The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 is Kingston's update to last year's Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB), which won an Editors' Choice for its simple security and affordable price. The new DataTraveler Locker+ G2 offers the same professional-grade encryption in a consumer USB flash drive, giving you the peace of mind that comes from knowing your digital data is safe from prying eyes. Add in seamless Windows and Mac cross-compatibility and a new metal clad design, and the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 is an easy pick as Editors' Choice for encrypted USB drives.

Design and Features
The DataTraveler Locker+ G2 updates the look of the previous Locker+ drive, using a metal enclosure with protective cap instead of the capless swivel design seen on the previous iteration. The metal has a matte finish, and adds some weight to the drive. Measuring 0.38 by 0.73 by 2.28 inches (HWD), the Locker+ G2 weighs 0.8 ounce, which is a little heavier than most USB key drives.

While the previous design prevented the loss of a cap by not including one, this design—with a removable cap and metal-clad exterior—certainly looks and feels more sophisticated. However, there's no way to secure that loose cap while the drive is in use, and it's likely to get lost, a problem no one had with the swiveling cover on the previous iteration. A blue LED indicator light blinks when the drive is connected to a USB port, and emits a steady glow when the drive is unlocked.

With a list price of $25, the 16GB DataTraveler Locker+ G2 sells for $1.56 per Gigabyte. The DataTraveler Locker+ G2 is also available in 4GB , 8GB, and 32GB capacities, but the 16GB drive is the most affordable—the other capacities range between $2.56 and $4.50 per GB. By comparison, the previous Locker+ sold for $1.75 per GB (for 8GB), and the 4GB Victorinox Swiss Army Slim Flight sells for a pricey $10 per GB.

The initial setup is very simple—the entire process involves choosing a password and it takes moments—but be sure you pick a password you'll remember. Once set up, the drive has a lock feature which only allows 10 incorrect password attempts in a row before reformatting the drive and wiping out the data. This security feature prevents brute-force attacks from unlocking the drive. As an added dose of security, this 10-count does not reset when the drive is unplugged and plugged back in—so make sure you remember your password.

With FAT32 formatting, the Locker+ G2 is compatible with both Windows (Windows 7, Vista, XP) and Mac (OS X) systems, as is the 256-bit hardware-based encryption. The software has no Linux support, though, so Linux users are out of luck. Kingston covers the DataTraveler Locker+ G2 with a five-year warranty and free technical support.

Performance
Kingston claims that the DataTraveler Locker+ G2 provides 10MBps read and 5MBps write speeds, but our own testing with timed transfer of large files indicates that performance is faster—an average of 21MBps read and 12MBps write speed. This is nearly identical to the 22MBps (read) and 12 MBps (write) speeds of the similarly-encrypted Verbatim Store 'n' Go Pro USB Flash Drive (64GB)£510.99 at Amazon UK, and compares well to other USB 2.0 drives, like the Victorinox Swiss Army Slim Flight (24 MBps read, 5 MBps write). For faster performance, look for a drive that features USB 3.0, which bumps up the speed tenfold; this was the case with our Editors' Choice for high-capacity drives, the SanDisk Extreme 3.0 (64GB)£19.49 at Amazon UK, which blazed ahead with speeds of 105 MBps (read) and 110 MBps (write). The DataTraveler Locker+ G2 couldn't run our PCMark 7 test, but this is common among low-capacity USB 2.0 drives.

The Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 (16GB) keeps everything that was good about the original Locker+ and updates it with a sophisticated new look. We've seen plenty of other encrypted drives over the last year, but the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 snags the Editors' Choice for encrypted USB drives for its blend of simplicity and affordability.

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ G2 (16GB) with several other flash drives side by side.

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