# Best 128GB USB Flash Drives: 10 Ranked, and the Write Speeds the Boxes Hide Source: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives Published: 2026-09-18 | Updated: 2026-09-19 | Prices checked on Amazon UK on 2026-09-18 Several of these listings put a read figure on the front of the box and then reuse it as a write speed. If you are comparing the best 128GB USB flash drives, that is the trap. SanDisk prints up to 150MB/s on the Ultra Flair, and the data sheet copies that same 150 MB/s into the write-speed field - which no USB 3.0 stick does. The cheaper SanDisk Ultra is the honest comparison: 130 MB/s read, but a separate 80 MB/s write. Meanwhile the Cruzer Blade's own sheet lists a read speed of '1 Bytes Per Second' and a flash memory type of '16' on a 128 GB drive. We ranked ten of the best 128GB USB flash drives on Amazon on three things you can check: whether a listing's read and write figures agree with each other, the rating and the spread of its reviews, and the price per gigabyte as listed. Where a drive's own data contradicts itself, we say so. ## The ranking ### 1. SanDisk Ultra 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Price: £18.79 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 210,343 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/sandisk-ultra-128gb-flash-drive - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00P8XQPY4?tag=ranked10-21 First because it is one of the few listings here that give a read figure and a lower, separate write figure: 130 MB/s read, 80 MB/s write. The SanDisk Ultra takes first place among the best 128GB USB flash drives because it is one of the few listings here that give a read speed and a lower, separate write speed: 130 MB/s read, 80 MB/s write. In practice, the 80 MB/s is the number that governs how long a file takes to copy onto the drive. Which means the full-length film it claims to transfer in less than 40 seconds is being timed at 130 MB/s, not at the write speed you will actually get. The drive is USB 3.0, backward compatible with USB 2.0, and SanDisk claims up to 10x the speed of a standard USB 2.0 stick. It carries SecureAccess encryption and password protection, measures 22 x 11 x 8 mm, and is sold in 16 GB, 32 GB, 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. The rating is 4.6 from 210,343 reviews, with 77% of them five-star and 1% one-star. That said, 80 MB/s write is mid-range, not fast. Anyone shifting large video files regularly should look at the dual-port Amazon Basics, whose 400 MB/s read is the highest figure here - but note that Amazon publishes no write speed for it at all. And if your laptop or phone takes only USB-C, this Type-A drive is the wrong shape. Pros: 130 MB/s read and 80 MB/s write are listed as separate figures, unlike the Ultra Flair's duplicated 150 MB/s; 4.6 from 210,343 ratings, with 77% five-star; USB 3.0 with USB 2.0 backward compatibility and a keyring loop; SecureAccess encryption and password protection included; Sold from 16 GB to 256 GB in the same line, so capacities are easy to compare Cons: 80 MB/s write is mid-range for a USB 3.0 stick; The 'less than 40 seconds' movie claim tracks the read speed, not the write speed; USB Type-A only, so no USB-C device without an adapter; 1% of its ratings are one-star ### 2. Kingston DataTraveler Exodia 128GB USB 3.2 Gen 1 Drive - Price: £11.99 | Amazon rating: 4.4 from 68,396 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/kingston-datatraveler-exodia-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JD4TBM3?tag=ranked10-21 £11.99 and 4.4 from 68,396 ratings, but the spec sheet lists a write speed of '2x' and a flash memory type of 'SD' - neither describes a USB drive. At £11.99 this is the second-cheapest 128GB USB flash drive in the list and the best-reviewed of the budget group: 4.4 from 68,396 ratings, 70% of them five-star. The problem is in the specs. The write-speed field reads '2x', which is not a speed, and the flash memory type reads 'SD' on what is a USB stick, not a memory card. In use it is a plain USB Type-A drive: USB 3.2 Gen 1, a protective cap rather than a retractable body, a large loop that takes a keyring, and a listed weight of 11 g. Kingston lists it as shockproof, and the colour varies with the capacity. Worth noting: 7% of its ratings are one-star, the joint-highest share of any drive in the top half of this list. The cap is a separate piece that can be lost, there is no USB-C connector, and with no usable write figure you cannot tell how it compares with the SanDisk Ultra's stated 80 MB/s before you buy. Pros: £11.99 is the second-lowest price here; 4.4 from 68,396 ratings, 70% five-star; Shockproof body with a protective cap and a large keyring loop; USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, listed at 11 g; Multiple colour options by capacity Cons: Write-speed field reads '2x', which is not a speed; Flash memory type is listed as 'SD' on a USB stick; 7% one-star ratings, joint-highest in the top half of this list; The cap is a separate