The 27 best usb key brands
Samsung, Kootion and Kingston lead our ranking of 27 usb key brands. Compare what each brand makes, visit its official site, or shop it online.
Usb Key brands, ranked
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1
Samsung
Type-C drives that plug into Android phones and PCs, a sensible pick for mixed-device households.
Top products: BAR Plus· FIT Plus· DUO Plus
Website: samsung.com |Brands like Samsung
Popularity 10.0/10
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2
Kootion
Retractable Type-C drives and swivel USB 2.0 sticks at modest prices, often bought as cheap backup or gifts.
Top products: Retractable Type-C Flash Drive· Rotating 360° USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Website: kootion.com |Brands like Kootion
Popularity 9.8/10
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3
Kingston
DataTraveler range covers basic USB sticks through fast Type-C drives, with very large capacities at the top end.
Top products: DataTraveler Exodia· DataTraveler Max
Website: kingston.com |Brands like Kingston
Popularity 6.0/10
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4
Toshiba
Older TransMemory sticks dominate its range, mostly USB 2.0 capacities rather than current fast drives.
Top products: TransMemory· UDisk U301· Noteworthy Wireless Stow-N-Go
Website: toshiba.com |Brands like Toshiba
Popularity 5.6/10
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5
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6
PNY
Slim plastic bodies and plain styling make these everyday sticks for students and office use.
Website: pny.com |Brands like PNY
Popularity 2.5/10
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7
Lexar
Rotating-cap JumpDrive sticks, sold alongside card readers and memory cards for photographers.
Top products: JumpDrive TwistTurn2
Website: lexar.com |Brands like Lexar
Popularity 2.4/10
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8
Verbatim
Store n Go style pen drives with retractable bodies, and some antimicrobial coatings for shared machines.
Top products: PinStripe Retractable
Website: verbatim.com |Brands like Verbatim
Popularity 2.3/10
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9
Transcend
JetFlash sticks in plastic and rugged metal casings, with a long record in budget storage.
Website: transcend-info.com |Brands like Transcend
Popularity 2.2/10
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10
Apricorn
Keypad-protected drives with hardware 256-bit encryption, a choice for businesses handling sensitive records.
Website: apricorn.com |Brands like Apricorn
Popularity 2.2/10
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11
Eaget
Dual USB-A and USB-C sticks with OTG support, a cheap option for phones and tablets.
Top products: 2 in 1 USB-A USB-C Flash Drive
Website: eagetshop.com |Brands like Eaget
Popularity 1.6/10
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12
Sony
Micro Vault drives in compact metal or plastic casings, with USB 3.x speeds in newer models.
Website: sony.com |Brands like Sony
Popularity 1.5/10
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13
DataLocker
Hardware-encrypted drives with a keypad or biometrics, built for organisations handling confidential files.
Website: datalocker.com |Brands like DataLocker
Popularity 1.4/10
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14
Team Group
Taiwanese budget maker whose C-series and T-series sticks are common for everyday backup.
Website: teamgroupinc.com |Brands like Team Group
Popularity 1.3/10
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15
Picture Keeper
Picture Keeper's drives are built around automatic phone photo backup, with a dedicated slot for the phone's own charging cable.
Website: picturekeeper.com |Brands like Picture Keeper
Popularity 1.3/10
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16
ADATA
UV and UC series drives, including dual USB-C models, sold at mid-range prices.
Popularity 1.2/10
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17
Memorex
Long-standing consumer electronics name whose flash drives are basic, low-cost everyday storage.
Website: memorex.com |Brands like Memorex
Popularity 1.2/10
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18
Silicon Power
Metal and rugged sticks spanning basic to fast USB 3.x models, usually priced below big-name rivals.
Website: silicon-power.com |Brands like Silicon Power
Popularity 1.2/10
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19
Gigastone
Budget sticks with a five-year warranty, often sold alongside the company's SD cards.
Popularity 1.2/10
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20
Centon
DataStick drives sold mainly to business buyers, with conservative designs and plain packaging.
Website: centon.com |Brands like Centon
Popularity 1.1/10
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21
Patriot
Slider and retractable sticks with USB 3.2 speeds, sold in many capacities from modest to large.
Website: viper.patriotmemory.com |Brands like Patriot
Popularity 1.1/10
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22
Lenovo
From China, Lenovo sells laptops, desktop computers, tablets and monitors, along with PC parts such as AC adapters and USB 3.0 accessories. The company traces its roots to 1984, when it was founded as Legend Holdings. It later took over...
Website: lenovo.com |Brands like Lenovo
Popularity 1.0/10
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23
Dell
Michael Dell founded PC’s Limited in 1984 with the intent of providing customized upgrades for computers. The initiative was successful, and Dell dropped out of college to start building computers. Soon, he started selling his designs, which were met with...
Website: dell.com |Brands like Dell
Popularity 0.8/10
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24
Philips
Credibility and reliability go connected at the hip with the most innovative health and well-being brand, Philips. There are presumably very few people who have yet not given a shot at this brand, for it has been the most promising...
Website: philips.com |Brands like Philips
Popularity 0.7/10
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25
V7
V7 is a global producer of technology accessories that designs items with a superior level of function and dependability. They create and sell a diverse assortment of entertaining, helpful, dependable, and reasonably priced technological accessories for mobile devices. Their goal...
Website: v7world.com |Brands like V7
Popularity 0.6/10
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26
Integral
Integral, described as Japan's largest independent memory solution provider, makes SD cards, camera storage cards, and USB flash drives. It also produces DRAM and flash memory for phones and digital cameras. It supplies memory for automotive electronics and industrial equipment.
