In our daily lives, we work on so many different types of projects and with all of those projects comes multitudes of data that we need to save. Thankfully, the days of floppy disks are long gone and now, most external storage is done using USB flash drives.
While they can be small, they can also hold a mountain of data from photos to video and everything in between so when we set out to create our list of the Best USB flash drives for graphic designers, we wanted to make sure our choices were the best out there.
The 10 Best USB Flash Drives for Graphic Designers & Creatives
- Patriot Supersonic Rage Elite – Best USB flash drive overall (Editor’s Choice)
- SanDisk Ultra USB-C – Best for Apple
- Kingston IronKey D300SM – Most reliable & safe
- Samsung Portable SSD T5 SSD – Fastest
- WD MyPassport – Best Value
- SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive – Smallest
- LaCie Rugged USB-C – Best rugged
- Kingston Technology DataTraveler 100 Generation 3 USB flash drive – Most affordable
- SanDisk Extreme CZ80 USB flash drive – Best budget
- PNY Turbo 256GB USB flash drive – Great for students
- OWC Envoy Pro EX – Most storage & best performance
The Best USB Flash Drives Compared
What to consider before buying a USB flash drive
We know what you’re thinking. You can go just about anywhere and buy a USB flash storage device these days to save your work. While that’s pretty accurate, when you need to save important files and projects, just any drive won’t do. Here are the things you should consider before purchasing one.
Storage Capacity
When it comes to choosing the right storage capacity for your flash drive, it isn’t the size of the flash drive that is important but what you intend to use it for that matters. Flash drives come in a multitude of sizes from 1GB to 1 TB and beyond. If you’re using a flash drive to save documents and spreadsheets, then you may be able to have enough storage by using a 1GB flash drive. However, if you’re saving video, photos, illustrations to your flash drive, which can all be very large files, choosing a flash drive that’s a TB or more is probably the best option.
Transfer speed
The faster you can get something done, the better and this is no different when it comes to saving files to your USB flash drive. The speed at which your files are saved to your flash drive largely depends on which generation your flash drive connector uses. For example, the standard connector on many USB flash drives is 3.0. This comes with a decent amount of transfer speed at 5Gbps. The next step up from there is 3.1 or 3.1 Gen 2. These are becoming more and more common and can offer transfer speeds up to 10Gbps.
Security
USB drives can sure be convenient but that convenience can also come with some security risks. The small size can cause them to get lost easily. They can also be hard to track physically and many companies have banned the use of flash drives for this reason, and they can also be used to transfer malware from one computer to another.
While the size of a flash drive isn’t likely to change anytime soon, security programs such as software and hardware encryption can help prevent unauthorized access. Full disk encryption programs offer on-the-fly encryption of removable media to keep it protected. A built-in keypad is sometimes used as an option. In this case, uses need to enter a PIN to gain access to the drive. While having data security on your flash drive can increase the cost of the drive, it no comparison to what it may cost if it fell into the wrong hands.
The 10 Best USB Flash Drives for Storage
1. Patriot Supersonic Rage Elite (Editor’s Choice)
A small flash drive with great performance
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 128GB – 1TB | Storage Type: Flash
A great little flash drive, the Rage Elite from Patriot comes in a wide range of capacities which is great for all kinds of data, especially if you’re working with photo or video files which can be quite large. Losing the cap on top of the connector is no longer a problem as the connector retracts with a simple push.
If you suffer from slower internet speeds its likely that access to cloud storage is limited as well so having lightning-fast transfer speeds can make running large programs such as Adobe Creative Suite or backing up a ton of files a breeze. The Rage Elite’s internal design pushes the flash storage to its mint with speeds of up to 300MB/sec which outpaces many hard disks.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 256GB USB 3.1/USB 3.0 Flash Drive up to 400MB/s read: up to 200MB/s write
- Durable slide to connect design to protect the Drive.
- Rubber coated housing protects from drops, spills, and daily abuse.
