10 Portable Hard Drives To Go When You Need To

While mobile storage capacities haven’t quite caught up with the massive external hard drives you may have set up in your studio, new, portable solid state drives (SSD) fulfill the need for speed. Plus, higher capacity hard disc drive (HDD) options are available for your enormous video files. With CES having kicked off when this went to press in January, we also managed to get a peek at a few up-and-coming products that broke there. Meanwhile, check out these ten portable hard drives to see which best fits your needs.

G-Tech
Take your pick of HDD or SSD with these Evolution Series G-Drives. If you’re willing to trade capacity for speed, the 512GB ev SSD, with up to 400MB/s transfer rates, may be the best solution. When capacity and budget are priorities, the ev 220 is available in 500GB, 1TB and 2TB HDD models. While the ev SSD is slightly thinner than its hard drive counterpart (0.64 inches vs. 0.87 inches), both measure 5.14 x 3.29 inches—compact enough to slide into any camera bag—and offer USB 3.0 connectivity.
Prices: EV 220, $100 (500GB); $150 (1TB); $350 (2TB); EV SSD, $500 (512GB)

Elgato
Elgato may not be the first brand that comes to mind when you’re looking at portable hard drives, but the certified dust- and moisture- resistant 512GB SSD Thunderbolt Drive+ should be on your watch list, especially if you regularly work outdoors. Equipped with a protective port cover, Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports (one of each), this slender drive measures 3.3 x 5.2 inches and is 0.8 inches thin. The drive comes with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 cables, so it’s ready to use right out of the box (Windows users will have to reformat, though, because it’s pre-formatted for Mac).
Price: $649

Buffalo
With more than 12 hours of battery life, the wireless MiniStation Air is compatible with iOS and Android devices, as well as TVs, gaming consoles and more. Connect up to eight individual devices wirelessly or transfer images from the Air to a computer. And, if your smart device is running low on power, just plug it into the MiniStation Air to recharge. The drive offers transfer rates up to 5Gbps via USB 3.0 (480Mbps for USB 2.0).
Price: $200 (1TB)

LaCie
The Little Big Disk Thunderbolt 2 may look like a desktop external drive, but this 1TB drive is smaller than you think, measuring 1.6 x 5.5 x 3.3 inches and weighing only 1.4 pounds (without the drive stand). With dual Thunderbolt 2.0 ports and average transfer rates of up to 1,375MB/s (read) and 1,180MB/s (write), you’ll be daisy-chaining and transferring whether you’re in studio or on location. Plus, the dual cooling system maintains a whisper quiet environment.
Price: $1,299

OWC (Other World Computing)
Small enough to slide into a pocket, the OWC Envoy Pro EX SSD drives measure 2.13 x 4.5 x 0.44 inches and are extremely lightweight at 3.4 ounces. Available in 240GB, 480GB and 1TB capacities, all versions feature a Bus-powered USB 3.0 port with transfer rates of up to 500MB/s (USB 2.0 use is not supported or recommended, however). The 480GB and 1TB drives come with utility and backup software, but you’ll find a USB 3.0 cable and carry case bundled with all models. And, as an extra bonus, the Envoy Pro EX comes with a three-year limited warranty and 48-hour turnaround service just in case Murphy’s Law strikes.
Prices: $249 (240GB); $399 (480GB); $599 (1TB)

Seagate
If you’re looking for a high-capacity and affordable portable hard disk drive, check out Seagate’s 4TB Backup Plus Fast Portable Drive. Seagate’s Dashboard auto backup software is preinstalled, as is an NTFS driver—just install the latter on a Mac for cross-platform compatibility without reformatting. The metal drive weighs 10.8 ounces and measures a portable 4.6 x 3.25 x 0.88 inches. An 18-inch USB 3.0 cable is included for transfer rates up to 220MB/s. Also check out the free iOS and Android apps for smart device transfers.
Price: $220

Drobo
We awarded the Drobo Mini SSD drive an Editor’s Choice seal in October’s Hot Products Buyer’s Guide, so we thought it was worth repeating here. This four-bay enclosure is available with or without SSD or hard disks and sports one USB 3.0 and dual Thunderbolt ports for daisy-chaining. The Mini’s data protection features—including battery backup—provide confidence that your 4K video footage and still images are safe and secure.
Prices: $449; $999 (8TB HDD); $1,199 (1TB SSD); $1,899 (2TB SSD); $3,199 (4TB SSD)

