Greatest Exterior SSD for Mac 2026: Quick and dependable storage

The Pro5 appears virtually similar to the previous-generation Rugged SSD Professional (beneath), which makes use of Thunderbolt 3. The one seen distinction between the 2 drives is the truth that the Pro5 is wrapped in a dark-blue rubber sleeve, quite than the somber black of its predecessor.

That rubber sleeve is designed to supply additional safety for the drive, and the Pro5 is even sturdier than earlier than, with an IP68 ranking for water and dust-resistance. LaCie claims the Pro5 can survive immersion in 1.5 meters of water for half-hour, survive being dropped from a peak of 3m (10ft), and survive being run over by automobiles weighing as much as two tonnes. There’s a five-year guarantee too.

It measures 17mm thick, 98mm large and 65mm deep and weighs 150g, which is a bit more than its 100g Rugged Professional predecessor. It is available in 2TB or 4TB capacities. It’s not low cost, beginning at $399.99/£359.99 for 2TB or $599.99/£579.99 for 4TB.

The Pro5 does use a normal USB-C connector, so it’s nonetheless backward-compatible with older Macs, however if you wish to get the complete efficiency of the Thunderbolt 5 interface you’ll want a MacBook Professional or Mac mini with M4 Professional or M4 Max processor as these are the one chips to assist the usual. The older Rugged Professional continues to be on sale, so be sure you search for the Pro5 mannequin if you’d like Thunderbolt 5 efficiency. We discovered that the usual USB-C cable we use for our Time Machine back-up drive didn’t present sufficient energy for the Pro5, so it could be value investing in a spare Thunderbolt 5 cable.

The Rugged SSD Pro5 is the quickest Thunderbolt drive we’ve examined up to now, and together with its rugged, moveable design it’s a wonderful possibility for inventive customers who need to exploit the complete pace of their new Thunderbolt 5 Macs.

We had nothing however love for the OWC’s 40Gbps 1M2, so have been actually not going to complain that it’s now been changed by the 80Gbps 1M2 80G. It ain’t low cost, but it surely’s simply the quickest exterior SSD we’ve seen.

It’s USB4 80Gbps. The massive benefit of USB4 over Thunderbolt 5 is which you could plug it into any kind of USB port to entry your knowledge

It’s costly, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 is simply barely cheaper and fewer appropriate.

It’s very quick. In artificial benchmarks, it was mainly twice as quick because the older 1M2. Below our sister publication PCWorld’s take a look at protocol, it proved the quickest exterior SSD we’ve examined general. Quicker than LaCie’s Rugged SSD Pro5 to various levels. https://www.macworld.com/article/2590233/lacie-rugged-ssd-pro5-review.html That was roughly 6GBps studying and 5.5GBps writing general. 

In order for you the quickest exterior storage on the planet, purchase it–in case your funds permit. Then again, 40Gbps SSDs or enclosures are significantly cheaper and nonetheless supply a lot of the real-world efficiency. Regardless, the 1M2 80G is a really good–if dear–storage know-how improve from OWC.

Since parting methods with Western Digital SanDisk has launched a set of latest merchandise. Amongst these have been SanDisk’s Excessive Moveable SSD, an reasonably priced entry-level drive included beneath, and the Excessive Professional With USB4.

The Excessive Professional With USB4 is obtainable with 2TB or 4TB of storage. It resembles its predecessors, that includes rounded corners, orange trim, and a cut-out for attaching a lanyard. A USB-C cable is included. 

It’s a bit of bigger than beforehand: 11.9mm thick, 58.7mm large, and 140mm lengthy. Making it virtually as giant because the iPhone 16e and heavier than it. The drive’s predominant physique is manufactured from solid aluminium, wrapped in a silicon sleeve for added safety. SanDisk claims it might survive a 2m drop and is IP65 water and mud resistant. Additionally they present a five-year guarantee.

The Excessive Professional With USB4 is bigger than different SanDisk drives, measuring 11.9mm thick, 58.7mm large, and 140mm lengthy. It’s virtually as giant because the iPhone 16e and heavier than it, however nonetheless sufficiently small to slot in a pocket or bag. Its sturdy design makes it appropriate for journey and outside work. 

The principle attraction is USB4 efficiency. SanDisk quotes a most write efficiency of as much as 3700MB/s and browse efficiency of as much as 3800MB/s. We examined the drive with a MacBook Professional with Thunderbolt 4, attaining robust efficiency of 3400MB/s for each learn and write. 

