External hard disks are a convenient form of portable data storage medium with which you can carry files and media and use them anywhere you want without an internet connection.

Due to the constant evolution of data storage technology, the size of these hard disks now match or exceed those traditional hard disks and feature much more advanced capabilities.

In this article, we bring you the twelve best 1TB external hard disks available in the Indian market.

Ranging from wired to wireless storage form factors, we hope this article will guide you the right way to a stress-free online external hard disk purchase experience.

Note: The price shown are the once when we reviewed the products. However, as the promotional offers changes on the given E-commerce sites, the price may vary. Bettershark is supported by it’s readers and when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

1. ADATA HD770G

Overall Best Pick

• Excellent data transfer speeds
• Robust build quality
• Shock protection

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ADATA is a Taiwanese memory and storage manufacturer popular for its budget storage media related accessories in the Indian market.

The HD770G from ADATA is a USB3.1 external portable rugged hard disk with a 1TB storage capacity.

Design and Build Quality

ADATA has built this hard drive like a tank with an aggressive but unique design. The sharp contours and lines make the design look like it is inspired by sports cars. 

The rugged chassis with chamfered edges and dual LED light strips look and feel futuristic for a budget 1TB portable HDD.

The three-layer protection ensures shockproof protection for this HDD. Even if you accidentally drop this device down, the internal components including the disk and the circuitry remain safe and secure from damage. 

The ADATA HD770G comes certified with IP68 dust and water-resistant protection. You can take this HDD out with you anywhere without being concerned too much about the adverse conditions outside. 

Storage Capacity

The ADATA HD770G is available in two storage capacities – 1TB and 2TB. 

This is a USB3.1 Gen 1 storage device with enhanced data transfer speeds. Since USB Type-A standards are backwards compatible, this portable HDD from ADATA will work fine with both USB2.0 as well as USB3.0 ports but with decreased speeds. 

This budget 1TB portable hard disk drive from ADATA has a rated read/write speed of 130MB/s. Surprisingly this portable hard disk delivers more or less the same speeds when connected to a compatible USB3.1 port. 

Miscellaneous

The 256-bit AES encryption makes sure that your data stored inside this hard disk remains safe and secure from unprotected access. 

ADATA offers a 3-year warranty on this product but is limited to manufacturing defects. 

Verdict

The ADATA HD770G is a 1TB portable hard disk with a rugged durable design and faster data transfer speeds.

2. WD My Passport

Runner-up Pick

• Modern USB 3.0 interface
• Good performance on data transfer
• 256-bit hardware encryption

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Western Digital is an American Data Storage company that has been the pioneer of portable storage since time immemorial.

The My Passport series from Western Digital was one of the first entrants to the Indian external hard disk market and they have been one of the people’s favourites since then.

Design and Build Quality

The WD My Passport is constructed using high-quality plastic materials and it feels really good in the hands.

This external hard drive is slim and compact, which makes it easy for the user to take it anywhere they like, also, it fits in your pocket perfectly.

Speaking of looks, the device has a flat and textured finish on the front, and to be honest, from the previous version of WD My Passport this one looks much more refreshed and refined.

Weighing at just 120 grams, this portable hard drive from Western Digital is a delight to carry in hands, backpacks, or pockets.

Make sure to don’t drop the drive or keep it near water as it has no IP rating and the brand itself has not assured any resistance from water splashes.

Storage Capacity

The storage available for the user is 931GB out of 1TB which is plenty enough to store multiple types of media and documents.

The hard disk has a read speed of up to 130MB/s and a write speed of 125MB/s which is remarkable at this price point.

This will benefit the normal user as well as those who edit 4K videos and photos. The drive will process the data much faster.

However, the speed will be reduced significantly when used with the USB 2.0 port of laptop or desktop computers.

Miscellaneous

WD My Passport comes with a 3-year warranty but it does not include any physical detects so make sure to have a case for this hard drive.

