Best Portable Hard Drive & SSD 2024: External Storage Reviews

A new entry at the top is Crucial’s replacement for the drive that previously wore the portable SSD crown. The X9 Pro is even smaller than the X6, has an improved IP55 dust and waterproof rating and comes with a five-year warranty.

It’s extremely fast yet still affordable, although pricing outside of the USA isn’t quite as attractive. It’s still an excellent all-rounder, though, even if Crucial doesn’t supply a USB-A adapter.

If you only have USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports to use with in then this is the drive for you but those with Gen 2×2 should look to the X10 Pro for faster transfer rates, should it be worth the extra money.

If you like to stand out then a golden SSD modelled on a bettle of all things is one way to do it. Just note there are no other colours available so the firm might be losing some customers with this bold choice.

Looking past how much bling it brings to the table, the design is compact and durable, though SK Hynix doesn’t give it an IP rating, it’s drop-proof from two meters and can protect from dust and dirt.

It’s incredibly fast if you have the right ports but the X31 is more expensive than the Crucial X9 Pro and can’t match its 5-year warranty.

It might not be quite as fast as the Adata SE760 or its replacement, the X9 Pro, but a recent upgrade to the 1- and 2TB models makes the X6 unbeatable in terms of value for money with the 1TB model costing well under £100/$100.

Furthermore, it comes in an ever more portable form factor than its bigger brother, the Crucial X8, which is still drop tested to 2m and comes with the same three-year warranty.

As an all-rounder goes, it’s our top pick, even if it lacks things like hardware encryption and an activity light.

If you want the top performance then the XS2000 is aptly named as it offers headline speeds with read peaking at 2092MB/s, though you will need a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port to access this level of performance.

That’s around double many rivals if you do and the price here is surprisingly affordable, plus this is a very portable drive.

On the downside, the limited cache means you won’t get sustained performance for larger files and Kingston doesn’t provide a USB adapter to use the XS2000 with older Type-A ports. You can look to the cheaper Kingston XS1000 if slower speeds are ok.

Crucial has made another great drive in the X10 Pro but it can’t quite take out the XS2000.

It also goes up to 4TB in capacity, has an IP55 protection rating and a 5-year warranty. However, it does this at a higher price and without including useful items like a USB-A adapter.

It’s another drive that requires USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 ports to make the most of its peak performance so bare this in mind. One reason to buy it over the XS2000 is the inclusion of hardware encryption.

If you want to stand out, or simply help avoid losing it, then a Neil Poulton-designed shock-absorbing sleeve in bright orange gets the LaCie Rugged Mini SSD off to a good start.

The drive is loud and proud and, although it doesn’t have a proper waterproof rating, the drive should withstand bumps and scrapes very well. We just which the port cover was attached to avoid losing it.

Elsewhere, as the name suggests, the drive is compact and highly portable and it’s no slouch either with up to 20Gbps speeds. It’s just not the most affordable option with that figure.

There’s also useful software for backup and security and, along with a three-year warranty, LaCie offers a free recovery service should you need it (heaven forbid!).

Adata has come up with an excellent rival to the Crucial X8 and importantly done so at a cheaper price.

Like the X8 there are no features like a rugged design or encryption but there are alternative options if you need those things.

Instead, the SE760 provides a hassle-free way of carrying around a large amount of speedy storage without breaking the bank. It even comes with Type-C and Type-A USB cables included.

A solid choice if you want between 250GB and 1TB of capacity.

Samsung has improved on the popular T5 with a portable SSD that’s both faster and is more secure.

The fingerprint scanner works well but the drive is lacking in a simple way to reset it should you not have the registered finger so just be careful. You’ll also need to be using the right port to get the most out of the T7’s potential speed.

Those are just caveats for an excellent drive which has a lot to like. If you won’t make use of these new features then you may as well grab the cheaper
T5.

If you need capacity over speed without breaking the bank and you like to do your bit to help save the planet then the Seagate Ultra Touch is the perfect drive for you.

This is not an SSD so it’s limited to older hard drive speeds but for some people that may not be a problem, especially when the smallest 2TB capacity starts at under $100/£100 RRP.

The simple design with a speckled finish is a hint that recycled material is used – 30% by weight which is more than most portable drives. We also love the included backup software, even though a cable other than USB-C to USB-C in the box would be useful.

Those looking for serious speeds in an ultra-rugged casing that will survive the likes of water, drops and more have just found it.

The PRO-G40 gets close to 3000MB/s in read speeds if you use it over Thunderbolt. With USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds significantly slower, it’s not worth the high cost of this drive compared to rivals.

That’s the main issue here, with seemingly most of the cost going on the casing, while the drive inside only comes in 1- or 2TB sizes at launch. At this price, a longer cable and some kind of carry pouch would be nice. The G40 will be a better buy once it starts getting discounted.