We've got the best Black Friday external hard drive deals for you. We know that when it comes to external hard drives, needs can be specific, so we've covered all types of the best external hard drives, all with great Black Friday deals.
Just in case you missed the memo: Black Friday is upon us. We're seeing impressive discounts on both traditional hard drives and faster SSDs from reliable brands like WD, Seagate, SanDisk, Samsung and more. In short, you don't need to wait for the official 26 November date to bag one of the best Black Friday external hard drive deals, as they're live now.
Scroll down to see the best Black Friday external hard drive deals as they come in. You'll see the deals organised into US and then UK deals, first for HDDs and then SSDs. We advise you bookmark this page too, as we'll be updating this page regularly (the best deals go quick, so if you see a saving you like, we advice get it straight away).
Not sure of the difference between HDDs and SSD's? Jump to our explanation of everything you need to know at the bottom of the page. If you're interested in more tech deals, we've already started accumulating the best to come this Cyber Monday 2021. And if you're one of the lucky ones, and have bagged a PS5, check out our best SSD for PS5 guide (we will be covering many of them in this page too).
Black Friday external hard drive deals: quick links US
- Amazon.com: Save $150 on My Passport 2TB SSD - now just $229
- Best Buy: Get a WD 4TB HHD for $89.99 and save $60 (was $149.99)
- Office Depot: Save up to $89 on 8TB HHDs and much on on SSDs
- Walmart: Deals on bestsellers like the Samsung T7 500GB - now $85
- B&H Photo: The massive WD 12TB has $60 saving right now
Black Friday external hard drive deals: quick links UK
- Very: Save £75 on the Samsung T7 1TB with touch security
- Curry's: Decent savings like this 2TB Seagate gaming hard drive
- Amazon: The site's best selling hard drive is Toshiba 1TB for £36.99 right now
- John Lewis: A limited range but sometimes good savings on external hard drives
The best Black Friday external hard drive deals: US
The best Black Friday external SSD deals: US
The best Black Friday external hard drive deals: UK
The best Black Friday external SSD deals: UK
External hard drives: Everything you need to know
Which is better HDD or SSD?
There are two types of external hard drive. HDD stands for hard disk drive. These are also known as mechanical or traditional hard drives). SSD stands for solid state drive. SSDs are faster, lighter and less power-hungry. HDD's are slower and cheaper. However, HDDs are good for storing lots of data as they often have a high capacity.
So, if you want to store huge amounts of data without breaking the bank, an HDD is probably the way to go. But if speed is your top priority, for example, if you move a lot of large files or want to run programs off the drive, then go for an SSD. The ideal solution is often to use both: a large HDD to back up large amounts of files that you rarely use, and a smaller SSD for the files that you need to access or move around more often.
What are the best brands for external hard drives?
Always look for big-name brands such as Western Digital, Seagate, LaCie, Sandisk or Samsung when you're searching for an external drive. You're most likely to find big deals on their offerings, and you're also more certain to get a reliable drive that won't let you down. If you spot a dirt-cheap drive from a brand you've never heard of, make sure you seek out reviews to get an idea of its reliability before you buy – it could be cheap for a good reason.
Don't forget to check an assortment of retailers for the biggest choice. Amazon's Cyber Monday deals are always worth a look, but explore other online stores as well. Some of them might have cashback offers that could save you a little extra. Very, Best Buy and Walmart are worth keeping an eye on.
How do I choose an external hard drive?
Once you've decided whether you want an HDD or SSD (or both), the key decision to make is how much storage you need. A smaller external drive with a capacity of around 500GB is probably fine if you don't work with enormous files, but if you work with videos, then you're probably entering terabyte territory.
After that, the most important thing to check is connectivity: what connections do you want your external drive to have. At the very minimum you'll need a USB 3.0 connection; anything less and you'll be waiting a long time for your files to transfer. If you have a Mac with a Thunderbolt 3 port, you'll want to find a drive that's compatible with that for the fastest possible transfer speeds.
Black Friday external hard drive deals: How to get the best deals during Black Friday 2021
If you need a new HDD or SSD, then now is a great time to get one. To ensure you get a good Black Friday external hard drive deal, it's best to start looking now. There's an increasing amount of competition between retailers looking to shift discounted stock, so they're starting Black Friday sales earlier than ever. The best way to get a deal is to decide what specs you want (see how do I choose an external hard drive above) and decide how much you want to pay. Then bookmark this page and keep checking back to see the latest deals. As soon as you see a device that meets your needs and has an attractive discount, then click the link to go to the retailer's site, because the best deals often sell out quickly.
More Black Friday external hard drive deals
Take a look at the options below for more of the best current prices on a range of external hard drives.
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