This hard drive has 256-bit hardware encryption that allows you to put a password on the hard drive to protect your data from prying eyes.

You can also use this external HDD with a smartphone with the use of OTG, but make sure you don’t have password protection on the hard drive otherwise it won’t show up on your smartphone.

Western Digital has got you covered with its backup software that will come in handy if you somehow lost your data.

Also, the drive is pre-formatted in NTFS so you can transfer files that have a file size of more than 4GB, right out of the box.

However, in macOS make sure to check the properties of this HDD before using it because it might require a re-format in NTFS to work.

Verdict

This new WD My Passport does not break the bank, it has that affordable price tag, an ergonomic design, and comes with 256-bit hardware encryption.

Priced just Rs.3,899, this external hard drive is the best buy for regular users and content creators.

3. Seagate Ultra Touch

 Best Budget 1TB Hard Disk

• 3-years warranty
• Up to 120MB/s transfer speeds
• Seagate secure encryption

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Seagate is a US-based data storage company popular for its consumer-level storage products in the Indian market.

The Seagate Ultra touch is one of the most popular budget 1TB wired external hard disks that have been in the market for quite a while.

Design and Build Quality

The Seagate Ultra touch sports an ultra-slim 11.7mm thick chassis made from a high-quality plastic material.

Apart from the Seagate logo and the neatly laid out status LED on the front, there aren’t any sort of add-ons on the exterior of this budget external hard disk.

This hard disk is very pocketable and weighs only 151g. The supplied micro USB to USB 3.0 cable is 46cm in length which is more than enough in most of the use-case scenarios.

Storage Capacity

This 1TB portable hard disk is intended for those who are looking for a supplementary storage device for use alongside their laptop or smartphone.

Phones and laptops these days come with sufficient internal storage and most of the users won’t even utilize that in full.

If you’re an average user, this hard disk can store all your documents and media files and still have some extra free space.

Miscellaneous

This portable hard disk is compatible with both USB 2.0 and USB 3.0 devices. The only difference is that the copying speed will be slower in the former than the latter, which is to be expected.

The Lyve app from Seagate helps you back up the contents of this drive into the cloud and access them anywhere, no matter the device – be it your laptop, smartphone or even your tablet.

Verdict

The Seagate Ultra touch is a budget 1TB hard disk that provides a convenient and portable data storage medium for budget-conscious Indian consumers.

4. Seagate Backup Plus Slim

Best Thin and Lightweight Hard Disk

• Swift data transfer speed
• Ergonomic design
• 3-year warranty

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Seagate is a US-based storage device manufacturer that competes against the brands like Western Digital and Kingston.

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is an affordable external hard drive priced at just Rs.3,999.

Design and Build Quality

The outer casing of the Seagate Backup Plus Slim is constructed using high-quality plastic.

This portable hard drive has a boxy design, it is rectangular with minimal thickness and it fits perfectly inside the pocket.

Weighing around 130 grams, it is even much lighter than a 5-inch smartphone and carrying this drive feels very convenient.

But, make sure you don’t drop it or put it near water as this hard drive is not rugged enough compared to ADATA HD720.

There is a nice brushed finish on the top with the Seagate logo in the corner. The LED light is also there on the front which illuminates when the device is in use.

Seagate has offered multiple colour options so you can choose according to your preference.

Storage Capacity

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim has a read and write speed of up to 140MB/s which means you can transfer huge files from a computer to this hard disk in a very short time.

The drive features a USB 3.0 port which is fast and reliable but it can be also used with the USB 2.0 but the speed will be reduced.

You can use it with mobile devices as well and all you need is an OTG connector, that way, you can transfer data from smartphone to HDD without using a laptop or desktop computer.

Miscellaneous

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim comes with a 3-year warranty and it does not include any physical damage.

Seagate has a specific service known as rescue data recovery service in which they help you recover your lost data.

There is a bunch of software developed by Seagate that lets you schedule your backup from time to time.

