17 Best External Hard Drives (Review) in 2020

The WD Elements external hard drive is a great solution for all of your additional file storage needs. Available from 1TB all the way up to 4TB, you might find yourself taking pictures, buying games, and downloading movies simply so you can fill as much space as you can. The Elements hard drive is an excellent way to improve computer performance while also giving you the opportunity to take it anywhere in the world without it hogging up too much room in your backpack or laptop case.

With a sleek design, the hard drive does – really – just look sexy, but of course beauty is only skin (or plastic, I guess) deep. Luckily, the Elements comes with a host of features that make it so much more than just a pretty face. Universally compatible with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices, you are assured speedy data transfer of up to 5GB/s and the peace of mind of knowing nothing will be lost in the ether. The reliable Element Portable External Hard Drive means that you can rest assured that either you Mac or PC (or both, Mr. Moneybags) will keep your files protected give you the backup space you need for years to come. You may also be interested in some of the best encrypted drives from our list, so check them out.

A handy little device that is available in 1TB, 2TB and 3TB, the Toshiba Canvio Basics External Hard Drive gives you plenty of space for all your extra files and has a lightweight and compact design so that it is easy to transport from place to place, making it ideal for anyone on the move. You also don’t need to worry about damaged or corrupt files if it gets knocked, as it can easily withstand even the roughest of tumbles with a durable casing and – for the aesthetically obsessed among us – comes with a matte finish to prevent smudging.

One of its key selling points is its compatibility with Mac systems (although this will require formatting at first), but it also works seamlessly with Windows computers and can be operated as soon as you plug it in. The hard drive delivers fast and efficient data transfer, so you can get everything moved in no time at all, ensuring that your files will be safe and secure. To save energy, the device powers down after a designated amount of time and does not require an external power cord, just the provided USB cable – which is compatible with both USB 3.0 and 2.0. These features combined make the Toshiba Canvio one of the best external hard drives on the market to consider. If you are a Mac user, make sure you also check our top Macbook Pro cases on the market today.

Storing and accessing large files has never been easier; from easy connectivity, plug and play operation to the easy drag and drop transference of files. It’s all in the Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD. This external hard drive has proven to be quite impressive when it comes to transferring data from one device to the other. The sturdy and sleek portable device can easily fit in the hands, with a really compact size that won’t be intrusive or inconveniencing. Some larger hard drives prove to be really heavy on the hands yet don’t deliver half as much the efficiency the Seagate 2TB would. Unlike the Toshiba and WD Elements, it comes with just a 3.0 hardware interface, which may be a little limiting for some.

As long as your 3.0 ports are all functional, this really shouldn’t be an issue as 3.0 ports perform faster anyway. You’re assured of fast writing speeds when storing and transferring data from the laptop to the drive. Simply drag and drop the necessary files that need to be transferred with no hassle or interruptions. Setting up the drive is equally very simple, thanks to the plug and play operation. No extra software installation is required, Windows and Mac laptops will automatically recognize the drive once it’s plugged in. Formatting would be required for Mac laptops unless you choose to purchase a slightly pricier Mac-formatted version instead. All in all, this is one reliable external hard drive Windows and Mac users can depend on for guaranteed storage and easy access on the go.

Have you been planning to delete some of those old games on your laptop or console? Well, there’s no need for that with the WD Black 5TB P10 Game Drive. This black portable, external hard drive offers a large space capacity that allows up to 125 games, depending on the respective file sizes. It’s a gamer’s dream come true, packed in a compact, sturdy device that won’t compromise those precious files they hold dear. Download more games and media files with no concerns, thanks to the large capacity hard drive that has got your back. The portable drive allows fast and easy access to those gaming files on the go, without wasting any of your precious time. This means you can take your game collection with you anywhere and everywhere while enjoying opportunities to easily access files with a portable storage device that won’t get in the way.

On its own, a laptop or computer could slow down progress on a game when it’s overrun with large files. This hardware solves that problem, providing extensive space and the capacity games need to perform smoothly without compromising your victory. It doesn’t matter what you’re using to play; a console or PC, the hard drive guarantees superior performance. Even more, the solid, sturdy and incredibly portable drive features a durable, shock-resistant form that can withstand the knocks from the energetic life of a gamer. Spend no time thinking about which games to delete on your console or PC and more time playing games you love; both old and new, with a hard drive made specifically to provide a limitless and convenient gaming experience.

The Seagate Plus Slim Portable Hard Drive offers the ideal solution for budding photographers who need extra space to store all of their portraits, landscapes and photoshop creations. Seagate has provided this product with 2 months free Adobe Photography Creative Cloud, so you can get your portfolio under way and have somewhere to keep all your favourite memories. Its slim design makes it perfect for simple and unobtrusive transportation in backpacks or even pockets wherever you go.

