Best Overall: The Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive
Rating: Average of 4.4 out of 5 stars from 176+ reviewers on Amazon
The Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive is one of the fastest USB 2.0 flash drives available (and you’d hope so with a name like that). Specifically, the writing speed of this flash drive is about 11 MB/sec and the reading speed is about 35 MB/sec.
The Patriot Xporter is also one of the best deals in terms of dollars for gigabytes. The 16 GB version sells for around $22, and the 64GB version sells for around $90.
The drive has a retractable connector, and a rubber coated housing for water damage protection. It comes with a lifetime warranty.
The 64GB Patriot Xporter XT Rage Flash Drive is available from Amazon for about $90.
Best Speed and Capacity: Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0
Rating: Average of 4.5 out of 5 stars from 10+ reviewers on Amazon
If 64 GB just isn’t enough space for you, the Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is a flash drive that comes in 128 GB and 256 GB versions. This drive supports the new USB 3.0 standard, which is being introduced on new computers. This is a solid choice if you have USB 3.0 and will be transferring very large files. The drive’s speeds with USB 3.0 are 225MB/s read and 135MB/s write.
The DataTraveler is compatible with USB 2.0, but this drive is an expensive option if you won’t be using USB 3.0 — you’d probably be better served by buying several 64GB drives instead.
The build quality of this drive is good — the it has a durable metal and rubber casing.
The 128GB Kingston Digital DataTraveler HyperX 3.0 is available from Amazon for around $240
Secure and Multifunctional: The Victorinox Swiss Army Presentation Master
Rating: Average of 4.2 out of 5 stars from 39+ reviewers on Amazon
The Presentation Master is a 32 GB flash drive produced by Victorinox, maker of Swiss Army knives. It features strong encryption on the drive, and a fingerprint reader to protect your data. It also incorporates a bluetooth radio, which means you transfer files wireless to the drive.
The knife itself is fully-functional and compact (only 2 inches long). It has good build quality and features a laser pointer.
The Victorinox Presentation Master is available from Amazon for about $250.
