Best USB-C Flash Drives | High Speed & Solid Build
USB-C is the emerging standard for charging and transferring data. Right now, it’s included in devices like the newest laptops, phones, and tablets and—given time—it’ll spread to pretty much everything that currently uses the older, larger USB connector. For that reason, it’s wise enough to look for the best USB-C flash drive that can serve you for few years in the near future.
USB flash drives (also known as thumb drives) are super handy for backing up or physically transporting files, and for many other uses. That’s why almost every computer user owns a USB flash drive. And today, with the rapid advancement of technology, the USB-C flash drive is the first thing you have to consider when buying a thumb drive.
You have to note that USB Type-C isn’t the same thing as USB 3.1. USB Type-C is just a connector shape, and the underlying technology could just be USB 2 or USB 3.0. However, these technologies are closely related. When buying a USB-C flash drive, you’ll just need to keep your eye on the details and make sure you’re buying a USB-C flash drive that supports USB 3.1 connectivity.
The recommended products below are all based on USB 3.1 technology.
Best USB-C Flash Drive Recommendations
Almost all USB-C flash drives come in a retractable design with a reversible USB Type C connector and a traditional USB connector. We made sure to select only the fastest in speed and best in quality USB-C flash drives.
1. Samsung Duo Plus USB-C Flash Drive
Double up on convenience. The DUO Plus is a Type-C drive with a super-useful Type-A adapter. Eliminate worries as the intuitive integrated Type-A adapter works with your older devices. Now you can flexibly move data and free up space with superior speed and performance.
Basic Features
- Two Flash Drives In One: Cable-free Samsung DUO Plus 2-in-1 Type-C USB flash drive for instant storage of your photos, videos, music, and files on laptops, tablets, TV’s, car audio systems, gaming consoles and more
- Quick and Convenient Read Speed: Redefine everyday file transfers with read speeds up to 300MB/s; Type-C USB 3.1 flash drive with backwards compatibility (USB 3.0, USB 2.0)
- Double Your Connectivity: One flash drive for many devices with both USB Type-C and Type-A connectivity lets you quickly free up device space with fast backups and file offloads
- Built-To-Last Reliability: Shock proof flash drive is also water proof, temperature proof, x-ray proof and magnetic proof. Actual speed may vary by host device and actual usage conditions. Write speed is lower than read speed
- 5-Year Limited Warranty
2. SanDisk Ultra Dual USB Flash Drive
Delivering USB 3.1 speeds of up to 150MB/s, the SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C Flash Drive makes it easy to free up space on your smartphone or quickly move content between USB Type-C enabled devices.
This flash drive features a reversible USB Type-C connector on one end and a traditional USB connector on the other, allowing you to easily transfer files between smartphones, tablets, and computers.
Basic Features
- Easily transfer files between smartphones, tablets, and PC and Mac computers
- Free up space on your smartphone or tablet
- USB Type-C and traditional USB connectors
- High-speed USB 3.1 performance of up to 150MB/s
- SanDisk Memory Zone app for easy backup
- 5 year limited manufacturer warranty
Alternative
A good alternative to this drive with similar performance is SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go
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SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go USB-C Flash Drive |  |
3. PNY Elite USB-C Flash Drive
The PNY Elite USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Flash Drive is the ultimate solution to store and transfer files between your Type-C devices. Get the most out of the Type-C port on your new computer or mobile device and experience USB 3.1 SuperSpeed technology.
With read speeds of up to 130 MB/s and write speeds up to up to 30x faster than standard PNY USB 2.0 Flash Drives, you can store and transfer files quicker and easier than ever before.
The Elite USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C Flash Drive is designed to be a storage solution superior to previous generations of traditional USB-A 2.0 and 3.0 flash drives, allowing for expanded connectivity. It is compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C enabled PC and Mac desktop and laptop computers, as well as with USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C enabled mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.
Basic Features
- Usb 3 1 Gen 1 Type-C Flash Drive ideal for Type-C enabled PC and Mac desktop and laptop computers as well as Type-C enabled smartphones and tablets
- Read speeds up to 130MB/s
- Transfer speeds up to 30 times faster than standard PNY USB 2 0 Flash drives
- Holds over 100 000 pictures at 18MP over 94 500 songs or over 29 5 hours of 4K Ultra HD video content
4. Kingston Digital Data Traveler Micro Duo
DataTraveler micro Duo 3C has a dual interface that works with both standard USB and USB Type-C ports. It’s an ideal way to provide up to 128gb of extra storage for the latest smartphones, tablets, PCs and Mac computers, which may have limited expansion ports and it’s easier than sharing files via online services.
It’s plug and play and fast, with speeds up to 100MB/s read and 15MB/s write, and it has a rotating cap to protect the reversible USB Type-C connector.
Basic Features
- Versatile DT Micro Duo 3C works with newer USB Type C devices such as smartphones and tablets and is also compatible with USB Type A Ports on existing USB host devices.
