If a card copy feels slow, check the card before the reader. The card's own bus sets the limit, and UHS-II gets its extra speed from a second row of pins that both ends need, so a UHS-II card only goes past the UHS-I ceiling in a UHS-II reader. Our UHS-I vs UHS-II explainer shows how to tell the two apart. So start with the cards you shoot, then the device you plug into: a phone or iPad has one port, and once a reader is in it there's nowhere left for the charger unless the reader passes power through.
Top picks
1. UGREEN SD Card Reader USB-C Magnetic 100W PD 312MB/s - Best Overall
SPP Score: 9.0 / 10 - Reads SD cards fast and keeps your phone charged. Our all-round pick.
Capability 9.4/10 - Versatility 8.0/10 - Build 8.5/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 9.4/10
Fit for this guide: The fast pick here, and the only one that keeps a phone or tablet charged while it reads.
Every pick here is scored out of 10: four marks rate the product and are the same in every guide, and the fifth rates its fit for this guide - how we test and score.
UGREEN rates this reader to 312MB/s, the UHS-II figure the SD Association quotes, so a UHS-II card copies faster here than it can in a UHS-I reader. The reason it tops the list, though, is the 100W PD pass-through: with the reader in a phone's or tablet's only port, a charger plugged into it keeps the device going while a full card empties. UGREEN's listing also calls it magnetic.
Pros
- ✓ Keeps a phone or tablet charged through a long copy, over a 100W PD pass-through
- ✓ Maker-rated to 312MB/s, the UHS-II bus figure, so UHS-II cards clear the UHS-I ceiling
Cons
- ✗ 312MB/s is the UHS-II bus maximum, a ceiling rather than a measured copy speed, and only UHS-II cards reach it
- ✗ Its listing names an SD card reader; the BENFEI below reads more formats, CompactFlash included
Who it's for: Anyone emptying SD cards onto a phone, tablet or laptop who wants speed and a charge at the same time.
Who it's not for: Anyone whose cameras take CompactFlash.
2. BENFEI 4-in-1 USB 3.0 and USB-C Card Reader - Best Budget
SPP Score: 8.3 / 10 - Reads SD, microSD, MS and CF cards, with USB-C and USB-A plugs. Our value pick.
Capability 8.0/10 - Versatility 8.0/10 - Build 8.0/10 - Value 8.9/10 - Fit 8.5/10
Fit for this guide: The only reader here that takes CF cards, with a USB-C and a USB-A plug for any machine.
BENFEI's listing reads SD, microSD, Memory Stick and CompactFlash, which makes it the only pick here for an older DSLR that still shoots CF. It has a USB-C plug and a full-size USB-A plug, so it fits a new laptop and an old desktop without an adapter, and its listing names the iPhone 15 series too. The title also says all four cards can read and write at the same time.
Pros
- ✓ Takes Memory Stick and CompactFlash as well as SD and microSD
- ✓ No adapter needed on an older computer with only USB-A
Cons
- ✗ Its listing gives no UHS-II rating, so UHS-II cards are better served by the UGREEN above
- ✗ No charging port, so on a phone or iPad you read the card or charge, not both
Who it's for: Anyone with cards in several formats and computers both old and new.
Who it's not for: A phone or iPad user who needs to charge while reading; that's the UGREEN.
Quick verdict
For most people the UGREEN SD Card Reader USB-C Magnetic 100W PD 312MB/s is the one to buy: it clears the UHS-I ceiling on UHS-II cards and charges a phone or tablet while it reads. The BENFEI 4-in-1 USB 3.0 and USB-C Card Reader is the cheaper pick for mixed cards, CompactFlash included.
How we chose
We read each maker's listing for the card formats, ports and speeds quoted here, and the SD Association's own pages for the bus limits. We ranked on the cards a reader takes, whether it can keep a phone or iPad powered as it reads, and whether it supports UHS-II. We haven't timed these readers, so no transfer time appears here that a maker hasn't stated. Placement is never paid for, and every link goes to the reader's own Amazon page so you can check the card formats before you buy.
FAQ
Q: Why is my SD card copy so slow? A: The SD Association puts UHS-I at up to 104MB/s and UHS-II at up to 312MB/s, so a UHS-I card stays under 104MB/s in any reader.
Q: Will these work with an iPhone or iPad? A: BENFEI's listing names the iPhone 15 series. The UGREEN reader's title names no phone or tablet, so check its listing for your device first. For what an iPad does with the card once it is connected, the Files app versus the Photos Import screen and the formats it will read, see Can you use an SD card on an iPad?.
Q: Should I buy a card reader or a hub with a card slot? A: A reader if cards are the whole job. A hub if the same dongle also has to drive a monitor, a wired network or charging at a desk, and our USB-C hub guide covers those.
Affiliate disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. See our disclosure page for details.