If you're looking to protect you data, you'll need one of the best external hard drives or the best solid state drives. It can be difficult to find the right hard drive, as there are loads on the market, and they all have different qualities and features, that's why we've put together this guide to help you.
In our selection, we have looked at a range of hard drives, from ones offering rugged travel protection to those delivering the best home-based backups. And where we haven't actually had our hands on these devices for review, we've combed the internet for trusted reviews, so you can be sure you've found the best external hard drive for you, at the best possible price.
Remember you can also back up files with the best cloud storage. And if you're looking for more accessories, you might want to take a look at our pick of the best power banks and the best internal hard drives.
Best external hard drives and best external SSDs
Why you can trust Creative Bloq Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Best external hard drive for creatives
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 3TB-18TB
With zippy transfer speeds, a huge capacity (up to a massive 18TB) and an affordable price, we highly recommend this storage card. It's compatible with the latest USB 3.0 devices, with data transfer rates of up to 6GBps, as well as being backward compatible with USB 2.0 devices.
Speedy external SSD drive
HDD or SSD: SDD
Capacity: 500GB-2TB
The Samsung T7 Touch is a great value option, with the added bonus of fingerprint or password security. You can load, edit and save 4K video directly to the T7, install applications, even run an entire alternative OS off it, if you wish. Plus the T7 is fast, with read/write speeds up to 1,050MB/s and 1,000MB/s.
External hard drive with backup software
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 3TB-18TB
My Book offers value for money with its high transfer speeds (up to 5GBps), wide range of capacities of up to 18TB, password protection, with 256-bit AES hardware encryption, and in-built backup software. So, if security and regular backups are top priorities for you, this is the card to opt for.
Best external hard drive for outdoors
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 1TB-5TB
Want a device that'll withstand hostile conditions? Then look no further: the ADATA HD710 Pro offers three layers of anti-shock technology and can take drops of up to 1.5m. Rated to IP68 standards, it protects against dust and sand, and is waterproof. It's fast too, with speeds of up to 5GBps. While the camouflage look might not suit everyone's tastes, when it comes to ruggedness, you won't find finer.
Great Mac-ready external hard drive
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 4TB, 6TB, 12TB, 18TB, 20TB
Aimed at pros who create a large amount of digital work, this is one of the best external hard drives for Mac users. You can daisy-chain up to six other units to it. There are different storage amounts available, and the Thunderbolt ports enable you to power up via mains plug or your Mac/PC, which allows for a bit of portability.
Great backup solution for PC and Mac
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 1TB-5TB
For a backup solution that you can set up and forget about, the Seagate Backup Plus is just the ticket. With its own backup software you can easily set up to safely store data from all your devices. It will move files from your computer, and you can set it to grab data from your phone, cloud storage and social media accounts, if you want it to.
Speedy drive with good protection
HDD or SSD: SSD
Capacity: 1TB-4TB
The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD is light but it sports a solid, rugged outer shell, and has IP55 dust and water resistance, so you can rest assured it will protect your data when you're out. Though the speeds were a little lower in our review than those advertised, if you're after a neat, rugged device, this is top choice.
Great value external hard drive
HDD or SSD: SSD
Capacity: 250GB-2TB
The Samsung T5 is an older model to the T7 Touch, and offers transfer speeds around half as fast; it also lacks the fingerprint scanner. But for a great price, you do get the same high-quality build and reliability, AES 256-bit encryption, and password protection as the T7 Touch. Plus, the T5 is even smaller and lighter (at 5.7 x 1 x 7.4 cm and 51g), so if space is valuable to you, this device may be worth considering, and as it's an old model you may be able to pick one up quite cheaply.
Most rugged, water-resistant SSD
HDD or SSD: SSD
Capacity: 256GB, 512GB or 1TB
In general, SSDs can take more punishment than hard drives because they lack the moving parts that are usually the weak spots in HDDs: But the Adata SD700 goes further: it's water-resistant for up to 30 minutes, and is IP68 rated, meaning it can withstand dust, dirt and sand. The starting capacity isn't huge, and the write speeds aren't as fast as the Samsung SSDs on our list, but overall, this is a great option.
A drive with huge amounts of space
HDD or SSD: HDD
Capacity: 4TB-36TB
If you work with 4K/8K video or 3D scenes, you may like the WD My Book Duo, with storage options of up to 36TB! The drive works by duplicating your data across two drives, so if one fails, everything's still safe. There are two additional USB ports, plus 256-bit AES hardware encryption and automatic backup software.
