Depending on your needs, you can choose between portable and desktop-class external hard drives. Portable hard drives don’t require an external power source and are perfect for working on the go. On the other hand, desktop-class external hard drives are available with higher storage capacities, making them perfect desk companion and archiving solutions. So, if you are looking for a good hard drive to assist with your video editing workflow, here are the best external hard drives that you can buy. But first,
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1. Seagate Portable External Hard Drive
The drive works with Windows and Mac computers out of the box, making it a good choice for people who work in a collaborative environment. The drive is packed inside a minimalist brushed metal enclosure, giving it a premium look. As a video professional, you will also appreciate that this drive comes with a one-year complimentary subscription to Mylio Create and a four-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan. Users love this drive for its compact form factor and complimentary subscriptions to Adobe’s apps are a welcome add-on.
2. LaCie Rugged Hard Drive
If something unthinkable does happen, you will be happy to know that the device is covered by two years of data recovery services, which will recover your data to the fullest extent possible. The LaCie drive also brings faster 130MB/s read and write speeds, thus improving your workflow on the go. You also get a one-month free subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud with access to all the apps. Video editors who work on projects involving outdoor locations prefer this drive for the extra protection it brings to the table.
3. Seagate Expansion Desktop Hard Drive
Keep in mind that this Seagate expansion drive has been designed for the Windows operating system. So if you are using a Mac for video editing, you might have to skip this one. For Windows users, the Seagate expansion drive delivers seamless plug and play performance. You do not need to install any software or drivers to use it. The drive comes with a durable 18-inch USB 3. 0 cable and 18W power adapter. If Windows is your preferred platform and you want an affordable desktop-class external hard drive with ample storage to archive your projects, you should consider this.
4. SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE
The SanDisk Professional G-DRIVE features an aluminum enclosure with an enterprise-class 7200RPM Ultrastar drive inside. The aluminum enclosure looks premium and is robust. The drive also comes with USB power delivery port to let you charge your laptop. This means you have one less cable to manage. The drive works flawlessly with macOS operating system and requires simple formatting for supporting Windows. Users love this drive for its premium design and fast read and write speeds. If that’s what you are looking for, check it out.
5. WD My Book Duo RAID Hard Drive
The WD My Book Duo also supports 256-bit AES hardware encryption and password protection for all the sensitive footage you want to keep safe and secure. A good thing about this drive is that if you value redundancy over speed, you can easily change this drive to a RAID-1 configuration. This HDD is available in up to 24TB capacity. If you are looking for a super-fast RAID-ready drive, this is the one to get.
6. Fantom Drives GFORCE 3 Pro
The GFORCE 3 Pro brings a hard aluminum body that protects the drive and acts as a heat sink for dissipating extra heat. You can get this drive with up to 20TB storage capacity. The only drawback of this drive, if you can call it a drawback, is slightly premium pricing. If that’s not an issue for you, you should check this out.
Best Hard Drives for Video Editors
These were the best portable and desktop-class external hard drives for video editors. If you are looking for a drive that you can take wherever you go, the LaCie rugged drive with added drop protection is a good option. If you are looking for an external hard drive with huge storage capacity, SanDisk G-Drive and WD My Book are good options. Let us know which hard drive you selected in the comment section below.