Protect Your Data—and Save More of It—With an External Hard Drive

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With software size continuing to balloon, many programs take up gigabytes of memory. Combining that with hefty operating system updates and large video files, it’s easy to use up all the internal memory on your laptop or desktop. That’s where external hard drives come in handy, offering an easy way to add extra storage to your computer.

External hard drives are also an excellent insurance policy if something terrible happens to your computer. Mac and Windows computers can both be programmed to back up all your data periodically to an external hard drive, and if there's a problem, reinstalling your data takes just a few clicks.

Best External Hard Drives

What to Look for in an External Hard Drive

Portable or Desktop?

If you plan to haul your external hard drive around in a backpack or bag when traveling or commuting, then a portable hard drive is the way to go. These models are smaller and more rugged than desktop hard drives. The downside is that portable hard drives tend to have smaller capacities than desktop models and are usually powered through the USB port on your computer. The smallest portable drive on our list, the Samsung SSD T7, is smaller than a deck of playing cards.

On the other hand, if you are just going to keep your hard drive connected to a computer at all times, choose a desktop model. The difference is desktop hard drives are bigger and a little bulkier than portable drives, but you usually get a lot more storage for the same amount of money. Most desktop hard drives are powered through a separate power adapter.

Size of Storage

The external hard drives on our list are available in sizes ranging from 1 to 12 terabytes, though there are even larger ones on the market that are more expensive and overkill for the average home user.

A terabyte (TB) is a unit of digital data that is equal to about 1 trillion bytes of information. You can think of a single terabyte as storing about 250,000 photos taken with a 12 megapixel camera; 250 movies or 500 hours of HD video; or 6.5 million document pages. If you’re currently working on a laptop with 512 gigabytes of storage, that’s about half a terabyte.

Speed Matters

When it comes to hard drives, as in many things in life and tech, faster is better. However, modern hard drives are so fast that you probably won’t notice a massive difference in speed unless you are moving large video files.

Manufacturers usually talk about the read and write speeds of hard drives and describe them in megabytes per second (MBps). For example, a device with a write speed of 64 MBps can record 64 megabytes of data every second.

How We Selected These External Hard Drives

I spent many hours putting these external hard drives through their paces to see how easy it was to connect them to a computer and how quickly they moved information back and forth. I also considered the look and feel of each because after all, you are likely to spend a lot of time looking at your external hard drive, whether it’s on your desk or in your backpack. And, finally, I made sure to include a good mix of portable and desktop devices in a range of storage sizes and price ranges. These are the external hard drives I recommend.

BEST OVERALL

Seagate Expansion Desktop 8TB

This Seagate model is the one I’d choose for myself if I was in the market for a new external hard drive. It’s speedy—120 megabytes per second—and was easily recognized by my Mac and PC desktops and laptops when I plugged it into the USB port. Its simple aesthetics and black color blend nicely into any decor.

BEST PORTABLE

Western Digital WD 5TB Elements Portable

This Western Digital hard drive packs an incredible amount of storage space into a small package. At a little over 4 inches long and about half a pound, this hard drive fits easily into your pocket, but the 5 terabytes of storage will hold about 30 million document pages. With a plug-and-play connection, it was easy to use this drive in my tests. The drive worked with both Windows and Mac computers, and an Xbox game console.

BEST ULTRA-PORTABLE

Samsung SSD T7

The Portable SSD T7 delivers fast speeds in a slim, portable package. The aluminum casing feels sturdy and is elegant looking. Samsung claims that the T7 includes heat control, so it stays at an optimal temperature even at fast speeds. In my recent tests, I noticed that it remained cool even when transferring large files. This drive was quickly recognized on all the Mac and Windows PCs I tested it on. If you’re finicky about what your equipment looks like, be aware that the T7’s aluminum casing easily shows fingerprints and scratches.

BEST POCKET-SIZE HARD DRIVE

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable

If you need to keep tons of information in your pocket, this SanDisk model is your best option. At less than 4 inches long, this external hard drive feels more like a keyring than a hard drive capable of holding vast amounts of data. This drive is also tough; SanDisk claims it’s water- and dust-resistant and can survive a drop of up to 2 meters. An integrated carabiner loop lets you secure the drive to the outside of your backpack—or anywhere else you can think of to keep it from getting lost.

