10 Best Thunderbolt External SSDs in 2023 [Portable Design]


There are many Thunderbolt external SSDs on the market these days, but which is the best? There are a few factors to consider when selecting the best Thunderbolt external SSD, such as price, performance, capacity, and portability.

Best Overall
1
4.9
SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD external

SanDisk 1TB Portable SSD external

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  • Get fast solid state performance with 520MB/s read speeds in a portable drive
  • Back up your content and memories on a storage solution that fits seamlessly into your mobile lifestyle
  • Take it with you on your adventures—up to two-metre drop protection means this durable drive can take a beating
  • Secure it to your belt loop or backpack for extra peace of mind thanks to the tough rubber hook
  • Travel worry-free with a 3-year limited warranty. From SanDisk, the brand professional photographers trust to take on assignments
Best Runner-Up
2
4.8
Samsung T7 Portable SSD - 1 TB - USB 3.2

Samsung T7 Portable SSD - 1 TB - USB 3.2

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  • The two included USB Type-C to C and Type-C to A USB cables allow connection to PCs, Macs, Android devices, Smart TVs and games consoles
  • Security for your data: withstands drops of up to 2 metres and can be encrypted via password if desired
  • External high-speed storage in compact pocket size and capacities up to 2TB
  • Up to 9.5 times faster than external hard drives with read/write speeds of up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s thanks to USB 3.2 Gen.2
  • Slim and stylish: Compact and high quality aluminium casing, available in metallic red, indigo blue or titanium grey
Best Lightweight Model
3
4.7
Crucial X6 500GB Portable SSD

Crucial X6 500GB Portable SSD

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  • HUGE CAPACITY: Up to 4TB, storage capacity - enough for up to 20,000 photos, 100 hours of video, 6,000 songs, or 400GB of documents with room to spare
  • FAST: Read speeds up to 800MB/s – that's 5.6x faster than most hard drives
  • TINY, LIGHTWEIGHT: Fits between your fingertips and weighs less than your car keys
  • BROAD COMPATIBILITY: Works with PC, Mac, Android, iPad Pro (PS4, Xbox One, and USB-A computer require USB-A adapter, available separately)
  • RELIABLE AND DURABLE: Backed by Micron, one of the largest manufacturers of flash storage in the world
Best from TEKQ
4
4.6
TEKQ Thunderbolt 3 External Portable SSD

TEKQ Thunderbolt 3 External Portable SSD

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  • 【Ultra-fast Solid State Drive】－Certified by Apple and Microsoft.Transferring data at Reading 2,400MB+/s and Writing 1,700MB+/s, TEKQ Rapide SSD is 4x-5x FASTER than normal portable SSDs in the market. Built with NVMe PCIe and thunderbolt 3 interface, Rapide allows you to transfer a Blue-ray movie within 1 mins and saves you tons of time, which is your best choice for transferring films, photos and huge data.
  • 【Great Mobility. Easy to Carry】 - Sized only slightly larger than a credit card(3.81in*2.16in/9.7cm*5.5cm), TEKQ Rapide SSD is a light and portable gadget for you to carry everywhere. It is palm-sized, pocket-friendly, and won’t occupy too much room in your bag. Very ideal for use in both office and travel.
  • 【Plug-and-Play Device】 -TEKQ Rapide is a bus-powered drive for your Mac & Windows, allowing you to plug in Rapide on your Thunderbolt 3 devices without the need for a power adapter, helping you back up precious data with ease.
  • 【Elegant Look & Excellent Heat Dissipation】－ Housed in all-aluminum case, TEKQ Rapide represents you a sturdy yet stylish look. It not only matches your Mac but also offers excellent heat dissipation without fan. What’s more surprising is that TEKQ Rapideso is completely silent while functioning, being both useful and elegant.
  • 【Compatibility & 3 years Warranty】Powered by Intel Thunderbolt 3 technology and certified by MacOS and Windows, Rapide is 100% compatible with both devices with Thunderbolt 3. Check us out on TheSSDReview, TweakTown, Anandtech and see the performance. NOTE: Rapide IS NOT BACKWARD COMPATIBLE WITH Thunderbolt 1, 2, and USB-C Devices. To recognized by PC, Thunderbolt3 chip on PC is REQUIRED.Providing 3 years Warranty.
Best Under-Budget
5
4.5
SanDisk Professional 1TB G-DRIVE SSD

SanDisk Professional 1TB G-DRIVE SSD

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  • Ultra-rugged durability with IP67 waterdust resistance, up to 3m drop, and 2000lb (900kg) crush resistance
  • Pro-grade transfer speeds up to 1050MBs
  • Sustained performance with a cooling aluminium core
  • Up to 2TB of capacity in a small and mighty design
  • Password-enabled 256-bit AES-XTS hardware encryption, Latest-generation USB-C connectivity (USB 3.2 Gen 2)
Best Water Resistance Body
6
4.4
SanDisk Professional 1TB PRO-G40 SSD

SanDisk Professional 1TB PRO-G40 SSD

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  • Super-fast speeds up to 2700MB/s(1) read and 1900MB/s(1) write with Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps), capable of moving 50GB in 1 minute or less
  • Dual-mode compatibility with both Thunderbolt 3 (40Gbps) and USB-C (10Gbps)
  • Ultra-rugged design with high-level IP68 dust/water resistance, 4000lb crush resistance, and 3m drop resistance (On a carpeted concrete floor.)
  • Cool aluminum core pulls heat away from the internal drive to help maintain super-fast transfer speeds
Best In Terms Of Compatibility
7
4.3
Plugable 1TB Thunderbolt 3 External SSD

Plugable 1TB Thunderbolt 3 External SSD

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  • Thunderbolt 3 Speed - Reach your creative potential with the Plugable external Thunderbolt 3 NVMe SSD. Offers 1 TB of storage with up to 2400+ MB/sec read and up to 1800+ MB/sec write speeds featuring 40Gbps Thunderbolt 3 technology
  • Performance - Great for professional content creators needing to transfer and edit high-res content, gamers who want high-performance external libraries, or admins who want to run virtual machines at performance levels not possible before Thunderbolt 3. This 1TB SSD is bus powered with no external power supply required
  • Durable & Portable - Full metal body designed to dissipate heat and protect your portable hard drive. With no moving parts, never worry about losing your data on-the-go. Only slightly larger than a smartphone this SSD is ideal for travel or office use. This SSD NVMe is made to take anywhere with an included carrying bag
  • Compatibility - Easy to use with any Thunderbolt 3 system. Drive is pre-formatted in exFAT for Windows, Linux, and Mac (late 2016-2019 MacBook Pro, 2017-2018 iMac/iMac Pro, 2018-2019 MacBook Air). Boot Camp not supported. Linux may have reduced performance in some scenarios. Does not support non-Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports. No drivers required
  • 3 Year Warranty - We love our Plugable products, and hope you will too. The TBT3-NVME1TB is covered by a 36 month or 700 TBW limited warranty as well as Seattle-based email support
Best Rugged Design
8
4.2
CalDigit Tuff Nano Plus 2TB

CalDigit Tuff Nano Plus 2TB

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  • Blazing Fast USB-C 10Gb/s Interface - Compatible with Thunderbolt 4, Thunderbolt 3, USB4, USB-C, and USB-A
  • Built Tuff - IP67 certified to be waterproof, shockproof, and dust resistant
  • Small & Powerful - Smallest IP67 rated external SSD of its class. Comes with a handy case and a USB-C cable
  • Premium NVME PCIE SSD inside for blistering transfer speeds up to 1080MB/s
  • Compatible with both Mac & PC. *Comes formatted for use with Mac OS. Windows users must reformat the drive before use
Best with Aluminum Shell
9
4.1
ORICO Upgraded M.2 NVME SSD Enclosure

ORICO Upgraded M.2 NVME SSD Enclosure

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  • Heat Dissipation: After optimization and upgrading, the M224 M.2 SSD enclosure adopts ORICO's unique metal cooling vest, with a long silicone thermal pad, which wraps the SSD in all directions and conducts heat accurately. The heat dissipation efficiency is 20%-30% higher than that of ordinary M.2 solid-state drive enclosures.
  • Speed: 40Gbps NVMe enclosure supports data transfer speeds up to 40Gbps for stable and efficient transfers. Tested by the ORICO laboratory, the continuous read and write speed can reach 3000MB/s after the NVMe SSD is installed. The perfect solution for data storage and backup(Be sure to use the USB4.0 interface or Thunderbolt4 interface to reach 40Gbps. Backward compatibility will limit the corresponding speed according to different interfaces).
  • Compatibility: ORICO M224 NVMe case compatible with Thunderbolt 3/4 USB3.2/3.1/3.0/Type C interface. M.2 form factor is compatible with M.2 PCIe NVME M key, NVMe B+M key, size: 2280. Not compatible with M.2 SATA SSDs, original MACBOOK SSD, PCIe AHCI SSDs.
  • 2-in-1 Cable: The USB cable that comes with the M.2 adapter has 2 output ports, USB C to A (10Gbps) and USB C to C (40Gbps). With durability and more practicality in mind, it uses a high-quality 2-in-1 data cable. Adopt high-quality TPE two-in-one data cable, aluminum alloy interface, support PD100W fast charge.
  • Design: The M.2 to USB adapter adopts an ultra-thin all-aluminum shell, the striped shell increases the heat dissipation area. Stylish, durable, and convenient, perfect for travel and business office. Plug and play, no additional drivers required, USB cable powered.
Cheapest Option
10
4
Sabrent ROCKET XTRM 1TB Thunderbolt 3 External SSD

Sabrent ROCKET XTRM 1TB Thunderbolt 3 External SSD

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  • FRIENDLY DESIGN: Designed to work with Windows and Mac OS, The external hard drive with SSD technology inside is the ideal solution to reliably store memories such as pictures and videos on the go, Compatible with Trim, and UASP, and the firmware is upgradeable.
  • SOLID ALUMINUM DESIGN: Ultra slim, sandblasted aluminum alloy. Slim, durable, and practical, Big data small size, stylish packaging 500GB 1TB 2TB 4TB Get as much space as you need for your data.
  • SPEED: THUNDERBOLT 3 With a read speed of up to 2400Mbps, (Actual performance depends on capacity, host device, user applications, and other factors) USB transfer speeds of up to 1200MB/s, the external SSD is fast and easily transfer your most beautiful moments to your computer in a matter of seconds.
  • EASY PLUG & PLAY: OS independent and fully bus powered, no drivers required.
  • SCOPE OF DELIVERY: Portable SSD XTRM (external hard drive with 2400MB/s transfer rates, includes both Type-C to Type-A and Type-C to Type-C cables for flexibility. and user manual.

She has contributed to Perseus Promos, Hazlitt, Rolling Stone, New Republic, Atlantic, GQ, Racked, VICE and The New Inquiry.

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