Not a practical test to perform, but you get the idea. Excellent 4. In a bigger-picture sense, SSDs which have no moving parts have largely made the notion of a "fast" hard drive a bit passe.

The sleek, expensive Samsung Portable SSD X5 offers the fastest single-drive external storage money can buy, but it's suited mainly to well-heeled content-creation pros using late-model Macs. These are typically sealed with O-rings all the way around, allowing the drive inside extra moisture protection. The reason for this is that the USB-C version has an open type-c port on the back of the drive, but the Thunderbolt version comes with a rubber cover that encloses the rear port see photo below. The drive is equipped with NFC near field communications , similar to that which is found in your phone for making mobile payments. This is where the conversation diverges slightly, as the term "hard drive" is relatively ambiguous as of late. Posted By Tim Huber Oct 1, Reasonable price. In my opinion, the CalDigit Tuff drives are the toughest ones on the market.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD hits a rare sweet spot for solid-state drives: It's durable, versatile, speedy, and reasonably priced for its capacity. Top Picks. A lot of their marketing attention seems to be focussed on the video production industry, but I have used a number of their drives over the years and always found them to be excellent. Confusing, we know. Buying a rugged drive involves a lot of the same decision points you'd face with an ordinary external drive. This drive has military-grade shock resistance and a drive suspension system, as well as using the latest USB-C interface. This means you can pop the drives out to take them with you on the road, and then slot them quickly back into your system when you return to your office. Structurally strong Uses raid protocol 0 or 1 No solid-state options. Excellent 4. Are they rechargeable or do I need an external power source.

Check out our guide on the best camera backpacks to ensure that everything arrives in one piece. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. It's also built to last with a case that's water, dust and drop protected. Posted By Chris West Oct 1, No activity light. With varying degrees of dust resistance, and waterproofing, these shockproof, rugged hard drives are built to withstand harsh conditions and extreme temperatures, so you can rest easy knowing all your files are safe and secure. It should also be noted that many of these will work just fine with Apple computers , though you'll need to make certain to format them to the proper file system before use. CONS Camouflage exterior may not be for everyone. Rubberized aluminum case is easy to grip.

Yep, I threw it in a pond. Photo: LaCie. It's also built to last with a case that's water, dust and drop protected. If my hotel room were to be robbed then I have that additional copy of the photo on me at all times. The drive is equipped with NFC near field communications , similar to that which is found in your phone for making mobile payments. The industry has settled on two main interfaces in external portable drives these days: USB 3 of various flavors very common and Thunderbolt much less common. Nonetheless, its rubber exterior should prevent any such problems. The Wiki is a participant in associate programs from Amazon, Walmart, Ebay, Target, and others, and may earn advertising fees when you use our links to these websites. Cable storage around the edges. Silicon Power Armor A80 Fast and water-proof.

A lot of their marketing attention seems to be focussed on the video production industry, but I have used a number of their drives over the years and always found them to be excellent. Plastic housing only. The only problem with SSDs? Hi Dan Thanks for taking the time to write an excellent response. Outdoorsy Travelers, Photographers. Buying a rugged drive involves a lot of the same decision points you'd face with an ordinary external drive. The Storejet 25MC is the best value drive on the list. The MiniStation boasts a military-spec shock protection system that absorbs and transfers shock away from the hard disk, keeping your internal memory safe from the harsh realities of the world. The Adata SE makes our list of the best rugged hard drives thanks to its clever casing that uses a concealed port to ensure it's water-resistant, so splashes and even very quick drops into water won't faze this drive. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

We review products independently , but we may earn affiliate commissions from buying links on this page. Thanks to this complicated network, a chunk of metal and silicon springs to life and enables all sorts of communication and entertainment. Posted By Tim Huber Oct 1, Cables are a touch short. A few drives feature enclosures that are removable, adding another layer of protection between the drive and the casing. Top Picks. Whilst the price will be prohibitive for some people, you can still store a lot of images on the smallest GB model. Western Digital is one of the premier names in the external storage space, and with years of experience at their backs, the G-Technology G-DRIVE ev ATC hard drive is sure to bring durable attributes to users everywhere.

Excellent 4. Also, support for USB 3. Also, being a smaller US-based company means that customer service is an absolute breeze to deal with compared to the larger behemoths like Seagate and Western Digital. CONS Camouflage exterior may not be for everyone. Highly ruggedized against crush, immersion, shock, environment, altitude, and chemicals. It should also be noted that many of these will work just fine with Apple computers , though you'll need to make certain to format them to the proper file system before use. Materials and design vary, but the exterior for a platter hard drive is typically a hard plastic or rubber, which allows the drive to absorb impact. I suspect that the answer to this is how long is a bit of string.