We additionally examined the drive with a brand new Mac mini with Thunderbolt 5 and have been shocked to see a big soar in write efficiency to 4400MB/s, which remained constant regardless of repeated exams. Learn efficiency remained unchanged at 3400MB/s.

Skilled customers requiring high efficiency with giant video or graphics information might favor a solid-state drive with full Thunderbolt assist, however the Excessive Professional With USB4 affords spectacular efficiency at an reasonably priced value, making it appropriate for many customers who want a quick, sturdy moveable drive for Time Machine backups.

The design of the Rugged SSD4 can be instantly acquainted to anybody that’s owned considered one of LaCie’s Rugged drives earlier than, with the drive wrapped in LaCie’s trademark brilliant orange rubber sleeve, which is designed to guard the drive. 

The drive has a protecting ranking of IP54 that, admittedly, isn’t fairly as sturdy as a few of LaCie’s different Rugged drives – the SSD Pro5 boasts a totally water resistant ranking of IP68 – however it might nonetheless deal with outbursts of rain and publicity to mud while you’re outside. 

LaCie additionally states that the drive can survive being dropped from a peak of three metres, and may face up to a crushing strain of 1 tonne.

The drive supplies a three-year guarantee, reflecting LaCie’s confidence within the sturdy design, and it is usually lined by LaCie’s Rescue Knowledge Restoration Service.

Our solely criticism concerning the design is that the protecting rubber flap that covers the USB-C port is just not truly connected to the drive. You possibly can lose it fairly simply. 

The Rugged SSD4 helps USB4 and has a single USB-C interface for connecting it to a Mac, PC or different cell units corresponding to an iPhone by way of the included USB-C cable. 

USB4 is definitely primarily based on Thunderbolt 4, so – not like the older USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 – it’s absolutely appropriate with Macs. It’s greater than twice as quick as LaCie’s previous-generation Rugged Mini SSD – which used USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.

LaCie states that it supplies learn and write speeds of as much as 4,000MB/s. Our exams didn’t fairly match that efficiency, with the Rugged SSD4 coming in at a mean of two,975MB/s for learn efficiency, however then stepping as much as 3,300MB/s for write efficiency.

That ought to be greater than quick sufficient for common day-to-day use and Time Machine backups although. 

in case you merely want a quick, reasonably priced drive that may deal with your each day Time Machine backups then the Rugged SSD4 suits the invoice at a aggressive value.

Kingston’s new Twin Moveable SSD combines the compact design of a thumb drive with the pace and capability of an SSD.

The Twin Moveable SSD has a compact rectangular design measuring 72mm lengthy, 21mm large, and eight.6mm thick, much like the Kingston 64GB thumb drive, however a lot sooner and with better storage capability. It’s light-weight, weighing solely 13g, and durable, with a brilliant purple steel casing.

Most SSDs use a standard USB cable, however the Twin Moveable SSD has a built-in USB interface with a USB-A and USB-C finish. This ensures compatibility with many computer systems and cell units, although the second USB-C port on my MacBook Professional was barely obscured by the drive’s width.

The drive performs properly. It doesn’t assist Thunderbolt however makes use of USB 3.2 Gen 2, with Kingston quoting speeds of 950MB/s for write and 1,050MB/s for learn. Our exams with the BlackMagic Disk Pace Take a look at confirmed the write pace at 950MB/s, whereas the learn pace was barely slower at 920MB/s, which ought to nonetheless be ample for common file transfers and routine Time Machine backups.

The ultra-compact design of the Twin Moveable SSD comes at a value, although. It’s barely costlier than different SSD drives we’ve reviewed, together with Kingston’s barely bigger XS1000.

Skilled customers may favor a sooner drive with Thunderbolt assist for optimum efficiency, however the USB efficiency of the Twin Moveable SSD is ample for routine duties like file switch and Time Machine backups. Its compact and durable design makes it supreme for fast backup on the go.

You’ll be able to take full benefit of the Thunderbolt 5 ports in your M4 Professional Mac mini or M4 Professional/Max MacBook Professional and presumably circumvent Apple’s avaricious storage improve pricing with OWC’s Envoy Extremely Thunderbolt 5 exterior SSD.

Thunderbolt 5 itself is backwards appropriate with older Thunderbolt specs, but it surely’s not almost as backwards appropriate as we’d like. For instance, to make the most of a Thunderbolt 5 drive your M-series Mac should be operating macOS Sonoma or later. Thunderbolt 3 Macs with Intel chips should run Sequoia or later. However solely the M4 Professional and M4 Max chips provides you with the complete Thunderbolt 5 expertise.

