Best Products UK
In-depth review · 10 products ranked

Best External Hard Drives of 2026

Last reviewed 30 April 2026 by Best Products UK Editorial Team

BP
Best Products UK Editorial Team
Editorial team
Published 30 April 2026
12 min read
Advertisement. This article contains affiliate links. If you buy a product through one of these links, Best Products UK earns a commission from the retailer at no extra cost to you. Our ranked picks are made independently of these commercial arrangements — read how we test and our full affiliate disclosure. Prices were last verified on 30 April 2026 and may vary.
At a glance

The 3 picks worth skipping ahead for

Jump to a pick
Best Choice
01
Seagate Portable Drive 5TB
Seagate

Portable Drive 5TB

9.5
/ 10
Exceptional
Why we love it
  • Seagate Portable 5TB
  • Highest-capacity portable HDD
  • USB 3.0 + reliable Seagate
Premium Pick
02
Seagate Expansion Desktop 16TB
Seagate

Expansion Desktop 16TB

9.3
/ 10
Excellent
Why we love it
  • Seagate Expansion 16TB desktop
  • Massive backup storage
  • Mains-powered desktop drive
03
Seagate Portable Drive 2TB
Seagate

Portable Drive 2TB

9.1
/ 10
Excellent
Why we love it
  • Seagate Portable 2TB
  • Slim portable design
  • USB 3.0 plug-and-play
Value for Money
04
WD 5TB My Passport portable external storage
WD

5TB My Passport portable external storage

8.9
/ 10
Very Good
Why we love it
  • WD My Passport 5TB
  • Premium portable storage
  • Trusted Western Digital
05
Toshiba Canvio Partner 2TB Portable 2.5’’ External Hard Drive
Toshiba

Canvio Partner 2TB Portable 2.5’’ External Hard Drive

8.7
/ 10
Very Good
Why we love it
  • Toshiba Canvio Partner 2TB
  • Portable 2.5" external HDD
  • Reliable Toshiba build
06
Seagate Portable Drive 1TB
Seagate

Portable Drive 1TB

8.5
/ 10
Very Good
Why we love it
  • Seagate Portable 1TB
  • Ultra-slim 2.5" HDD
  • Plug-and-play USB 3.0
07
UnionSine External Hard Drive 1TB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac
UnionSine

External Hard Drive 1TB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac

8.3
/ 10
Good
Why we love it
  • UnionSine 1TB ultra slim
  • Portable HDD design
  • Sub-£60 dual-platform
08
UnionSine External Hard Drive 500GB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac
UnionSine

External Hard Drive 500GB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac

8.1
/ 10
Good
Why we love it
  • UnionSine 500GB ultra slim
  • Compact 2.5" portable
  • Sub-£30 starter pick
09
UnionSine External Hard Drive 500GB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac
UnionSine

External Hard Drive 500GB Ultra Slim Portable Hard Drive USB 3.0 HDD Storage Compatible for PC,Mac

7.9
/ 10
Good
Why we love it
  • UnionSine 500GB alt
  • Same chassis as #8
  • Different colour finish
Editor's Pick
10
Sonnics 500GB Dark Grey External Portable Hard drive USB 3.0 super fast transfer speed for use with Windows PC
Sonnics

500GB Dark Grey External Portable Hard drive USB 3.0 super fast transfer speed for use with Windows PC

7.7
/ 10
Good
Why we love it
  • Sonnics 500GB Dark Grey
  • Portable 2.5" HDD
  • Sub-£25 budget pick
BP
About the editor

Best Products UK Editorial Team

Best Products UK is an independent UK product-review aggregator. Our editorial team synthesises hands-on reviews from leading UK consumer publications — Which?, Wired UK, T3, Tom's Guide UK, Trusted Reviews, TechRadar, Good Housekeeping, Expert Reviews, Stuff and others — into clear, ranked top-ten guides for UK shoppers. We do not run a physical test lab. We tell you which products UK reviewers agree on, where they disagree, and which the data says is right for your budget. Our methodology is published openly at /about/methodology/.