The SanDisk comes from a company with an absolutely stellar reputation, as does the Crucial X8 , and the CalDigit is particularly compact. This ultra-compact drive is a speedy memory bank that utilizes USB 3. Layer upon complex layer of circuitry, chipsets, and instructions all find their way into a system, all composed of transistors so small they're measured in nanometers. If your budget stretches a little further, or perhaps you need the additional speed or portability of an SSD, the Sandisk Extreme Portable series is worth serious consideration. CONS The provided cables are on the short side. About The Author. No USB-C. That said, some newer SSDs employing cutting-edge, hopped-up internal components are starting to make better use of USB 3. This durable companion has been built from the ground up to endure everything that you can throw its direction — from wind, water, heat, vibration, and drops up to four feet , all the way to abrasions and external trauma.

CONS No activity light. It's a slim port with a cable that you can insert in either of two directions. Adata H. Ezvid Wiki Reviews Computer Accessories. I have tested this myself in a bucket of water and the drive was perfectly fine. It's not the smallest choice, but with a thickness of just half an inch, the Silicon Power B75 Pro appx. Check Price. No single external device can saturate that, not even a speedier solid-state drive. With varying degrees of dust resistance, and waterproofing, these shockproof, rugged hard drives are built to withstand harsh conditions and extreme temperatures, so you can rest easy knowing all your files are safe and secure.

When you're dealing with an external platter-based hard drive, it makes little difference which kind you get. Posted By Chris West Oct 2, This means that you can plug into any computer with a USB port, and you can also connect to the Thunderbolt 3 ports on a new MacBook. Frequent Travelers, Photographers. It still has a type-C USB interface on the back of it, but it also has a built-in Thunderbolt 2 cable that wraps around the drive for storage. After two decades of product and market research, Chris has a keen sense of what people want to know and how to explain it clearly. Some rugged drives are built to withstand forces that would kill any bare-naked internal drive: strong impacts, water immersion, even fire. Hope you can help me Mark Reply. Modern drives have acceleration sensors, which detect a fall and rapidly "park" the heads in a safe place before impact, but even that's not foolproof. It also comes in capacities up to 1TB, so you don't have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD - this drive really does hit all the right notes.

Ezvid Wiki Reviews Computer Accessories. This means that you can plug into any computer with a USB port, and you can also connect to the Thunderbolt 3 ports on a new MacBook. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Hope you back read your articles. What strikes me is the cost of some of these items. Good 3. From low-tech methods like ultra-strong resin insulation to prevent physical tampering, to onboard microchips that enable hardware-powered, bit encryption , many of these models are as just as good at keeping your files private as they are at keeping them undamaged. No USB-C.

Standard external platter-based hard drives are less resilient, especially if a drive happens to be running when it took a dive. What strikes me is the cost of some of these items. Confirmed: Waterproof! Cost-No-Object Ruggedness. See below for our top picks in rugged drives according to usage case. I generally recommend using rugged drives to help protect against every day accidents, such as dropping a drive on a hard floor. The Adata HD is certainly an eye catching rugged hard drive, and it's also one of the best, thanks to a durable case made of a unique silicone material that includes military-grade shock resistance that's also waterproof and dustproof. This is nice for traveling because I usually like to keep one set of my images on me at all times, and a second copy back at my hotel. Reasonable price.

But the question remains, where do we store those ones and zeros? Best Inexpensive. It also comes in capacities up to 1TB, so you don't have to worry about missing out on storage space just because it uses an SSD - this drive really does hit all the right notes. However, not all data is replaceable , and not all connections are repairable. Reasonable cost per gigabyte. No problem Mark. Reads at up to 1 gigabyte per second Comes in four colors Doesn't cost a fortune. It's an impressively compact hard drive that manages to fit in plenty of storage space, and IPX7 waterproofing, allowing it be be submerged in up to 1m of water for up to 30 minutes. Integrated hardware encryption and a high-level FIPS certification give you piece of mind when storing sensitive data.

Essentially it allows you to unlock the drive to get to your files quickly and easily by tapping the supplied NFC card onto the drive's body. Hard disks have a fragile spinning disk platter in them and other moving mechanical parts, whereas solid state drives are essentially just chips and circuit boards. Of course you could put any drive into a small dry bag or Pelican case, but this rating definitely simplifies things for people who are really going to be out there with their data in particularly wet environments. Just make sure the drive and system use matching and compatible versions of Thunderbolt, and don't assume it'll be any faster than what USB 3. Nonetheless, traditional HDDs are still tops as far as budget, efficiency, and availability go, and they'll still be important players for years to come. The idea of solar charging had crossed my mind. A lot of their marketing attention seems to be focussed on the video production industry, but I have used a number of their drives over the years and always found them to be excellent. If you are using a newer Macbook then that forces you to use a dongle adapter of some type. Comes with a usb-c cable A type-a adapter Reasonable price.

