The perfect moveable SSDs for 2025

[ad_1] Whether or not you are backing up vital information, modifying movies on the go or simply releasing up area in your laptop computer, a quick and dependable SSD drive could make your workflow an entire lot smoother. The perfect moveable SSD choices in 2025 mix velocity, sturdiness and extensive compatibility, typically utilizing USB Sort-C connections for fast transfers throughout units. In contrast to a standard thumb drive and even the very best exterior laborious drives, these compact powerhouses can supply quicker learn speeds, typically hitting a number of hundred and even 1000's of Mbps, particularly with high-performance NVMe SSD fashions.

Whether or not you are managing giant information or launching apps instantly out of your drive, we have rounded up the very best SSDs that ship wonderful efficiency with out weighing you down.

Desk of contents Greatest exterior SSDs for 2025 <img alt="Image for the large product module" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/1FJE89T7sRukmJ6nysXwTw--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-06/757e5460-28c0-11ef-9e6e-c4a17e756a33" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280"/> Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The Essential X9 Professional completed at or simply below the highest in every of our benchmarks relative to its velocity class, and it stayed noticeably cooler than many of the different drives we examined after prolonged use. It’s a USB 3.2 Gen 2 mannequin, so it’s slower than alternate options primarily based on Thunderbolt, USB4 or USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, nevertheless it prices much less, and it’s nonetheless fast sufficient for the non-professional duties most individuals do with a conveyable SSD. Ports that may really make the most of USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds are usually extra ubiquitous on mainstream computer systems, too. This isn’t the most cost effective 10 Gbps drive round, nevertheless it’s in the identical ballpark as its friends and isn’t too costly. As of this writing, a 1TB mannequin is out there for $95, although it typically goes for much less. (We’ve seen it fall as little as $60 up to now.) 2TB and 4TB variations are additionally out there.

In addition to its comparatively speedy efficiency, the X9 Professional stands out for being so tiny. Its aluminum case is shorter than a bank card and simple to slot in a pocket, weighing in at simply 1.34 ounces. The entire thing is IP55-rated, so it’ll survive mud and water splashes, and it’s backed with a five-year guarantee, which is a pair years longer than some alternate options.

Our solely actual complaints are that the included USB-C cable is small and there’s no adapter for USB-A ports within the field. And whereas the X9 Professional can make the most of 256-bit hardware-based encryption, Micron (Essential’s mother or father firm) hasn’t launched its personal password safety software to take full benefit of it. We’ll additionally notice that there’s a less expensive non-”Professional” X9, however that one makes use of QLC flash, so it’s not as sturdy or quick (particularly with sustained writes). The X9 Professional is the higher purchase.

Professionals Nice efficiency for its velocity classRugged and tremendous compact kind factorStays comparatively cool with prolonged useFive-year guarantee Cons There are cheaper 10 Gbps drivesIncluded USB-C cable is brief, and there isn't any USB-A cable within the field $80 at Amazon <img alt="Image for the large product module" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/vznusL3i9Py5NUCVBurr0A--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-06/8e2fe4b0-28c0-11ef-bddf-454b8df7dbe5" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280"/> Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The Kingston XS1000 performs equally to the Essential X9 Professional however typically retails for much less, so it’s a very good different if you wish to avoid wasting money. A 1TB mannequin is out there for $75 as we write this, which is $20 lower than the X9 Professional, whereas the 2TB model is all the way down to $120, which is a roughly $30 drop. There’s no 4TB choice, although.

At these costs, the XS1000 is an effective worth for on a regular basis backups and transfers. It stored up with or barely edged the X9 Professional throughout our benchmarks: In our customized file switch check, for instance, its reads have been a second quicker, whereas its writes have been solely six seconds slower. (The 2 drives seem to have comparable internals and are primarily based on an identical controller — the Silicon Energy SM2320G — so this is probably not an enormous shock.) It topped each USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive we examined in 3DMark’s gaming storage benchmark as effectively. It’s barely thicker than the X9 Professional however nonetheless splendidly moveable, with its stubby rectangular design weighing simply over an oz.. Just like the Essential drive, it’s backed by a five-year guarantee.

