Though many of us are used to cloud storage, which is cheaper and more convenient, some people still prefer flash drives. The portability and convenience of accessing files offline anywhere remain the main aspects. If you’re someone looking to buy one that is sturdy, easily portable, fast, and secure, you’re in the right place.
Lexar, a popular storage solutions provider, recently introduced the JumpDrive M400, the company’s latest flash drive, in India. It features USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 150 MB/s read speed), up to 256 GB storage options, a stylish metal design, and built-in 256-bit AES encryption—all in a tiny, easily portable form factor. I have the 256GB variant with me today, so let’s continue with the review.
Design and Specs
The Lexar JumpDrive M400 looks stylish and minimal, with a metal design that is ruggedly built for daily use. With its included key ring, you can easily attach it to a backpack or bag.
I dropped it many times, but it didn’t attract any scratches or damage on its body. Its compact size means it can easily fit between multiple flash drives and connectors on the ports of your laptop or desktop.
Technical specifications of the pen drive:
- Capacity: 32GB/64GB/128GB/256GB
- Interface: USB 3.2
- Transfer speed: 32GB – Up to 130MB/s; 64GB – Up to 150MB/s; 128GB – Up to 150MB/s; 256GB – Up to 150MB/s
- Compatible with PC and Mac Systems
- Operating Temperature: 0°C ~ 50°C (32°F to 122°F)
- Storage Temperature: -10°C ~ 70°C (-1°F to 158°F)
- Dimension (L x W x H): 47.2mm x 16.3mm x 6.2mm
- Weight: 4.82 g
- Warranty: Five-year limited warranty
Performance and benchmark
The pendrive’s performance delivers as the firm claims. I tested it using the classic CrystalDiskMark benchmark on my ASUS TUF Gaming laptop with USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps) port.
The results indicate that the JumpDrive M400 performs to spec on reads and is typical for its class on writes: sequential reads of 159–169 MB/s meet or slightly exceed the 150 MB/s claim, while sequential writes around 46–47 MB/s are normal for USB 3.2 Gen 1 pendrives of this type.
While sequential file transfer performance (>150 MB/s), which measures large continuous file transfers, is impressive, random 4K speeds — which simulate many small file read and write operations — are low (~12MB/s read and 2MB/s write), which is typical for this kind of flash drive.
Do note that I set the test count to 3 for the benchmark, meaning the tool repeated the test three times and reported the results as an average of those runs. So, each metric shown is averaged over three passes.
Encryption and File Security
When you plug in the drive for the first time, you’ll find an .exe file and Quick Start Guides (for Windows and Mac) for the Lexar DataShield Software.
You can simply drag and drop or add your valuable files inside the “My Protected File” section of the DataShield software, which is password-protected and uses 256-bit AES encryption. It also offers an option to back up your secure data to your host computer, so it can be recovered if your pen drive is corrupted, damaged, or lost.
With this advanced security solution, built into a flash drive, you can store sensitive files and carry them anywhere with peace of mind.
Conclusion
The Lexar JumpDrive M400 keeps up with its performance claims, offering a sturdy build in an easily portable compact size. The addition of Lexar DataShield software with 256-bit AES encryption is a plus for business users. Pricing-wise, Lexar has positioned itself somewhat similarly to competitors like SanDisk and Kingston, which have comparable specs.
Pricing and availability
The base 32GB variant of the JumpDrive M400, which offers 130MB/s read speed, starts at Rs. 600, while the top-end 256GB variant with 150MB/s speed retails for Rs. 2500. It is available across various e-commerce platforms like Amazon.in, Flipkart, Reliance Digital, and JioMart.
Alternatives
The SanDisk Ultra Flair 256GB is a solid competitor that offers the same metal design and equally good read-write speeds at a relatively cheaper price. Kingston’s DataTraveler Kyson is another worthy option, with higher read speeds of up to 200 MB/s.
What makes the Lexar JumpDrive M400 stand out from competitors are two key advantages – its sturdy build and 256-bit AES encryption-based software for secure file storage.
Pros
- Compact Design with Key Ring Loop
- USB 3.2 Gen 1 interface
- Excellent sequential read speeds
- Inclusion of 256-bit AES Encryption Software for secure storage
Cons
- Small‑file performance is weak (random 4K writes ~1.6–2.7 MB/s), so copying folders with many tiny files is noticeably slow.
- Gets warmer during continuous usage, which might reduce performance.
- No USB‑C connector option