The best hard drives for video editing may cost a little more, but they’re well worth the money. Because as resolutions get higher and higher, video editors need increasingly fast transfer speeds and greater storage. And so just buying the cheapest hard drive you can will end up a false economy.
There are two main types of drive for video editing we’ll be considering here. First are Solid State Drives (SSDs). These are probably the best choice for most video editors, as they’re faster and can be made more portable – the downside being that they tend to be the more expensive option.
It’s also worth considering Hard Disk Drives, or HDDs. These are an older technology, still using spinning disks to write and read data, but they’re reliable and reasonable fast. They can be combined to form a multi-drive RAID (redundant array of independent disks) array, to increase speeds. HDDs tend to be cheaper than SSDs, but you need to make sure that you get one with fast enough transfer speeds to handle video, lest you be stuck in front of your computer all day. Also, the moving parts can generate heat, which can require noisy fans.
We’ve included both types in this guide, and covered options for a range of budgets as we know everyone has different needs. So, read on to discover the best hard drives for video editing available today.
The best hard drives for video editing in 2022
(Image credit: Future)
The best SSD for video editing for portability
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 1050MB/s
Storage capacity: 500GB-2TB
Connection: USB-C
Dimensions: 98 x 78 x 9mm
Weight: 45g
Weatherproofing: 3m drop-proofing
Reasons to buy
+
Incredibly light and portable
+
SSD speeds
Reasons to avoid
–
Tops out at 2TB
–
Quite Mac-oriented
This tiny drive weighs just 45g, so is easy to pack up and take with you wherever you’re going. If you like to edit video on the go, it therefore merits serious consideration. Capacities go from 500GB to 2TB, and realistically it’s only the upper ones that video editors are going to be concerned with.
In our review of the LaCie Mobile SSD 2TB, we liked a lot about the drive. It achieved impressive transfer speeds, and while 2TB is on the lower end of capacities in this guide, it still equates to about 65 hours of video – which almost anyone should agree is quite a bit. We did note that while the drive is compatible with Windows and Mac, everything from its styling to its bundled software seems to have been designed with a Mac user in mind, so do bear that in mind.
Our LaCie Mobile SSD 2TB review goes into more detail.
(Image credit: Future)
The best cheap hard drive for video editing
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 150MB/s
Storage capacity: 1-4TB
Connection: USB-C
Dimensions: 1TB, 2TB: 80 x 111 x 13.5mm; 4TB: 80 x 111 x 19.5mm
Weight: 1TB, 2TB: 149g; 4TB: 210g
Weatherproofing: Aluminium plating
Reasons to buy
+
Very affordable per bit
+
Three-year warranty
Reasons to avoid
–
Slower than SSD
–
Only suitable for short clips
There are a lot of expensive drives on this list, but we know that not everyone working in video editing has a huge budget. If you’re looking for something a little more affordable, then we’d definitely recommend the Toshiba Canvio Flex range, which runs from 1TB to 4TB – plentiful capacity for any video user.
In our review, we were reasonably impressed by the 150 MB/s transfer speeds we achieved with the Canvio Flex. Okay, that’s nothing on some of the SSDs on this list, but that’s also why it’s so much cheaper. Bear in mind though that these speeds will slow as the drive’s cache fills up, so it’s not one to use if you plan to fill it up with loads of data. For storing and backing up short clips, it’s a solid choice.
Our full Toshiba Canvio Flex review goes into detail.
(Image credit: WD)
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3. SanDisk 2TB Extreme PRO Portable SSD V2
The best SSD for video editing on-the-go
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 2000MB/s
Storage capacity: 1-4TB
Connection: USB-C, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
Dimensions: 110 x 57 x 10mm
Weight: 77g
Weatherproofing: 2m drop protection, IP55 water and dust resistance
Reasons to buy
+
Pocket-sized for ultra portability
+
Waterproofing and shock resistant
Reasons to avoid
–
Not fast enough for intense workflows
–
Can’t daisy chain units together
What you see is what you get with this extremely portable SSD. Fast transfer speeds of up to 2000MB/s, a USB-C connection with USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 speeds, and it’s small enough to slip into your pocket; even that tiny one inside your jeans pocket!
It features a handle in which to fit a carabiner to attach it to other kit or a backpack, and it’s designed to be rugged and water resistant, with two-meter drop protection and an IP55 water/dust ingress rating. The only downsides are that you won’t be able to daisy chain this with other devices and there’s a capacity limit of 4TB. But this is still a solid SSD for this size, and price is absolutely incredible.
