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Best external hard drives 2025
The best external hard drives transfer files quickly, are durable enough to withstand a few knocks, and offer a wide range of storage sizes to meet your needs and budget.
We've tested hard disk drives (HDDs), which are best for long-term backing up of files from your computer, and solid state drives (SSDs), which are usually pricier but offer faster speeds.
Our tests measure how fast the drives work in a variety of scenarios, how quickly you can transfer a large amount of data to them and whether they'll keep working after a few drops and spills.
We've tested the most popular external hard drives available at key UK retailers such as Argos, Amazon and Currys.
The best external hard disk drives
Only logged-in Which? members can view the hard disk drives test results below.
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| Hard disk drive | Price | Score | Read speed | Write speed | Type of connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | |||||
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Date tested: November 2024. Page last checked: December 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
All products tested with 1TB external hard drive. Read speed is a measure of how quickly stored files can be accessed on the drive. Write speed is a measure of how quickly files can be saved on the drive. Star ratings are awarded separately for hard disk drives and solid state drives. The speed ratings for hard disk drives is not directly comparable with that for solid state drives because SSDs as a category are much faster.
Type of connection is the type of USB connection that plugs into the computer. Number in brackets is the version of USB tech the USB-A connection uses. The most recent is (3.2 gen2).
The external hard disk drives we tested
All the hard disk drives we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best external hard drives from our tests.
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LaCie Rugged USB-C Portable External Hard Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 226g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 13.5 x 8.6 x 1.9cm, two-year warranty
Seagate Expansion Portable Hard Drive
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Type of connection Micro-B to USB-A (3.0)
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 3TB, 4TB, 5TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 123g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 11.4 x 8 x 1.2cm, two-year warranty
Seagate Portable Drive
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Type of connection Micro-B to USB-A (3.0)
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to NTFS, weight 130g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 11.7 x 8 x 1.5cm, two-year warranty
Toshiba Canvio Basics Portable Hard Drive
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Type of connection Micro-B to USB-A (3.2 gen1)
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to NTFS, weight 120g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 10.9 x 7.8 x 1.4cm, two-year warranty
Western Digital Elements Portable External Hard Drive
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Type of connection Micro-B to USB-A (gen 3.2 gen1)
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 5TB, 6TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to NTFS, weight 134g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 11.1 x 8.2 x 1.5cm, two-year warranty
Want a different way to store your files? Find out how to choose the best cloud storage service
The best SSD external hard drives
Only logged-in Which? members can view the solid state drive (SSD) test results below.
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| Solid state drive | Price | Score | Read speed | Write speed | Type of connection |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations. Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time Already a member? Log in | |||||
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Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations.
Unlock tableFirst month £5, then £11.99 per month, cancel at any time
Already a member? Log in
Date tested: November 2024. Page last checked: December 2024. We are not able to show every retailer and cheaper prices may be available.
All products tested with 1TB external hard drive. Read speed is a measure of how quickly stored files can be accessed on the drive. Write speed is a measure of how quickly files can be saved on the drive. Star ratings are awarded separately for hard disk drives and solid state drives. The speed ratings for hard disk drives is not directly comparable with that for solid state drives because SSDs as a category are much faster.
Type of connection is the type of USB connection that plugs into the computer. Number in brackets is the version of USB tech the USB-A connection uses. The most recent is (3.2 gen2).
The SSD external hard drives we tested
All the solid state drives we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.
Only logged-in Which? members can view the best SSD external hard drives from our tests.
Join Which? to get instant access to our test results and Best Buy recommendations below.
Crucial X9 Portable External Solid State Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C
Sizes available 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to NTFS, weight 33g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 6.5 x 4.9 x 1cm, three-year warranty
Samsung T7 Gen 2 Portable Solid State Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A (3.2 gen2)
Sizes available 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 68g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 8.5 x 5.7 x 0.8cm, other colours available, three-year warranty
SanDisk Extreme Portable Solid State Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A (3.2 gen2)
Sizes available 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, 8TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 55g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 10.1 x 5.3 x 1cm, other colours available, five-year warranty
Seagate One Touch Solid State Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A (3.0)
Sizes available 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 44g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 7 x 5 x 1.1cm, other colours available, three-year warranty
Western Digital My Passport Portable Solid State Drive
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Type of connection USB-C to USB-C or USB-C to USB-A (3.2 gen2)
Sizes available 500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB
Need to know 1TB size tested, preformatted to exFAT, weight 50g (1TB model), dimensions (L x W x H) 10 x 5.5 x 0.9cm, other colours available, five-year warranty
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How we test external hard drives
We select the most searched-for hard disk drives and solid state drives to test. We buy every external hard drive we test: brands can't buy their way into or testing. We don't expect freebies that could influence what we write.
