Top 11 Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook 2023 Reviews

If you don’t want the full storage capacity of an external hard drive, then some of the Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook which is suitable for USB flash drives, or a Chromebook-compatible SD card may be a better option. Chromebooks are popular because of their low cost and ease of use.

Chromebooks, on the other hand, are frequently limited in external storage possibilities. Chromebooks come with very small hard drives out of the box, which are typically difficult to upgrade. In addition to using Google Cloud storage, some users may want to back up their information and extend their storage capacity up to 8TB using a Chromebook with an external hard drive.

External storage devices are highly common and beneficial for both professionals and consumers since they allow you to expand the storage capacity of your computer. If you’re looking for the Greatest External Hard Drive For Chromebooks, we may have just the thing.

We’re going to go through some of the greatest external storage options for your Chromebook today. Keep an eye out for future posts about Chromebooks if you’re seeking high-speed SD cards. Otherwise, let’s discuss the finest portable hard drive available this year.

Particularly if you get the 4TB to 5TB variants, the Seagate One Touch strikes the perfect balance. It comes in a classy plastic shell in either black or space gray that has a top panel made of brushed aluminum.

While the read and write speeds of 145MB/sec and 136MB/sec in our evaluations aren’t something to get excited about, they’re enough for primary storage and backup tasks. Like other Seagate drives, the One Touch has a solid reputation for dependability.

With a four-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan, Seagate sweetens the sale with Mylio Create, a photo management program. Since this drive already offers excellent value, it wasn’t necessary.

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Our Recommendations

List Of Top 11 Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook 2023

Following are the Top 11 Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook 2023:

Our Top Pick WD Drive For Chromebook – WD 2TB Elements Portable HDD

Western Digital Elements is a dependable external hard drive for Chromebooks and PCs. It provides quick data transfers (with reading speeds of up to 1GB per second) and is plug-and-play, requiring no additional installation. It is compatible with USB 2.0 and 3.0. A 2-year warranty is also included for your peace of mind.

If you’re simply concerned about storage space, you won’t find a better offer elsewhere for this price. However, anticipate something other than lightning-quick transfer speeds when you’re moving or copying files. This is a beautiful deal if speed isn’t a concern for you.

Users must be cautious about a few things, including the data cable’s endurance. I’ve owned a few Western Digital external drives, and the connections that come with them are inconvenient, especially after owning the drive for more than a year. Just be cautious when using it outside, and consider getting new wires while you’re at it.

Personal Review

The drive is excellent in and of itself. It is substantial and has a separate USB lead. My HP laptop immediately recognized it after I plugged it in.

Runner Up Pick Chromebook Compatible External Hard Drive – Seagate Portable 2TB External Hard Drive HDD

For those who consume a lot of multimedia offline, the Seagate Portable external HDD is a need. Up to 5TB of capacity, USB 3.0 compatibility, and a 2-year data recovery warranty are all included in this price. Although it lacks security features, the storage alone is enough to persuade purchasers.

If 2TB of external storage is still insufficient for your needs, you’ll adore the value you can acquire for less than 150 Dollars. 5TB of storage! But wait, isn’t that too much for a Chromebook? It depends on your usage intentions.

I would save my whole Blu-ray collection to my hard disk if I had a 5TB capacity. My Chromebook is already a portable entertainment system if it can play 4K content. But will I use this as my primary external drive for daily tasks? Most likely not.

Personal Review

Using AmorphousDiskMark and BlackMagic, I record read/write rates of about 120 mb/s. It’s hardly an SSD, and even less so a Thunderbolt SSD, but its speed is respectable for a traditional hard drive.

Best External Storage For Chromebook – ADATA SD600Q 960GB Ultra

One of the top portable SSDs for Chromebooks at this price point is the SD600Q from Adata. It is furnished with a 3D NAND flash and has a maximum transmission speed of 440 MB/S. One of the least expensive SSD-based external hard drives for Chromebooks comes in Black, Blue, and Red color variants.

Always choose an SSD if you can choose between one and a regular HDD. Although SSDs are a little more expensive and have less storage than a 5TB HDD, their convenience will alter how you view them “quickly.”

While connecting a data cable to a USB 2.0/3.0 port is the main drawback, the good news is that these cables are relatively simple to repair when they malfunction. Other than that, this is a fantastic product that is well worth looking into.

Personal Review

For the price, this SSD is excellent. For this price, 940GB is a great deal. Since I was a teenager and used their blank CDs to burn music, ADATA is another company I trust. Although there are no moving parts because it is an SSD, the rubber shell it comes with increases my confidence that it will withstand over time.

