Best External Hard Drives for Laptops — UK Guide 2026
Running out of storage on your laptop? An external hard drive or portable SSD is one of the most cost-effective upgrades you can make. Here's what to buy depending on your needs and budget.
HDD vs SSD: which should you choose?
| External HDD | Portable SSD | |
|---|---|---|
| Speed | 80–160 MB/s | 500–2,000 MB/s |
| Durability | Moving parts — fragile if dropped | No moving parts — more durable |
| Price per TB | £30–£50/TB | £60–£120/TB |
| Best for | Large backups, media storage | Fast transfers, portability, running apps |
Best overall: Samsung T7 Portable SSD
The Samsung T7 is the go-to recommendation for most laptop users. It offers USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds (up to 1,050 MB/s read), a compact metal build, and comes in 500GB, 1TB, and 2TB options. Much faster than any HDD and reliable enough for daily use.
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Best budget HDD: Seagate Expansion Portable
For maximum storage per pound, the Seagate Expansion is hard to beat. Available up to 5TB, it uses USB 3.0 and offers straightforward drag-and-drop storage. Good for backing up large media collections or creating Time Machine backups. Not fast enough to run applications from, but excellent for storage.
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Best high-speed SSD: WD Black P50
The WD Black P50 uses USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 for speeds up to 2,000 MB/s — fast enough to edit 4K video directly from the drive. More expensive but significantly faster than standard portable SSDs. Overkill for general use but the right tool for video editing and fast data transfers.
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Best for Mac: LaCie Rugged SSD
The LaCie Rugged is popular with Mac users and creative professionals. It's drop-resistant, dustproof, and water-resistant (IP67 rated), and comes with a USB-C cable that's compatible with modern MacBooks without an adapter. Available up to 2TB.
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Best large storage: WD Elements Portable
The WD Elements is a reliable, affordable HDD for bulk storage. Available up to 5TB, it's a popular choice for photo and video libraries, game backups, and system backups. Bus-powered (no external power needed) and straightforward to use.
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What to look for
- Capacity: 1TB suits most users; 2TB if you store a lot of video
- Connection: USB 3.0 minimum; USB 3.2 or USB-C for faster transfers
- Bus powered: Most portable drives are bus-powered (no external power cable needed) — check this if using on a laptop away from a desk
- Mac formatted: Some drives come formatted for Windows (NTFS) — Macs can read but not write to NTFS by default. Reformat to exFAT for cross-platform use
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to run programmes from an external hard drive?
You can run programmes from an external SSD — speeds are fast enough. Running programmes from an external HDD is possible but much slower and not recommended. For running applications externally, always use an SSD.
Do I need a separate power supply for a portable external hard drive?
Most portable drives under 5TB are bus-powered via USB — no separate power supply needed. Desktop-sized external drives (typically 4TB+) often require a separate power cable. Check product specifications before buying.