The best portable solid state drives (SSDs) can give you a little extra peace of mind if you want to back up your data, move files across your devices or simply free up space on your computer. All of them will be much faster and more reliable than an older hard disk drive (HDD) or a simple thumb drive, but figuring out exactly which one to get can be surprisingly complicated — especially with the enormous amount of AI-driven price inflation ravaging the market today. But if you really need a new drive, we've done the research and scoured the market to find the options that are most worth considering right now.
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Warning: It's a terrible time to buy a portable SSD
As we note in our guide to the best microSD cards, the ongoing AI boom has wreaked havoc on the consumer storage and memory market. Namely, the price of NAND flash — the memory tech used by portable SSDs and many other popular devices — has skyrocketed in recent months in large part due to unprecedented demand from data centers, AI firms and the overall build-out of AI infrastructure.
TL;DR: The world’s major memory and storage manufacturers have cut NAND production to correct an earlier period of oversupply that had been driving prices down and are now prioritizing high-profit enterprise customers over everyday consumers. The result is a perfect storm that's driven SSD prices — and other electronic components, like RAM — way up for people like you and me.
For an example, take the popular Samsung T7 portable SSD. According to the price tracking tool Keepa, the 1TB model of that drive was as cheap as $65 in September 2023. It was $80 as recently as August 2025. By January 2026, it was $110. A month later, it was $170. As of this writing, it's $275. Not every rise has been this huge, but things are only trending up, and many drives have gone out of stock entirely. Worst of all, it could be well over a year until prices and supply begin to steady. Expect to see continued volatility in the meantime.
All of this means you should only buy a new portable SSD if it's 100% necessary right now. It also means that pricing and availability are the top factors in determining our picks, so long as they performed comparably enough to their peers.
The best portable SSDs for 2026
The Corsair EX300U is an impressively compact drive that's fast enough for the kind of casual backups and data transfers most people do with a portable SSD. It's far from the absolute quickest model you can buy, as it relies on the basic 10Gbps (gigabits per second) USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface instead of more powerful standards like USB4 or Thunderbolt 5, but it performs well relative to other drives in its speed class. Plus, ports that max out at 10Gbps tend to be more ubiquitous on mainstream computers anyway.
The drive itself is a tiny aluminum square that weighs less than a tenth of a pound, measures just 2.5 inches tall and is only a half-inch thick, so it's easy to carry around in a bag or pants pocket. You could also stick it to an iPhone or metal laptop directly, as it has a handy magnetic ring built into its back.
The main reason we're picking the EX300U, however, is because its prices were generally less awful than most other "good enough" SSDs we could find at the time of writing. A 1TB model was available for $165, while 2TB and 4TB models went for $290 and $440, respectively. All of this would be horrifically overpriced in a normal storage market, but it's unfortunately cheaper than most portable SSDs we could still find in stock in early 2026, particularly when it comes to the 1TB version.
We're certainly not beholden to this drive, though. If you see our next pick or another model with similar performance ratings that's available for less in the capacity you want, don't hesitate to grab that one instead.
- Fast enough for casual needs
- Compact
- MagSafe-compatible
- There are faster options
The PNY RP60 is technically faster than the Corsair EX300U and has a more rugged silicone frame with IP65-rated water and dust resistance. It's a bit taller at 3.8 inches and can pick up a little more grime, but it's similarly thin and not much heavier at roughly 0.12 pounds. It also has a built-in cutout that lets you hook it to a backpack or carabiner.
This drive uses the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 interface, which has a theoretical maximum transfer speed of 20Gbps. That means it can be about twice as quick as devices like the EX300U. "Can" is the key word there, however: Most computers don't actually support the USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 spec — including zero Macs — and many of those with faster USB4 or Thunderbolt ports aren't backwards compatible. So unless your PC specifically works with the standard, chances are you'll be booted back down to 10Gbps speeds regardless.
In normal times, that would lead us to skip this recommendation entirely. But because the portable SSD market is such a trainwreck, you can sometimes find 20Gbps drives like this available for around the same price as their 10Gbps counterparts, if not less.
Case in point: The 1TB and 2TB versions of the RP60 were going for $163 and $280, respectively, at the time of writing. If they're still that close to the EX300U by the time you read this and you prefer the more rugged design, feel free to just buy the RP60. (PNY does not sell a 4TB model, though.) Its write speeds aren't quite as fast as some leading 20Gbps drives, especially when it comes to longer sustained writes, but in general it's not so far off that it's worth paying an even more inflated price for another model in the same class.
