Kingston 32GB DataTraveler 200 USB Flash Drive

Kingston DataTraveler 200

Kingstons family of DataTraveler USB Flash drives are among the most recognized around the world and are always being updated. One of the newest additions to the Kingston USB Flash Drive series family is the DataTraveler 200. This drive series was made famous when it first came out as it was the worlds first 128GB USB Flash drive. With large capacities starting at 32GB and included password protection, the DataTraveler 200 is aimed as users that want to store large amounts of data with the ability to keep it protected.

The Kingston DataTraveler 200 USB 2.0 Flash drive series is available in 32GB, 64GB and 128GB capacities with each size drive coming in a different color.

• 32GB – Blue – DT200/32GB – $79.99
• 64GB – Yellow – DT200/64GB – $150.99
• 128GB – Grey – DT200/128GB – $396.99

Today, we are looking 32GB version of the DataTraveler 200, which is the smallest capacity offered in this drive series. The DataTraveler 200 comes backed by a five-year warranty and free tech support, so if the drive
ever fails during that time period you are covered. Other companies like Crucial, Transcend, and RiDATA offer just two year warranties and PNY offers just a one year warranty, so be sure to keep the warranty length in mind when pricing USB 2.0 Flash Drives. Just remember that warranty doesn’t apply to data loss or recovery, so be sure to back your data up often on a drive of this size as even Flash drives do fail at some point in time. Kingston says that you can store 6,416 pictures that were taken by a 10 Megapixel camera, 6,080 4MB MP3 songs and 3,264 MP3 audiobooks at 3.7MB/hr file sizes on the 32GB DataTraveler 200. This drive packs a ton of storage into a small form factor that fits on a keychain!

DataTraveler 200 Features/Benefits:

• Capacities 32GB, 64GB, 128GB
• Dimensions 2.77″ x 0.49″ x 0.89″ (70.39mm x 12.52mm x 22.78mm)
• Fast – Data transfer rates of up to 20MB/sec. read and 10MB/sec. write
• Operating Temperature 0 to 60 C / 32 to 140 F
• Storage Temperature -20 – 85 C / -4 to 185 F
• Convenient Pocket-sized for easy transportability
• Simple Just plug into a USB port
• Practical Capless design protects USB connector; no cap to lose
• Customizable Co-Logo program available, white casing slider
• Guaranteed Five-year warranty

The dimensions on the DataTraveler 200 are 70.39mm x 12.52mm x 22.78mm, which makes it a fairly wide USB 2.0 Flash drive. The negative to the DT200 being this wide is that it might block the USB 2.0 port next to the drive on certain cases and motherboards, so if you are running low on USB ports keep this in mind. The drive has a slot for a keychain ring or lanyard at the end of the drive, but it does not come with a small keychain ring which can be attached to the drive. It should also be pointed out that the hole is just plastic, so it works, but will not be as strong as one made from metal. The black part of the housing has kind of a rubbery feel to it which is nice as it adds some texture to the plastic and appears to be fairly durable.

As mentioned previously, the DataTraveler 200 USB 2.0 Flash drive has a capless design, and by just sliding the black plastic housing down the drive is ready to be used. The capless slide design also offers some protection for the USB connector, but more than anything there is no cap to lose. The DataTraveler 200 also features an LED activity light, so you can see when the drive is active.

Flipping the DT200 over you can get a view of the other side and a better look at the slide design. The slide design is nice, and the slide mechanism requires slight tension on it to work. This is ideal as you don’t want the USB connector to be out when it is not needed.

Kingston does not give speed ratings on their ‘standard’ series USB drives, but this drive is not considered entry level or standard. Kingston says that the DT200 has data transfer rates of up to 20MB/sec. read and 10MB/sec. write, but doesn’t mention how those numbers were obtained. The DT200 comes with password protection via Password Traveler software, which allows you to create and access a password-protected, secure area of the drive called a “Privacy Zone.” This encrypted part of the drive will perform slower than an area that is not encrypted, so we aren’t sure if Kingston’s data numbers are done on a bare drive, encrypted drive or an average of both possible configurations. So, let’s take a look at a couple of performance benchmarks to see how the 32GB Kingston DataTraveler 200 USB 2.0 Flash drive does in read and write tests for ourselves.