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Best External SSDs under £250 (2026)

The External SSDs we've reviewed that cost £250 or less, best first. Each is scored against products at a similar price, so a high score here means good for the money. Where we don't have today's price, we use the typical UK price we found when researching it.

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

  1. #1

    SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD 1TB

    7.8/10verdict: buy

    The SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD 1TB is for people who carry large files between machines and want a durable, fast bus-powered drive. It suits those who value hardware encryption and a long warranty. Buyers who mainly want the lowest cost per terabyte will find owners calling it a premium purchase.

    1TB (1000GB user storage; 1024GB raw)USB 3.2 Gen 2x2, USB-C connector2000MB/s2000MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    SanDisk Extreme PRO Portable SSD 1TB
    £155.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  2. #2

    SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD

    7.3/10verdict: buy

    This is a portable USB-C SSD for people who carry large files between machines and want a rugged, password-protected drive. It suits photographers, video editors and travellers who value the listed IP65 and 3 m drop figures on the V3. Buyers must confirm which generation they are getting, because speed, ratings and OS support differ between V2 and V3.

    2TBUSB Type-C (V3); V2 is listed as USB 3.2 Gen 2. The V3 Gen level is not stated in the sources read.V3: up to 2000MB/s. V2: up to 1050MB/s.V2 2TB: up to 1000MB/s. V3 2TB not confirmed.
    Read the full review ›
    SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
    £149typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  3. #3

    Samsung Portable SSD T7 Shield 1TB

    7.0/10verdict: buy

    The Samsung T7 Shield 1TB is for people who carry data to places where a plain portable drive might get dropped, rained on or covered in dust. It suits anyone who wants hardware encryption and a 3-year warranty alongside a rugged casing. It is less suited to buyers chasing the highest transfer speeds, as it runs on USB 3.2 Gen 2.

    1TB (1GB = 1,000,000,000 bytes)USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps)Up to 1,050 MB/sUp to 1,000 MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    Portable SSD T7 Shield (USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1TB)
    £215.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  4. #4

    Samsung Portable SSD T7 1TB

    6.1/10verdict: wait for deal

    The Samsung T7 1TB is for people who move large files between machines and want a small, light drive. It suits those who want hardware encryption and an aluminium case on a USB 3.2 Gen 2 interface. It is a weaker fit for Linux users and for anyone who writes very large batches in one go.

    1TBUSB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps), USB-CUp to 1,050 MB/sUp to 1,000 MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    Portable SSD T7 USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1TB
    £164.58typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  5. #5

    Samsung Portable SSD T9

    6.7/10verdict: buy

    The Samsung Portable SSD T9 is a 2TB external drive for people who move large files often and have a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port. It suits those who want hardware encryption and a five-year warranty alongside fast transfers. It is less convincing for buyers who need a water-resistant drive or confirmed support beyond iPhone 15.

    2TBUSB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gbps)Up to 2,000 MB/secUp to 1,950 MB/sec
    Read the full review ›
    Samsung Portable SSD T9
    £205typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  6. #6

    Crucial X10 Portable SSD

    5.9/10verdict: wait for deal

    The Crucial X10 Portable SSD 2TB is for people who want fast external storage and own a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 host. It suits those who value read speed, a compact body and a rugged rating over built-in drive security. Buyers who need hardware encryption or full speed on Mac and consoles should look closely at the limits first.

    2TBUSB 3.2 Gen 2x2 (20Gb/s), USB-CUp to 2,100MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    £249.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  7. #7

    Lexar ES3 Portable SSD

    5.5/10verdict: wait for deal

    The Lexar ES3 is a small USB 3.2 Gen 2 portable SSD for people who move files between a laptop and a phone. It suits everyday backups, photo libraries and project folders rather than workloads that need the fastest transfers. Linux users, console owners and anyone who wants hardware encryption should check the limits first.

    512GBUSB 3.2 Gen 2up to 1,050MB/sup to 1,000MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    Lexar ES3 Portable SSD
    £123typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  8. #8

    Crucial X9 Portable SSD

    5.3/10verdict: wait for deal

    The Crucial X9 suits buyers who want a small, plain USB-C drive for moving files between PCs, Macs, phones and consoles. It offers 1,050MB/s sequential reads and a 2m drop rating in a 65 x 50mm body. It is less suited to anyone who needs listed hardware encryption, Linux support or a faster interface.

    1TB, 2TB, 4TB (some capacity used for formatting)USB-C connector; USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbps) on supported devicesUp to 1,050MB/s (CrystalDiskMark 8.0.4, desktop)
    Read the full review ›
    £219.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  9. #9

    Netac Z Slim USB 3.2 Gen 2 Portable SSD 500GB

    4.8/10verdict: skip

    The Netac Z Slim 500GB is for people who want a very small, light external drive for everyday file carrying and backups. It suits buyers who value the aluminium casing and the two included cables over top transfer speed. It is a poor fit if you need encryption, a rugged rating or the fastest sustained transfers.

    500GBUSB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C (backwards compatible with USB 3.2 Gen 1 and USB 2.0); ssd-tester.com lists USB 3.2 Gen 1x1 (5 Gbit/s)up to 550MB/s (manufacturer); ssd-tester.com measured 511.94MB/s
    Read the full review ›
    £53.29typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

  10. #10

    Amazon Basics Portable External SSD 1TB

    4.7/10verdict: skip

    This is a compact, metal-cased 1TB portable SSD for buyers who want IP65 dust and water resistance and a claimed 2000MB/s peak. It suits people who already have a USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 port and can live with some open questions. Those questions cover the interface, the warranty length and hardware encryption.

    1 TB nominal; usable capacity may be lowerConflicting: USB 3.0 in UK 1TB product information; USB 3.2 Gen 2 in marketing text; UK 2TB sibling lists USB 3.2 Gen 2x2Up to 2000 MB/s (actual speeds vary)Up to 2000 MB/s (actual speeds vary)
    Read the full review ›
    Amazon Basics Portable External SSD, 1TB
    £208.99typical UK price when researchedCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

    Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details