10 Best Thunderbolt External Hard Drives of 2025

Tested and Reviewed: Top 10 Thunderbolt External Hard Drives deals with expert ratings from 8.1 to a perfect 10

June 2025 Edition

Editor's Choice

9.7

Save 19%

SSK

SSK Portable SSD 1TB External Solid State Drives, up to 1050MB/s USB C SSD External Hard Drive USB 3.2 Gen2 for iPhone 15/Pro, Windows, Mac, Android Phones and Tablets

19% OffFree Shipping

Editor's bottom line:

“This thunderbolt external hard drives is the best one we tested. In terms of quality, brand and price, we couldn't ask for more.”

Main Highlights

Capacity Reminder: Display capacity of 1TB SSD often appears as around 931GB on Windows. MacOS typically shows full 1TB. This display capacity reduction of 7% to 10% from SSD actual capacity is from algorithms differences in which 1GB is interpreted as 1024MB on Windows and 1000MB on SSDs
1050 MB/s Speed: Instantly access to your files with blazing-fast 10Gbps external SSD read up to 1050MB/s and write up to 1000MB/s. LED Light indicates USB SSD instant activity
Data Security: Master solid state drives health with S.M.A.R.T. monitoring. TRIM technology ensures consistent write speeds and extends the lifespan of the portable SSD
USB-C & USB-A Cable: Both USB-C and USB-A cables featuring rapid USB 3.2 Gen2, this USB SSD effortlessly bridges devices, enabling seamless cross-platform file transfers between computers, smartphones, tablets and Phones
Always Fast: No slowdowns during large file transfers. When transferring files smaller than 250GB, this external ssd remains steady 10Gbps with SLC caching (25%of the current available capacity is allocated for high speed cache)
For iPhone 4K ProRes: Our portable SSD empowers 4K60Hz ProRes HDR video capture for iPhone. Power consumption less than 2.4 Watts, this external SSD effortlessly operates on various mobile devices, ensuring seamless usability on the go
Less Heat: 2mm thick aluminum alloy case of this portable SSD brings superior heat dissipation and premium touch. Case temperature peaks at 105.58°F, ensuring reliable performance without worries of overheating inside the SSD
Powerful Portability: Impressive external solid state drives weighs just 36.6g with a dimension of 2.6*1.5*0.5 inch, Experience unparalleled convenience with this remarkably lightweight portable SSD

Show Price

Picked by 274 people today

9.5

Save 13%

Seagate

Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD — USB 3.0 for PC, Mac, PlayStation, & Xbox -1-Year Rescue Service (STGX2000400)

13% OffFree Shipping

Main Highlights

Easily store and access 2TB to content on the go with the Seagate Portable Drive, a USB external hard drive
Designed to work with Windows or Mac computers, this external hard drive makes backup a snap just drag and drop
To get set up, connect the portable hard drive to a computer for automatic recognition no software required
This USB drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch USB 3.0 cable

Show Price

9.5

Save 27%

LaCie

LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB 3.0 1TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD (STEV1000400)

27% Off

Main Highlights

Capture and edit content like a pro with Rugged Thunderbolt USB 3.0, an external hard drive that provides extreme durability and fast performance
For those who have a need for speed, transfer with speeds of up to 130MB/s using the integrated Thunderbolt cable that seamlessly wraps around the enclosure when not in use
Trek confidently with a portable external hard drive thats drop, dust, and water resistant
Includes a one month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
Enjoy long term peace of mind with the included three year limited warranty
The available storage capacity may vary.

Show Price

9.2

Save 15%

LaCie

LaCie Rugged Secure 2TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB-C USB 3.0 Drop Shock Dust Rain Resistant Computer Desktop Workstation Laptop Hardware Encryption, 1 Month Adobe CC (STFR2000403)

15% Off

Main Highlights

Protect what matters with Rugged Secures AES-256 government-grade hardware encrypted password protection
Shuttle large-scale projects with 2TB of capacity, and directly ingest files with fast speeds of up to 130MB/s
Trek near or far with a portable hard drive that provides drop, crush, and rain resistance as well as Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and USB 3.0 compatibility
Take advantage of a one-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps

Show Price

Best Value

9.0

Save 52%

SAMSUNG

SAMSUNG T7 Portable SSD, 2TB External Solid State Drive, Speeds Up to 1,050MB/s, USB 3.2 Gen 2, Reliable Storage for Gaming, Students, Professionals, MU-PC2T0T/AM, Gray