The place Kingston’s mannequin falls behind Essential’s X9 Professional is within the extras. There’s no formal IP or drop rankings, so we wouldn’t really feel as comfy chucking it round on the go. It lacks hardware-based encryption, and it solely comes with a USB-C to A cable, so that you’ll want to provide your personal adapter in case your laptop computer solely has USB-C ports. It doesn’t keep fairly as cool because the X9 Professional with steady use, and its sustained write efficiency isn’t as quick both, so it’s value paying up in case you plan to repeatedly copy tons of of gigabytes to the SSD (and might’t simply get a higher-class mannequin). For the cash, although, all of this can be simpler to miss.

Professionals Sooner than most 10 Gbps drives we testedAggressively pricedHighly portableFive-year guarantee Cons No formal water-resistance or drop protectionNo USB-C to C cable within the boxOnly out there in 1TB or 2TBSlower sustained write efficiency than X9 Professional with very giant information $80 at Amazon <img alt="Image for the large product module" class="mx-auto my-0 size-full bg-white @xl/p:transition-transform @xl/p:duration-300 @xl/p:ease-in-out @xl/p:group-hover:scale-110 @xl/p:motion-reduce:group-hover:transition-none object-cover" src="https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/NmKuO4AtLxkzGyKJOkns_g--~B/Zmk9c3RyaW07aD03MjA7dz0xMjgwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2024-06/b7887520-28c0-11ef-abba-901e15c0fce9" loading="lazy" height="720" width="1280"/> Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

In the event you’re a media editor, IT skilled or simply an fanatic keen to pay for a considerably quicker moveable SSD, get the ADATA SE920. It makes use of the newer USB4 interface and blew away each non-40 Gbps drive we examined throughout our benchmark checks.

In AmorphousDiskMark, for instance, the Essential X9 Professional delivered sequential reads and writes round 1,015 MB/s and 950 MB/s, respectively; with the SE920, these have been about 3,350 MB/s and three,125 MB/s. In our customized combined file switch check, we have been capable of transfer our 70GB folder to our MacBook in 32 seconds; with the X9 Professional, that course of averaged about 81 seconds. Writing the folder to the drive, in the meantime, was about 30 seconds quicker. In the event you’re shopping for an exterior SSD to maneuver round giant chunks of information, this sort of leap provides up.

The drive itself is considerably greater and thicker than both of our picks above, nevertheless it’s not so giant that we’d name it unwieldy. It’s in regards to the measurement of a deck of playing cards, so it’ll match higher in a bag than a pants pocket. Past that, the brushed metallic exterior feels crisp to the contact, and ADATA helps the gadget with a five-year guarantee.

That mentioned, this factor can get severely sizzling. The design features a built-in micro fan to assist dissipate warmth, which you activate simply by clicking the case down; that’s intelligent, nevertheless it’s not sufficient to maintain the drive cool by itself. All of this comes at a worth premium, too, with a 1TB mannequin at present out there for $180. But when efficiency is the one factor that issues to you, it must be worthwhile.

Professionals Blazingly quick 40 Gbps performanceSlick metallic enclosureSmaller than different USB4 and Thunderbolt SSDs we testedClever built-in fanFive-year guarantee Cons Will get sizzling even with fan activatedPricier and nonetheless bigger than different picksRequires USB4 port to succeed in most speeds $180 at Amazon Different exterior SSDs we examined The pre-built OWC Specific 1M2 is a premium-feeling USB4 SSD that’s roughly as quick because the ADATA SE920, nevertheless it’s bigger and considerably costlier as of this writing.

In the event you’re within the comparatively small group with a PC that helps USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 however not Thunderbolt or USB4, the Essential X10 Professional is actually a quicker model of our prime decide. The Lexar SL600 is a bigger however barely faster choice, whereas the Lexar SL500, Kingston XS2000 or Samsung T9 might additionally work in case you see them on low cost. As a reminder, although, drives like these are aimed primarily at content material creators and different professionals, and it's important to be sure to received’t improve to a tool with a quicker USB interface anytime quickly.

The Samsung T7 Defend has a conveniently rugged design with a rubberized, IP65-rated shell. It additionally comes with each USB-C and USB-A cables. But it surely was persistently slower than the X9 Professional and XS1000 in our benchmark checks, plus it has a shorter three-year guarantee.

