The best external hard drive

External hard drives appear to have the right price to quality ratio and are able to securely store vast media files, such as images, videos, and important documents. In this guide, we will describe in detail the best external hard drives on the market. These devices should be chosen according to a number of important factors, such as writing and reading speed, build quality and therefore resistance, durability and ultimately reliability (data security and protection.

The best external hard drives under $100

In the lower end segment, we find external hard drives with the perfect balance of quality to price ratio. These are low-end devices, but with good performance and build quality. These hard drives have been chosen according to performance, reliability, long-life and build.

Maxtor M3

Among the best external hard drives, in the price range below $100, we find this Maxtor M3, which makes value for money its best feature. The product behaves very well in any situation. It’s a self-powered external hard drive that is suitable for Windows, Mac (needs formatting) and Linux systems.

The quality of the materials is good and the product is shockproof. The design, though not attractive, is very minimal and simple. This external hard drive is provided with a USB 3 connection, which guarantees very high transfer speeds. It’s still USB 2.0 compatible, albeit at lower speeds.

Toshiba Canvio Basic

Among the best external hard drives, in the price range below $100, we recommend this Toshiba Canvio Basic 2018 version (Check on Amazon.com), although the previous model is equally good. This external hard drive is compatible with Microsoft Windows and Mac OS (just not right out of the box, needs formatting).

It’s equipped with a USB 3.0 connection, which provides higher transfer rates, but still supports older standards like USB 2.0. The device is plug and plays on Windows systems.

The build of this external hard drive is compact and above all solid, which makes the device durable and comfortable in everyday use. Its performance is among the best in the market, especially considering the price tag.

Western Digital Elements

Another external hard drive that we would like to suggest is the highly reliable WD Elements (Check on Amazon.com). This external device is also equipped with USB 3 and is, therefore, able to transfer data at a very high rate. It’s also compatible with the old gen USB 2 port.

This external hard drive’s reliability is guaranteed by the name Western Digital, which is one of the world’s leading manufacturers. The case, which is compact and easy to carry with you, offers the user the maximum amount of comfort and ease of use.

It has an elegant look and building quality is among the best in the sector.

Seagate Backup Plus Slim

The other leading hard disk drive company, Seagate, makes this Plus Slim external hard drive (Check on Amazon.com). The performance is really good with a data transfer speed of 120 MB/s using a USB 3.0 port.

Inside the package we find the external hard disk, Seagate Dashboard preloaded on the drive, the USB 3.0 cable, and a quick guide. The device looks good and it is shockproof.

The best external hard drives between $100 and $150

In this price range, we can find high-performance digital storage devices. Durable products made with high-quality materials able to measure up with the most demanding uses. These products all have a high-speed transfer rate and are shockproof.

LaCie Rugged MINI

This is an extra durable device from LaCie called the Rugged Mini (Check on Amazon.com). As you can see from its structure, the strong point of this device is its high resistance to shock and water. The design is simple and not very engaging, due to the massive protective bezels.

This external hard drive can transfer a 700MB video file in less than 7 seconds over USB 3. The Rugged Mini will also secure your data with its built-in password protection software.

Both performance and build quality of this external hard disk are of excellent quality, we dare call it premium. The contained weight of this unit won’t be a problem, and the device is self-powered despite the size.

WD My Passport

Among the best technological products in the mid-range, we find the proven speed and reliability of the WD My Passport (Check on Amazon.com).

The WD My passport external hard drive comes with the WD Backup software, which allows you to automatically back up all your data. WD Backup can be set up according to your needs and preferences. In addition, this external hard drive provides an AES 256-bit hardware cryptography and WD security.

The device has an original and colorful design and is available in a wide range of vibrant colors. The maximum capacity is 4TB. WD’s external hard drive is shockproof, long-lasting, and durable.

Seagate Game Drive

Another interesting device and useful for storing your console games is this Seagate Game Drive (Check on Amazon.com) with 4TB of internal memory. The device is available for Playstation4 and Xbox One. With this external hard drive, it is no more necessary to erase old games in order to make room for the new ones; inside it, you can store more than 50 games.

The look is beautiful and the drive is powered via the USB port. The High-speed 3.0 technology provides high-speed transfer rates and therefore gaming sessions without any lag. We recommend using this hard drive only with a console since that is its intended purpose.

The best external hard drives over $150

In the high segment, we find only the premium products of the highest quality. The high price includes advanced security features and therefore the protection of all stored data.

WD My Book

One of the best external hard drives in the premium range of the market is definitely the WD My Book (Check on Amazon.com), which guarantees a big capacity combined with high-speed file transfer rates.

This external hard drive protects all stored data with local, Cloud, and system-based back-up options, which include hardware-based cryptography and are password protected for optimal security.

The My Book Duo is preconfigured in RAID 0 for maximum performance with the ability to choose RAID 1 for maximum protection or JBOD for individual use.

The redesigned exterior provides the device with a premium and strong look. The building material is of good quality and shock-resistant.

WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo

One of the best external high-end devices on the market is this WD My Book Thunderbolt Duo (Check on Amazon.com), a dual drive system able to offer the highest performance.

The design is simple, yet compact and stylish. The building materials are premium and above all, shock resistant. This external hard drive has two Thunderbolt ports for the very best transfer rate.

The My Book Thunderbolt Duo devices can be plugged in series to provide the end-user with almost unfathomable performance and versatility. The dual-drive storage system can be set to RAID 1 or 0.

LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 3

Maybe the best external hard drive is the LaCie D2 Thunderbolt 3 (Check on Amazon.com), a product that is suitable for every need. The product can be used as an expansion for portable PCs with SSD drives.

The Thunderbolt’s 3.1 speed sets this device at the top. For example, it takes only 5 minutes to copy 64GB of images from the d2 drive to the portable computer. In practice, download rates reach a peak of 240MB/s.

This external hard drive supports any type of operating system or type of port via the included cables. The LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 3 offers capacities of up to 10TB at 7200rpm and can support 24-hour workflow.

The external hard disk includes a cooling system equipped with an ultra-silent fan that combined with the aluminum chassis helps better dissipate heat, ensuring performance and durability. This is why the LaCie D2 is the only external drive routinely being used in the professional sector.