52% OffFree Shipping

Main Highlights

MADE FOR THE MAKERS: Create; Explore; Store; The T7 Portable SSD delivers fast speeds and durable features to back up any endeavor; Build your video editing empire, file your photographs or back up your blogs all in an instant
SHARE IDEAS IN A FLASH: Dont waste a second waiting and spend more time doing; The T7 is embedded with PCIe NVMe technology that brings fast read and write speeds up to 1,050/1,000 MB/s¹, making it almost twice as fast as the T5
ALWAYS MAKE THE SAVE: Compact design with massive capacity; With capacities up to 4TB, save exactly what you need to your drive from large working files to game data and everything in between
ADAPTS TO EVERY NEED: Whether using a PC or mobile phone, count on the T7 for extensive compatibility²; Its a true team player when it comes to heavy-duty application usage or file-saving
HI RESOLUTION VIDEO RECORDING: Record Ultra High Resolution (4K 60fs) videos directly onto the T7 Portable SSD with your favorite camera or mobile devices; Supports iPhone 15 Pro Res 4K at 60fps video and more³
ALL FOR THE SHOT: This strong, sturdy sidekick will help you see it through with shock resistance and fall protection up to 6 feet; With its solid aluminum unibody construction, its made to withstand any adventure
WORLDS #1 FLASH MEMORY BRAND: Performance and reliability from the worlds #1 brand for flash memory since 2003; All firmware and components are produced in-house, including our world renowned DRAM and NAND, for quality and you can trust

Show Price

8.8

Save 34%

SanDisk

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

34% OffFree Shipping

Main Highlights

Get NVMe solid state performance with up to 1050MB/s read and 1000MB/s write speeds in a portable, high-capacity drive(1) (Based on internal testing; performance may be lower depending on host device & other factors. 1MB=1,000,000 bytes.)
Up to 3-meter drop protection and IP65 water and dust resistance mean this tough drive can take a beating(3) (Previously rated for 2-meter drop protection and IP55 rating. Now qualified for the higher, stated specs.)
Use the handy carabiner loop to secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind.
Help keep private content private with the included password protection featuring 256bit AES hardware encryption.(3)
Easily manage files and automatically free up space with the SanDisk Memory Zone app.(5). Non-Operating Temperature -20°C to 85°C

Show Price

8.6

Save 10%

SanDisk Professional

SanDisk Professional 5TB G-Drive ArmorATD - Rugged, Durable Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 - SDPH81G-005T-GBA1D

10% OffFree Shipping

Main Highlights

USB-C (5Gbps) drive for quick file backup and storage
USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt 3 compatible
Transfer rates of up to 130MB/s read (1 MB/s = 1 million bytes per second. Based on internal testing; performance may vary depending upon host device, usage conditions, drive capacity, and other factors.)
Premium, anodized aluminum enclosure for strength you can feel
Built tough with an easy-grip bumper for pro-grade durabilty you can trust

Show Price

8.3

Save 7%

LaCie

LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 4TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD – USB 3.0 compatible, Drop Shock Dust Water Resistant, Mac and PC Computer Desktop Workstation Laptop, 1 Mo Adobe CC (STFS4000800)

7% OffFree Shipping

Main Highlights

Enjoy high-speed file transfers and extreme in-field durability with Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C, an external hard drive
For those who have a need for speed, transfer files with speeds of up to 130MB/s using the integrated Thunderbolt cable that seamlessly wraps around the enclosure when not in use
Trek confidently with a portable external hard drive thats drop, dust, and water resistant
Includes a one-month complimentary membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps
Enjoy long-term peace of mind with an included three-year limited warranty protection plan and Rescue Data Recovery services
The available storage capacity may vary.

Show Price

8.1

Fantom Drives

Fantom Drives Extreme 2TB External SSD - 2800MB/s, Thunderbolt 3 and 4, USB Type-C, Aluminum, 3D NAND TLC, TB3X-2300N2TB

Free Shipping

Main Highlights

Fantom Drives eXtreme Portable NVMe SSD is the perfect collision of Power and Speed. Equipped with Thunderbolt 3 technology and PCIe Generation 3 M.2 3D NAND NVMe, FD eXtreme is capable of handling all your creative needs including 6K and 8K videos. It is now possible to work, edit, and render large files inside eXtreme without having to wait
The eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD is an officially licensed and certified product that passes the stringent tests performed by Intel. With read speeds up to 2,800MB/s and write speeds up to 2,300MB/s, Fantom Drive eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD is designed specifically in mind for Mac enthusiasts and production-level creative professionals that are searching for high-quality storage devices. eXtreme allows you to continue creating and transferring data instantly
Built with high-quality aluminum -- legend has it that FD eXtreme is strong enough to stand against Thor's Mjölnir and durable enough to tackle everyday storage challenges. The full metal body design with slick sand blasted finish provides the ultimate protection for your crucial data. Measuring at 2.5 x 0.5" x 4.25, Fantom Drives eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 SSD is portable and can fit in any pocket. No power supply is needed
Fantom Drives eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 is designed to alleviate any NVMe heat issues and allow proper cooling to extend its life and maximize its technological functionality. This product features Thermal Dissipation Technology which transfers heat exuding from the NVMe to a thermal pad. The produced heat from the NVMe is then dissipated to each edge of the device. FD eXtreme grooved edges are inspired by the design of a CPU heat sink and its efficiency
eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 SSD comes formatted APFS and is compatible with Mac OS 10.13 or higher. eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 SSD comes with easy instructions to format to HFS+ (if Mac OS version is lower than 10.13) and NTFS for Windows. IMPORTANT: Thunderbolt 3 drives only work with Thunderbolt 3 ports. eXtreme Thunderbolt 3 SSD is covered with best in class 5 year warranty.