piece that can be lost ### 3. SanDisk Ultra Flair 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Price: £19.00 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 194,822 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/sandisk-ultra-flair-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015CH1PJU?tag=ranked10-21 The 150 MB/s on the box is reprinted in its own write-speed field, and no USB 3.0 stick writes as fast as it reads. By contrast with the Ultra, the Ultra Flair prints 150 MB/s on the box - and then reprints the same 150 MB/s in the write-speed field of its own data sheet. A USB 3.0 stick does not write at the rate it reads. The catch is simple: the 150 MB/s headline is a read figure, and the identical write number is a copy of it, not a measurement. The Flair costs £19.00, a penny more than the plastic Ultra, and swaps plastic for a metal casing. It adds a year's RescuePRO subscription for recovering deleted or corrupted files alongside SecureAccess encryption, and claims transfers 15x faster than standard USB 2.0. Its manufacturer field names Amplim rather than SanDisk, and the country of origin is given as the USA. Buy the Flair if you want the metal body and the recovery software. Skip it if you are comparing the best 128GB USB flash drives on write speed, because the listing never states one you can trust - the Ultra's 80 MB/s is the figure SanDisk will actually stand behind. Pros: Metal casing rather than plastic; 150 MB/s read, second only to the 400 MB/s dual-port Amazon Basics; Includes a year's RescuePRO subscription plus SecureAccess encryption; 4.6 from 194,822 ratings, 76% five-star; Only a penny more than the plastic SanDisk Ultra at £18.79 Cons: The write-speed field repeats the 150 MB/s read figure, which no USB 3.0 stick sustains; Manufacturer is listed as Amplim, not SanDisk; £19.00 buys no extra capacity over the Ultra and loses the separate write figure; USB Type-A only, with no USB-C version ### 4. Amazon Basics 128GB USB 3.1 Flash Drive, Telescopic - Price: £27.71 | Amazon rating: 4.5 from 33,529 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/amazon-basics-128gb-usb-drive - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0B6148YKN?tag=ranked10-21 The biggest split in the list - 130 MB/s read against 30 MB/s write - at a price of £27.71. This drive shows the clearest read-versus-write split of the ten: 130 MB/s read against 30 MB/s write. That is a gap of 100 MB/s between two figures in the same data sheet, and it costs £27.71 - more than the SanDisk Ultra, which quotes an 80 MB/s write. It is a telescopic USB 3.1 flash drive, so there is no cap to lose, and it works in USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports. In practice it is a 128GB USB flash drive for laptop and desktop use: NAND flash, plug-and-play, 8.49 g, ranked 51st in Amazon's USB flash drive chart. Amazon also states that usable capacity is above 115 GB, below the 128 GB on the label. As a result, 30 MB/s write makes this a poor choice for large video files, even though the read figure looks strong. And at £27.71 it is the second most expensive drive here, which is hard to justify when the SanDisk Ultra writes at a stated 80 MB/s for £18.79. Pros: A 30 MB/s write speed is stated, so you know the figure before buying; Telescopic body with no cap to lose; Works in USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 ports, plug-and-play; 4.5 from 33,529 ratings, 72% five-star; Amazon states usable capacity is above 115 GB Cons: 30 MB/s write against 130 MB/s read - a 100 MB/s gap in the same data sheet; £27.71 is more than the SanDisk Ultra, which states an 80 MB/s write; Slow for large video files despite the read figure; Usable capacity is below the 128 GB on the label ### 5. Amazon Basics 128GB USB-C and USB-A Dual Port Drive - Price: £35.31 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 4,759 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/amazon-basics-dual-port-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0DRXPLZFK?tag=ranked10-21 The fastest read figure here at 400 MB/s, the highest price at £35.31, and no write speed published at all. In theory the dual-port Amazon Basics is the fastest drive in this round-up: 400 MB/s read over USB 3.2 Gen 1, whose 5 Gbps ceiling allows for it. But no write speed appears anywhere in the listing, and one bullet admits that read and write speeds vary with the device used, the file size and the file type. The point of it is the two connectors: USB-C and USB-A on a rotating metal body, formatted exFAT so it moves between phones, tablets and computers without reformatting. It is not compatible with the Lightning port, and Amazon again notes usable capacity above 115 GB rather than the full 128 GB on the label. Even so, £35.31 is nearly double the SanDisk Ultra, making it the highest price among the best 128GB USB flash drives here, and you are paying it without a published write figure. The 4,759 ratings at 4.6 are also the smallest sample in the top five. If what you