The best external hard drives and SSDs are the ones that resolve all of your storage needs without breaking the bank. Whether you need a drive for backup purposes, transferring projects from one computer to another, or to function as a data depot while you’re out in the field, external hard drives and SSDs are among the most important—and most irreplaceable—accessories you’ll own.
Considering how critical it is to get an external hard drive or SSD that addresses all your needs, we put together this list of our favorites.
Best Portable SSD: Samsung T7 Shield
The best portable SSD for most people
Offering speedy performance, competitive pricing, and a ruggedized, go-anywhere build, the Samsung T7 Shield is our pick for the best portable SSD overall.
It has been three years since Samsung launched the original T7 SSD. Despite the near-universal acclaim the T7 received upon its release, it did have one notable drawback: no ingress protection.
The T7 Shield remedies that omission with a more durable exterior that helps earn it an IP65 ingress protection rating, meaning it’s impervious to dirt, dust, and sand and resistant to rain or even jets of water. It’s also shock resistant up to 9.8', so you don’t have to worry if it takes a tumble or two.
Apart from its newly ruggedized build, the Shield maintains most of the features that made the original T7 so popular. Offering read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and write speeds up to 1,000 MB/s, it’s fast enough for everyday storage tasks. AES 256-bit hardware encryption ensures your data can only be accessed by you. And despite its new rubber shielding, the T7 Shield is just as compact and portable as its predecessor.
Combine those features with storage options up to 4TB and an extremely competitive price point and you’ll understand why we think so highly of this drive.
If you’re looking for speed, security, and portability in a rugged package—with plenty of storage options and great overall value—the Samsung T7 Shield is tough to beat.
Read: Samsung T7 Shield Hands-On Review
Best Portable SSD for Pros: SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD
The best SSD for pros on the go
The SanDisk PRO-G40 SSD is our pick for best portable SSD for professionals. When connected to a device compatible with Thunderbolt™ 3, the PRO-G40 can deliver read speeds up to 2700 MB/s—that’s almost three times as fast as our top pick, the T7 Shield.
Not only is the PRO-G40 faster and more versatile than the T7 Shield, it’s also more rugged, thanks to its rubber-reinforced metal housing and IP68-rated ingress protection that all but guarantees its near indestructibility.
All that extra functionality and fortitude come at a price, however. And while it’s true that the PRO-G40 is more rugged and nearly three times as fast as our top pick, the T7 Shield, it’s also three times as expensive.
Still, if you need Thunderbolt™ 3 support and increased fast transfer speeds—as many professionals do—then you can’t go wrong with the SanDisk PRO-G40. It’ll cost you more than most of the other drives on our list, but for professionals who need the very best, it’s worth every penny.
Best Rugged External Hard Drive: LaCie Rugged RAID Pro
The best rugged external hard drive for pros
Combining reliable, top-tier performance and an impressive 8TB of storage into a secure, travel-friendly package, the Rugged RAID Shuttle gets our vote for the best hardcore hard drive.
Along with those features, the Rugged RAID Shuttle is backed by a three-year warranty and Rescue Data Recovery Services plan. The Rugged RAID Shuttle also includes a free, one-month membership to Adobe’s Creative Cloud All Apps plan, which as of this writing, normally costs more than $80.
On top of all that, we absolutely love the Rugged RAID Shuttle’s signature orange vest. It doesn’t help performance any, but it looks cool all the same.
Best Value Hard Drive: Crucial X8 External SSD
Premium performance at a less-than-premium price
The Crucial X8 External SSD is our pick for the most budget-friendly external hard drive. It’s available in storage capacities up to 4TB, with the base model priced well below the century mark.
But don’t let the low price fool you. The Crucial X8 is a tremendous value buy, offering more bang for your buck than any other drive on our list. Not only do you get gigs of memory for pennies on the dollar, but the drive also features AES 256-bit hardware encryption and USB 3.2 connectivity for super-speedy transfers: up to 1050 MB/s read and 1000 MB/s write.
We also really dig the X8's design. It's slim and sleek, so it looks great and travels easily. It's also surprisingly rugged. It can withstand exposure to the elements and the shock from long drops.
If you’re looking for premium performance at a sub-premium price, the Crucial X8 is one of the best options available.
Read: Crucial X8 External SSD Hands-On Review
Best Desktop Drive: Seagate Expansion Desktop
Up to 18TB of storage for Mac and PC users
Unlike many of the external drives on our list, the Seagate Expansion Desktop Drive is not a portable drive. It’s a dedicated desktop drive. It requires a wall outlet to plug into and should not be moved.
However, what this desktop drive lacks in portability, it makes up for in storage capacity, accessibility, and versatility. It’s preformatted exFAT, meaning it supports Windows and Mac operating systems, and its drag-and-drop operation makes it easy to use right out of the box.
If you’re worried about size—don’t be. The Expansion Desktop Drive allows you to add up to 18TB of additional storage to your current setup, making it an ideal option for even the largest of libraries. And to ensure that data stays secure, the Expansion Desktop Drive comes with a data rescue service, so no matter what happens, all of your important files will be protected.
Best External Drive for Gamers: WD_Black P50
Your secret weapon
The WD_Black P50 Game Drive is an ideal solution for gamers who need extra storage space for their game libraries. Not only does the WD_Black P50 provide the storage gamers need (up to 4TB), but it does so at a relatively inexpensive price.
In addition to its great value and expansive storage options, the P50 is also plug-and-play compatible with the PS5, making it super convenient to use. While it’s primarily intended for console gamers, PC users can make use of the drive too. PC users won’t see the same performance compared to an internal SSD, but for anyone looking for a budget-friendly storage solution for their PC, the P50 will do nicely.
That does it for our external hard drive and SSD roundup—for now. There are a lot of great drives available that could have made our list (maybe we’ll see them in a future article). In the meantime, let us know what drives should be added to the list and why, in the Comments section, below.
5 Comments
GNARBOX, not gearbox
Really not acceptable to be advertising Gearbox as an option now that they have gone out of business. Mine still works fine, but no support, no firmware updates and spares will doubtless dwindle. Great product but I would not buy one now that they have gone broke and out of business
I appreciate you taking the time to let us know your concern. Definitely a shame because it really is a great product otherwise. I know the app is once again downloadable so thankfully it can still be used. I'll definitely be sure to add a disclaimer about it though!
I have been using the SanDisk 2 TB Extreme SSD and have found it was able to be fast and reliable for the last several months. I archive my most important documentary photographs as TIFF images. My concern is how long can a TIFF image last on this media before cosmic rays or background radiation noise degrades the image? For archival storage, would a physical media such as a gold DVD or CD be longer lasting? When it comes to preserving my life’s work for the long haul, price is of lesser concern than speed.
I meant to say that price and speed are of lesser concern than longevity.