Show Price

8.1

LaCie

LaCie d2 Professional 14TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – Thunderbolt 3 USB-C USB 3.0, 7200 RPM Enterprise Class Drives, for Mac and PC Desktop, 1 Month Adobe CC (STHA14000800)

Main Highlights

CROSS PLATFORM: The LaCie d2 Professional is the go-to external desktop hard drive for creatives using Mac/PC SSD-based laptops or all-in-one-computers with limited storage capacity.Specific uses: Business,Personal,Gaming
FAST DATA: Easily edit and archive projects with massive massive capacity and speeds of up to 240MB/s
FUTURE PROOF: Seamlessly connect to USB-C and Thunderbolt 3 computers, enjoy reduced noise and vibration thanks to an aluminum form factor, and get ultimate reliability and performance with BarraCuda Pro enterprise-class drives
BOUNDLESS CREATIVITY: Includes one-month membership to Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan
RECOVERY INCLUDED: Enjoy long-term peace of mind with the included five-year limited warranty including Rescue Data Recovery Services

Show Price

Our Best Overall Choice

Best Choice

9.7

SSK

SSK Portable SSD 1TB External Solid State Drives, up to 1050MB/s USB C SSD External Hard Drive USB 3.2 Gen2 for iPhone 15/Pro, Windows, Mac, Android Phones and Tablets

19% OffFree Shipping

Editor's bottom line:

“This is the best one we tested. In terms of quality, brand and price, we couldn't ask for more.”

Main Highlights

Capacity Reminder: Display capacity of 1TB SSD often appears as around 931GB on Windows. MacOS typically shows full 1TB. This display capacity reduction of 7% to 10% from SSD actual capacity is from algorithms differences in which 1GB is interpreted as 1024MB on Windows and 1000MB on SSDs
1050 MB/s Speed: Instantly access to your files with blazing-fast 10Gbps external SSD read up to 1050MB/s and write up to 1000MB/s. LED Light indicates USB SSD instant activity
Data Security: Master solid state drives health with S.M.A.R.T. monitoring. TRIM technology ensures consistent write speeds and extends the lifespan of the portable SSD
USB-C & USB-A Cable: Both USB-C and USB-A cables featuring rapid USB 3.2 Gen2, this USB SSD effortlessly bridges devices, enabling seamless cross-platform file transfers between computers, smartphones, tablets and Phones
Always Fast: No slowdowns during large file transfers. When transferring files smaller than 250GB, this external ssd remains steady 10Gbps with SLC caching (25%of the current available capacity is allocated for high speed cache)
For iPhone 4K ProRes: Our portable SSD empowers 4K60Hz ProRes HDR video capture for iPhone. Power consumption less than 2.4 Watts, this external SSD effortlessly operates on various mobile devices, ensuring seamless usability on the go
Less Heat: 2mm thick aluminum alloy case of this portable SSD brings superior heat dissipation and premium touch. Case temperature peaks at 105.58°F, ensuring reliable performance without worries of overheating inside the SSD
Powerful Portability: Impressive external solid state drives weighs just 36.6g with a dimension of 2.6*1.5*0.5 inch, Experience unparalleled convenience with this remarkably lightweight portable SSD

Show Price

Related Deals You Might Like for Thunderbolt External Hard Drives

Crucial X10 Pro 4TB Portable SSD – Up to 2100MB/s Read, 2000MB/s Write, Water and Dust Resistant, with Mylio Photos+ Offer – USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive – CT4000X10PROSSD902

8% Off

Show PriceView

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)

Show PriceView

OWC ThunderBay 4 with Dual Thunderbolt 3 Ports (0GB)

Show PriceView

Crucial X9 1TB Portable SSD – Up to 1050MB/s Read, PC and Mac, Lightweight and Small with 3-Month Mylio Photos+ Offer – USB 3.2 External Solid State Drive – CT1000X9SSD902

29% Off

Show PriceView

G-Technology 4TB G-DRIVE with Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 Desktop External Hard Drive, Silver - 0G03050-1

Show PriceView

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

37% Off

Show PriceView

WD 20TB Elements Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0 drive for plug-and-play storage - WDBWLG0200HBK-NESN

13% Off

Show PriceView

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

28% Off

Show PriceView

SanDisk Professional 12TB G-Drive Project - External HDD, Thunderbolt 3, USB (10Gbps), 7200RPM Ultrastar Hard Drive, Up to 250MB/s Read - SDPHG1H-012T-NBAAD

5% Off

Show PriceView

OWC 4TB Express 1M2 Portable NVMe Thunderbolt (USB-C) SSD USB4 Ultra Fast External SSD Drive with Aluminum Heat Sink Enclosure

Show PriceView

Deals are Live

Special Amazon deal ends in: