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Thunderbolt External Hard Drive Comparison - July 2025

1
Best Choice
9.7Exceptional
2
Best Value
9.5Excellent
3
9.4Excellent
4
9.2Excellent
5
9.1Excellent
6
8.8Very Good
7
8.6Very Good
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Model

SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD - Up to 2000MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE81-4T00-G25
Model
SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE61-2T00-G25
Model
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 compatible, Drop Shock Dust Water Resistant, 1 Mo Adobe CC (STFS5000800)
Model
SAMSUNG T9 Portable SSD 4TB, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 External Solid State Drive, Seq. Read Speeds Up to 2,000MB/s for Gaming, Students and Professionals,MU-PG4T0B/AM, Black (pack of 1)
Model
SanDisk Professional 22TB G-Drive Project - External HDD, Thunderbolt 3, USB (10Gbps), 7200RPM Ultrastar Hard Drive, Up to 260MB/s Read - SDPHG1H-022T-NBAAD
Model
SanDisk Professional 5TB G-Drive ArmorATD - Rugged, Durable Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 - SDPH81G-005T-GBA1D
Model
SanDisk Professional 2TB PRO-G40 SSD - Up to 2700MB/s, Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps), USB-C (10Gbps), IP68 dust/Water Resistance, External Solid State Drive - SDPS31H-002T-GBCND

Brand

SanDisk
Brand
SanDisk
Brand
LaCie
Brand
SAMSUNG
Brand
SanDisk Professional
Brand
SanDisk Professional
Brand
SanDisk Professional

Reviews

23,388 reviews
Reviews
120,748 reviews
Reviews
2,146 reviews
Reviews
1,142 reviews
Reviews
554 reviews
Reviews
5,038 reviews
Reviews
776 reviews

Features

Movability

9.9
Movability
9.8
Movability
9.1
Movability
8.6
Movability
8.6
Movability
8.4
Movability
8.9

Storage space

9.8
Storage space
9.8
Storage space
9.4
Storage space
9.1
Storage space
9.1
Storage space
8.9
Storage space
7.9

Tech support

8.9
Tech support
8.9
Tech support
7.7
Tech support
7.4
Tech support
7.2
Tech support
7.0
Tech support
9.1

Tech Specs

product dimensions

0.41 x 2.28 x 4.36 inches
product dimensions
0.38 x 2.07 x 3.97 inches
product dimensions
1.34 x 3.58 x 5.84 inches
product dimensions
3.46 x 2.36 x 0.55 inches
product dimensions
8.27 x 5.24 x 3.01 inches
product dimensions
5.2 x 3.46 x 1.18 inches
product dimensions
4.36 x 2.28 x 0.47 inches

color

Black
color
Black
color
Black
color
Black
color
Black
color
Black
color
Black

item weight

2.75 ounces
item weight
1.76 ounces
item weight
1.32 pounds
item weight
4.3 ounces
item weight
3.64 pounds
item weight
12.3 ounces
item weight
4.3 ounces

flash memory size

4
flash memory size
2
flash memory size
5 GB
flash memory size
4 TB
flash memory size
1 TB
flash memory size
5 TB
flash memory size
2 TB

item dimensions lxwxh

0.41 x 2.28 x 4.36 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
0.38 x 2.07 x 3.97 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
1.34 x 3.58 x 5.84 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
3.46 x 2.36 x 0.55 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
8.27 x 5.24 x 3.01 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
5.2 x 3.46 x 1.18 inches
item dimensions lxwxh
4.36 x 2.28 x 0.47 inches

customer reviews

4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 11, 694 ratings 4.3 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 60, 374 ratings 4.6 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 1, 073 ratings 4.4 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 571 ratings 4.7 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 277 ratings 4.5 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 2, 519 ratings 4.4 out of 5 stars
customer reviews
4.2 4.2 out of 5 stars 388 ratings 4.2 out of 5 stars

hard drive interface

USB 3.2
hard drive interface
USB 3.0
hard drive interface
USB 3.0
hard drive interface
USB 3.0
hard drive interface
-
hard drive interface
USB 3.2
hard drive interface
USB 3.0

hard drive

4 TB
hard drive
2 TB Solid State Drive
hard drive
5 TB
hard drive
4 TB Solid State Drive
hard drive
22 TB
hard drive
-
hard drive
2 TB Solid State Drive

hardware platform

PC, Mac
hardware platform
Mac
hardware platform
PC, Mac
hardware platform
PC
hardware platform
-
hardware platform
-
hardware platform
-

language

English
language
English, English, English, English
language
-
language
-
language
-
language
English
language
-

Review

Review Review Review
-
Review
-
Review
-
Review

Available On

Available On Available On Available On Available On Available On Available On

Our Top 3 Picks

Here are the top 3 recommended products with more information to help you find the right product for you
  • 9.7
    1
    SanDisk
    24% Off

    SanDisk 4TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD - Up to 2000MB/s - USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE81-4T00-G25

    9.9 movability
    9.8 Storage space
    8.9 Tech Support

    Why we love it

    Fast data transfer speeds.
    Durable and portable design.
    Strong security features.
  • 9.5
    2
    SanDisk
    33% Off

    SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD - Up to 1050MB/s, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2, IP65 Water and Dust Resistance, Updated Firmware - External Solid State Drive - SDSSDE61-2T00-G25

    9.8 movability
    9.8 Storage space
    8.9 Tech Support

    Why we love it

    Fast data transfer speeds.
    Durable and portable design.
    Secure file encryption.
  • 9.4
    3
    LaCie

    LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 5TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 compatible, Drop Shock Dust Water Resistant, 1 Mo Adobe CC (STFS5000800)

    9.4 Storage space
    9.1 movability
    7.7 Tech Support

    Why we love it

    High speed transfers: 130MB/s
    Durable: drop, dust water resistant
    Peace of mind: 3 year warranty data recovery

Our ranking system

At BestChoice.com, our team curates a selection of top products from a vast array available online, using a sophisticated ranking system based on carefully defined criteria.While traditional hands-on testing has its merits, our use of AI technology offers distinct advantages. AI allows us to process and analyze vast amounts of data from multiple sources, providing a comprehensive view that goes beyond what manual testing can achieve. This approach enables us to deliver insights that are aligned with current trends and consumer preferences, ensuring our reviews are both relevant and up-to-date.

Features

Our AI-driven analysis examines key attributes, capabilities, and other critical factors tailored to each product category. This method allows us to assess effectiveness from various perspectives, ensuring a well-rounded evaluation.
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Consumer Reviews

We aggregate and evaluate consumer feedback from across the internet, giving weight to ratings and reviews that reflect the most reliable insights. AI enhances this process by filtering and prioritizing data, offering a balanced view without the need for direct personal endorsements.
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Popularity

Our system also considers the popularity of products, analyzing factors such as market presence, reputation, and user satisfaction. By leveraging AI, we capture a comprehensive picture of a product's standing in the market, which may not always be evident through traditional testing.
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Value for money

AI allows us to compare products based on attributes like price, specifications, and user feedback, helping to determine their value for money. This data-driven approach offers an efficient and reliable way to assess how products stack up against one another in terms of cost-effectiveness.
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