Credit:
Reviewed / Florence Ion
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Credit:
Reviewed / Florence Ion
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This is a great universal card reader for USB-C ports, with consistent read speeds and the fastest performance in our write-speed tests. Read More
If you’re looking for a simple little adapter you can always keep on hand, the affordable Transcend USB 3.0 card reader is a fabulous value. Read More
Undoubtedly pocket-sized, the Verbatim also offers impressive transfer speeds. It does, however, lack CF-card compatibility. Read More
Offers SD, CF, and microSD slots for all your media-offloading needs. It’s also compact, with a cable short enough to wrap and tuck into your pocket. Read More
In our transfer-speed tests, this moved over 30 GB of data in a little over 8.5 minutes. It doesn’t handle CF cards, but does accept microSD. Read More
Have your SD cards been filling up and collecting over the years? If so, you'll eventually want to offload those photos and files. And the best way to do that—if you don't already have a card reader embedded into your computer or laptop—is to buy one that connects externally.
Card readers come in all sorts of shapes and sizes, with all types of connectors. They don't just read SD cards; some can read microSD cards, CompactFlash (CF) cards, and even Sony’s Memory Stick Pro Duo.
To find the best SD reader for your machine, we tested those that connect either via USB or by way of USB Type-C. The latter is a type of connection standard that's become more widely used, and many Apple laptops, Chromebooks, and Ultrabooks only come with this kind of port.
After calculating speed times for eight of the best SD card readers on the market, we discovered our favorite is the Unitek Y-9324BGY (available at Amazon) . Not only did it hail some of the fastest write speeds from the batch of readers we tested, but it also offers a multitude of connection options. The Unitek is a worthy card reader for anyone who needs to get their data off of a memory card.
My name is Florence Ion, and I’ve been doling out professional buying advice for nearly a decade. I’m also a devoted Chromebook user and am often looking for USB Type-C accessories that can help transfer photos back and forth from my DSLR.
I bundled together nearly 30GB of varying file types, including RAW images, JPEGs, GIFs, ebooks, text files, Word documents, and videos to test the write speeds of each card reader. The test was split up into three stages: moving over 10GB of data, then 20GB, and then nearly 30GB. The tests were conducted three times apiece, each time measured by a stopwatch, and the final results were then averaged to determine each card reader's top write speeds.
Not all card readers were tested using the same computer. The USB 3.0-compatible card readers were tested with a Windows 10 laptop, while the USB Type-C readers were tested with a MacBook Pro.
To test the read speeds of each card reader, I used a program called USB Flash Benchmark to measure the USB 3.0-connected card readers on PC and Xbench on the USB-C card readers tested with the Mac. The SanDisk Extreme Pro 32GB, which tested the fastest in our SD card test, served as the benchmark for each card reader since it can handle up to 95 MB/s transfer speeds.
As you're shopping for an SD card reader, you should consider things like speed, size, and overall ease of use.
If your laptop has a USB-C port (many models these days only have one to work with), you'll want to stick with that type of connection for your card reader. If you have a laptop with traditional USB ports, there are also two USB 3.0 options tested here.
A USB-C connector on the left is becoming more common than the more traditional USB 3.0 connector on the right.
Don't bother with USB 2.0 card readers, as they're generally considered an outdated standard and are much slower than what's out now. USB 3.0 card readers are also backward compatible, so they're worth checking out even if you have an older computer.
You don't have to buy the card reader with all the slots. Skip the CF reader if you don't have an older DSLR, for instance, as it will likely also save you some room. CF cards are bigger than SD cards and thus require more housing. The fewer the slots, the smaller the reader, which bodes well if you want to keep things light.
Removable cables are nice, but if you're always on the go, consider a card reader with one that's permanently attached. Cables can be easily misplaced, which can later cause a headache. Also, just because a card reader is small and compact doesn't mean it offers you access to all of your computer's ports.
Convenient compact design
Excellent transfer speeds
Lacks CF-card compatibility
Sleek aluminum design
Compatible with SD, CF, and microSD cards
Excellent transfer speeds
None that we could find
Excellent transfer speeds
Compatible with microSD
Doesn’t work with CF cards
Florence Ion is a freelance journalist and prolific podcaster. She's written for Ars Technica, PC World, Android Central, The Verge, and Engadget. Her reviews and how-tos can usually be found on Lifehacker, Tom's Guide, and Reviewed. She can also be heard weekly on All About Android on the TWiT network and Material on Relay FM.
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