List of best external hard disks of 1 TB size

In the era of cloud computing, hard drives still play a vital role in helping you manage your crucial data when cloud isn’t available or is too expensive. Trusted old HDDs are great for storing large amounts of your documents, photos, videos and notes for as long as you want, without charging an annual fee.

Best external hard disks

Although SSDs are here, they aren’t really as affordable as a good external hard drive. So, if you are in the market for a decent hard drive, here are the top 5 external hard drives that have a capacity of 1TB.

1. WD Elements

This is one of the most popular hard disks in the world. The WD Elements is the company’s entry-level external HDD and comes with minimum features like backup and disk encryption. The Elements range has a minimalistic design with an elegant matte black color variant. This hard drive at an average 5400 RPM but it shouldn’t be a problem if you plan to use it as a backup drive. It provides USB 3.0 support, weighs 130 grams and carries a strong 3 year warranty. Price: $62.

2. Seagate STEA1000400

Another trusted brand in the hard drive segment is Seagate. Their most popular 1TB external hard disk is the STEA1000400; the drive is automatically recognized by the Windows operating system, so there is no software to install or configure. Saving files is easy too–just drag-and-drop. USB 3.0 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 for additional system compatibility. This hard drive has USB 3.0 support, weighs 181 grams and carries a 2 year warranty. Price: $55.

3. Transcend StoreJet M3

This hard drive from Transcend offers military-grade shock resistance and advanced 3-stage shock protection system with the help of a durable anti-shock rubber outer case. The StoreJet M3 also has a Quick Reconnect Button to help re-enable safely removed USB hard drive without unplugging and reinserting again. This drive comes at a premium compared to the other entry-level options but it offers additional features including One Touch Auto-Backup button, 256-bit AES file & folder encryption and Exclusive Transcend Elite data management software. it supports USB 3.0 connectivity, weighs 200 grams and carries a 2 year warranty. Price: $57.

4. WD My Passport Wireless

This is a rather rare species of hard drives. While they are bulky and meant not to be portable, times have changed. HDDs are now lightweight and quite portable. So, here we have wireless hard drives. Although pretty expensive currently, wireless external hard drives certainly offer the next level of convenience when it comes to bulk data storage. This one from WD My Passport uses WiFi as the binding force between the system and the files stored on it. It can wirelessly connect with up to 8 devices at a time, back up or transfer photos and videos from your SD card and stay mobile longer with up to 6 hours of video streaming and 20 hours of standby. It is compatible with USB 3.0, weighs 300 grams and has a 3-year warranty. Price: $118.

5. Seagate Backup Plus Slim

Taking lightweight and sleekness to another level, this external hard drive from Seagate is beautiful as well as easy to hold in hand. Weighing in at just 100 grams, this drive is crazy thin for the amount of storage it offers within that neat little package. Available in gold and platinum colors, it easily slips into your backpack along with your other essentials. At 9.6mm thin, capacity is not sacrificed with 1TB and 2TB options. Price: $59.

Any recommendations?