The best memory card readers are an easy way to make sure you can always get your images off your camera. Sure, there's always the option to connect via USB, or wirelessly. But in practice, this can be fiddly, and sometimes simply whipping a memory card out is the easier option.
To help you find the right option for your needs, we've listed the best memory card readers on the market today in the list below. We've made sure to include memory card readers that run the gamut in terms of price but are all reliable, durable and good quality overall.
Different cameras use different card formats, but whether you use a standard SD card, microSD card, CompactFlash, CFexpress Type A or B, or XQD, there should be a memory card reader on this list for you.
Best overall
The ImageMate Pro is good quality product at a reasonable price, making it our top pick overall. Testing with a UHS-II SD card yielded highly respectable video transfer speeds of 252MB/s read and 210MB/s write. Read more below
Best premium
With many current high-end cameras now utilizing both the CFexpress Type B and SD card formats, it makes sense to get a card reader that takes both. This high quality choice is an ideal match for today's mirrorless and DSLRs. Read more below
Best modular
Want to simplify your setup? This USB-C docking station is equipped with a stack of SD and microSD card readers, allowing you to connect multiple USB-C or USB-A devices and download from up to eight cards simultaneously. Read more below
Best value
This is a great-looking card reader at a very affordable price. It only handles the popular SD and micro SD card types - but does have a modern USB-C socket for direct connection to your laptop. It's not the fastest around, but it's top value. Read more below
Best for CFexpress Type B
This Lexar reader only supports CFexpress Type B cards, but thanks to USB 3.1 connectivity it transfers your image files and videos at superfast speeds. It really small too, making it a great choice if you use just the one card type. Read more below
Best for CFexpress Type A
Many recent Sony mirrorless cameras use the smaller CFexpress Type A card, for which you need a suitable reader. This Sony one does a great job handling thest Type A cards, and also the popular SD cards, albeit at a premium price. Read more below
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It may be a fairly cheap card reader, but the ImageMate Pro feels like a quality product, as it’s well built and weighty enough to sit securely on a desk. And this is where it belongs, as at 122 x 58 x 17mm, it’s big by card reader standards.
A trio of card slots are spread neatly across the front, with CF, UHS-II SD, and MicroSD to choose from. A detachable USB Type-A cable is provided, so you will need an adapter if you intend to plug in to a USB-C port.
Testing with a UHS-II SD card yielded highly respectable video transfer speeds of 252MB/s read and 210MB/s write - not far off the much more expensive ProGrade Digital USB 3.1 Gen 2 Dual-Slot Card Reader. 202MB/s read and 107MB/s write figures in our testing when shifting images are also superb.
When it comes to UHS-I SD cards, maximum sustained transfer speeds of 96MB/s read and 83MB/s write aren't quite class-leading, but not to the extent that you’d really notice in real-world use.
It’s not cheap, but this is the best card reader you can buy
Specifications
Card types supported: UHS-I & UHS-II SD, SDHC, SDXC, CFexpress Type B
USB speed: USB 3.2 Gen 2
Connection type: USB Type-C, Type-A
Reasons to buy
+
Hugely fast
+
SD and CFexpress compatible
+
Good quality
Reasons to avoid
-
Pricey
-
USB 3.2 connection can bottleneck speed
-
Doesn't support XQD
With many current high-end cameras now utilizing both the CFexpress and SD card formats, it makes sense to get a card reader that also takes both standards. This offering from Prograde Digital is a high quality choice and an ideal match for today's mirrorless and DSLR cameras.
It measures a discrete 68x68x19mm and comes with a handy stick-on metal plate for attaching to your computer, and has a magnetic base for tucking it out of harm’s way. The CFexpress slot sits at the top of the reader, while the SD slot is located below.
The readers employs a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface, and we clocked the CFexpress read/write speeds of 687MBs/645MBs - a respectable performance. In addition to a USB Type-C connector cable, there’s also a Type-A cable in the box for attaching to older computers.
One thing we're all crying out for in the age of digital devices is a bit more simplicity. Fewer cables, simpler devices, and more straightforward solutions for organizing and transferring our files. The Kingston Workflow Station Dock is a go at realizing that dream. It's a USB-C docking station equipped with a stack of SD card readers, allowing you to connect multiple USB-C or USB-A devices, and download from up to eight cards at the same time.
What's also hugely useful is the aforementioned modular aspect, which means you can buy specific readers to suit your needs. So if you have more microSD cards than SD cards, you can set up the station accordingly. Or you could plug in eight cameras via USB-C and download images from all of them simultaneously if that's the sort of thing you're in a position to do. Modules can also be used standalone, so you could take a single reader on a shoot and then reconnect it to the main dock later.