The Silicon Energy PX10 is an particularly reasonably priced USB 3.2 Gen 2 mannequin. Its peak speeds weren’t too far off the X9 Professional or XS1000 in artificial benchmarks, however it could actually get distractingly sizzling and its sustained writes are markedly worse. It took 50 seconds longer to maneuver our 70GB customized check folder to this drive in comparison with the X9 Professional, for instance.

The Essential X6 is one other low-cost choice that’s a very good bit slower than our prime picks. It’s restricted to a three-year guarantee and lacks an IP score as effectively. It’s not a horrible choice for the fundamentals, however there’s little cause to get it over the XS1000 when their costs are related.

The OWC Envoy Professional FX is well-built and helps Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.2 Gen 2, nevertheless it’s a smidge slower than the SE920 and Specific 1M2, and it’s a lot pricier than the previous.

<img class="caas-img caas-lazy has-preview has-width" alt="Lifestyle marketing photo of a person using a Windows laptop with a Samsung portable SSD plugged into it. A camera is also nearby, and it all sits on a green and orange surface." src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YBZqlBPmAP6JzRecFZ99SA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-10/b9d4b120-6225-11ee-b7d5-0346a06ce6af" height="576" width="960"/><img alt="Lifestyle marketing photo of a person using a Windows laptop with a Samsung portable SSD plugged into it. A camera is also nearby, and it all sits on a green and orange surface." src="https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/YBZqlBPmAP6JzRecFZ99SA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU3Ng--/https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2023-10/b9d4b120-6225-11ee-b7d5-0346a06ce6af" height="576" width="960" class="caas-img has-width"/> The Samsung T9 moveable SSD. (Samsung)

What to contemplate earlier than shopping for an exterior SSD Capability The very first thing to determine earlier than shopping for a conveyable SSD is simply how a lot cupboard space you want. A lot of the SSD drives we thought of for this information can be found in capacities starting from one to 4 terabytes, although loads of smaller and bigger choices exist.

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for which measurement is “finest” — that’ll finally rely in your funds and what precisely you’re seeking to stash. However basically, it’s higher to overcompensate than underdo it. No person needs to be compelled into shopping for a second drive as a result of they crammed the primary one up too shortly. In the event you’re backing up a PC, a very good rule of thumb is to purchase an exterior SSD with twice as a lot area as your pc’s inner storage. This manner, it can save you at the very least one full backup whereas additionally having room for extra knowledge. If you wish to retailer a bunch of PlayStation or Xbox video games with large set up sizes, you could want more room. In the event you simply wish to again up a small assortment of information, you could be higher off saving your money and simply getting a smaller USB flash drive or thumb drive as a substitute, which aren’t fairly the identical as the very best moveable SSDs we examined for this information.

Value Basically, you get a greater price-per-gigabyte ratio the additional you go up the capability ladder. As of this writing, the 1TB Samsung T9 is priced at $130, or $0.13 per gigabyte (GB), whereas the 4TB model is out there for $297 or $0.07 per GB. That technically makes the bigger mannequin a greater “worth,” however not everybody must pay that rather more upfront.

SSDs in the identical velocity class are likely to not fluctuate too wildly by way of efficiency, so a part of our decision-making for this information got here all the way down to which of them are sometimes the most cost effective. However costs can fluctuate over time; in case you see that one among our prime picks is priced means increased than a comparable honorable point out, be happy to get the latter. At this cut-off date, prices are broadly trending upwards for even the very best SSDs.

The ADATA SE920 moveable SSD linked to an Apple MacBook Professional. (Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget)

Pace and USB interface Nearly all exterior SSDs are considerably quicker than mechanical laborious disk drives (HDDs), so that you’ll save time ready for information to switch and video games to load it doesn't matter what. Throughout the market, nevertheless, there are distinct efficiency tiers. These are outlined largely by the USB interface a drive helps. Whereas all the SSDs we thought of for this information can join over USB Sort-C, some USB-C connections can provide quicker switch speeds than others. Sorting by this could get actual complicated actual quick, so we’ll attempt to put it in easy phrases.

