Kingston vs Lexar Micro Flash USB Drives

KingS6

Interested in purchasing a 128gb micro flash USB drive. Either a Kingston Datatraveler Micro 3.1 or Lexar JumpDrive s45 (newest version). Both have been observed around the £24.99 mark.

I wonder if anyone here favours one brand over the other? One specific product over the other or even a similar product? Reliability? Warranty? Encryption/security? Anything else to consider?

Cheers.

bengalknights

Personally ive always gone Sandisk>Samsung>Kingston>Transcend>Lexar

in reliability order however depends really on what you plan to do with the usb drive.

AndyPix

I prefer the kingston datatraveler.
They are cast out of one piece of metal and are very hardy.


I have had 2 on my keyring for a year or so , used almost daily and not missed a trick ..

KingS6

Funny that SanDisk is mentioned as I am on the fence about them. From some of the comparison reviews their claimed speeds fall a lot shorter than the others on the test, similar story for Samsung. Also issues with reliability, customer service and heat dissipation. Some reviews praising SanDisk or crowning it the winner have been accused of bias.

However others do indeed swear by SanDisk and have been repeat customers many times over which I take on board. Not all reviews have been criticised.

Heat dissipation could be a potential issue with the Kingston as it is aluminium. But I doubt this is an everyday problem to the point where failure occurred. As AndyPix has stated they haven't missed a trick and that metal build makes them durable, plenty of people agree too.

Whichever I choose I will be purchasing from the eBay outlet of Memory Magic, so product should be kosher. Anything I need to watch out for to ensure I get the genuine article?

AndyPix

The kingstons pictured have never even got slightly warm to the touch, and they take a right battering in a pocket full of keys and loose change too


They are also nice and small, unobtrusive on the keyring


I have just bought another 10 of them - Highly Recommended

S0litaire

I picked up a 64Gb SanDisk "Ultra Fit" USB3 drive a few months back It's ok, but a word of warning it gets VERY hot when plugged direct into USB3 sockets (and warm in USB2)

Oddly if you put an extension USB2/3 cable between the USD stick and the port their is no noticeable heat.

It's possible that the extra 2 feet or 1m of added cable Distance or resistance means it does not get too hot in use >_<

A._Badger

If you are planning to repeatedly plug and unplug a USB device then its mechanical strength is very important. I have used Lexar JumpDrives but found them too flimsy. I'm currently using a (very) fast SanDisk but while its performance is excellent, it too suffers from flimsy construction and I'm now looking for an equally fast 128GB drive with a sturdy construction. I've yet to find one.

Another important consideration for many users (it certainly is for me) is the transfer speed. Most manufacturers stress the read speed of their devices but for many it's the write speed that counts and this is invariably slower - sometimes a lot slower. It's also a figure you often have to dig to find, the online retailer My Memory is quite helpful in that respect.