The Best Portable SSDs

One of the most useful devices to have, both for personal and professional use, is a portable SSD. As an external device, it’s as simple as plugging it into a USB port, and voilà—more storage!

More importantly, SSDs dominate mechanical hard drives in terms of performance, not to mention being much easier to obtain these days. It also helps that SSDs with massive storage capacities are no longer the rare unicorns they once were.

For the sake of having storage on hand while you’re traveling, let’s take a look at the best portable SSDs available right now.

Our Favorite Portable SSDs in 2023

Samsung T7 Shield

Best Overall

Fast, reliable, and one heck of a tough SSD

$80 $160 Save
$80

The Samsung T7 Shield has got it going on! Not just high read and write speeds but reliably consistent performance on top of a rugged exterior.

Pros

• Compact and featherweight
• IP65 water and dust-resistant rating
• Consistent read and write speeds
• Compatible with a wide variety of devices, including Mac

Cons

• No storage size smaller than 1TB

It’s tough to find a portable external SSD that aces its performance while also being capable of taking a beating. Look no further because the Samsung T7 Shield does it all, and it comes at a great price from a reputable brand.

For starters, the Samsung T7 Shield features an IP65 water and dust-resistant rating. If it gets a little wet from light rain, it’ll still function after the fact. Additionally, it’s encased in a rubbery shield featuring a series of ridges, making it quite easy to grip even when wet.

However, it’s not all about durability with the Samsung T7 Shield. The drive can reach up to 1050 MB/s and 1000 MB/s read and write speeds, respectively. That’s more than enough for personal and professional use, but more importantly, it reaches those speeds more consistently than other SSDs.

Crucial X8 Portable SSD

Best Value

Solid performance and excellent cost per gigabyte

$60 $70 Save
$10

When you need a lot of storage, and your budget is tight, the Crucial X8 is the perfect answer. It’s available in storage sizes as large as 4TB, while still maintaining impressive read/write speeds.

Pros

• Low cost per gigabyte
• Durable anodized aluminum chassis
• Dropproof up to 7.5 feet
• Surprisingly good performance for its price

Cons

• Encryption support would’ve been nice

Just because your budget doesn’t offer much wiggle room doesn’t mean you have to settle for subpar performance and durability—not while the Crucial X8 is an option.

Don’t let the Crucial X8’s price tag fool you. It can peak at 1050 MB/s and 1000 MB/s read and write speeds, which is fast enough for use in both a professional setting and certainly for personal use, like gaming. It’s also compatible with Apple, Windows, Android, and gaming consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox.

Thanks to an anodized aluminum chassis, the Crucial X8 is also plenty tough. You can drop the SSD from 7.5 feet, and it’ll walk away like nothing happened.

LaCie Rugged Pro

Best for Mac

A rugged, blazingly fast option with Thunderbolt 3 support

$275 $342 Save
$67

The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro provides peace of mind with its IP67 water and dust resistance and sturdy exterior. It also features superfast read/write speeds through Thunderbolt 3.

Pros

• Read/write speeds up to 2800 MB/s via Thunderbolt 3
• IP67 water and dust resistance
• 3-meter drop resistance
• Ideal companion for outdoor creatives

Cons

• Small cable
• Cost per gigabyte is a bit too high

You didn’t think we’d forget about Apple, did you? While several SSDs on our list are compatible with Apple’s lineup, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro is practically built for them.

It ultimately comes down to the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro’s Thunderbolt 3 support. It allows for read and write speeds of up to 2800 MB/s, which is beyond what you’d need in a professional setting, but if you’re an editor or working with large files of data, you’ll welcome those transfer speeds with open arms.

Speaking of creativity, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro does its name justice with a rubberized shell and an IP67 water and dust resistance rating. That’s the kind of peace of mind you need if, say, you’re snapping photos while you’re hiking.

Kingston XS2000

Most Portable

A high-performance SSD in the palm of your hand

$80 $115 Save
$35

The Kingston XS200 is one of the most compact and lightweight SSDs. It’s also quite sturdy and shockproof, and it offers fast read and write speeds with a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface.

Pros

• Fits comfortably in your pocket
• Rugged and sturdy
• High-speed 20Gbps interface
• Sizes as large as 4TB and as small as 500GB
• Fast transfer speeds even without USB 3.2 Gen 2×2

Cons

• SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps ports aren’t common
• Easy to lose

If you want a portable SSD with a low footprint that doesn’t sacrifice performance, this super compact USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 SSD from Kingston should be right up your street.

