The most impressive memory card I've ever tested is now at its lowest-ever price this Cyber Monday

(Image credit: Lexar)

I test lots of memory cards, and to be honest, they're not exactly exciting. But there is one card I've reviewed that's truly exceptional: Lexar's Armor SDXC card

Where many SD cards promise some level of durability, the Armor card is on an entirely different level. Thanks to its stainless steel construction, it claims to be 37x stronger than a regular plastic-bodied card, while also being IP68 dust- and water-resistant, plus magnet-, static-, X-Ray-, UV- and temperature-resistant. Oh, and it'll even survive a drop from up to 16.5 feet!

This kind of bragging is common in tech marketing, but I've personally put Lexar's toughness claims to the test and can report that this is not hyperbole: the Armor SD card really is shockingly strong. It absolutely will not bend. It's as waterproof as you could ever reasonably need it to be. Drops onto concrete will hardly mark it. Heck, I actually had to drive my car over the card to kill it, and even then the exterior still looked almost pristine.

My full (destructive!) review of the Lexar Armor Gold SDXC memory card

I reviewed the Lexar Armor Gold SD card, whereas this Amazon Cyber Monday deal is for the Armor Silver version. In terms of toughness, Gold and Silver are identical. Even the maximum write speed is the same, at 280MB/s. The only difference between the Silver card and the Gold card I tested is write speed, with Silver being capable of up to 160MB/s write speed, while Gold can manage up to 205MB/s.

But where a 256GB Armor Gold card will currently set you back around $120, the Silver version can now be had for just $84.49 with a 23% Cyber Monday discount.

Sure, most people will probably never subject an SD card to the kind of abuse that a Lexar Armor card can withstand. But when I'm capturing fleeting moments that may never be repeated, I love the reassurance that these precious shots are being stored on a memory card that's practically unbreakable.

TOPICS

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.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.