The best external hard drives of 2026: Expert tested

## Summary
ZDNET Recommends Lexar SL500 | Best external hard drive overall Best external hard drive overall Lexar SL500 View now View at Amazon Western Digital My Passport Ultra | Best Windows hard drive overall Best Windows hard drive overall Western Digital My Passport Ultra View now View at Amazon Samsung T9 Portable SSD | Best hard drive for travel Best hard drive for travel Samsung T9 Portable SSD View now View at Amazon iStorage DiskAshur Pro 3 | Best encrypted hard drive Best encrypted hard drive iStorage DiskAshur Pro 3 View now View at Best Buy Lexar ES5 | Best external hard drive for iPhones Best external hard drive for iPhones Lexar ES5 View now View at Amazon Western Digital Elements | Best external hard drive for data hogs Best external hard drive for data hogs Western Digital Elements View now View at Amazon Toshiba Canvio Basics | Best budget external hard drive Best budget external hard drive Toshiba Canvio Basics View now View at Amazon Western Digital My Book Duo | Best external hard drive for security Best external hard drive for security Western Digital My Book Duo View now View at Amazon Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD | Best lightweight hard drive Best lightweight hard drive Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD View now View at Amazon Orico Mecha O20 | Best rugged hard drive Best rugged hard drive Orico Mecha O20 View now View at Amazon Show more (7 items) What's the best external hard drive right now? Lexar SL500 features: USB-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface | 1TB to 4TB capacities | 256-bit AES software encryption | 3.3 x 2.1 x 0.3 inches | 5-year limited warranty Pros Lightweight Fast Supports ProRes video on the iPhone Pro/Pro Max Cons Systems not supporting USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 will see slower speeds Lexar SL500 Best external hard drive overall Why we like it: Leading the pack as the best external hard drive overall is the Lexar SL500. WD My Passport Ultra features : USB-C and USB 3.1 interface | 1TB to 5TB capacities | 256-bit AES hardware encryption | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.55 inches | 3-year limited warranty Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon View now at Samsung View now at Best Buy Why we like it: Samsung's T9 Portable SSD stands out as the best travel option thanks to its rugged design. Samsung T9 Portable SSD features : USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps) | 1TB to 4TB capacities | 2.4-inch form factor | 5-year limited warranty Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Best Buy View now at Amazon Why we like it: Most external hard drives come with some sort of software-based encryption to protect files.

## Article Content
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Updated on: March 15, 2026 at 2:01 AM PDT
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Updated on: March 15, 2026 at 2:01 AM PDT
The best external hard drives of 2026: Expert tested
We went hands-on with the top external hard drives available today to help you find the best storage solutions.
Written by
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes,
Senior Contributing Editor
Senior Contributing Editor
and
Cesar Cadenas,
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
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Cloud storage may be more popular than ever, but it hasn't replaced the need for external hard drives. These devices help free up space on your computer while simultaneously providing a reliable way to store important files without depending on an internet connection. As a bonus, hard drives don't require monthly subscription fees.
There are many great choices available. The
iStorage DiskAshur Pro 3
is known for its software-based encryption, while the Lexar ES5 SSD is known for its durability.
For our March update, we refreshed our guide and added a few new products.
ZDNET Recommends
Lexar SL500 | Best external hard drive overall
Best external hard drive overall
Lexar SL500
View now
View at Amazon
Western Digital My Passport Ultra | Best Windows hard drive overall
Best Windows hard drive overall
Western Digital My Passport Ultra
View now
View at Amazon
Samsung T9 Portable SSD | Best hard drive for travel
Best hard drive for travel
Samsung T9 Portable SSD
View now
View at Amazon
iStorage DiskAshur Pro 3 | Best encrypted hard drive
Best encrypted hard drive
iStorage DiskAshur Pro 3
View now
View at Best Buy
Lexar ES5 | Best external hard drive for iPhones
Best external hard drive for iPhones
Lexar ES5
View now
View at Amazon
Western Digital Elements | Best external hard drive for data hogs
Best external hard drive for data hogs
Western Digital Elements
View now
View at Amazon
Toshiba Canvio Basics | Best budget external hard drive
Best budget external hard drive
Toshiba Canvio Basics
View now
View at Amazon
Western Digital My Book Duo | Best external hard drive for security
Best external hard drive for security
Western Digital My Book Duo
View now
View at Amazon
Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD | Best lightweight hard drive
Best lightweight hard drive
Lexar TouchLock Portable SSD
View now
View at Amazon
Orico Mecha O20 | Best rugged hard drive
Best rugged hard drive
Orico Mecha O20
View now
View at Amazon
Show more (7 items)
What's the best external hard drive right now?
After dedicating countless hours to hands-on testing and scouring online reviews, the
Lexar SL500
is our pick for the best external hard drive on the market. This drive stands out for being small, fast, highly portable, and tough, but it's not the only option. Whether your priorities include different storage capacities or a drive that withstands rain and dust, there's a product for you.
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The best external hard drive of 2026
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Why we like it:
Leading the pack as the best external hard drive overall is the Lexar SL500. Roughly the size of a credit card, it earns its top spot for ultrathin design and fast performance. The SL500 can reach read speeds of around 2,000 MB/s and write speeds of 1,800 MB/s, making file transfers super quick. Its unibody is made primarily out of aluminum, allowing the drive to survive the occasional bump and drop.
Review

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## Expert Analysis

### Merits
- These devices help free up space on your computer while simultaneously providing a reliable way to store important files without depending on an internet connection.
- Lexar SL500 features: USB-C and USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface | 1TB to 4TB capacities | 256-bit AES software encryption | 3.3 x 2.1 x 0.3 inches | 5-year limited warranty Read More Show Expert Take Show less Show less View now at Amazon View now at Best Buy Why we like it: Western Digital's My Passport Ultra is notable for its durability both inside and out.
- WD My Passport Ultra features : USB-C and USB 3.1 interface | 1TB to 5TB capacities | 256-bit AES hardware encryption | 4.33 x 3.21 x 0.55 inches | 3-year limited warranty Pros Backup software included Good price Compact Cons Needs to be reformatted to work with Mac Western Digital My Passport Ultra Best Windows hard drive overall Why we like it: Western Digital's My Passport Ultra is notable for its durability both inside and out.
- Other notable features include built-in hardware encryption and transfer speeds up to 2,000 MB/s.

### Areas for Consideration
- Who should look elsewhere: Arguably, the biggest drawback of the Lexar SL500 is that your computer must have a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port for you to enjoy its fastest speeds.
- Who should look elsewhere: Arguably, the biggest drawback of the Lexar SL500 is that your computer must have a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2x2 port for you to enjoy its fastest speeds.

### Implications
- If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
- When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions.
- This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay.
- If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article.

### Expert Commentary
This article covers drive, best, hard topics. Notable strengths include discussion of drive. Areas of concern are also raised. Readability: Flesch-Kincaid grade 0.0. Word count: 2556.