You have a PC or Mac with Thunderbolt capability and you want a super-fast Thunderbolt SSD hard drive to be its companion. You’re requirements for I/O speed go far beyond that of the average user and you need a lot of storage with the best reliability as well. A Thunderbolt SSD hard drive is the perfect match for your needs.
There are not a lot of choices in Thunderbolt SSD hard drives 1TB and above. They are much more expensive per GB than a regular Thunderbolt external hard drive and only a few manufacturers have released these larger drives as of this writing. That should all change in the coming months as the price comes down and more manufacturers provide options. If you need to be on the bleeding edge, for the speed, reliability, and capacity, a Thunderbolt SSD hard drive is the only way to go. If you need the portability and flexibility to move the drive between computers, then you need an external model.
LaCie d2 Thunderbolt 3 6TB External Hard Drive Desktop HDD – Thunderbolt 3 USB-C USB 3.0, 7200 RPM Enterprise Class Drives, for Mac and PC Desktop, 1 Month Adobe CC (STFY6000400) 4.0 out of 5 stars 59. Thunderbolt 3. Experience the mind-boggling speed of Thunderbolt 3 with up to 40Gb/s. Thunderbolt 3 provides up to 4x the speed of the fastest USB connection, support for one 5K or two 4K monitors, single-cable docking, external graphics support, up to 100 watts of power delivery, plus daisy chain support for up to 6 Thunderbolt 3 devices - all delivered through a USB-C port.
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A couple of the drives in our list were designed and formatted specifically for the Mac. If you have a PC, make sure the drive you buy supports your PC.
We took a look at what is available and researched forums, retail sites, reviews, and manufacturers’ sites to gain a picture of which drives standout from the others. We found what we think are the top-rated 1 TB Thunderbolt SSD external drives out there.
Take a look and see if one of these 1TB drives is the best Thunderbolt external SSD drive for your needs!
#5 – LaCie LAC301558 Rugged Thunderbolt 1TB SSD
Take your project with you even to the boondocks with the LaCie LAC301558 Rugged Thunderbolt 1TB SSD SATAIII External Drive. With dual Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 ports, you can take your work home and perform the fastest transfer available over Thunderbolt or transfer nearly anywhere using the handy USB 3.0 port. Unlike most drives, this external SSD hard drive is ruggedized and has an IP 54 moisture resistance rating to ensure you can take it with you just about anywhere. Here’s what you need to know about this LaCie hard drive.
Thunderbolt SSD Hard Drive: Features
- LaCie brand reputation for reliability and quality
- 1TB Thunderbolt Ruggedized External SSD with additional USB 3.0 port
- Shock, pressure, drop, and moisture resistance
- IP 54 moisture resistance rating
- Compact size and weight
- Secure password protection built-in
- Dimensions: 3.5W x 5.5L x 1.0D inches
Ports
- 1 – Thunderbolt
- 1 – USB 3.0
Customer Reviews
Pros
- Ultra-fast performance
- Exterior makes it easy to hold
- Rugged design
- Value price
Cons
- Some reports of inadvertent automatic ejections
#4 – Glyph BBPLSSD1000 BlackBox Plus SSD 1TB (USB-C, Thunderbolt 3)
The BBPLSSD1000 BlackBox Plus SSD 1TB (USB-C, Thunderbolt 3) by Glyph is a rugged, mobile hard drive designed for creative professionals. It features the latest USB-C and Thunderbolt3 technologies, optimized passive cooling and integrated health monitoring. Plus, it’s built to take a beating with an all aluminum chassis and tough rugged rubber bumper. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket, yet powerful enough to be a key player in your data storage plans. It comes preformatted HFS+ with Journaling and is Time Machine compatible out of the box. A simple reformat is all it takes for the Blackbox Plus to work with Windows systems.