actually do is copy files onto the drive, this is a lot of money for one verified number. Pros: 400 MB/s read, the fastest figure in this list; USB-C and USB-A on the same drive, for phones, tablets and laptops; Rotating metal casing with a hanging hole; exFAT by default, so no reformatting between operating systems; 4.6 from 4,759 ratings Cons: No write speed published anywhere in the listing; £35.31 is the highest price here, nearly double the SanDisk Ultra; A spec bullet admits real speeds vary by device and file; Not compatible with the Lightning port ### 6. SanDisk Cruzer Blade 128GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive - Price: £14.99 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 286,586 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/sandisk-cruzer-blade-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00RM1EC1S?tag=ranked10-21 4.6 from 286,586 ratings, but its read speed is listed as '1 Bytes Per Second' and its flash memory type as '16'. However you read this listing, the numbers on it do not describe a 128 GB drive: the Cruzer Blade is USB 2.0, its read-speed field reads '1 Bytes Per Second', its flash memory type reads '16', and only the write field gives a usable figure of 30 MB/s. Yet it is one of the best-reviewed items here at 4.6 from 286,586 ratings, the largest review base among the best 128GB USB flash drives on this page. At the same time, the drive itself is a straightforward budget stick: compact enough for a pocket, drag-and-drop, with 128-bit AES encryption and password protection through SanDisk SecureAccess, and it works on desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile devices. The reason to skip it is the interface. USB 2.0 caps real transfer rates well below a USB 3.0 128GB flash drive, so a large file set will take far longer than on the £18.79 SanDisk Ultra. Buy it for documents and photos; do not buy it for video. Pros: 4.6 from 286,586 ratings, the largest review base here; 78% of its ratings are five-star; 128-bit AES encryption and password protection with SecureAccess; £14.99 for 128 GB in a pocket-sized body; Works with desktops, laptops, tablets and mobile devices Cons: Read speed listed as '1 Bytes Per Second'; Flash memory type listed as '16'; USB 2.0 only, so transfer rates are capped by the interface; Costs more than the USB 3.2 Kingston at £11.99 and the LinkMore at £11.19 ### 7. Lexar A30E 128GB USB 3.2 Flash Drive, 2-Pack - Price: £41.99 | Amazon rating: 4.6 from 1,010 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/lexar-a30e-128gb-usb-stick - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0F992V1TY?tag=ranked10-21 Two 128 GB drives with a stated 100 MB/s read, no write figure, and a spec sheet that says three items and two packs. £41.99 buys two drives, so roughly £21 per 128GB USB stick, each rated at up to 100 MB/s read. No write speed is published anywhere. Crucially, the listing contradicts itself on quantity: the spec sheet lists Number of Items as 3 and Number of Packs as 2, on a product named as a 2-pack. Check what arrives. Each stick weighs 7.41 g, has a push-button retractor and a lanyard loop, uses USB 3.2 Gen 1 over Type-A, and includes Lexar's DataShield encryption, which creates a password-protected safe and securely erases anything deleted from it. No software installation is needed. That said, 100 MB/s read is the joint-lowest figure among the USB 3.0 and 3.2 drives here that state a read speed, and with no write number the £41.99 is being spent on a partial spec. Buy the pair if you want one drive at home and one in a bag; buy a single, faster drive if you only need one. Pros: Two 128 GB drives for £41.99, about £21 each; 100 MB/s read speed, stated; 4.6 from 1,010 ratings, with 81% five-star - the highest five-star share here; DataShield encryption with auto-encryption and secure erase; 7.41 g with push-button retractor and lanyard loop Cons: No write speed published; Spec sheet says Number of Items 3 and Number of Packs 2; 100 MB/s is the joint-lowest stated read speed among the USB 3.0 and 3.2 drives here; £41.99 is the third-highest price in the list ### 8. Gigastone Z30 128GB USB 3.0 Flash Drive - Price: £28.99 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 327 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/gigastone-z30-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0762DLG9V?tag=ranked10-21 100 MB/s read, a write-speed field containing a sentence rather than a number, and a title and box contents that disagree on the interface. The Gigastone's write-speed field contains a sentence - '[Faster than USB 2.0]' - instead of a figure, which makes it hard to rank against the best 128GB USB flash drives that do publish a write speed. Its read speed is given as 100 MB/s and it costs £28.99. The listing is also inconsistent about the interface: the title says USB 3.0, the box contents say USB 3.2 Gen1. What is consistent is the design: a capless retractable body in carbon-fibre style, listed as lightweight, shockproof and