The 10 Best Rugged External HDDs in 2021 Reviewed

It goes without saying that the most important part of any computer is the hard drive. The hard drive stores all your important data, be it files or documents, emails, pictures, tax information, music, you name it. When shopping for an external hard drive, it’s important to consider buying a rugged external hard drive for your data storage needs. This is because ruggedized external hard drives are designed to withstand the most extreme environments and still have your data safely stored.

ProductCapacitySpeedInterfaceOur Rating
Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC USB 3.0 (1TB) Rugged Portable Hard Drive1 TB5400 RPMUSB 3.04.7
SanDisk Extreme 510 Portable SSD (480GB)480 GB430 MB/sUSB 3.04.5
Samsung T3 Portable SSD (2TB)2 TB450 MB/sUSB 3.04.6
ADATA HD720 1TB Waterproof/ Dustproof/ Shock-Resistant External Hard Drive2 TB5000 MB/sUSB 3.04.6
LaCie Rugged Raid4 TB5400 MB/sUSB 3.04.7
ioSafe Solo G3 (1TB)1 TBN/AUSB 3.04.6
ADATA SE730 External SSD256 GB500 MB/sUSB 3.04.5
MiniPro Dura USB –C (USB 3.1) 1TB Rugged External Hard Drive1 TB7200 RPMUSB 3.04.7
Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60 External Hard Drive1 TB5400 RPMUSB 2.04,6
Glyph BlackBox Pro BBPR6000 6TB External Hard Drive6 TB220 MB/sUSB 3.0 and USB 2.04.8

Things to Look for in a Good Rugged External Hard Drive:

Interface type
An interface is a boundary across which independent components in a drive share or exchange information. The two common interface types in a hard drive are USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3.

Types of protection
Rugged external hard drives are built to withstand various extreme environments, depending on the needs of the user.

Rotational speed
This is the rate at which platters inside the disk spin at, and is what eventually determines the overall performance of your drive.

Enclosures
Rugged external hard drives come in either permanent or removable enclosures, allowing you to choose the one most suited to your needs.

Capacity
This determines how much data a drive can hold and how long it can stay safe in the drive while exposed to extreme conditions like a fire or a flood.

 

 

What Are the Best Rugged External Hard Drives in 2021?

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme NFC USB 3.0 (1TB) Rugged Portable Hard Drive

This rugged external hard drive comes highly recommended if you are looking to buy portable storage for secure and encrypted data. It is water, dust, and shock-resistant. It also comes with an integrated wrap-around USB 3.0 cable. This cable wraps around two sides of the drive when the drive is not in use.

The NFC technology function allows you to encrypt or decrypt data without the use of passwords. It also comes accompanied by a three-year warranty.

 

 

SanDisk Extreme 510 Portable SSD (480GB)

The SanDisk Extreme 510 Portable SSD boasts very high speed performance, with the ability to store huge data, videos, photos and so much more. Its can manage high speed performance transfers of up to 430MB per second read speeds.

Its durable, water resistant, all terrain compact design allows for you to carry it along wherever you are.

 

 

Samsung T3 Portable SSD (2TB)

This slim design rugged external hard drive is compatible with PC, Mac and Android operating systems. It comes with an internal SSD level performance and is available in capacities of up to 2TB.

The drive can handle superfast read-write speeds of up to 450MB per second. It comes in a sleek and handy design and it’s also shock resistant.

 

 

ADATA HD720 1TB Waterproof/ Dustproof/ Shock-Resistant External Hard Drive

This ruggedized hard drive is recommended for people who carry a lot of critical data wherever they go. This drive is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0.

Besides, as a waterproof external hard drive, it is on top of the list for withstanding extreme conditions. It is also dustproof and military-grade shock resistant, meaning it can survive a drop of up to 1.8m. It also comes with an attached cable holder.

Its top case is made of high-end silicone, with a fiber-like pattern to it. You can choose to buy it in either blue, green, or black colors depending on your preference.

 

 

LaCie Rugged Raid

This rugged 4 TB external hard drive comes with Thunderbolt interface, with two internal hard drives running at any time, and can hold up to 4TB of your files, reading and writing them almost two times as fast as any other typical portable USB 3.0 drive. It can handle speeds of up to 240MB per second while keeping two copies of your files, one for each drive, in the event that one of the internal drives fail.

This drive is water, shock, and dust resistant and perfect for all-terrain use.

 

 

ioSafe Solo G3 (1TB)

If you are looking for a drive that can keep all your data safe even in times of disasters, the ioSafe Solo G3 is the drive for you. This drive is mostly recommended for companies that require an effective hard drive to store large data files without the need for regular movement.

This rugged external hard drive is not only waterproof but is also fireproof. It comes in a fanless FloSafe Vent design which allows for near-silent operation. The ioSafe Solo G3 is compatible with both Mac and PC, and also comes with USB 3.0 connectivity.

 

 

ADATA SE730 External SSD

This external SSD drive is lightweight, featuring a waterproof rugged shell. It’s compact in size, making it easy to move around with when necessary. It is one of the few drives in the market that features USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type 2 interface, which allows for ultra- fast read-write speed of about 500MB per second.

It is compatible with Mac, Linux, PC, and Android operating systems. It is also water, dust, and shock-resistant. It comes with a 3-year warranty.

MiniPro Dura USB –C (USB 3.1) 1TB Rugged External Hard Drive

 

 

If you are looking for a rugged external drive that is compatible with either USB 3.1/ 3.0 or 2.0 with Thunderbolt 3 interface, the MiniPro Dura is your choice. It has a capacity of 1TB/ 7200RPM.

Its rubber encased aluminum exterior ensures it is waterproof, anti-slip, and is drop and shock resistant.

 

 

Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60 External Hard Drive

This rugged eternal hard drive is compatible with both Pcs and Macs allowing you to easily share files between different platforms. It features military grade shock proof and water resistant protection. It has a rugged rubber casing that ensures the drive doesn’t scratch or slip easily.

It boasts an SP widget-free download software that allows you to manage your data effectively and enjoy data backup and restore functions. It also allows you to enjoy AES 256-bit encryption as well as cloud storage for your data.

The Silicon Power 1TB Rugged Armor A60 external hard drive features a SuperSpeed USB 3.0 interface and is also backward compatible with USB 2.0. Its design features an attachment for cable storage for ease in carrying its cables.

 

 

Glyph BlackBox Pro BBPR6000 6TB External Hard Drive

This hard drive is recommended for creative people who have a lot of data to store at a given time. It features the latest USB-C (3.1) technology, and is also compatible with USB 3.0/2.0 and Thunderbolt 3. It has a transfer rate of up to 220MB/ and is compatible with Mac and Windows. It boasts 3 years hardware coverage, 2 years level 1 data recovery and 1 year advance replacement.

Most rugged external hard drives come with a manual or guide on how to install, with the option of having a professional assist you with the installation. Some will also come with the added advantage of insurance in the event the drive is destroyed or not functioning.

Carefully consider your data storage needs so that when you head out to buy a drive, you are able to choose one that will serve to store your data safely and for as long as you need to.

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