The 6 Best External Hard Drives of 2023

Hard drives are more complicated than how much data they can store. There’s a lot to consider about a drive before buying one, from how fast it can transfer data to the tech it uses to save that data in the first place.

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Let’s start with something that covers all the bases. Western Digital is already well respected for its hard drives in all forms, but this highly portable NVMe SSD has plenty of finer touches. It features read and write speeds of 1050MB/s and 1000MB/s, respectively, as well as drop resistance up to 6.5 feet and password encryption to keep your files safe.

The sleek body has some subtle style to it as well, so if you like your gadgets to look good, you’re covered here. It’s available in gray, gold, silver, red, and blue with four storage size capacities ranging from 500GB up to 4TB. If you just want a fast drive that can fit in your pocket, the My Passport is it.

An NVMe drive that covers all the bases.

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If you’re looking for something really compact, then SanDisk’s SSD is the one you’ll want to go with. Measuring just 3.97 x 2.07 x 0.38 inches (10 x 5 cm), this drive is built to fit onto a keychain without issue. Despite the small size, it still reads and writes at 1050MB/s and 1000MB/s, respectively. And you can rest easy knowing that it can survive two-meter drops and is rated IP55 against dust and water.

You can get this drive with 500GB to 4TB of storage and it includes optional password encryption to make sure that data is safe.

This compact drive still delivers durability, security, and high speeds.

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The first HDD of this list and it’s perfect if you’re looking to save a lot of files while also saving money. This straightforward drive doesn’t feature anything fancy, but that allows even the 5TB model to charge less than most of the other drives here. It only runs at 140MB/s both read and write, which isn’t that fast, but if you’re in the market for budget storage that’s a trade-off you’ll need to make.

You can get this drive with 1 to 5TB of storage and in either black or silver.

An HDD that offers a lot of storage for a good price.

$70.99

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If a few terabytes aren’t going to cut it for you, then this HDD from Western Digital should provide you with the massive amount of storage you’re after. The My Book is a drive built for backing up data, but you can use it as a normal external drive as well—the main difference between it and most external drives is it’s built for desk use. The My Book is relatively big in the world of hard drives, and that only becomes more true as you increase its capacity. You can pick up a model of the My Book with anywhere from 3 to 36TB of storage. More than enough for whatever crazy storage needs you may have.

It hovers around 150MB/s for both read and write speeds. It does require an external power source, unfortunately; when you’re dealing with this much data, that’s just something you have to accept. The My Book also features password-enabled encryption for security which is especially crucial when you have some much data in one place.

If you need a lot of storage, this is the drive to get.

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While many of the drives we’ve discussed have featured durable designs, LaCie’s really takes the cake. The thick bumpers on each side of the drive can handle all sorts of bumps and falls, and the drive is rain-resistant as well. There are actually two versions of this drive: an HDD with read/write speeds of 130MB/s, and an NVMe SSD with 1050MB/s read/write speeds. The SSD model is actually a Seagate Firecuda drive in disguise—an SSD well-renowned for its quick transfer speed, especially in the gaming community.

Either way, these drives are excellent if you’re concerned about physical threats just as much as digital ones, as it also includes password-enabled encryption for security. The SSD is available with three storage size options—500GB, 1TB, or 2TB—while the HDD has four options ranging from 1TB up to 5TB, for those who need a little more space.

Protect your data against both physical and digital threats.

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If you make content for a living or even just as a hobby, you know that storing your digital content is critical to your workflow. Whether you’re a photographer out in the wild, a video maker filming on the streets, or an influencer making content on the go, a rugged, compatible hard drive is a must. The SAMSUNG T7 Shield is coated in a thick rubber guard with grooves and is P65 rated against dust and water to make it tough enough to go anywhere with you.

This rugged external hard drive also features fantastic transfer speeds and can read and write up to 1050MBps. It also lets you edit files directly from the hard drive. Additionally, it’s compatible with the whole range of devices you use, including PCs, Macs, Android devices, gaming consoles, and more. Plus, the T7 Shield is sleek and stylish and comes in three different colors with a storage capacity of up to 4TB.

Save the content you're working on, no matter where you're working!

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