You Should Really Swap Your Old Flash Drive for One of These Faster Picks

Although this flash drive from SanDisk is slightly bigger than most other offerings, it offers impressive transfer speeds, plenty of storage, and smart design. 

It features an excellent sliding mechanism and a convenient keychain clip, and it comes with a lifetime warranty. You have the choice of 64 GB or 128 GB variants — at less than $50, both are priced competitively — and you can expect read speeds around 180 MB/s and write speeds around 60 MB/s.

Read More: Looking for Even More Storage? Consider an External Hard Drive Instead!

The USB 3.1 flash drive by Samsung has a no-nonsense design and a sturdy metal body that's waterproof, shockproof, and X-ray proof. It can reach data-read speeds of up to 300 MB/s. Samsung offers variants with up to 256 GB of storage capacity. The gadget comes with a solid 5-year warranty. 

We're also big fans of its design, which makes it easy to attach to your keys. It's a great flash drive for everyday carry.

For those in search of a flash drive that's as speedy as they come, we recommend SanDisk's Extreme PRO. SanDisk says the flash drives are capable of delivering read speeds of up to 420 MB/s and write speeds of up to 380 MB/s. It comes with either 128 GB or 256 GB of storage space, but 128 GB should be suitable for most users.

The drives have a durable aluminum metal casing, and they're backed by a lifetime warranty. SanDisk also includes free access to its Secure Access software suite, so you can easily encrypt your files.

If you misplace your flash drive as much as you do a tube of lip balm, or you just plan to transfer a few files here and there, the SanDisk Ultra CZ48 is the best cheap flash drive to get. In addition to being capable of delivering zippy read speeds — you can expect around 100 MB/s — the drive also features a retractable design, which protects its USB connector.

The gadget's low price means that it won't bring the fastest write speeds or a waterproof and durable metal casing, but it works well enough to transfer photos, music, and files with ease.

This flash drive by SanDisk has a reversible USB Type-C connector on one end and a traditional USB connector on the other, which make it compatible with practically any computer, tablet, or smartphone available today. It's also quite a performer for its price range and delivers data-read speeds of up to 150 MB/s.

We prefer its retractable design to the Samsung Duo Plus, which is made from three separate parts — a drive, adapter, and a cap — which mean three separate parts to lose.

This option unfortunately isn't waterproof, shockproof, magnet proof, or X-ray proof like the Samsung is. It also has slower transfer speeds. On the plus side it is more affordable than the Samsung option.

The Patriot Supersonic Rage 2 is a high-end option that's available with up to 512 GB of storage. It supports USB 3.1 standard, so it can reach impressive data read and write speeds (up to 400 MB/s and 300 MB/s, respectively). The device's aluminum housing is shock-resistant, so it can take a beating without damaging the user's data.

The Samsung FIT Plus is incredibly compact, affordable, and is only about the size of your caps lock key on your keyboard. Designed to plug into a port and stay out of sight, the USB 3.1 gadget can reach maximum data-read speeds of up to 2000 MB/s.

It's an excellent option for casual users, as well as people looking to expand the memory of their Chromebook or affordable Windows 10 notebook on the cheap. Plus, it's waterproof, shockproof, and X-ray-proof — just don't lose it!

The SanDisk iXpand is a USB 3.0 flash drive with a built-in Apple Lightning connector, which allows it to connect to an iPhone or an iPad. A free app by SanDisk allows users to easily sync photos and videos from their mobile device, while 128-bit encryption ensures that the data stays safe. 

Users can also play music and popular video formats on their iPhone or iPad straight from the SanDisk iXpand.

If you're passionate about keeping your files secure on the go, be sure to add the Apricorn Aegis flash drive to your shopping list. In addition to being water- and dust-resistant, the USB 3.0 drive has a built-in keypad, and it requires a 7- to16-digit PIN to pass through its 256-bit encryption.

Failure to enter the right PIN 20 times automatically wipes out the data on the device, ensuring that your data won't be seen by the wrong people. A pricey option, but it's well worth it for the right user.