PGYTech CreateMate High-Speed Card Reader Case review

Let's face it, memory card readers aren't the most exciting gadgets in town, and the same can be said for memory card cases/wallets. But what if you were to combine the two together? Then you'd have something a bit special, and this is exactly the approach PGYTech has taken with its CreateMate High-speed Card Reader Case. We're testing the dual slot SD and microSD version here, but other CreateMate reader/cases are available for different card formats.

Specifications

Features

Designed with drone and action camera users in mind, the SD+microSD variant of the CreateMate sports a dual slot card reader that can support data transfer from both card formats simultaneously. Transfer speed is advertised at up to 312MB/s, indicating the reader is compatible with faster UHS-II SD cards. In addition to the dual slot card reader, the CreateMate can store 4 full-size SD cards, a further 4 microSD cards (for some reason PGYTech call these TF cards - an obsolete name for the same card format - microSD cards are identical), along with 2 Nano SIM cards.

In its closed state, the CreateMate is an anonymous looking device that could easily be mistaken for a small power bank, thanks to its matte aluminium alloy shell. If you need toughness over style, then there's an included soft silicone skin that can be slipped over the aluminium to add drop and shock protection, though even without this the CreateMate is IP54 dust-and splash-resistant. You can choose between black or Moss Green colors for the silicone skin.

To reveal the cards within, you simply push on one end and out pops the reader, storage slots and integral USB lead, all in one unit. The slide action is satisfyingly smooth and precise - I found myself using it as a fidget toy for a while! When fully open, the internal section stays out and doesn't fall back into the shell. To connect the short captive USB-C cable, you first pull the small red catch on the edge next to the card reader slots. Then the USB plug pops out just enough for you to remove it from its stowage space.

The cable sits neatly in a recessed slot that runs round the base and opposite edge of the device - it can be pulled out easily, giving you a USB cable approximately 6 inches in length. On one side of the CreateMate there are slots for two SD cards and 4 microSD cards. Flip over and there are two more SD slots, a pair of Nano Slim slots, and even a handy SIM tray eject tool. When you're ready to pack up, just press in the cable and USB plug so they sit flush with the edges of the device, then the internal section can be slid back inside the outer housing.

Performance

To test whether the CreateMate's card-reading performance can match the quality of its design, I connected it to a fast laptop with USB4 connectivity. This is more than fast enough to max out the CreateMate's USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) connection, so there would be no bottlenecks during speed testing. I broke out my fastest UHS-II V90 SDXC card and a UHS-II V60 microSD card, before running the CrystalDiskMark storage benchmarking app to measure the fastest read and write speeds that the CreateMate could facilitate:

I also tested the exact same SD and microSD cards in my usual card reader - a ProGrade Digital PGM0.5 SDXC/microSDXC UHS-II Dual-Slot Mobile Card Reader - and achieved almost identical results.

Assessing peak transfer speeds using benchmarking software is fine, but there's still no substitute for measuring the speed of actual, real-world file transfers. So I used a 10.4 gigabyte video file and transferred it to and from the same SD and microSD cards, recording the average and peak read/write speeds:

Again, these numbers are basically the same as with my ProGrade reader, indicating the cards are working at their full potential.

Verdict

PGYTech has come up with a genuinely useful product here. The CreateMate is an ideal travel companion for on-the-go creatives, housing your essential cards and a card reader in one handy package. My initial concern was that such an all-in-one device might be compromised in some way, but that's not the case. The design is excellent, from the neatly-stowed USB cable, to the satisfyingly smooth ejection/retraction mechanism. Factor the super-fast SD and microSD transfer speeds that are on par with my usual top-tier card reader, and there really are no downsides.

Naturally, the CreateMate is larger than a standalone SD card reader, but that's an unavoidable result of having multiple card storage slots and IP54 water resistance.

If you're after a fast SD card reader to take on location, the PGYTech CreateMate High-Speed Card Reader Case is a must-buy, especially since it's priced in line with many standalone UHS-II card readers.