It's worth making sure similar portable SSDs aren't any cheaper before you pull the trigger on the EX300U or RP60, though. To list a few decent alternatives among 10Gbps drives, check in on the Kingston XS1000, Samsung T7 and Samsung T7 Shield. For 20Gbps alternatives, consider the Kingston XS2000, Samsung T9 and Lexar SL500. There are tons more beyond those, but this is just to say that it's worth getting in the habit of comparing prices in the current topsy-turvy market before you make a purchase.
- Fast enough for casual needs
- Rugged, IP65-rated design
- USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 standard isn't common
- Slows down with sustained writes
If you're willing to pay more (usually) for significantly faster speeds, consider the Corsair EX400U Survivor. It uses the USB4 interface, which is actually supported on several modern PCs and Macs and has a theoretical maximum transfer rate of 40Gbps.
Broadly speaking, drives with this tech blow away USB 3.2 Gen 2 and Gen 2x2 models like our picks above. In a popular benchmark test like CrystalDiskMark, for instance, the PNY RP60 delivered sequential read and write speeds around 2,075 MB/s (megabytes per second) and 1,860 MB/s, respectively. With the EX400U Survivor, those clocked in around 4,060 MB/s and 3,625 MB/s — or twice as fast. The difference won't always be that dramatic with sustained transfers, but if you're a professional media editor or developer who wants to work directly off your portable drive or just a power user who plans to regularly move around large chunks of data, this kind of speed boost adds up.
The Survivor is the ruggedized version of the regular EX400U, a well-reviewed model that was out of stock in most capacities at the time of writing. Its candy-bar shape is a little over three inches long, two-thirds of an inch thick and only about 0.2 pounds, so it shouldn't be hard to carry around, plus it has a built-in clip cutout. Its rubberized housing should help it better withstand drops, while an IP55 rating means it can survive a spilled drink. It also comes with a five-year warranty, which is a couple years longer than many drives.
But again, the EX400U Survivor's biggest advantage is that it was actually in stock and more affordable than most competing drives at the time of writing. We found the 1TB, 2TB and 4TB models available for $265, $388 and $590, respectively. Would those have been good prices even five months ago? Absolutely not. But this is the world we live in.
It's worth noting that a 40Gbps drive like this isn't the fastest portable SSD available right now: A handful tap into the Thunderbolt 5 or a newer "version 2.0" of USB4, both of which can reach a maximum of 80Gbps. But computers that support those standards aren't as common — on the Mac side, for one, you need a MacBook Pro, a Mac Studio or a higher-spec Mac mini — and just about every compatible SSD we could find for this guide was either incredibly expensive or no longer available to purchase.
Either way, it's still worth checking on the prices of other high-end drives before you buy. Besides the regular EX400U, other 40Gbps drives of note include the ADATA SE920, LaCie Rugged SSD4, SanDisk Extreme Pro V3, last-gen SanDisk Extreme Pro with USB4 and OWC Express 1M2. For an ultra-fast Thunderbolt 5 or 80Gbps USB4 model, look to the OWC Express 1M2 80G, OWC Envoy Ultra, LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 or Sabrent Rocket XTRM 5.
- Super fast 40Gbps performance
- Rugged, IP55-rated design
- Five-year warranty
- Expensive
What to look for in a portable SSD
Price
As mentioned above, pricing is everything right now in the consumer storage market. While there used to be a clear correlation between how affordable a drive was and its overall speed, massive AI-driven inflation has thrown everything into the blender.
As a result, you'll want to pay close attention to exactly what kind of portable SSD you're looking at and spend a little longer comparison-shopping between similarly-rated options. The current market has made it virtually impossible to get a "good deal," so you'll have to hold your nose and take whatever best price you can get for your specific needs.
Capacity
Because prices are so inflated today, the size SSD you should get is as much a question of your budget as your needs. If you can afford a more spacious 4TB or 8TB model, great (and congrats on being rich), but you may have to pay as much as you would for a decent TV or laptop. In normal times, we'd say it's better to overcompensate than underdo it. But being slightly stingier with a 1TB or 2TB drive may be a more sensible path these days.
Speed
As a refresher, storage devices like portable SSDs are measured on their read and write speeds. To keep it simple, read speeds refer to how long it takes to access something from the drive. Write speeds refer to how long it takes to save something to it.
There are different ways to measure performance from there. Sequential read and write speeds, for one, matter when you want to access (read) or save (write) large streams of data. Since many people use a portable SSD to make backups and transfer files between the drive and a PC, they're especially important here. Companies typically use an SSD's sequential read speed to market how fast it is since it's usually the biggest raw number.
