Flash memory solution provider Lexar launched the world’s first stainless steel SD memory card in March 2025
Digital photography is much more enduring than its predecessor, analogue photography, but, at least when you expose a roll of old film to the light, the worst you can do is lose a week’s worth of holiday photos or a day’s worth of wedding shots that can never be replaced. When a plastic SD memory card is dropped, cracked or bent, it is potentially much more devastating. You could lose a year’s worth of memories. That’s why photographers across the world are welcoming the launch of the first-ever stainless steel SD memory cards.
Lexar has bought two new products to market, the ARMOR GOLD SDXC™ UHS-II Card and the ARMOR SILVER PRO SDXC™ UHS-II Card. These two new SD memory cards are the first in the world to be crafted from stainless steel and using this metal means that they are 37 times stronger than regular SD cards, drop-resistant up to 5m and meet IP68 for dust and water resistance.
These new memory cards were designed following consultations with professional photographers who complained about the physical damage and wear they experienced with traditional plastic SD cards. Using stainless steel makes the SD cards much stronger and more resilient to bending, snaping and everyday wear and able to withstand the most challenging situations that photographers find themselves in.
Despite being made from stainless steel, the cards still meet the standard size requirements for SD cards so they fit easily into the SD slot in any camera without causing damage to the camera slot and they have undergone extensive testing in Lexar’s quality laboratory to ensure that they don’t overheat or have issues with static electricity.
The design of the cards has also been simplified to eliminate ribs and the write-protection switch, which enhances their strength.
The ARMOR GOLD SD card also has an incredibly fast write speed of up to 210MB/s, while the ARMOR SILVER PRO SD card offers a maximum write speed of 160MB/s (all speeds are based on internal testing, actual performance may vary). Both cards feature a Video Speed Class 60 (V60), which allows users to seamlessly capture 6K footage without interruptions.
Although much more expensive than their plastic equivalents, starting at around €83, they are affordable and probably worth the extra investment for peace of mind.
Thanks to stainless steel, digital photos have just become a whole lot more secure.