IP68 Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II delivers V60 reliability, fast offloads, and 4K/6K capture for creators in harsh conditions.
The Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II is a field-ready SD card designed for creators who prioritize reliability and physical protection. Its stainless-steel shell and simplified exterior are designed to withstand constant card swaps, crowded backpacks, and rough travel. Ultimately, this card is designed to protect your footage, keep you shooting when conditions get rough, and provide a card that feels like a professional solution rather than a disposable accessory.
Performance specifications indicate up to 280MB/s read speeds and up to 205MB/s write speeds for most capacities, with a slight increase in write performance for the 128GB model, reaching 210MB/s writes. The card features a V60 video rating, which is excellent for long bursts and continuous recording. Pair it with a UHS-II reader on a USB 3.2 connection, and offloads should feel significantly faster compared to older UHS-I media. Its V60 rating means a 60MB/s sustained write floor, so high-bitrate 4K60 and even 6K30 capture is in scope on cameras that support it.
For positioning, the Armor Gold sits near the Professional 1800x line in terms of throughput while offering far tougher construction and ingress protection. If you require absolute peak write performance, the Professional 2000x remains the top choice. If you want a card that keeps close to that tier in real workloads and shrugs off physical punishment, Armor Gold is the better choice.
Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II Design and Build
Armor Gold utilizes stainless steel instead of a standard plastic housing, which offers genuine benefits in the field. Weighing in at 5.6g, this card is double the weight of plastic-bodied SD cards, giving it a very premium and sturdy feel when handled.
The card is sealed to IP68 for dust and water resistance, drop-tested to 5 meters, and rated to withstand up to 370 Newtons of pressure. Lexar also removed common failure points by eliminating the write-protect switch, smoothing the card’s perimeter, and replacing the printed label with permanent laser-engraved markings.
As for the design, the Armor Gold features a unique look, which will definitely stand out in a random stack of SD cards. The face is a matte gold panel with the ARMOR shield mark along the top and large, easy-to-read capacity text in the center. Speed badges are positioned to the middle-left (SDXC, UHS-II, U3, V60) with the quoted read and write figures on the right, allowing you to confirm specs at a glance when swapping cards mid-shoot.
The temperature limits cover freezing winters and very hot days. It’s also built to handle vibration, and the standard SD footprint easily slips into any kit. Those who buy Lexar Armor Gold get lifetime access to Lexar’s Recovery Tool for accidental deletes. It includes a limited lifetime warranty, offering peace of mind for cards that experience daily use.
This review covers the top 1TB capacity; the card also comes in 128GB, 256GBa nd 512GB capacities.
Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II Specifications
| Type | Detail |
| Product name | Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II |
| Form factor | SDXC, UHS-II bus |
| Capacities | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB |
| Read speed (max) | Up to 280 MB/s |
| Write speed (max) | 256GB to 1TB: up to 205MB/s 128GB: up to 210MB/s |
| Video speed class | V60 (minimum sustained write 60MB/s) |
| Recommended uses | Continuous 4K60 and 6K30 recording, long stills bursts, and fast offloads with UHS-II reader |
| Material | Stainless-steel enclosure |
| Ingress protection | IP68 dust and water resistance |
| Drop resistance | Up to 5 meters |
| Pressure resistance | Up to 370 N |
| Design details | No write-protect switch, ribless edge, laser-engraved markings |
| Operating temperature | −25 °C to 85 °C (−13 °F to 185 °F) |
| Storage temperature | −40 °C to 85 °C (−40 °F to 185 °F) |
| Shock rating | 1500 G |
| Vibration rating | 10 to 2000 Hz |
| Dimensions | 32 × 24 × 2.1 mm (1.25 × 0.95 × 0.08 in) |
| Weight | Approx. 5.6 g (0.012 lb) |
| Connectivity notes | Best performance with UHS-II cameras and a USB 3.2 UHS-II card reader |
| Software | Lexar Recovery Tool (lifetime access) |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty |
Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II Performance
We paired the Lexar card with the reader for our performance tests and ran them through our usual Lenovo P520 testbed.
Blackmagic Diskspeed Test
The Blackmagic Disk Speed Test is a straightforward benchmark that measures the speed at which a storage device can read and write large video files. This provides an indication of whether it can handle formats such as HD, 4K, or higher resolutions without dropped frames.