You might have seen 120GBps quoted in some articles as Thunderbolt 5’s high pace, however that’s solely unidirectional for shows. Bi-directional, as with storage, is proscribed to 80Gbps. Benchmarks confirmed wherever from 5.2GBps (Blackmagicdesign’s Disk Pace Take a look at), to six.5GBps studying (AmorphousDiskMark), to close 7GBps studying and 5.57GBps writing (ATTO). It’s quick.

The OWC Envoy Extremely is a bigger chunk of black steel, measuring about 0.75 inches thick, 2.8 inches large, and 5 inches lengthy. The Envoy Extremely weighs in at 10.5 ounces or so. It has a captive cable, which is for weatherproofing (it’s not IP-rated). This does make it a bit more durable to place away. Alas, writing was significantly slower, solely round 1.5GBps.

The Envoy Extremely prices $400/£356 in its 2TB type and $600/£598.49 at 4TB. It carries a three-year guarantee.

In order for you, and may afford absolutely the quickest storage on your new Thunderbolt 5 Mac, then it is a heck of rather a lot cheaper than Apple’s rapaciously priced inner storage and almost as quick.

This SanDisk mannequin affords a sturdy design and as much as 8TB of storage. The exterior design hasn’t modified over time, it nonetheless is available in a perforated black case made out of silicon that gives loads of safety, and there’s the identical hook for a lanyard.

The 8TB model is barely bigger than the earlier mannequin, but it surely’s nonetheless slim and lightweight. There aren’t many rival drives that present that a lot storage in such a compact and moveable design.

This mannequin makes use of the identical USB-C connector as its predecessor, with assist for USB 3.2 (Gen 2). There’s a USB-C cable included within the field, and even a USB-A adaptor! Speeds are 1000MB/s and 1050MB/s for write and browse efficiency respectively, as beforehand. And our exams discovered that the 2 drives produce very related outcomes when operating the Black Magic Disk pace take a look at, with the Excessive Moveable reaching 946MB/s for write efficiency and 910MB/s for learn efficiency.

The principle distinction is that this replace for 2025 is even harder than earlier than, boasting an IP65 ranking for resistance to water and mud. This mannequin supplies extra storage capability too, beginning at 1GB and going as much as 8TB.

SanDisk has a number of moveable solid-state drives that look related and have related names. The Excessive Professional Moveable appears similar and has a sooner USB4 interface, however solely affords as much as 4TB storage. The cheaper Moveable SSD, isn’t notably quick. Examine the title before you purchase.

It’s possibility for anybody that should retailer giant, high-res photograph or video information on their MacBook after they’re working outdo.

We usually set up opinions of moveable drives and desktop drives individually, however the brand new SanDisk Professional Blade is a modular SSD storage system that could be very a lot designed for skilled and artistic customers, and means that you can change between moveable and desktop modes as required.

You can begin by shopping for the Professional Blade SSD Magazine, which is a solid-state storage module that’s obtainable in 1TB, 2TB or 4TB sizes (the 1TB was discounted from $179.99 to $119.99 on the time of our evaluate). The SSD Magazine is pre-formatted in APFS format for Mac customers, and is hard sufficient to resist being dropped from a peak of three meters or 9.8 foot, and face up to 4000lb (1814kg) crush strain, making it supreme for outside use. Nevertheless, the SSD Magazine modules can’t hook up with a pc on their very own, so SanDisk supplies two choices for moveable and desktop use.

For moveable use you should purchase the Professional Blade Transport, which is a compact case for the SSD Magazine, and is supplied with a USB-C port for connecting to your Mac. The Transport measures simply 130.4mm lengthy, 71.5mm large and 16mm thick, so you possibly can simply slip it into your pocket or a carrying case identical to another moveable drive. It’s additionally doable to attach the Transport to a digital camera that has a USB-C interface with the intention to report high-res video quite than having to hold a number of smaller SD reminiscence playing cards.

If you get again to the workplace you even have the choice of inserting the SSD Magazine modules into the Professional Blade Station ($499.99/£490.99). This desktop storage system doesn’t embody any built-in storage of its personal, but it surely has 4 slots that will let you insert SSD Magazine modules (not included) offering as much as 16TB of high-speed solid-state storage. The Professional Blade Station has two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with one used to attach your Mac, whereas the opposite port can be utilized to daisy-chain extra storage units if required. The Professional Blade Station is pretty costly – on condition that it doesn’t embody any storage of its personal – but it surely provides you the choice of making a high-speed, high-capacity SSD storage system to be used in your workplace, while additionally with the ability to take away the person SSD Magazine modules and use them as moveable drives each time you might want to.

