Best Reliable External Hard Drives
Updated February 2026
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Best Reliable External Hard Drives
2026 Buyer's GuideUpdated February 2026
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1
1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
2
2
Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Xbox, & PlayStation - 1-Year Rescue Service (SRD0NF1)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
2
Seagate Portable 4TB External Hard Drive HDD – USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, Xbox, & PlayStation - 1-Year Rescue Service (SRD0NF1)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
3
3
WD_Black 6TB P10 Game Drive, Portable External Hard Drive, Works with PlayStation, Xbox, & PC - WDBZ7D0060BBK-WESN
Works well
Storage capacity
Quality
Value for money
Ease of setup
5
5
SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - Ext...
Speed
Performance
Size
Quality
Portableness
Storage capacity
5
SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - Ext...
Speed
Performance
Size
Quality
Portableness
Storage capacity
6
6
NEWQ 1TB External Hard Drive for iPhone, iPad, MacBook - USB 3.0, 2.0, 2.0 3.0 - Compatible with iOS & Android, Store Photos, V...
NEWQ
Ease of use
Storage capacity
Ease of transfer
6
NEWQ 1TB External Hard Drive for iPhone, iPad, MacBook - USB 3.0, 2.0, 2.0 3.0 - Compatible with iOS & Android, Store Photos, V...
Ease of use
Storage capacity
Ease of transfer
7
7
WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBU6Y0020B...
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Compact size
Ease of use
7
WD 2TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive for Windows, USB 3.2 Gen 1/USB 3.0 for PC & Mac, Plug and Play Ready - WDBU6Y0020B...
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Compact size
Ease of use
8
LaCie LAC9000298 La Cie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (9000298)
Drive quality
Durability
Storage capacity
Speed
8
LaCie LAC9000298 La Cie Rugged Mini USB 3.0 / USB 2.0 External Hard Drive (9000298)
Drive quality
Durability
Storage capacity
Speed
9
9
WD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0200HBK-NESN
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Compact size
Ease of use
9
WD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0200HBK-NESN
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Compact size
Ease of use
10
Our Top Choice
1
1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
1
Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)
Functionality
Hard drive quality
Storage capacity
Value for money
Size
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