The 10 Best Western Digital External Hard Drives to Consider for 2023
The editors at Solutions Review curated this list of the best Western Digital external hard drives for portable and desktop use.
Western Digital (WD) offers data storage solutions that enable individuals and organizations to manage and preserve their digital content. The company markets Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid-State Drive (SSD) products for desktop and notebook computers, as well as high-capacity performance drives for enterprise use cases. Western Digital is also a manufacturer of hard drives used in popular consumer electronic brands and products like DVRs, security surveillance systems, and gaming consoles.
Whether you’re looking for one of the best Western Digital external hard drives for personal or professional use, there is sure to be an option for you. The company has recently begun to branch out its product line to offer solutions for a wider variety of devices (like next-gen gaming) and personas (like color combinations and construction materials). It’s with these things in mind that Solutions Review editors assembled this list of the best Western Digital external hard drives to consider. This resource includes all of the company’s most up-to-date product lines and configuration options, helping to save you time during your search.
Note: The best Western Digital external hard drives are organized by type (portable vs. desktop) for effective comparison.
The Best Western Digital External Hard Drives – Portable
WD My Passport Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB 3.0, USB 2.0 Compatible
OUR TAKE: Available in four different storage capacities (1TB, 2TB, 4TB, TB), two different styles (PC, Mac), and four colors (black, blue, navy, red), the Western Digital My Passport line has a model for everyone. It’s also an Amazon’s Choice.
Description: The My Passport drive is trusted, portable storage and the latest version has been redesigned to feature a convenient, slim form factor. It comes equipped with backup software that can be set to run automatically to your schedule. The My Passport also touts built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with password protection. This model is ready right out of the box and includes all necessary cables.
Note: Also available for Mac.
GO TO AMAZONWD My Passport SSD Portable External Solid State Drive Password Protection with Hardware Encryption
OUR TAKE: WD’s flagship portable SSD line offers four capacities (500GB, 1TB, 2TB, 4TB), comes in five different colors, and includes some protection from common damage, making it an interesting personal or professional backup option.
Description: The My Passport SSD lets you save, access, and protect the content that matters to your most by offering read speeds up to 1050MB per second and write speeds of up to 1000MB per second. The product line also features password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption and simple backup. My Passport SSD has a metal, shock, and vibration resistant design, as well as drop resistance from 6 feet.
GO TO AMAZONWD My Passport Ultra Portable External Hard Drive HDD, USB-C and USB 3.1 Compatible
OUR TAKE: The WD My Passport Ultra external HDD drive comes in two colors and four capacities (from 1TB to 5TB). The 5TB option appears to be the highest in-class. Formatted for Windows but usable on a Mac, and with USB-C connectivity, this is a solid option for a variety of different uses.
Description: The My Passport Ultra offers a modern metal design and is Windows-ready out of the box. This model includes password protection with hardware encryption as well. Ultra also features USB-C connectivity, easy-to-use backup software, password encryption with 256-Bit AES, and more.
Note: Also available for Mac.
GO TO AMAZONWD Elements Portable External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, Compatible with PC, Mac, PS4 & Xbox
OUR TAKE: The WD My Elements portable drive comes pre-formatted for Windows 10, 8.1, and 7. Though reformatting may be required for other operating systems, this product can help you to improve PC performance through proper data backup.
Description: The WD Elements portable offers reliable yet high-capacity storage for a mobile life. This model includes fast data transfer rates and universal connectivity. WD Elements also touts compatibility with USB 3.0 and USB 2.0, as well as shock tolerance functionality to ensure your data remains safe.
GO TO AMAZONWD Elements SE – Portable SSD, USB 3.0, Compatible with PC, Mac
OUR TAKE: The WD Elements SE offers USB A connectivity and works with PC or Mac. This model comes in four different capacities ranging from 1TB to 5TB. Several reviewers report great compatibility with gaming consoles as well.
Description: The WD Elements SE SSD offers high-performance and a pocket-size design, as well as speeds that are up to three times faster than the comparable HDD version. It touts read speeds up to 400MB per second so you can move large files fast and includes plug-and-play functionality that makes it easy to integrate into your current workflow.
GO TO AMAZONWD_BLACK P10 Game Drive – Portable External Hard Drive HDD, Compatible with Playstation, Xbox, PC, & Mac
OUR TAKE: WD_BLACK external hard drives are designed with gaming in mind. Western Digital offers a dedicated model for Xbox and another model for any gaming setup, whether PC, Playstation, or Xbox. The BLACK drive is offered in five different capacities.
Description: Available with 256 MB of DRAM cache on higher capacity models, the WD_BLACK HDD is performance-optimized. This model gives you fast hard drive speeds, high capacity, and a 5-year limited warranty. It is an optimal storage solution for any gaming rig and touts large cache sizes and capacities, WD recommends pairing one of these with an SSD as well.
GO TO AMAZONWD My Passport Go SSD Cobalt Portable External Storage, USB 3.0
OUR TAKE: WD’s My Passport Go is an Amazon’s Choice and popular option for portable, secure, and reliable content backup. It’s available in a storage-only model up to 2TB and a storage + 4TB hard drive option.
Description: My Passport GO is a tough SSD drive designed specifically for travel, featuring a rubber protective bumper on the outside and a built-in cable. It’s drop-resistant up to 2 meters and has no moving parts. Whether using a PC or Mac computer, your My Passport Go drive works easily right out of the box and includes automatic backup software for Windows and is also Time Machine compatible for Mac backup though formatting is required.
GO TO AMAZONThe Best Western Digital External Hard Drives – Desktop
WD Elements Desktop Hard Drive HDD, USB 3.0, Compatible with PC, Mac, PS4 & Xbox
OUR TAKE: The WD Elements desktop hard drive is a popular option for high-capacity data and content backup. This product is available in ranges from 4TB all the way up to 18TB. Buyers can expect fast data transfers and plug-and-play compatibility for Windows.
Description: The WD Elements external desktop hard drive offers reliable, high-capacity storage and fast data transfers. With this single drive you get compatibility with the latest USB 3.0 devices and backward compatibility with USB 2.0 devices as well.
GO TO AMAZONWD My Book Desktop External Hard Drive, USB 3.0, External HDD with Password Protection and Auto Backup Software
OUR TAKE: The WD My Book is available from 4TB all the way up to 18TB. It is one of the company’s flagship desktop external hard dive offerings designed for both business and [pe
Description: WD’s My Book desktop external hard drive is equipped with backup software for Windows and Apple Time Machine. The My Book desktop computer hard drive’s built-in 256-bit AES hardware encryption with password protection helps keep your content private and safe. The product is ready to use out of the box so you can start transferring files as well.
GO TO AMAZONWD My Book Duo Desktop RAID External Hard Drive HDD, USB 3.1 Gen-1 Ready, USB 3.0 Compatible
OUR TAKE: The Duo RAID version of WD’s My Book offers a minimum of 16TB (and up to 36TB) for those in need of massive data storage and backup. It offers multiple USB ports as well.
Description: The My Book Duo drive has a massive capacity for storing photos, videos, documents, and music. RAID-0 mode provides 360MB per second read speeds using USB-C. Users can switch to RAID-1 configuration for redundancy and to mirror data on the WD drives inside. A USB Type-C port with all cables included makes it universally compatible as well.
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