Random read and write speeds, meanwhile, are important if you want to access or save smaller, more scattered bits of data in various locations. They'd be particularly important in this case if you wanted to run apps or video games directly off the drive.
Sustained sequential speed is also important. That refers to how well a drive holds up over time with long tasks such as large, continuous file transfers. If you were to move a bunch of big 4K videos onto various portable SSDs, for example, the transfer would likely start out closer to the drives' "peak" speed, then slow down by varying extents as the job rolls on.
USB interface
A portable SSD's speed is largely determined by its USB interface. While all of our picks above connect over USB-C, some USB-C connections deliver faster transfer speeds than others.
Explaining the different "tiers" here can get confusing, but we'll try to keep it simple. At the top of the portable SSD market are models that support Thunderbolt 5, which can theoretically transfer data at a maximum rate of 80 gigabits per second (Gbps). Thunderbolt 5 is built on an open spec called USB4, which can also reach up to 80Gbps. SSDs and host devices that support either of these standards aren't super common, and the drives themselves tend to be extremely expensive (especially today), but they are the fastest out there.
Not all USB4 ports support transfer rates up to 80Gbps, though. Instead, you'll often see it available in a variant that tops out at 40Gbps. (This is technically "version 1," whereas the faster iteration is "USB4 Version 2.0.") Portable SSDs based on this are still a good choice for power users who (normally) want to pay a little less or don't have a 80Gbps port.
You may see some drives that use the older Thunderbolt 4 and Thunderbolt 3 versions of the Thunderbolt interface. Both of those can also deliver speeds up to 40Gbps, though Thunderbolt 4 guarantees a higher minimum data transfer rate (32Gbps vs. 16Gbps).
Below that is USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, which maxes at 20Gbps but isn't widely supported on most computers. Then there's USB 3.2 Gen 2, which tops out at 10Gbps. We didn't seriously consider anything slower than that for this guide, but there's also USB 3.2 Gen 1, which is rated up to 5Gbps, then a bunch of older interfaces that aren't worth considering in 2026.
In general, we think a USB 3.2 Gen 2 drive is still a good target for everyday users — the kind who aren't stressing their portable SSD all the time and mainly want a drive for casual backups, occasional photo and video transfers or maybe stashing a few video games. If you want faster performance or something more futureproof, paying up for a USB4 (40Gbps) drive makes sense, since there's a good chance it'll work with your computer. If you want a higher-end option and already own a device with a Thunderbolt 5 or USB4 (80Gbps) port, you can look for a portable SSD that supports one of those instead, but it won't be cheap.
Just remember that your SSD is only as fast as the weakest link in your chain. If your computer only has USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, for example, you could still use a USB4 drive, but you won't get anything faster than USB 3.2 Gen 2 speeds, so it'd be a waste of money.
Other performance factors
We won't get too deep in the weeds, but we also wanted to acknowledge that there's more to a portable SSD's performance than its USB interface. How advanced its controller is, whether it uses a separate bridge chip or a native flash controller to communicate with your computer, whether it uses TLC or QLC NAND flash memory, whether it's DRAM-less or has a DRAM cache — all of this can dictate how well a drive performs in the real world.
USB connection types
Most portable SSDs you'll find today connect over USB-C, but some still include a USB-A port as well. This isn't a must by any means, since using it will often result in slower transfers, but it can be nice to have when you don't have any other port free on your device. Short of a built-in port, some drives will also include a USB-A adapter or cable.
Size, weight and durability
Most portable SSDs are quite small and lightweight, so they shouldn't be difficult to tuck in a bag and take on the road. "Portable" is right there in the name, after all.
Figuring out exactly which SSDs are more durable than others is harder to determine, but we looked through both professional and user reviews to ensure our picks haven't shown a pattern of devastating failures. Generally, any SSD should be more durable than an older HDDs since it has no moving mechanical parts inside and thus fewer routes to catastrophic errors. But if a drive has special "rugged" features like a more shock-resistant outer shell or IP-rated water resistance, that usually doesn't hurt.
As a reminder, though, all drives can fail. If you care enough about your data to buy a portable SSD in the first place, you should back it up regularly. Making a second backup with some sort of cloud service is usually a good idea on top of that.
Along those lines, most models we researched for this guide also come with a three- or five-year warranty. Longer is better, but we don't consider the former a dealbreaker.
Encryption and software
For those storing especially sensitive data, some portable SSDs include extra security features like a built-in keypad or fingerprint reader, as well as hardware-based encryption, which directly scrambles data stored on the SSD. These were not top requirements for our guide specifically, but they can be nice to have. The same goes for any companion software, which can be helpful for managing the drive if it's clean and responsive enough.