Available with up to 5TB of storage space and 120MB/s transfer speed, the Seagate Plus Slim Portable is one of Seagate’s most trusted and reliable products and comes with customisable backup plans. Compatible with both PC and Mac, it is the ideal product for any budding or experienced photographer and gives you the chance to show off you snapping skills to the rest of the world with ease. It will not just benefit photographers though and has been proven to work with both PS4 or Xbox One. The product works perfectly with both USB 3.0 and 2.0 and is available in a variety of colours for the best personalisation. Stylish enough to suit any buyer, the Seagate Plus Slim can give you the best storage experience you need. Make sure you always keep it handy in your laptop bag.

With Western Digital’s My Passport portable Hard Drive you give yourself the ability to obtain stunning and reliable storage for whatever your needs might be. Coming in a variety of colours (if you want to add a bit of spark in place of boring old black), you can trust the product to store a massive amount of photos, videos, games and music and carry it wherever you go due to its compact and sleek design. The hard drive is ready to use straight out of the box, so you needn’t worry about laborious software installation, although it does require reformatting for Mac users (but that doesn’t take long!)

The Western Digital My Passport is one of the most secure portable hard drives on the market and comes with password protection to ensure that your information, files and games remain safe and sound. These files are further protected through automatic backup sequences that can easily be arranged with WD backup software. Boasting quality both inside and out, with a USB 3.0 and 2.0 compatibility and fast and efficient transfer speeds, the Western Digital My Passport External Hard Drive is not one to be missed.

For the mightiest external hard drive performance, look no further than the Seagate Expansion Desktop External Hard Drive. Coming with storage capabilities of up to 8TB, Seagate have designed a product with the tech-savvy in mind while still keeping thing simple for those who may not be as up to speed with the technologies of today. The product is installation-free and ready-to-use for Windows users and is compatible with operating systems as far back as Windows 7. For Mac users, reformatting is required, but should be noted that it is straightforward and hassle-free.

Its SuperSpeed USB 3.0 allows for accelerated file transfer times so that you never get caught in a rut when wanting to get out the house or submit to deadlines. With a simple drag and drop process, you will always be sure of where the file has gone and eliminate worries of losing important information into thin air. The Seagate Expansion is the ideal solution to increasing storage space on your desktop PC or Mac without compromising performance to ensure that you do not miss a beat.

If you are looking to show off just how damn manly you are then you need to accentuate that by backing up your files, music, movies, games and (of course) precious memories with the Silicon Power Rugged Portable External Hard Drive. Designed to withstand pretty much anything, you can rest assured that your favourite tunes, films and more will be forever protected against corruption and degradation as long as you keep it. Compatible with all sorts of hardware but ideal for Xbox One and other consoles, there is enough space (up to 4TB) to save all your favourite games and more when the console’s hard drive starts getting clogged up.

The Silicon Power device comes with both military grade shockproof and water resistant casing to give your data extra protection, as well as a sturdy USB cable for efficient file transfer. For additional protection, the product is supplied with a 3 year warranty in case anything breaks down. If you are a gamer and need as much space as humanly possible to store all the games you need, the Silicon Power Portable Hard Drive is the solution that you have been searching for. Level up with it today and reap the benefits.

Mac users often fret when purchasing portable hard drives and SSDs as they are often not compatible with their machines and require reformatting before use. However, the Seagate Backup Plus has been designed exclusively for Mac users and provides a great experience without any of that silly reformatting nonsense. The product has been designed to be used straight out of the box, and comes equipped with Time Machine backup software for simplistic and straightforward backup.

The hard drive is also provided with 3.0 USB connectivity, you are guaranteed speedy file transfer immediately allowing you to move your movies, songs, pictures and more from your Mac to the hard drive and experience exceptional performance with 4TB of available space. Provided with 2 months free Adobe Creative Control Photography, it also gives you the chance to embrace your inner Andy Warhol. For Mac users, this is the portable hard drive you have been searching for.

Speeding up your PC, Mac or Android device opens a whole new world of productivity for computer users. The Samsung T5 Portable SSD is one of the top solid state drives on the market that has proven to be massively valuable to anyone who has installed them. Designed to provide faster transfer speeds up to 4.9x faster than regular machines as well as read-write speeds maxing out at 540MB/s, you will find yourself whizzing through your operations with ease.

Designed to provide simple and efficient connectivity, without requiring additional adapters or tedious installation processes, the T5 can work with an extensive range of devices that are compatible with both USB 3.0 and 2.0 for versatility. Despite its immense quality, the product is also sleek and portable, allowing you to make the most of it wherever you might be. If you need to find extra storage solutions for your computer, Mac or games console, then look no further than the T5 Portable SSD. Keep it on your gaming desk or carry it with you, either way it will be handy.

For external storage solutions that provide as much disk space as possible, the Seagate Backup Plus desktop hard drive can provide everything and more to give you some of the most reliable additional space on the market. Equipped with two (yes two!) integrated high-speed USB ports, you can make the most of the product and transfer between multiple devices at once.  To make things as easy as possible for Windows users, the Hub is entirely formatted before connection to provide fast and efficient operations.

