14 best external hard drives of 2025

The present time is characterized by a very high pace of life. Therefore, one of the most valuable things is the mobility and availability of information. In most cases, various mobile devices are used for this, for example, laptops or netbooks. However, they have a limited hard drive space. This can be solved by replacing it. However, why change a fully functional disk for a more capacious one, if you can just buy external storage? The main difference between such devices is the presence of a protective case and the ability to connect it via the USB port. When choosing an external hard drive, you must be guided by its characteristics and your own needs. The best external hard drives are not always the ones with the largest capacity.

What type of external hard drive to choose

In terms of its structure, characteristics and division into types, an external hard drive is no different from an internal one. It also comes in two types: HDD and SSD.

Under HDD-disk means the classic version of the hard drive. Great for long-term storage of information, because the cost of one gigabyte of memory is very small here. Among the disadvantages, one can single out the noise of work and the risk of failure with a sharp mechanical impact on it.

Disk SSD more practical. It has faster read and write speeds and is more compact. The disadvantage can be considered a smaller number of write cycles, however, with each new series, this number increases, which allows us to expect a priority in this parameter in the near future. Also, the price of such drives is much higher than that of classic HDDs.

Which interface to give preference to

In the question of which portable hard drive to buy, you need to be guided not only by the read / write speed or capacity. The interface with which it connects to a particular device is also of great importance. If it is too slow, then all the advantages of the hard drive will be nullified. Today, these devices are equipped with the following connection methods:

• USB;
• FireWire;
• eSATA;
• Thunderbolt.

The first type of interface has the vast majority of external drives. If this is modification 3.1, then it can provide a data transfer rate that is capable of fully disclosing the capabilities of the device.

The last three can be attributed to the exotic, because they are used very rarely and only in series aimed at computers such as Macintosh.

TOP best external hard drives

Basically, it doesn't matter for what purpose the external hard drive is purchased. It is bought for personal use or for work, the requirements for it remain the same - high-quality work throughout the entire service life. The latter should also not be small, because the device is not cheap and it will be expensive to buy it even once a year. Today it is very difficult to navigate in the variety of models, so it is best to refer to the ratings of popular online magazines. Some of the best models in terms of performance and reliability can be found in the external hard drive ratings below.

1. Seagate STEA500400

The review opens a hard drive from a well-known manufacturer of this kind of devices. The design of the protective case is somewhat original. It is provided by a diamond pattern, which creates an interesting effect in certain lighting conditions. This device is inexpensive, but it is still a good external drive. Functionality is provided by the following characteristics: a capacity of 500 gigabytes, a 2.5 ″ form factor and a USB 3.0 connection.

This drive can be recommended for not too demanding users, for whom only the ability to transfer and store large amounts of information matters.

Among the advantages are:

• easy file transfer process;
• compact dimensions and low weight;
• fast data transfer via USB 3.0.

The disadvantages include a case made of thin plastic.

2. Toshiba CANVIO BASICS 500GB

This model is enclosed in a non-marking matte plastic case, which gives the device a more solid appearance. It should also be said that in terms of reliability, Toshiba hard drives have always been distinguished by a high level of reliability and fault tolerance. This device is fully compatible with MAC OS and Windows systems. The hard drive capacity is 500 gigabytes, which should be enough for most tasks. Information transfer is provided by the USB 3.0 interface.

Advantages:

• good read / write parameters;
• high-quality case;
• no heating during prolonged use;
• nice design.

Disadvantages:

• short cable;
• slightly increased noise and vibration during operation.

3. Seagate STEA1000400

The disc case is designed in a fashionable style in the form of pyramids on its surface. Despite its apparent strength, dropping it on the floor is highly discouraged. The blue work indicator looks very attractive. Among the characteristics, we can highlight the presence of USB 3.0, a capacity of 1 terabyte, a 16 MB buffer and a rotation speed of 5400 rpm, which makes it a very nimble disk.

Advantages:

• low noise and heating;
• good read and write speed;
• compact size;
• low cost.

