


Since it has both USB-A and USB-C plugs - there's a slide to expose one or the other - the SanDisk Ultra USB-C offers a nice mix of fast data transfers and future-proofing, so you can be sure it'll work with a variety of devices going forward. This is easily the best USB drive for newer laptops, like the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro, that have only USB-C ports.

SanDisk's Ultra Dual Drive USB-C is a slick-looking flash drive that offers plenty of storage and fast data transfers. The best USB flash drives you can buy today If you want zippy read/write speeds, you'll be hard-pressed to find many USB storage devices better than the Kingston Digital DataTraveler G4 (opens in new tab). You just have to be willing to live with USB 2.0 compatibility. We also found the SanDisk Cruzer CZ36 (opens in new tab) to be a great choice, as you get secure 128-bit AES encryption for a very low price. It offers an outstanding mix of features and affordability, with USB 3.1 support, data-read speeds up to 300 MB/s and a design so compact that you can leave the drive plugged into your laptop without worrying about damage. We tested and used a variety of USB flash drives, and we found the Samsung Fit Plus (opens in new tab) (MUF-128AB) to be the best. Regardless of which USB drive you choose, it should hold every file you care about in a simple and easy-to-use package. They vary by price, format, speed, physical size and storage size. To help you pick the best USB memory stick for your needs, these are 10 of our favorites. Some USB flash drives also come with a secondary Lightning connector to plug into iPhones and older iPads. If you have a drive with a rounded USB-C connector though, you’ll be able to use it with newer Windows laptops and Android smartphones and tablets, plus recent Macs and even the latest iPads. Most flash drives still feature a rectangular USB-A plug that will work on most Windows PCs and older Macs along with most printers, smart TVs, routers and other devices.