For Mac users, the product comes with the necessary NTFS drivers, which means Windows and Mac users can find some common ground and use the Hub interchangeably without requiring a reformat. As with most Seagate products, it also comes with a one-click or scheduled backup plan (your choice) to ensure your files are always protected from whack hackers or general incompetence. Also provided is a 2-month free Adobe CC Photography Plan.

Carrying a mass amount of data, photos, games, videos and music can feel like a drag, but the Canvio Advance Portable External Hard Drive by Toshiba has made such problems a thing of the past. Available with up to 3TB of storage space, there is no limit (okay, nearly no limit) to any of your storage issues. Feel safe in the knowledge that you can take your digital life with you anywhere, anytime and never worry about lugging around heavy and cumbersome equipment. The product is powered by USB 3.0 technology but is still compatible with 2.0 that will guarantee fast transfer of all of your files.

Equipped with both password protection and automatic backup processes, there is no need to stress about losing data unexpectedly, which we all know can be cause for smashing any piece of tech in sight – and who wants that? With clean edges complementing a sophisticated and stylish design, you will look as cool (as you can) with the Toshiba Canvio Advance and free up space on your existing machine, whether it be Windows or Mac, to get all your tasks completed with ease all without lag or freezing. A nifty gadget you will want to carry with you at all times.

Finding an external hard drive that will perfectly complement your home office or guy-space (working title, but man caves are a thing of the past, suggestions on a postcard, please) might seem like something that a lot of us would typically scoff at, but having a little bit of aesthetic can just make the whole area look more complete. The problem is that there aren’t all that many products that can provide this for us, until now.

Western Digital’s Book Desktop External Hard Drive has been designed with you in mind (aren’t you special?) but it also been designed to help you store your videos, pictures, music and games with up to 10TB of space. Compatible with both Windows and Mac, along with auto backup and Time Machine functionality, you will never lose a file again and can chill at your leisure. Boasting fast transfer speeds, as well as both password protection and hardware encryption, add a bit of sophistication to your desk with Western Digital’s Book External Hard Drive.

If really, really, really fast transfer speeds is what gets you going, then the AV Pro 2 Storage Hub from CalDigit might just be the external drive that you have been looking for all of these years. Using next-gen USB-C 3.1 charging interface you might not even notice that your files have transferred. Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration, but what we are trying to say is that if Usain Bolt were an external drive, he would look like this.

Compatible with a number of Mac products as well as Thunderbolt 3 computers, the AV Pro 2 provides expandable storage and can even be easily fitted with upgrades when you eventually run out of space. The product also comes with 2 additional USB ports to connect multiple machines at once and guarantees versatility, productivity, connectivity and flexibility to give you a one stop shop for all external storage needs. Be sure to also check out our list of the best iPad pro accessories for more great items like this.

Taking your portable storage devices on the road is always worry. What if they get lost, stolen or damaged? To solve this, you need to find a product that will stay strong and sturdy through all of your globetrotting adventures. This product is CalDigit’s Tuff Portable. This external drive allows you to backup files quickly and can withstand being dropped, submerged or covered in dust while still operating at a high performance.

With universal connectivity across a majority of computers including Macbook and Thunderbolt 3, users will have the confidence that they can backup their files anytime they want. Equipped with the latest type-C port, you can achieve transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s to guarantee efficient and reliable operations. For added security, the product also comes with a protective archive box to keep it extra save during your travels. If you are one of the many digital nomads of the world, then CalDigit has designed this travel essential for you.

If you are one of those people who like your external drives to do a job as well as look like they were pulled straight out of a gadget fashion magazine, then LaCie’s elegant, modern and, quite frankly, beautiful Porsche Design Mobile Hard Drive is the answer to all you have been looking for. Kitted out with USB-C ports to eliminate embarrassing yourself trying to plug the cable in, the product is compatible with both Windows and Mac products and comes with a USB adapter to make life all that much easier.

With fast transfer speeds topping out at 5GB/s, you can do away with tedious waiting around and simply drag and drop to your heart’s content without worrying about lag or freezing. Boasting the capability for mass storage, you can have up to 3 years worth of music, videos or games stored on the device so that you never need to play eenie-meenie with some of your favourite downloads. In addition to this, it also comes with a 2-month subscription to the Adobe CC Photography Plan. Style and service have never been so entwined.

Proper and secure data and information protection is crucial in the modern world with hacks abound and no telling who will be struck next. This is something that the Buffalo Ministation looks to prevent by offering a rugged design and developing a smartcard that can ensure you don’t fall foul of external data threats. But it isn’t just hackers that you want to look out for, we all have bouts of clumsiness from time to time and so the product’s sturdy design features military-standard casing to prevent damage from dropping as well as being both water and dust resistant, perfect for travellers.

To avoid tangling with other wires, Buffalo Ministation Extreme Portable Hard Drive comes with a wrap-around cable function to keep everything tidy and uses hardware encryption and automatic backups to keep your files protected. For added convenience, NFC capabilities make file transfer simple and hassle-free. Compatible with both PC and Mac, anyone looking to keep their files safe while travelling the world should look into what Buffalo have to offer.