While the USB-C interface, introduced earlier this year, has yet to become ubiquitous on PCs and peripherals, there are early adopters who want to get a head start in using the new standard. If you're one of them, then the 32GB Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3C ($27) is worth considering. The flash drive incorporates both USB 3.0 and USB-C connectors, allowing you to try out the new interface, while still being usable on USB 3.0-equipped systems and peripherals. It's similar in function and capacity to the SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C ( at Amazon) , but the two differ in terms of design, and the DataTraveler microDuo 3C lags behind the SanDisk model on read and write speeds.
Design and Features
Measuring 1.17 by 0.65 by 0.33 inches (HWD), the DataTraveler microDuo 3C is very small. While its size makes it very portable, the plastic and metal exterior isn't very easy to grip, so taking it out of tight ports can be a challenge. I was almost worried I was damaging the drive whenever I pulled it out of the space-constrained USB 3.0 port in my testbed.
The DataTraveler microDuo 3C has two connectors: USB-C on one end and USB 3.0 on the other. The USB-C connector has a small plastic flap that folds over to cover it. The flap works on a hinge, and can lock into place in the up or down position. It's virtually identical to the one on the Kingston DataTraveler microDuo ($51.00 at Amazon) , which comes with a microUSB instead of a USB-C end. The USB 3.0 side has no cover, a puzzling omission, as it is just as vulnerable to small debris as the USB-C connector. In contrast, the SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C sports a cap that swivels to cover either end when the other connector is in use.
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Currently, there are very few USB-C-compatible devices. As of this writing, only the Google Chromebook Pixel ( at Amazon) and Apple MacBook laptops and the OnePlus 2 ($299.00 at Plusnet Mobile) smartphone use USB-C ports. The good news is that the drive is compatible with virtually any platform—Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows Vista, Mac OS X, Linux, and Chrome OS—and we should see more and more PCs, Macs, and other hardware with the new interface in the coming months.
Pricing
The list price for the DataTraveler microDuo 3C is $27 for the 32GB model, which works out to about 84 cents per gigabyte. The flash drive also comes in 16GB ($19) and 64GB ($45) capacities, which cost about $1.19 per gigabyte and 70 cents per gigabyte, respectively.
In comparison, the $49.99 Sandisk Dual USB Drive Type-C (32GB) comes out to roughly $1.56 per gigabyte, and the Leef Bridge 3.0 (16GB) ($29.99 at ThinkGeek) is $1.12 per gigabyte. The SanDisk Extreme 3.0 (64GB) , our Editors' Choice, cost $2.18 per gigabyte when we reviewed it, but earns its price with its blazing speed in testing (which we discuss below). Thus, when it comes to price, the DataTraveler microDuo 3C is one of the best deals, narrowly beaten by another top pick—the 64GB Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3.0 ($25.78 at Amazon) , which has a cost per gigabyte of 78 cents.
Performance
I ran the DataTraveler microDuo 3C through our timed file transfer test, copying large (1GB+) files back and forth to measure average read and write speeds. In terms of data transfer, Kingston claims that the drive can manage up to 100MBps read and 15MBps write speeds over USB 3.0. In testing via USB 3.0 on a Windows 8.1 desktop, the drive achieved a read speed of 37MBps and a write speed of 11MBps. To compare, the SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C clocked read and write speeds of 61MBps and 47MBps, respectively. The SanDisk Extreme 3.0 beat them both with 105MBps read and 110MBps write speeds over USB 3.0.
Running the same test with USB 2.0, the drive averaged 39MBps (read) and 12MBps (write). In contrast, the SanDisk Extreme 3.0 had 32MBps read and 20MBps write speeds over the USB 2.0 connection. The DataTraveler microDuo 3C's results are more in line with the speeds of the Leef Bridge 3.0 (31MBps read, 7MBps write) and the Kingston Datatraveler Micro Duo 3.0 (31MBps read, 9MBps write) over USB 2.0 in our tests.
Performance over USB-C isn't terribly impressive. In our timed file transfer test via USB-C on a Google Chromebook Pixel, the DataTraveler microDuo 3C had a moderately fast write speed of 60.33MBps, but the read speed was sluggish, at 7.59MBps.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a flash drive that works with both USB 3.0 and USB-C, you could do worse than the Kingston DataTraveler microDuo 3C. It all comes down to how much you're willing to pay for performance. The only other noteworthy drive with the same ports is the SanDisk Dual USB Drive Type-C, which is much more expensive than the DataTraveler model, but has more consistent, solid transfer speeds in a slightly more ergonomic form factor. And although its price per gigabyte is higher, it's difficult to beat the Editors' Choice SanDisk Extreme USB 3.0, for its strong design and blazing-fast performance. But if you have one of the newer devices that support USB-C and need a (fairly) quick, inexpensive, and easy way to transfer your files, the DataTraveler microDuo 3C is worth a look.
The compact 32GB DataTraveler microDuo 3C works with both USB 3.0 and USB-C devices, but its performance is slower than that of other flash drives.
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