Buying an external drive to add extra capacity for all of your work files, personal files, films, and games is always a smart option because upgrading the storage in Macs has never been simple. Furthermore, you should always keep an external disk handy so that you can create Time Machine backups in case something goes wrong.
You may increase the storage on your Mac without spending a lot of money by using an excellent external hard drive. And while there is definitely a case to be made for using the best portable SSD—creative professionals will value their faster read and write speeds and more durable build—they’re also a great option for anyone on a tight budget who doesn’t require anything particularly quick. Additionally, hard drives are less expensive than solid-state drives, so you may get more storage for a lower cost. Additionally, external hard drives are often made to be tough and portable so they may travel with you wherever you go.
Thus, in this article, I’ll be listing the best external hard drive for Mac that’s worth considering if you’re planning on obtaining one for yourself. Note that, this is not a sponsored post, all external hard drives for Mac mentioned below are based on top-performing, best-suited ones in today’s industrial market.
So, let’s dive in!
List of best external hard drive for Mac
Below shows the list of the best external hard drive for Mac that are worth considering;
- Seagate Ultra Touch
- WD My Passport HDD
- LaCie Mobile Drive
- Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
- Seagate Firecuda Special Edition
- G-Technology G-Drive Pro SSD with Thunderbolt™3
- G-Drive ArmorATD
- SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE
- WD Black P10
Seagate Ultra Touch
An appealingly tiny and light hard drive, the first Seagate Ultra Touch was a pocket-sized device. However, it was an outdated design with storage capacities of just 1TB or 2TB and a USB 3.0 interface that needed an adaptor to function with more recent Macs and PCs with USB-C.
The majority of the drive’s design elements have been modified in this new Ultra Touch version. With a minor increase in size and weight, it now has a minimum of 2 TB of storage and, if you need more, 4 TB or 5 TB models. This updated model now has a USB-C interface and a long (50cm) USB-C cable.
If you simply need a small, portable drive that you can tuck into your pocket or backpack, the 2TB model, which is finished in cloud white, is an excellent choice. It measures just 13.2mm thick, 80mm wide, and 115mm long, and weighs a respectable 168g. The 4TB and 5TB variants are slightly larger and heavier, measuring 23mm thick and weighing 267g. They are also coated in a darker pebble grey.
Read more: List of best external hard drive
WD My Passport HDD
WD Western Digital Another inexpensive external hard drive is My Passport. It is better suited for personal use because it has slower speeds. You can use it, for instance, to back up and save modest personal information, such as significant documents and precious photos. Your hard drive may not be visible. discover Mac methods for opening external hard drives.
Even while the trip is well-liked by many people, entrepreneurs and creatives that require a quick commute might find a better solution elsewhere. The WD The poor pace of My Passport HDD can irritate them. Because of its diminutive size, the My Passport drive can nestle in the palm of your hand. It won’t clutter your desk or storage cabinet and you can carry it easily and discretely in your pocket or backpack.
You can comfortably hold it thanks to the smooth and ribbed design’s contemporary appearance and feel. My Passport disks are available in a range of vibrant hues, including red, white, black, and blue, providing you with more alternatives than just the traditional black.
Simply plug it in and start using it for a quick and simple setup. Drag and drag files to quickly and effortlessly share priceless images and movies with loved ones. According to your timetable, pick the backup frequency that is comfortable for you. Do you have macOS 11 or later installed? To read and write files, you can obtain an NTFS driver.
Read more: How to install a hard drive
LaCie Mobile Drive
Our list of the top hard drives for Mac users already included LaCie’s Mobile Drive, which has recently been updated for 2022. You may still buy the earlier version from a few internet retailers, and you can tell because of its angular, pointed shape. The redesigned 2022 Mobile Drive, in contrast, features a slimline, rectangular shape with smooth rounded corners that mimics Apple’s current design fetish. Instead of being off to one side as it was previously, the LaCie emblem is now positioned squarely in the middle.
Prices for drives with 1TB of storage start at a reasonable £79.99, but there are additional variants with 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB of capacity available. The 1TB and 2TB variants are lightweight at 200g, 10.4mm thick, 85mm wide, and 118mm long, making them simple to pick up and transport with your laptop. Even though the 4TB and 5TB models have slightly wider walls (20.4mm) and heavier weights (300g), they are still an acceptable size for portable hard drives with such large storage capacities. All of them are made of recyclable aluminum and are robust enough to withstand life on the road.