The Kingston XS2000 is incredibly small and lightweight, not much larger than an average thumb drive. You can quickly and easily slip it into your pocket or travel bag, and thanks to its IP55 ingress rating, you don’t even have to worry about dirt or lint.

Lastly, the Kingston XS2000 can achieve 2000 MB/s read and write speeds, provided you have access to USB 3.2 Gen 2×2. Without those ports, the Kingston XS2000 only delivers half those speeds, which is still great and nothing to scoff at.

If your job frequently takes you outside, then you need a portable SSD that withstands the weather just as much as you do. Considering the design and performance of the ADATA SE800, it’s hard to recommend anything else.

Starting with the case, the ADATA SE800 houses and protects the hardware with a brushed aluminum chassis, which not only looks pretty snazzy but also adds shock resistance. To further prevent damage, the ADATA SE800 features an IP68 water and dust resistance rating, so a bit of rain and dirt mean nothing to the SSD.

Along with a tough exterior, the ADATA SE800 is also quite the speedster. It can read and write data at 1000 MB/s, but if that isn’t enough, you can opt for the Gen 2×2 model to double those speeds.

WD Black P50 SSD

Best for Gamers

A safe place to store your evergrowing game library

$200 $250 Save
$50

The WD Black P50 packs a blazingly fast read speed, making it the ideal companion for gaming on the go. It’s also quite sturdy, given its aluminum chassis and shock resistance.

Pros

• Excellent companion for a gaming laptop
• Tough aluminum casing
• Supports USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
• Read speeds up to 2000 MB/s

Cons

• No storage size smaller than 1TB
• SuperSpeed USB 20Gbps ports aren’t common

Gaming on the go is more prevalent than it’s ever been, from streaming to powerful gaming laptops capable of running the latest titles. Games are also growing in size, especially AAA titles. As you game abroad, you’ll want the WD Black P50 by your side.

Whether you’re gaming on PC, Mac, Xbox, or PlayStation, the WD Black P50 is compatible with all four right out of the box. What helps is that it includes both a USB-C to USB-C and a USB-C to USB-A cable inside, so you’ll always have the right equipment for the job.

For portability, the WD Black P50 is quite slim and sturdy. All the sensitive hardware is encased in a shock-resistant aluminum cover, ensuring your hundreds of gigabytes of videogames will be safe and sound inside the SSD.

SanDisk Extreme Pro SSD

Best for Professionals

For when your creativity takes you on a journey

$115 $140 Save
$25

The SanDisk Extreme Pro was practically born for traveling due to its small stature, handy carabiner loop, and IP55 rating. It’s also quite secure for storing sensitive material.

Pros

• It’s tiny and cute
• Tough aluminum casing
• Password protection with 256-bit hardware encryption
• IP55 water and dust resistance
• Built-in carabiner loop

Cons

• Small enough to easily lose
• Short cables

When you’re out and about, the last thing you want to lug around is a bulky, unwieldy storage drive. Sometimes “portable” doesn’t always mean convenient. Thankfully, the SanDisk Extreme PRO is both, with high transfer speeds to boot.

The SanDisk Extreme Pro is rocking a powerful NVMe SSD capable of clocking 2000 MB/s read and write speeds. This level of speed is ideal for transferring images, videos, and other large files, while 256-bit hardware encryption keeps your sensitive files securely locked in.

For convenience, the SanDisk Extreme Pro is tiny and pocket-sized, in addition to an aluminum chassis for durability. This means you can slip it into your pocket or travel bag and know it’ll be safe the entire journey. It even has a carabiner loop for clipping to a backpack or belt.

Picking the Best Portable SSD for You

Since you have portability in mind, and you’ll be traveling with your SSD, durability should be considered first and foremost. Performance is important, too, but would you be willing to cut back on durability for the sake of better transfer speeds?

This is why the Samsung T7 Shield is the perfect option for most people. It’s both fast and durable given the rubberized outer shell, IP65 ingress rating, and consistent performance. You can drop it from nearly 10 feet, and it’ll be just fine.

By sacrificing just a small amount of durability and performance, the Crucial X8 is still an excellent option when you’re more concerned with having as much storage as possible. Instead of rubber, the X8 features an aluminum shell, ensuring the hardware is safe if you accidentally drop it.

Samsung T7 Shield

Best Overall

Fast, reliable, and one heck of a tough SSD

$80 $160 Save
$80

The Samsung T7 Shield has got it going on! Not just high read and write speeds but reliably consistent performance on top of a rugged exterior.

Pros

• Compact and featherweight
• IP65 water and dust-resistant rating
• Consistent read and write speeds
• Compatible with a wide variety of devices, including Mac

Cons

• No storage size smaller than 1TB