10 best external hard drives for keeping your data safe
You can never have enough computer storage. While with tower desktop machines it’s often possible to load another hard drive into an empty bay, things are trickier with laptops.
Sure, saving documents, photos and other data to the cloud is one simple way to keep a secure back-up, but a physical drive you can store in a desk drawer is a great belt-and-braces solution.
It’s worth saying that hard drives don’t care to be left alone: if that drawer drive has been sitting there “just in case” doing nothing for a couple of years, good luck spinning it up again. If a hard drive is used regularly, however, it should work for years.
With that in mind, it’s worth buying storage that’s bigger than you need so the drive has a decent shelf life. Buy too small and you’ll fill it up too soon and need another. As a guide, if it’s to back up your entire laptop, think of choosing one with a capacity twice that of the computer. If you’re only using it to back up documents and photos, check how much space those items are taking up and double that at least.
A regular hard drive (HDD) is one thing, but portable storage is also available in SSD (solid state drive) form, the memory that has no moving parts. This is usually more expensive than HDD but is smaller and more portable, with extremely fast performance.
The most portable drives will draw power from the laptop to which they’re attached. Some drives have two USB-A cables because one USB-A socket on its own doesn’t have enough power. Others have a separate power supply, especially desktop drives which often offer the greatest capacity but lack portability.
It’s worth checking what connections your laptop has: the latest Mac laptops, for instance, only have the smaller USB-C socket, so some drives will be incompatible without an adaptor. Most drives are compatible both with Macs and PCs, but some have software that adds extra features on one platform or another.
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SanDisk 500gb extreme portable SSD
Capacity: 500gb
Storage type: SSD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
This is a lot of storage in a gadget that’s smaller than an iPhone. The SanDisk is designed to be easily portable, even attaching to a keyring if you’d like it to. With a forged aluminium body, it’s been “ruggedised” meaning it can withstand impacts and accidents. This casing is enough to make it water-resistant and dust-resistant, though it’s more splash-proof than waterproof. The fact that it’s an SSD drive combined with a USB-C output makes it capable of delivering extremely fast transfer speeds and strong performance. This means you can use it for advanced tasks that are power hungry, as though you were using the computer’s built-in hard drive. There is also a USB-C to USB-A cable included in the box. The drive is compatible with Mac and PC right out of the box – no driver is needed as is the case with some drives. Also available in 1tb and 2tb capacities.
Buy now £99.99, Western Digital
LaCie 2tb rugged USB-C + USB 3.0
Capacity: 4tb
Storage type: HDD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
The orange frame certainly makes this one unmissable. It’s been ruggedised to survive being dropped from a height of 1.2m – providing it’s not running when you drop it. It’s also rain-resistant, though not waterproof. As well as a USB-C to USB-C cable, the LaCie comes with a USB-C to USB-A lead to offer maximum flexibility. It also comes with a rescue data recovery service which runs for two years, for extra security.
Buy now £119.95, Apple
Western Digital my passport ultra 4tb
Capacity: 4tb
Storage type: HDD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
Western Digital’s range of drives is extensive. This one is solid and attractive, designed to match the laptop to which it attaches with a metallic finish. It’s formatted for Windows 10 so it works immediately with Windows PCs. Mac users can reformat the drive and if you have both kinds of laptop, WD Discovery software means the drive can work with both platforms without reformatting. You can lock files with a password and make use of dedicated software that helps automate your backup plans. If you want to connect the drive to a Mac to use the Time Machine backup program, then you will need to reformat the drive.
Buy now £107.99, Western Digital
Seagate backup plus slim 2tb
Capacity: 2tb
Storage type: HDD
Connector: USB-A
Compatibility: Mac and PC
Seagate’s slim drive looks smart in its red livery. Six other colours are available – including gold, silver and rose gold – so it won’t look out of place on the most minimalist and high-end of desktop layouts. The accompanying software offers one-click immediate backup as well as hourly, daily or other regular schedules. As with others, though this works immediately with Mac or PC, it needs to be reformatted to work with Apple’s Time Machine backup program. This drive is a great balance of capacity, performance and value.