- Backwards compatible with USB 3.0, USB 2.0, USB 1.1
- Compatible with legacy and current versions of Windows, Linux 2.4 and later, Mac OS9, OSX, and later
2. SanDisk Ultra USB-C
The best choice for Apple laptops
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-C | Capacities: 16GB – 128GB | Storage Type: Flash
Did you buy a new MacBook or MacBook Pro recently and had to give up a lot of your old USB storage because the new Macs don’t use Type-A ports? Well, we have some good news. The Type-C ports on the MacBook have a flash drive of their own.
With the Ultra USB-C from SanDisk, you can plug in your flash drive without the need for a dongle, dock, or converter. With a capacity range of 16GB to 128GB, the Ultra USB-C boasts quite an impressive reading and writing speeds of up to 150 MB/sec, A Type-C USB flash drive at an affordable price? It sounds like a good idea.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- High-speed USB 3.0 performance of up to 130MB/s(1)
- Transfer a full-length movie in less than 30 seconds(2) [(2) Based on 1.2GB MPEG-4 video transfer with USB 3.0 host device. Results may vary based on host device, file attributes and other factors]
- Transfer to drive up to 15 times faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1)
- Sleek, durable metal casing
- Easy-to-use password protection for your private files(3) [(3)Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10, and Mac OS X v10.9+; Software...
3. Kingston IronKey D300SM
The best flash drive for keeping your data safe
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 4GB – 128GB | Storage Type: Flash
Depending on the type of work you do, your project and portfolio can quite literally be your livelihood. If this is true, why would you not want a flash drive that offers to protect your data from many different factors like the IronKey D300SM from Kingston is one of the most secure flash drives you can get, the drive comes with a waterproof design but that’s only the beginning of the security features.
The drive is also password protected with 256-bit encryption which complies with FIPS standards that many corporate environments demand and all of the decryption is done on the drive itself. While the speeds can vary with the largest, 128GB having the fastest write speeds of 250MB/sec. Regardless of the transfer speeds, the security offered by the IronKey D300SM makes it worth it every time.
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- Storage Capacity: 8 GB
- Encryption Standard: 256-bit AES
- Host interface: USB 3. 1
- Height: 0. 5"
- Width: 0. 9"
4. Samsung Portable SSD T5 SSD
The fastest USB storage you can buy
Interface: USB 3.1 (Gen 2) | Connector: Type-C | Capacities: 500GB – 2TB | Storage Type: SSD
While it’s not technically a flash drive, the Samsung Portable T5 is an external solid-state drive and uses the same technology that your computer uses for fast storage. It ends up being faster than any other kind of USB storage and makes the most out of the high bandwidth that USB 3.1 provides to deliver transfer speeds of up to 550 MB/sec. Because of this high-performance, it’s also much more than a standard flash drive.
The speed this device can provide isn’t meant for only backing up your files, it can be a way to work on large files directly from the T5 itself. So while it’s not a standard flash drive, if your work means big files, you can’t go wrong.
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- Superfast read write speeds: SSD with V-NAND offers ultra-fast data transfer speeds of up to 540MB s (up to 4.9x faster than external HDDs); Ideal for transferring large-sized data including 4K...
- Compact and portable design: Top to bottom shock resistant metal design fits in the palm of your hand and easily slides in your pocket or purse to take work and entertainment on the go
- Secure encryption: Optional password protection and AES 256-bit hardware encryption keeps your personal and private data more secure
- Seamless connectivity: Includes USB type C to C and USB type C to A cables to connect to PCs, Macs, smartphones and other devices
- Warranty and compatibility: 3-year limited warranty; Requires Windows 7, Mac OS X 10.9 (Mavericks), Android 4.4 (KitKat), or higher; Older versions of the Windows, Mac and Android operating systems...
5. WD MyPassport
The USB hard disk that’s the best value for the money
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 1TB – 5TB | Storage Type: Hard Disk
If you do any type of video work, you know how large some of those files can get. While the technology behind har disk drives may be ancient compared to current USB flash storage technology, you can’t argue the value that the MyPassport offers n terms of the capacity you get for the price. While the larger, 3.5-inch models have the largest capacities, they require an external power supply. The 2.5-inch model is carried easily, powered by USB and with up to 5TB available, it offers massive storage you can fit in your pocket.