(Image credit: WD)
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4. G-DRIVE Mobile Pro SSD
The best SSD for video editing at speed
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 2800MB/s
Storage capacity: 500GB-1TB
Connection: Thunderbolt 3
Dimensions: 112 x 80 x 17mm
Weight: 204g
Weatherproofing: 3m drop protection, 1000lb crush-proof rating
Reasons to buy
+
3-meter drop & 1000lb crush protection
+
5 year limited warranty
Reasons to avoid
–
High price per gigabyte of storage
Need even fast speeds? Utilizing a speedy Thunderbolt 3 connection, this portable SSD can transfer data at up to 2800MB/s, which is fast enough to multi-stream 4K and 8K footage at full frame rates without issue. You also get a five-year limited warranty on these drives for added peace of mind.
It’s both Mac and Windows compatible (after a reformat for Windows) and while there’s no waterproofing, it can withstand a three-meter drop and is crush-proof at up to 1000lbs, so there shouldn’t be an issue with a car running it over.
(Image credit: WD)
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5. WD Elements Desktop
The best hard drive for video editing for capacity
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 120MB/s
Storage capacity: 8TB-18TB
Connection: USB 3.0
Dimensions: 135 x 48 x 165mm
Weight: 950g
Weatherproofing: None
Reasons to buy
+
Massive capacity
+
Works with Windows out of the box
+
Reasonably priced
Reasons to avoid
–
Not the fastest
–
No weatherproofing
Looking for capacity above all else? WD’s Elements Desktop offers from 8TB up to a whopping 18TB of capacity.
This hard drive is formatted to NTFS, so it will work with Windows by default, but also works with Macs on reformatting. Best of all, the prices have recently dropped, so in terms of cost-per-gigabyte, this hard drive represents excellent value. On the downside, this is a conventional hard drive rather than a SSD, so won’t transfer video quite so quickly, and it doesn’t offer weatherproofing.
(Image credit: LaCie)
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6. LaCie Rugged USB-C 4TB External Hard Drive
The most durable hard drive for video editing
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 130MB/s
Storage capacity: 1-5TB
Connection: USB-C, up to USB 4 and Thunderbolt 4
Dimensions: 135 x 86 x 26mm
Weight: 400g
Weatherproofing: 1.2m drop protection, IP67-rated for rain, dust, and crush resistance
Reasons to buy
+
Rugged rubber casing
+
Drop, crush, and rain-resistant
+
Bus-powered for location use
Reasons to avoid
–
Restricted transfer speeds
–
Only 2 year limited warranty
Another traditional spinning disk hard drive, this storage device is built to withstand anything you can throw at it. Encapsulated in LaCie’s iconic orange rubber protective barrier, the hard drive is protected from drops up to 1.2m and is IP67-rated for protection against the elements such as water and dust. It’s even crush resistant up to 2205lbs.
It’s fast enough to transfer 8K full frame video, but topping out at 130Mb/s it likely will struggle with any kind of multi-streaming without dropping in resolution or bit depth. This drive is best used as a storage device for single camera shoots or for backing up video data on-the-fly.
(Image credit: WD)
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7. SanDisk Professional G-RAID 2 8TB 2-Bay RAID Array
The best desktop hard drive for video editing
Specifications
Read/Write speed: Up to 500MB/s (360MB/s for 8TB version)
Storage capacity: 8-36TB
Connection: Thunderbolt 3, USB-C, and HDMI
Dimensions: 303 x 173 x 226mm
Weight: 3950g
Weatherproofing: None
Reasons to buy
+
Daisy chain up to 5 additional devices
+
Big storage capacity options
+
RAID 0, RAID 1, and JBOD compatibility
Reasons to avoid
–
Not ideal for portable use
This dual drive hard drive is ideal for home or in-studio use since it’s rather large and has no weatherproofing to protect it from the elements outdoors. It’s both RAID 0, RAID 1 and JBOD compatible which makes it effortlessly flexible to a range of users whether the priority is fast transfer, important instant backups, or extra storage space.
Daisy chain up to 5 additional devices using the on-board connections and connect up monitors using the in-built HDMI port. A fast transfer speed of 500MB/s (limited to 360MB/s in the 8TB model) can handle multi-stream 8K video. There’s also a huge 8TB to 36TB capacity range to choose from, though things do get predictably pricey as you move higher up that storage scale!
