Well, there is not much to be said of the data transfer speed of the ICY DOCK ICYNano MB861U31-1M2B other than that it is on par with what we would expect with the embedded JMicron controller. That is good as the IC pairs quite well with NVMe drives and the USB-C 10 Gbps interface. On top of that, assembly is completely tool-less from opening the enclosure to installing an NVMe drive securely.

That means anyone can take a drive from a non-functioning host system to access all the data quickly and without having to scramble for a (tiny) screw driver. This could prove especially important for mission-critical enterprise-level storage environments, which is exactly where you are bound to see 22110 drives. With the ability to hold and cool such specific NVMe storage devices, ICY DOCK stays true to their target audience with the ICY DOCK ICYNano MB861U31-1M2B NVMe USB-C enclosure. In that same breath, it would have been nice if the enclosure were completely made out of a metal, at least externally, while, in a ideal world, even providing more dust/liquid resistance. If you can look past that and require the ability to handle any M.2 NVMe SSD format out there easily and quickly, the ICY DOCK ICYNano MB861U31-1M2B NVMe USB-C enclosure is absolutely a solid choice.

But let's talk about pricing. ICY DOCK mentions an MSRP that is more than double what other NVMe enclosures tend to go for. Many devices of good quality clock in around $30–$40 in retail, but can only handle up to 2280 drives, while those few that allow for 22110 tend to start at $45, but are not as refined and well engineered, usually stemming from some random factory with an OEM PCB and just a simple housing to accommodate the additional length of such a drive. Thus, you are paying for that fairly unique compatibility, in-house development, the long-term warranty, and the fact that it is tool-less. But answering the question of whether the roughly $35 premium is worth it, well, that is a solid no for traditional end users. However, price is not a factor for government, military, or critical system environments, which is exactly the market ICY DOCK is going for with this enclosure.