Top 5 Wireless Portable Hard Drives

With a web developer, an avid photographer and a graphics designer in the team, we have invested in network storage and backups in our workplace including cloud solutions for backing up to the web. But we were never quite sure how to bring our files with us especially when we are on assignments abroad or working away from the office.

Accessing files remotely or in the cloud meant we had to have a reliable Internet connection in the country we are in and that usually meant relying on our expensive and metered mobile data plan or internet connections in the cafe. Working with big graphics and photos also meant transferring huge files over the Internet is inefficient. We needed a solution…

Life would have been so much easier for us and other mobile workers out there if we had a wireless portable hard drive that can be shared among all the different devices; laptop, smartphone and tablets but why limit it to just business and work.

Why Wireless Portable Storage

Here are some other reasons why one might need a wireless portable storage solution. Spending hours on long haul flights, trains or buses for your commute to work and wished you have all your High Definition movies, entire season’s TV series, music collection, photos or even work with you.

Or knowing that you are going on a road trip and wished you can bring enough movies to keep the kids happy on their devices. Or wished you had a way of backing up all your photos from your smartphone, camera and mobile devices while you are on holiday, to free up some space for more photos.

The answer is a  portable hard drive with mobile WiFi and battery built-in. Here is a quick comparison of the top 5 best wireless portable hard drive currently in the market.

Wireless Mobile Storage Devices

The list below shows our criteria for comparison. For each device we are going to look at the following:

• Storage size(s)
• Wireless capabilities
• Mobile app and file formats supported
• Dimension & weight
• Battery life
• Price(s)
• Rating

We will be comparing the following (use the links below to find most up to date price on Amazon):

1. Corsair Voyager Air 2 Plus Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB USB 3.0 with Ethernet – Black 7 hours [ETHERNET]
   • Corsair Voyager Air Portable Wireless Hard Drive 1TB USB3.0 with Ethernet – Red/Black 7 hours
2. Seagate Wireless Plus Mobile Device Storage 1TB/2TB USB3.0 – Brushed Metal 10 hours
3. Samsung Wireless Mobile Media streaming Device 1.5TB USB 3.0 – Gray 7 Hours [1.5 STORAGE]
4. WD My Passport Wireless Pro – Black 10 Hours [DUAL BAND, SD SLOT, BIGGER STORAGE OPTIONS]
5. Buffalo MiniStation Air 2 Mobile Wireless Storage 500GB or 1TB USB 3.0 – Silver 12 Hours [BEST BATTERY LIFE]

Others

• Toshiba Canvio AeroCast 1TB Wireless Portable Hard Drive – 5 hours
• Lacie Fuel 1TB or 2TB Wireless External Hard Drive – 10 hours 

1. Corsair Voyager Air 2 Plus Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB USB 3.0 & Gigabit Ethernet – Black 7 hours

The successor to the Voyager Air, the Voyager Air 2 Plus is smaller and lighter than its predecessor and still spot the same 7 hours battery life, Gigabit Ethernet and USB3.0 connectivity.

The Voyager Air 2 Plus is a three in one portable wireless drive. It can function as a home network drive when connected to the router via its Gigabit Ethernet port or the home wireless network, the only device in this line up that comes with an Ethernet port. You can connect it directly using the USB 3.0 port to your computer as a external hard drive or turn on the wireless hub mode to serve files to your mobile devices wirelessly while on the go. Wireless hub provides a pass through connection for Internet access sharing. The app also supports cloud storage syncing with Dropbox and Google Drive.

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When on the home network, use smart TVs, Blu Ray players, gaming console or streaming media boxes to access videos or music from the hard drive. Or charge it up and take it with you as your mobile office companion or entertainment hub serving up your files (movies, TV shows, music and files) for long road trips, business trip, long commutes and vacations.

There is a feature that not all devices listed here has it, the Voyager Air allows you to connect to a public hotspot (hotels or libraries) and enable wireless pass through to share Internet access with other mobile devices. iOS app supports AirPlay.