Features
- 1 TB rugged, portable Thunderbolt and USB-compatible SSD
- USB-C (3.1) is compatible with USB 3.0/2.0 and Thunderbolt 3
- Compatible with Mac OS X 10.4 and above and Windows XP and above
- Optimized, fanless passive cooling and integrated health monitoring insure long life
- Comes preformatted HFS+ with Journaling and is Time Machine compatible out of the box with only a simple reformat required to work with Windows systems
- It fits right in your pocket, allowing you to take your important documents, photos, videos and other files with you on the go
- Lightweight, rugged and lightning fast with speeds and equipped with the latest USB-C (3.1) connection
- All aluminum enclosure and rugged bumper protect drive against damage
- Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB 3.0/2.0
- 3-Year limited hardware warranty, 2-Year Level 1 Data Recovery warranty, and 1-Year advanced replacement warranty
Included Accessories
- 1 – USB-C to USB-C (3.1) cable
- 1 – USB-C to USB 3.0/2.0 cable
Customer Reviews
Pros
- Lightweight and very rugged drive
- Fast performance
- Nice styling
- Optimized passive cooling and integrated health monitoring promise long life
Cons
- None noted
#3 – Glyph Atom 1TB SSD, USB-C (3.1, Gen 2), USB 3.0, Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 in Black
The Glyph Atom 1TB SSD, USB-C (3.1, Gen 2), USB 3.0, Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 in Black is compact enough to fit in your pocket so you can take all of your most important documents, photos, videos, and more everywhere you go. Don’t let its light weight and diminutive size fool you though. It’s a heavyweight when it comes to performance and rugged design. It features an all aluminum enclosure and rugged bumper protection for peace of mind. With speeds up to 480 MB/s and the latest USB-C (3.1 Gen 2) connection, this is one very powerful and versatile external SSB drive.
Features
- 1TB Thunderbolt-compatible, portable, bus-powered SSD drive with USB-C (3.1, Gen 2) external drive
- It fits right in your pocket, allowing you to take your important documents, photos, videos and other files with you on the go
- Lightweight, rugged and lightning fast with speeds up to 480 MB/s and equipped with the latest USB-C (3.1, Gen 2) connection
- All aluminum enclosure and rugged bumper protect drive against damage
- Compatible with Thunderbolt 3 and USB-C 3.1/Gen2
- Comes preformatted HFS+ with Journaling and is Time Machine compatible out of the box
- Works with Windows systems after a simple reformat
- Available in four colors including Grey, Gold, Silver, and Black to suit your style
- Dimensions are 1.88 x 4.8 x 0.59 inches
Included Accessories
- USB-C to USB-C (3.1) Cable
- USB-C to USB 3.0 Cable
- Rugged sleeve
Customer Reviews
Pros
Thunderbolt External Hard Drive For Macbook Pro
- Fast performance
- Compact and lightweight for easy portability
- Quiet operation
- Smart design
Cons
- None noted
The Monster Digital Overdrive Thunderbolt External Drive is a high-quality device wrapped in a stainless steel case which houses a high-performance SSD rugged enough to travel just about anywhere. Here’s what you need to know.
Features
- 1TB Thunderbolt high-performance external SSD
- Compact and rugged design with stainless steel case and impact resistant to 1500g
- Built-in LED data transfer indicator keeps you in the know
- Integrated Thunderbolt cable
- 3-Year free data recovery
- Long 3-Year limited warranty
Included Accessories
- 1 – Protective soft cloth pouch
Customer Reviews
Pros
- Slim, lightweight, stylish design
- Lightning fast performance
- Value priced
- Highly portable
Cons
- Some reports that the drive runs hot
#1 – Transcend TS2TSJM300 2TB Thunderbolt SSD for MAC
Complete with both Thunderbolt and USB 3.0 capability, the Transcend TS2TSJM300 2TB Thunderbolt SSD for MAC provides great flexibility. This solid state external hard drive has a sleek, elegant, tough metallic exterior designed to match your Mac and can be a USB hard drive if needed. Here’s what you need to know about this Thunderbolt external hard drive.
Features
- 1TB Thunderbolt and USB3.0 capable external SSD designed for Mac computers
- Elegant, lightweight metallic design matches your Mac
- UASP support
- Pre-formatted for your Mac
- LED power/data transfer activity indicator
- Built-in support for Mac Time Machine backups making it the perfect backup hard drive
- Bus powered drive requires no external power adapter
- Cool and quiet operation
- Comes with Transcend Elite advanced data management software
- Dimensions are 4.77L x 2.96W x 0.53D inches and it weighs only 4.9 ounces
- 3-Year limited warranty
Included Accessories
- 1 – Thunderbolt cable
- 1 – USB 3.0 cable
- 1 – Travel pouch
Customer Reviews
Pros
- Fast and easy to setup
- Very compact
- Flexible with both USB 3.0 and Thunderbolt connections
Cons
- Pricey
- Runs very warm (manufacturer says it’s due to metal case and Thunderbolt IC but won’t affect longevity)
Thunderbolt SSD Hard Drive
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What do you think of these Thunderbolt SSD external hard drives? Which SSD external hard drive are you planning to buy? Please take a moment to leave a comment below.
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