Ace the Space: Handy External Hard Drive for Mac

Whenever using a MacBook or a laptop we often feel the need for that extra space. It is not so easy to increase the internal drive instantly to an extent to solve the purpose, so for this, there is an external hard drive. Therefore, here we are with external hard drive options for mac to make extra space for your data.

Technology has paved its way through this generation, and to make our lives well equipped for our daily needs we make use of a variety of gadgets. One such handy gadget for your extra storage is an external hard drive. There are SSD and HDD varieties available in hard drives and you can look further to decide for the best external hard drive for mac. However, HDD being less costly than SSD makes the former a much more affordable option. Unlike the online storage facility, an external hard drive for your mac makes it easier to sort files even offline where you can name each folder as per your convenience. You just need to insert the USB and voila it's done. There are such mac formatted external hard drive options too that use wonderful speed to transfer the data in a blink of an eye.

Nowadays, these are available in a variety of sizes from 1TB, 2TB, 5TB for general use. However, if you are looking for an external hard drive for Mac with a much larger space then they are available in bigger options of 18TB, 24TB, and can go massive to 36TB and more. The mirroring software in some external hard drives makes file transfer an effortless task. Be it storing those extra games or movies for your family time a mac external hard drive does all this and a lot more for you.

Here are the 10 best external hard drives useful for Mac:

LaCie Mobile Drive

Description:

The LaCie Mobile drive comes with a perfect start guide to assist you to format this external hard drive on Mac. The Rescue data services are meant for the recovery of any data that make easy and full recovery of any data lost due to mishandling or otherwise. The product comes with a proper toolkit that helps in proper backup and also mirroring software to aid you well.

Features:

• It has a brilliant-looking sleek design.
• It comes in capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB to suit your needs perfectly.
• It is a compact design that is compatible across all devices making it a Mac-formatted external hard drive that can be utilized efficiently.
• The robust design has diamond-cut edges to provide excellent enhancement to its features and make it handier.
• The water damage or any other damage done on the drive is all covered by resume services. This also makes the user safe against any cost for retrieval or any loss of data.

Price: Starts from $69.00

Pros:

• A great performance.
• A solid aluminum body.
• It looks very stylish.

Con:

• The feature of the toolkit utility has to be downloaded.

ADATA HD830 External Hard Drive

Description:

A Mac external hard drive that is crafted with the precision of grooves on its surface gives it a tough and bold look. This powerful beast is nearly unbreakable and can take up to many drops. It has also been tested for 3000kg of force in the downward direction making it a great piece for storing even sensitive information. Additionally, its resistance to dust and water makes it a powerful combination of great design and capability.

Features:

• If you are a game expert then you can use this with your game console too. Moreover, you can take a backup of your favorite games on this one as it comes with a whopping 5TB capacity.
• It comes with a boisterous three-layer structure, making it a tough product.
• Trendy shock sensors available on this HDD make it shake-proof and in case it has an impact it alerts the user with a red light blinking continuously.
• The HDD comes with a cover making it dustproof and waterproof too.

Price: $120.22

Pros:

• It has great resistance to dust and water.
• The build quality is quite heavy.

Cons:

• It works on a type C cable, which may not be available to everyone.
• It may not be preferable for some people because of its bulky weight.

WD My Passport (5TB)

Description:

In case you are looking for an option to format external hard drive on mac, then this SSD can prove very much useful to you. It supports Windows, Chrome OS perfectly however if your external hard drive not showing up Mac then you can reformat it to work with it. It is available in a variety of colors to add some glam to your Mac station. Additionally, it is also available in a variety of capacities of 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB. If you're crazy about Xbox, you can visit the post 5 Best Xbox External Hard Drives to find your favored one.

Features:

• It is available in a variety of colors making the experience of an external hard drive for mac a wonderful one.
• It is available in 5TB, 4TB, 2TB, and 1TB variants to suit a variety of needs of its consumers.
• Its slim style makes it quite handy to be carried anywhere easily.
• The 256-bit AES encryption makes it a safe SSD as it protects the password system to it.
• The 3-year warranty makes it a great fit for long-term usage.
• It does not require any settings to be done on a prior basis, so you can use it as soon as it is received.