Toshiba
The new 1TB Canvio AeroCast Wireless HDD from Toshiba is perfect for storing and sharing with wireless connectivity for up to six devices at the same time. Notable features include its Internet pass-through mode, Chromecast compatibility and a convenient built-in SD card slot. Wireless transfer rates max out at 150MB/s, but when you’re in a hurry, switch over to USB 3.0 for speeds up to 5Gbps. Battery life averages about five hours on a single charge and this 9.88-ounce hard drive fits nicely into any camera bag with its 4.78 x 3.39 x 0.96-inch profile. An AC adapter and USB 3.0 cable are included.
Price: $220

WD (Western Digital)
Add a little fashion to your kit with Western Digital’s My Passport Ultra line of hard disk drives. Available in charcoal, metallic red, metallic blue and cool silver, WD also has a limited line of specially designed metal drives, too. But the Ultras are not just about good looks. Capacities range from 500GB to 2TB for this slim drive, which measures 4.34 x 3.21 inches (depth varies by capacity). They’re equipped with both USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports. And although Mac users will have to reformat the drive, the included WD SmartWare software makes backup a breeze—even to the cloud via Dropbox.
Prices: $60 (500GB); $80 (1TB); $130 (2TB); $90 (1TB special metal edition); $140 (2TB special metal edition)

Transcend
Transcend offers both HDD and SSD options in its sleek StoreJet line. The 2TB SJM300 features a hard disk and utilizes a suspension system for extra protection. The SJM500 is built around an SSD drive and is available in capacities from 256GB to a whopping 1TB. Both drives are equipped with single Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports and weigh 8.7 ounces and 4.8 ounces, respectively. Windows users need to reformat the Mac-ready drive, but Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 cables are included for out of the box convenience.
Prices: SJM300, $229; SJM500, from $289

CES Spotlight

LaCie’s 4TB Rugged Raid
LaCie’s Rugged hard drives, with their bright orange rubber enclosures, have been around for more than a decade providing protection from dust, moisture and “oops-I-dropped-it” shock proofing. With the new 4TB Rugged Raid, LaCie doubles the capacity of its previous Rugged models with dual internal drives. The fact that these dual drives can be set up in Raid mode sweetens the deal even more. The Bus-powered Rugged Raid comes with a built-in Thunderbolt cord ensuring an always-there (and never-lost) cable. This also cuts down on the number of accessories you have to carry. Transfer speeds of up to 240MB/s are possible and the drive also features a USB 3.0 port. The Rugged Raid is slated to ship during the first quarter of this year.
Price: $450

Samsung SSD T1
Samsung takes the power of SSD out of the computer and puts it into your pocket with its new portable SSD T1. This tiny SSD drive measures 2.79 x 0.36 x 2.29 inches and weighs about an ounce. It’s USB 3.0- and 2.0- compatible, with transfer speeds up to 450 MB/s, and this stylish device is available in 250GB, 500GB and 1TB capacities.
Prices: from $180

Envoy Pro Mini from OWC
Mini is an understatement for OWC’s (Other World Computing) Envoy Pro Mini. Just look at the product shot! All we know is that the Mini will be USB 3.0 and come in 240GB and 480GB capacities. Sweet! Love the lanyard, too.
Price: TBA

G-Drive ev RaW and ev ATC
G-Technology also took aim at the outdoorsy types at CES with a new line of rugged drives. The G-Drive ev RaW’s rugged bumper protects this portable HDD from falls of up to 1.5 meters. It draws power from its USB 3.0 port and can be used as a standalone drive or fitted into the new G-Drive ev ATC (for “all-terrain case”). The G-Drive ev ATC is even more durable than the ev RaW—if you toss it into the water, it floats and can withstand falls from up to 2 meters in height. It’s also dust, pressure and shock proof. The ev ATC is available in Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 versions. All the drives are formatted for Mac out of the box, but can be reformatted for Windows use.
Prices: ev RaW, $100 (500GB); $130 (1TB); G-Drive ev ATC, $180 (1TB, USB 3.0); $230 (1TB, Thunderbolt)

Seagate Seven
The Seagate Seven is lovely to look at—trust us—with its brushed metal finish, but it’s the Seven’s 7mm thin profile that’s super impressive. Seagate’s billing this 500GB portable hard drive as the world’s thinnest, and we believe them.
Price: $100