MOST RUGGED HARD DRIVE

LaCie Rugged Mini 5TB

This tiny external hard drive screams toughness with its heavily cushioned orange plastic bumpers. Not that I recommend tossing this drive off a cliff, but LaCie does claims it’s resistant to being dropped or crushed and can withstand being left out in the rain. With a claimed 130 megabytes per second, the Rugged Mini is fast, too. I wasn’t able to test the speed claims, but in my casual use of the Rugged Mini, it did seem faster than many portable drives I have used. It also comes with software that does one-click backup, scheduled automatic backups, and folder syncing across multiple devices.

BEST FOR GAMING

WD My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive

Though this model is advertised as a dedicated game drive that is compatible with the Xbox Series and PlayStation 5 game consoles, the same can be said about many other hard drives. Still, with its industrial aesthetics, metal covering, and bold lettering, it certainly looks the part—even if it doesn’t have any special gaming powers. It’s small and lightweight (about 8 oz.), so it’s easy to take anywhere the gaming action is.

BEST HARD DRIVE FOR XBOX

Seagate Game Drive Hub 8TB

If you’re an Xbox gamer looking for extra storage, the Seagate is a no-brainer. Not only does it match the aesthetics of the console incredibly well, it offers top-notch performance. I spent some time testing this model, and it sped data along so rapidly that load times were nearly nonexistent. The 8 terabytes of storage are enough to hold plenty of games. I liked the convenience of the front-facing USB-C and USB-A ports that let you easily connect and power your peripherals. Best of all is the built-in LED bar that illuminates your gaming center in Xbox green.

BEST FOR LARGE STORAGE

Seagate Expansion 12TB (STKP12000402)

This gargantuan Seagate external hard drive should be enough to hold years' worth of your data and hundreds of feature-length movies. I’ve owned this model for several years, and it’s been a reliable performer with fast transfer times. This model comes with a handy automatic backup program, although you can also drag and drop files you need to move individually.

MOST STYLISH HARD DRIVE

Silicon Power 2TB Game Drive External Hard Drive A62

If they gave out a beauty award for hard drives, the A62 might be the winner thanks to its sleek curves and colorful accents. The A62 has a fast connection and is reasonably priced for the amount of storage it offers. The manufacturer claims this model is water and shock resistant, which is also handy when tossing it into your backpack.

BEST HARD DRIVE FOR HIGH SECURITY

Apricorn 1TB Aegis Padlock USB 3.0

The Aegis Padlock 3.0 is pricey for its relatively small 1 terabyte of storage, but it might be one of the most secure portable external hard drives on the market. It encrypts all information on the drive in real time, keeping your data safe even if the hard drive is removed from its enclosure. But physically getting into the hard drive will be tough for would-be thieves because the encryption chip and circuitry of the Aegis Padlock are protected by an epoxy compound that makes it difficult to remove without damaging the drive.

More External Hard Drive Buying Tips From Our Tech Expert Sascha Brodsky

PM: When would I use an SSD versus an HDD?

S.B.: An HDD (Hard Disc Drive) uses a spinning disc to store information, and an SSD is a type of flash memory with no moving parts. Choose an SSD drive if you value speed over cost. SSDs (Solid State Discs) are much more expensive per gigabyte than traditional hard drives. SSDs are also more shock resistant than other hard drives, which is why they are often used in laptops. An external SSD drive is your best choice if you plan to keep your external drive in your pocket or purse.

PM: My computer never runs out of space. Do I need an external hard drive?

S.B.: Because many computers these days come with large internal hard drives, it’s easy to overlook the need for an external hard drive. But an external hard drive is also critical for backing up your computer. If your system is ever hit by a virus or some other catastrophe, you’ll be able to restore your data from your external drive. Nevertheless, with programs getting bigger and bigger these days, you can never have too much storage.

PM: What’s the right size hard drive for most people?

S.B.: Look for a hard drive that’s at least 5 terabytes in size, such as the WD 5TB Elements Portable (above). The smaller drives are meant for portable use, and while they can be handy on the go, you will use up the storage space faster than you think. If you’re investing for the long-term, your best bet is to go even bigger, with a hard drive that’s at least 10 terabytes in size.

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