The Lowdown
The Llano F-17 card reader is a smart little travel accessory. It combines three useful things in one tiny package: a USB-C card reader, a memory card organizer, and a portable carry case that’s actually small enough to keep with you.
Overall
Pros
- Combines a card reader and storage case in one compact device
- Holds two SD cards and four microSD cards internally
- Reads SD and microSD cards at the same time
- Fast file transfers in everyday use
Cons
- The protective cap on the USB-C plug is easy to lose
If you travel with an action camera, drone, or any other gadget that uses SD and microSD cards, it’s easy to end up with loose memory cards floating around in your gear bag. The Llano F-17 Card Reader aims to fix the issue that by combining a USB-C card reader with a tiny storage case that slips into a pocket. It can read full-size SD and microSD cards, and it also has dedicated spots inside to stash them when they aren’t in use. Let’s take a closer look.
What Is It?
The Llano F-17 is a compact USB-C memory card reader that also doubles as a storage case. It has external slots for reading full-size SD and microSD cards and internal compartments for carrying spare cards when they’re not being used in your gadgets.
What’s Included?
- Llano F-17 card reader
- User manual
- USB-C to USB-A adapter
Design and Features
My first impression of the Llano F-17 Card Reader was good. The housing has a brushed-metal look, but it’s actually plastic, which helps keep the weight down. That makes sense for something designed to live in a pocket or ride along in a gear pouch.
Attached to the reader is a short braided cable with a USB-C connector on the end. The braided finish gives it a nicer look than a plain rubber cable, and it feels like a better fit for something meant to be carried around regularly.
There’s also a loop and clip arrangement built into the cable, which lets the reader act a bit like a mini lanyard. That’s a handy touch for travel because it gives you another way to hold it, hang it, or quickly grab it from a bag.
The USB-C plug has a small protective cap. It’s a nice idea in theory, although tiny caps like this have a habit of disappearing pretty quickly.
On the front edge of the Llano F-17 card reader, you get:
- One full-size SD card slot
- One microSD slot
- A small status LED
The Built-in Storage Compartment Is the Real Trick
Open the case, and the surprise is inside. The Llano F-17 Card Reader isn’t just a reader with card slots on the outside. It also has molded storage spaces for extra cards, which is what makes it more useful than a basic dongle-style reader.
Inside, there’s room for:
- Two full-size SD cards
- Four microSD cards
The card holders appear to use a soft silicone-like insert, so the cards press into place rather than snapping into a rigid tray. Full-size SD cards go in easily, and there’s a small fingernail notch that helps with removal.
Once loaded, the case closes with a reassuring click. It appears to use magnets to help keep the lid shut, and the closure feels secure enough that it shouldn’t pop open on its own during normal travel, so there’s no worry that you’ll lose your storage cards.
Using It As a Card Reader
The more important question is whether the Llano F-17 Card Reader works well as an actual card reader. The answer is yes.
The reader plugs directly into a USB-C port with the built-in braided USB-C cable. It can also work with older USB-A ports when you use the included USB-C-to-USB-A adapter. That gives it a little more flexibility if you’re moving between newer laptops, desktops, hubs, or even some tablets.
When a memory card is inserted, the status light starts flashing to indicate activity, and the card mounts normally on my MacBook Pro. From there, files can be browsed and copied as expected.
Transfer Speed in Real Use
One of the more pleasant surprises here is the transfer speed. In testing, copying roughly 1.7 GB of files from an SD card to the computer completed very quickly. In fact, performance felt faster than that of the built-in SD card reader on the laptop used for the test.
That doesn’t make this a lab-grade benchmark result, but for practical day-to-day use, the reader appears fast enough to avoid becoming a bottleneck when offloading footage or photos on the go. Be sure to watch the video below, in which I demonstrate all the features of the Llano F-17 Card Reader, including file copy operations.
Reading Both Cards At the Same Time
The Llano F-17 can handle a full-size SD card and a microSD card at the same time, making it more useful than single-slot travel readers.
With both cards inserted, each mounts separately, allowing files to be copied directly between them. That can be useful if you want to move footage from one card to another without first copying everything onto a computer’s internal drive.
In testing, a file around 1 GB was copied from the SD card to the microSD card. The transfer was slower than copying from card to computer, but still reasonably quick. That’s a solid result for a device this small.
Can It Play Files Directly from the Cards?
Yes. Media files stored on both the SD card and the microSD card opened and played normally on my MacBook Pro. That’s a simple but important check because it confirms the cards are not just mounting properly, but are fully usable for direct access to stored content.
For anyone working with action camera clips, quick previews in the field, or basic file management while traveling, that’s exactly what you want.
See It in Action
Final Thoughts
The Llano F-17 Card Reader is a smart little travel accessory. It combines three useful things in one tiny package: a USB-C card reader, a memory card organizer, and a portable carry case that’s actually small enough to keep with you.
The design is compact, the internal storage layout is practical, the cards are easy to insert and remove, and the magnetic closure gives it a more polished feel than a cheap plastic case. Add in fast real-world file transfers and simultaneous SD plus microSD support, and it becomes a genuinely handy piece of gear for photographers, travelers, and anyone using cameras that rely on removable storage.
If you regularly carry spare memory cards, this is the kind of accessory that makes life just a little easier.
The Llano F-17 Card Reader retails for $39.99; it is available directly from Amazon.
Source: Manufacturer-supplied review sample.
What I Like: Combines a card reader and storage case in one compact device; Holds two SD cards and four microSD cards internally; Reads SD and microSD cards at the same time; Fast file transfers in everyday use
What Needs Improvement: The protective cap on the USB-C plug is easy to lose