Whether you use a laptop or desktop computer — Windows or MacOS — it’s not a matter of if you’ll lose important data and files. It’s a matter of when. It’s important to create regular backups of your most important data and documents. You can use a cloud service, but a local backup just makes sense. Using a portable SSD makes this a fast, easy, secure and often automatic process.

Best portable SSDs for 2024

The best portable SSDs are durable, easy to transport and reliable. They offer a fast read/write speed, have a large storage capacity and provide easy connectivity. Our in-house tech experts have curated this roundup of the best portable SSDs for 2024. 

Best portable SSD overall: LaCie Rugged SSD Pro 2TB

Dimensions: 3.85 x 2.56 x 0.67 inches | Weight: 5.6 ounces | Capacity: 2TB | Read speed: Up to 2,800 MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 2,800 MB/s |  Waterproof rating: IP67 | Connectivity: USB Type-C / Thunderbolt 3 | Compatibility: Windows, MacOS

Yes, the price of this portable SSD is on the high side, but we often see it on sale. It’s our top pick because it offers a portable and lightweight design. It’s also extremely durable. This LaCie Rugged SSD Pro can withstand a drop from up to 9.8 feet, offers up to two tons of crush resistance and is IP67 rated for water and dust resistance.

Its data transfer rate is up to 2800 MB/s, which means it can transfer a 150GB file in less than a minute. This makes it one of the fastest portable SSDs we considered for this roundup. Another thing we like about this drive is that it comes with five years of data recovery if something happens to the drive or the data stored on it.

If you plan to keep a portable SSD with you when you travel, need plenty of storage capacity and a fast read/write speed, this is a drive we love. It can also be used as a local backup for your desktop computer. 

Best portable SSD for travel: Kingston XS2000 2TB

Dimensions: 2.74 x 1.28 x 0.53 inches | Weight: 1.02 ounces | Capacity: 2TB | Read speed: 2,000MB/s | Write Speed: 2,000 MB/s |  Waterproof rating: IP55 | Connectivity: USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 | Compatibility: Windows 11, MacOS, Linux, ChromeOS, Android, iOS/iPadOS, gaming consoles

While the Kingston XS2000 is not as durable as the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro, it is water resistant and compact. It’s designed to be carried in a pocket, yet work with a wide range of devices. Use it with the included rubber sleeve for extra peace of mind. (This does slightly increase its bulkiness.) Or, for less than $20, you can also purchase a hard shell case.

From the XS2000, you can expect fast and reliable performance. And if 2TB isn’t enough storage, a 4TB version is also available ($350). While the drive does come with a five-year limited warranty, no free data recovery service is included if something goes wrong. That said, this portable SSD works with pretty much every operating system, computer, mobile device and video game console. It’s also a viable backup option for higher-end cameras.

Best portable SSD for indoor use: Samsung 2TB T9

Dimensions: 3.5 x 2.4 x 0.6 inches | Weight: 4.3 ounces | Capacity: 4TB | Read speed: 2000 MB/s  | Write Speed: 2000 MB/s |  Waterproof rating: None | Connectivity: USB Type-C or USB Type-A | Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, iOS/iPadOS, Android, SmartTVs, Cameras

Instead of focusing on durability and being water resistant, the Samsung 2TB T9 portable SSD is designed for fast and reliable performance. The drive works seamlessly with just about any computer, but it’s also a great option for expanding the storage of a gaming console.

The drive is not waterproof or water-resistant, but it can withstand a drop from up to 9.8 feet. And you can set up automatic backups, monitor the drive’s health and performance and set up password access to the drive.

If you plan to keep this drive indoors and use it with large files, we found it to be an easy, fast and reliable option. A 1TB ($110) and 4TB ($300) version of this drive is also available.

Best portable SSD for security: Apricorn Aegis NVX 2TB

Dimensions: 4.72 x 2.4 x 0.59 inches | Weight: 15.5 ounces | Capacity: 2TB | Read speed: 1,000 MB/s | Write Speed: 1000 MB/s |  Waterproof rating: IP68 | Connectivity: USB Type-C | Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Android or any device with USB OS with a file storage system

While its read/write speed is not as fast as other SSDs in this roundup, hands down, the Apricorn Aegis NVX is the most secure. This makes it ideal for storing your most essential, personal and confidential data. 