In the Blackmagic test, the Lexar Armor Gold hit 205.1MB/s read and 135.2MB/s write. In comparison, the Lexar Professional GOLD microSD card achieved read speeds of 158.7MB/s and write speeds of 132.5MB/s, while the Samsung EVO Select 1TB reached read speeds of 158.9 MB/s and write speeds of 122.3 MB/s. The Samsung PRO Ultimate achieved read speeds of 193.1 MB/s and write speeds of 129.1 MB/s.
IOMeter Test
We also ran the cards through IOMeter, which provides more in-depth testing than simple transfer tests, such as Blackmagic. This allows us to examine sequential performance as well as random workloads that are more closely aligned with real-world usage. Each card was tested with both a single queue (light workloads) and a four-queue setup (heavier scenarios). The new Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II is included here alongside the Lexar Professional GOLD microSD, Samsung EVO Select, and Samsung PRO Ultimate for comparison.
In the 1-queue tests, the Armor Gold achieved 258.7MB/s in sequential reads and 181.9MB/s in sequential writes. Random 2MB reads achieved 161.5MB/s, while random writes reached 90.0MB/s. At the smaller 4K level, it reached 1,801 IOPS for reads and 867 IOPS for writes. These numbers put it slightly ahead of the Professional GOLD in sequential reads but behind in 4K random writes, while keeping pace with or exceeding the Samsung cards in sequential workloads.
Here is a complete overview, along with comparisons to other SD cards.
| IOMeter (1 Queue) | Lexar Armor Gold | Lexar Professional GOLD | Samsung EVO Select | Samsung PRO Ultimate |
| Seq 2MB Read | 258.7MB/s | 246.7MB/s | 158.8MB/s | 191.2MB/s |
| Seq 2MB Write | 181.9MB/s | 195.0MB/s | 120.2MB/s | 128.6MB/s |
| Random 2MB Read | 161.5MB/s | 194.8MB/s | 146.5MB/s | 174.3MB/s |
| Random 2MB Write | 90.0MB/s | 86.5MB/s | 99.6MB/s | 102.9MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 1,801 IOPS | 1,710 IOPS | 2,599 IOPS | 2,873 IOPS |
| Random 4K Write | 867 IOPS | 1,118 IOPS | 1,951 IOPS | 1,802 IOPS |
Under the heavier 4-queue load, the Armor Gold stayed consistent, posting 252.1MB/s sequential reads and 178.4MB/s sequential writes. Random 2MB performance was 141.1MB/s for reads and 90.0MB/s for writes, with 4K IOPS numbers nearly identical to the 1-queue run. Unlike the Professional GOLD, which showed a decline in multithreaded random write performance, the Armor Gold maintained stability across tests.
| IOMeter (4 Queue) | Lexar Armor Gold | Lexar Professional GOLD | Samsung EVO Select | Samsung PRO Ultimate |
| Seq 2MB Read | 252.1MB/s | 264.0MB/s | 158.8MB/s | 191.2MB/s |
| Seq 2MB Write | 178.4MB/s | 197.4MB/s | 120.2MB/s | 128.6MB/s |
| Random 2MB Read | 141.1MB/s | 190.6MB/s | 146.5MB/s | 174.3MB/s |
| Random 2MB Write | 90.0MB/s | 85.4MB/s | 99.6MB/s | 102.9MB/s |
| Random 4K Read | 1,790 IOPS | 1,947 IOPS | 2,599 IOPS | 2,873 IOPS |
| Random 4K Write | 866 IOPS | 1,114 IOPS | 1,951 IOPS | 1,802 IOPS |
Conclusion
The Lexar Armor Gold SDXC UHS-II is designed for demanding environments where reliability is as important as speed. The heavy, stainless-steel construction has a quality feel, while its IP68 sealing provides a level of durability that standard SD cards simply don’t match. With drop, pressure, and water resistance factored in, it delivers the kind of reassurance professionals want when working in unpredictable conditions.
Performance results are where they need to be for serious use. Sequential transfers are quick enough to support demanding 4K and 6K recording, while IOMeter testing showed the card holding its own against both Lexar’s Professional line and Samsung’s top offerings. More importantly, the Armor Gold stayed consistent under load, which is essential for professionals who work in areas where a missed frame or corrupted clip could cost them their shot.
If peak write speed is your top priority, the Professional 2000x remains the card to choose within the Lexar family. For a stronger balance of UHS-II performance and a design built to handle rough conditions, the Armor Gold carves out a unique spot. It’s built for real-world shooting, where environments aren’t always predictable and reliability matters just as much as speed. In that sense, the Armor Gold is an easy recommendation.
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