What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 1TB. Can be formatted for OS X and Time Machine compatible
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless 802.11 b/g/n supports up to 5 devices and up to 5 HD streams at once. Wireless range up to 90 feet (30 metres). Compatible with AirPlay and DLNA devices. Supports cloud storage sync with Dropbox and Google Drive.
• Gigabit Ethernet port lets you connect using a wired connection to the home network.
• Mobile app and supported file formats: Redesigned Corsair Voyager Air mobile app for iOS and Android
• Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet (Plus model only), WiFi or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight:  82 x 29 x 140 mm, 300 grams
• Battery life: 7 Hours

1TB | 5 Devices | 5 HD Video Streams | Corsair Voyager Air App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 7 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Corsair Voyager Air 2 Plus

Other Options from Corsair:

• Corsair Voyager Air Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB USB 3.0 & Ethernet [1st Gen] – Red/Black 7 hours
• Corsair Voyager Air 2 Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB USB3.0 No Ethernet – Black 7 hours

2. Seagate Wireless Plus Mobile Device Storage 1TB or 2TB USB3.0 – Brushed Metal 10 hours

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The Seagate Wireless Plus lets you carry and stream your movies, songs and access files on your mobile devices while on the go. It comes with a USB 3.0 port so you can connect to your desktop and laptop and transfer files to it quickly. The free Seagate Media app is available for iOS (iPad, iPhone), Kindle Fire and Android devices.

The built in WiFi is capable of streaming up to 3 different HD movies to 3 devices simultaneously, and up to 8 devices connected at the same time to access photos, songs or documents. While it doesn’t come with an Ethernet port let alone Gigabit Ethernet, the 10-hour battery life more than make up for it.

As with Corsair’s Voyager Air, it is capable of creating its own WiFi network removing the need for wires, internet hotspot or tethering on your phone. Access the media library using DLNA compatible devices such as game consoles, media players, smart TVs and Blu-ray player to enjoy movies, photos and music on the big screen. There is also a dedicated App on Samsung’s smart TV media hub that lets you access the library on a visually rich interface.

The Seagate Media app on iOS has AirPlay feature allowing you to not only stream and view videos on your iPad or iPhone but lets you switch to the big screen via Apple TV or listen to songs on AirPlay enabled speakers. When connected to a WiFi Internet hotspot, it is also capable of of sharing its Internet access with 7 other devices and lets you access the media library while you browse the Internet.

Storage size(s): 1TB. 2TB
Wireless capabilities: 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n, Streams HD video to up to 3 devices at one time, file sharing up to 8 devices, range up to 150 feet, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing.
Mobile app and file formats supported: iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Android (smartphones and tablets) and Kindle Fire with Seagate Media app. For file formats which are not supported natively, the app offers the option to download the file onto the device and use a third party app for playback, alternatively there are third party app that will stream videos directly.

• Video: H.264 video, MPEG-4, Motion-JPEG
• Images: JPG
• Music: AAC, MP3, M4a, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4), Apple Lossless, AIFF, WAV
• Documents: Microsoft® Office®, iWork®, Adobe® Acrobat® (PDF)

Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
Dimension & weight: 127 x 89 x 19.9 mm 256 gram [SMALLEST]
Battery life: 10 Hours [GOOD BATTERY LIFE]

1TB/2TB | 8 Devices | 3 HD Video Streams | Seagate Media App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 10 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Seagate Wireless Plus Mobile

Other Options from Seagate:

• Seagate Wireless Mobile Storage 500GB USB2.0 (black, blue, white, green or red)

3. Samsung Wireless Mobile Media Streaming Device 1.5TB USB 3.0 – Gray 7 Hours

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Huge storage at 1.5TB is enough for up to 750 movies or 375,000 songs or 425,000 photos or any combination of the different media. A great companion for laptop, tablets and smartphone while on the move. Lets you connect up to 5 devices accessing the files on there simultaneously. Android, iOS and Amazon Kindle app is available. The USB port doubles as charging port for your mobile devices. The 7 hours battery life is better than average and is sufficient for the commute, long journey and off site working. The device also support DLNA devices such as game console and smart TVs.

