Finding the best USB-C thumb drives shouldn't take up your whole afternoon — the less time you spend searching for one, the more time you have to enjoy it. With a USB-C thumb drive, you're getting support for the latest USB 3.2 communication protocols, and it is much faster than older USB drives. Some high-end models can reach transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps. It’s a solid choice if you work with files in Ultra-HD 4K.
You can use a USB-C flash drive in a cheap Android smartphone or a more expensive Samsung Galaxy S25 model. In fact, even newer iPhones use USB-C ports now so a USB-C flash drive benefits more people than ever before. You don't have to use those OTG adapters anymore; you can only insert them to access your files with the help of a file explorer app.
With that in mind, here are the best USB-C thumb drives to start transferring those files. These are the best flash drives with Type-C ports available to buy in 2025, be it for durability, speed, or storage.
These are the best USB-C thumb drives
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Best overall
With this USB-C flash drive, you can choose between USB-C and USB-A. It's stylish, compact, and uses a clever slide mechanism for easy access. It uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 for read speeds up to 400 MB/s and OTG support. You can choose from storage options of 64GB, 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB.
Best storage options
You can get the PNY Pro Elite USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB with capacities of 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, and 2TB. This allows you to compactly store a boatload of movies, music, photos, or backup files. It also has read speeds of 1,000MB/s and write speeds of 800MB/s.
Best waterproof
Samsung's reliable Type-C Waterproof Flash Drive features USB 3.2 Gen 1, with transfer speeds of up to 400 MB/s for 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models, and 300 MB/s for 64GB variants. It is also robust and resistant to shocks, water, magnets, X-rays, and heat. It only has a Type-C port, but that's okay in this day and age.
Best lightweight
With the Kingston option, you can enjoy capacities of 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB. Thanks to USB 3.2 Gen 2 support, this drive can handle high-bandwidth tasks with ease. It also has a unique rigid casing with a keyring loop and is a great option for saving HD photos, 4K/8K videos, music, and more.
Best budget
This affordable Lexar D40E 128GB Dual USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C Jump Drive is keychain-sized and has transfer speeds of 100 MB/s. It also has dual connectors: USB-C and USB-C for phone and USB, and there is no need for software installation. The tiny Lexar D40E USB-C Flash Drive has capacities ranging from 64GB, 128GB, and 256GB, is lightweight, and can withstand operating temperatures from 0 to 50 °C.
Best high-speed SSD
This dual-drive USB-C flash drive is an excellent option if you already have a USB-C device, such as a MacBook or Chromebook. The SSK Type-C Flash Drive is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB options. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is water-resistant and comes with USB-C and USB-A covers. The price gets you transfer speeds of 500 MB/s.
Best for keyrings
Silicon Power has been a good alternative to PNY and SanDisk SD cards for years, and its flash drives have proven quite dependable. The wide keyring cover makes holding this USB-C drive easier to carry around. This dual-tip C80 thumb drive claims to be shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof. It's available in 16-128GB options. Twist the USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive to use USB-C or USB-A on either end.
Most compact
The tiny Verbatim Store ‘n’ Go Dual OTG USB 3.2 Gen 1 Flash Drive is easy to stow in your gear bag or desk and won't take up much space. Verbatim included a handy lanyard to keep the cap tethered to the drive. Plus, you get both USB-A and Type-C connectors for added flexibility. You can choose from 16-128GB variants.
Double the ports, double the fun
You may notice that most drives on this list are multi-port flash drives, with a USB-C port on one end and a USB-A port on the opposite end, like some USB-C cables. This makes the flash drive an extra-easy way for users to offload photos and files from any Android phone to their computer or vice versa, even an older computer without USB-C ports. Thanks to this setup, you can quickly recover files from older devices.
If you want a Type-C-only flash drive, you can get smaller or higher capacity drives, such as a 256GB model with Samsung. The Samsung option is tempting since you can save various movies for offline viewing when Wi-Fi is lacking.
The SSK External USB-C option is a great way to connect your Chromebook and MacBook without sacrificing style in the process. You can choose between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB models, so you always have enough storage for your movies and other files.
A note about read, write, and transfer speeds
When looking at flash drives, you'll see many USB standards thrown around and bold claims about speed. Like microSD cards, most flash drives are advertised for a transfer speed, which you should always transfer to read speed, not write speed. This is because practically all external storage devices have a lower write speed than read speed, sometimes much slower. However, unlike microSD cards, USB drives don't use speed classes like V30 or U3 to reveal performance.
When shopping for a flash drive, higher write speeds are essential if you regularly copy over large data files. But if you're mainly transferring smaller files or only reading files already saved on the drive, you should be okay with any USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 drive. Ensure that the USB-C port you're plugging into matches the USB version of your thumb drive. For your reference, the maximum possible data transfer speed for USB 2.0 is 480 Mbps, USB 3.2 Gen 1 is 5 Gbps, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 is 10 Gbps.