Western Digital – which owns SanDisk as of late – claims that the Professional Blade Station can present learn and write speeds of 3000MB/s and 2600MB/s respectively. Our exams truly recorded a learn pace of 2600MB/s and write pace of 2300MB/s, however that’s nonetheless one of many quickest SSD drives we’ve ever seen, making it possibility for inventive customers who want a quick storage system that they will use each within the workplace and on the street.

The Verbatim TurboMetal SSD is a basic NVMe drive with a size of round 106mm, a 55mm large and 18mm skinny steel housing, and weighs 150g.

Like many USB4 enclosures, it makes use of an energetic fan and cooling slots for cooling. The fan is temperature-controlled and begins mechanically when the temperature rises.

Verbatim specifies a USB4 knowledge switch fee of 3600MBps for writing and 3700MBps for studying. Nevertheless, we achieved 2664MBps for writing and 3123MBps for studying on an M3 MacBook Air in a 4K take a look at with Aja System Take a look at Lite. These aren’t dangerous values, however the most effective USB4 drives we’ve measured obtain barely larger writing speeds however not larger studying speeds. The M4 Max Mac Studio confirmed a lot better values, with 2869MBps for writing and 3499MBps for studying.

In a 30-minute endurance take a look at with the Backmagicdesign Disk Pace Take a look at, the fan began after 10 minutes. The TurboMetal received too heat after round 9 minutes within the knowledge switch fee, which dropped considerably to beneath 1000MBps. Shortly after beginning the fan, the temperature of the SSD levelled off once more, and the information switch fee rose to its authentic worth. The runs solely when it has to.

In the course of the endurance take a look at, the information switch fee dropped briefly however stabilised instantly. DriveDX measured the temperature at round 46 levels Celsius after utilizing the fan, which remained on.

The TurboMetal Moveable SSD is obtainable in 1TB, 2TB, and 4TB capacities with a 20cm USB4 cable. It’s formatted as FAT32, so Mac customers ought to reformat it to APFS. The included software program is just for Home windows.

The TurboMetal SSD is a discreet USB4 drive. The information switch charges are appropriate for on a regular basis use, however some SSDs supply higher pace. The common dips point out thermal safety, however they shouldn’t have an effect on most purposes.

The EX400U from Corsair is a compact and highly effective exterior USB4 SSD.

It appears like a easy exterior SSD, however beneath is a MagSafe-compatible ring for attaching to an iPhone.

In our exams, it gave a convincing efficiency, with speeds of 2709Mbps for writing and 3165Mbps for studying. 

Corsair affords a three-year guarantee on the EX400U. 

A strong USB4 cable is included.

This premium docking station boasts 4 TB5 ports plus a built-in SSD of as much as 4TB. 

The SSD is exFAT-formatted for cross-platform use. In order for you it in a special format, it’s straightforward to reformat your self utilizing the Mac’s Disk Utility.

The SSD is blindingly quick—a lot sooner than you’d get with an exterior SSD. We recorded a sequential learn efficiency of three,977MBps. When copying a folder of uncooked multimedia information from the SSD to the desktop, we recorded a copying time of slightly below 14 seconds. With Aja System Take a look at Lite we measured a formidable 5,331MBps write and 5,822MBps learn within the 4K take a look at.

Whereas pricier than docks with out an SSD, the additional you pay for such quick storage makes it an important funding. 

That is tremendous small for a cell SSD and very quick for a USB stick. 

You may take a look at the Extremely Compact SSD and surprise whether it is an SSD drive or a USB stick. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter as a result of the efficiency corresponds to a typical SSD drive with a 10Gbps USB connection

We examined the Seagate Extremely Compact SSD and within the AJA System Take a look at Lite we noticed spectacular outcomes: 943 MB/s when writing and 930 MB/s when studying. This makes the SSD supreme as an exterior iPhone drive for direct video recording

The Extremely Compact SSD combines small dimensions with nice efficiency and is ideal for cell staff on the lookout for quick SSD storage.

Its sturdy housing reliably protects in opposition to falls from as much as 3 meters and is protected in opposition to mud and splash water in keeping with IP54. A rubber cowl with protecting cap supplies extra assist and security.