Disadvantages:

• no cover included;

4. Toshiba Canvio Ready 1TB

This unit is arguably the best 1TB external hard drive. This series is one of the newest, because its first model was released only 4 years ago. Its distinctive feature is compactness, performance and good protection of hard drives. Moreover, these devices are equipped with a special shock sensor that cuts off the power when the device is dropped. Thus, you can save both the data stored on it and the disk itself from damage. The capacity of this device is 1 terabyte, and the connection is carried out using USB 3.0
This storage device can be advised for people who plan to transfer and store valuable information on it, the loss of which is unacceptable.

Among the advantages are:

• high read / write speed;
• compactness;
• shock sensor;
• reliability and practicality;
• a good amount of memory;
• high quality case.

5.ADATA HD330 1TB

This is one of the best external drives that have increased protection against mechanical damage. This protection is provided by a dense silicone shell that encloses the hard drive enclosure. Among its characteristics are the presence of a USB 3.1 interface, a spindle speed of 5400 rpm. In addition, the device is equipped with a shock sensor, which ensures that the heads are parked in the event of a fall of the device or a strong shock.

Advantages:

• high reliability;
• excellent equipment;
• lack of noise and vibration during operation;
• beautiful appearance.

Disadvantages:

• not very good software;
• glossy body.

6. Western Digital My Passport 1 TB (WDBBEX0010B)

This line is very interesting for its high speeds, additional functionality and warranty service for three years.The disc is enclosed in a compact plastic case, which has several color options: black, orange, yellow, white, blue. Features include 1 terabyte of memory and USB 3.0, which allows this stylish and powerful external drive to be used with laptops, TVs, computers, and even as additional storage for PS4.

Advantages:

• high build quality;
• excellent read and write performance;
• availability of a built-in application from Western Digital;
• stylish appearance.

Disadvantages:

• higher, in comparison with other disks, cost.

7. Silicon Power Armor A15 1TB Black / Green

This model belongs to the category of protected external hard drives. Protection is provided by a special silicone case. According to the manufacturer's data, the degree of protection ensures the integrity of the HDD even when dropped onto concrete from a height of 1.22 meters. It is claimed that 26 points of contact were tested during testing. Among the characteristics of this drive, one can distinguish a capacity of 1 terabyte and the use of a USB 3.0 data transfer interface.

Pros:

• three-year warranty;
• good combination of price and quality;
• a good degree of security;
• reliable;
• the ability to quickly copy using special software.

Minuses:

• does not work well with older Apple computers.

8. Transcend TS2TSJ25M3S

Transcend has long since launched a dedicated ruggedized series of external hard drives. This removable hard drive has a fairly high capacity of 2 terabytes, while the build quality is excellent. The spindle rotation speed is 5400 rpm, and the buffer memory capacity reaches 8 megabytes. Data transfer is carried out using the USB 3.0 interface.

This hard drive is of interest to users looking for more than average storage capacity. Increased protection against damage will keep information intact and safe.

Among the advantages are:

• three-level protection against mechanical stress;
• automatic mode of energy saving;
• sophisticated software that makes it comfortable to use;
• the ability to encrypt data.

Disadvantages:

• increased dimensions and weight.

9.ADATA DashDrive Durable HD650 USB 3.1 2TB

This low-cost drive is equipped with a shock-proof enclosure that can provide some degree of protection from shock. It's just not recommended to do this with the device turned on, so as not to break it completely. Nevertheless, this device has very good performance characteristics, in particular, reading / writing information. The storage capacity of 2 terabytes and the high-speed USB 3.1 data transfer interface allow you to use it without the nerves associated with long file copying.

Advantages:

• low cost;
• good performance;
• practically no heating;
• good protection against mechanical stress.

Disadvantages:

• heavy weight - 390 g;
• lack of shock and fall sensor.

10. Western Digital My Passport 4 TB (WDBUAX0040B)

Western Digital is a company that needs little introduction because it has earned its name over the years of producing hard drives that deliver good performance and high reliability. Already the design of this model says that this device is not only functional, but also designed for people who value style and beauty. It can also be recommended as an answer to the question of what is the best high-capacity external hard drive worth buying. This storage has a storage capacity of 4 terabytes and a data transfer rate of 500 MB / s, thanks to the USB 3.0 connector.