What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 1.5TB
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless 802.11b/g/n supports up to 5 devices at once. It also lets you charge your mobile device using the USB port. Wireless hub to support local streaming and provide Internet access.
• Mobile app and supported file formats: Samsung Mobile app for Android and iOS app for Apple also available.
• Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight: 8.9 x 12.6 x 2 cm
• Battery life: 7 Hours

1.5TB | 5 Devices | 3 HD Video Streams | Samsung Mobile App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 6 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Samsung Wireless Mobile Media Streaming Device

4. WD My Passport Wireless Pro – Black 10 Hours – DUAL BAND

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What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 2TB, 3TB with 512MB memory and SD 3.0 card slot
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless 802.11ac Dual Band technology with 802.11n at 2.4GHz and 802.11ac at 5.0GHz. Stream up to 8 HD videos simultaneously based on 8 videos X 8Mbps HD MP4 Streams. Range up to 90 feet, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing. Configure, manage, secure and diagnose the drive using the intuitive dashboard.
• Mobile app and file formats supported: WD My Cloud Mobile app for iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (smartphones and tablets). Support Plex Media Server, Mac and PC
  • Video: MP4, MOV (iOS only), M4V (iOS only)
  • Images: JPG, PNG
  • Music: MP3, M4A (iOS only)
  • Documents: DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF
• Connectivity: WiFi Dual Band or USB 3.0 and Built-in SD 3.0 Card Slot
• Dimension & weight:  12.6 x 12.6 x 2.4 cm, 450 grams
• Battery life: up to 10 Hours with 6400mAh battery pack that also acts as a power bank to charge your smartphone

2TB / 3TB | 8 Devices | 8 HD Video Streams | WD My Cloud App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 10 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: WD My Passport Wireless Pro

5. Buffalo MiniStation Air 2 Mobile Wireless Storage 500GB or 1TB USB 3.0 – Silver 12 Hours

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What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 500GB / 1TB with compact and efficient 7 mm hard drive for longer battery life
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless 802.11b/g/n supports up to 8 devices and up to 3 HD streams at once. It also lets you charge your mobile device using the USB port. Wireless hub to support local streaming and provide Internet access. Uses the Buffalo AirStation One-Touch Secure System and WiFi Protected Setup (WPS) for quick and easy connection.
• Mobile app and supported file formats: Buffalo MiniStation Air 2 mobile app for iOS and Android
• Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight: 14 x 8.4 x 1.8 cm, 254 grams
• Battery life: 12 Hours

500GB/1TB | 8 Devices | 3 HD Video Streams | MiniStation Air 2 App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 12 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Buffalo MiniStation Air 2

OTHERS

WD My Passport Wireless Mobile Storage – Black and Gray 6 Hours

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What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 1TB, 2TB
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless N and MIMO enhanced wireless performance, supports 4 HD video streams at one time, connect up to 8 devices, range up to 90 feet, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing. Configure, manage, secure and diagnose the drive using the intuitive dashboard.
• Mobile app and file formats supported: WD My Cloud Mobile app for iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (smartphones and tablets)
  • Video: MP4, MOV (iOS only), M4V (iOS only)
  • Images: JPG, PNG
  • Music: MP3, M4A (iOS only)
  • Documents: DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF
• Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0 and Built-in SD Card Slot
• Dimension & weight: 12.7 x 8.6 x 3 cm, 349 grams
• Battery life: 6 Hours (20 hours standby time)

1TB/2TB | 8 Devices | 4 HD Video Streams | WD My Cloud App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 6 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: WD My Passport Wireless Mobile Storage

LaCie Fuel Wireless Hard Drive 1TB or 2TB USB3.0 – Gray & Orange 10 Hours

Thanks to one of our readers, we have come to learn more about the LaCie Fuel. This is the only other device that has the long battery life of 10 hours. It’s one thing to be portable, it’s another to stay on for further and longer so well done to LaCie for designing longevity into the FUEL. Capable of up to 150 feed or 45 meters transmission range, this is sufficient for normal use. The FUEL supports up to a maximum of 5 devices at any one time and the ability to hold 3 HD video streams simultaneously (8 hours of continuous video streaming). LaCie boast that the FUEL is compatible with iOS devices and is able to stream to Apple TV and AirPlay enabled devices (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch).

If you are on the go; long road trip, hours on the training or transit at the airport, the device can operate in router mode and serves up its own WiFi network allowing up to 5 devices to connect and access its storage together without the need for an Internet connection. BUT should you be stopping at a cafe or hotel with WiFi, then the FUEL can connect to the Internet via the hotspot and allow up to 4 wireless devices to go online. In preparing for your long trip, should you need to carry all that High Definition video, simply connect the FUEL up to your laptop and transfer this quickly using the USB 3.0 cable supplied.