A loop is included for attachment to a key ring. iPhone video videographers ought to notice that the USB-C connector is kind of quick and due to this fact the SSD can’t be linked instantly with some protecting covers. 

It comes with a six-month trial of a Dropbox backup subscription. 

The Adata SE920 Exterior SSD is a high-performance USB4 SSD for individuals who want fast knowledge switch speeds. 

It combines passive and energetic cooling with a compact steel housing for passive cooling, and a micro-fan with openings for energetic cooling. The consumer can truly activate the fan by urgent on the housing. 

If you’re engaged on a challenge corresponding to a video or picture edit, or one other process that would require a whole lot of drive entry over a time period, then change on the fan. The remainder of the time you possibly can most likely depart it. 

The SE920 is primarily designed for Home windows customers, evident from the formatting within the NTFS file system and the backup software program for Home windows, however this shouldn’t be an issue for skilled Mac customers. The SE920 is shortly reformatted in APFS utilizing the macOS Disk Utility.

Knowledge switch charges measured with Aja System Take a look at Lite have been spectacular. The SE920 achieved 2992MBps for writes and 3161 MBps for reads. Knowledge charges are steady over an extended interval and the thermal design works completely.

All this comes at value. We advocate the SE920 to any content material creator.

The LaCie Moveable SSD is an possibility for individuals who don’t want James Bond ranges of safety. Obtainable with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, the Moveable SSD has a brand new design in comparison with its predecessor. Quite than sharply angular corners and edges of the now discontinued LaCie Cell SSD, the compact Moveable SSD has easily spherical corners – maybe following Apple’s current fetish for rounded corners on icons in Large Sur and Monterey.

It’s smaller and lighter than earlier drives from LaCie too, measuring simply 0.4in/10.6mm thick, 1.9in/50mm large, and 3in/80mm lengthy, and it weighs a mere 1.5oz/45g, so it’s supreme for carrying round along with your MacBook or iPad while you’re touring.

The drive has a single USB-C interface, and features a USB-C cable, however the low value signifies that there aren’t any added extras, corresponding to an adaptor for older Macs which have USB-A (3.2) connectors.

LaCie hasn’t minimize another corners, although. The Moveable SSD has a strong, sturdy design that ought to be capable of deal with just a few bumps in a backpack or briefcase, and it performs very properly too.

LaCie quotes learn and write speeds of 1000MB/s, however repeated exams with the BlackMagic pace take a look at app confirmed the Moveable SSD comfortably cruising alongside at round 1,300MB/s with no bother in any respect.

That mixture of pace, compact design and aggressive pricing makes the Moveable SSD an important possibility for anybody that wants a transportable backup drive for his or her Mac or iPad.

Learn our full evaluate.

T5 EVO isn’t as quick as a few of its SSD rivals, but it surely’s nice as a general-purpose backup gadget and supplies a sooner and extra moveable various to a standard onerous drive. In contrast to many solid-state drives, it supplies as much as 8TB of storage, making it possibility for individuals who want a whole lot of cupboard space for his or her work information, images and movies. It’s competitively priced, beginning at $189.99/£146 for 2TB of storage.

The drive is compact, simply 17mm thick, 40mm large and 95mm lengthy, and weighing 102g. There’s a chunky steel ring on one finish that can be utilized to connect the drive to a backpack or belt.

It doesn’t have the armor-plated safety of Samsung’s T7 Defend, however the T5 EVO doesn’t minimize corners on construct high quality. The drive is steel after which wrapped in a rubber sleeve to supply additional safety. It doesn’t quote an IP ranking for resistance to water and mud although.

It’s not the quickest back-up drive you should purchase, and whereas there’s a USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, it solely helps the comparatively outdated USB 3.2 (Gen 1) customary, and Samsung quotes pretty modest speeds of 460MB/s for each learn and write efficiency. Our exams confirmed that the drive’s write efficiency was proper on the nostril with a pace of 460MB/s when operating the Black Magic disk pace take a look at, though learn efficiency was slower at 370MB/s.

T5 EVO can be an important possibility for laptop computer customers who need to ditch an outdated onerous drive and change it with a extra moveable solid-state drive that gives loads of storage.

Lexar makes a variety of reminiscence playing cards and solid-state drives which are very a lot geared toward inventive customers, and its Armor 700 drive supplies quick, high-capacity storage in a rugged design that can be supreme for outside photo-shoots or filming.