The drive offers hardware-based 256-bit AES XTS encryption, along with onboard keypad authentication. You can set it up for files to require a password as well, or create admin or read-only user modes. 

You can even pre-program a self-destruct pin to keep your data from falling into the wrong hands. Even better, this model is also rugged and water resistant; the outer casing is made from an aluminum alloy that’s tamper resistant. 

The drive is also small and lightweight enough to be carried almost anywhere. It’s cross-platform-compatible, so you can transfer data between computers and mobile devices or access content stored on the device from any compatible equipment. 

Best portable SSD for indoor/outdoor use: OWC Envoy Pro Elektron

Dimensions: 3 x 2 x 0.5 inches | Weight: 3.04 ounces | Capacity: 2TB | Read speed: Up to 1,250 MB/s | Write Speed: Up to 1,250 MB/s |  Waterproof rating: IP67 | Connectivity: USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (with adapter for USB Type-A) | Compatibility: Windows, MacOS, Linux, iPadOS, Android, ChromeOS

If you need an extremely small (and we mean small) portable SSD that’s waterproof, crushproof, dust proof, and able to work in extreme temperatures (up to 95 degrees Fahrenheit), keep reading. This model is compatible with just about any computer or mobile device.

This drive easily fits in the palm of a hand. It comes with a single cable that offers a USB Type-C plug, along with a USB Type-A adapter. You get plug-and-play functionality, with no special drivers required. The drive’s housing is made from durable and lightweight aluminum. 

With its 2TB capacity, you can use this SSD to backup your entire computer or mobile device, or just as easily transfer large files between computers without needing the internet. 

How to choose the best portable SSD

Whether you plan to use a portable SSD as a computer’s primary backup, a secondary backup in addition to the cloud, or a temporary place to store important data when you’re working remotely, it’s important to choose one that offers the design, capacity, durability, connectivity, security and speed you need. 

• Design: Pay attention to the size, shape and weight of the portable SSD to make sure it’ll be easy to transport or fit nicely on your desk. Unless the SSD will be used as a frequent backup device, it’s a good strategy to keep the SSD in a different location than your computer when it’s not being used; if the computer gets stolen, lost, damaged or infected, your data will still be safe.
• Capacity: Choose the largest capacity you can afford. As a general rule, if you’re using an SSD to back up your entire computer or mobile device, choose a capacity that’s at least 1TB larger than your equipment’s internal storage.
• Durability: Some of the best portable SSDs are designed to withstand drops and be water resistant. This is not the case with all portable SSDs, so if durability is important to you, ensure the device you choose can accommodate your usage habits.
• Connectivity: Ensure it can connect via the fastest possible connection — whether that’s using a USB Type-A, USB Type-C or Thunderbolt cable.
• Security: Many of the portable SSDs come with free backup software that will automatically encrypt your data. A few have more elaborate security features, which are useful if you’ll be backing up or storing confidential information.
• Speed: A portable SSDs’ speed has two components, both of which are measured in megabytes (MB) per second. The read speed determines how fast a computer or mobile device can access information that’s already stored on the drive (and transfer it to the computer or device). The write speed is a measure of how quickly data can be transferred from a computer or device and stored on the drive. The faster the read/write speed of the drive, the better the performance.

Are portable SSDs worth it?

For your most essential data, it’s a good strategy to maintain a local backup on an SSD and a separate remote backup in the cloud. This applies to photos and video files as well.

Since the price of high capacity SSDs have dropped considerably, yet their reliability and read/write speed have improved, it makes sense to use a portable SSD for each of your computers. You can store a movie collection or back up files directly from a camera. If you’re an avid gamer, using an SSD is an easy way to expand the storage of your console. Or, if you’re a drone pilot, storing photos and video while you’re still in the field allows you to free up space in the drone’s internal storage.

Computer users, photographers, videographers and gamers are just some of the people who can benefit from having a portable SSD, especially in situations when internet connectivity is not available.

Is a portable SSD better than the cloud?

Ideally it’s a good strategy to maintain both a local backup on a portable SSD (and then store that SSD away from your computer or device that data was transferred from), as well as in the cloud.

Do portable SSD drives ever fail or crash?

The reliability of portable SSDs has improved a lot in recent years. But it is possible for data to get corrupted or damaged. 

If this happens, there are inexpensive data recovery applications, like EaseUS, that tend retrieve data from a portable SSD. If that doesn’t work, you can also turn the drive over to a professional data recovery service.

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