So what about App you may ask. These devices need to come with compatible App, surely to support browsing and streaming of the different media as well as files. Here is where it gets interesting. LaCie recommends Seagate’s Free Media App. Seagate Media App also featured here for the Seagate 1TB Wireless Plus portable hard drive is a versatile app that supports a great list of different files; video, images, music and documents. The app also works as a back up or local storage application that lets you transfer files between your mobile device and the hard drive. You can also set the Seagate Media Sync software to synchronise all your media files with the FUEL automatically to make you that you have a backup copy.

A great all rounder app backed by one of the biggest names in storage. Best of all, the Seagate Media App is available for iOS, Android and Amazon Kindle, so if you have more than one type of device in the family, the FUEL will play well with all of them. We found cross promotions between Seagate and LaCie as they use the same App on their respective websites. The package comes with the Hard Drive, USB 3.0 Cable, USB wall charger and quick guide. With its 1TB storage, the following numbers are quoted for the different types of media.

• 300 high-definition (HD) movies (1.5GB MP4 H.264),
• 125,000 songs, or
• 100,000 photos.

Specifications

• Storage size(s): 1TB, 2TB
• Wireless Capabilities: Wireless Ethernet 802.11 b/g/n with up to 5 devices connected simultaneously, support 3 HD video stream at once.
• Mobile App: Seagate Media App to access your media library on Lacie Fuel as well as stream to Apple TV and AirPlay devices
• Connectivity: WiFi (b/g/n) or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight: 115 x 115 x 23 mm 300 gram [New Square Profile]
• Battery life: 10 Hours

1TB/2TB | 5 Devices | 3HD Video Streams | Seagate Media App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 10 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: LaCie Fuel

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Buffalo MiniStation Air Wireless Portable Storage 500GB USB3.0 – Black 4 hours

Available only with 500GB storage option, the Buffalo MiniStation Air is one of the first wireless portable storage in the market. The unit is the smaller among those reviewed here with a built in hard drive but not the lightest. Upload and share files over the WiFi from smartphones and tablets using the MiniStation Air app. It allows internet access via WiFi connection when using ‘Internet mode’.

WiFi setup is easy with WPS or AOSS (pressing connect button), secure connection with WPA2 wireless encrypton. For large files, use the wireless hard drive as a connected storage and transfer files via the USB 3.0 port. For its poor battery life, limited functionality and only half the storage size compared to its hard disk based peers, we give it a 3 star rating.

Storage size(s): 500GB
Wireless capabilities: 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n, stream HD videos simultaneously up to 3 devices, connect up to 8 devices at one time, range not available, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing.
Mobile app and file formats supported: iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (smartphones and tablets) with MiniStation Air app.

• Video: MOV, MP4, MPV, 3GP, MPEG-4 V2 (simple profile), H.264
• Image: GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP
• Music: AAC-LC, MP3
• Documents: MS Office 97 or later, PDF, Text, Rich Text Format (RTF) documents

Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
Dimension & weight: 130 x 84 x 23 mm 285 gram
Battery life: 4 Hours

500GB | 8 Devices | 3 HD Video Streams | MiniStation Air App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 4 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Buffalo MiniStation Air

Patriot Aero PCGTW1000S/PCGTW500S Wireless Mobile Drive USB3.0 – Black 6 hours

Available with 500GB or 1TB storage option, the Patriot Aero is by no means inspiring in terms of design. Also available is the Patriot Gauntlet Node Wireless Hard drive enclosure. Stream HD movies (720p) simultaneously up to 5 devices (maximum connected devices 8).

Other features include WiFi access point with Internet pass through for Internet connection sharing, wireless security using either WEP, WPA or WPA2, push button battery level indicator and support for 3rd party apps. It has a middling battery life at 6 hours, better than the 4 hours on Buffalo MiniStation Air but not as good as the Corsair Voyager Air (7 hours) or Seagate Wireless Plus (10 hours)

Storage size(s): 500GB / 1TB
Wireless capabilities: 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n, stream HD videos simultaneously up to 5 devices, connect up to 8 devices at one time, range not available, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing.
Mobile app and file formats supported: iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Android (smartphones and tablets) and Kindle Fire app with Patriot Connect app.