Price: $134.99

Pros:

• It is very light and has a small space occupying the product.
• It comes with good encryption that supports a password facility.
• The restoring and backup facility are available with applications that come with the device.

Con:

• The cost may not be a pocket-friendly option for some people.

LaCie 2 Big RAID (8TB)

Description:

If you are looking for a high-performance external hard drive for mac, then this one's for you. The RAID series is built for a revolution that adds immense speed to the transfer of any kind of data. The performance given by this one is super good with USB-C connectivity. The power management of this product is exceptional and offers reliability 24/7. The hot-swappable drives feature allows easy replacement of drives.

Features:

• It has an amazing power-saving mode that allows a good backup.
• It has a fabulous design and USB 3.1 is compatible with any PC and Mac, which makes it the best external hard drive for mac.
• The cable lock is included in the packaging with drive.
• The Noctua fan assists the quiet functioning of the SSD and its wider design gives it a stable outlook.
• The Thunderbolt 3 port allows for a better 4K streaming making it a perfect fit as a mac external hard drive.

Price: $489.99 for 8TB

Pros:

• It has a facility to use RAID 0 that works on an option of higher speed.
• It comes with a long warranty period of 5 years.

Cons:

• It is not an affordable option for people looking for a less costly variant.
• It requires the user to download a few utilities that help in the proper management of the drive.

Seagate FireCuda Gaming Hub

Description:

If you are looking for an option on how to back up a Mac to an external hard drive, then Seagate has brought its fascinating product for you. With its charismatic RGB LED customizable lighting options this is one of the best external hard drive options for mac. This hard drive has a massive storage capacity of 8TB and 16TB. It comes with an additional power adapter that gives a speedy solution to your transfers. If you have storage demanding for your PS4, you can click on the Best PS4 External Hard Drive to read more.

Features:

• It has great compatibility across all systems be it MAC, windows, etc.
• It brings a beautiful gaming experience to your battle station with its RGB LED light feature.
• It helps in syncing Chroma-enabled peripherals to give you a perfect gaming experience.
• It works horizontally as well as vertically, providing you a better game in each go.
• If you are looking for an answer to how to backup Mac to the external hard drive then it is spacious 8TB and 16TB variants can provide your gaming streak a good library for your games.

Price: $184.99 for 8TB

Pros:

• There are many capacity options available in this product.
• The RGB lighting option makes it quite attractive for the user.
• The software Suite used in the product is professional.

Con:

• Its design does not support basic speed for SSD.

Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch

Description:

Looking to revamp your backup option with a fabulous silver or any other color of your choice, then Seagate backup plus ultra-touch can be your answer. It is quite an affordable option as a Mac external hard drive. Moreover, it is an ultra-fast option that is also compatible with other devices. It is available in various capacities to suit your needs and work.

Features:

• It comes in capacities like 1TB and 2TB.
• Its average weight is 0.33 pounds approx.
• A data recovery option with a warranty of a year is available.
• It is very fast in its working and is compatible across almost all devices, which makes it a good external hard drive for Mac too.
• It is available in outstanding colors.

Price: $57.99 for 1TB

$84.99 for 2TB

Pros:

• The design of the product comes with a unique fabric cover on the enclosure.
• The product is light in weight and smaller in size which makes it easy to carry anywhere.
• There is an option of protecting the data with a password.

Cons:

• Some people may find the fabric cover quite slippery as it does not provide grip to the user.
• The toolkit for the product needs a separate download.

Western Digital My Book

Description:

Wish to format external hard drive Mac? Then this one can be a great option for you. It has a compact body with powerful features keeping all your valuable documents safely. It is one of the best external hard drive options for Mac that offers transfer of data at a great speed as well. The security software used for the backup is seamlessly compatible.

Features:

• It comes in various capacities ranging from 4TB, 6TB, 8TB, 12TB, and higher capacities that can go up to 36TB.
• It provides a complete solution for backup as a Mac-formatted external hard drive.
• It also comes with a password protection feature.
• It is an easy-to-use SSD that allows undemanding transfer for all types of files and documents at a great speed.

Price: Starts from $79.49

Pros:

• There are many options in this product that support data of larger capacity as well.
• It comes with a warranty of 3 years, which is a good period.
• If you are looking for an answer to how to format external hard drive for mac then this is a simple option.