- Store more extra storage for the latest smartphones, tablets, PC and Mac computers with Type C Ports.
- Fast USB 3.13 performance for speeds up to 100MB/s and 15MB/s write so you’re not waiting for content rich files to transfer
- Guaranteed for your peace of mind, DataTraveler Micro Duo 3C is backed by a five year Warranty, free technical support and legendary Kingston reliability.
5. Maxone USB Type-C Flash Drive
2 in 1 cable-free USB Type-C flash drive, made it simple to free up space and transfer files between your smartphones, tablets, laptop and PCs with up to 256GB capacity.
Basic Features
- Ultra Fast Data Transfer Speed – Impressive performance USB 3.1 Gen 1 drive with up to 150MB/s transfer speed.
- Made of zinc alloy, this USB-C thumb drive features greater strength and resistance
- 5-year manufacturer warranty with free tech support
If none of these USB-C flash drives got your attention, you may consider buying a USB-C external SSD instead.
What Is USB-C Flash Drive?
USB-C is the hot, new industry standard connector and cable used for connectivity and power. USB-C is closely intertwined with other new standards, as well—like USB 3.1 for faster speeds and USB Power Delivery for improved power-delivery over USB connections.
As for the USB-C flash drive, it has a new, tiny physical connector—roughly the size of a micro USB connector. The USB-C connector itself can support various exciting new USB standard like USB 3.1 and USB power delivery (USB PD).
Choosing the Best USB-C Flash Drive
Choosing the right USB-C flash drive might be tricky and confusing to some users. For that reason we have laid out the fundamental factors everyone should take into consideration when buying a new USB-C flash drive.
Storage Capacity
USB-C flash drive capacities range from under 1gb to 512gb. There’s no “right” size for a USB-C flash drive; the amount of storage you need depends on how much data you want to store.
If you want to store all the images and videos from your phone, go into your phone’s settings and see how much space your media files are taking up. It could be anywhere from 1gb to several dozen GB. Whatever it is, that’s the minimum amount of storage you need, considering you might add more files in the future. You can use the same method for other types of files, such as MP4s. Remember to consider what other types of files you might want to store on the same drive.
Transfer Speed
Another factor you need to consider when shopping for a USB-C flash drive is transfer speed. USB-C flash drives are based on two technologies: USB 2.0, which is an older standard, and USB 3.0, which is a newer one. The transfer speed for USB 2.0 is 480 Mbps and USB 3.0 is 4,800 Mbps or 4.5 Gbps. That means USB 3.0 is approximately 10 times faster than USB 2.0.
For that reason, make sure that the USB-C flash drive you pick supports USB 3.x connectivity. Luckily, all the USB-C flash drives we recommend in our above list support USB 3.x connectivity.
Warranty
The warranty length indicates the quality and durability of the USB-C flash drive. Longer the warranty, better the drive.
Nowadays, most quality USB-C flash drives offer at least 5-year limited warranty. That’s a pretty long warranty for such a small storage device.
Benefits of USB-C flash drives
There are several significant benefits of using a USB-C flash drives that are:
- USB-C flash drives can work on both USB type C and USB type A ports. This makes it very easy to transfer files from/to your android or iphone device to/from your computer.
- There’s no shortage of USB-C flash drives for those who like to carry their data with them. The best part is that all you do is insert the drive, and after it is assigned a drive letter, its capacity is available.
- You don’t need a USB-C to USB-A adapter when connecting to a USB-C port. The USB-C flash drive has two connector types that makes it a standalone solution.
- Unlike USB-C external SSDs, you don’t need a cable to connect to a USB-C port.
- The USB-C flash drives are very small in shape that make them very portable and flexible in use.
The Need for a USB-C Flash Drive
The physical USB-C connector isn’t backwards compatible, but the underlying USB standard is. You can’t plug older USB flash drives into a modern, tiny USB-C port, nor can you connect a USB-C connector into an older, larger USB port. But that doesn’t mean you have to discard your old USB flash drive. USB 3.1 is still backwards-compatible with older versions of USB, so you just need a physical adapter with a USB-C connector on one end and a larger, older-style USB port on the other end. You can then plug your older devices directly into a USB Type-C port.
On the other hand, if you intend to buy a new USB flash drive, a USB-C flash drive is a wise and great option. You won’t have to have an adapter or a hub or whatsoever to connect to a USB-C port.
Realistically, many computers will have both USB Type-C ports and larger USB Type-A ports for the immediate future—like Google’s Chromebook Pixel. You’ll be able to slowly transition from your old devices, getting new peripherals with USB Type-C connectors. Even if you get a computer with only USB Type-C ports, like Apple’s new MacBook, adapters and hubs will fill the gap.
Conclusion
From smartphones and tablets to laptops, USB-C is finally gaining traction as the future of connectors. For that reason, and while the world is moving from the traditional USB connector to the USB-C, you need a standalone solution that deals with both technologies at a time. There where the USB-C flash drive roles. We have picked the best USB-C flash drives for you to choose from.
