As many consumers test out the world of Chromebooks and lighter laptops loaded with small internal solid-state drives, they often find that they need just a bit more storage space. External solid-state drives (SSD) are an affordable and easy way to expand.
I just purchased the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop with a 128GB SSD and it is a sweet machine, but I know we will max out that hard drive in a relatively short amount of time, so I went looking for 1TB options that will keep me from fretting that I am running out of storage space. I limited my search to 1TB solid state drives. These are my seven favorite SSDs:
SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD (1TB)
At $170 for 1TB of storage, this compact, easy-to-tote SSD is backed by the well-known SanDisk brand. It is not quite as fast as some of the other SSDs, but it makes up for it in size and toughness. There are other storage option sizes, as well, increasing or decreasing the price accordingly.
[id=7]
KESU External SSD 1T, Portable Solid-State Drive, USB 3.1 Gen 2,540M/s
This is a recent find in my 1TB SSD research. It is a superslim drive that comes with a couple of cables that make it possible to connect and back up your smartphone or tablet as well as serving your laptop or desktop needs.
[id=9]
WD 1TB My Passport Go SSD Cobalt External Storage, USB 3.0
It is hard to go wrong with a Western Digital (WD) drive, given the brand’s long history in the space. This solid-state drive is pretty rugged (with a rubberized coating that gives you a firm grip). At $155, this unit is small enough to fit in your back pocket.
[id=11]
G-Technology 1TB SSD Durable Portable External Storage – USB-C (USB 3.1)
At $190, and with above-average transfer speeds (up to 560 MB/s), this G-Technology SSD is a bit pricier than some of the other options, but it also comes with a five-year warranty, which is longer than most.
[id=13]
Silicon Power 1TB 3D NAND TLC Rugged Portable External SSD USB 3.1
If I am going to go out into the field or on the road, I like to have at least one truly rugged drive with me. This Silicon Power drive—$128 for 1TB—is among the tougher units on this list, as in military-grade shockproof. More and more, I also appreciate when a brand includes multiple cables or adapters with their drives, and Silicon Power does that.
[id=15]
VectoTech Rapid 1TB External SSD USB-C Portable Solid-State Drive (USB 3.1 Gen 2)
This slim drive from VectoTech is another new find in my solid-state drive research and it comes with above-average reviews, particularly about its speed. At $129, this drive is a worthy contender.
[id=17]
Samsung T5 Portable SSD – 1TB – USB 3.1 External SSD (MU-PA1T0B/AM)
The elegant Samsung T5 SSD is one of the more expensive drives on this list at $170 (not the most expensive, however), but it has more than 2,000 reviews, with 84 percent weighing in at five stars. That’s tough to beat if you don’t mind spending a bit more.