Because the title suggests, the Armor 700 is sturdily constructed, boasting an IP66 ranking for water and mud safety. Which means the drive can face up to highly effective jets of water (however not full immersion below water), and is tightly sealed to forestall mud or different particles from penetrating the drive. It’s additionally wrapped in a shock-resistant rubber sleeve that may deal with being dropped from a peak of three metres. The drive is obtainable with 1TB, 2TB or 4TB of storage, so it supplies loads of storage on your Time Machine backups while you’re on the street. Lexar additionally contains an app known as DataShield that means that you can create an encrypted folder on the drive for storing delicate information and knowledge.

The Amor 700 is supplied with a USB-C interface, with a USB-C cable and USB-A adaptor included within the field. Lexar states that the drive supplies learn and write speeds of as much as 2000MB/s, but it surely does require a tool that helps USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 with a view to obtain these speeds (sure, USB requirements are an entire mess as of late). Apple doesn’t assist that particular model of USB, which signifies that Macs, iPhones and iPads with USB-C will solely get a most pace of 1000MB/s. Our exams truly recorded scores of 910MB/s for write efficiency and 925MB/s for learn efficiency, however that’s greater than satisfactory for routine backups while you’re out and about. Lexar additionally states that that is quick sufficient to report 4K ProRes video from an iPhone 15 or 16, and the Armor 700 continues to be competitively priced when in comparison with rugged drives corresponding to LaCie’s Rugged SSD.

Skilled customers who really want high efficiency might favor a drive that helps Thunderbolt – corresponding to LaCie’s high-end Rugged Professional – however Thunderbolt drives are nonetheless very costly, making the Armor 700 possibility for folks on a tighter funds. You’ll be able to’t purchase direct from Lexar, although, so it’s value buying round on-line to seek out the most effective value.

Many moveable drives use a normal USB-C port for connecting to a Mac or PC, however SanDisk’s Professional-G40 opts for a high-speed Thunderbolt 3 port to supply most efficiency for skilled customers who must work with giant video and graphics information (and, in fact, it’s backward-compatible with USB-C as properly).

The Professional-G40 was first launched in 2022, and was already on our listing of the most effective SSD drives for Mac, however this present mannequin supplies each improved efficiency and better capability on your work information. The design hasn’t modified although, with a compact, moveable drive that measures simply 12mm thick, 58mm large and 111mm lengthy. It weighs simply over 120g – relying on the capability you select – so you possibly can slip it right into a jacket pocket or right into a carrying case alongside your MacBook with no bother in any respect. The drive can also be extraordinarily robust, with a sturdy steel case that’s rated IP68 – one of many highest rankings doable – for resistance to water, mud and different particles. Western Digital, which now owns the SanDisk model, additionally claims that the drive can survive drops from a peak of 3m, and may face up to crushing strain of as much as 4000lbs. The drive even features a five-year guarantee as properly.

The 2022 model of the Professional-G40 supplied learn and write speeds of 2700MB/s and 1900MB/s respectively when utilizing the Thunderbolt cable included within the field, however the present mannequin is rated at 3000MB/s for learn and 2500MB/s for write speeds. Our exams confirmed it to be completely spot-on for write efficiency, persistently hitting 2500MB/s. The learn efficiency didn’t fairly hit the quoted 3000MB/s, settling at simply over 27000MB/s, however that’s nonetheless far sooner than most USB-C drives, and supplies the type of efficiency that skilled customers want for backing up their work information.

That mixture of excessive efficiency and ultra-rugged design does imply that the Professional-G40 is kind of a bit costlier than many USB-C drives, so it’s most likely overkill in case you simply want an reasonably priced moveable drive for backing up private information. Nevertheless, skilled customers can be happy to seek out that the value of the Professional-G40 has been decreased lately, with the 1TB mannequin now costing $299.99/£294.99, whereas the 2TB model is $449.99/£441.99. And, as talked about, there’s a brand new 4TB model to supply additional capability, priced at $699.99/£687.99.

The light-weight, compact design of solid-state drives makes them an important possibility in case you want a transportable back-up drive to make use of along with your MacBook while you’re touring. Nevertheless, moveable SSDs do are likely to have restricted storage capability, typically with a most of simply 1TB or 2TB. In distinction, the SanDisk Desk Drive supplies each high-speed SSD efficiency and excessive capability too, beginning with a minimal of 4TB for $379.99/£359.99. If that’s not sufficient then you may also step as much as 8TB, for $699.99/£663.99.