With transfer speeds around 100MB/sec, it will take some time to fill it. The MyPassport is an inexpensive option for those looking for a way to do a massive backup of their data over USB rather than the fastest transfers, this is the drive for you.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Slim design
- Automatic backup - easy to use
- Password protection plus 256-bit AES hardware encryption
- WD Discovery software for WD Backup, password protection, and drive management
- SuperSpeed USB-A 3.0 (5Gpbs), 2.0 compatible
6. SanDisk Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive
The tiniest USB flash drive out there
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 16GB – 256GB | Storage Type: Flash
USB flash drives can come in all shapes and sizes these days. There are even flash drives shaped like your favorite science fiction characters. While these can be a great novelty item, they aren’t the best option if you’re in the middle of a board meeting. The Ultra Fit USB 3.1 Flash Drive from SanDisk combines great storage capacity along with a minimalistic design.
About the size of a thumbnail, the drive all but disappears when it’s plugged in. It’s small enough where if it weren’t for the small lip at the end, making it easy to remove, it would disappear. Just because its small in stature, doesn’t mean that the transfer speeds are lacking anything. With transfer speeds up to 130MB/sec, it truly is a tiny dynamo.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- A compact, plug-and-stay, high-speed USB 3.1 flash drive that’s ideal for adding more storage to laptops, game consoles, in-car audio and more
- Simple, fast way to add up to 16GB of storage to your device [1GB=1,000,000,000 bytes - Actual user storage less]
- Write faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(1) [(1) Up to 130MB/s read speed; USB 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.0 port required; Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device;...
- Move a full-length movie faster than standard USB 2.0 drives(2) [(2) Write faster than standard USB 2.0 drives (4MB/s); USB 3.1 Gen 1 or USB 3.0 port required; Results may vary based on host device,...
- Keep private files private with included SanDisk SecureAccess software(3) [(3) Password protection uses 128-bit AES encryption and is supported by Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 10 and macOS v10.9+...
7. LaCie Rugged USB-C
A great drive if you work in the great outdoors
Interface: USB 3.1 | Connector: Type-C | Capacities: 1TB – 5TB | Storage Type: Hard Disk
While we have been featuring many different options for storing your data using flash storage, all of the transfer speed in the world won’t help you if you drop your flash drive in a puddle or if you get caught in the rain.
This is why the Rugged USB-C hard drive from LaCie is such a good option. With its orange rubber case, the drive can survive an accidental drop whereas other drives or other flash devices may not be so lucky. According to the manufacturer, the drive can withstand a 1-ton car, is water- and dust-resistant, and survive a drop from three feet.
If you do a lot of work in the wild, maybe as a photographer, having a durable drive that you can save your work without worrying about any damage it might take let you put all of your focus on your work.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Perfect for storing up to 1TB of content, Rugged Triple external hard drive is the easy way to connect to FireWire 800 and USB 3.0 computers
- For those who have a need for speed, this portable hard drive features dual FireWire ports for daisy chaining and a USB 3.0 port for speed transfers of up to 110MB/s
- Trek confidently with a portable external hard drive that offers all-terrain durability of drop, dust, and water resistance
- Take advantage of a complimentary one-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
- Enjoy long-term peace of mind with the included two-year limited warranty
8. Kingston Technology DataTraveler 100 Generation 3 USB flash drive
A solid and affordable flash drive
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 16GB – 256GB | Storage Type: Flash
Cheaply priced flash drives have the problem of being seen as not worth the time of an affordable amount of money because of perceived limitations that the drive may have. This is not the case with the DataTraveler 100 from Kingston. With its solid build and very affordable price, it can be a great option for saving documents or even as a backup for your work. Read/write speeds of 150Mbps and 70Mbps easily makes this drive worth every penny.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- Compliant - with USB 3.0 specifications
- USB 3.1 Gen 1 (USB 3.0)¹ — DT100 G3 delivers USB 3.0 speeds, Backwards compatible — Can be used with USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports.
