Best external memory card reader with USB 3.0 | Top 5 picks

What is the best external memory card reader with USB 3.0? Let’s read our SD card reviews and buy one of the top external SD card readers with USB 3.0.

Get fast and reliable access to all your flash media using the best external memory card reader. These USB card readers are ideal for photographers, videographers, and design studios. They can facilitate the fast transfer of images, videos, and data so you can work faster and more consistently.

Downloading more than 8 gigabytes of pictures from the camera via a USB cable can be a real torture. The best solution is to use an SD card reader, but the one we have integrated into our computer is not always the fastest option. If we have bought our computer in the last three years, it is likely to have a USB 3.0 port, blue. This input path dramatically improves the transfer speed of traditional USB 2.0, so it is a good idea to take advantage of it and get us an SD card reader compatible with this interface.

What is a memory card reader?

The memory card reader is a hardware device that allows you to read SD, micro SD, and other types of portable memory. The SD card reader not only allows reading on various types of SD memory but also allows writing.

Some readers are internal. That means you can set them internally on a PC or are already installed internally. Other readers, widely popular lately, are external and are attached via USB to computers or peripherals.

Today memories are so widespread that they are often integrated into virtually all laptops and desktops. They are also integrated inside the printers to allow fast printing of photos or files directly from the portable memory.

Which memories an SD card reader can read?

SD card readers can have only one single slot available or have a lot to match with the many types of cards on the market. For example, most commercial card readers can read memory formats: CF / MD, M2, MS / DUO, miniSD, microSD, SD / MMC, MMC micro.

If the topic is of interest to you or if you are also about purchasing SD or micro SD cards, we recommend reading this article where we list the best micro SD cards. Or you can read our SD card charts for cameras, reflexes, and GoPro.

Kinds of memory card readers

Let’s briefly discuss the most popular types of SD card readers.

Internal SD card reader

Internal card readers are readers that are installed inside the computers. The installation is usually standard, that is, you buy the PC with the SD card reader installed inside. However, if your PC does not have any readers then you can add it with little effort and little time. The USB card reader for today is an almost indispensable accessory.
Once the reader is installed and all cables (usually two) are connected to the motherboard and power adapter, the player is ready for use. It will automatically read the inserted memories.

External memory card reader

These are the readers commonly referred to as “USB readers” and are nothing more than external SD card readers.

They have the same functionality as the internal ones but the advantage of being “portable”. In practice, they are attacked via a USB port on the PC and can be unplugged once the usage is finished.

Not only. You can also use some models of USB readers with smartphones. That is, you can attach them to your mobile phone and use them as a “bridge” to read or write data on your external memories. One works useful.

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The best external memory card readers with USB 3.0 technology

We will start with the most valuable models and readers with the best features, going through various models of USB readers and other more economical models to one of the most professional and fast systems we can find for those who require maximum speed and manage a large volume of work. Although for most of the above, we have enough. We started!

Anker 8-in-1 USB 3.0 Portable Card Reader

Anker 8 in 1 reviews

This is currently the best-selling USB 3.0 portable card reader on Amazon. For its functionality, durability, and design, this Anker device exceeds expectations and offers one of the best card readers available. For speed, it’s USB 3.0 enabled which means transfer speeds sit in the region of 5GB per second (when used with high-speed memory cards such as Class 10 SDHC). It is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1. It has an elegant design that makes it one of the most recommended for travel. Anker 8-in-1 USB 3.0 is compatible with SDXC, SDHC, SD, Micro SD, MMC, RS-MMC, Micro SDXC, and Micro SDHC Cards. It also supports UHS-I cards.

Discover more and the price here

Transcend USB 3.0 Portable Card Reader

Best external SD card reader

A real bargain. For just over 9$ you have one of the fastest SD readers and one of the most portable. You can also use it as a micro SD card reader. Its only weak point is the plastic construction of the device, which does not convey much sense of solidity. It is also compatible with USB 2.0 ports.

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Lexar Professional USB 3.0 External Memory Card Reader

Lexar Professional

If you need an all-in-one file transfer solution, we recommend Lexar LRW025URBNA. It is the fastest. Although its price is considerably more expensive than the Transcend model, the reader Lexar Professional appears in several reviews as the fastest SD reader in both read and write speeds. Its construction is much more reliable and incorporates a Compact Flash card reader instead of a micro SD card. It also features an innovative pop-up design that protects card slots and supports up to 25 memory card formats.

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Kingston Digital USB 3.0 card Reader

best USB memory card reader

The best USB memory card reader in our comparison is Kingston FCR-HS4. It is one of the last to reach the market and has received good reviews in the network. Its speed is almost to the height of the reader Lexar Professional although it is practically half expensive. Kingston FCR-HS4 is ideal for photographers, videographers, and designers as it supports UHS-I and UHS-II SD card speeds. It is the least portable, but in turn also incorporates micro SD card readers, Compact Flash, and a Memory Stick. If you have multi-format needs, this is your reader. It is very small, convenient, and comfortable if you have to travel often.

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SanDisk ImageMate 3.0 External Memory Card Reader

SanDisk ImageMate All In One 3 0

The famous brand of memory cards Sandisk was not to be left out of this selection. SanDisk ImageMate is an all-in-one external memory card reader on the market.

A card reader with an elegant and vertical design. It is compatible with various card formats and with transfer speeds of up to 500Mb / s and a USB 3.0 interface. Thus, it can ensure a maximum transfer speed between files and photos.

Discover more and the price here

That’s all for now, friends. We hope this article has been helpful to you. If you have any questions in the comments and if you liked the article, share them. Thank you.

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