Have you been prying for the top 10 USB drives for Chromebooks? Look no further than the listicle we’ve curated for you ahead. In such a vast sea of different options online, a common individual is sure to be confused between going with one option or the other. That’s why we’ve decided to put together this guide to help you make the right decision.
ChromeOS has never been the one to compromise on its accessibility tools and features, allowing users to hook up their peripheral devices to Chromebooks thanks to the generous port selection most of these devices come with. Take a look at the HP Chromebook x360 14c and you’ll know exactly what we’re on about.
For now though, let’s check out these high-quality USB drives belonging to different budgets, so you can make a well-informed purchasing decision for your cause. In the meantime, check out these 10 best SD and microSD cards for your Chromebook for a similarly-styled guide as well.
- Related read: Top 10 kids headphones for school that work with Chromebooks.
10 of the best USB flash drives for Chromebook
What entails ahead is our cherry-picked selection of the most high-quality USB drives that you can get for your Chromebook. Make sure to read until the end to acknowledge differently-priced USBs and their respective features.
1. SanDisk 128 GB Ultra Flair USB 3.0
SanDisk 128 GB Ultra Flair USB 3.0
Starting off this list of the best USB drives for Chromebook is a product of an extremely popular tech manufacturer—SanDisk. The US-based company has a reputation in the industry for creating reliable products that not only stand the test of time but also exhibit a productive service life. The SanDisk 128 Ultra Flair USB 3.0, therefore, is no exception.
With over 130,000 global ratings and a phenomenal 4.7/5.0 overall rating, the SanDisk 128 Ultra Flair USB 3.0 is a perfect proponent of performance, thereby coming in with additional traits of being storage-accurate and easy to use. People who bought the product say that they got their order on time and the whole package was shipped just as well.
The 128 GB-sized USB will set you back $14.99, which, we must admit, is fairly priced. However, if you intend to go higher up the storage range, — say 512 GB — you will need to pay more. The latter costs about $45.99, should you choose to check it out for your Chromebook.
2. SanDisk 256GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C
SanDisk 256GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C
Next up, we have another SanDisk product that has seemingly amassed quite the reviews and ratings on Amazon online. The SanDisk 256GB Ultra Dual Drive USB Type-C costs just about $24.99 if you purchase it from Amazon which is nothing but cost-effective. The peripheral guarantees high read speeds of as much as 150 MB/s across the board.
The build of the device is sleek and lightweight—right in alignment with what a Chromebook stands for. In addition, no ordinary design embraces the SanDisk Dual Drive USB Type-C. As per the title of the product, this peripheral lets you transfer files between smartphones, PCs, and whatnot with the help of two dedicated USB terminals.
While the retractable design is definitely one of the major plus points of the USB at hand, what we love about the product is how reliable it is. With more than 10,800 global ratings and a fantastic 4.6/5.0 overall rating on Amazon, SanDisk, as a manufacturer, definitely stands out with the reputation it garners across the spectrum with its USBs.
3. SanDisk 32 GB 3-Pack Ultra USB 3.0
SanDisk 32 GB 3-Pack Ultra USB 3.0
It’s SanDisk back again on the list and that honestly comes across as no surprise. The United States-hailing manufacturer isn’t famous without a bevy of noteworthy causes. One of them is reliability on top of affordability. The SanDisk 32 GB 3-Pack Ultra USB 3.0 in light of the previous statement comes for as low as $18.49.
Therefore, one USB in this pack of three costs about $6.16 which, we have to say, is nothing but a great price. Of course, this is understood that each USB device out of the pack you’ve got here will grant you transfer speeds at a ten times faster rate than the standard USB 2.0 protocol.
If you’re someone who’s mostly time-strapped, this is the pack of SanDisk USBs that you should readily opt for—we can personally vouch for that much. With over 120,000 global ratings and a star-studded review of the product, you can comfortably be a part of thousands of other happy customers who took their chances with it and received satisfaction.
4. Pnstaw 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Pnstaw 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive
Moving forward is the Pnstaw 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive which costs about $28.61 for a pack of 10. The best part is that each piece within this 10-product pack comes in a different color, so you can pass it around and give one to each of your family members gleefully.
Another major benefit of the USB drive at hand is that it’s easy to use and carry and even boasts plug-and-play functionality. Therefore, you do not have to install any dedicated drivers or media codecs to get the USB drive to work on your end. All that is needed to be done is a simple insertion of the device inside your Chromebook and voila!
If there’s one facet that we love about the Pnstaw manufacturer, then it’s definitely the fact that it allows free commercial or promotional usage with its produced USB drives. The thumb drive does not come with any logo imprint, so you’re free to slap your own company sign on it and distribute infomercials or anything of the like without paying extra.
But, of course, not every one of you out there will be up for something like this. Many would simply require the ordinary function of a USB drive, and this is what the Pnstaw 32 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive is painlessly capable of providing to its user base.
5. RAOYI 5-Pack 64 GB USB Flash Drive
RAOYI 5-Pack 64 GB USB Flash Drive
The RAOYI 5-Pack 64 GB USB Flash Drive is nothing but a terrific option for those looking for a high-quality pack of USB drives, but are not packing the right budget. This cost-effective alternative boasts 5 differently-colored USB drives for an admirable price tag of $23. Moreover, the storage capacity of the units is slated for 64 GB.
