Yubico has long been the biggest player in the world of security keys, helping to shape not only the hardware but also the underlying standards on which all such devices rely. The company offers biometric security in the form of the $95 YubiKey C Bio. While it is expensive, this small device performs multi-factor authentication (MFA) using your fingerprint, making it much harder for attackers to take over your accounts. It's missing some advanced features found in other YubiKeys, but if you need biometrics, it's an excellent choice. That said, our overall Editors' Choice winner remains the $29 Yubico Security Key C NFC because it's easy to use and budget-friendly.

How Much Does the YubiKey C Bio Cost?

The Bio series consists of two key models: the USB Type-A version, which features an unshielded USB-A connector, and the USB Type-C version, which I tested for this review.

(Credit: Kim Key)

Connection differences aside, the two Bio keys look identical, which is a common theme among the Yubico keys, which tend to be small, sleek, and black, with gold metallic accents. The Bio keys replace the characteristic round metallic "Y" symbol with a round fingerprint reader. The keys are rated IP68 and crush-resistant, and they do not require batteries.

There's no getting around it: These are expensive MFA devices. The USB-A version is $90, and the USB-C version is $95. The $59.99 Thetis Fingerprint Key provides biometric authentication at a lower price, but it isn't as responsive and easy to use as Yubico's biometric keys.

Yubico's Bio series supports FIDO2, WebAuthn, and FIDO U2F standards, which are the most widely used methods for MFA. You'll sign into your accounts using either a PIN or the fingerprint reader, and that's what you're really paying for. Otherwise, the features and capabilities of Yubico's Bio keys are the same as the $29 Editors' Choice-award-winning Yubico Security Key C NFC.

(Credit: Kim Key)

The newest version of Yubico's Bio key features the 5.7 firmware update. This update makes it harder to create guessable PINs and increases on-device passkey storage to 100, bringing it in line with other offerings from the company. YubiKey Bio's storage capacity is still smaller than that offered by Google's Titan Security Key, which holds up to 250 passkeys; however, it's more than enough for most users.

For business users or security professionals, the YubiKey 5 series of keys offers a bit more versatility than the Bio series keys or Yubico's Security Key products. For example, the YubiKey 5C NFC supports the following authentication protocols: WebAuthn, FIDO2, Universal 2nd Factor (U2F), Smart Card (PIV-compatible), Yubico OTP, OATH–HOTP (Event), OATH–TOTP (Time), OpenPGP, and Secure Static Passwords.

Do You Need Biometrics?

The YubiKey C Bio's main selling point is its fingerprint-reading ability, so it's fair to ask whether it's worth the price. I think there are a couple of good justifications for biometric security keys.

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Theft is the first reason. Unlike a password or a smartphone (locked with biometrics, PIN, or password), anyone could use a stolen security key. Granted, it's extremely unlikely that someone will track you down and steal your security key so they can break into your email account, but it's not impossible. A biometric key works only for you (or someone who is willing to dismember you to use it).

The second and more practical reason is truly password-free authentication. Some sites and services allow logins using passkeys. If you store the passkey on the hardware security key, you can log in to your accounts using only a fingerprint, with no PIN or password typing required.

One concern with biometrics is that the data could somehow be extracted or intercepted. Yubico told us that biometric data never leaves the C Bio because it is stored within an onboard secure element chip. The company says this should also help protect against physical attacks on the device.

How to Set Up the YubiKey C Bio

If you're new to using hardware security keys, Yubico has a lot of videos on its website with instructions for setting up your keys and using them to log in around the web on different devices. The marketing materials for the product state that the Bio keys are built "primarily for desktops," so I performed most testing for this review using a Windows 11 desktop.

Adding the key using Windows Hello was easy. After inserting the key into my computer's USB-C port, an on-screen pop-up prompted us to assign a name to the key and set a PIN code. After entering this data, I was prompted to touch the key. Keep in mind that most other hardware security keys also have touch-confirmation capabilities, but it is not the same as biometric authentication.

(Credit: Yubico/PCMag)

To activate biometric authentication, you'll need to enroll your fingerprints. Visit your Windows security settings or navigate to the Security settings in the Chrome browser. The latter option is notable for being a multi-platform solution since you can set up your C Bio anywhere Chrome supports the feature. I was able to enroll multiple fingerprints in under five minutes. The setup process is foolproof, and I appreciate that I don't have to navigate through multiple menus or screens to register the device.

Hands On With the YubiKey C Bio

I tested the YubiKey C Bio by attaching it to a Proton Mail account. To do this, first visit Settings, then Account and Password, and scroll down to Two-Factor Authentication. I attached the biometric key by following a series of on-screen prompts, then inserted the key into our desktop computer's USB-C port and tapped the key as instructed. The next time I logged into the Proton Mail account, it requested a touch confirmation via the security key to verify my identity, and I tapped it to authenticate. The process was quick and easy, as it should be.

(Credit: Proton/PCMag)

I also successfully stored a passkey for a Google account on the YubiKey C Bio while using a Samsung Galaxy A71 5G phone. The process was easy enough: All it required was inserting the key into the phone's USB-C charging port and tapping the fingerprint reader to confirm.