Top USB Drives for Speed and Reliability 2024 Guide

Frustrated with painfully slow file transfers? Struggling with insufficient storage space on your USB drive? Our comprehensive testing reveals the fastest, most reliable flash drives available today, whether you need rapid large file transfers or a durable portable storage solution.

The SanDisk Extreme Go delivers exceptional performance at an affordable price point. In our tests, this drive completed writing a 5GB folder containing thousands of small files in just 7 minutes—far faster than most competitors. For large media files, performance was even more impressive, transferring a 5GB HD movie in a mere 31 seconds.

For those seeking reliable performance without breaking the bank, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 offers remarkable value. Achieving read speeds up to 166 MB/s, it transferred a 5GB movie file to a computer in just 30 seconds. The plastic construction proves surprisingly durable for everyday use.

The all-metal Samsung Bar Plus combines durability with portability. Its streamlined design easily attaches to keychains while maintaining accessibility to USB ports. Performance tests showed it writing a 5GB folder of small files in under 4 minutes, with particularly impressive read speeds for quick file access.

Professionals handling large media files or datasets will appreciate the PNY Pro Elite's blazing speeds. It wrote our 5GB test folder in just 2 minutes—a fraction of typical drive times—and transferred a 5GB movie file in 20 seconds. The premium metal housing justifies its higher price for demanding users.

As USB-C becomes standard, the Ultra Dual Drive offers rare compatibility with both USB-A and USB-C ports. Its slim profile houses retractable connectors for both interfaces, while SanDisk's companion app simplifies mobile file backups. Though write speeds slow with numerous small files, it remains the best dual-interface option available.

Our evaluation process focused on three key performance metrics:

We measured write/read speeds for a 5GB HD movie file. The PNY Pro Elite led with 249 MB/s write and 415 MB/s read speeds, while the SanDisk Extreme Go followed closely at 161 MB/s write and 208 MB/s read.

A 5GB folder containing photos, documents, and music files tested handling numerous small files. Again, the PNY Pro Elite dominated (37 MB/s write, 133 MB/s read), with Samsung models also performing well (20+ MB/s write, 100+ MB/s read).

We assessed build quality, keychain compatibility, and port accessibility through extended daily use. The Samsung Fit Plus offered the best portability-durability balance, while the SanDisk Extreme Go featured the most robust sliding mechanism.

All tested drives successfully streamed 1080p video without lag, though the PNY Turbo required 10-15 seconds to initially load files.