Website: integralmemory.com |Brands like Integral
Popularity 0.6/10
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27
Imation
Imation sells storage products to both the consumer and business industries. The business offers solutions that stylishly store, secure, and exchange data. Imation provides various storage options, from flash drives to safe digital media players, making it simple for customers...
Website: imation.com |Brands like Imation
Popularity 0.6/10
Official websites and social accounts
| Brand | Website | X / Twitter | YouTube | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Samsung | samsung.com | /SamsungUS | samsungmobileusa | @SamsungUS | – |
| Kootion | kootion.com | – | – | – | – |
| Kingston | kingston.com | /KingstonTechnologyEurope | kingstontechnology | @kingstontech | – |
| Toshiba | toshiba.com | /ToshibaAmerica | – | @ToshibaAmerica | toshibainnovation |
| HP | hp.com | – | – | – | – |
| PNY | pny.com | – | – | – | – |
| Lexar | lexar.com | /lexarmemory | lexarmemory | @lexarmemory | – |
| Verbatim | verbatim.com | – | – | – | – |
| Transcend | transcend-info.com | /TranscendIN | transcend_info | @TranscendGlobal | – |
| Apricorn | apricorn.com | /Apricorn-355673447956311 | – | @apricorn_info | Apricorn |
USB Key Buying Guide
Introduction
USB keys, also known as flash drives or thumb drives, are portable storage devices that allow you to store and transfer files between computers. They are small, easy to use, and come in various sizes and shapes. If you're in the market for a USB key, this buying guide will help you understand the important factors to consider before making a purchase.
Storage Capacity
The storage capacity of a USB key is the amount of data it can hold. USB keys range in capacity from a few megabytes to several terabytes. The choice of capacity depends on your storage needs.
- If you only need to transfer a small number of files or documents, a USB key with a capacity of 2-8 GB is sufficient. These types of drives are also good for storing and transporting small applications or backups.
- If you need to store larger files such as video, high-resolution images or large applications, then you will need a USB key with a capacity of 16 GB or more. Make sure to check the size of the files you plan to store to ensure you purchase a USB key that is large enough to hold them.
- If you work with large amounts of data or need to store backups, then you will need a USB key with a capacity of 128 GB or more. These drives are useful for professionals who need to transport or back up entire projects or databases.
Speed
The speed of a USB key is important if you're transferring large files, running applications or running a complete operating system from it. There are three important factors that affect a USB key's speed: the USB generation, the write speed, and the read speed.
- USB Generation: The latest generation of USB keys is USB 3.1. These types of drives have a transfer speed of up to 10 GB/s. However, not all computers have USB 3.1 ports, so if you're using an older computer, you may not take advantage of the USB 3.1 speed.
- Write Speed: This refers to how fast the drive can store data. The write speed is important when you're transferring large files, such as video or high-resolution images. Look for a drive with a write speed of at least 5 MB/s to ensure transfers happen quickly.
- Read Speed: This refers to how fast the drive can access data. The read speed is important if you're running applications or a complete operating system from the USB drive. Look for a drive with a read speed of at least 20 MB/s to ensure fast application load times.
Encryption and Security
If you use your USB key to store sensitive information, then you should consider purchasing a drive with encryption and security features. Encryption refers to the process of converting data into code to protect it from unauthorized access. There are two types of encryption: hardware and software.
- Hardware Encryption: This feature is built into the USB key itself. When you plug the drive into a computer, you need to enter a password to access the data stored on the drive. Hardware encryption is more secure than software encryption because the encryption key is stored on the drive itself.
- Software Encryption: This feature requires you to download and install encryption software on your computer. You then need to encrypt and decrypt the data every time you store or access it. Software encryption is less secure than hardware encryption because the encryption key is stored on your computer, making it vulnerable to hacks or theft.
Other security features to consider include fingerprint scanners, password protection, and remote wiping. Fingerprint scanners and password protection ensure that only authorized users can access the data stored on the drive. Remote wiping allows you to erase the data on a lost or stolen drive.
Brand and Price
Brand and price are important factors to consider when purchasing a USB key. It's important to choose a reputable brand that has a good track record of producing high-quality drives. This ensures that the drive is reliable, durable and will last for a long time.
While it's important to choose a high-quality brand, you don't necessarily need to choose the most expensive model. The price of a USB key increases with its storage capacity, speed, and security features. Consider your budget and choose the model that meets your storage and speed requirements and offers the necessary security features.
Conclusion
A USB key is a handy and portable storage device to transfer and store files between computers. When purchasing a USB key, you need to consider the storage capacity, speed, security features, brand, and price. Ensure you buy a drive that offers enough storage capacity for your needs, has fast read and write speeds depending on your use, and has adequate security measures to protect your data.
| USB Key Capacity | Transfer Speeds | Recommended For |
|---|---|---|
| 2-8 GB | Up to 5 MB/s | Small file transfers, storing and transporting small applications or backups |
| 16 GB or more | At least 5 MB/s write speed, 20MB/s read speed | Storing and transferring large files, such as video or high-resolution images |
| 128 GB or more | At least 5 MB/s write speed, 20MB/s read speed | Storing and transferring large amounts of data or backups |
Disclaimer: The products and product trademarks or logos mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The information given in this article is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered as professional advice. You should seek guidance from a qualified professional before making any purchasing decision.