Pros:

• high reliability;
• significant capacity;
• stylish design;
• excellent performance;
• 3 years warranty.

Minuses:

• easily soiled surface;
• lack of protection against falling.

Best external SSD drives

Another type of external storage is SSD. Their main difference is the absence of moving parts. This allows them to be considered much more reliable than HDDs.Also, this design allows solid state drives to consume much less power and provide much faster performance compared to classic hard drives. To briefly describe the advantages of this technology, they are as follows:

1. mechanical stability;
2. low heat generation;
3. low power consumption;
4. high read / write rates;
5. small weight and dimensions.

However, there are two drawbacks that are gradually fading away: the relatively high cost of 1 gigabyte and the limited number of write cycles. Therefore, it is the external SSD drive that is the best among these two types of devices, if you need reliability and high speed.

1.Samsung Portable SSD T5 500GB

Samsung has always been distinguished by the fact that its products, regardless of the price category, tried to make them as stylish as possible. This model, which is enclosed in a metal case, was no exception. However, this was done not just for beauty, but also for better resistance to mechanical stress. According to the company, this disc is capable of surviving a fall from 2 meters. True, moisture protection is not provided in this model. This 500GB hard drive is equipped with a USB Type-C interface and has a read / write speed of about 540MB / s.

Advantages:

• availability of a fast data transfer interface;
• stylish design and small dimensions;
• it is possible to protect data with a password;
• complete set with two cables USB Type C and Type A;
• fall protection.

Disadvantages:

• high price;
• using the exFAT file system.

2. ADATA SD700 512GB

The SD700 line of portable external SSD drives contains devices that are equipped with a high degree of protection against all external influences. Moreover, the company has declared their compliance with the IP68 standard, which guarantees the operation of the SSD drive even after being in water at a depth of 1.5 meters for an hour. No less reliably, this disc is protected from dust penetration, along with mechanical shock and even shock. Excellent 512 GB capacity, read and write speeds of 440 and 430 MB / s, respectively.

Advantages:

• USB 3.0 interface;
• weighs only 100 g;
• three years warranty;
• excellent protection according to the IP68 standard;
• high reliability.

Minuses:

• reducing the speed of recording large amounts of information;
• poor implementation of the connector stub.

3. Verbatim Vx500 External SSD 120GB

Verbatim has released a lightweight and compact portable SSD that looks very similar to a regular USB flash drive. Its body is made of aluminum. Connection to devices is carried out using the USB 3.1 GEN 2. The volume is 120 gigabytes, the read speed is 500 MB / s, and the write speed is 290 MB / s.

It is an excellent choice for people looking for a large and compact portable storage that also has good performance.

Advantages:

• compactness;
• Beautiful design;
• good capacity.

Disadvantages:

• write speed could be higher.

4. SmartBuy S3 128 GB (SB128GB-S3D * -18SU30)

SmartBuy is well known in the solid state drive market. It covers almost all of its sectors. Its models can be found both among cheap products and among the premium segment. And so she released an external SSD-drive in an unusual 1.8 ″ form factor. This is perhaps one of the most compact devices on the market after Verbatim. It has a good memory capacity of 128 gigabytes. The read speed is 425 MB / s, and the write speed is 400 MB / s, which is a very good indicator. Information transfer and connection to other devices is carried out via USB 3.0.

Advantages:

• good capacity;
• compact size;
• acceptable cost.

Minuses:

• lack of protection against mechanical impact and falling.

Which external hard drive is better to buy

Before choosing a good external hard drive, you need to decide what kind of tasks it is being taken for. This is especially true when choosing a hard drive or SSD drive. Because these two types of information carriers differ significantly, including the cost.

A high-quality SSD drive will be useful if you plan to work with it in any resource-intensive programs that depend on the speed of data exchange. In this case, their choice, judging by user reviews, will be fully justified. If the external drive will be used mainly for storing and transferring a large amount of data, then it would be more appropriate to take a regular HDD. It is best to choose a model based on customer reviews who already use this device.