No USB support. Example 3. For good reason, the drives in this guide cover a broad spectrum of price points, speeds and capacities. Once again thank you Mark Reply. Could you tell me if the promotion of Think Tank gift plus free delivery are available to ship In Québec, Canada? A lot of their marketing attention seems to be focussed on the video production industry, but I have used a number of their drives over the years and always found them to be excellent. A few makers of rugged drives, such as LaCie, still offer rugged drives with the legacy Thunderbolt interfaces, but know that those older interfaces are a dead end for future computers. Protective, removable bumper all around. CONS No activity light. They are still expensive compared to hard drives of the same capacity.

Sleek design. See below for our top picks in rugged drives according to usage case. No USB-C. I also LOVE the tiny sizing of the drive, and the handy carabiner hole on it. You can also use it in RAID 1, which mirrors your data give essentially gives you a built-in backup in case one drive gets damaged. He has given talks on debunking pseudoscience, the Dunning-Kruger effect, culinary technique, and traveling. Leave us a comment below with your experiences and answers! Unlike those removable and portable media, however, the storage drives are self-contained reading and writing machines , including all the cache memory, mechanical parts, and magnetic heads needed to access information and ship it off to the PC's SATA bus. To demonstrate this I thought we should look at some example pricing that was gathered at the time of writing this article. Lacie Rugged Mini Tiny yet sturdy.

Excellent 4. Silicon Power Armor A80 Fast and water-proof. Lacie is once again gracing our list of ruggedized hard drives; this time, with the aptly named Rugged RAID. HiConsumption is reader-supported. You may like. Unfortunately, the storage capacity on this particular model is quite small. By investing in the best rugged hard drive your budget allows, you can be certain that anything you store on the device will survive in the harshest of environments. It's been tested against 7-foot drops, moisture, and extreme temperatures. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Leave a comment or question Cancel reply Your email address will not be published or shared. This thorough engineering is why even non-violent audiovisual professionals often prefer to take this military-certified gear along with them into the field — in case journalism or a jungle expedition turns into a veritable war zone. To demonstrate this I thought we should look at some example pricing that was gathered at the time of writing this article. For those who live to document the great unknown, the journey to capture a subject at the farthest reaches of the earth is a tried-and-true endeavor. Also, support for USB 3. Though while USB 3. Chris West Jul 10, SSDs are not only taking over the notebook and personal computer market, but they're also edging into external storage.

There really should be something to satisfy everyone from the casual hobbyist photographer, right up to professionals that handle enormous data throughput from image intensive workflows and 4k video editing. It's not the smallest choice, but with a thickness of just half an inch, the Silicon Power B75 Pro appx. How may charges do battery packs do? You can also use it in RAID 1, which mirrors your data give essentially gives you a built-in backup in case one drive gets damaged. Integrated hardware encryption and a high-level FIPS certification give you piece of mind when storing sensitive data. Stay In Touch. Plastic housing only. CONS A little expensive. Are they rechargeable or do I need an external power source.

Reads at up to 1 gigabyte per second Comes in four colors Doesn't cost a fortune. I actually declined to include the DJI copilot because it has some pretty terrible reviews and it seemed like a waste of my time to test it. It's ideal for anyone who works in the field and produces oodles of data. They offer twice the potential bandwidth of previous implementations. PROS Speedy performance. While it's commonly known as binary, this system is a number system called base 2, which consists of two digits just like base 10 consists of ten digits from 0 to 9 and the fact that it uses only two numbers is integral to the existence of computers. Cordially Jean Reply. These enclosures may or may not also provide seals to keep the elements—dust, dirt, and water—out of your drive. Multiple capacity options. Conceptually speaking, magnetic storage works a bit like optical media CDs and DVDs and even the antiquated phonograph or turntable.

But adoption was limited, and on top of that, no single hard drive-based external drive can even begin to approach the limits of either interface. Dan Carr on December 10, at pm. Pretty neat! From low-tech methods like ultra-strong resin insulation to prevent physical tampering, to onboard microchips that enable hardware-powered, bit encryption , many of these models are as just as good at keeping your files private as they are at keeping them undamaged. Stay In Touch. Another extremely meaningful specification found on some of these durable devices is courtesy of US military regulations. Highly durable. Welcome to our pick of the best rugged hard drives has to offer. Example 3.

This is where the conversation diverges slightly, as the term "hard drive" is relatively ambiguous as of late. But for the average user, there are plenty of durable, reasonably priced external drives with higher capacity. Reasonable cost per gigabyte. Multiple capacity options. How may charges do battery packs do? When you're dealing with an external platter-based hard drive, it makes little difference which kind you get. Jean on June 12, at pm. Also, support for USB 3. This thorough engineering is why even non-violent audiovisual professionals often prefer to take this military-certified gear along with them into the field — in case journalism or a jungle expedition turns into a veritable war zone. Please email your request to desire.