We regularly revisit the external hard drives on sale to see if there are any more popular models that need testing and when we find them we do.
All external hard drives are tested with 1TB models, on a laptop running Windows 11.
Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturer and retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.
Read and write speeds
- We run multiple read and write tests, including PassMark, CrystalDiskMark and BlackMagic disk speed test, on each external hard drive.
- We run sequential read and write tests, which essentially tests each hard drive for how quickly you can open and save large files such as videos and photos.
- We also run random read and write tests, which essentially tests each hard drive for how quickly it can open and run applications, Operating Systems, Games and saving lots of small files.
- The best external hard drives have fast read and write speeds (both sequential and random) for the type of drive it is.
- For most people, hard disk drives will be perfectly good for storing files, but solid state drives offer faster speeds and that will be needed if you want to run applications or do video editing on files stored on the drive.
Folder transfer time
- We time how long it takes to copy 30GB of data (made up of a mix of more than 4,000 large and small files) from the computer to the drive.
- We also time how long it takes to copy this from one location on the drive to another.
- The best external hard drives could do these tasks around 50% faster than the slowest.
Thermal performance
- We attach multiple temperature sensors to the external hard drive to measure how hot the outer casing gets while transferring files.
- The best remain cool to touch, while some rise by more than 10°C while operating.
Durability
- We drop each hard drive multiple times, and spill water over it to simulate knocking over a drink on your desk.
- All hard drives could still be used after these tests, but if you want the most durable hard drive, consider a solid state drive. They have no moving parts so should withstand harder knocks and bumps than hard disk drives.
After something more portable? Read our best USB stick reviews
Types of external hard drive
External hard drives fall into two main types: hard disk drives (HDDs) and solid state drives (SSD).
An HDD uses a magnetic spinning disk and a high-speed arm to load and save data, while SSDs use flash storage that is controlled entirely by electronic transistors – there are no moving parts.
HDDs are typically cheaper to buy than SSDs for the same amount of storage. HDD speeds are usually OK for long-term storage of photos and videos, but aren't fast enough to run applications or games.
SSDs are much faster, and with no moving parts are less susceptible to damage from bumps and knocks. They do burn a bigger hole in your wallet, though.
For even more on the pros and cons of different hard drive types: SSD vs HDD: what's the difference and which is better?
How to format an external hard drive
Most external hard drives come preformatted to extensible file allocation table (exFAT). For most people this will be the best option – it works well and is compatible with all major operating systems (OS), including Windows and Mac OS.
However, there are operating-system-specific formats, such as NFTS for Windows and AFTS for Apple devices, which may suit your needs better.
Also, you may need to reformat an external hard drive if it gets damaged or corrupted, and your computer can no longer recognise the hard drive. You'll know this is the case if your computer displays a prompt asking you to format the external hard drive.
Most operating systems have built-in disk-formatting tools. On Windows, you can right-click your external hard drive and select Format.
Formatting a hard drive wipes the drive clean, deleting all the data from it, so make sure you've backed up anything on it that you want to keep.
Here are some of the most common types of file system you can select when formatting:
- exFAT The file system most external hard drives are preformatted to, which is supported by Windows, Mac OS and Linux. It's the best choice if you're going to use the hard drive across devices with different operating systems.
- NTFS The file system optimised to Windows. It can support more advanced features such as encryption and access permissions. The files are also easier to recover. However, they're read-only on Mac devices (so you cannot edit them). You probably don't need this format type if you're using your external hard drive for basic storage, but it may be helpful if you want to run operating systems or applications directly from your external hard drive.
- APFS File system for Mac OS 10.13 or later. It essentially has the same benefits as NTFS for Windows computers, but is only compatible with Apple devices.
- Mac OS Extended File system for Mac OS 10.12 or earlier.
How to format an external hard drive for Mac
Most external hard drives come out of the box preformatted to exFAT, which means they're compatible to use with Mac OS.
If you only want to use your external hard drive for long-term storage of files, photos and videos, then this will meet your needs.
However, if you're using your external hard drive exclusively on Apple devices and want some advanced features, you may want to reformat it to Apple's APFS. (If your device runs an older version of Mac OS, formatting to Mac OS Extended will be the best option.)
APFS lets you encrypt the drive, so you need to enter a password to access the files. It also shares data between files, which makes duplicating large files very quick and won't take up more storage space on your hard drive.
To format your external hard drive on a Mac:
- Plug in your external hard drive
- Open Disk Utility. You can get to it by clicking the magnifying glass and typing 'disk utility'
- Select your external hard drive
- Click Erase on the top ribbon
- Rename the drive and select your chosen format
- Click Erase on the bottom right of the window.
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