We made a list of the top 7 external hard drives on the market to help you find the best one. We chose our choices based on the capacity of the drive, the durability of the materials, the bus speeds of the connections, the spindle speeds, the ports, the support from the manufacturer, and how well they worked with our systems. We also showed off some portable external hard drives that don’t need separate power supplies. We also chose a few good options for people who need more storage and don’t mind a separate power connector.
In the end, we chose Western Digital’s Elements External Hard Drive as the best external hard drive because it is portable, has a sleek design, and has a good track record of being reliable and lasting a long time.
5 Best External Hard Drives
1. Western Digital Elements External Hard Drive
The Elements line of storage devices from Western Digital is known for being reliable. This 2TB external hard drive is easy to carry around and has a large storage space and a fast USB 3.0 interface.
The WD Elements Portable 2TB External Hard Drive is great for backing up files on your PC for long-term storage or for when you’re on the go. It’s small enough to fit in your bag pocket. It’s 4.3″ L x 3.2″ W and weighs 0.29lbs. It’s also already set up to work with Windows plug-and-play, so you don’t have to do anything to get it ready to use.
This small drive works with USB 2.0 and 3.0 and doesn’t need a separate power supply, so you can easily move your files from any computer. It can hold a huge 2TB of data and has a stylish, light design. This item also comes with a limited warranty from Western Digital for two years. WD Elements is one of the best external hard drives for photos, videos, and other files because it has all of these features. You might also want to think about what is the best internal hard drive.
Pros
- Large capacity
- Extremely portable
- a track record of being strong
Cons
- Backup software is not included.
- Macs need to be reprogrammed.
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2. Seagate STGY80000 External Hard Drive
This choice has a huge 8TB of space for storage and works with both Windows and Mac. It’s a good choice for video editors, and the standard 5400 RPM hard drive that comes with it makes it a good choice for archiving, too.
The Seagate External Hard Drive has the most storage space out of all the ones we looked at. With 8TB, you can store the data from several PCs on this hard drive. This makes it a good choice for video editors. You won’t have to worry about running out of space any time soon if you make copies of your favourite movies and albums. This makes it a great place to keep files for a long time because it can sit safely on your desk.
This 7.1″ x 4.7″ hard drive weighs 2.43 pounds and is easy to use. Drag-and-drop operations make file transfers easy, and speeds of up to 160mb/s are possible. It also comes with an 18″ USB 3.0 cable, a power adapter, and a 1-year warranty. It doesn’t come with automatic backup software, but because it works with both Windows and Mac PCs, it can use the built-in backup features of each. If you want to learn more about Macs, read about the best external hard drive you can buy for a Mac.
Pros
- The best quality and speeds of 5400 RPM
- Excellent for video editings;
- It’s easy to drag and drop.
Cons
- A bit bulky
- Warranty for 1 year
3. Toshiba Canvio Basics External Hard Drive
This external hard drive is small enough to carry around and has enough space to store 2TB of data (up to 4TB). We also liked that it had a smooth matte finish and a fast USB 3.0 port.
Toshiba’s Canvio Basics External Hard Drive is thin, easy to carry, and has 2TB of storage space, which is plenty. Its sleek case has a matte black finish that doesn’t show fingerprints. It also works the same way as plug-and-play devices, but it doesn’t need any software. It also works with both USB 2.0 ports and USB 3.0 ports. With a capacity of 2TB and speeds of 150mb/s, you can use this as a standard backup for your photos, documents, and other files.
This external hard drive for Windows PCs is 4.3″ x 3.1″ and weighs 0.33 lb. It is ready to use right out of the box. But if you have a Mac, you’ll need to reformat this on your computer before you can use it. This external drive from Toshiba comes with a one-year warranty. Even though these external drives aren’t as small as the best microSD card, you can take them anywhere.
Pros
- Slim and light building
- Matte design repels fingerprints and smudges
- Easy to set up
Cons
- The cord is thin and short.
- Needs to be formatted for Mac
- 1 year of service
4. LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive
This external hard drive is the best one for photographers because its case is resistant to shock, dust, and rain. With 4TB of space, you can also store a huge number of photos on one drive.
The LaCie Rugged Mini External Hard Drive is interesting because it has a bright orange rubber cover that protects it from bumps, dust, and rain. This 0.66-pound external hard drive is small but strong, and it can survive drops. It can hold up to 4TB of data and works with both Windows and Mac computers without needing to be reformatted.
We think the Rugged Mini is the perfect external hard drive for multimedia creators who are always on the go, since they wouldn’t have to worry about exposing it to the elements as they travel the world. The Rugged Mini measures 5.3″ x 3.4″ and has a transfer speed of 130mb/s. It is a great way to store copies of your creative data, such as photos, digital drawings, and film projects. It also comes with a 2-year warranty on the product. Check out the best external hard drive for PS4 if you want to play games.
Pros
- Most useful for photographers
- Resistant to shock, dust, and rain
- Simple software to back up
Cons
- The speed of copying is about average.
5. Maxone Ultra Slim External Hard Drive
This is the slimmest and best 1TB external hard drive on our list. It is very portable and reliable, and you can choose from three colours to suit your style.
The Maxone Ultra Slim External Hard Drive is 1TB in size. At only 0.4 inches thick, it is the thinnest option on our list. And at 4.7″ x 3.4″, it’s small enough to fit in your pocket, making it easy to take with you. It has an advanced cooling system and can transfer files at speeds of up to 150mb/s. This is because it is made of aluminium, which helps heat get rid of faster. This is the best external hard drive for the PS4 because it makes it easy to move files to and from the console. It’s great for PS4 gamers because it’s easy to set up and back up copies of your favourite games.
This 0.45-lb external hard drive works with both Windows and Mac PCs, but Mac PCs will need to be reformatted. It comes in three different styles: champagne gold, rose pink, and space grey. It also comes with a 3-year warranty and a 19-inch USB 3.0 cable. Try one of the best external hard drives for xbox one if you need a drive for Xbox.
Pros
- The thinnest and lightest
- Best 1TB
- Warranty for 3 years
Cons
- Only 1TB of space
