The Best External Hard Drive Enclosures in 2024

Storage is such an important part of our lives. Whether we use it to collect precious memories or to save work-related files, storage is an essential element in any desktop or mobile system. While storage has become more affordable, recycling existing drives is a great way to save a fair chunk of cash and to prevent electronic waste. That’s where the best external hard drive enclosure comes into play.

The best enclosure should allow you to just pop in one or multiple older drives and connect them to your PC in an easy fashion. No tools, no drops in performance, no hassle. But why wouldn’t you just pop in an older drive in an unpopulated SATA port? Great question!

Older drives lack two things: speed and flash memory caches. Adding an older, cacheless 5400 RPM HDD to your system will cause a slight decline in performance because the data you access caches much slower into your other components (RAM, CPU).

This also works with 2.5-inch HDDs and SSDs, so if you have an older SATA SSD or a laptop HDD and still want to get some mileage out of it, then getting an external drive enclosure is the best thing you can do.

Additionally, external drives can be great if you’re looking to backup files from your system. You can either do it via software or pick up an enclosure that’s designed with offline cloning. That being said, here are some of the best external drive enclosures for bulk storage and backing up data.

sabrent ec-uasp
  • Compatible with a wide range of OS
  • Easy to use, toolless design
  • USB 3.0 and backwards compatibility with 2.0 and 1.1
  • Fits standard 2.5-inch HDDs and SDDs

When you’re looking for a good external drive enclosure, you’re looking for a low price (otherwise you can just get a new drive), an ergonomic design, and, why not, an attractive look. Despite its name, the Sabrent EC-UASP ticks off all of these boxes. It comes in a slick black case, has a toolless design, USB 3.0, and can hold one single 2.5-inch SATA I, II, III drive.

Whether you’re looking to add an older 2.5-inch HDD or a SATA SSD, this is a great choice for you. It’s plug-n-play, so you don’t need to install any drivers. Just pop the USB in your laptop or desktop, and revisit long-lost pictures, access older projects, all with a few clicks.

The USB 3.0 port allows you to reach around 5 Gbps transfers (at max), so you’ll be able to access files pretty quickly. If you want to run the software, then you might have a problem, even when using a USB 3.0 connection. The 5 Gbps is the burst transfer rate (this is something you’ll see with every drive) and is not sustainable for longer transfers.

It’s backwards compatible with USB 2.0 and 1.1, although transfer rates will severely drop, and it supports all Windows versions from XP and above. It also supports MAC OS X and higher. Overall, it’s a really good enclosure, very affordable, the only downside being that it doesn’t support USB 3.1 or above for that extra bump in performance.

Pros:
  • Very affordable
  • Good-looking design
Cons:
  • No USB 3.1 for 6 Gbps transfers

UGREEN USB C Hard Drive Enclosure

Best Value Hard Drive Enclosure

ugreen usb c hard drive enclosure
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C
  • Automatic shutdown after inactivity
  • Plug-and-play
CHECK PRICES

The UGREEN 2.5’’ external drive enclosure brings an increase in performance. With USB C 3.1 Gen 2 support, you’re looking at transfers as high as 6 Gbps and support for SATA III drives.

Supporting systems that run Windows 2000 or higher, just about anyone can make use of this tool. The included USB 3.1 – UASP 3.1 Type C (Gen 2) ensures that you’re taking advantage of all the speed right out of the box.

If you’re using an HDD, you have sticky foam pads to glue your enclosure and prevent it from rattling and making noise. The LED indicator lets you know when the enclosure is active and when it’s not. It’s designed to go in idle mode when you’re not using it, to avoid hindering your system’s performance.

While USB 3.1 does provide a good rate of transfer, you’ll still experience bottlenecking when trying to run software, so we recommend that you just keep the drive for storage and light, portable programs.