If you multiply that by 5, you’re basically getting 320 GB of storage more or less by paying less than $25. However, the protocol that these devices use is USB 2.0, so you won’t be able to experience the same speeds as a peripheral that sports USB 3.0. Still, reviewers who have bought the device say that the data transfer speeds are pretty reliable.
Last but not least, the RAOYI 5-Pack 64 GB USB Flash Drive amassed quite a reputation on Amazon. This product alone has almost 1,000 global ratings with the vast majority of them being flat-out 5-star. Plenty of customers have saved their money and have received a high-quality product in return from what we can gather after delving into research.
6. Enfain 10-Pack 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Swivel
Enfain 10-Pack 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Swivel
Moving forward, we have got another bulk purchase option for your cause. If your workspace requires not just one but a bundle of USB drives where you are needed to manage what goes where then the Enfain 10-Pack 16GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive Swivel is just the option that you should opt for. One of the best parts, however, concerning the product is its price.
Over 9,000 people have seemingly plunged into this 10-pack piece by Enfain and have even left 5-star reviews after their purchase. That is to say, the overall score that people have given this listing is 4.7/5.0, which is pretty decent, considering all things.
One person says that they’ve ordered the 10-pack multiple times now and have always had favorable results. Business owners find a product model like this highly valuable for giving away. The whole thing even comes in a gift box for prospective users to gift the Enfain USB devices to someone.
7. SanDisk 16GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive
SanDisk 16GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive
The 16GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive is the third entry on this list hailing from the same great manufacturer—SanDisk. The company headquartered in the States has been absolutely relentless in pushing out one high-quality product after the other, so there’s no surprise why you won’t see the name pop up in other tech-oriented settings too.
The 16GB Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive is built for people who rather opt for cloud-based storage solutions instead of hoarding everything on their Chromebook’s local storage. That is to say, the device only costs $8.47 and promises reliability for days on end. Thousands of other users have bought the Cruzer USB 2.0 Flash Drive only to be content afterward.
8. Samsung FIT Plus 128GB
Samsung FIT Plus 128GB
The 8th entry on the list belongs to a world-renowned manufacturer that simply does not need any introduction to anyone who’s even remotely familiar with the bustling tech industry in 2022. Samsung is famous for its range of top-quality Chromebooks and is easily one of the best Chromebook manufacturers as well.
As for its line-up of peripheral devices, the Samsung FIT Plus 128 thumb drive features a state-of-the-art USB standard of USB 3.1, which is more advanced than any of its counterparts mentioned on the list so far. Garnering more than 30,000 ratings on the famed marketplace, this USB device is a fan favorite when it boils down to the competition.
The 128 GB variant costs about $18.99. It’s a bit on the pricier end, but it automatically becomes worth it by the end of the day when you actualize those read speeds of 400 MB/s. Last but not least, the Samsung FIT Plus is an incredibly compact USB. Passers-by won’t even notice that you’ve got something plugged into your Chromebook.
9. Micro Center SuperSpeed 5 Pack 32GB USB 3.0
Micro Center SuperSpeed 5 Pack 32GB USB 3.0
The second last entry on this list is yet another special product that doesn’t come solo, but rather prefers the company of its siblings. The Micro Center SuperSpeed 5 Pack 32GB USB 3.0 comprises a pentagon of USB drives with relatively faster read and write speeds for effortless data transfer day in and day out.
In addition, the pack of these 5 USBs is even backward compatible, so you won’t struggle to hook these peripherals up with a USB 2.0 port if your Chromebook sports that. The cost of this whole bunch is $20 and the variant included in the price is 32 GB. This product currently enjoys its reputation as “Amazon’s Choice” on the platform with a slew of positive ratings.
10. PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0
PNY 128 GB Turbo USB 3.0
Last but not least, we’ve got the PNY 128GB Turbo USB 3.0 topping this list off. What we have here features terrific reliability coupled with a fantastic build quality. The product features more than 40,000 ratings on Amazon and costs as low as $21.99 for a two-pack at the time of writing this article down.
This brand has even collaborated with SanDisk to offer users another purchasing variant. There’s an option to buy two PNY USBs and get a SanDisk 128 GB drive too—all for $36.78. However, if you’d like to go lower in the data storage capacity here, you can easily opt for the single unit 128 GB edition of the PNY 128 GB Turbo USB 3.0 and you’ll be sorted.
Conclusion
Chromebooks benefit greatly from the capacity at which they operate. Not only do they comprise a brilliantly simple-to-use operating system, but they’re also getting more feature-rich as the days go by. With front-running power players such as Steam starting to invest in ChromeOS, there’s no telling how bright the future of this neat operating system is shaping up.
Now that you’re all caught up on the best USB drives in the business to hook up with your Chromebook, do let us know in the comments section down below which option did you end up going with. As always, Chrome Ready wishes you good luck!
- Before you go: Fast Chromebooks: The Ultimate Guide.
