Memory cards, particularly tiny microSD cards, are one of the few remaining "magic tricks" in consumer technology. A hyper-visual marker of how far we've come technologically. Somehow, a tiny thing the size of the tip of your finger is able to hold 1TB of data, a practically inconceivable amount of storage 15 or more years ago. MicroSD cards are the smaller, more versatile cousin of the SD card, used for expanding the storage of personal electronics, from DSLRs to handheld gaming computers like Valve's Steam Deck.

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While they might be small, microSD cards are unfortunately complex, a collection of several different standards governing read and write speeds, specialization in video work, and more. And that's before you think about how much storage you need and what it costs. In our opinion, the SanDisk 256GB Extreme microSDXC Card strikes the right balance between storage, price, and fast speeds that should make a difference in your day-to-day life, but if you're curious about other options, you can read through our collection below.

Best microSD cards: Our top picks

What is a microSD card's "Speed Class," and why should I care?

Other than the amount of storage a microSD card holds and how much it costs (to numbers that tend to trend downwards over time), the main thing to look for are the Speed Classes of the card. There are several that are tracked by the SD Association. Speed Class, which is marked by a "C" on a microSD card and ranges from C2 to C10. UHS Speed Class, which is marked with a “U” and includes U1 and U3. And Video Speed Class, which is marked with a "V" and includes V6 on the low end, and V90 on the high-end.

For most modern cards, noting the traditional Speed Class isn't really necessary because most cards can move data around faster than 10MB/s. Which leaves UHS Speed Class and Video Speed Class as the ones that really matter. The UHS Speed Class covers minimums, so while choosing a card with a U3 on it is generally better (transfers at 30MB/s and up), either U1 or U3 cards could ultimately operate a lot faster than their label might suggest. If you're working with video, Video Speed Class is important to pay attention to if you know your camera needs a specific minimum speed, but in general the higher the V-rating, the faster you can capture footage and the higher-resolution footage you can capture.

Typically, memory card manufacturers advertise the top read and write speeds for their cards, so if you need a general sense of how speedy your future memory card is, you can find it. But keeping these specific classifications in mind can help narrow things down too.

What's the best microSD card?

Pocket-lint's overall favorite is the SanDisk 256GB Extreme microSDXC Card which offers a reasonable 256GB of storage, for a reasonable price (under $40), with plenty of speed to back it up. If you're willing to pay a bit more, we think the Samsung Pro Ultimate 512GB microSDXC Card is an excellent step-up. It gets you twice the storage, blazing fast speeds, and the peace of mind that comes with a waterproof memory card.

Then again, if you're on a budget, one of our affordable favorites from Samsung is also extra tough. The Samsung Pro Endurance 128GB microSDXC Card makes up for a small amount of storage with the ability to survive magnets, x-rays, water, and high drops.