The Best External Hard Drives

An external hard drive can make your digital life simpler and more efficient. With its ability to quickly transfer large files between multiple computers, it’s an ideal solution for those who need to work on the same documents both at home and at work. Plus, its portability makes it easy to take with you wherever you go.

Backing up your computer is easier than ever with the latest external hard drives. USB 3.0 models offer fast read and write speeds, making them a great choice for creating a second backup in a different location. Gone are the days of slow and cumbersome external drives - now you can get the job done quickly and easily.

Check the list of best external hard drives

WD My Cloud Home 8TB external hard drive

Western Digital’s latest hard drive offers a convenient solution to cloud storage: an on-premises server accessible in the cloud. The device has a sleek, minimalist design with great internal airflow and ports for connecting external drives or flash drives. With this hard drive, users can keep their data safe without relying on their wallet.

Setting up the My Cloud device is easy: just plug in the power adapter and network cable, create a “WD My Cloud” account (optional), and access content through the Android or iOS app or mycloud.com. With it, users can download, upload, manage content, and stream photos and videos stored on their device.

Sabrent Rocket XTRM-Q 4TB USB / Thunderbolt External SSD

The Rocket external hard drive offers a durable aluminum casing, portability, and lightning-fast speeds. It comes in capacities up to 16TB and with your choice of flash memory type, plus the latest faster standards like Thunderbolt. With just one USB-C connector on the back that automatically switches between TB3 and USB 3.2 modes, it’s an easy choice for anyone looking for a reliable storage solution.

This external hard drive offers lightning-fast transfer speeds of up to 2700 MB/s when connected to a Thunderbolt 3 or higher compatible computer, and 900 MB/s when connected to a USB 3.2 port. It is compatible with Windows, Mac and Linux systems.

Sabrent’s flash-based storage offers users the choice between QLC and TLC memory, allowing them to select the best option for their workload. QLC is ideal for read-intensive tasks, while TLC is better suited for write-intensive ones.

Seagate Backup Plus 5TB External Hard Drive

Seagate has unveiled a pocket-sized storage device that packs five terabytes of capacity into a small package. Measuring just 3 x 4.5 x 0.75 inches and weighing less than half a pound, the device is compatible with multiple platforms and costs only four times what it did previously.

Backing up data is essential, even if it means having multiple redundancies. But what happens if the drive you’re trying to restore from is dead? That’s where a 1 Year Data Recovery Warranty from [company] comes in, offering peace of mind that your data can be recovered - though it’s not a magical solution for damaged disks.

This unit comes in multiple colors, so you can choose one that stands out or use different colors to keep track of which unit contains what. No need for stickers – just pick the color that works best for you.

ADATA HD710 PRO Robust External Hard Drive

External hard drives can be vulnerable to physical damage, making them a risky choice for outdoor use. Sudden shocks, such as being dropped or hit, can cause the head to hit or damage the disk surface and render all data inaccessible. Even exposure to the elements can ruin your data. HDDs are fragile and their small moving parts make them particularly susceptible to physical damage.

The ADATA HD 710 Pro is IP68 certified, meaning it can withstand dust, dirt, sand and submersion up to 1.5m for 30 minutes. It also features a silicone casing, three-layer construction and vibration detection technology to protect the HDD internals from drops of up to 1.5m.

WD Elements 12TB External Hard Drive

WD Elements drives are designed to save desk space and keep the inside of the disk cooler. The 3.5-inch desktop SATA drive offers 6Gbs transfer rates with USB 3.0 to SATA interface, and its top and bottom ventilation holes allow for plenty of air space around them when stacked vertically, increasing their longevity.

WD Elements external hard drives come pre-formatted with NTFS, making them ready to use with Windows computers. Mac users can plug in and reformat the drive, though it may take some time. The drives are not USB powered and require a medium cell-sized wall wart power adapter phone charger for operation.

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme External Hard Drive

Buffalo’s MiniStation Extreme NFC is a rugged external hard drive that offers protection from drops and dust. Its shock-absorbing chassis can withstand falls of up to 1.2 meters, while its IP5X and IPX3 certifications make it nearly dustproof and resistant to water spray at a 60 degree angle. This makes it an ideal choice for those looking for more durability than the average fragile external hard drive.

This external hard drive offers 256-bit AES encryption and NFC capability, allowing users to unlock it with a single touch of their smartphone. It is preformatted for Windows computers, but Mac users can format it in HFS+ if desired. For maximum compatibility, exFAT formatting supports Macs, PCs and Playstation 4 and 5 game consoles.

SanDisk G-Drive Professional 18TB External Hard Drive

A corporate hard drive in an aluminum case with a portable design is already great, but if you add USB-C and Thunderbolt ports and make it macOS ready, you’ve got the ultimate Mac external hard drive.

The G-Drive Pro offers up to 18TB of storage, with a 7200 RPM-class Ultrastar HDD capable of 195 MB/s. Its aluminum case and Thunderbolt port pair make it easy to connect up to six drives together with one cable for Mac or PC users. Starting at 4TB, the G-Drive Pro is an impressive high-capacity drive.

WD BLACK 5TB P10 External Hard Drive for Gaming

This rectangular black device looks like a shipping container, with ribbed sides and hex screws. It features a low-activity LED, USB 3.2 Gen-1 interface at 5Gbps connected through a USB Micro-B connector on the back, and an 18-inch Aa-Micro-B cable.

This drive stands out from the crowd due to its universal compatibility. Pre-formatted with ExFAT, it works seamlessly with PCs, Macs, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One – no setup required.

The WD_Black D10 Game Drive offers a 2.5" 5400 rpm SATA drive, providing up to 140 MBps max for storing downloaded games. PC users can also download the WD Drive Utilities and WD Security apps to set passwords, verify drive health, and perform maintenance tasks.

Final note

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