Best external drives 2026: Fast SSDs and roomy hard drives

Best Picks Best external drives 2026: Fast SSDs and roomy hard drives Whether you're looking for speed, capacity, portability, or all of the above, you can upgrade your data game with external storage. By Gordon Mah Ung and Jon L. Jacobi Apr 28, 2026 10:30 am PDT Image: Markus Spiske / Unsplash External USB/Thunderbolt SSDs and/or hard drives (aka direct-attached storage, or DAS) are a super-convenient way to add storage capacity to your system as well as back it up. External drives are also extremely handy for transporting data between locations and devices in what used to be known as sneaker-net. PROMOTIONHigh Capacity Bus-powered USB-C desktop Get in touch with total storage freedom. Revolutionize your workflows with game-changing convenience and ease.

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