Pros:
  • Compact
  • Nice design
  • Shock-proof measures
  • USB 3.1 – up to 6 Gbps transfers
Cons:
  • A bit flimsy

ADATA ED600

Toughest Hard Drive Enclosure

adata ed600
  • Rubberized, shock-resistant exterior
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2
  • IPS54 waterproof rating
  • SATA III
CHECK PRICES

If you’re a youngster, then ADATA might seem like a no-name brand, but if you’re a veteran, like me, you’ll remember ADATA as being one of the leading manufacturers in the CD and floppy disk industry. Now, they’re back at it with the ED600, a very user-friendly external hard drive enclosure.

The ED600 is a very sturdy external drive enclosure. The tough design has IPS54 waterproof rating and has a rubberized, shock-resistant casing. This’ll allow you to store precious data that you want to protect.

As with the other products we’ve featured, this is also a plug-and-play enclosure. It’s compatible with Windows XP and higher, MAC OS X 10.6 or above, and even Linux, with Kernel 2.6 or newer.

The SATA III gives you the ability to plug in newer, higher-capacity drives, and the USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection gives you superb transfer rates. Overall, it’s one of the best enclosures you can find for the money.

Pros:
  • Great for storing precious data
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 connection
  • SATA III, USB 3.1, 3.0, 2.0, 1.1
  • Compatible with Linux, Windows, and MAC OS X
Cons:
  • No activity LED
  • Not the best-looking design

RSHTECH External Hard Drive Dock Case

Heavy-Duty HDD Enclosure

rshtech usb 3 0 to sata hard drive enclosure
  • 3.5 inch SATA I/II/III /HDD SSD
  • independent 12V/2A power supply
  • 6Gbps Data Transfer Rates
CHECK PRICES

If you are looking for an HDD enclosure that is heavy-duty and can hold a bunch of your drives in one place then look no further than the RSHTECH dock. This aluminum housing dock can support any 3.5 HDD/SSD all the way up to SATA 3 16 TB drives.

This is all plug-and-play and requires no drivers, while also having its own power supply over 12V/2A. The enclosure also has different protection mechanisms for over-voltage, short circuits, and other issues you could run into.

You can transfer files as fast as 6Gbps using this external dock for your drive while connected to a USB 3.0 port. The RSHTECH HDD enclosure also has automatic sleep functionality and special cooling vents to keep the drive inside of the enclosure cool.

Overall a solid HDD enclosure for your portable drive needs.

Pros:
  • Good build quality with an aluminum case
  • Automatic sleep function
  • Has its own power supply so it works independently of your computer
Cons:
  • Even with the vents, the aluminum case can work against the drive when it comes to cooling
  • Needs to be connected to a USB 3.0 to work at full speeds

ORICO 2189U3

Cheapest External Hard Drive Enclosure

orico 2189u3
  • USB-UASP with USB 3.0
  • ABS exterior
  • Up to 4 TB SATA III drives

If you’re looking for something ultra-portable and on the cheaper side, the ORICO 2189U3 is the way to go. It has an internal shock pad, made using steel-finished ABS, and supports up to 4 TB SATA I, II, III drives.

You can hot-swap drives without any tools, you have an LED indicator to show disk activity, and you’re getting those sweet USB-UASP transfer rates. It’s also compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux, so no matter what you’re running, you’re covered. No software required.

Overall, the ORICO 2189U3 is a great value choice. You’re getting most of the features you get on more expensive enclosures at half the price. The build quality is not the best, but if you’re not planning on moving it around too much, you’re fine.

Pros:
  • Inexpensive
  • Portable
Cons:
  • Build quality is not the best

SSK Aluminum 2.5” Hard Drive Enclosure

Sleek Looking Drive Enclosure

ssk aluminum 2 5 hard drive enclosure
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2
  • 6Gbps transfer speeds
  • 2.5’’ drive compatible

If you want a sleek and premium feeling drive enclosure for a 2.5’’ SATA SSD/HDD then the SSK enclosure fits your description. This is a 3.1 USB Gen 2 compatible enclosure that offers up to 6Gbps transfer speeds.

The enclosure offers plug-and-play compatibility while also being able to do hot-swap with no reboots needed and without the need to install any drivers. The enclosure is made of aluminum, a durable material, and the slim shape makes the device portable.

