It's perfect for sliding into a bag or even a shirt pocket (depending on the size of your shirt pockets) while you're moving between computers and locations. If you want an external hard drive that powers itself solely from the USB port it's plugged into, then the WD Elements SE SSD is absolutely worth a look: it's fast, it's stylish, and it's affordable, and it comes in capacities of up to 2TB as well. As an added bonus, you get a 4-month subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud Photography thrown in for free. Whether you pick the white or the black finish, the woven fabric adds a touch of elegance to your Mac setup. Whether you go for the HDD or the SSD model, these drives are fully portable, so all you need is the drive and the USB3.0 cable (it has a USB-A connector but there is a USB-C adapter in the box).Ī word too on the design of these drives, because they're some of the most stylish that we've come across. Here we've featured the cheaper, slower HDD version, but if you want to pay extra then a faster SSD model is available as well.įor most people, HDDs still offer the best value for money, even if you're going to have to wait a few extra seconds when you're copying large files over.
It simply and efficiently gives you stacks of extra storage for your Mac, and at a very affordable price too. Everyone's needs are different and the right drive for you depends on how you're going to use it, what you're going to store on it, how much you're willing to spend and several other factors.Įxternal hard drives don't have to be complicated at all, as the Seagate Ultra Touch HDD proves. With so many makes and models out there, finding the best external hard drive for Mac can be tricky. Insane speed isn't everything though in extended storage, capacity is often the most important thing, so it's very much what product works best for a user's needs. Then there's SSD (Solid State Drive), faster storage technology with no moving parts for those who don't mind paying extra.Īs we note in T3's best SSDs buying guide, these drives offer order of magnitude faster speeds than conventional HDDs, as found in many of the best external hard drives. These can't compete on transfer speeds but do give you lots of capacity for not much money. You'll see two types of technology mentioned below – first HDD (Hard Disk Drive), which is the conventional, slower, mechanical technology. You've got a huge amount of choice to pick from as well in 2022 – from small and portable drives you can fit in your pocket, to hefty units that take up a substantial amount of desk space and can stream files to any computer on your local network.