This SSD works well with the Xbox One and speeds up game loading. It is compact and fits next to the console on a shelf; the cable is short but can extend to the side. If you want to upgrade your total storage quickly, I advise it.

Best Chromebook External Hard Drive – Seagate Backup Plus Hub 4TB

Get the Seagate Backup Plus Hub if you frequently work straight from an external drive, manage massive audio, photo, or video files, or require more storage than 4 TB. It performs all of our real-world transfers in 20% to 30% less time than the Toshiba Canvio Flex portable drive, a difference that individuals dealing with more demanding files would notice. It is faster than most desktop hard drives we tested.

The Backup Plus Hub is not portable and needs to be connected to your computer and an outlet, unlike the Canvio Flex. Two front-mounted USB ports are a considerate feature for a drive that will probably be used on your desk. These ports can be used to charge small gadgets.

The USB 3 has read/write speeds of 140–180 Mbps and write speeds of 70–90 Mbps. Depending on the size of the file written/read and the hard disk’s capacity. But don’t worry too much; this hard drive and USB 3.0 are excellent.

Personal Review

It works with India power ratings but needs external power. It has five detachable plugs for various power outlets, 2 of which are conventional Indian two-pin plugs (low and raised).

The hard drive, a male USB 3.0 cable measuring 1 meter in length, a power outlet with various country adapters, and the cable are all included in the box. Plug in to begin the installation. 3.7TB will be accessible once linked in the default format.

Customer Pick SSD For Chromebook : Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD

With speeds of 1,050 MB/second, the Crucial X8 Portable SSD For Chromebook enables users to quickly back up photos, movies, and documents. You can use it to enlarge your storage on your PC, Mac, iPod, cell phone, or any game console. It boasts an anodized aluminum body that is both stylish and robust, and it falls up to 7.5 feet.

It’s also resistant to severe temperatures, shock, and vibration. You can, however, download Crucial’s Storage Executive software to keep track of your drive’s health and usage. It is not dust or waterproof, despite its toughness. It’s inexpensive and packs a lot of punch into a small container.

 It just weighs 3.5 ounces and can be taken with you wherever you go. It lacks an LED light to indicate whether you are receiving or writing from the drive, but it is inexpensive and functional. It is incredibly fast for the price, with reading rates of 1,050 MB/second. It’s elegant, inexpensive, lightweight, and well-made, and it accomplishes the task at hand admirably.

Personal Review

This drive needs every component to be perfect to work at its best. It must be a USB 3.2 port. I’m using a 3.2 Gen 2 port with it, and the writes I’m receiving range from 500 to 1100Mb/s! The cable must be high-quality and, at the very least, USB 3.2 gen 1 approved. I tried a Thunderbolt cable, which also worked.

Editor Choice External SSD For Chromebook : Western Digital 1TB

The My Passport Go SSD For Chromebook is built to last, with shock-absorbing rubber borders and no internal components. It can take a two-meter plunge without breaking. It has a read speed of 300 MB/s and makes it simple to store and transport data.

The USB cord is incorporated and stowed in a slot on the gadget, making it fits easily in your pocket. It’s perfect for on-the-go storage and travel, with convenience, sturdiness, and speed. It has a grey plastic body with cobalt or amber accents.

It’s only a little bigger than a credit card and about the same thickness as a smartphone, making it extremely portable. It is only 55 grams in weight. It is more durable than any hard drive having spinning elements, and it is unlikely to fail physically if you use it until you’re not at home or at work.

It has a storage capacity of 500 GB or 1 TB. It includes WD software, which lets you copy anything from any social media or cloud services accounts to the WD disc. You can use the utility functions to check the health of your drive, safely erase its contents, and update the firmware.

Although this drive is only compatible with Windows, it can be made to function with a Time machine. The built-in cable is the best feature because it ensures that you will always have access to it. It’s designed for travel, so you can bring it with you and not worry about anything.

Personal Review

1TB Western Digital I use my passport when using a MacBook Air. I use it to back up my four separate MacBook Airs, images, and music. I adore the dependability and speed of the SSD. I bought this one after damaging my MacBook while backing it up with my most recent backup HD.

Because it was an HHD, the disks and reading arm were moveable pieces. I lost everything on the drive when it fell over while backing up. I adore the SSD’s security and speed. Excellent purchase!

