USB flash drives—also known as pen drives, memory sticks, thumb drives, and so on—are the most convenient and trustworthy method to store and transfer digital files physically between computers. Unlike with files stored in a cloud, you won’t have to download anything to access files stored on a thumb drive. Pen drives are as easy as plug in and play. So these little devices are kind of a must-own gadget for modern computer owners.
Flash drives come in various shapes, sizes, and capacities. The lowest you will find is 2GB and the highest for a consumer pen drive is about 128GB. There are higher capacity drives than that but those are very expensive and are not easy to find on retail. You can find USB drives that use USB 2.0 or 3.0 connections. USB 3.0 is preferred for higher capacity drives for transporting bulky files. But USB 2.0 is usually suitable for all flash drive related needs.
There are loads of flash drive options available for regular buyers on the market. But we highly recommend using one of the following trusted models:
1. Kingston Digital DataTraveler Flash Drive
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Why we like it: It’s tiny but can hold 32GB of data! This is the best Kingston drive available in the market and it’s perfect for those seeking highly portable storage devices.
This thumb drive packs practically all the good things about thumb drives into a tiny, capless body. It’s very small and convenient, can be attached to a keychain, has an eye-poppingly massive capacity, and comes with a stunning metallic casing. Seriously, like, what more could we ask for in a flash drive? The pocket size body is just the perfect size we needed to transport this thumb drive without a hassle. The exterior is made from actual metal, not plastic, and has a sturdy ring for attaching. The USB 2.0 connectivity supports both Windows and Mac computers.
Despite all of the above perks, what really impressed us is the capacity—32GB! It’s enough to store HD photos and videos plus a backup file. Forget about buying 5-pack 8GB thumb drives. When you have this little gadget, you won’t need anything else. It reads and writes pretty fast too. We got an average read speed of about 16.1 MB/s and an average write speed of about 6.8 MB/s. It’s not bad considering the size of files. The flash drive is super fast when transferring documents, spreadsheets, and other everyday files. All in all, this is the USB flash drive all computer users must have.
2. Samsung BAR Plus 32GB Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This flash drive is waterproof, shockproof, magnet proof and has a USB 3.0 connecting port. It comes with a charming metal exterior with a hook.
What if you could have a high-capacity USB flash drive that was highly portable, didn’t look so bad, and is also waterproof? Well, believe it or not, this Samsung flash drive is all that. It comes with an appealing metal exterior that makes it look like a tiny silver bar. It has a tiny hook with a hole big enough to put a little finger through. It’s great for attaching the thumb drive to a carrying hook, a keychain or something similar. Needless to say, this USB flash drive is super portable. Plus, it has some waterproofing ability of 72 hours in sea level water too.
We put this thumb drive under running water, carried it in a wet pants pocket, and splashed some water on it. And it survived all three situations! It’s definitely waterproof. However, don’t plug this into a computer when wet. Also, be careful to always keep the USB receiver well tucked in when not in use. It’s also shockproof and magnet proof as well s x-ray proof. This flash drive uses super speedy NAND Flash tech supported by a USB 3.0 port. So it can read and write data much more efficiently than USB 2.0 drives. We very highly recommend this thumb drive for all types of use.
3. SanDisk Cruzer Blade 16GB Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This is the flash drive that added the term “flash drive” to regular limbo. The Cruzer Blade is the upgraded and improved version of the regular thumb drive.
SanDisk is practically synonymous with thumb drives. The Cruzer Blade is a relatively new model of the 8 GB thumb drive you are probably used to. This model has a 16 GB capacity, which is an impressive amount considering the budget. If you want to move files like documents, photos, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs and whatnot, this is the drive you need. You can even use some of the capacity to permanently store files, like programs, that you need to constantly use while on the go. This USB flash drive is perfect for students and office workers.
Unlike some of the SanDisk flash drives of the yesteryear, the Cruzer Blade comes with zero software. You can plug it in and start transferring files without having to bother with a software client. It also leaves more space for your files. The flash drive does come with SecureAccessTM security software. It allows users to secure certain files. More importantly, it allows instant online backup. That’s another plus to owning this flash drive. We were also quite taken by the design. This thumb drive is super compact. It’s easy to carry around on a keychain or a purse.
4. DigiOcean 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This 5-pack 2GB flash drive set is perfect for those who are obsessed with organization. The drives are color coded and will keep different types of files separate.
Don’t be fooled by the looks: The DigiOcean thumb drives are not mere knockoffs of the SanDisk drives. Sure, the design is quite similar, but nearly all flash drives these days look the same. What’s different with this model is that it comes in a 5-pack. In case you are wondering why buy 5 when you can do with a single flash drive, the reason is organization. You can use a single flash drive for a single type of file. The USB sticks are color coded so it’s super easy to remember.