(Image credit: LaCie)
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8. LaCie 2big Dock Thunderbolt 3
The most versatile hard drive for video editing
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 440MB/s
Storage capacity: 8-36TB
Connection: 3x Thunderbolt 2, 1x USB 3.1, 1x DisplayPort, 1x USB 3.0 (type A), 1x SD card, 1x CF card
Dimensions: 217 x 118 x 93mm
Weight: 2900g
Weatherproofing: None
Reasons to buy
+
Multiple input and output connections
+
440MB/s max transfer speed
Reasons to avoid
–
Fans can make it noisy while filming
–
Expensive option for lightweight users
For users that require fast backups and quick video transfer speeds – whether straight from camera or from a standalone memory card – this hefty device has you covered. Three Thunderbolt 2 connectors are complemented by a USB 3.1, USB 3.0, SD and CF card ports. It also offers a DisplayPort connection for more versatility, too.
This is certainly a device destined for a desktop as it’s large and heavy, but a huge capacity range and fast transfer speeds of up to 440MB/s make it one of the most flexible systems in this list. Just steer clear of dust and water, as that stylish metal housing isn’t weatherproof.
(Image credit: LaCie)
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9. SanDisk Professional G-RAID Shuttle 4 48TB 4-Bay Thunderbolt 3 RAID Array (4 x 12TB)
A heavy duty workhorse for huge projects and professionals
Specifications
Read/Write speed: 1000MB/s
Storage capacity: 24-72TB
Connection: Thunderbolt 3, USB-C
Dimensions: 247 x 173 x 266mm
Weight: 7400g
Weatherproofing: None
Reasons to buy
+
7200RPM Hard drives are removable
+
Supports RAID 0, 1, 5, and 10
Reasons to avoid
–
Only really for heavy/professional users
–
Very expensive, even for basic model
Destined for heavy workloads and professionals, this storage device doesn’t come cheap. However, it does boast some very impressive specs and performance stats. Dual Thunderbolt 3 ports allow daisy chaining of up to 5 additional devices, while up to 85W of charging power is delivered via the USB-C connection for compatible MacBook or MacBook Pro devices.
Sustained maximum read/write speeds of up to 1000MB/s/1100MB/s respectively mean it’ll handle almost anything users can throw at it. Though its 7200RPM hard disk drives aren’t technically the fastest you can get, all four are removable for a quick workflow switch-up. It comes set to RAID 5 as default but it’s also reconfigurable to RAID 0, 1, and 10 for maximum flexibility.
What we look for in the best hard drives for video editing
Picking out the best hard drives for video editors is a different matter to picking out the best hard drives for anyone else, or even the best hard drives for photographers. The speed and storage needs of those working in video are much greater than most other creative disciplines, simply because video is so data-intensive.
Below, we’ve listed the main criteria we looked at when selected our favorite hard drives for video editing. If you’re relatively new to hard drive shopping, this is a good primer of the key features you should be looking out for.
Capacity: The headline feature of any hard drive is its capacity – the amount of data it’s capable of storing. Most average consumer hard drives these days sit somewhere between 500GB and 4TB, though you can get ones with a lot less or a lot more storage, if you prefer.
Video files are big, so a video editor will want a hard drive with as much storage as possible. Of course, bigger hard drives are pricier, so it’s a matter of getting as much storage as you can for your buck. In general, though, we’d recommend video editors getting a minimum of 1TB. Anything less than that will simply fill up too fast to be useful.
Speed: Hard drive write and read speeds refer to how quickly data can be transferred on and off the drive. Ideally, you want to get speeds as snappy as possible – not just so you don’t have to spend half your life in front of the computer waiting for files to copy across (though that is a factor), but also so that you can play and edit your files directly off the drive without any stuttering.
An SSD is the faster drive type, though these come at a cost premium compared to HDDs. Another solution is a RAID array, which is essentially a rig that spreads data across multiple hard drives, improving capacity and performance and adding a layer of redundancy in case of drive failure. It’s big, and once again expensive.
Interface: As well as the drive’s own read speed, the interface it uses to connect to the computer will affect how fast you can access the data. Different drives will offer different connections – USB-C and USB 3 are good, but Thunderbolt is better, and having a drive/computer combination with Thunderbolt 3 or 4 compatibility will see a marked improvement in transfer speeds.
Portability and toughness: There are all sorts of reasons you may want to transfer your data from place to place on a drive – to edit on the go, to bring to a client, or to create an offline, off-site copy, for example. As such, you may want to think about how easy a drive is to carry around. Again, solid state drives have the edge here, as they can be built smaller.
Also, some drives are equipped with layers of physical protection against impacts, heat, water and other nasty things that can damage them. If you’re buying a drive for data-protection or backup purposes, this could be worth thinking about for the sake of peace of mind.
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