We also gathered input from other professionals and users. We directly compared dozens of drives on criteria such as price, feature set, size, and reliability. In addition to first-hand research, we also scoured online sources and editorial reviews. During that time, I’ve gone through literally dozens of different hard drives, which has given me valuable personal experience. I have also worked as a professional photographer and videographer. I have been writing about gadgets and computer gear for nearly two decades now. How we picked the best external hard drives

Best with encryption: Apricorn Aegis Padlock.

Best for Mac: WD My Passport Ultra for Mac.

What kind of connectivity do you need? How fast should your drive be? And will it be staying on your desk or going out into the world with you? We’ll walk you through the process of picking the best external hard drive for you. There are some choices you’ll have to make in order to get the correct model. These magical little boxes can hold your photo archive, your music collection, and anything else you don’t want fading into the digital aether in the case of a computer meltdown.

This list of drives provides recommendations for some common users. People won’t go through the regular backup process if it’s tedious or annoying. As long as you regularly put them to work, they provide an invaluable safety net against computer crashes and other types of digital catastrophes. The best external hard drives are the unsung heroes of the gadget world.

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