InfinitiKloud
While the InfinitiKloud is a unique looking USB drive, it’s high price tag and small storage space compared to cheaper mainstream options lead us to believe there are better options.
InfinitiKloud Review: Is It Worth It or Just Hype?
InfinitiKloud is a USB thumb drive that emphasizes its ability to backup and store your data so you won’t lose that data if your computer dies or is stolen.
The device’s marketing focuses on the fact that everything is automatic via built-in software that makes automatic data back-up as simple as a few clicks.
While interesting, the concept of a USB drive and automatic backup isn’t original. Therefore, we’ve put this device under the scrutiny of our research to tell you if it’s worth buying.
We’ll present our results in this review by telling you how the device works, the advantages and disadvantages of USB storage compared to cloud storage, InfinitiKloud’s cost and return policy and a conclusion covering the device’s pros and cons, as well as what some alternatives might be.
How the InfinitiKloud Works: Set-Up and Back-Up
This USB drive can store up to 64 GB of information. It functions just like other drives. When you open the box, you’ll see a flashy red case. Plug the drive into the USB slot of your computer.
Click on the drive icon that appears on your desktop. When you do this, InfinitiKloud will walk you through the steps to set up your drive to do automatic backups of your computer.
You’ll set a schedule for the backups to occur and choose which files you want to back up. You may want to only back up sensitive financial information or all of your photos. Either way, you’ll have the option of choosing what to back up.
Once you have this set, you’ll need to ensure your USB drive is plugged into your computer at backup time. The drive will follow the schedule you set until you change that schedule.
InfinitiKloud works with Mac and PC machines. It uses the standard USB B connection you’re probably used to but also comes with a USB C adapter for newer computers. You can use this adapter to back up phones with USB C ports, too.
As you consider a device like this, it’s important to know that what distinguishes it from other USB drives is that it has its own built-in backup software. Most drives don’t have this.
However, this has its disadvantages. Namely, you’re using the backup software of an obscure online company as opposed to trusted names like Google, whose Drive feature you can download to your computer and use drag-and-drop to move files onto your drive.
USB Storage vs. Cloud Storage: Safety, Longevity, and Cost
Our reference to Google Drive brings to light the two main options in storing information: device-based and cloud-based.
Safety
Devices like an InfinitiKloud USB stick or an external hard drive from brands like Seagate and Western Digital allow you to plug in and backup your data.
All the information you want to store is on a physical device, which means it can’t be hacked as easily as cloud storage, which stores all your information on a company’s servers via platforms like Google Drive or Dropbox.
In that sense, physical drives are safer simply because you could move sensitive information to them, delete that information off your computer and nobody would be able to access that information if they didn’t have your device.
On the other hand, cloud storage has the advantage of simplicity. There are no devices to plug in. There is no worry about having to keep track of your device or causing damage to it.
Longevity
Furthermore, if you’re using an external hard drive that isn’t solid-state (meaning it uses moving parts), the consensus among tech websites is that the drive will die in two to five years, depending on how much you use it. A USB stick like the InfinitiKloud could last at least 10 years.
Cloud storage eliminates that danger. Even if your computer breaks, your information is safe because it’s not stored on any of your physical devices.
Cost
The final consideration here is cost. The InfinitiKloud costs $49.99 for a single device and up to $129.95 for four devices.
If you wanted to backup your information to Google Drive, you’d want to pay for 100 GB of storage, which costs $1.99 a month or $11.88 per year.
When comparing the cost of a USB stick versus cloud storage, you have to take into account the speed of technology.
While owning a USB drive for 10 years would be more cost-efficient than paying for Google Drive, the technology may be obsolete by the time the tenth year rolls around.
InfinitiKloud Cost and Return Policy
At the time of publishing, you could buy one of these USB drives with the built-in backup software for as little as $49.99 (one drive) and as much as $129.95 (four drives).
You’ll pay $8.95 in shipping for one drive, a cost that seems excessive to us considering how small and lightweight the device is.
