Rank #5 in Best 256GB USB Flash Drives 2026: 10 Ranked by Their Own Spec Tables
Amazon Basics 256GB USB-C + USB-A Flash Drive
Price and rating as shown on Amazon when we collected them. Both change.
The Amazon Basics USB Flash Drive is a 256GB dual-port stick — USB-C on one end, USB-A on the other — in a Champagne Silver metal casing, listed at £56.80. It sits at number five in this guide, and among the ten drives here it is the one whose speed number never appears in the headline copy at all.
There is no 'up to 400MB/s' claim in the product name or in the bullets. The 400 MB/s read figure appears only in the specification table, and the single bullet that mentions speed is a disclaimer: read and write speeds are based on internal tests under controlled conditions and may vary with the device, the file size and the file type. That is the opposite problem to the drives further up this page, where a headline number has to be walked back by the spec table. Note too what is missing: no write speed is published anywhere, and the 256 GB on the label is described as nominal, with the listing itself saying the available capacity is higher than 230 GB. Everything on this page is taken from the Amazon listing, not from any testing of our own.
How those 4,759 ratings break down
An average hides its own shape. This is the spread behind the 4.6 stars.
Specification
Exactly as published on the Amazon listing, field for field.
| Price | £56.80 |
|---|---|
| Customer rating | 4.6 out of 5, from 4,759 ratings |
| Read speed (spec table) | 400 MB/s — no write speed is given anywhere in the listing |
| Hardware interface | USB 3.2 Gen 1 |
| Capacity | 256 GB nominal; the listing states available storage capacity is higher than 230 GB |
| Colour | Champagne Silver |
| Network connectivity technology (as listed) | USB |
| Best Sellers Rank | 1,451 in Computers & Accessories; 34 in USB Flash Drives |
What buyers actually say
Quoted from customer reviews on Amazon
Verified purchase“Fantastic drive good price and it's handy to have the two different usb connections. Doesn't also transfer data and very fast speeds sometimes it's a bit slow but that may be my laptop!! But I have bought more I love them.”
Verified purchase“Using this to record blink doorbell and additional cameras, works perfectly with quick response when reviewing video.”
What it is up against
The rivals it was ranked against in Best 256GB USB Flash Drives 2026: 10 Ranked by Their Own Spec Tables.
Questions people ask
What read speed does the Amazon Basics LS25USBC256G1 list?
The specification table gives 400 MB/s read. No write speed is stated anywhere in the listing, and the bullets carry only a disclaimer that real-world speeds vary by device, file size and file type.
Can I use the full 256GB?
No. The listing calls 256 GB a nominal capacity and says the actual capacity shown by the operating system may be lower because of different measurement standards, with available storage capacity stated as higher than 230 GB.
Will it work with an iPhone Lightning port?
No. The Amazon Basics bullet states it is incompatible with the Lightning port. It is listed as suitable for phones, tablets and computers with USB or USB-C ports.
What format does it arrive in?
The listing says the drive uses exFAT by default, which it credits with lower power consumption, reliable performance and broad device compatibility.
How is the Amazon Basics LS25USBC256G1 rated by buyers?
The listing shows 4.6 out of 5 from 4,759 ratings. The breakdown shown lists 77 five-star and 3 one-star ratings out of the 100 displayed.
What is the casing like?
Metal, with a rotating open and close design and a hanging hole for storage.
Comments
Reader comments are not checked against the manufacturer's claims above.
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