You possibly can basically divide right this moment’s crop of moveable SSDs into completely different segments. On the very prime are drives that make the most of the (comparatively) new Thunderbolt 5 commonplace, which has a theoretical most switch fee of 80 gigabits per second (Gbps). (You might even see it promote speeds as much as 120 Gbps, however that enhance doesn’t apply to storage units.) However moveable SSDs that assist this tech solely simply began to trickle out towards the top of 2024, and the marketplace for units with Thunderbolt 5 ports remains to be pretty restricted, with probably the most notable exceptions being Apple’s top-end Macs with an M4 Professional or M4 Max chip.

Thunderbolt 5 is constructed on a spec known as USB4, which may technically attain as much as 80 Gbps as effectively however is extra usually out there in a taste that tops out at 40 Gbps. Transportable SSDs primarily based on that commonplace began to roll out towards the top of 2023 however are nonetheless comparatively rare. The older Thunderbolt 3 and Thunderbolt 4, which different high-end exterior SSDs proceed to make use of, assist the identical 40 Gbps most.

A 3rd model of USB4, in the meantime, maxes at 20 Gbps, as does an older but extra ceaselessly used commonplace known as USB 3.2 Gen 2x2. Under that's USB 3.2 Gen 2, which maxes at 10 Gbps. Then there’s USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is capped at 5 Gbps. Lastly, we’ll bundle collectively SSDs that use older requirements and aren’t value contemplating right here.

To make this straightforward: For on a regular basis people, a very good USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is the candy spot between fast-enough efficiency, wide-enough compatibility and cheap-enough worth, so these make up our main suggestions above. In the event you work in a artistic area or don’t thoughts paying additional to shave seconds off your giant file transfers, although, a “higher-tier” mannequin would make sense. Nevertheless, notice that precise computer systems that make the most of USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 aren’t tremendous widespread — no Mac helps it, for one — and the interface is successfully being changed by USB4.

Basically, your chain is simply as robust as its weakest hyperlink: In case your pc solely has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for instance, you could possibly nonetheless use a Thunderbolt SSD, however you received’t get past Gen 2 speeds. Ensure you know what you’re working with before you purchase.

As a refresher, storage units are broadly measured by way of learn speeds and write speeds. The previous refers to how lengthy it takes to entry one thing from the drive; the latter, how lengthy it takes to avoid wasting one thing to it. From there, you possibly can break these metrics into sequential and random efficiency. Sequential speeds are likely to matter extra with moveable SSDs, since most individuals use them to avoid wasting or entry lengthy, fixed streams of information equivalent to a bunch of high-res images. Random speeds can be vital if you wish to run video video games or apps off the drive, since that’d contain studying and writing smaller, extra scattered information. Both means, how effectively an SSD can maintain its efficiency with prolonged use can also be important.

Different efficiency elements and enclosures A contemporary moveable SSD’s speeds aren’t nearly its USB interface, although. Its efficiency can even rely upon how superior its controller is, whether or not it has a local USB flash controller or a separate bridge chip to speak with a number gadget, the sort and high quality of NAND flash reminiscence it makes use of, whether or not it has a DRAM cache or it’s DRAM-less, and extra.

We’re simplifying issues, however listed below are some fast suggestions: Drives with triple-level cell (TLC) reminiscence aren’t as low cost as quad-level cell (QLC) SSDs, however they’re typically extra dependable they usually supply higher write efficiency. Having a devoted DRAM cache helps in case you plan to hit your drive with extra intense, sustained workloads, however is probably not value the additional price for most individuals. Some fashions with native flash controllers could not carry out in addition to these with a bridging chip, relying on the SSD inside, however they usually draw much less warmth and are bodily smaller. All of that is to say that an exterior SSD’s speeds aren’t fairly as easy as what the producer chooses to promote on the field.

It’s additionally value remembering that you would be able to flip an inner SSD into a conveyable answer with a very good enclosure. In case you have a spare drive and don’t thoughts going the DIY route, this is usually a cheaper and extra versatile answer, although we’ve caught to pre-built fashions for this information for the sake of simplicity.

