Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD Review

I grabbed this during one of Amazon’s frequent sales. I had been using the Sandisk Portable SSD reviewed previously for a few months now, but with a few adventures planned for the year I wanted to give it a bit of an upgrade. The size and transfer speeds of the Portable SSD were great, but ruggedness was where I got concerned. In my commuter bag to and from work it was fine, but rougher travel overseas I wasn’t so confident. I upgraded to the Extreme Portable SSD as it promised all the features I knew and loved, but in a stronger, more robust form. 

This time around they have certainly delivered on their promise. Compared to the Portable SSD there’s a lot less plastic, with the back and sides now in a rubberised material. The only remnant of the old design is plastic on the front panel. It’s little changes to this design that not only make it feel more rugged but also more premium. It cost me significantly more for this model but feeling its weight in my hands that price now feels justified. I feel a lot more confident that this SSD could survive my travels without any issues. 

The read speeds on the Extreme Portable SSD are 1050MB/s. For me this is lightning fast, just over doubling the speeds of the previous generation, which was by no means a slouch. I have used other products in the extreme series in the past and have always found them to be lightning quick, one of many reasons why I go back to them.

Sandisk have added the words extreme to this SSD due to its ability to survive in harsh conditions. Unlike its predecessor, the Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD has a now rubberised casing, which not only feels more premium but also protects it from shocks and drops. They claim this new case can protect it from a drop height of two metres, that’s more than suitable for my style of travelling.

Ensuring your SSD is rugged should be something to consider, there is little point in backing up your memories to something that can’t protect them.

As well as a higher drop rating, this version is also rated IP55 against water and dust. That doesn’t make it waterproof, only giving it a higher resistance to water water and dust. An IP rating of 55 means whilst not completely closed off to dust, not enough dust is capable of getting inside the device to affect its functionality. As for water resistance it won’t be waterproof, but can defend itself from low-pressure water jets, such as rain.

I recently was thankful I swapped out my regular Sandisk Portable SSD for the Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD when a can burst in my bag soaking the content. The can was on top of my tech pouch, and the SSD was still working like new (although significantly sticker). 

Sandisk has always been a name you can trust when it comes to data storage, and that reputation continues with the Sandisk Extreme Portable SSD. For any situation you cannot go wrong with the Extreme SSD, despite its name it’s just as suitable with day-to-day life as it is for Digital Nomads. If you get caught in a downpour in your commute, or something leaks in your bag you’ll be thankful for the IP55 rating.