REASONS TO BUY
High-speed file transfers
Highly compatible
Rescue recovery services
Budget-friendly
REASONS TO AVOID
No defense from impact
Lacks data security
Seagate Portable Review
An easy-to-use, highly compatible hard drive at a highly affordable price
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
By Aspen Rain Weaver ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ October 6, 2025
Our Verdict
The Seagate Portable is a relatively standard HDD hard drive with all of the necessary features to provide a simple plug-and-play experience. With high compatibility, good transfer speeds, all packed into a slim and lightweight body, this is one of our testers' favorite hard drives to use. Not only does it work like a charm on most operating systems, but it also comes with a budget-conscious price and rescue recovery services in case your data gets lost or damaged.
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Seagate is one of the easiest to operate and fastest HDDs we tested.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
Read/Write Performance
After performing several tests on Mac OS using a third-party transfer rate app, the Seagate Portable averaged a sequential read speed of 139 MB per second and an average sequential write speed of 126.82 MB per second. This was the second-fastest read/write speed among all HDDs tested, and one test even achieved a high speed of 144.97 MB per second.
Once we tested for random transfer speed, the Seagate showed the most impressive numbers among all the HDD models we tested, averaging a random write speed of 1.31 MB/s and writing at a rate of 0.94 MB per second.
The trade-off between HDDs (hard disk drives) and SSDs (solid state drives) is storage versus speed. HDDs offer substantially more storage for the price, but they are slower than SSDs. “Slow” is also a relative term — all of the award-winning products in our review were able to transfer a 10GB file in under two minutes.
After switching the Seagate to Windows OS, the sequential read and write speeds increased. The average sequential read speed rose to 142.19 MB per second, while the sequential write speed remained steady at 142.27 MB per second. When testing for random transfer speeds, we discovered that this sleek little drive was again faster at reading information, topping out at a read speed of 1.43 MB per second.
During our Windows speed test, we were surprised by how swift this slim little drive performed.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
For the second part of our read/write metric, we manually timed how long each drive took to transfer unique small, medium, and large files via drag-and-drop. On Mac, the small file transferred in 13 seconds while the medium file took an average of 71 seconds. After moving the biggest file, we were pleased to find the highest actual speed while using this HDD — it took 135 seconds, amounting to 73.94 MB per second. When we transferred the duplicate files on Windows, the 1GB file took 14 seconds, and the 5GB file took 66 seconds. After transferring the 10GB file, the simple and easy-to-use hard drive's transfer rate increased from 75 MB per second to over 90 MB per second, completing the task in under two minutes.
During our drag and drop testing, the Seagate excelled when performing on our Windows operating system.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
Usability
Straight out of the box, the Seagate Portable appears uncomplicated and straightforward, boasting a polished and portable design. Once we plugged it in, we found this to hold true. This particular product is formatted as exFAT and can therefore be used seamlessly throughout most macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android systems without needing to reformat.
Seagate's next-level compatibility is backed by its rescue data recovery services and a year-long limited manufacturer's warranty. So, if your drive experiences any unfortunate mishaps, its services will recover all your precious documents, photos, videos, music, and more.
This drive is straightforward to use between operating systems, making it an exceptionally versatile product for a work team.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
The only disadvantages we found when testing the Seagate Portable's usability mainly came from their somewhat limited 1TB, 2TB, 4TB, and 5TB storage options, as well as the fact that the included cord and drive port have limited compatibility. The drive's actual output is a less standard Micro-B port, and the output side is USB-A 3.0 only. This can be restrictive when most new computers, such as the MacBook Pro, come with USB-C ports only. So make sure to check your computer to see if you will need an extra hub or adapter. There are also no extra color styles to choose from besides black; this drive focuses on function over fashion.
With its Micro-B port, the Seagate needs this specific cord to transfer data.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
Portability
The Seagate measures only 4.67" x 3.15" x 0.58"; slightly smaller than the average mobile device. This self-sufficient unit is completely powered through USB, meaning you don't have to lug around an AC adapter or find an outlet.
Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any shockproofing, water resistance, dust resistance, or impact safety certifications. We wouldn't advise the Seagate for anyone dealing with bumpy, harsh, hot, or wet environments.
The Seagate is small and light enough to travel nearly anywhere you go, just watch out for water and adverse elements.
Despite the lack of protection, this drive is ultra-light, and we barely noticed it in our pocket. It weighs only 4.7 ounces. We recommend this drive to anyone needing an easily storable and lightweight device with enough speed to accomplish day-to-day tasks swiftly.
Overall, the Seagate is a great work, hobby, or personal drive.
Credit: Aspen Rain Weaver
Should You Buy The Seagate Portable HDD?
Based on its suspiciously low price tag, we were initially wary of the Seagate Portable. However, after experiencing its high performance, ease of use, ultra-compatibility, and straightforward simplicity, we recommend this HDD to anyone, whether you're on a budget or not. It offers ample read and write speed for daily users and is more than light and compact enough to fit in your pocket or purse. Overall, this hard drive is one of our favorites throughout the entire lineup we tested.
What Other Hard Drives Should You Consider?
If you're looking for a high-octane, rugged, and miniature hard drive, then take a look at the SanDisk Extreme V2. It has the highest speeds we found throughout the entire lineup and can withstand a nearly 10-foot fall. It does, however, come with a high price tag, so if you're in the market for the most budget-friendly option, take a look at the WD MyPassport Portable. It comes with surprising speed and compatibility at just a fraction of the cost.
Side-by-Side Comparison
Compare Seagate Portable versus top competing products:
—Aspen Rain Weaver
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