• Video: MP4, MOV, M4V
• Image: JPEG, PNG
• Music: MP3, M4A
• Documents: DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF

Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
Dimension & weight: 139 x 86 x 24.4 mm 295 gram
Battery life: 6 Hours

500GB/1TB | 8 Devices | 5HD Video Streams | Patriot Connect App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 6 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Patriot Aero

Silicon Power Sky Share H10 Wireless Hard Drive 500GB or 1TB USB3.0 – Piano Black 5 hours

While the WiFi performance is good with built-in 2T2R antenna that provides 1.5 times faster data transfer rate at speeds of up to 300Mbps, the battery life is again, slightly on the lower side at 5 hours. The package is small and light, in a piano black plastic body with a circular ripple design that focuses on the power button. This design is multiple award winning (Golden Pin Design Mark 2012 and Tom’s Hardware Best of Computex 2012).

As with all the devices featured here, it supports network connection mode (WiFi bridge mode) allowing devices to access the hard disk while connected to the Internet. The Sky Share app lets you download and upload files from mobile devices and change the wireless settings on the wireless mobile hard drive. The drive can be recharged using the USB 3.0 port.

Specifications

• Storage size(s): 500GB / 1TB
• Wireless capabilities: 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n, stream HD videos simultaneously up to 3 devices, connect up to 8 devices at one time, range up to 100 feet, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing.
• Mobile app and file formats supported: iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch), Android (smartphones and tablets) with Sky Share app
  • Video: MP4, MOV, M4V on iOS, M4V, MP4 on Android
  • Image: JPEG, PNG, BMP, GIF on iOS, JPEG, PNG on Android
  • Music: MP3 on iOS, MP3, WMA on Android
  • Documents: DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF
• Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight: 133 x 86 x 23.5 mm 255 gram [LIGHTEST]
• Battery life: 5 Hours

500GB/1TB | 8 Devices | 3HD Video Streams | Sky Share App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 5 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Silicon Power Sky Share H10

Intenso Memory 2 Move WiFi Mobile Hard Drive 500GB or 1TB USB 3.0 – Black or White  6 hours

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What You Need to Know

• Storage size(s): 500GB, 1TB
• Wireless capabilities: Wireless 802.11b/g/n with WPA/WPA2 encryption supports 4 HD video streams at one time, connect up to 5 devices, range up to 90 feet. Wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing. Configure, manage, secure and diagnose the drive using the intuitive dashboard.
• Mobile app and supported file formats: Memory 2 Move app for iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (smartphones and tablets)
  • copy, edit or delete personal file
  • upload photos and videos from your mobile devices
  • download or stream music, video or pictures to your mobile devices
  • share data securely over WPA and WPA2 up to 5 users at the same time
  • access data and surf the Internet simultaneously with Internet pass through
• Connectivity: WiFi or USB 3.0
• Dimension & weight: 19 x 3.5 x 11.4 cm, 204 grams
• Battery life: 6 Hours

1TB/2TB | 5 Devices | 4 HD Video Streams | Memory 2 Move App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 6 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Intenso Memory 2 Move

Corsair Voyager Air Mobile Wireless Storage 1TB USB 3.0 & Ethernet [1st Gen] – Red/Black 7 hours

Storage size(s): 1TB
Wireless capabilities: 802.11B, 802.11G, 802.11n, Streams HD video to up to 5 users at one time, connect up to 8 devices, range up to 90 feet, wireless hub with pass through for Internet access sharing. [BEST PERFORMER]
Mobile app and file formats supported: iOS (iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch) and Android (smartphones and tablets) with Corsair Voyager Air app

• Video: MP4, MOV (iOS only), M4V (iOS only)
• Images: JPG, PNG
• Music: MP3, M4A (iOS only)
• Documents: DOC, XLS, PPT, PDF

Connectivity: Gigabit Ethernet, WiFi or USB 3.0
Dimension & weight: 243 x 174 x 50 mm 531 gram [BIGGEST & HEAVIEST]
Battery life: 7 Hours

1TB | 8 Devices | 5 HD Video Streams | Corsair Voyager App | WiFi/USB3.0 | 7 Hours

Check Price on Amazon: Corsair Voyager Air Mobile

Final Thoughts

The appeal that you need not be limited to the expensive storage especially on iOS devices (iPhone and iPad) to hold your media files and that you can backup your image files (photos) and document from your iPad to free up even more space for Apps and captured media (video and more images) are definitely strong points for buying an wireless portable hard drive. The possibilities of taking your data with you be it for work or play on a device with sufficient battery life to last through the day or more gives users more reason to get one. 2014-2015 is going to be the years for portable wireless hard drives albeit quietly.