The Best External Storage for a Laptop: SSDs and Hard Drives

WD offers a three-year warranty. It matches the Seagate Portable 2TB and the WD Elements on capacity (2TB). A USB 3.0 connection is unique to it among these picks, while the Seagate Portable 2TB uses a USB 3.0 (USB-A) connection.

It also offers backup software with ransomware defense. It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. Its price falls between the Seagate Portable 2TB and the WD Elements, based on our last check.

Speed stays at 1,050MB/s. Its rubber shell is rated for water, dust and drops, and it transfers over USB 3.2 Gen 2. It works with PC, Mac and consoles.

It reads at up to 1,050MB/s over PCIe NVMe, and it is rated IP65 for water and dust. Samsung makes its own controller, DRAM and NAND for the T7 Shield, and it is sold in 1TB to 4TB capacities. It matches the Ultra Touch SSD and the YOTUO 1TB on capacity (1TB).

A USB 3.2 Gen 2 (USB-C) connection is unique to it among these picks, while the YOTUO 1TB uses a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection. It was the most expensive pick when we checked, so weigh what it adds over the Ultra Touch SSD.

An Android app manages phone backups. Its fabric-covered shell is palm-sized, and it ships with a USB-A adapter and an Android app for phone backups. Some Macs need it reformatted first.

It includes a year of Mylio Create and two months of Adobe CC Photography. On capacity it ties with the T7 Shield and the YOTUO 1TB at 1TB. No other pick in this guide offers a USB-C with USB-A adapter connection; compare the Seagate Portable 2TB, which has a USB 3.0 (USB-A) connection. When we checked, only the WD Elements and cheaper picks cost less, and the T7 Shield cost more.

It is the low-cost way to add backup space to any laptop. It matches the My Passport 2TB and the WD Elements on capacity (2TB). You get a USB 3.0 (USB-A) connection here, which sets it apart from the Ultra Touch SSD and its a USB-C with USB-A adapter connection.

It also offers drag-and-drop file saving on Windows and Mac and a low price per terabyte. It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. On price it sat second of 6, between the cheaper YOTUO 1TB and the pricier My Passport 2TB, at the time of writing.

It is formatted for Windows out of the box. On capacity it ties with the My Passport 2TB and the Seagate Portable 2TB at 2TB. It is the only pick here with a USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) connection; the YOTUO 1TB has a USB 3.0 and USB-C connection instead.

It also comes with plug-and-play setup, a small, light enclosure and USB 3.2 Gen 1. It connects by USB-A; a USB-C-only laptop such as a MacBook Air needs an adapter or a USB-C cable. It ships formatted for Windows, so a Mac user reformats it (exFAT for both systems, APFS for Time Machine).

As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. It was priced above the My Passport 2TB and below the Ultra Touch SSD at the time of writing.

It weighs 0.16kg. It stores and plays PS4 and Xbox One games directly, and a silicone sleeve cushions drops. It works with Windows, Mac and Linux.

On capacity it ties with the T7 Shield and the Ultra Touch SSD at 1TB. As a spinning hard drive it is slower than an SSD and less tolerant of knocks while running. You also get this: 0.16kg weight.

It cost the least of the 6 picks at the time of writing, with the Seagate Portable 2TB the next step up. It gives ground on capacity, where the My Passport 2TB is rated for 2TB.