3 Best External Hard Drives [TL;DR]:
- Editor’s Pick: Adata SD700 External SSD – IP68 for an external hard drive, has extremely fast transfer speed since it’s an SSD
- Western Digital My Passport 4TB – Decent Security level, and a fast transfer rate despite not being an SSD.
- Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC – Really good security levels, and decent storage capacity
Nowadays, being able to safely carry your work data around with you is a definite must. As file sizes become larger, the need for an ample external hard drive becomes more and more important.
Since carrying a multitude of files with different file sizes has become so important, a proper external HDD must have the following categories met in order to truly call it perfect:
- Capacity – you would like your external HDD to have a large capacity. Again file sizes are getting larger and larger as time goes by, and you would not want to switch out every so often just because your drive is running out of space
- Secure – your data needs to be secured, in more ways than one. Having an external hard drive that doesn’t get corrupted if you accidentally bang it against the wall is a must.
- Fast Data Transfer Speed – this is a no-brainer. What use is an external HDD if large files you transfer takes a long time to get transferred? You would like one that has fast transferring capabilities so you won’t have to wait a long time to transfer between machines.
Now that those things are out of the way, here are the three best external hard drives that are perfect for their price, in terms of all the criteria above.
Western Digital My Passport 4TB
Capacity: 3
Security: 2
Data Transfer Speed: 3
Having a whopping four terabytes worth of storage capacity, this external hard drive can take on as many files as you want it to take.
This external HDD also comes with a cloud storage feature and a 256-AES encryption, making your files feel safe and sound. A little annoying thing with it though, is WD’s backup software which takes away the “portable” feel of it down a notch, but it is not a big problem.
The biggest thing about this though, is its file transfer speed. It’s not as fast as solid state external hard drives, but for most of its similarly built competitors, this baby has top-notch file transfer speed. Definitely a good pick up, so you should check it out.
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
Capacity: 2
Security: 3 (gets and extra 1 for the NFC)
Data Transfer Speed: 1.5
The Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is both compatible for Windows and Mac. It’s also really flexible, and comes with a rugged case that is both dust and water resistant. This external hard drive also comes with a built in USB 3.0 cable, eliminating the need for additional cables.
What separates it from most of its competitor out there though, is its Near Field Communication feature, or NFC.
Not only does its rugged case and shell the only one protecting your data, but you can use the supplied NFC cards and tap it on its body to access your files quickly and smoothly, Hollywood movie-style.
Truly something from a spy movie you that can work wonders for your classified files!
Adata SD700 External SSD
Capacity: 2
Security: 3 (plus 1 because of the IP68 rating)
Data Transfer Speed: 3 (plus a 1 because it’s an SSD)
Having a 1TB solid state drive works so well, as you won’t have to worry about not having enough space for your files.
Again, having an external SSD with an IP68 rating is a big feat, meaning that your data is secure from dust, dirt, and sand.
Very secure, very rugged, very fast. This definitely is one of the cheapest external hard drives out there that offer superb quality.
Are you using other types of external HDDs to lug around your files? We would like to know your recommendations! Do hit us up on the comments and let us know what you are using!
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