6 Best Water-Resistant External Hard Drives

What’s the best portable water-resistant external hard drives?

For a plethora of reasons, a water-resistant hard drive is essential. Not only will you save money without your hard drive breaking from accidentally spilling your drink, but you’ll also save hours of crucial backup data. After extensive research, testing, and reviews; We formulated a list of the 6 best water-resistant external hard drives.

In Short, Here Are The Best External Hard Drives With Water-Resistant Capabilities

• ADATA HD830
• SP Silicon Power
• Silicon Power
• ADATA HD710 Pro
• G-Technology
• LaCie (LAC9000633)

1. ADATA HD830

First up, the ADATA HD830 is an exceptionally robust 5TB hard drive that comes in either black or blue. Constructed with military-grade material, it’s able to withstand vigorous traveling and short falls. It’s also able to resist 6.5 feet below water.

In other words, if you spill water or coffee on this hard drive, it won’t feel a thing. If all of that wasn’t enough, it’s also resistant to shock. Overall, it’s an outstanding choice for people who extensively travel with their hard drive. We highly recommend it!

Users Say: “Excellent and strong. Good quality and lots of storage. And most important its made and built to withstand falls and drops. Which is important to this buyer. Thanks!”

Tech Specs & Details

• Weight: 1.32 pounds
• Portable
• Shock-resistant
• Water-resistant
• Military-Grade Build quality
• Resists 3000kg of downward pressure
• 5 Terabytes of storage
• Compatible with USB 3.0

2. SP Silicon Power

With IPX7 waterproof protection, the SP Silicon Power is an outstanding choice for anyone who only needs 1 terabyte of storage space. It’s relatively affordable under $60 and has excellent customer reviews.

Made with a robust aluminum case, you’ll appreciate its durability and shock-resistant capabilities. Overall, it’s a great choice and you get a 3-year manufacturer warranty, as well. We highly recommend it!

Users Say: “This is my second Silicon Power external hard drive…I bought this one to back up my dad’s MacBook Pro…I’m not particularly computer savvy, but with an instructional YouTube video, I was able to back up his computer. My son set up my original Silicon Power, and they work great for basic peace of mind for backing up your files and photos. This YouTube video also explained how you could divide up the drive and use it for an Apple and PC…pretty cool. I recommend this backup drive with a good YouTube video…for us less computer-savvy persons…my other drive is still working great over a 4 year period.”

Tech Specs & Details

• 1 Terabyte of storage
• USB 3.0
• Shockproof 
• 3-year manufacturer warranty
• Portable
• Compatible with Mac, Xbox, PC, and PS4
• IPX7 waterproof 

3. Silicon Power

Designed for Mac, PC, PS4, and Xbox; The Silicon Power is yet another excellent portable external hard drive. It too provides a durable construction with IPX4 water resistance and shockproof capabilities. With a 3-year warranty, you’ll enjoy peace of mind. 

This hard drive is has a stylish design with a scratch-resistant surface. With impressive transfer speed, it saves a lot of your time, as well. Overall, this hard drive is a fantastic choice that won’t let you down. It’s compact, portable, has great build quality with silicone construction, and very dependable for gaming or PC. 

Users Say: “Well packaged and shipped promptly. The product description on Amazon indicates that the drive is USB 3.0, but the package says that it is actually USB 3.1 which is nice. The drive is sleek and feels very solid in your hand. The rubberized edges make it easy to maintain a firm grip. The drive is recognized immediately when you plug it in with the included USB cable, with no initial setup required. The USB cable is about 12 inches long and fits into 2 rubber clips on the sides of the drive, which is nice. However; when in use, your placement options are limited by the short cable length, . All in all, the drive is exactly as described and just what I wanted. Thanks so much!”

Tech Specs & Details

• Compatible with USB 3.0 
• 5 Terabytes of storage
• IPX4 water-resistant
• Military-Grade shockproof
• 2 color options
• Portable
• 3-year manufacturer warranty
• Pre-formatted for Windows

4. ADATA HD710 Pro

The ADATA HD710 Pro is an excellent 5TB hard drive. With its military-grade triple-layered build, it’s able to withstand unexpected damage. You’ll appreciate its IP68 water-resistant capabilities, as well. This hard drive is compatible with Linux Kernel 2.0 or later, Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, or Mac OS X 10.6 or later.

Coming in at 7 inches long, 5.2 inches wide, and 1.6 inches thick; It’s easily portable and can fit just about anywhere. You’ll also appreciate the lightweight of 13.8 ounces. Not to forget, this hard drive is resistant to shock, as well. 