The enclosure has a LED indicator to show when it is working or not, and when it is not working it has a 10-minute sleep timer that will help with the lifespan of your HDDs. As mentioned above this is a 2.5’’ SSD/HDD enclosure so make sure your drive is compatible with the sizing of the enclosure.

Pros:
  • Premium feel because of the metal cover
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2 allows for fast data transfer
  • The sleep timer is a smart way of prolonging the lifespan of your HDDs
Cons:
  • Only supports 2.5’’ drives

Reletech Clear External Hard Drive Enclosure

A Transparent Drive Enclosure

reletech clear external hard drive enclosure
  • USB 3.1
  • 5Gbps transfer speeds
  • 2.5’’ drive compatible
CHECK PRICES

Having a transparent case is a trending look so why not have a transparent drive enclosure that will both allow you to connect your drive to your PC and also stay on top of trends? The Reletech 2.5’’ SATA enclosure allows you to do just that while on a tight budget.

This is a USB 3.1 to SATA interface that can do 5Gbps transfer speeds and is a complete plug-and-play experience. The only real downside of this enclosure is that it is designed only for 2.5’’ drives which means you will most likely use this enclosure with a SATA SSD (cannot be used with 12V 2.5’’ HDDs as the enclosure supports only 5V).

Considering the price, the limitations of the Reletech enclosure are forgivable since if you do have a SATA SSD this solution will work flawlessly.

Pros:
  • The enclosure has a unique look
  • The process is all plug and play
  • The enclosure offers per-spec speeds
Cons:
  • Only supports 2.5’’ drives
  • It does not support 2.5’’ 12V HDDs

How to Pick the Best Hard Drive Enclosure

Transfer Rates

So the main thing you need to take away in terms of transfer rates is that they’re measured in Gigabits per second. 8 bits = 1 byte. So to see the real transfer rate in terms of MB/s, you’ll have to split a gigabit by 8.

Additionally, while the USB 3.1 standard is rated to transfer up to 10 Gbps, you can’t reach that speed because of the SATA limitations. SATA’s transfers are capped at 6 Gbps, so you’ll only see a 1 Gbps improvement if opt for 3.1 over 3.0. While it is a 20% increase, you should only grab the upgrade if it’s at a reasonable price.

The advertised transfer speed is also the burst transfer speed. The ideal scenario. It’s not sustainable. USB transfer rates will decline based on how many USB devices are active in your system. If you have multiple USB devices running in sync, the motherboard will split the transfer between them. This also happens with the eSATA format.

Form-Factor

2.5 and 3.5-inch drives. That’s all you need to know. 2.5-inch drives are notebook HDDs or SATA SSDs. 3.5-inch drives are the de-facto format of desktop-grade HDDs. If you want to put an older drive to use, you can find its dimensions on the label.

Features

Because we’re talking about a relatively rudimentary product, you won’t be seeing a lot of features. Activity LEDs are standard, so you can see if the information is being accessed on the external drive. All enclosures come with on/off switches to avoid using energy and to keep your hardware safe.

Some enclosures support multiple drives with backup features. Offline cloning, for instance, is an amazing feature to have if you’re looking to move information passively from a drive to another. Just pop the drives in and you’ll create a backup without freezing your performance.

You should also keep an eye out for the rated capacity. Your system will basically treat it as a flash drive, and if it’s coded to work with only 4 TB but you pop in a larger HDD, then you won’t be using all of your available storage.

About The Author

Catalin Tabacu

Catalin is a long-time PC enthusiast and an avid gamer. His love for overclocking is second only to his love for a well-written RPG. Having taken a swing at competitive DOTA2, he has the know-how to give you the best recommendations that will elevate your in-game performance to the next level.

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AndrewLB
AndrewLB
2 years ago

No mention of the enclosure pictured at the top of the article? /smh

XbitLabs Team
Editor
2 years ago
Reply to  AndrewLB

Hi Andrew. Yes, it became unavailable and we updated the article without changing the featured image. We’ll update it later. Thank you for letting us know.