Best Portable Hard Drive & SSD For 2022

Best Portable Hard Drive & SSD For 2022 - Your Choice Way

There are many different portable hard drives and SSDs on the market today, so which is the best? We review and rank the top external storage.

Cloud storage is great but you can never beat physical storage for practicality and reliability. Having huge amounts of storage in a pocketable drive is really handy and for some users might be absolutely necessary.

There are plenty of portable hard disk drives (HDD) as well as much-faster solid-state drives (SSD) to choose from and we’ve reviewed and ranked some of the best ones. We are focussing on SSDs here but drives like the WD Black P10 get an honourable mention.

Portable USB drives are powered by the connected computer, so you can use them on the move without the need to plug into the mains or use batteries. Some will even connect your phone or tablet and let you extend storage that way, or allow you to transfer or open files.

Find our full chart below and click through to the full reviews if you want to read more about a particular drive. Looking for an internal SATA or NVMe drive? Check out our best SSD chart.

1. Crucial X6

1. Crucial X6
Pros
  • Enhanced performance
  • Highly affordable
  • Easily transportable
Cons
  • Lacks hardware encryption
  • No activity light
  • 500GB model slower
Best Prices Today: $59.99 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 836MB/s

It might not be quite as fast as the Adata SE760 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 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.

Read our full Crucial X6 review

2. Adata SE760

2. Adata SE760
Pros
  • Cheap
  • Great performance
  • Type-A & Type-C cables
Cons
  • No encryption
  • Limited to 1TB
Best Prices Today: $99.99 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 934MB/s

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.

Read our full Adata SE760 review

3. Kingston XS2000

3. Kingston XS2000
Pros
  • Reasonably priced
  • Headline performance
  • Small and lightweight
Cons
  • Needs USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 for full speed
  • Limited SLC cache size
  • No USB Type-A adapter
Best Prices Today: $69.99 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 1986MB/s

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.


4. Seagate One Touch (2021)

4. Seagate One Touch (2021)
Pros
  • High performance
  • Up to 2TB
  • Free Sync Plus software
Cons
  • Short cables
  • Could be more robust
SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 1,007MB/s

As long as you don’t need hardware encryption then the latest version of the One Touch SSD is an excellent choice.

Plug it into the right USB port and you’ll get double the speed of the previous version, matching many rivals. Capacity goes up to 2TB and Seagate provides useful and free, Sync Plus software to make backing up files easy.

It’s also highly portable and although it’s not as rugged as some alternatives, it’s hardly fragile. The main pain point here is the ridiculously short cables, but that’s not uncommon either.


5. CalDigit Tuff nano

5. CalDigit Tuff nano
Pros
  • Super fast
  • Super tough
  • Super small
Cons
  • Not the cheapest
Best Prices Today: $99.00 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 891MB/s

The CalDigit Tuff nano blew us away with its super-fast speeds, which are twice as fast as comparable portable SSDs. using NVMe technology, the 512GB drive we tested achieved Read and Write speeds close to 1,000MB/s!

It’s also robust, being IP67 certified – meaning that it can be immersed in water and is dust-tight. It can also withstand drops up to 3M.

It is compatible with most computers (it comes with USB-C and USB-A cables), and, being USB-C, can also work with Apple’s iPad Pro.

While it might be a little pricy for the casual user, professionals such as photographers and filmmakers will appreciate its blistering speed and tough travel credentials.


6. Crucial X8

6. Crucial X8
Pros
  • Top performance
  • Affordable
Cons
  • Short cable
  • Plain design
Best Prices Today: $99.59 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 1,015MB/s

The Crucial X8 is a great option for those looking for reliable portable SSD.

It’s well-made, compact and offers excellent speeds via USB 3.2 Gen 2 and offers great value for money, too.

There might not be any encryption but for many users, this won’t be an issue. If it is, then there are plenty of other options such as the Samsung T7 Touch and SanDisk Extreme.

Read our full Crucial X8 review

7. Adata SD600Q

7. Adata SD600Q
Pros
  • Highly portable
  • Durable casing
  • Cheap
Cons
  • USB-A cable
  • No 2TB option
Best Prices Today: $34.99 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 417MB/s

It might forego the modern USB-C standard for connectivity but the Adata SD600Q is a great drive for anyone looking for a portable SSD and doesn’t have a hugely demanding set of tasks for it.

The SD600Q provides a great combination of things including the robust and compact design, along with affordable prices – if you don’t need more than 1TB.

It’s also quick enough to copy files without having to wait for ages and you can also make use of Adata’s free software if you like.

Read our full Adata SD600Q review

8. Samsung T7 Touch

8. Samsung T7 Touch
Pros
  • Excellent speeds
  • Fingerprint scanner
  • Compact
Cons
  • No admin backdoor
Best Prices Today: $87.99 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 929MB/s

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.


9. SanDisk Extreme Portable SDD V2

9. SanDisk Extreme Portable SDD V2
Pros
  • Faster than SATA SSDs
  • USB-A + USB-C
  • Lightweight
Cons
  • Costly
  • Confusing naming
Best Prices Today: $103.42 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 930MB/s

SanDisk has done a great job of improving its rugged portable SSD with this new model, although the naming is a little too similar with just ‘V2’ at the end which isn’t even on the box.

If you make sure you’re buying this new model, you’ll benefit from double the speed as well as built-in encryption. The Extreme Portable is also one of the lightest drives we’ve ever seen if that’s important and also has an IP55 water and dust rating.

The drive offers both USB-A and USB-C, just note that you’ll need a USB 3.2 Gen 2 port on the device you plug this SSD into to benefit from the fastest speeds.


10. WD Black D10

10. WD Black D10

Pros
  • Lightweight
  • Reasonably fast
  • Military styling
Cons
  • Short USB cable
  • Can't run all console titles
  • Expensive

Best Prices Today: $63.98 at Amazon

SSD, Average Read/Write speed: 625MB/s

If you’re lacking in space for your console or PC games then the WD Black D30 is a decent option to gain a lot of storage in a small and stylish package.

The metal container style shell is really the only gaming element of this drive, but it is highly portable and ready to use out the box. You’ll get decent speeds from the USB 3.2 standard.

As usual, we’d like the cable to be longer. If you need more space than 2TB and can cope with slower speeds, the Black P10 goes to 5TB.

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About Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera

Hey, I'm Perera! I will try to give you technology reviews(mobile,gadgets,smart watch & other technology things), Automobiles, News and entertainment for built up your knowledge.
Best Portable Hard Drive & SSD For 2022 Best Portable Hard Drive & SSD For 2022 Reviewed by Wanni Arachchige Udara Madusanka Perera on August 09, 2022 Rating: 5

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