This product comes with additional add-ons. You will get a one-year membership of Mylio which is a platform for photo organizing and management. Also, the 2-month membership of Adobe Creative Cloud photography plan is included.

When you unbox this HDD, it is formatted in exFAT by default and if you wish to transfer big files then make sure to instantly format in the NTFS.

Verdict

The Seagate Backup Plus Slim is a slim and portable hard drive designed for those who are looking for extra storage to store media and documents.

This external hard drive is good-looking from the outside and the hardware inside gives a swift performance.

5. Transcend StoreJet 25M3

Feature-rich External Hard Disk

• USB 3.1 interface
• Military-grade shock resistance
• Compact and lightweight

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Transcend is a well-known brand when it comes to external storage media. Transcend was one of the first brands to release USB thumb drives in the Indian market.

The Transcend Storejet 25M3 is one of the fastest available 1TB external hard disks priced under Rs.5,000.

Design and Build Quality

The Transcend Storejet 25M3 has a peculiar design language that makes it stand out from the rest of the competitors in its segment.

The black and green dual colour scheme makes it look playful yet elegant. This device is made from high-quality plastic materials and has a layer of rubber insulation on top.

This rubbery layer helps in grip and also protects the internals from light falls and resulting shocks.

The Transcend Storejet 25M3 weighs around 227 grams and is very much portable in the pants pocket without even noticing its presence.

Storage

As we mentioned earlier, the Transcend Storejet 25M3 comes with 1 TB of offline storage. 

This external hard drive supports the USB 3.1 protocol which simply means it will be faster than the USB 3.0 when it comes to data transfers.

This device is backwards compatible with legacy protocols such as USB 2.0 and USB 3.0. 

You don’t have to worry about the compatibility of this hard disk with your old laptop or smartphone, it will work just fine.

Miscellaneous

The Transcend Storejet 25M3 comes with three-stage shock protection. It has been subjected to military standards for data security.

Even if the hard disk accidentally fell from your hands, the data will be safe inside.

There is a button on the hard disk enclosure which enables one-touch backup when used with the Transcend Elite software.

This lets you easily back up all the contents without manually dragging and dropping or clicking through the files manually.

Verdict

The Transcend Storejet 25M3 is one of the fastest and cheaper 1TB external hard disk drives available in the market now.

With top tier security provisions such as the three-stage shock protection, this device indeed is the best in the business.

6. Seagate One Touch

Best Travel-friendly External HDD

• Premium design
• Lightweight and portable
• Backward compatible with USB 2.0 port

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Seagate is a US-based storage manufacturer and is a well-known brand around the world for its hard disks.

The Seagate One Touch is a travel-friendly external hard drive that is priced at Rs.9,999, one of the expensive one’s on this list.

Design and Build Quality

The Seagate One Touch has a boxy design that provides a premium look to the hard disk.

The shell is entirely made out of plastic and has a black colour finish which makes this external hard disk look attractive.

The top section has a textured finishing that feels good in the hands and the HDD does not slip from the hand easily.

There is an LED light on the front as well and parallel to it, there is the Seagate logo on the other corner.

This drive weighs under 220 grams which are said to be lightweight and carrying it around is easy.

Storage

Out of 1TB, you will get around 930GB to use which is enough for regular users who watch a lot of movies and series.

When the drive is tested for real file transfers, the read and write stays around 130-135MB/s which is very good for the price and you can transfer large files in a few minutes.

The score we just mentioned is only achieved when the HDD is plugged into the USB 3.0 port and it is compatible with USB 2.0 but the speed you get will be low.

Miscellaneous

It sure is an expensive drive but there are add ons you might like to use.

You will get 1-year of Mylio Create, the advantage of having this is that you can load images on this platform and have an app on your smartphone that can synchronize them and get your photos anywhere you want.

Next, you will get a four-month subscription to the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan.

The drive also comes with 256-bit hardware encryption so you can protect files with passwords to keep them safe from prying eyes.