The whole thing does need power to run, as it's more complex than other SD readers. There's also the lack of CFExpress support currently, although, the modular design means it would be easy to add this functionality at a later date. All this does cost more than other readers on this list, and if you're a "one-card, one-camera" type of photographer, it's almost certainly more than you need.
With the latest laptops like the MacBook Pro ditching every port other than Thunderbolt/USB Type-C, it isn’t just your memory card that you may be struggling to connect.
Kingston’s Nucleum is a premium, metal-encased hub containing SD and MicroSD ports, plus two conventional USB Type-A ports, a full-size HDMI socket, and two USB Type-C ports, one of which is used as a power socket to connect your MacBook’s charger. There’s a short hard-wired cable terminating in a USB Type-C plug, and all this from a device no larger than some standard card readers.
The SD slot is UHS-II compatible, but sadly it couldn’t do justice to our UHS-II test card, achieving relatively slow video read/write speeds of 189MB/s and 179MB/s respectively. 164MB/s read and 97MB/s write rates for image transfers are ok, but still underwhelming. Fortunately if you’re using UHS-I SD cards, 96MB/s and 83MB/s read/write figures are much more respectable.
Despite being super-cheap, this little reader is a pleasingly capable device, able to achieve speedy data transfer rates thanks to its USB 3.0 connection. It doesn't cover all the card types, most notably missing out on XQD, CompactFlash and UHS-II SD (though it does UHS-I), however this isn't a problem for you, the Anker USB 3.0 Card Reader will get the job done quickly and efficiently.
It's also so tiny that you can take it anywhere, measuring 5.3 x 2.7 x 1.1cm and weighing a tiny 16g, and there's also an 18-month warranty to give you peace of mind. Need something simple and straightforward? This little reader is a solid buy.
At just 56.2 x 47.28 x 12.85mm, this CFexpress reader sports a neat design that's little bigger than a CFexpress card itself, and thanks to a detachable USB-C cable, the reader will easily slip into a jeans pocket or stash in any kit bag.
USB 3.1 Gen 2 connectivity ensures a maximum 10Gbit/s transfer rate, with Lexar claiming read/write speeds of up to 1050MB/s - that's quick, though even this fast connection just isn't enough to fully exploit the maximum 1750MB/s read speed of Lexar's Professional Type B CFexpress cards.
We clocked this reader/card combo at a maximum 1039MB/s using the CrystalDiskMark speed benchmark software, verifying Lexar's 1050MB/s claim. Real-world image read/write speeds of 543/384MB/s are also hugely respectable and are comparable to Sandisk's CFexpress reader.
This reader is also backward compatible with USB 2.0 if required, and a USB-C to USB-A cable is included for use with older computers.
Sony's CFexpress Type A/SD Card Reader was launched at the same time as the Sony a7S III's release, as this was the first camera to utilize the CFexpress Type A memory card format (the physically larger Type B cards already being commonplace).
With such a new CFexpress variant, and very few manufacturers currently producing Type A cards or readers, it's little surprise that this reader is ludicrously expensive.
At least it uses a fast USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface for a maximum theoretical transfer speed of 1250MB/s - plenty fast enough to let a 800MB/s CFexpress Type A card transfer at its maximum speed. The MRW-G2 card reader also supports SDXC/SDHC UHS-I and UHS-II cards for added versatility, going some way to justify the high selling price.
A premium CFexpress Type B reader, and reassuringly expensive!
Specifications
Card types supported: CFexpress Type B, XQD
USB speed: USB 3.1 Gen 2
Connection type: USB Type-C and Type-A
Reasons to buy
+
One of few CFexpress readers
+
USB 3.1 Gen 2 speed
Reasons to avoid
-
No SD slot
-
Very pricey
CFexpress card readers aren’t all that common, or in this case, cheap. Doubly frustrating, as Sony doesn't even include an SD slot to at least give you a little extra versatility (XQD compatibility is included, though that's due to XQD cards being physically interchangeable with CFexpress Type B).
At least the USB 3.1 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) interface is speedy, equating to a maximum transfer speed of 1250 megabytes per second. However, even this is still some way short of the 1700+MB/s read speed that the best CFexpress cards can manage. even this can't let the fastest CFexpress Type B cards run at max speed.
Around the same size and shape as a computer mouse, Sandisk’s Extreme Pro CFexpress card reader is a nicely designed piece of kit. The spring-loaded memory card slot has a pleasing action too, with a gentle push of the memory card ejecting it from the reader.
In our testing, this reader hit a mighty impressive 718MB/s sustained read speed when transferring one large 4K video file. Image read/write rates of 534/410MB/s are just as incredible, easily eclipsing even the fastest UHS-II SD cards.
