Best External Hard Drive For Long-Term Storage

External hard drives are popular storage solutions for both backup and data portability, offering large storage capacities in a convenient and mobile form. When choosing an external hard drive, considerations typically include storage capacity, durability, speed, compatibility, and price. If you’re in search of a reliable external hard drive to serve you well over the years, we’ve compiled a list of five top-rated brands. These recommendations are based on customer feedback and expert analysis from multiple platforms.

  1. Western Digital (WD) – Western Digital is well-known for producing reliable external drives, with the My Passport series being particularly popular for general consumers. These drives are valued for their good balance of performance, durability, and capacity options, alongside strong encryption for security.
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Western Digital (WD) My Passport is one of the most popular models from WD, offering up to 5TB of storage. It’s known for its reliable performance and includes password protection with hardware encryption. The My Passport series is versatile, suitable for general backup, storage, and transporting files.

2. Seagate – Seagate offers a variety of external hard drives that are often praised for their speed and reliability.

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The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a compact and slim external hard drive that offers up to 5TB of storage. It is appreciated for its sleek design and straightforward backup software, which makes it a solid choice for everyday use. It also comes with a two-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography Plan.

3. Samsung – Known for their portable SSD series, Samsung drives are highly regarded for their fast data transfer speeds thanks to SSD technology. They are also compact, lightweight, and have a rugged design that includes shock resistance, making them a great choice for users who need fast, durable, and portable storage solutions.

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The Samsung T7 Portable SSD delivers impressive speeds (up to 1,050 MB/s), which is significantly faster than traditional HDDs. It’s highly portable, durable, and secure, with optional password protection through hardware encryption. It’s excellent for users who need quick access to large files, making it ideal for creative professionals.

4. LaCie – LaCie is often chosen for its rugged external drives, which are designed to withstand harsh conditions making them ideal for photographers, videographers, and field workers.

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The LaCie Rugged Mini is notable for their shock, drop, and water resistance. It is designed to withstand drops, dust, and water, and offers up to 5TB of storage and features a USB 3.0 interface for fast transfer speeds. It’s a great choice for outdoor use or in environments where physical damage is a concern.

5. Toshiba – Toshiba’s Canvio series offers a good mix of affordability and reliability, with models that cater to both basic storage needs and more demanding data transfer requirements. These drives are appreciated for their competitive pricing and decent performance.

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Toshiba Canvio Advance offers up to 4TB of storage and features a stylish design with a glossy finish. It includes password protection and backup software to help keep your files secure and duplicated. The Canvio Advance series is particularly noted for its balance of performance and price, making it a great value option

Note that these brands are recommended based on various factors including their reliability, durability, speed, and user-friendly features such as software for backup and data encryption. Each brand has its strengths, so the best choice depends on your specific needs such as transfer speed, storage capacity, portability, and budget.

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