EmailBest Reviewed
USB Flash Drives
- Best USB flash drive Corsair Flash Voyager *Est. $40
- Most durable USB flash drive Corsair Flash Survivor *Est. $40
- USB flash drive with U3 SanDisk Ultra Cruzer Titanium *Est. $30
- Most secure flash drive IronKey Secure *Est. $140
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- Inexpensive
- Fast, except on large files
- Five-year warranty
- Plastic case
- Retractable plug (no cap)
March 2009. Reviews suggest the Kingston DataTraveler DT1 is a good choice for a USB flash drive if your needs are basically just at-home storage of text or music files. While the speed for transferring files is not especially fast, experts say that's generally a major issue only with large files, and most user reviews are positive. The case is made of plastic, but there's a five-year warranty. There's also no cap; the USB plug retracts inside the body. More expensive USB flash drives are encased in metal, like the Corsair Flash Survivor (*est. $40 for 8 GB) or simulated rubber like the Corsair Flash Voyager (*est. $40 for 8 GB).
Most professional reviews focus on more expensive flash drives, but Kingston gets good reviews in general. We found the best coverage of the Kingston DataTraveler DT1 at Amazon.com, where about 800 owner reviews weigh in. ExtremeOverclocking.com has decent coverage, but testing methods aren't very detailed. Testing is more apparent at TomsHardware.com, TrustedReviews.com and the Scot's Newsletter blog, but they review only more expensive Kingstons.
Kingston DataTraveler I - 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive DTI/4GB |
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In Stock. Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping |
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Our Sources
1. Amazon.com
Although the headline suggests that it's the 8 GB version of the Kingston DataTraveler DT1 that is being reviewed, various drive sizes are included among the more than 1,000 owner reviews. The average score is very high, with only about 12 percent of users -- most of whom cite bugs or slow drives -- giving it fewer than four out of five stars.
Review: Kingston 8GB DataTraveler USB flash drive - High Speed USB, Contributors to Amazon.com
This website is commercial enough to raise suspicion, but this review is honest and calls the Kingston DataTraveler a "no-frills drive" that looks good and is good value for the money.
Review: Kingston 4GB DataTraveler USB 2.0 Flash Drive Review, Jason Rabel, Oct. 17, 2007
Schmid and Veltze test 12 drives, assessing access time, read-transfer and write-transfer capabilities. The Kingston DataTraveler 1 GB version finishes last in access time and in the middle of the pack otherwise; the model reviewed is a U3-capable version.
Review: Summer 2006 Memory Stick Fashion Show, Patrick Schmid and Sebastian Veltze, Aug. 16, 2006
The British website Trusted Reviews covers lots of flash drives, although the closest it comes to the Kingston DataTraveler DT1 4 GB is this review of a discontinued and expensive Kingston DataTraveler Secure. In general, Kingston products overall are praised.
Review: Kingston Technology DataTraveler Secure 4GB Review, Riyad Emeran, Oct. 27, 2006
This blog is a side project of the editor of IT trade journal Computerworld. Although this is primarily a review of the Lexar 4GB JumpDrive Lightning, four products are tested for speed, and the Kingston DataTraveler Secure is rated second in data-transfer rate.
Review: Lexar's 4 GB JumpDrive Lightning USB Drive Excels -- Top Product!, Scot Finnie, Dec. 2007
USB Flash Drives Runners Up:
3 picks including: Amazon.com, Scot's Newsletter…
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
2 picks by top review sites.
Kingston DataTraveler I - 4 GB USB 2.0 Flash Drive DTI/4GB
 from Amazon.com New: $7.58 In Stock.
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