Best wireless drives 2022: external hard drives without the wires

Best wireless drives 2022: external hard drives without the wires

The best wireless external hard drives for all devices

The best wireless drives offer a whole lot of versatility, thanks to their cable-free setup. These wireless hard drives and SSDs come with many advantages as well as potential uses. The fact that they don’t have to be tethered to any laptop or desktop PC means that they’ll allow a cleaner and more minimalist setup, for example. They also offer easy access for multiple devices regardless of platform, including smartphones and tablets. 

Wired external storage drives may be a better option for some, especially in terms of speed and reliability. However, if you want a more flexible option, like a drive that you can take anywhere with you, won’t need to be tethered, and can be accessed by any PC or mobile device, you’ll certainly want to go wireless.

For that, we found the best wireless drives 2022 has on offer, from affordable hard drives that will give you a lot of storage space for less to speedy SSDs that are more reliable and much more robust. As you peruse our picks, you’ll want to check out the included price comparison tool for the best storage drive deals.

Western Digital is building a good collection of wireless drives, and the My Passport Wireless SSD is an excellent addition. As the name suggests, it has an SSD (Solid State Drive) which means it’s an excellent performer when it comes to data transfer speeds. However, it’s worth noting that when using this wirelessly, you’re not getting the full benefit of SSD speeds. However, the solid state technology means it’s more robust than traditional hard drives, and with a drop resistant rubber case, the My Passport Wireless SSD is a sturdy external hard drive for carrying your data around with you. Its wireless connection is useful, and it includes a memory card slot as well, making this an excellent choice for photographers.

Not only does Asus make great laptops, monitors and gaming components, it’s also got a fantastic wireless drive with the Asus Travelair N. It offers 1TB of capacity, comes with a built-in 3300 mAh battery that provides up to 8 hours of streaming time, and even has a water-resistant design which keeps your data protected while you’re out and about. You can connect up to five devices at once to access the data on the drive, and there’s an SD card slot for quickly and easily backing up photos. Its 7,200 rpm drive is faster than many other Wi-Fi drives, which often stick to 5,400 rpm.

LaCie is a company that has made some of our favorite external hard drives, and the LaCie Fuel is the company’s first attempt at a Wi-Fi drive. LaCie has a reputation for making good-looking devices, and the Fuel is certainly eye-catching, with a square design and modular design that allows you to use it with a variety of ports. It has a decent 10-hour battery life, which is essential if you want to use it wirelessly. It uses an app that allows you to stream content on the drive to compatible devices, such as smartphones.