4 Best Portable SSDs for MacBook Pro

If you plan to upgrade the speed of your MacBook Pro, an SSD (solid-state drive) is perhaps one of the best options. SSDs are not only fast but are also portable and durable. With a faster data speed, you can quickly sync folders or move files and folders.

Compared to their peers, SSDs are expensive. But thankfully, over the last few years, the prices have come down considerably.

In our post today, we have compiled a small list of the best portable SSDs that you can buy for your MacBook Pro. But first,

• Here are the best portable mon­i­tors for Apple Mac­Book Pro
• Protect your laptop with these hard­shell cas­es

1. LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

• Storage Capacity: Up to 1TB

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

Buy

The LaCie Rugged SSD Pro is a versatile and robust SSD. It has blazing fast access speed and comes with a Thunderbolt port, making it apt for your Macbook Pro. And that’s not all. This SSD comes with IP67 water and dust protection.

This Ingress Rating means you can use it outdoors as well. The rugged cover and the aluminum case are designed to bear the brunt of accidental falls and drops. Plus, the silicone outer cover makes it easy to grip.

The best part is its size. It’s small enough to fit in one of the pockets of your laptop bag or sleeve.

More importantly, the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro is blazing fast, thanks to the Thunderbolt port and the FireCuda NVMe SSD combination. If you must know, PCIe NVMe tech can transfer 25x more data than their SATA counterparts.

If we talk numbers, this SSD can go up to theoretical speeds of 2,800MB/s for disk read/write. And as per the folks at PC Mag, it is fast and works as advertised.

But at the end of the day, the LaCie SSD is expensive. However, if you work outdoors and need an SSD that can stand up to the elements, it is a good buy.

2. Seagate OneTouch SSD

• Storage Capacity: Up to 2TB

Seagate OneTouch SSD

Buy

The Seagate OneTouch SSD is priced considerably lower than the LaCie SSD. Though it doesn’t have Thunderbolt ports, it comes with the faster USB 3.2 Gen 2 port. And for the price, it delivers reasonable performance. The folks at Tech Advisor were able to get an impressive read speed of 1,023MB/s and write speed of 991MB/s.

It’s also a small and compact device, making it increasingly easy to carry and use. However, you won’t find a rugged construction like the one above. It has a mix of plastic and metal construction, with a fabric finish on the sides. The latter adds a premium touch.

It’s a versatile device and works equally well on both the MacBook Pro and Windows laptops. By default, it comes formatted using the exFAT file system.

The Seagate OneTouch SSD is significantly cheaper than the LaCie SSD. But do note that it is also one of the expensive USB 3.2 SSDs out there.

3. Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD

• Storage Capacity: Up to 1TB

Samsung T7 Touch Portable SSD

Buy

The Samsung T7 Touch brings the best of both worlds. It’s not expensive and carries a speedy performance to the table. The hero of the T7 SSD is the integrated fingerprint security sensor built on the top of the device. Naturally, it secures the content from prying eyes. And once the fingerprint is configured, it works across all devices, whether it’s your MacBook Pro or your Android phone.

The T7 Touch is based on the PCIe NVMe solid-state drive technology and is one of the fastest USB 3.2 Gen SSDs out there.

On the T7 Touch, you can get up to 1,050 MB/s and 1,000 MB/s read and write speed, respectively. The good thing is that this SSD has built-in thermal management to keep the temperature down.

It works seamlessly across Windows and macOS systems. It’s considered one of the best SSDs for the Apple MacBook Pro. However, configuring the fingerprint app on the MacBook Pro (Big Sur and above) can be challenging.

The T7 Touch has a low-profile look and can take its share of shocks and bumps. It is drop-resistant up to 6.5 feet but doesn’t have an IP rating.

4. SanDisk Extreme V2 SSD (SDSSDE61-1T00-G25)

• Storage Capacity: Up to 4TB

SanDisk Extreme V2 SSD (SDSSDE61-1T00-G25)

Buy

One of the first things you will notice about the SanDisk Extreme V2 is its size and lightweight nature. This SSD has a built-in carabiner loop, making it easy to hook it to belt or bag loops. It has an IP55 rating to protect against dust and water. Besides that, it’s a speedy SSD and supports USB 3.2 Gen 2.

Like the one above, the SanDisk Extreme V2 is also based on NVMe solid-state drive technology and boasts a fast transfer speed. The folks at PC Mag could get around 1,072MB/s and 1,044MB/s read and write speed, respectively.

It has its limitations, though. Even though it has an IP55 rating, the USB-C port is not protected against the elements. Secondly, the company ships a small USB-C cable along with the SSD. If you want a slightly bigger wriggle space, you will have to invest in an additional USB 3.2 Gen 2 cable, which will add up to the cost.

So if you are looking for an affordable SSD for your MacBook Pro, and can compromise a little on the speed, then the SanDisk Extreme V2 is a good pick.

Blazing Fast Speed

So, these were some of these SSDs that you can buy for your MacBook Pro. If you want a device that can stand up against the elements and deliver a fast speed, the all-weather LaCie Rugged SSD Pro is a good pick. If not, you can always buy the Samsung T7 Touch.