Con:

• There is a need for a power adapter that works externally.

SanDisk G-Drive Professional 18TB external hard drive

Description:

Still, finding options for an external SSD hard drive for MAC? You can never go wrong with this one. This product is extremely stylish and if you wish to have a Mac external hard drive then this one at a speed of 5GBPS can do wonders for you. The mammoth 18TB version lets you incorporate your entire backup into one place for ready reference. Also, you can find more external hard drives for laptops.

Features:

• It comes with a 5-year warranty with USB-C 3.2 Gen Thunderbolt 3 interface.
• It is available in Mac formatted external hard drive variants for easy use.
• It can hook up to 6 units using the Daisy chain, just by using a single cable option.
• Available in capacities of 18TB and smaller capacities like 4TB, 6TB, 12TB too.
• It weighs approx. 2.6lb.

Price: $677.10

Pros:

• Works at a massive speed of 7200 RPM.
• It works on two modes of AC power and USB power as well.
• Easy Daisy chain available to hook 6 or more units.

Cons:

• It may be an expensive product for some people.
• In case you wish to use it for any other device other than mac, it requires a reformatting.

Buffalo MiniStation Extreme external hard drive

Description:

With a 256-bit AES encryption, this beautiful piece is mastered with the capability of an NFS too. It is compatible with smartphones, Mac, and windows. However, if your Mac not recognizing external hard drive you can simply use HFS+ to format it or if you use exFAT then it becomes compatible with PC and PlayStation too.

Features:

• It is a very portable option as an SSD and comes in 1TB and 2TB variants
• There is a locking option via NFC.
• It does not require a power adapter.
• Comes with a great warranty of 3 years.
• The mode changer option makes it easy to switch for windows and mac devices.

Price: $92.14 for 1TB

$137.03 for 2TB

Pros:

• There are different light options for USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 options.
• The Mode changer lets you switch between windows and Mac with an option of secure to open mode and vice versa.
• The cable is permanently attached to the SSD, so you cannot lose it anywhere.

Cons:

• It may appear larger to some users which makes it a little not so easy to carry around.

Sabrent Rocket XTRM-Q 4TB USB/ Thunderbolt external SSD

Description:

It is one of the best external hard drive options for MAC as it is a heat-resistant option. The SSD comes in a portable variant and offers great speed. The superfast and latest Thunderbolt-equipped variant switches in automation between USB 3.2 and TB3 modes making it a great MAC external hard drive. It keeps its health and temperature well in check, preventing it from getting extremely hot.

Features:

• The built quality of this SSD is rugged making it apt for tough use.
• Superb compatibility across all platforms such as MAC, Windows, and Linux.
• Just as its name suggests, it offers a great speed of 2700 MBPS to transfer data.
• An excellent monitoring system to keep a check on SSD health and temperature as well that prevents it from getting too hot while in use.

Price: $999.99

Pros:

• It works at a super-fast speed.
• It is a lightweight and portable option as an external hard drive for Mac.
• It supports USB 3.2 and Thunderbolt too.

Con:

• The hard disk available in higher capacity is too costly for some people.

FAQs

How to find external hard drive on Mac?

When an external drive does not pop up do check for whether it is plugged in, in the right manner, look for a faulty cable, or try rebooting your Mac. This will solve your purpose.

How to format an external hard drive for Mac?

Here you can start with connecting the drive to your mac. Then by opening the disk utility you can select the drive for format and erase the data. This will format your external drive for mac.

Which is the best external hard drive for Mac?

Buffalo MiniStation, LaCie Mobile Drive are some of the best external hard drive alternatives for Mac. However, there are a few other external hard drive options that are meant for Mac that can prove useful as per your purpose.

Your MacBook cannot take the load of everything extra that matters for you. This calls for the best external hard drive for Mac that makes it shed off the extra bundle and store it properly for future use. Being such a vital tool for working professionals an external hard drive for Mac is also an affordable option to store sensitive data. Not only is it cost-effective but the SSD option provides massive speed for the transfer of files. Moreover, an NFC and 256-bit AES feature makes them a safe choice as well. With a list of the best external hard drive options for Mac, we hope you will be able to share your extra load of data and keep it safe.