Top External Hard Drive For Chromebook : Seagate Expansion SSD 

The Seagate Expansion SSD is a portable, ultra-small, high-speed SSD that’s ideal for watching online stored videos on a laptop or browsing photos and backing up your computer. It includes a USB interface and a simple but elegant design.

This SSD external drive is ideal for those who need quick storage in a handheld device. Though it lacks a slew of frills, it gets the job done quite fine. Although it lacks software and security capabilities, it is a low-cost SSD solution that performs admirably.

Personal Review

Since I wouldn’t say I like to run my drives too full, using 4TB out of a 6TB drive was more than I liked, so this 10TB drive should fit the bill nicely for a while anyway. I am happy with the price and performance thus far and anticipate that 10TB will last me quite a while (my old drive was 6TB, and I thought I would never even come close to filling that up).

Best Hard Drive For Chromebook : SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable

In order to save and edit high-resolution photographs and movies, the Extreme Portable SSD from SanDisk offers fast storage for the device which makes him the Best Hard Drive For Chromebook.

It has high-speed transfers, with reading speeds of up to 550 megabytes per second. It’s simple to offload and edit files, and you can save up to 2 TB of data. This External Hard Drive has an IP55 rating, meaning it can survive dust and water. It can withstand a two-meter drop as well.

It’s small and lightweight, and it comes with USB Type C to C and USB Type C to A connectors. It works on both PCs and Macs. The tough design is appealing, and it has a key chain loop. This SSD external drive is simple to use and can be tossed in a bag without concern for harm.

The back and sides are black rubberized, and the supplied clip makes it simple to attach to your belt, camera bag, or anything else. It is shock and vibration resistant up to 1500G and it uses encryption that is supported by both Windows and macOS. This is a fantastic external drive from SanDisk, a firm with over 25 years of experience.

Personal Review

High speeds are frequently promised but infrequently delivered by SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable Flash drives. This item is for those who desire that speed and are okay with using a larger storage device than a flash drive.

This product is significantly faster than other portable HDDs (spindle drives). Only a small number of portable SSDs are quicker than it in terms of speed. It is equivalent to most portable SSDs. However, each appears to have one or more substantial downsides. They often cost more since they are more prominent and heavier and frequently have temperature or reliability problems.

Best Seller Hard Drive For Chromebook : SAMSUNG T5 Portable

Samsung V-NAND flash memory technology is used in the Samsung T5 Portable SSD external drive. It features up to 540 MB/second transmission speeds, shock resistance, and safe encryption. It also features an anodized aluminum exterior that can survive two-meter drops.

The USB Type C to C and USB Type C to A connectors that come with it provide smooth connectivity. PCs, Macs, cell phones, and other devices can all be connected to it. With this powerful SSD external drive, you can keep your entertainment, papers, games, and more in your pocket.

It is available in a variety of colors, including blue, gold, black, and red. In this handy tiny external drive, they all look fantastic. The drive also comes with Samsung software, which allows you to encrypt your contents, rename the drive, and monitor for updates. This is a fantastic tiny external drive that is both portable and capable of storing everything you require.

Personal Review

It performs incredibly well while playing games. Sometimes, my load times have been cut in half or more. Even if I’m not the party host, when I play with others who don’t have SSDs, I load in about 15 to 25 seconds before they do. It is much more resilient to being carried in a backpack than a conventional HDD external drive because it is tiny, lightweight, and solid.

Customer Pick SSD For Chromebook : SanDisk Ultra Fit 

This type of drive should only be used if you travel frequently or require portability. Otherwise, I don’t think it’s a good idea. They’re the priciest option of all the external drives and they’re the most expensive per GB. Sure, they’re not cheap when you think about it, but consider how much capacity you’re getting for your money.

You pay four times as much for roughly ten times the capacity. Consider what more space you’re getting for your money. Thumb drives, on the other hand, are a good choice if you need portability and don’t want to bring a brick around. If that’s the case, I’d recommend the SanDisk Ultra Fit 128GB or the Samsung 128GB.

The reason for this is that both of these drives are extremely small and will fit into your laptop’s USB port. Instead of causing damage by sticking out, it will blend in with a low profile. You can also select your storage capacity based on how much space you require for backups.

After connecting your Chromebook and allowing it to detect your hard drive, either model should operate with your Chromebook. See the instructions below for more information.

Personal Review

This 3.0 drive is speedy. Although I cannot gauge data speed, I frequently move files from my laptop to my desktop. These files are sent quite quickly with this little disk. I typically leave it plugged into my Macbook Pro’s USB port. It doesn’t protrude too much from the side and doesn’t look intrusive.

Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook : SanDisk Extreme 500

Solid-state drives are a relatively new product on the market. They’re essentially a better version of HDDs because they don’t have any moving parts and so transmit data more quickly. The difference in performance between an HDD and an SSD is apparent, but so is the expense.

An SSD for your Chromebook is a good option if you want a fast disc that can transmit your files swiftly. They’re the quickest bulk option with the most capacity. Pricing is substantially higher than an HDD, but you save more money per GB if you choose a larger size. They’re also more durable than HDDs; therefore, they’re the best drive to place your money on if you’re worried about losing your data.

Personal Review

The device’s body is composed of high-quality rigid plastic, and its four side profiles have structures made of stiff rubber that can absorb any falls—going to discuss installed memory performance that is in line with the declared one and has reading and writing speeds close to 350 MB/s and 380 MB/s, respectively!

Product Comparison

None other than the Crucial X8 1TB Portable SSD is our best-value winner. It has many features and is the fastest external drive for SSDs under $150. The device offers a protection rating of up to 7.5 feet and a 3-year limited warranty (2 meters).

A USB-C to USB-A adaptor is also included with earlier Chromebook models. The Crucial X8 is the right choice if you want the best of both worlds at an affordable price. Large files may be stored on the go with ultra-fast 1TB external storage, quick enough to prevent excessive waiting times.

Because of its size factor, compatibility, and rated speed – mainly when used through USB-C – the Crucial X8 is an excellent external hard drive for Chromebooks. This is the finest option for less than $150 if you’re searching for an all-purpose portable SSD.

One of the top external storage options for 2023 is the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD. It has the most recent technology and is priced affordably. You will have water and dust resistance, 2-meter drop protection, and 1 TB of quick storage (IP55). It is the most durable external storage on our list.

The SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD is the most popular external hard drive on Amazon for a reason: quality and dependability. This portable SSD costs more than Crucial’s X8 due to the Nonvolatile Memory Express technology that powers it (NVME).

What makes NVME so exceptional? It is currently the fastest storage access and transmission protocol. It has absurdly high read/write rates for an external hard drive for Chromebooks, up to 1050MB/S. assuming your device is capable of supporting USB-C

Are you prepared to choose which one to purchase? Do you now understand how SSDs and HDDs differ from one another? We hope you can determine the finest external hard drive for Chromebooks, regardless of your decision. Since you’ll be the one using it frequently, could you do it for yourself?

How Are External Hard Drives Tested?

Using the CrystalDiskMark and AS SSD benchmarks, we test external drives on a desktop and a laptop computer to assess performance through various interfaces, including USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type A, and USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.

We also test out games and applications directly from the faster SSDs to see how they perform. To confirm that actual file transfer speeds correspond to what we see in the benchmarks, we run file transfer tests utilizing a folder of still image and video files.

What sort of connectivity ought I to search for? This subject is more complicated than it needs to be, primarily due to the USB standards body’s unwillingness to adhere to a single, straightforward naming scheme.

When we first started, everything seemed so easy. Your starting point was USB 3. It offered a maximum theoretical transfer rate of 5Gbits/sec (actual speeds were more than 300MB/sec). Then there was USB 3.1, which provided 10 Gbits/sec of speed, then USB 3.2, which provided 20 Gbits/sec of speed.

The names then all changed twice, not just once. The USB standards body has also created the phrase “SuperSpeed” and added it to the mix, just in case you thought everything was too simple. We decided on nine external desktop hard drives and five portable versions to evaluate based on our initial research and criteria.

We first put them to the test with the benchmarking application HD Tune. Then, we timed the transfer of a 31 GB music folder and a 15 GB Blu-ray movie to obtain a more accurate assessment.

We ran each test six times to rule out performance hitches and calculated the average read and write speeds. We selected the best drives and timed their backups on a 2019 MacBook Pro using Time Machine after comparing the results for each drive.

After testing, we looked through many Amazon reviews to find the top candidates. Because the number of complaints for those drives was disproportionate to what we saw for most drives, we excluded drives for which 5% or more of the total evaluations were just one-star ratings. We chose models with few unfavorable ratings, although every drive has reviews about an unexpected failure or computer incompatibility.

Analyzing unfavorable customer feedback has drawbacks. One reason is that when there is a problem, people are more likely to leave a review. Additionally, it might be challenging to distinguish between hardware failures and software flaws or human errors that could result in problems with a drive due to the scant information provided in some reviews.