Buy now £59.99, Amazon
Western Digital my passport SSD 1tb
Capacity: 1tb
Storage type: SSD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
Like the other my passport drive above, this is a slick-looking performer that works well. It also has password protection to keep the drive’s data secure. Although it doesn’t look ruggedised, the drive is built to survive a drop of around 1.2m. It comes with a USB-C to USB-C cable and an adaptor to fit USB-A sockets. This drive is also available in 256gb, 512gb and 2tb capacities.
Buy now £159.99, Western Digital
SanDisk 128gb ultra dual drive luxe USB Type-C
Capacity: 128gb
Storage type: SSD
Connector: USB-C, USB-A
Compatibility: Mac and PC
For many people, this will be all the storage they need. And you certainly can’t find a smaller drive than this. It used to be that thumb drives would have 4gb or 8gb maximum and be suited just for moving documents and photos around, but this one offers far more storage. The USB-C drive is extremely convenient and pocketable, and with this kind of capacity, 128GB, it will match that on many laptops. A 32gb-capacity model is also available as are capacities up to 1tb. It’s also cleverly versatile: it’s reversible with USB-C one end and USB-A the other so it works with every laptop.
Buy now £30.99, Western Digital
LaCie mobile drive 4tb external hard drive USB-C USB 3.0
Capacity: 4tb
Storage type: HDD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
This snazzy aluminium-clad drive is slick and capable while being slim and light enough to be fully portable. It has a USB-C connector and comes with two cables: USB-C to USB-A and USB-C to USB-C. The USB-C data transfers are capable of especially high speeds. It's also available in 2tb and 5tb capacities.
Buy now £139.95, Apple
Western Digital my passport wireless SSD
Capacity: 250gb
Storage type: SSD
Connector: USB
Compatibility: Mac and PC
This SSD drive creates a wireless connection so you can save data directly to the drive with no physical connection. It’s also shock-resistant so you can take it wherever you go. A memory card, from a camera, say, can slot into the drive and a single button press copies the card’s entire contents across. You can stream 4K video from the drive direct to a smartphone or tablet by using the My Cloud app, for instance. The built-in battery lasts for up to 10 hours between charges and can even be used to charge a mobile phone (it charges it faster when it’s turned off). This model is pricier than similar capacity drives because of the wireless capabilities. It’s also available in 500gb, 1tb and 2tb capacities.
Buy now £219.99, Western Digital
Seagate back up plus desktop hard drive
Capacity: 4tb
Storage type: HDD
Connector: USB-A
Compatibility: Mac and PC
If you don’t need a drive to be portable, a desktop unit provides huge capacity for a reasonable price (the 10tb version of this drive costs just over £200). The design is good enough to sit next to your computer and it has two USB sockets at the front to connect other gadgets easily. It’s configured to work with PCs – you just need to download NTFS drivers for it to work on a Mac. The USB sockets can be used to charge smartphones or other devices even if the drive is turned off. In some cases you can back up those devices straight to the drive (when it’s turned on, obviously). Solid, reliable and effective.
Buy now £76.99, Argos
Samsung T7 Touch 1tb portable SSD
Capacity: 1tb
Storage type: SSD
Connector: USB-C
Compatibility: Mac and PC
The touch part of the name refers to the fingerprint sensor on this tiny SSD drive, which allows you to unlock it with your finger or a password. The 1tb capacity is very useful and the drive itself isn’t much bigger than a credit card. It’s light, too, at just 58g, with a highly tactile aluminium casing. There are two cables packed with the drive, USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A.
Buy now £221.99, Argos
The verdict: External hard drives
The SanDisk 500GB extreme portable SSD is a great match of fast performance, durable build and decent value. Samsung’s T7 1tb touch portable SSD is the best portable device in terms of its design and tiny build, but it’s not cheap. The Western Digital my passport ultra SSD 4tb is a solid and dependable choice. Almost all of the drives here come in lower and higher capacities as well.