Because the title suggests, the Desk Drive could be very a lot designed for desktop use in an workplace, and it’s bigger than most standard SSDs, standing 40.2mm excessive and 99.2mm on both sides, and weighing 268g. The drive itself continues to be small and lightweight sufficient to slide right into a backpack or touring bag alongside along with your MacBook, but it surely does require a mains energy provide as properly, so this isn’t a drive that’s going to depart the workplace fairly often (we did attempt to energy it via a USB-C port on our MacBook Professional, however that didn’t work).

It’s additionally a bit of disappointing that the Desk Drive simply has a single USB-C port for knowledge switch. At this value, a few additional ports would have been a helpful bonus, particularly for MacBook fashions that solely have a few USB-C ports of their very own.

We didn’t have any complaints concerning the Desk Drive’s efficiency, although. SanDisk quotes a pace of 1GB/s, though the outcomes we received have been nearer to 925MB/s and 910MB/s for write and browse speeds respectively. That’s not as quick as some high-end SSDs which are designed for skilled customers – corresponding to SanDisk’s personal Professional Blade system – but it surely’s nonetheless rather a lot sooner than a standard onerous drive, and the Desk Drive can be an excellent possibility for individuals who merely want a quick backup drive that gives loads of storage for images, movies and work information.

Seagate’s OneTouch onerous drives are a preferred alternative with many customers. The OneTouch SSD is the smallest and lightest moveable drive we’ve ever seen and is obtainable in black, silver or blue.

When sitting flat on the desk it measures simply 2in/50mm large, 2.7in/70mm deep and a mere 0.4in/10.6mm thick. And it weighs solely 2.6oz/74g, so you possibly can simply slip it into your pocket and carry it round along with your laptop computer or iPad while you’re touring. It’s sturdily constructed too, with Seagate claiming that it might face up to being dropped from a peak of 6.5 foot/2m.

The OneTouch drive has a USB-C interface, however Seagate contains each USB-C and USB-A cables with the intention to use it with most Macs and PCs straight out of the field.

It really works with Apple’s Time Machine for computerized backups, however Seagate additionally contains its personal ToolKit app, which has a ‘sync’ possibility for backing up particular folders. The drive additionally features a one-year free subscription to the Mylio photo-organizer app, and 4 months with Adobe’s CC Images plan, usually $9.99/£9.98 a month on an annual plan (learn our information to getting the most effective deal on Adobe Inventive Cloud).

The drive is obtainable with 500GB, 1TB or 2TB of storage, so it supplies loads of room for backing up giant libraries of images, movies or music. It doesn’t fairly match Seagate’s quoted pace of 1GB/s, but it surely recorded learn and write speeds of 835MB/s and 915MB/s respectively in our exams, which nonetheless put it among the many quickest solid-state drives that we’ve examined lately. And, with its ridiculously mild and compact design, the OneTouch can be supreme for backing up all of your necessary information while you’re on the transfer.

Persevering with LaCie’s Rugged vary of onerous drives and SSDs. These have lengthy been in style with individuals who want a sturdy back-up drive that may deal with tough climate and situations when working outside, however the Rugged drives have all the time tended to be quite giant and hulking – just like the Rugged SSD Professional (above) – so LaCie has produced a extra compact possibility within the type of the brand new Rugged Mini SSD.

As you may count on, the Rugged Mini appears very very similar to its rugged family, with LaCie’s distinctive brilliant orange rubber sleeve serving to to maintain the drive protected. However, in fact, it’s rather a lot smaller than earlier fashions, measuring simply 17.3mm thick, 66.9mm large, 105mm lengthy. It solely weighs 114g as properly, so you possibly can simply slip it right into a jacket pocket or backpack while you’re touring.

Regardless of that compact design, the Rugged Mini continues to be robust sufficient to deal with some tough therapy. It’s rated IP54 for water and mud resistance, so it ought to be capable of deal with life outside in case you’re engaged on location for a photo- or video shoot. And, because of that rubber sleeve, it might deal with drops of as much as 3m and even survive being pushed over by a 1-tonne truck. And if that’s not robust sufficient, the drive comes with a three-year guarantee that features LaCie’s Rescue Knowledge Restoration Service, to assist restore any misplaced knowledge.

The drive’s USB-C port will work with any Mac or PC that additionally has USB-C or Thunderbolt. However, like plenty of drives that we’ve seen lately, it makes use of a model of USB often called USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, which isn’t absolutely supported by Macs in the meanwhile. Which means Macs gained’t be capable of get the complete 2000MB/s speeds supported by that interface, and our exams confirmed this, recording write and browse speeds of 900MB/s and 970MB/s respectively. We’ve seen stronger efficiency from some rival drives, however these speeds ought to be completely satisfactory for routine backups while you’re on the street, and the sturdy design of the Rugged Mini makes it possibility for individuals who want a drive that they will use outside regularly.