Photograph by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

Dimension, sturdiness, endurance and guarantee Most moveable SSDs are impressively small and light-weight, in order that they received’t be tough to tuck in a bag (or perhaps a pocket) and tackle the go. We notice above if any drive is bulkier than ordinary.

Nothing we’re speaking about issues in case your drive can’t final in the long run. It’s laborious to definitively say which exterior SSDs are probably the most dependable, however we scoured by consumer evaluations and suggestions whereas researching this information to make sure none of our picks present a sample of catastrophic errors. If there was an excessive amount of smoke round a selected mannequin, we steered clear. We dominated out sure drives from SanDisk and Western Digital, as an example, after experiences from Ars Technica and The Verge famous a problem that led to knowledge loss (and lawsuits) in 2023.

That mentioned, one of many massive causes you’d purchase an SSD basically is its superior sturdiness. As a result of it has no shifting mechanical elements inside, an SSD has far fewer avenues to failure than an exterior laborious drive. You continue to don’t wish to be careless with them, however an unintentional drop shouldn’t be the top of the world.

Some moveable SSDs construct on this inherent ruggedness with plastic or rubberized casings and extra sturdy waterproofing. These aren’t crucial for everybody, however in case you’re a frequent traveler or somebody who typically works outdoor, there are alternatives for you.

Nonetheless, all drives can fail. In case you have any kind of knowledge you’d be distraught to lose, it's best to again it up repeatedly, then make a second backup, ideally with a cloud service. Alongside these protecting strains, we additionally took notice of the guarantee coverage for every drive we examined. Nearly all of them are backed for both three or 5 years; in fact, longer is best.

Encryption and software program It’s not unusual to retailer delicate knowledge on a conveyable SSD, so some fashions supply additional security measures like hardware-based encryption — i.e., direct scrambling of information saved on the drive itself — built-in keypads and fingerprint readers to guard towards unauthorized entry if the drive is misplaced or stolen. Whereas not prime necessities, perks like these are actually good to have. Some SSDs additionally include companion software program to additional handle the drive. The perfect of these could be useful to have round, however we wouldn’t name them important.

How we check exterior SSDs Sadly, we didn't have entry to a tool that may make full use of USB 3.2 Gen 2, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 and Thunderbolt/USB4 speeds interchangeably, so we needed to cut up our testing throughout a number of units, together with an M1 Professional MacBook Professional and an Alienware gaming PC working Home windows 11. Due to this, we primarily in contrast the moveable SSDs inside every “class” towards each other. Earlier than switching OSes, we reformatted every drive to every platform’s commonplace file system format: APFS for macOS and NTFS for Home windows.

After researching which SSDs had sufficient constructive suggestions to be value testing within the first place, we put 13 drives by a variety of artificial and “real-world” benchmark checks. On Home windows, these included CrystalDiskMark, PCMark 10’s Information Drive Benchmark and 3DMark’s gaming-focused Storage Benchmark. On macOS, we used AmorphousDiskMark (successfully a Mac model of CrystalDiskMark), BlackMagic Disk Pace Take a look at and ATTO Disk Benchmark.

We additionally timed how lengthy it took for every drive to learn and write a customized 70GB folder crammed with roughly 11,500 completely different information, together with images, movies, music information, PDFs and different giant and small knowledge varieties scattered throughout quite a few subfolders. We carried out a number of passes for every check to keep away from irregularities, and we stored observe of every SSD’s warmth ranges over the course of the entire suite. Our course of wasn't an ideal science, nevertheless it gave us a basic sense of how every drive compares to different fashions in its worth and efficiency vary.

Latest updates February 2025: We’ve checked to make sure the pricing information and hyperlinks on this information are nonetheless correct. We’ve additionally added particulars on the (comparatively) new Thunderbolt 5 interface, which has been carried out in a pair latest moveable SSDs just like the OWC Envoy Extremely and LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5. We’ll look to incorporate testing notes for these for our subsequent replace, as they need to be quicker than the ADATA SE920, our present premium decide, albeit for a a lot increased worth. For now, although, our prime picks stay the identical.

October 2024: We’ve taken a sweep by this information to make sure all pricing and availability information remains to be appropriate. Our suggestions are unchanged.