Finding the best USB-C thumb drives doesn’t have to be a mission impossible. The idea of enjoying one sounds a lot better than the time you would spend searching for one. With a USB-C thumb drive, you have one that supports the latest USB 3.2 communication protocols and is much faster than your basic USB. They can also give 100W of power to your devices and offer transfer speeds of up to 20Gbps. It’s also the option to go with if you have files in Ultra-HD 4K.
You can use a USB-C in a cheap Android smartphone or a more expensive Samsung Galaxy S24 model. You can put away those OTG adapters and only insert them to access your files with the help of a file explorer app. Here are the best USB-Cs you can get your hands on and start transferring those files.
With that in mind, here are the best USB-C thumb drives to get your hands on.
These are the best USB-C thumb drives
Slide and save
This affordable and compact flash drive uses a clever locking slide mechanism that gives you the choice of using USB-C or USB-A to transfer your data. It utilizes USB 3.1 for transfer speeds up to 150 MB/s, which means you can get your info quickly from your devices that still use older USB-A ports over to your modernized USB-C Android phone in a flash. Get one with 32GB, 64GB, 128GB, or 256GB space.
Supersized capacities
The PNY Elite Type-C is available from 64GB up to 512GB, allowing you to store up to half a terabyte of movies, music, photos, or backup files compactly. Unfortunately, there's no USB-A port, but that makes for a smaller package. It's not as good of a deal as the SanDisk Ultra, but at least you get a 512GB option.
Ruggedly reliable
Samsung's reliable Duo Plus USB-C drive has been dethroned by its own Type-C Waterproof Flash Drive. Not only does it get USB 3.2 Gen 1 with transfer speeds of up to 400 MB/s for 128GB and 256GB models and 300 MB/s for 64GB variants, but it's also highly 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.
Adapter included
Vansuny offers a 32GB USB-C flash drive with a 360-degree rotation to USB 3.0 and Type-C connections. The Vansuny option is available in 32GB, 64GB, and 128GB sizes. This drive is waterproof, shockproof, X-ray-proof, and magnet-proof.
Small and discreet
The read speeds on this Lexar USB 3.2 Gen 1 keychain-sized flash drive are lower than most in this lineup at 100 MB/s, but the write speeds of 30 MB/s are still adequate for promptly backing up and transferring files. You can get the tiny Lexar JumpDrive DualDrive in capacities ranging from 64 to 128GB.
Compact and name-brand
This dual-drive USB-C flash drive is an excellent option if you already have a USB-C computer like a Chromebook or a MacBook. The SSK Type-C Flash Drive is available in sizes between 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is water-resistant and has a USB-C Clamshell and USB-A cover. The price will give you transfer speeds of 500 MB/s transfer rates.
Shiny silicon alternative
Silicon Power has been a good alternative to PNY and SanDisk SD cards for years now, and its flash drives have proven quite dependable as well. This dual-tip Mobile C80 thumb drive has a nice wide keyring cover and claims to be shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof. It's available in 16-128GB options. Twist the USB 3.2 Gen 1 drive around to use USB-C or USB-A on either end.
Short and slim
Rather than including a keychain, the tiny 32-128GB Kingston DataTraveler Micro Duo Flash Drive is easy to stow in your gear bag or on your desk. The 15 MB/s write speeds here are slower, but the 100 MB/s read speeds are still more than enough for watching movies directly off the drive. Plus, you get a USB-A port on top of the Type-C connector.
Double the ports, double the fun
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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, just 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, even an older computer without USB-C ports.
If you want a Type-C-only flash drive, you can get smaller or higher capacity drives, such as up to a 256GB model available with Samsung. The drive tempts me greatly because it can hold so many movies for offline viewing during those long cross-country flights.
The SSK External USB-C option is a great way to connect your Chromebook and Macbook while looking good. 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
Now, when looking at flash drives, you'll see many USB versions thrown around and a lot of talk about how fast a drive is. 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 significantly lower write speeds. However, unlike microSD cards, USB drives don't get covered in speed classifications like V30 or U3.
When you look for a flash drive, higher write speeds are important if you're constantly copying over large data files, but so long as most of the time you're transferring smaller files or just reading files that have been on the drive for a while, any USB 3.0 or USB 3.1 drive should be perfectly fine. Make sure 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 3.0 is 5 Gbps, and USB 3.1 is 10 Gbps.