This product comes with rescue data recovery services so if somehow you lost your data, you can safely recover them.

Verdict

The Seagate One Touch is an expensive 1TB portable hard drive with value for money add-on subscriptions.

If you have a lot of movies, music, photos to store you need this hard drive so you can save all the files offline without deleting them.

7. Lenovo F309

Best Value for Money Hard Disk

• In-built surge protection
• Lightweight and compact
• One year warranty

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Lenovo is one of the market leaders when it comes to the laptop market in India. The company also has a wide range of product lineup ranging from power banks to tablets.

The Lenovo F309 is a portable external hard disk drive with 1TB capacity priced well under Rs.5,000.

Design and Build Quality

The Lenovo F309 is made from high-quality polycarbonate plastic material. It has a matte finish exterior which looks and feels classy.

The multi-coloured indicator LED is placed on the lower side of the left frame. This is an intelligent design choice as it can be easily visible from a distance when placed flat on a tabletop.

This portable hard disk drive weighs around 245g, which isn’t much and can be easily carried in your backpack or pocket.

Storage

The Lenovo F309 comes with 1TB storage and supports USB 3.0 wired connectivity.

With compatible devices, the USB 3.0 performs much faster than the outdated USB 2.0.

One thing to be noted here is that the Lenovo F309 is backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and the only thing is you won’t notice the speed that you get with a USB 3.0 port.

Miscellaneous

This portable hard disk drive can operate effortlessly anywhere under 40 degrees, which is most important for a hot and humid country like India.

This device comes with built-in surge protection and has an anti-static design to keep your data secure from voltage fluctuations and electronic interference from other devices.

Verdict

The Lenovo F309 is a budget portable hard disk drive that comes with a lot of user-centric features such as multi-coloured LED notification and an internal circuitry surge protection mechanism.

8. Seagate Expansion

Best Affordable Hard Disk

• Lightweight and portable
• Decent read/write speeds
• Backward compatible

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Seagate Technology is a US-based storage devices manufacturer popular for its portable storage devices across the world.

The Seagate Expansion is a lightweight portable hard drive with a storage capacity of 1TB and a price tag of just Rs.3,699.

Design and Build Quality

Weighing at just 170g, Seagate Expansion is a compact and featherweight portable hard disk drive that is easy to carry in pant pockets and backpacks.

The casing material is high-quality plastic and the drive chassis features a unique diamond ridge design which not only looks good but also feels grippy in hand.

A blue LED indicator is placed on the upper left side of the chassis cover lights up when connected to a device, indicating the operational status. 

Storage Capacity

The Seagate Expansion features a USB3.0 interface that delivers decent read and write speeds of 135MB/s and 134MB/s respectively.

The storage capacity is 1TB and out of it, you get somewhere around 930 – 950 GB for actual storage purposes. 

The transfer speed varies significantly if you plug this portable hard drive into a USB2.0 port. That being said, the device is backwards compatible despite slow speeds.

Miscellaneous

The Seagate Expansion comes with a 3-year warranty, limited to manufacturing defects

Seagate provides Rescue Data recovery service software that can be utilized to recover accidentally deleted files from the hard disk.

This is a plug and play device which works out of the box without any need for specific driver installation.

Verdict

The Seagate Expansion is an affordable portable hard drive with 1TB of storage, priced at just Rs.3,699. This hard disk gives an exceptional performance with data transfer when used with compatible USB 3.0 ports.

9. WD Purple 

Best HDD for Surveillance Camera

• Handle up to 64 cameras
• Easy to install
• Excellent buffer to host speed

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Western Digital is one of the biggest names in the storage manufacturing industry and is very popular in the Indian subcontinent as well.

The WD Purple is an internal hard drive that can be used with surveillance devices to keep video recordings from surveillance cameras.

Design and Build Quality

From the image, you can tell that the drive is not for external use which is absolutely right.

This purple drive of Western Digital is designed specifically for surveillance cameras.