Read more: How to securely erase your hard drive or SSD
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
Not your normal hard drive, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC is different. It works best for people who live active lifestyles and care about security.
This drive is for you if your way of life involves frequenting locations where you are subject to the elements. It complies with the IPX3 and IP5X requirements for protection against water and dust, respectively. This means that if your drive is ever exposed to the elements, you shouldn’t freak out.
However, it doesn’t appear unkempt either. It has a modern appearance that is similar to a compact journal. You won’t ever misplace the drive because the integrated USB cable is wrapped around it. You will have fewer goods to store and carry about as a result. Additionally, it makes it simpler to immediately connect your laptop’s hard drive in.
To preserve your privacy, most hard drives may be accessed using passwords. But as we all know, passwords aren’t the best kind of security because they can be cracked. With regard to security, the Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC takes a different tack. Due to its integrated near-field communication (NFC) technology, the drive can only be accessed with a smart card that is provided. This ensures that even if your drive is ever lost or stolen, no one else will be able to access your sensitive information.
Seagate Firecuda Special Edition
A handful of limited-edition Firecuda drives that feature designs inspired by the Marvel and Star Wars movies have been added to Seagate’s upgraded Firecuda drive lineup. Our favorite drive is the “small and powerful” Baby Yoda drive (yeah, we realize his name is Grogu, but to us, he’ll always be Baby Yoda). Other drives feature Spiderman, Boba Fett, and the Mandalorian. Additionally, the drive is seen on your desktop with a Baby Yoda icon when it is connected to your Mac.
On Seagate’s website, these limited edition drives are all listed at £114.95/$139.99 and are only available with 2TB of storage. You’re paying a little bit more for the Star Wars atmosphere with that costly 2TB drive, but we’ve seen them elsewhere online for less, and there are other Firecuda models in the lineup that provide varying capacities as well.
With dimensions of 14.5mm thick, 80mm broad, and 122mm long, it is a little bigger than typical portable drives. But because of its sturdy construction and low weight of 167g, you can easily pick it up and tuck it into a bag along with your laptop when you’re traveling. You’ll need a USB-C adaptor if your Mac only supports USB-C because the design’s one minor quirk is that it combines a USB 3.2 interface with a USB-A cord to ostensibly give compatibility with Xbox consoles.
G-Technology G-Drive Pro SSD with Thunderbolt™3
The G-Technology G-Drive Pro solid-state drive (SSD) is designed for users that require a quick, dependable, and long-lasting drive. The G-Drive is as conventional as a driver can get in terms of design. It is an aesthetically pleasing and useful addition to your workplace thanks to the stackable aluminum enclosure. You wouldn’t mistake it for a book or other device of that nature.
The G-Drive’s capabilities will appeal to fans of media and entertainment. The drive is little (8.27″ x 5.12″ x 1.79″), yet it has a powerful motor. It can transport up to a terabyte of data in just seven minutes because of its lightning-quick capabilities.
You can edit multi-stream 8K video at a full frame rate with the G-Drive Pro SSD. You can render and take pleasure in virtual reality stuff at its highest resolution. Using the dual Thunderbolt 3 connections, you may daisy-chain up to five more devices. For people who have more money to spend, this disk is strong, high-performance, and dependable.
G-Drive ArmorATD
The ArmorATD is an enclosure with a 2.5-inch shock-mounted hard drive within. For added security, a silicon sock surrounds the tough aluminum shell. It can handle light abuse, especially so when the disks are rotating and the power is out, but you should never treat a hard drive like a hockey puck. The connector is USB-C and has a 5Gbps (USB 3.1/Gen 1) speed rating, which is more than adequate speed for any hard drive. The drive comes with a three-year warranty.
With huge files, your Mac’s ArmorATD will provide a maximum reading speed of 127MBps and a maximum writing speed of about 120MBps. Nice thing. The Armor ATD is exFAT formatted when it is delivered, so you can use it right out of the box with Windows and macOS. However, exFAT will impose a maximum penalty of 5%, therefore Mac users should format the drive. – Jon L. Jacobi
SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE
This brand is ideal if you’re searching for an all-arounder. The finest storage is provided by far by the SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE, a large-capacity drive that is reasonably priced. You can utilize this drive for all of your personal and professional needs, unlike some people who use several drives for various needs.
You could anticipate that it would appear like it belongs in the back of a cabinet with a maximum storage capacity of 22TB, but that is not the case. The drive has a cutting-edge, distinctive, stackable appearance that enhances any area you store it in and looks excellent next to your Mac. It does, however, take up a lot of room in your purse or on your desk because it is quite heavy.
And that’s not surprising given that you can daisy link this powerful device with up to six other ones. For comfort, select from the default, bright, or off LED brightness settings.
WD Black P10
The WD Black P10 offers a more transportable substitute for the desktop-oriented WD Black D10. Even while it isn’t as quick as the D10, you can still back up your files by simply plugging it into any Mac, PC, or gaming console. Its reinforced housing is strong enough to withstand being jostled around in a backpack while you’re traveling, despite the fact that it’s somewhat huge for a portable drive, measuring a bulky 20mm thick, 88mm broad, and 118mm long.
Although our testing actually recorded speeds of 120MB/s and 110MB/s for read and write performance, respectively, the drive is rated at a very modest 140MB/s for both read and write performance. That won’t set any records, but it’s adequate for storing plenty of games, pictures, films, and other multimedia files as well as for the occasional Time Machine backup. The P10 is also reasonably priced, with a solid 2TB of storage beginning at just $89.99/£80.99.
The P10 is a wonderful alternative for Mac users who have extremely enormous collections of images and films that they can’t fit onto their Mac’s internal drive because there are also 4TB and 5TB models available.
FAQs
What external hard drives work best with Mac?
- LaCie 1 big Dock Thunderbolt 3 8TB External Hard Drive.
- Seagate 2TB Backup Plus Ultra Touch USB 3.0 External Hard Drive, Black.
- WD_BLACK P10 4TB Game Drive External USB 3.2 Gen 1 Hard Drive, Black.
- WD My Passport 5TB USB 3.2 Gen 1 External Hard Drive, Black.
Do Macs need a special external hard drive?
Yes, generally speaking. Any hard drive you purchase for a Windows PC should function properly on a Mac as well.
Which hard drive format is the fastest for Mac?
Use the APFS or Mac OS Extended (Journaled) format when formatting a storage drive for optimal performance. Use the APFS format if your Mac is running macOS Mojave or a later version. If you wish to keep the data, build a backup before formatting a storage device because any data on the volume is erased.
Is SSD better than HDD?
Although more expensive than HDDs, SSDs are typically speedier and more dependable. An SSD is worthwhile if you require quick boot and load times, better system performance overall, and can afford the increased cost per GB. An HDD may be a better choice if you require more storage space for a lower cost.
Should I buy SSD or HDD for Mac?
HDDs are less expensive than SSDs, but they operate more slowly. However, it’s frequently a wise decision if all you need is a sizable amount of free space to save crucial information. You can save hundreds of dollars by selecting external SSDs and HDDs instead of the more expensive internal SSD option.
Is Seagate compatible with Mac?
A drive can be utilized on either a PC or a Mac.
What size external hard drive do I need Mac?
The best strategy is to pick a disk that is at least twice as large as the data you are backing up if you intend to regularly back up your Mac. A 1 TB external drive can be plenty if all of your data is stored on a Mac with a 500 GB SSD.
How do I know if my external hard drive is compatible with my Mac?
Navigate to Finder and select Finder from the menu bar at the top of the window. Preferences General Show these objects on the desktop is the next step. Make sure the boxes next to Hard disks and External disks are checked. Then navigate to the Sidebar and make sure both Hard disks and External disks are checked.
That’s all for this article where we discussed the following list of best hard drive for Mac;
- Seagate Ultra Touch
- WD My Passport HDD
- LaCie Mobile Drive
- Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC
- Seagate Firecuda Special Edition
- G-Technology G-Drive Pro SSD with Thunderbolt™3
- G-Drive ArmorATD
- SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE
- WD Black P10
Hope it was helpful. If so, kindly share. Thanks for reading.
