Our Top Lexar Memory Card Picks

Memory cards have specifications.  Even though they’re used for storage and file transfers, memory cards have multiple levels of quality.  Mainly capacity, speed, and reliability.  Although it is fine to purchase a memory card blindly because you want extra memory storage for your smartphones or tablets, you may wind up looking for another memory card when you realize all the other metrics that affect the function of the memory card.

Especially if you’re using an additional memory card for photography, videography, and gaming, you will need to understand the specs of the card so you can achieve the full potential of your camera or device as well as the memory card itself.  Cameras, consoles, and computers are all built differently with some being better than others.  Thus, some devices can support stronger, faster, memory cards with better quality transfer rates and vice versa.  If you don’t want to waste money buying the wrong memory cards for your electronic devices, you will need to look at what your device supports and purchase the best memory card that fits your electronic devices abilities. 

What to look for in a memory card

Buying a memory card is like buying most products.  You can read all the details and specs, but just like buying the fastest top of the line computer loaded with all the bells and whistles and amazing capabilities, if you don’t need it for what you’re using it for, you will never achieve the full ability of the computer.  The same applies for memory cards. 

For additional storage for your phone, you won’t need the best memory card and virtually any Lexar memory card will do the trick as even the entry level Lexar memory cards are extremely reliable. 

For professionals, additionally ensuring file transfers without degrading the quality of your favorite photos and video is just as important as the durability and you will need a memory card with fast and reliable file transferring as well as storage.

Memory cards are not that expensive and is not something you want to be frugal about.  Imagine storing your favorite photos and video only to learn that the file has been corrupted.  This can be even more detrimental if you are professional photographer who has completed the photoshoot only to learn later that the memory card used was damaged or faulty.  A failed memory card is the worst, and you can avoid this by knowing what to look for when buying one.  Let’s have a look at some general specifications of memory cards and what to look for.

• Memory Capacity – The amount you can store in a memory card is important. There are a few things to consider regarding the capacity and how it affects price and speed.  There are not too many memory cards that will have high level speeds and high capacity.  You usually will have to sacrifice a bit on the capacity side if you want fast writing and transfer speeds.  As you go up in speeds and capacity, so does the price.  So, if you’re using a memory card for basic stuff, you probably wont need a larger capacity along with great speeds.  Many memory cards are SDXC which stands for eXtended Capacity.  If you’re looking for a larger capacity memory card, you should check your device or camera to ensure that it supports SDXC.  The most basic capacity sizes are 32G, 64G, & 128G, which are good if you need extra space on your smartphone.  For cameras you want to ideally look for 256MB.  When you’re buying a memory card for gaming, look for up to 1TB capacity and fast read rates.
• Speed – The speed will reflect the performance of a memory card and is classified in three ways. The speed class, UHS speed class, and video speed class. 
  • Speed Class – Measured by numbers C2, C4, C6, and C10. Sometimes older devices will require a lower speed class otherwise you should always look for C10 which offers a minimum write speed of 10MB/s.  The writing speed greatly affects the quality of the file written.  You can identify the speed class on Lexar memory cards by the number inside of the C.
  • UHS Speed Class – UHS or “Ultra High Speed” is a more common metric nowadays since most memory cards are already a C10 speed class. The UHS speed class is identifiable on the memory cards label by the number inside the U and is labeled with a 1 or a 3.  UHS is a metric that measures the sustained writing performance predominantly for shooting high-definition videos.  If you’re shooting in 4k, you will need a U3 which has a minimum writing speed of 30MB/s.  In fact, most professional cameras require a U3 memory card.  The UHS speed class works in sync with the UHS bus interface (UHS-1 & UHS-2) and measures transfer/read speeds.  UHS-I has transfer/read speeds of up to 104MB/s while the UHS-II can transfer/read at speeds of up to 312MB/s.  You can imagine how important this is if you’re playing on a gaming console that is reading the game from a SD card such as the Nintendo Switch.
  • Video Speed Class – The last metric to understand is the video speed class, which is identified as V6, V10, V30, V60, and V90. The higher the number, the faster the minimum write speed will be.  The level of the video speed class allows for writing greater resolution video and recording features like 4k, VR, panoramic, and 360-degree, and drone recordings.  V90 is the fastest available giving your memory card minimum writing speeds of 90MB/s.

What type of memory card is right for you?

Figuring out what memory card to buy for your device is easy.  Simply look for the memory requirements for the device and buy a memory card that meets or exceeds the requirement.  Choosing a memory card one step up always will ensure that you are getting the most out of your device and memory card. 

Top Lexar Memory Cards

Now that you’re an expert in memory cards, it should be easy for you to understand why the following cards are the best.

Lexar Professional SDHC/SDXC 1667x UHS-II 256 GB Memory Card

• This is on a mid to high level Lexar SD Card that is perfect for everyday photography and videography.
• Records extended length video in 1080p FHD, 3D, and 4K video.
• High speed performance with UHS-II, U3, and C10.
• Backwards compatible with UHS-I devices.

Lexar Professional 2000x SDHC/SDXC UHS-II Card GOLD Series, 256GB

• This top shelf Lexar professional SD card has a V90 video speed class with up to 300MB/s read speed and up to 260MB/s write speed.
• Perfect for using with DSLR and cinema grade cameras.
• Handles extended length recording for images, FHD, & 8K videos.
• Extremely durable and long lasting with temperature proof, shockproof, vibration proof, and x-ray proof.
• With lightning-fast speeds, this memory card can even handle sequential burst modes and RAW+ JPEG.
• Includes Lexar’s limited lifetime warranty

Lexar PLAY 1TB microSDXC UHS-I memory card, Up to 150MB/s Read

• This Lexar MicroSD Card is ideal for gaming devices, smartphones, and tablets.
• Up to 150MB/s read for seamless gaming or playback with up to 1TB large capacity which is crucial since some games can be quite large in file size.
• Quickly loads apps and has fast playback and transfers for 1080p FHD video.
• Includes Lexar’s 5yr lifetime warranty