Best External Hard Drives of 2025
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External hard drives are a popular and convenient way to store and back up data. These devices come in various sizes and capacities, ranging from a few hundred gigabytes to several terabytes. They are designed to be portable and easy to use, making them ideal for both personal and professional use. External hard drives can be used to store photos, videos, music, documents, and other files. They are compatible with most operating systems and can be easily connected to a computer or laptop via USB or other ports. Overall, external hard drives are a reliable and cost-effective solution for data storage and backup needs.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks
Top 10 External Hard Drives
Seagate 2TB Portable External Hard Drive
The Seagate Portable Drive is a handy 2TB external hard drive that allows you to easily store and access your content while on the go. It is designed for seamless compatibility with both Windows and Mac computers, making backup as simple as drag and drop. Setting it up requires no software, just connect it to your computer for automatic recognition. Additionally, the included 18-inch USB 3.0 cable ensures plug and play convenience, allowing you to transfer files effortlessly.
Toshiba Canvio Partner 1TB Portable Hard Drive
The Toshiba Canvio Partner is an excellent external hard drive that offers a generous 1TB of storage, allowing you to easily store all your important documents, photos, music, and videos. Its USB 3.0 interface ensures fast transfer speeds of up to 5Gbps, so you can quickly move large files without hassle. Designed for convenience, the drive is plug-and-play, meaning you can start using it immediately without any software installation. Furthermore, its compact and lightweight design makes it perfect for those who need to take their data with them wherever they go.
WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive
The WD Elements 2TB Drive offers ample extra storage for your videos, music, photos, and files, making it an ideal choice for those needing to expand their digital library. Its plug-and-play feature ensures you can easily connect it to your Windows PC without any hassle. Enjoy fast data transfer speeds with USB 3.0, allowing you to quickly move large files. Additionally, this drive comes with a free trial of WD SmartWare Pro software, providing automatic and cloud data protection for your important information.
WD 8TB Elements External Hard Drive
The WD Elements Hard Drive offers reliable, high-capacity storage with up to 20TB, perfect for keeping your photos, videos, music, and documents safe. When your internal drive is nearly full, this external hard drive can improve your PC's performance by freeing up space. You can enjoy fast data transfer rates when connected to a USB 3.0 port, making it easy to move large files quickly. Plus, it works right out of the box with Windows 10+ PCs, which means you can start storing your important data in moments.
Sonnics 1TB Blue Portable External Hard Drive
The Sonnics 1TB Hard Drive offers a USB 3.0 super speed transfer rate of 5Gbps, ensuring quick and efficient file transfers for your Windows PC and Apple Mac. Its ultra-slim and lightweight design makes it easy to transport, perfect for users on the go. You can connect it directly to a USB 2.0 or USB 3.0 port without needing an external power source, simplifying your setup. Additionally, it is formatted to FAT32, allowing seamless compatibility with various operating systems and devices.
LaCie Rugged Mini 2TB Portable Hard Drive
The LaCie Rugged Mini is a robust 2TB portable hard drive designed for both PC and Mac users. Its shock and drop resistance of up to 1.2 metres ensures your data remains safe even in challenging environments. You can count on its pressure resistance of up to 1000 kg, making it perfect for transporting your important files without worry. Additionally, the included automatic backup software and AES 256-bit encryption help keep your data secure, giving you peace of mind that your information is protected against loss or theft.
ModusTech 1TB Portable External Hard Drive
The ModusTech External HDD offers ultra-fast USB 3.0 and Type-C connectivity, allowing you to transfer files at speeds up to 5 Gbps. This means you can back up large files like HD movies and games effortlessly. Its compact and portable design makes it easy for you to carry your data wherever you go. Plus, with a plug-and-play setup, you can start using it immediately without any software installation. With massive storage options, the drive caters to all your data storage needs.
LaCie Mobile Drive Moon 5TB USB-C
The LaCie Mobile Drive is a versatile 5TB external hard drive that works seamlessly with PC, Mac, and iPad via USB-C. You can easily back up your files with just a single click or set up automatic backups using the LaCie Toolkit, ensuring your data is always safe. Its case and packaging are made from post-consumer recycled materials, making it an eco-friendly choice. Designed by Neil Poulton, its sleek and portable design lets you carry your data wherever you go.
Sonnics 4TB External Hard Drive for Gaming
The Sonnics 4TB Drive is an excellent storage solution for your Windows PC, Apple Macs, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. With its EXFAT formatting, you can easily use it across different devices. The USB 3.0 connection offers ultra-high-speed data transfers of up to 5GBPS, ensuring that you can quickly load your games and media. As a mains powered external hard drive, it provides reliable performance, making it perfect for gamers seeking additional storage without sacrificing speed or efficiency.
SanDisk Professional 4TB G-Drive ArmorATD Portable External Hard Drive
The SanDisk Professional G-Drive ArmorATD is designed for those who need reliable and fast storage. With a USB-C connection offering transfer speeds of up to 130MB/s, you can quickly back up your important files. Its rugged design features a triple-layer shock resistance, ensuring your data stays safe even in tough conditions. Additionally, the rain-and dust-resistant enclosure provides extra protection, making it perfect for outdoor use. This hard drive is a convenient solution for storing critical photos, videos, and files with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Are external hard drives still worth it?
SSD external hard drives easily outperform their traditional rivals: the mechanical hard drives. This is because these external SSDs are faster, more durable, and efficient and have higher portability. They even manufacture external SSD for gaming now.
2. Can PS5 connect to external hard drive?
External HDDs and external SSDs are compatible with PS5, but you can only play PS4 games from them. PS5 software is designed to run from the console's ultra-fast custom SSD, so PS5 games cannot be played while stored on external devices.
3. What are external hard drives used for?
External hard drives are mainly used for storage Every computer – whether it's a tower desktop or laptop – is equipped with an internal hard drive. The hard drive is where all your permanent computer data is stored. Whenever you save a file, photo, or software to your computer, it's stored in your hard drive.
During our external hard drive research, we found 132 external hard drive products and shortlisted 10 quality products. We collected and analyzed 2,871,026 customer reviews through our big data system to write the external hard drives list. We found that most customers choose external hard drives with an average price of £56.02.
The external hard drives are available for purchase. We have researched hundreds of brands and picked the top brands of external hard drives, including Seagate, Toshiba, WD, Sonnics, LaCie.
Kenneth Collin graduated from Imperial College, London, at 22. He is a UX/UI designer, a web developer, and a writer, amongst others. At age 14, Kenneth programmed his first app. Kenneth's app served as a remote control for censored devices. "When I was 8, I would pick up scraps from electronics and try to rebuild or at least fix them," Kenneth said in one of his recent articles on Home repairs for top gadgets.