Pricing is a bit of complicated, although. Within the US, the Rugged Mini prices $84.99/£74.99 (1TB), $109.99/£99.99 (2TB), and $159.99/£149.99 (4TB). We’ve seen a lot decrease costs from Amazon and different on-line retailers, so it’s undoubtedly value buying round earlier than shopping for.

Western Digital’s Passport drives have all the time supplied moveable, light-weight designs, and the My Passport SSD combines compact design with robust efficiency and extra security measures.

Obtainable in quite a lot of colours, the My Passport SSD supplies as much as 4TB of solid-state storage, though the 1TB mannequin that we evaluate right here prices $74.99/£94.99.

The drive measures simply 0.35in/9mm thick, and weighs 1.6oz/46g, so it’s sufficiently small to slide right into a jacket pocket while you’re on the transfer. Nevertheless, it’s additionally robust sufficient to outlive being dropped from a peak of two metres.

The drive is supplied with a USB-C interface, however WD features a USB-C cable and a USB-A adaptor with the drive, so you possibly can nonetheless use it with older Macs that don’t have USB-C. The solid-state drive supplies good efficiency too, recording a write pace of 935MB/s and browse pace of 908MB/s, making it an important possibility for backing up your necessary information on the transfer.

It’s safe too, as WD’s Discovery app means that you can set a password for the drive so as maintain your information protected. There’s a second app as properly, known as WD Unlocker, which is constructed into the drive itself, and means that you can enter the password with the intention to use the drive with one other Mac or PC if you might want to.

When the drive was first launched there have been complaints that the WD apps hadn’t been correctly up to date to 64-bit code for the newest variations of the macOS, however we examined the drive with our workplace Macs and didn’t encounter any issues.

Learn a full evaluate over on our sister web site Tech Advisor.

There are three variations of Samsung’s T7. The usual T7 is a compact, light-weight SSD that appears similar to the outdated T5 – though it boasts larger efficiency, so be sure you examine the mannequin numbers earlier than shopping for. We examined the T7 Defend, which is a extra rugged mannequin, wrapped in a sturdy rubber sleeve designed for outside use. Each of these fashions can use Samsung’s Moveable SSD app so as to add password safety on your information, however there’s additionally a 3rd mannequin known as the T7 Contact that has a built-in fingerprint sensor for additional safety and comfort.

Obtainable in black, blue or silver, the T7 Defend prices $129/£110 with 1TB of storage, however we’re seeing nice reductions now it’s been out some time. It has a USB-C interface for connecting to your Mac, however Samsung features a USB-C cable and a USB-A adaptor with the intention to use it with older Macs which have USB-A. The rugged protecting sleeve signifies that it’s a bit of bigger than the opposite T7 fashions, measuring 0.5in/13mm thick, 2.3in/59mm large and three.4in/88mm lengthy, and weighing 3.4oz/98g. Even so, it’s nonetheless sufficiently small to slide right into a jacket pocket or backpack with no bother in any respect, and many individuals will recognize the additional safety that it affords.

The T7 Defend is rated IP65 for water- and dust-resistance, and Samsung claims that the shock-resistant rubber sleeve can survive drops from a peak of three meters.

It’s performer too. Samsung quotes learn and write speeds of 1,000MB/s, however our exams with the Blackmagic disk instrument truly recorded a learn pace of 1,780MB/s, and a write pace of 1,300MB/s, which makes the T7 Defend an important backup possibility for individuals who must work outside with their laptop computer.

The OWC Specific 1M2’s cooling fins alone account for round half of the general peak of this exterior SSD. The aluminum housing is kind of giant at 5.2 by 2.8 by 0.9 inches (13.2 by 7.1 by 2.3 centimeters) and the very high-quality steel housing additionally has sufficiently giant rubber surfaces on the underside.

To check for pace, we used two benchmarks, Aja System Take a look at Lite and Blackmagicdesign Disk Pace Take a look at. The outcomes are spectacular: 2736MBps (write) and 2980MBps (learn) in Aja System Take a look at Lite. The values with Blackmagicdesign Disk Pace Take a look at have been round 100MBps larger–it cracked the 3000 MBps mark within the learn take a look at.