Overall, the ADATA HD710 Pro is an exceptional choice for those who want a very durable hard drive with waterproof and shockproof capabilities! We highly recommend it!

Users Say: “I bought these to do timemachine backups for all my designer’s Macs. I just got 10 brand new 27″ iMacs and since our data servers can’t handle all the files due to space constraints my designers were storing their files on their iMacs. At least this way should something happen, we have a backup. I’ve used timemachine since it was introduced by Apple years ago and it has saved my bacon many times. These drives are pretty cool looking and all the designers love the look. I purchased 10 of the blue, and one yellow for myself just to be different. The rubber guard does come off if you use force, however, since some of my folks are ham fisted, I guarantee they will at some point drop them, or spill something. Just like the Lacie rugged, I expect them to survive a three-four foot fall with no damage. We will see how they hold up over time.”

Tech Specs & Details

• Compatibility: Linux Kernel 2.0 or later, Windows 10/8.1/8/7/XP/Vista, or Mac OS X 10.6 or later
• Portable
• Shock-resistant
• Weight: 0.86 pound
• Triple-layered build
• 5 Terabytes of storage
• IP68 Rating water-resistant
• USB 3.0 compatible

 5. G-Technology

Next in line, the G-Technology is a great portable external hard drive. Not only is it entirely compatible with both Windows and Mac, but it also works with USB-3, USB-C, and Thunderbolt 3. Another huge plus is it’s current 11% discount. However, this drive isn’t the most affordable on the list. 

Made of rugged construction, it’s extremely tough and able to last. It’s resistant to both dust and water with an IP54 enclosure. Along with that, this hard drive has a 1000lb crush rating and it’s also resistant to shocks. 

Although it’s remarkably durable, it does, however, have its downfalls. At times, the hard drive doesn’t get recognized on your computer. Many people have also had issues with it losing connection. Aside from that, most users are very satisfied with this hard drive and highly recommend it.

Users Say: “I’m a wedding photographer by trade. I absolutely love this hard drive. It’s fast, easy to use, and portable. Very good price for the size and durability. I will never purchase another western digital or Seagate again.”

Tech Specs & Details

• 5 Terabytes of storage
• Portable
• Shock resistant
• Dust-resistant 
• Compatible with Windows and Mac
• Transfer speed: Up to 140MB/s
• IP54 water-resistant
• 1000lb crush rating
• Compatible with USB 3.0, USB-C, and Thunderbolt 3,

 6. LaCie (LAC9000633)

Last but not least, the LaCie (LAC9000633) is an exceptional 4TB water-resistant external hard drive. Coming with the purchase, it includes a 2-year limited warranty. One of its essential attributes is its quick 130MB/s speed. You’ll also appreciate the 1-month complimentary Adobe creative cloud membership.

The primary downside with this external drive is it’s a bit faulty. Many people complain about it prematurely breaking or their compatible computer doesn’t recognize it. However, a far greater amount of users are extremely happy with it. 

Users Say: “Port connector was loose upon arrival and caused many transfer and connectivity problems. This may be why there are so many negative reviews. I upgraded my connection cable and now increasing my review from a 2 to a 5 star. LaCie really should just encourage people to buy cables with GOLD-PLATED CONNECTORS!!! Why mess around, and it’s under $6! I bought this one and all issues with my LaCie were resolved”

Tech Specs & Reviews

• Compatible with USB 2.0 and USB 3.0
• Portable
• Shock-resistant
• Water-resistant
• 4 Terabytes of space
• Max Speed: 130MB/s
• 2 year limited warranty
• Compatible with Laptop and PC

Quick Recap

In Short, Here Are The Best Water-Resistant External Hard Drives

• ADATA HD830
• SP Silicon Power
• Silicon Power
• ADATA HD710 Pro
• G-Technology
• LaCie (LAC9000633)

What’s an external hard drive?

An external hard drive is basically a drive that provides storage space. While a computer’s internal hard drive delivers storage within the computer, an external hard drive is portable and comes in various amounts of storage space. 

How much does an external hard drive cost?

While it primarily depends upon the provided space, $47 all the way up to $850. However, most popular external hard drives run between $47 to $200’s. 

How many terabytes of storage do external hard drives offer?

External hard drives come in various storage space amounts any from 1 terabyte all the way up to 24 terabytes and almost everything between.

What does an external hard drive do?

An external hard drive provides storage space within a square-like portable object.