- Stylish - black-on-black, sliding cap design
- Ideal USB 3.0 starter storage device
- Guaranteed - five-year warranty, free technical support
9. SanDisk Extreme CZ80 USB flash drive
The most affordable flash drive available
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 16GB – 64GB | Storage Type: Flash
Offering you plenty of storage, the CZ80 flash drive from SanDisk is one of the best flash drives on our list. Not only is the price so affordable that you could buy them in bulk, the performance that it provides is anything but cheap. With fast transfer speeds, the CZ80 is one speedy little flash drive. The connector slides in and out of the stick when it’s not being used which can be great to protect it when it’s not in use and can also minimize the risk of it getting damaged.Overall, this USB flash drive outperforms many others on our lit.
Latest Price on Amazon:
![SanDisk SDCZ48-032G-U46 Ultra 32 GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive Up to 80MB/s [Older Version]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41rgbuJstSL._SL160_.jpg)
- Access hi-res photos, HD videos or other large files up to 4 times faster than USB 2.0 drives
- Fast performance speeds (up to 80 MB/sec)
- USB 3.0 enabled (USB 2.0 compatible)
- Keep private files private with SanDisk SecureAccess software
- Backed by 5 year limited warranty
10. PNY Turbo USB flash drive
A great flash drives for students
Interface: USB 3.0 | Connector: Type-A | Capacities: 32GB – 256GB | Storage Type: Flash
While it may not have the fastest speeds on our list, the Turbo from PNY, one of the biggest names in flash drives is a great option for students looking for a drive with large capacities and an affordable price. With a capped design to help protect the connector and read/write speeds of 80 and 20Mbps respectively, it can be a great option for any student in need of a way to save their data.
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- Read speeds up to 140MB/sec; Write speeds up to 80MB/sec
- Store and transfer large files faster than ever with USB 3.0 technology
- Allows for quick and Easy transfer of all content
- The 256GB Turbo USB 3.0 Flash Drive can hold approximately 47, 349 songs
- Sliding collar, capless design with integrated loop makes it easy to attach to key chains, backpacks and etc.
11. OWC Envoy Pro EX – $299
It feels like everything has a Pro version these days. The Envoy Pro EX from OWC certainly earns it ‘Pro’ labeling. Available in storage sizes up to 1-2TB, which is more than twice the capacity that their competition offers, and it’s just a touch faster to boot. The drive comes with IP67 certification. For those unfamiliar, that means it can be submerged in a little over three feet of water for thirty minutes and still operate. While that is pretty cool, these drives aren’t cheap, so maybe take their word for it? If you have a computer with a Thunderbolt 3 port, you owe it to yourself to pick up this hard drive. Get more information on the Envoy Pro here.
Latest Price on Amazon:
- 2.0TB Rugged, compact, bus-powered, ultra high-performance storage for demanding workflows with integrated Thunderbolt 3 cable
- The OWC Envoy Pro EX portable SSD with Thunderbolt 3 provides ultra-fast, production-level storage for audio, design, and photography workflows
- Provides up to 2500MB/s of sheer performance: The perfect combination of phenomenal 40Gb/s bandwidth offered by the Thunderbolt 3 interface and an ultra high-performance M.2 NVMe SSD tuned to provide...
- Built in a strong, slim, and stylish aluminum enclosure, the MIL-STD810G drop test certified protective impact absorbing bumper provides rugged military-level protection from the drops and bruises...
- 3 Year OWC Limited Warranty
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The best USB flash drives for graphic designers 2021
When you’re in the market for a new USB flash storage device, it can be very easy to pick the first one that you see. With our list of the best USB flash drives for creatives, we hope that we have presented you with some options to consider the next time you go shopping.
Do you have a flash storage option you just have to tell others about? Let us know in the comments below!!
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