2026년 최고의 USB 플래시 드라이브 11개: 펜 드라이브, 썸 드라이브, 메모리 스틱

Featured in this article The once ubiquitous USB flash drive has declined in popularity with the rise of the cloud, but these portable storage devices still have a lot to offer. Also known as thumb drives or memory sticks, flash drives provide storage for backing up precious photos, playing movies on the big screen, or copying files from one phone or laptop to another. They can also keep sensitive data off the internet altogether, which greatly diminishes the possibility of that data being hacked. They are affordable, small enough to fit on a keychain, and boast ever-increasing capacities and data transfer speeds. After testing many, we’ve selected these as the best USB flash drives for various purposes and budgets. If you need more than 1 terabyte of storage, check out our guides to the Best Portable Storage Drives or the Best Cloud Storage Services. And don't forget to back up your digital life. Updated March 2026: We've added the SanDisk Crayola as a new recommendation and the Kingston Dual Portable as a flash drive we like, removed a couple of older drives, and updated prices, which have risen significantly. There seems to have been a surge in demand for flash drives lately, so watch out for predatory pricing from third-party sellers when drives go out of stock. | USB Flash Drives | Starting Price (MSRP) | Connector | Capacity | Max Speeds | Warranty | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Best Overall: SanDisk Extreme Pro | $33 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A | 128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB | 420 MB/s read, 380 MB/s write | Lifetime | | A Compact Alternative: Patriot Supersonic Rage Prime | $35 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A | 250, 500 GB, 1 TB | 600 MB/s read, 600 MB/s write | 5 years | | Best USB-C: Kingston DataTraveler Max | $101 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C | 256, 512 GB, 1 TB | 1,000 MB/s read, 900 MB/s write | 5 years | | Best Budget: Verbatim Pinstripe | $19 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A | 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 GB | 100 MB/s read, 80 MB/s write | 2 years | | Most Secure: Kingston IronKey Vault Privacy 50 | $70 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A or Type C | 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, 512 GB | 250 MB/s read, 180 MB/s write | 5 years | | Best Tiny: Verbatim Nano | $12 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A | 16, 32, 64 GB | 80 MB/s read, 25 MB/s write | 2 years | | USB-C and USB-A: OWC Envoy Pro Mini | $95 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type C | 250, 500 GB, 1, 2 TB | 946 MB/s read, 946 MB/s write | 3 years | | Smaller USB-C and USB-A: PNY Duo Link | $13 | USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A and Type-C | 64, 128, 256 GB | 200 MB/s read, 110 MB/s write | 1 year | | Fun Drive: SanDisk Crayola | $35 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C | 64, 128, 256 GB | 300 MB/s read, 150 MB/s write | 5 years | | Minimalist USB-C: SanDisk Ultra Luxe | $16 | USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C | 128, 256, 512 GB, 1 TB | 400 MB/s read, 400 MB/s write | 5 years | | Most Durable: Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth | $70 | USB 3.0 Type-A | 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 GB, 1 TB | 85 MB/s read, 70 MB/s write | 5 years | Other Flash Drives We Like We have tested many other USB flash drives that did not make the cut. Here are a few that might be worth considering for some folks. Kingston Dual Portable SSD (1 TB) for $229: With a snazzy metallic red body, this SSD disguised as a flash drive is very speedy, matching the stated 1,050 MB/s read and 950 MB/s write in my tests. It is USB 3.2 Gen 2 with a C jack at one end and an A jack at the other, both with removable covers. As much as I like this drive, which comes in 512-GB, 1-TB, and 2-TB models, it is on the pricey side. Amazon Basics Flash Drive (128 GB) for $18: I like the grippy texture on the slider of this drive because it’s easy to open one-handed and locks in place securely. The loop at the top is perfect for a key ring, and it is lightweight. Performance was limited, as you might expect at this price, but it consistently exceeded the stated 130 MB/s read and 30 MB/s write speeds for larger files, though it only had 116 GB usable out of the box. Buffalo External SSD-PUT Stick (500 GB) for $70: Another SSD in a flash drive body, this drive hit 450 MB/s in my tests and offers shock protection for falls. There’s also a sliding USB-A, and it comes with a USB-C adapter. It is pretty chunky for a flash drive, so you may find it blocks adjacent ports. You can also get reasonably priced 1- and 2-TB versions of this drive. PNY Pro Elite V2 (256 GB) for $60: This sliding drive has a plastic cover to protect the USB-A plug, and was our compact pick for a while. It performed well (read and write speeds hovered around 415 MB/s and 425 MB/s) in my tests, and has an opening for a lanyard or keyring. I tested the 256-GB drive, but there are 512-GB and 1-terabyte models. SanDisk Ultra Dual Drive Go (128 GB) for $29: This handy drive swivels to give you USB-C or USB-A, and comes in various sizes and some fun colors, but the lower capacity drives are slow (USB 3.1). You can get the 128 GB drive and up in USB 3.2 Gen 1 for up to 400 MB/s read and it’s a solid alternative to the PNY Duo above. PNY Elite-X (128 GB) for $16: