Best External Ssd Uk: Our Top 10 Picks & Reviews

Introduction

In today’s fast-paced digital world, whether you’re a creative professional shuttling large video files, a gamer expanding your library, or simply someone wanting to securely back up precious memories, a reliable external SSD is non-negotiable. After extensive testing of the top drives available in the UK, we’ve found that the best external SSD needs to deliver a perfect blend of speed, durability, and portability. For us, one model stood out from the pack. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB is our top pick for its exceptional balance of rugged, pocket-sized design and consistent, real-world performance that’s ideal for a wide range of users.

Our Top 10 Picks for Best External Ssd Uk

#1 SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB – Ideal for: The Everyday Adventurer

Upon unboxing the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB, its diminutive size is the first thing that strikes you. It’s astonishingly small and light, easily fitting into the palm of your hand or a small pocket in your bag. This is a sentiment echoed by countless users who are consistently surprised by its tiny form factor. But don’t let its size fool you; this drive is built tough. We found its rugged, IP55-rated water and dust-resistant shell to be more than capable of handling the bumps and scrapes of daily travel. It has a secure, grippy feel that inspires confidence, making it the perfect companion for photographers and creators working on location.

In our performance tests, the drive delivered read speeds that hovered close to the advertised 550 MB/s. While not the fastest on this list, it’s more than quick enough for transferring high-resolution photos, backing up important documents, and even light video editing directly from the drive. We transferred an 80GB folder of mixed media in just a few minutes, a task that would take ages on a traditional HDD. The drive comes formatted as exFAT for out-of-the-box compatibility with both PC and Mac, which we found incredibly convenient. It includes a short USB-C cable and a handy USB-A adapter, ensuring connectivity with a wide range of devices, old and new.

#2 Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB – Perfect for: The Speed-Conscious Professional

The Samsung T7 Portable SSD 2TB immediately presents itself as a premium piece of kit. Its sleek, all-metal aluminium enclosure feels cool to the touch and looks fantastic on a desk. It’s almost as compact as the SanDisk Extreme but trades the rugged, rubberised finish for a more professional and elegant aesthetic. In our hands, it felt solid and well-constructed, a quality product through and through. It’s the kind of drive you’d feel comfortable pulling out in a client meeting or a modern office setting. Many users agree, often highlighting its stylish design as a key purchasing factor.

Where the T7 truly shines is its performance. Leveraging USB 3.2 Gen 2 technology, this drive is blazingly fast. Our tests saw read and write speeds approach the advertised 1050 MB/s and 1000 MB/s, respectively, when connected to a compatible port. Transferring large game files and 4K video projects was noticeably quicker than with SATA-based SSDs. This speed makes it an excellent choice for video editors or anyone working with massive datasets. It’s also a fantastic option for PS5 users looking to store and play their PS4 game library, offering significantly faster load times than a traditional HDD. One minor point we noted, which some users also mentioned, is that the drive can get a little warm during sustained, heavy transfers, but never alarmingly so.

#3 SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB – Suits: High-Performance Field Work

This is the souped-up sibling to our top pick, and the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB (NVMe version) is built for one thing: speed in the wild. It takes the beloved rugged design of the original and packs it with powerful NVMe technology. The result is a drive that boasts impressive read speeds of up to 1050 MB/s and write speeds of 1000 MB/s. In our testing, this translated to a dramatic reduction in transfer times for our largest 4K video files, making it a dream for content creators editing on the go. The performance is smooth and consistent, allowing for seamless playback and scrubbing of multiple video layers directly from the drive.

SanDisk has also upgraded the durability. We found the IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, combined with three-meter drop protection, provides immense peace of mind. The durable silicone shell feels great and adds an extra layer of shock absorption. The integrated carabiner loop is a genuinely useful feature, allowing you to securely clip the drive to a backpack or camera bag, a detail many users appreciate. While some users have reported issues with random disconnections or not reaching advertised speeds, our test unit performed flawlessly. It’s a fantastic, high-performance tool for professionals who need both speed and resilience when working away from the studio.

#4 Seagate 1TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X|S – Ideal for: The Dedicated Xbox Gamer

For Xbox Series X or Series S owners, the internal storage can fill up surprisingly fast. The Seagate 1TB Storage Expansion Card is, simply put, the most seamless solution to this problem. This isn’t just an external drive; it’s a proprietary memory card designed in partnership with Xbox. We found the installation to be unbelievably simple—it just plugs into the dedicated slot on the back of the console, and it’s instantly recognized. There are no cables, no formatting, and no fuss. It’s the definition of plug-and-play.

The most crucial feature is its performance. Because it uses the Xbox Velocity Architecture, it perfectly mirrors the speed and performance of the console’s internal SSD. We tested this by moving several X/S optimized games, like Call of Duty, to the card and experienced identical load times, graphics, and Quick Resume functionality. There is absolutely no performance penalty. You can store and play next-gen games directly from it, which you cannot do with a standard USB external drive. While the price per terabyte is higher than a standard portable SSD, many users agree that the flawless integration and uncompromised performance make it an essential purchase for any serious Xbox gamer who is tired of juggling their game library.

#5 Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB – Perfect for: Stylish and Speedy Everyday Carry

The Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB offers the same incredible performance and sleek design as its 2TB counterpart, making it a fantastic choice for those who need speed and style but not a cavernous amount of storage. We found the 1TB capacity to be a sweet spot for students, professionals, and creatives who need to transport active projects, presentations, or a portfolio of work. Transferring a 50GB video project in under a minute during our tests was a game-changer compared to older HDDs. It truly transforms your workflow, eliminating the frustrating waits associated with large file management.

Its shock-resistant metal body, capable of withstanding drops from up to six feet, provides a good degree of durability for daily use. While it lacks the formal IP rating of the SanDisk Extreme series, we felt it was more than robust enough for commuting and office environments. It’s incredibly light and slips into a laptop bag or pocket almost unnoticed. We did note that some users, particularly on newer Macs, have had issues with the included Samsung software, so for best results, we recommend simply formatting the drive and using it without the optional encryption software. For pure plug-and-play speed in a stylish package, the T7 1TB is a top contender.

#6 Seagate 4TB Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S – Suits: The Ultimate Game Collector

If you’re an Xbox gamer who never wants to delete a game again, the Seagate 4TB Storage Expansion Card is your ultimate endgame. This card takes the flawless performance and seamless integration of the original expansion card and quadruples the storage. For gamers with large digital libraries, especially those subscribed to Game Pass, this is a revolutionary accessory. We found that after plugging it in, our console’s total usable space was massive, allowing us to install dozens of AAA titles without ever worrying about hitting the storage limit.

Just like its smaller sibling, the performance is identical to the internal SSD. Games load in a flash, Quick Resume works perfectly, and there is zero compromise on graphical fidelity or frame rates when playing Series X/S titles directly from the card. The convenience of simply plugging it in and having it work instantly cannot be overstated. Our experience, confirmed by many users, is that it’s the most elegant and powerful storage solution for the Xbox ecosystem. The only significant hurdle is the price. It’s a substantial investment, but for the hardcore gamer who demands the best and wants their entire collection at their fingertips, the cost is justified by the sheer convenience and uncompromised performance.

#7 Crucial X9 2TB Portable External SSD – Ideal for: Budget-Conscious Speed Seekers

The Crucial X9 2TB Portable External SSD is a fantastic offering for those who want NVMe-level speeds without the premium price tag. In our testing, this drive delivered impressive performance, with read speeds hitting close to the advertised 1,050 MB/s. It felt snappy and responsive, easily handling large file transfers and even running applications directly from the drive without a hitch. It’s a significant upgrade from older portable hard drives or SATA-based SSDs, and at its price point, it represents excellent value for money.

What truly surprised us was its size. The Crucial X9 is minuscule and weighs next to nothing, making it one of the most portable drives we’ve ever tested. A point frequently praised by users is just how easy it is to carry around. The build is primarily plastic, which doesn’t feel as premium as the metal casing of the Samsung T7, but it feels sturdy enough for everyday use and is rated for drops up to 7.5 feet. We did find, as some power-users have noted, that write speeds can slow down during extremely large, sustained transfers (over 60GB), likely due to the cache filling up. However, for most common use cases like backing up photos, moving projects, or expanding console storage, this is a non-issue. It’s a speedy, tiny, and affordable powerhouse.

#8 WD_BLACK D10 8TB Game Drive for Xbox – Perfect for: Mass Game Archiving

It’s important to understand what the WD_BLACK D10 8TB Game Drive is: it’s a high-capacity mechanical hard drive (HDD), not an SSD. This makes it an ideal solution for a very specific purpose: archiving a massive library of games. With a colossal 8TB of space, we found it could hold hundreds of titles, making it perfect for gamers who want to download everything without worrying about space. It’s a data vault for your gaming collection. You can play Xbox One and older titles directly from it, but for Series X/S games, you’ll need to transfer them to your internal SSD to play them.

For an HDD, the performance is respectable, with a 7200RPM drive and speeds up to 250 MB/s. In our tests, transferring games from the internal drive to the D10 was reasonably quick. A unique feature we appreciated is the active cooling system, which keeps the drive running at optimal temperatures during long sessions. It also includes two 7.5W USB-A charging ports on the back, which is a clever touch for charging controllers or other accessories. This drive isn’t for those seeking the lightning speed of an SSD, but as many users have found, it’s an unbeatable value for pure, massive storage capacity.

#9 WD_BLACK C50 1TB Xbox Storage Expansion Card SSD – Suits: Xbox Gamers Seeking an Alternative

The WD_BLACK C50 1TB Xbox Storage Expansion Card is Western Digital’s excellent answer to the Seagate expansion card, and it’s a welcome addition to the market. It provides Xbox Series X|S gamers with a crucial element: choice. From a performance standpoint, we found it to be absolutely identical to its Seagate counterpart. It leverages the same Xbox Velocity Architecture, meaning it delivers the full speed and features of the console’s internal storage. We plugged it in, the console recognized it immediately, and we were playing our X/S optimized games from it in seconds. Load times, Quick Resume, and overall gameplay were indistinguishable from the internal drive.

The design features the signature WD_BLACK industrial aesthetic, which fits perfectly with the look of the console. The build quality feels robust, and the included protective case is a nice touch for when you want to take your games to a friend’s house. Functionally, it’s a perfect clone of the Seagate card, offering the same flawless, plug-and-play experience that makes these proprietary cards so appealing. Many users simply appreciate having a trusted brand like WD_BLACK in the space. If you’re an Xbox gamer, you can now choose the brand you prefer without any fear of a performance difference.

#10 LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB External SSD – Ideal for: The Ultimate Field Professional

The LaCie Rugged series is iconic for a reason, and the LaCie Rugged Mini 4TB External SSD continues that legacy of extreme durability. The distinctive orange bumper isn’t just for show; this drive is built like a tank. We found its resistance to dust, water, and drops to be top-tier, giving us total confidence when using it outdoors or on a chaotic film set. This is the drive for professionals who cannot afford to have a hardware failure in a challenging environment. As many long-time users of the brand will attest, LaCie’s reputation for reliability is well-earned.

This model is also incredibly fast, with advertised speeds reaching up to 2,000 MB/s thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface. To achieve these speeds, you need a compatible port on your computer, but when you have one, the performance is breathtaking. It makes transferring hours of high-resolution footage feel trivial. The 4TB capacity is also a huge plus for professionals working with massive project files. However, we did encounter a minor issue that some users have also pointed out: the USB-C port on the drive itself can feel a bit loose. While it never disconnected during our testing, it’s something to be mindful of. For those who need maximum speed and maximum protection, the LaCie Rugged Mini is in a class of its own.

The Ultimate Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose The Right Product for You

Key Factors to Consider

• Capacity: How much space do you really need? For photo backups and documents, 1TB is often sufficient. For video editing or extensive game libraries, 2TB or even 4TB is a better long-term investment.
• Speed: Pay attention to the read/write speeds, measured in MB/s. A drive with 550 MB/s is great for general use. For 4K video editing or transferring huge files regularly, look for drives in the 1,000 MB/s to 2,000 MB/s range.
• Durability: If you travel frequently or work outdoors, a drive with an IP rating (like IP55 or IP65) for dust and water resistance, along with drop protection, is essential. For desk use, this is less critical.
• Portability: All the SSDs on our list are portable, but some are astonishingly small and light. Consider how important a minimal footprint is for your travel kit.
• Connectivity: Most modern SSDs use USB-C. Ensure your computer has a compatible port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3/4) to get the best speeds. Check if the drive includes a USB-A adapter for older devices.

Understanding NVMe vs. SATA SSDs

When you look at external SSDs, you’ll often see terms like SATA or NVMe. These refer to the technology inside the drive. SATA-based SSDs, like our top pick the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB, typically top out at speeds around 550 MB/s. They are reliable and more than fast enough for most people. NVMe (Non-Volatile Memory Express) is a newer, much faster technology that can deliver speeds of 1,000 MB/s and beyond, as seen in the Samsung T7 and faster SanDisk Extreme models. If your workflow involves massive files, the speed boost of NVMe is worth it. For everyday backups and general storage, SATA offers a great balance of performance and value.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Ignoring Your Computer’s Ports: Buying a 2,000 MB/s super-drive is a waste of money if you’re plugging it into an old USB 2.0 port. Your speed is always limited by the slowest part of the connection. Check your device’s specifications first.
• Assuming All USB-C is Equal: The USB-C connector shape is universal, but the technology behind it isn’t. Speeds can vary from 5 Gbps (USB 3.1 Gen 1) to 40 Gbps (Thunderbolt 4). Match your drive’s capability to your port’s capability.
• Buying Capacity You Don’t Need: It’s tempting to get the biggest drive available, but if you only need to store documents and photos, a 1TB drive is often more cost-effective than a 4TB one.
• Forgetting About Backup: No drive is infallible. An external SSD is a great primary storage or backup solution, but always follow the 3-2-1 backup rule: three copies of your data, on two different media types, with one copy off-site.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most reliable brand for external SSDs in the UK?

Brands like SanDisk, Samsung, Crucial, and Western Digital (WD_BLACK) have established strong reputations for reliability and performance in the UK market. SanDisk and LaCie are particularly renowned for their rugged and durable drives, making them favourites among photographers and videographers who work in the field. Samsung is often praised for its sleek designs and consistently high performance. Ultimately, the “most reliable” brand often comes down to the specific model and its suitability for your use case.

How much storage do I need for a portable SSD?

This depends entirely on your needs. For general use, like backing up documents, photos, and carrying some media, 1TB is a versatile and affordable choice. If you are a content creator working with 4K video, a professional photographer with large RAW files, or a serious gamer, 2TB is a better starting point. For those who want to archive massive game libraries or extensive video projects, 4TB and larger capacities are available.

What is the difference between an external SSD and an external HDD?

The primary difference is the internal technology. An external HDD (Hard Disk Drive) uses spinning magnetic platters and a moving read/write head, making it slower, more fragile, and larger. An external SSD (Solid State Drive) uses flash memory with no moving parts. This makes SSDs dramatically faster, more durable and shock-resistant, and much more compact than HDDs.

Are external SSDs worth the extra cost over portable hard drives in 2024?

For most users, yes. The prices of external SSDs have fallen significantly, making them much more accessible. The massive speed improvement alone is a game-changer, saving you significant time on file transfers and backups. Their superior durability and smaller size also add tremendous value. While HDDs still offer more storage for a lower price (cost per gigabyte), the overall user experience and performance of an SSD make it a worthwhile investment for most applications in 2024.

What connection types should I look for (USB-C, Thunderbolt)?

USB-C is the modern standard connector you should look for. However, it’s the technology behind the port that dictates speed. Most high-speed SSDs use USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps) or Gen 2×2 (20 Gbps). Thunderbolt 3 or 4 (40 Gbps) offers the highest performance but requires both the drive and the computer to be Thunderbolt compatible. For most users, a drive with a USB-C port supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2 will provide excellent speed and wide compatibility.

Do external SSDs require their own external power supply?

The vast majority of portable external SSDs, including all the portable models on our list, are bus-powered. This means they draw all the power they need directly from the computer through the USB cable. You do not need a separate AC adapter. The only exception is very large, desktop-style external drives like the WD_BLACK D10 HDD, which do require their own power supply.

How long do external SSDs typically last before they fail?

External SSDs are very durable and have a long lifespan, typically measured in Terabytes Written (TBW) over their lifetime. For the average user, it’s highly unlikely you will reach this write limit through normal use. Lifespans are often estimated between 5 to 10 years or more, depending on usage. Because they have no moving parts, they are not susceptible to the mechanical failures that plague HDDs, making them a more reliable long-term storage solution.

Conclusion: Our Final Recommendation

After rigorous testing and careful consideration, we stand by our top choice. The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD 2TB is the best all-around external SSD for most people in the UK. It masterfully combines the three most important features: portability, durability, and performance. Its incredibly compact size makes it a joy to carry, while its IP55 rating provides the confidence to take it anywhere. While it may not be the absolute fastest drive on the market, its 550 MB/s speed is more than sufficient for the vast majority of tasks, from backing up a laptop to managing a large photo library. It represents a perfect, no-compromise solution for everyday reliability and convenience.