We adjusted for that by looking at a fraction of the reviews rather than the totals. But regardless of the drive we examined, they all had the same fundamental issues: All tales of failure ranged from the very beginning to several years later. However, we did our best to select particularly untrustworthy drives using the information in owner evaluations.

Who Is This For?

An external drive can increase storage on your PC without opening it or backing up crucial files. A portable hard drive that receives power and transfers data over a single cable is the ideal choice for the majority of individuals making routine backups or rapid transfers from one computer to another because such drives have a significantly smaller desk footprint and don’t require an extra power cable.

However, you should choose a desktop hard drive or spend more money on a portable SSD if you frequently work with massive audio, image, or video files. Both types are quicker than a portable hard drive, but SSDs are more expensive, desktop drives need an external power supply, and because they are intended to be stationary, they may need to be more durable against shocks and jolts.

If you aren’t already, start backing up the crucial files and images on your computer. Your computer’s internal disk will eventually quit functioning; if you have yet to back up your data before that happens, it will be lost forever.

Fortunately, backing up your data is simple and only requires a short amount of time to get started: We have suggestions to assist you in setting up a system that will automatically take back up your files to an external hard drive and the cloud having backups both on-site and in the cloud is necessary to protect your data from regional hazards like fire, theft, and natural disasters as well as internet outages or disruptions to the cloud backup provider.

Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook Buyer’s Guide

Before leaving this page, we at Techy Thing want to make sure that you have a good notion of what product would suit your needs. We’ll go over the factors you should think about before making a buy in this section.

Factor Of Form

Do you intend to use your external storage frequently? Do you imagine yourself hopping from one location to the next? If you answered yes to both of these questions, external SSDs are a better option as they have a smaller form aspect (While others resemble a huge thumb drive in terms of size).

Portability, speed, and convenience are just a few of the benefits of using an SSD External Hard Drive For Chromebooks. While speed is a personal preference, most of us can agree on the need for portability, especially when we’re constantly on the move.

What’s Better: USB 2.0, 3.0, And 3.1 Or USB-C?

In the world of technology, the rule of thumb is that newer is nearly always better. If you have a Chromebook with USB-C ports, we highly recommend obtaining a USB-C drive for it, as the drive’s speed is usually significantly faster.

If you plan to use your external storage across numerous devices, however, you should remain using legacy USB. If your devices are already USB-C compatible, there is a silver lining to contemplating USB-C external storage.

What if you didn’t know? You should have it if your machine is relatively new. Unless you have a top-of-the-line rig, you might not be able to get it if it’s 3-5 years old (or older).

Is Your Storage Device A Solid-State Drive (SSD) Or A Hard Disc Drive (HDD)?

SSDs have grown in popularity over the last five years as a result of their speed and efficiency, particularly when utilized to run an operating system. Hard disc drives (HDDs) have been around for a long time and are slower but more durable in the long run.

Do you require better read/write speeds or additional storage capacity at a reasonable cost? We recommend obtaining the largest SSD external drive you can afford if the price isn’t an issue because you’ll be using it for a long time. Traditional external storage choices will do if you’re on a restricted budget.

Volume Of Storage   

When purchasing an external hard drive for Chromebooks, storage space is likely one of the most crucial considerations. It’s best if you have a lot of storage. However, because SSDs are more expensive, you should think about how much space you want and how fast the transfer speeds are.

Although SSDs have become more affordable over the last two years, they are still more expensive than a Standard External Hard Drive. Finding the sweet spot is what we recommend. A 120-240GB SSD should suffice, especially if you plan to use your drive to run apps or programs.

Conclusion

They come in a variety of robust designs, and most of them can withstand drops of up to six meters. For the Best External Hard Drive For Chromebook Suitable, you have a lot of options. External hard drives are incredibly essential in today’s society since individuals are constantly on the move and want access to their documents, films, and photos.

You can purchase a small device that fits in your pocket and holds your data, whether you’re a photographer who wants to edit photographs on the go or you use your drive for storing files. You have the option of selecting one with additional security or one where you supply security through another program.

It is entirely up to you to decide how much security you require. Less secure options are less expensive, so it all depends on your preferences. With any of these external discs for storage, you can’t go wrong.

You have six terrific options here if you’re looking for a transportable SSD or external hard drive to take your work with you on the move. External storage is becoming more accessible, and these six options are no exception.

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Frequently Asked Questions