Some combination of all these things should keep you going for a long time with no need for a laptop! What kind of drive are you using right now? PROS Impact resistant. This extra speed makes a noticeable difference when working with large files on the road. Canon RF Lens Roadmap. That is, for certain, A Very Bad Thing. Good 3. Keep in mind that just because an item lacks a stated IP rating, or contains an X in one of the places, it may still protect somewhat against ingress, but it didn't receive a certification from the official testing board. Lightweight for a ruggedized unit. Conditions are harsh the temperature ranged between 2 and 45 degrees and the sand and dust and trails are rough.

CONS No activity light. We'll explain that in a moment. I actually declined to include the DJI copilot because it has some pretty terrible reviews and it seemed like a waste of my time to test it. Software enables bit AES encryption. It's also built to last with a case that's water, dust and drop protected. Can you help meas I am a bit unsure about what I need. A key spec to seek out for rugged outdoor use is compliance with IP67 or IP You can buy the ATC case on its own if you already have some ev RaW drives, or you can buy the case with a drive in it already.

Looks like you're going to need a hard drive designed to withstand the rigors of the real world. I generally recommend using rugged drives to help protect against every day accidents, such as dropping a drive on a hard floor. With varying degrees of dust resistance, and waterproofing, these shockproof, rugged hard drives are built to withstand harsh conditions and extreme temperatures, so you can rest easy knowing all your files are safe and secure. Posted By Tim Huber Oct 1, The MiniStation boasts a military-spec shock protection system that absorbs and transfers shock away from the hard disk, keeping your internal memory safe from the harsh realities of the world. PROS Durable in drop tests. The 10 Best Rugged Hard Drives. About The Author.

One year of data recovery service protection. The only problem with SSDs? With varying degrees of dust resistance, and waterproofing, these shockproof, rugged hard drives are built to withstand harsh conditions and extreme temperatures, so you can rest easy knowing all your files are safe and secure. Difficult to connect to Windows PCs. Outdoors Types, Space-Strapped Shoppers. We also included the Buffalo MiniStation and Apricorn Aegis , which, though somewhat low-capacity compared to others, offer high levels of data security, something that government contractors and high-level corporate users may require. While it's not compatible with standard USB 3. Reasonable price. Top Picks.

To be certain that the rugged hard drive you purchase is robust enough to protect your data, make sure it has been thoroughly tested. The common versions of such chips as CPUs and GPUs are built of countless microscopic switches that are either on, or off. Data transfers slightly slower than anticipated. Welcome to our pick of the best rugged hard drives has to offer. Its IP67 rating ensures complete water and dust resistance, and it can withstand two tons of crushing pressure. I was loaded up with batteries and SD cards. No single external device can saturate that, not even a speedier solid-state drive. Built-in keypad access Not harmed by high humidity Very low capacity. Hunters, Military Applications.

Thunderbolt 3 boasts potential bandwidth up to 40Gbps, but again, your typical external hard drive won't push data anywhere close to that limit. If you look up the specifications, you'll see that many of the best rugged hard drives have been tested to meet certain standards which ensures they are protected from extreme temperatures, water and dust. PROS Good-looking for a rugged drive. Canon RF Lens Roadmap. It's also dust proof and can withstand up to kg of pressure. Statistics and Editorial Log 0 Paid Placements. Muddying matters further, though, is the latest version of Thunderbolt, Thunderbolt 3—specifically, in how it is implemented. You may like. These drives are relatively new to the market, but they are incredibly impressive! Plastic housing only.

See our explainer. Jean on June 12, at pm. However, not all enclosures are designed for maximum shock resistance; a rugged drive might have a metal shell, to provide crush protection as well as some safety in case of a drop. Thanks to the solid state drive that resides in this external hard drive, it's a lot faster than external drives that use traditional spinning hard drives - so you're getting great transfer speeds as well as rugged protection. Silicon Power B75 Pro. Yep, I threw it in a pond. Content Creators Seeking Extreme Speed. A durable silicone housing helps to protect your valuable content from shock and vibration, while an IP4X rating is present to give you peace-of-mind, should you find yourself in the midst of inclement weather. The idea is solid enough and it seems to back things up pretty well from a card, by all reports, it is unbearably slow when connected to a computer. I have tested this myself in a bucket of water and the drive was perfectly fine.

The industry has settled on two main interfaces in external portable drives these days: USB 3 of various flavors very common and Thunderbolt much less common. Exposed USB port, so not that rugged. The downside however, is the price. CONS Bulky and heavy. Which one is best for your needs depends on the ports on the computer or computers you are using. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki. Software enables bit AES encryption. Statistics and Editorial Log 0 Paid Placements.