USB 3.0 Flash Drive

USB flash drives have become one of the most popular methods of file transfer and the latest generation, the USB 3.0 flash drive, let’s you do it faster than ever. Hardware is continually upgrading as we reach further into the digital age and even these small drives are no different. We wanted an easier way to carry our files around and we got usb flash drives so small we could carry them around on a keyring. We wanted bigger, we wanted faster, we wanted a USB 3.0 flash drive.

usb 3.0 flash driveWhat you’ll find here is our many reviews for some of the newest and best USB 3.0 flash drives. Whether it’s a 32gb usb 3.0 flash drive or the smallest USB 3 flash drive around we have you covered. We don’t review individual flash drives – instead we look at some of the best USB 3.0 stick models around and try to find the best for each category. It helps you find the best USB 3.0 flash drives at the lowest price – without having to wade through all the rubbish ones. We *could* spend forever talking about how bad some of these flash drives are or we would spend that time hunting for more decent ones.

Click HERE for the USB 3.0 Flash Drive List on Amazon

Best USB 3.0 Flash Drive

There’s a few things you should look for in the best USB flash drive.

  • Size and Weight

This doesn’t really tend to vary that much. All flash drives are easily small enough to slip into a shirt pocket or bag. But there are always smaller options like a mini flash drive or a keychain USB flash drive. If you’re looking for the most portable flash drive then look small and light – but don’t forget to make sure it’s also sturdy enough to not break.

I personally don’t like going too small because I tend to lose them pretty easily (I’ve lost so many over the years) but it’s personal choice really.

  • Security

There’s two parts to this.

First of all I mentioned how many of them I’ve lost? Well I’m lucky that I don’t really keep anything too personal or sensitive stored on my flash drives. But if you want to keep your more important files on your USB flash drive (as many people do) then you’re going to want it protected from people seeing it. Some are hard coded to only work with certain computers or require a password (there’s even some that require a finger print) to prevent people from finding your flash drive and using it themselves.

Secondly (and this is the bane of my life sometimes) are the times when your flash drive breaks. USB flash drives are generally well known for breaking for no real reason but that does seem to be changing lately. Some of the newer USB 3.0 flash drives certianly seem to have staying power and there a few brands I could suggest that are build to take a beating. I’ve had one flash drive for years now (it was an old 256mb flash drive) that still works after I’ve done everything possible to it. On the flip side I’ve bought brand new 32gb ush flash drive models which have broken beyond repair within the month.

I won’t get into it just now – I’ll save it for the reviews – but it’s always a better idea to get a usb 3.0 flash drive which isn’t going to break. It saves you money but it also saves you from losing the files you had stored on your flash drive which can sometimes be a much bigger deal. I once had an external hard drive break down on me with a 10,000 word report on it the day before it was due in for my university course. Not an experience I want to repeat so I always try to find removable media which I can trust.

  • Cost

The cost of USB flash drives vary pretty widely. Usually on size and transfer speed but also pretty often by brand name and design. I never suggest just diving in and buying the most expensive but I also don’t suggest getting the cheapest USB flash drive you find. Use our USB flash drive reviews and look for something midrange. Even the more expensive USB flash drives are pretty cheap in comparison with pretty much anything else when it comes to removable storage media.

  • Capacity

This one should be pretty obvious to most people by now. The size of your flash drive dictates how much you can store on it. What you need on this front really depends on what kind of files you generally deal with and what you plan to store on your USB flash drive in the first place. If you have a lot of video files or you plan on backing up your entire computer then you really want to look for something with a lot of space.

If you want something to carry a few files around you could easily get a 1GB usb flash drive cheap enough. But the standard seems to be a 32GB USB flash drive or perhaps a 64GB USB flash drive. As a rule of thumb it’s better to get bigger than you think you’ll need. That way you’re not struggling for space or having to buy a second on the future. Keep in mind that as things progress file sizes will also increase so it’s a good idea to ‘future proof’ yourself by getting one step bigger. Flash drive sizes are usually how they’re organised but don’t forget that the brand name behind it can give a hint to it’s reliablity.

  • Transfer Speed

Not long ago this wasn’t much of an option but now with a USB 3.0 flash drive you can get some surprisingly high file transfer speeds. Basically the faster your transfer rate the more you can get done and the less waiting around involved. If you’re looking to do your backups with USB flash drives (note I use plural because I always suggest doing a double backup if your files are that important).

The USB flash drive price largely depends on the capacity and transfer speeds but there are numerous factors as well of course.

Getting a USB 3.0 Flash Drive

Basically our suggested approach to getting a USB flash drive is to first decide what kind of drive you need (what you really need it for) and then look through our suggested drives. That’s how you find the best flash drives and then you take a look on Amazon – great prices plus they have thousands of reviews from other users. All of our reviews link to that drive on Amazon and that’s how we suggest you get a USB 3.0 flash drive.

Click Here to See the Best USB 3.0 Flash Drive Deals on Amazon