You can assign a particular color to a type of file, like green for photo files, or yellow for schoolwork. If you are a Type A, OCD personality, then you will love this pack. It will allow you to stay neatly organized by keeping work and home files separate. It adds a layer of security too. If one thumb drive is compromised, all of your files will not get affected as if they were all stored on one device. Each of the drives has a capacity of 2 GB. The drives work on both PCs and Macs.
5. HP v165w 32GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This memory stick is near impossible to lose and comes with tech support. It’s the perfect gift for grandmas and you as well.
This massive HP drive is perfect for both work and play. The huge capacity makes it perfect to use as a portable backup drive. It’s more than perfect for storing bulky digital photographs or movies. If you want a family photo album you can carry around with you, then this drive would be the perfect solution. It’s designed a bit wider than most thumb drives we are used to. We found the design to be quite advantageous, as the added bulk makes the drive easy to find.
This flash drive is definitely one of the most ergonomically designed memory sticks we have come across. It’s easy to handle, and it will not get lost among the clutter in your purse. It has a key-fob, which is a little groove that makes it easy for the user to fix the thumb drive to a carrying bag or pocket. So the chances of losing this drive are practically nil. It’s super convenient, and also works with Macs and PCs. Plus, the thumb drive comes with technical supported offered by HP! This is the perfect memory stick to own if you don’t really know tech stuff.
6. Eastfun 5Pcs 8GB USB Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This flash drive has a medium capacity but is amazingly budget friendly. It’s the perfectly sized drive to transport files between computers on a regular basis.
Just like the name suggests, this USB flash drive is indeed quite fun to use. Let’s address the elephant in the room first (or rather stunted elephant). This flash drive only has an 8GB of capacity. That’s the minimum standard you will find in the current market. It’s small, but the capacity isn’t definitely tiny. You won’t hold backup files here, but you can still hold plenty of documents, photos, and movies. This thumb drive is best for transporting work or school files between computers. If you need to take a printout of an assignment from the library computer, this is the thumb drive that can safely transport your file to the library network.
This USB flash drive is highly reliable for moving files physically instead of over a cloud. You may know already that accessing files on a cloud on some networks can be risky. But if you have a small flash drive like this on you, then you can completely avert the risk. There are plenty of other advantages Eastfun flash drives offer. For starters, you can buy 5 at once. This is also one of the most budget-friendly memory stick products we have seen so far. For cash-strapped college students, Eastfun will definitely take care of your portable storage needs.
7. Fastdisk Multifunction 8GB USB Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This is the most cleverly designed memory stick we have come across. One half of the flash drive is actually a pen. You won’t find a better addition to your work life.
Forget the boring bar-shaped flash drives. Fastdisk is certainly upping the game with this multifunction memory stick. Unlike regular flash drives, it’s shaped exactly like a pen. You know, those sleek pens that businesspeople tend to carry around? Yeah, this memory stick is really a memory pen. One half of the pen is actually a working ballpoint pen. The other is the handle to the flash drive. You can twist open the pen in the middle to reveal the flash drive. That’s definitely innovative multifunction capability that students and entrepreneurs can love. You get a pen and a memory stick!
Other than the pen shape, the rest of this flash drive is quite regular. It has a modest capacity of 8GB, just enough to transport work files like PDFs and word documents between computers. It connects to any USB 2.0 port without a hassle. You can just plug it in and start using without any need for driver installation. It’s super convenient to use in this manner. When the ballpoint pen runs out, you can use the pen part as a stylus as well. Isn’t that the neatest? This pen can be hooked to a shirt pocket or a handbag so the risk of losing the small device is very small.
8. Topsell 10 Pack USB 2.0 2GB Flash Drive
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Why we like it: This is the perfect USB flash drive pack for people who are too busy to care about device maintenance. These flash drives are easy to transport and even easier to use.
This 10-pack pen drive set is most suited for small businesses, but we confidently recommend it to individual users as well. Let’s face it—you will be getting 10 2GB flash drives. What’s not to like? You can segregate your data files so you can transport only the files you need. There’s plenty in the pack so you can use some exclusively for backing up various files. If you lose one tiny thumb drive, who cares, you will have 9 left. These thumb drives are super tiny, which means they are super portable too.
The USB memory sticks are designed to be black and demure so no one will ever notice your precious thumb drive. It’s designed for easy storage and convenient portability, so you can use it pretty much anywhere. This pen drive is compatible with PCs and Macs both, including all older and modern operating systems. Each drive can be affixed to a lanyard or a key tag so you can safely transport the drives wherever you go. This pack offers the utmost convenience that busy office workers and students crave. We were definitely impressed by how well the drives worked. It’s great for keeping files uber organized as well.