The drive has a metal casing and the aesthetics are pretty okay as well. More than this there is no brief explanation required because it’s for internal use so there’s no way you can show it off in public.

Storage and Performance

WD has a different colour of drive and what you are mostly aware of is blue which is like a balanced drive offering great performance at an affordable price.

The Purple One has the highest reading speed so it can buffer video to the host quickly, it is helpful especially when there are 4K security cameras.

You can also use this internal hard drive as an external portable hard disk by purchasing a suitable hard cover case.

The speed provided in the buffer to host is 6GB/s which is incredibly fast.

WD ensures 3,00,000 load/unload cycles and the annual workload rating of this purple hard drive is 180TB/year.

For the HDD we have the base 5400RPM but as you go for the higher variant like 2, 3, 4TB the speed will gradually increase and the highest variant is 18TB with 7200 RPM.

Miscellaneous

This hard drive can support up to 64 cameras so you can record so much at once without any worries.

The brand has ensured a 3-year warranty on this product.

Verdict

The WD Purple is designed for surveillance cameras and can handle up to 64 cameras at once which is incredible for the price of Rs.3,440

10. LaCie Rugged Mini

Durable and Reliable Hard Drive

• Good data transfer performance
• Robust build quality
• USB 3.0 interface

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LaCie is an American-French company that produces storage devices and computer monitors.

As its name suggests, the LaCie Rugged Mini is a strong portable hard drive priced at Rs.6,299.

Design and Build Quality

The LaCie Rugged Mini is covered in an orange rubberized material case that is designed by Neil Poulton, a well-known product designer across the globe.

The hard drive itself is made out of stainless steel and this drive is pressure-resistant. The company claims it can handle weights up to 1 Ton which is hard to believe but considering it we can be assured that it remains safe even if you put some of your book on it.

The casing of this hard drive will protect it from shock, so if you even drop it accidentally the drive will survive in fit shape without losing any of your data.

Not limited to that only, but it is also shock and water-resistant. This is the reason why so many photographers and filmmakers prefer this drive because its durability is just insane.

Storage

The variant we have here is the 1TB but the same model is available in the capacity of 2 and 4 TB as well but at a much higher price.

The LaCie Rugged Mini has a read and write speed of up to 133MB/s which is decent and you can transfer huge files in minutes.

The hard drive has a USB 3.0 interface but it connects well with the USB 2.0 the only difference you will notice is speed, with the USB 3.0 you will get the speed we have mentioned but with USB 2.0 it will be reduced down.

Miscellaneous

With the drive, you will get a one-month membership to the Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps.

Well, it is quite low but you can give it a shot especially if you are just beginning in photo editing or filmmaking and editing.

The brand offers a 2-years of warranty and it also includes a rescue data recovery service so even if you lose your data somehow you will get it recovered.

You will also find a handful of utility softwares to download from the official Lacie website, they’ve software for both platforms Windows and Mac.

Verdict

The LaCie Rugged Mini is for the rough and tough users who travels constantly from place to place and needs a portable storage solution that can handle rough use.

11. ADATA HV300

Best Portable Hard Drive

• Slim and lightweight
• SuperSpeed USB 3.2 interface
• 256-AES encryption security

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ADATA is a major player in the portable storage segment with a legacy of more than twenty years. They manufacture a wide range of portable storage devices such as SSDs and HDDs, USB flash drives, memory cards, and DRAM modules.

The ADATA HV300 is a highly-rated portable hard drive retailing at Rs.3,979. This drive has a good amount of features worth taking a look at.

Design and Build

The ADATA HV300 disk drive is covered in a plastic robust case and inside the case, it is loaded with a shock detecting sensor.

The HV300 sports a super-slim 10.3mm profile with an elegant design that is very distinct and eye-catchy. 

The front glossy cover in the centre is encircled by the beautiful textured finish and to be honest, the drive does look and feel premium in the hands.