InfinitiKloud has a separate website for an upgraded version of its 64GB drive. The upgraded version is a 128GB drive with USB 3.0 compatibility, which provides faster data transfer rates than the 64GB version. The 128GB drive costs $89.99 at DFYDaily.com, or $98.99 on Amazon.
InfinitiKloud says that they cover their USB drives with a 30-day guarantee. If you aren’t happy with the device, you can send it back in the original packaging within 30 days for a free refund, minus what you paid to ship the drive to you and to ship it to the company.
You’ll pay to ship the device to the company’s California address, which brings your total shipping costs for the purchase and the return to more than $10. The company will provide the return address when you contact them about a refund.
To start your return, you can call (855) 622-2097 or email the company at support@infinitikloud.com.
InfinitKloud Customer Reviews
At the time of publishing, the device had 40 customer reviews on Amazon for an average of 3.4 stars. The majority of these reviews came from verified purchases.
Reviews were split between five stars (57% of the reviews) and one star (39%) with a lone four-star rating.
Reviewers fell into two camps: either they loved the ease and convenience of the InfinitiKloud or they complained that it didn’t work, the backup software was clunky, or that it crashed their computer.
This split-opinion trend among reviewers is a concern considering that cheaper the USB drives from Best Buy that we highlight in the next section have decidedly positive reviews.
The Bottom Line: Is the InfinitiKloud a Legitimate Storage Option?
After analyzing the cost of this device, its benefits (physical storage) and drawbacks (could become obsolete, expensive), we believe that it is overpriced for what it offers.
We say this because a quick check of Best Buy’s USB drives reveals the following highly-rated options:
- PNY Elite Turbo Attache 4 128GB: $17.99
- SanDisk Cruzer 128GB: $19.99
- Western Digital Easystore 128GB: $39.99
What you see here are three USB drives with twice the storage capacity as the InfinitiKloud at, in the case of the PNY and SanDisk, more than half the price. Each of these devices has at least 1,000 reviews and an average rating of at least 4.6 stars.
Because USB drives are so widely available and affordable, we don’t see any reason to select the MyInifinitiKloud over the three drives we listed.
However, you don’t have the luxury of backup software installed on the drive, which is InfinitiKloud’s main advantage.
That being said, PCWorld’s 2019 Windows backup software rankings include two free products: Aomei Backupper Standard 4 and Paragon Backup & Recovery 16 Free Edition.
Apple computers have fewer free options largely because Apple machines come with a pre-installed backup program called Time Machine.
If you’re bargain driven and don’t want to spend $49.99 on InfinitiKloud, our advice is to purchase a drive from PNY or SanDisk and, for Windows users, and use free backup software from Aomei or Paragon.
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5 out 5 people found this review helpful
Disappointed
I had high hopes that this device would solve my lack of knowledge on how to back up a computer and that it would be as simple as it was advertised. I bought one and it came fairly quickly (I bought a second on their OFFER for 1/2 price and 18 days later it hasn't arrived). A few problems emerged. The most important is that after spending many many many hours trying to have my files transfer to the device, it ended up saying that there wasn't enough ROOM on the 64GB device. I then tried to download just certain files without success. I decided that it wasn't worth any more time as the whole point was that this was to make it easy. The first time that I called I asked for some assistance and was sent the same very limited information sheet that I had received in the packaging. I also expressed concern that the second device had not been received yet. I was told that the device was shipped and I should expect it on October 23rd, but that they didn't have a tracking number assigned to it yet. I called a second time on November 8th, to inquire why the second device had not arrived yet. This representative told me that they were sold out. That wasn't what I was told on the first call. I then asked to just cancel the second order and after a long hold he then informed me that the 2nd device had been shipped. I asked for the tracking number - oh, it hadn't been assigned yet! YEAH right...So, they may have a wonderful product, or they may not. However, they have lost credibility with me and I just wish I hadn't bothered. I will be sending both devices back to them. Thank you for your nice review on October 22nd and also for the information on the return as well as the other options. I will look to one of those.
Bottom Line: No, I would not recommend this to a friend
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