factors, including the size of the files you keep on it and how often you read and write over the files. The more you write over files on the device, the shorter its lifespan becomes.
While the best SSDs are indeed a lot better, they still rely on the same fundamental technology and are not well-suited to data storage beyond ten years, especially if you plan on using it a lot during that time.
The best hard drives are a much better proposition. While they are slower than SSDs and bulkier – and incorporate moving parts that may become damaged if dropped or disturbed – they are more for that decade-plus timespan.
The best solution, however, is to store your data in multiple places (including using cloud storage as one of the tranches) and regularly swap your files to new devices every few years to make sure you aren't putting all your eggs in one basket.
How we test the best USB flash drives
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.
We checked whether the thumb drives offered consistent read and write speeds, and if they had security encryption features for sensitive data.
We considered their build, durability, and design (especially whether they featured a cap-less design). We also assessed their size, weight, and pricing, among other aspects.
Today's best USB flash drive deals
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