If speed isn't an issue, as with making nightly backups, then the cheaper spinning drive makes more sense. LaCie makes both an SSD version and a traditional spinning drive version. But if you want an extra level of comfort, this padded drive from LaCie has long been a favorite of travelers. The go-anywhere drives above are a solid solution for people who need to make backups in the field, like photographers and videographers. If those things don't bother you, this drive is tiny, cheaper, and comes with a padded rubber case. I could find no pattern to this sometimes it appeared right away, sometimes it took a couple of minutes. The other issue is that sometimes it's very slow to be recognized by my PC. If you're trying to work with it in your lap, it can be downright uncomfortable.

It's smaller and slightly faster than the OWC above, but it has two drawbacks. I also like that you can swap out the drive inside the aluminum casing (it's easy to unscrew), which means two years from now, you can pick up a faster bare SSD and drop it in the Elektron.ДЄnother indestructible drive: I really like Sabrent's Rocket Nano SSD ($159 for 1 TB).

It's tough to pick a winner here because there are many solid options, but OWC's Elektron drive narrowly beat others in benchmark tests. If you need a drive that can stand up to life in a backpack or camera bag, get wet, or handle a drop onto hard surfaces, the OWC drives are your best choice.

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