X-ray proof, working in both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 sockets on PC and Mac, with Windows 7 through 10 and Mac OS supported. It weighs 13.6 g. Either way, the evidence base is thin. Its 327 ratings are the second-smallest sample here, ahead of only the LinkMore, and 7% of them are one-star against 70% five-star. The listing also carries the standard notice that international products ship from abroad with separate terms. Pros: 100 MB/s read speed, stated; Capless retractable design, so nothing to lose; Listed as shockproof and X-ray proof; Works in both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 sockets; Carbon-fibre-style body weighing 13.6 g Cons: Write-speed field reads '[Faster than USB 2.0]' instead of a number; Title says USB 3.0, box contents say USB 3.2 Gen1; 327 ratings, the second-smallest sample here, with 7% one-star; Listing warns it is an international product with separate terms ### 9. LinkMore NR34 128GB USB 3.2 Flash Drive - Price: £11.19 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 235 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/linkmore-nr34-128gb - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BL6ZRDRX?tag=ranked10-21 The cheapest drive here at £11.19, with both speeds stated - 120 MB/s read, 60 MB/s write - and the smallest evidence base at 235 ratings. At £11.19 the LinkMore is the cheapest drive in this round-up, and it is a USB 3.2 128GB drive with a 5-year warranty. It is one of the few here that state both speeds: 120 MB/s read and 60 MB/s write, which is 20 MB/s slower on reads than the SanDisk Ultra and 20 MB/s slower on writes. Its own labelling does not agree with itself - a bullet says USB 3.1 Gen 2x1 while the spec field says USB 3.2 Gen 1 - but either way it is a Type-A stick, 8 g, listed as vibration proof and compatible with Windows 7 to 11, Linux kernel 2.4 and later, and Mac OS X 10.8 and later. That said, 235 ratings at 4.3 is the thinnest evidence base in this list, with 6% one-star and 5% two-star. If you want a cheap second drive for documents, the stated 60 MB/s write makes it a better budget pick than the USB 2.0 Cruzer Blade at £14.99. Pros: £11.19 is the lowest price here; 120 MB/s read and 60 MB/s write are both stated; 5-year warranty; 8 g body, listed as vibration proof, with a retractable connector; Works with Windows 7 to 11, Linux and Mac OS X Cons: 235 ratings is the smallest sample in this list; A bullet says USB 3.1 Gen 2x1 while the spec field says USB 3.2 Gen 1; 6% one-star and 5% two-star ratings; Plastic body with no metal option ### 10. ENUODA 128GB USB 2.0 Memory Stick, Swivel - Price: £11.89 | Amazon rating: 4.3 from 17,641 ratings - Full review: https://www.ranked10.co.uk/tech/best-128gb-usb-flash-drives/enuoda-128gb-usb-flash-drive - Buy on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09WXQFQGX?tag=ranked10-21 £11.89 for a USB 2.0 stick that openly declares 20 MB/s read and 10 MB/s write. This is the slowest drive here by a distance, and unusually for this list it says so: 20 MB/s read, 10 MB/s write, USB 2.0, £11.89. Those are the only two speed figures in the whole round-up that match the drive's own interface - a USB 2.0 stick with USB 2.0 numbers. In practice the ENUODA is a 128GB memory stick with a 360-degree swivel metal cover, an LED activity light and a built-in keyring loop, plug-and-play across Windows, Linux and Mac OS, and it takes USB 2.0 with backward compatibility. Its 17,641 ratings at 4.3 are the third largest here, and 68% of them are five-star. Buy it for documents, music and photos. Do not buy it for video or system backups: at 10 MB/s write, a large film file takes several minutes to copy. It also carries the highest one-star share in this list, at 8%. Pros: £11.89 for 128 GB; Read and write speeds are both stated: 20 MB/s and 10 MB/s; 360-degree swivel metal cover and an LED activity light; 4.3 from 17,641 ratings, 68% five-star; Plug-and-play across Windows, Linux and Mac OS Cons: USB 2.0 only, with a 10 MB/s write speed; Slowest drive in this list by a wide margin; 8% one-star, the highest share here; Not suitable for video or system backups ## Verdict Choosing among the best 128GB USB flash drives comes down to one question: does the listing state a write speed? For most laptops and desktops, the SanDisk Ultra at £18.79 is the sensible buy: 130 MB/s read with a separate, stated 80 MB/s write, backed by 210,343 ratings at 4.6. If price decides it, the Kingston DataTraveler Exodia at £11.99 and the LinkMore NR34 at £11.19 both undercut it, and the LinkMore is one of the few cheap drives to publish a write figure at all, at 60 MB/s. For moving files between a phone, a tablet and a laptop, the dual-port Amazon Basics at £35.31 is the only USB-C option here and quotes the fastest 128GB USB drive read speed in the list, at 400 MB/s - though it publishes no write speed. In short, the best 128GB USB flash drives are the ones that tell you their write figure, not the ones with the biggest number printed on the box.