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Most Reliable External Hard Drives for Backups (EU/DE, 2025)

If reliability is your top priority, enterprise‑class externals with 5‑year warranties like LaCie d2 Professional or SanDisk Professional G‑DRIVE PROJECT lead the pack. For most home backups, budget‑friendly WD Elements Desktop or Seagate Expansion Desktop are reliable picks too—especially when combined with a proper 3‑2‑1 backup strategy. Pricing and warranty notes here reflect Germany/EU availability.

Overview

How we judged “reliable”

Reliability for backup drives comes down to what’s inside the enclosure (consumer vs. enterprise HDDs), warranty length and support, real‑world defect/return data, and whether the enclosure is built to manage heat. We also weighed current EU/Germany pricing to reflect value alongside reliability. Enterprise‑class externals (e.g., with IronWolf Pro or Ultrastar drives) and 5‑year warranties signal a higher reliability tier (s3, s10, s11). Consumer desktop externals like WD Elements and Seagate Expansion earn praise for dependable everyday backups at lower cost (s1, s15, s5), and brand‑level defect rates from a major DACH retailer are low across WD, LaCie, and Seagate (s6). Datacenter AFR data provides useful context for modern HDD reliability but isn’t a direct proxy for consumer externals (s2).

EU/Germany warranty and pricing context

In the EU, WD Elements Desktop generally carries a 2‑year limited warranty (s4, s15); Seagate Expansion Desktop commonly has 2 years as well (s5). Pro lines like LaCie d2 Professional and SanDisk Professional G‑DRIVE PROJECT carry 5‑year warranties (s3, s11). Current Germany street prices place 20TB WD Elements and Seagate Expansion markedly below LaCie d2 at similar capacities (s12, s13, s14).

Caveats and best practices

External enclosures can change internal HDD models by batch, and manufacturers don’t always disclose the exact drive at every capacity (criterion gap). Retailer defect/return rates are brand‑level and not model‑specific (s6), and Backblaze AFR data reflects datacenter deployments, not USB externals (s2). Avoid ultra‑cheap, off‑brand externals that may hide older or repackaged drives (s8). Most importantly, no single drive makes your data safe: follow the 3‑2‑1 rule—three copies, two media, one off‑site (s9).

Top Picks

Best Overall (Reliability)
510.00 €

LaCie d2 Professional (10–24TB)

Enterprise‑class desktop external with IronWolf Pro internals, 5‑year warranty, and a thermally optimized aluminum enclosure.

Pros

  • +Enterprise‑class Seagate IronWolf Pro HDD inside (s3).
  • +5‑year warranty (s3).
  • +Heat‑dissipating aluminum body with quiet fan for cooling (s3).
  • +Brand shows low 24‑month defect/return rates at a major DACH retailer (s6).

Cons

  • -Costs significantly more than consumer desktop externals at similar capacities (s14, s12, s13).

Verdict

If you want the highest reliability signals in a single external unit, this is the one to get: enterprise internals, long warranty, and thoughtful cooling. You’ll pay more than for WD Elements or Seagate Expansion, but you’re getting pro‑grade hardware and support.

Criteria Scores

Reliability pedigree (enterprise components)
9/10
Warranty length (EU/DE)
9/10
Brand reliability (retailer defect/return)
8/10
Value at 20TB (Germany)
6/10
Build and thermals
9/10
Best Value for Reliable Backups
389.99 €

WD Elements Desktop (8–26TB)

Low‑cost, mainstream desktop external HDD that’s widely recommended for home backups and available up to very high capacities.

Pros

  • +Praised by WIRED editors as cheap and reliable for backups (s1).
  • +Broad capacity options up to 26TB; widely available (s15).
  • +Brand shows very low 24‑month defect/return rate (s6).
  • +Generally competitive street pricing in Germany (s12).

Cons

  • -2‑year warranty in the EU—shorter than pro lines (s4, s15).

Verdict

A great value pick for reliable everyday backups. Pair it with a proper 3‑2‑1 strategy and it’s hard to beat on price‑to‑capacity, though it lacks the 5‑year coverage and enterprise internals of pricier pro drives.

Criteria Scores

Reliability pedigree (enterprise components)
7/10
Warranty length (EU/DE)
5/10
Brand reliability (retailer defect/return)
9/10
Value at 20TB (Germany)
8/10
Build and thermals
6/10
Best Budget High‑Capacity
337.84 €

Seagate Expansion Desktop (4–28TB)

Budget‑friendly high‑capacity desktop external from a reliable brand; strong value in Germany.

Pros

  • +Recommended alongside WD as a reliable backup option (s1).
  • +Often the lowest street price at 20TB in Germany (s13).
  • +Brand shows low 24‑month defect/return rate (s6).

Cons

  • -2‑year limited warranty in EU (s5).

Verdict

If you want maximum terabytes per euro without going off‑brand, Expansion Desktop is a smart buy. Warranty is shorter than pro options, but reliability reputation and pricing are strong.

Criteria Scores

Reliability pedigree (enterprise components)
7/10
Warranty length (EU/DE)
5/10
Brand reliability (retailer defect/return)
8/10
Value at 20TB (Germany)
9/10
Build and thermals
6/10
Best Pro‑Grade (Enterprise Internals)
640.19 €

SanDisk Professional G‑DRIVE PROJECT (6–26TB)

Pro‑grade external with a 7200 RPM Ultrastar enterprise HDD and a 5‑year warranty—built for long‑term reliability.

Pros

  • +Enterprise‑class 7200 RPM Ultrastar drive inside (s10).
  • +5‑year/60‑month warranty noted on EU listings (s11).

Cons

  • -Typically priced well above consumer externals at similar capacities (s11).
  • -Brand‑level defect/return rate not covered in cited retailer dataset (s6).

Verdict

A strong choice when you want enterprise internals and long warranty in a ready‑to‑use external. It’s overkill on price for many home users, but ideal for those prioritizing pro‑grade components and support.

Criteria Scores

Reliability pedigree (enterprise components)
9/10
Warranty length (EU/DE)
9/10
Brand reliability (retailer defect/return)
7/10
Value at 20TB (Germany)
5/10
Build and thermals
7/10