The only slight disappointment is that CFexpress cards are capable of even higher transfer speeds - up to 1700MB/s. The bottleneck here is likely the reader's USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection, which though very fast, can't keep up with the blistering performance available from CFexpress cards. But if you can live with that, this Sandisk CFexpress reader is a superb choice.
This card reader sports the classic combo of SD and CompactFlash slots, both being the fastest of their type - UHS-II, and UDMA 7. You can use both simultaneously, and the case’s design means a card of each type can be stored inside the reader, protected by a hinged rubber door that closes around them.
The 90cm USB Type-A lead is hardwired to the reader, so while you won’t lose it, it can be slightly awkward for transportation, and you’ll need an adapter to connect this reader to a laptop like the current MacBook Pro.
Speed wise, we could only extract a max video read speed of 223MB/s and 198MB/s write rate from our UHS-II SD card - not awful, but some way shot of some other readers we've tested. Image transfer performance is worse still, with 152MB/s read and 98MB/s write speeds being slower than average.
Even with a UHS-I SD card the Delkin reader struggled, as 87MB/s read and 82MB/s write speeds are down - albeit not by much - on what rival readers were capable of extracting from our test card with its 95/90MB/s max read/write rates.
A memory card is a small, portable storage device used primarily in electronic devices such as digital cameras, smartphones, tablets and handheld gaming consoles. Memory cards are used to store digital data such as photos, videos, music, documents, and other files. They are often used as a convenient and portable means of storing and transporting digital information, especially in situations where cloud storage or internal device memory may be limited or unavailable.
What is a memory card reader?
A memory card reader is a device used to access the data stored on a memory card. Memory card readers typically consist of a slot or slots where you can insert the memory card. Once the card is inserted, the reader interfaces with a computer or other compatible device through a connection such as USB, Thunderbolt, or USB-C.
How does a memory card reader work?
When you insert a card into a memory card reader, its controller chip identifies the card type and its storage capacity. The reader then establishes communication with the card's memory controller using protocols specific to the card type (SD, CF, etc).
Based on your instructions (such as reading files or copying data), the reader sends commands to the card's controller to access specific data locations. The card retrieves the requested data and sends it to the reader. The reader translates this data into a format compatible with the connected device (usually your computer) and transmits it via the USB connection.
How to choose the best memory card reader
There are many different types of card readers available. Some are as small as a USB flash drive and are cheap to buy. Alternatively, there are chunkier readers that basically function as desktop docking stations.
The latter can be a really good way to streamline intense workflows, particularly as they tend to have really fast transfer speeds. It's undoubtedly a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of your card speeds, especially if you've paid a premium for one of the best memory cards.
Not sure which you need? Then consider the following factors:
1. Connection type: Many card readers now connect to your computer using a USB-C plug, but adapters are readily available to convert to normal USB.
2. USB speed: USB 3.1 Gen 2 is twice as fast than Gen 1, but few readers use it, and even fewer memory cards are fast enough to exploit Gen 2.
3. UHS-I vs UHS-II: UHS-II SD cards are faster, and all the readers above are compatible. UHS-I card readers will read UHS-II cards, just slower.
4. Wired option: Some readers use a USB cable that’s hard-wired to the reader body, which can be problematic if the cable ever gets damaged.
5. Extra ports: With fewer and fewer ports on the sides of modern laptops, a card reader hub with extra USB sockets may be just the ticket.
How we test the best memory card readers
When we test memory card readers, we pay close attention to two main factors: reliability and performance. Our speed tests gauge read and write rates, as these are crucial for photographers or videographers handling large files. We also conduct endurance trials evaluate sustained performance under prolonged usage, preventing overheating or slowdowns during intensive tasks. We also assess compatibility with different operating systems and devices to ensure seamless integration across platforms, and consider user experience factors such as ease of installation, intuitive interfaces, and portability.
Best for CFexpress Type A
Many recent Sony mirrorless cameras use the smaller CFexpress Type A card, for which you need a suitable reader. This Sony one does a great job handling thest Type A cards, and also the popular SD cards, albeit at a premium price. Read more below
Best for CFexpress Type A
Many recent Sony mirrorless cameras use the smaller CFexpress Type A card, for which you need a suitable reader. This Sony one does a great job handling thest Type A cards, and also the popular SD cards, albeit at a premium price. Read more below
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Ben is the Imaging Labs manager, responsible for all the testing on Digital Camera World and across the entire photography portfolio at Future. Whether he's in the lab testing the sharpness of new lenses, the resolution of the latest image sensors, the zoom range of monster bridge cameras or even the latest camera phones, Ben is our go-to guy for technical insight. He's also the team's man-at-arms when it comes to camera bags, filters, memory cards, and all manner of camera accessories – his lab is a bit like the Batcave of photography! With years of experience trialling and testing kit, he's a human encyclopedia of benchmarks when it comes to recommending the best buys.