The LED indicator placed right below the logo indicates four different kinds of information. It’s a single LED that change its colours according to the situation as follows:

1. The blue light means the device is connected
2. The blue light started to blink when you transfer the data back and forth
3. The red light blinking denotes that the hard drive has faced the shock
4. If the red light is constant means there is an error in the disk

Storage Capacity

The ADATA HV300 has a USB 3.2 interface which is the latest high-speed USB technology which when paired with other USB 3.2 devices deliver excellent read/write performance.

Thankfully, this drive is also backward compatible with the older USB3.1, USB3.0 and USB2.0 ports.

However, you’ll notice significant speed degradation while using this USB3.2 drive with these older USB ports. 

Miscellaneous

The ADATA HV300 has HDDtoGo software support with 256-AES encryption making sure your important files and data stays properly encrypted and safe.

ADATA gives you a three-year warranty on this product and companies have several service centres located in India where you can get help if needed.

Verdict

The ADATA HV300 is a quality USB3.2 portable hard disk drive that comes with industry-leading features such as intelligent shock protection and multi-operation LED indication.

12. TOSHIBA Canvio Basic

Honourable Mention

• Built-in shock sensor
• USB 3.0 technology
• Affordable price

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Toshiba Canvio lineup has some excellent storage devices on offer ranging from traditional hard disks to internal SSD.

The Canvio Basic is an entry-level portable hard disk with 1TB of storage capacity priced competitively under a budget of Rs.4000.

Design and Build Quality

The Toshiba Canvio Basic has a hard plastic outer casing with a glossy piano finish which makes it look kind of a premium device.

The edges of this external hard disk are bevelled and there are no sharp corners that would pose an uneasiness while holding it in hand.

There is a status LED on the top part indicating the mode of operation. This LED will automatically turn off when not in active use.

The Toshiba Canvio Basic weighs only about 181g and thanks to the rounded corners, is easy to carry around in tight bags and pockets.

Storage Capacity

The Toshiba Canvio Basic comes with a 1TB storage out of which nearly 930GB is available for users to save and store their files.

This external hard disk follows the USB3.0 standard for high-speed data transfer between the source and host devices such as laptops and smartphones.

This device is backwards compatible with the legacy USB2.0 ports albeit having significant speed drops when compared with a USB 3.0 port.

This portable hard disk delivers about 30-40MB/s of reading/write speeds when used with USB2.0 ports and up to 100MB/s read and write speeds when used with high speed USB3.0 ports.

Miscellaneous

The Toshiba Canvio Basic is a plug and play device that doesn’t require any drivers to install for you to use this hard disk.

When plugged into the laptop or any other device, it automatically detects the device and mounts it as a storage device.

The 5400rpm motor inside is relatively silent and works well even while using it in transit, for eg: while inside a vehicle on a bumpy road.

Verdict

The Toshiba Canvio Basic is a no-frills portable 1TB hard disk supporting a USB3.0 protocol for high-speed data transfers.

Being a plug n play device, this device can be used right out of the box, and with a 3-years warranty available, there is nothing much to worry about.

The list for the twelve best 1TB portable hard disks available in India marks its end here.

If you have any suggestions and feel that we should have added some other relevant product to this article, do let us know in the comment section below.

As always, thanks for your time and have a great day!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Are portable HDDs faster than the ones inside my laptop/computer?

A. It depends. If you’re purchasing an SSD portable hard disk, then it will be significantly faster, but with conventional portable HDD’s like the one we’ve listed above, you should expect the same performance when it comes to data transfer speeds. 

Q. Is 1TB enough to store my files?

A. If you are planning to use the portable HDD to save files and documents, 1TB should suffice. If you want a portable storage medium to store your media content including movies, songs and TV series, we would recommend at least a 2TB hard disk. 

Q. Can I use a USB3.1 portable hard disk with my older device?

A. Yes. Type-A USB protocol is backwards compatible. The only disadvantage is that the transfer speeds will be slower.