The 12 Best External Tape Drives (2022 reviews)

external tape drives
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Are you planning to buy external tape drives, and are you confused about the options ? You have come to the right page.

Our review process:

Our Top Picks:

Best Overall:
Buy: Wdblack External Tape Drive
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Best For Lots Of Storage:
Buy: Seagate External Tape Drive
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Best For Great Price:
Buy: Toshiba External Tape Drive
READ REVIEW

Best For Dvr:
Buy: Western Digital Storage Device
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Best For Tons Of Space:
Buy: Seagate Usb Drive
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Best For Home Office:
Buy: Lacie External Tape Drive
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Best For Gaming Console:
Buy: Toshiba Canvio Gaming External Drive
READ REVIEW

Best For Maximum Capacity:
Buy: Lacie Spinning Drive
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Best For Small Form Factor:
Buy: Western Digital External Tape Drive
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Best For Data Cable:
Buy: Gtechnology External Tape Drive
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Best For Usb Cable:
Buy: Fantom Drives External Tape Drive
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Best Backup Device:
Buy: Tandberg Data - Lto External Tape Drive
READ REVIEW

Best Overall: Wdblack External Tape Drive

Wdblack External Tape Drive
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Not everyone likes to purchase a drive for their daily purpose, but the dark external tape drive would be an anomoly. The Wdblack External Tape Drive is for the end of the story, It is used for lots of movies and has a great design. Performance will vary depending on your hardware and software components and configurations. The wd_black p50 game drive ssd has a portable form factor that can withstand battlefields due to its durable and shock - resistant design.

Most importantly, the wdblack external tape drive is great with a metal case, is the most reliable, It is based on read speed and has a nice shape.

Most buyers quickly discovered that the drive would work for it, but it would not run the new games x/s games on it. Furthermore, a few also found that the drive is great with ps5 transfer speeds great.. transferred 346 gb in 45 mins. plays ps4 games right from the hard drive with no issues. And, they say that note: if the tablet supports external storage via USB, then it should work.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This is built for gamers based on wd_black quality and reliability.
  • This feels legit, it is more expensive and has a lightweight design.
  • This is how the cia *knew* that it was bin laden in that compound.
  • This will update through the night even with the system off.

Best For Lots Of Storage: Seagate External Tape Drive

Seagate External Tape Drive
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The Seagate External Tape Drive is capable of outshining several other drives featured in this list in overall features in its price range. The seagate external tape drive is super fast, it works fine and has a super design. With 4tb of storage, you can easily store 100+ games. This gamedrive features the classic black and blue design of the ps4. It ’s the perfect accessory for any gaming setup and its compact, travel - ready form factor means the adventure can go anywhere.

Above all, the seagate external tape drive is present and has a tough design.

Almost all buyers find that the drive would have to be reformatted by the pc with the resultant loss of data. Moreover, a few also found that the drive does an incremental backup every night. Moreover, a few strongly agree that the difference is between this and a regular computer expansion drive, but this does well for what it is described as. In conclusion, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This drive has only been tested to work and be compatible with the ps4.
  • This is easy to install & isn't overly bulky.
  • This is a perfectly fine solution.
  • These are shape specific unless it is a universal usb.

Best For Great Price: Toshiba External Tape Drive

Toshiba External Tape Drive
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The Toshiba External Tape Drive's material feels more premium than its price would suggest. The Toshiba external tape drive is super quick, it works fine and has an excellent design. The canvio basics make keeping your files easier and more convenient than ever. And, this is used for system requirements, It is best for a small footprint and has a solid design.

The drive is used for server backup, is highly recommend, it goes strong and has a lightweight design. Also, the drive can wait for a great deal, it is most reliable and has a tough design. Most importantly, the toshiba external tape drive allows high speed data transfer with no external ac power cord needed.

Most buyers opine that the drive is compatible with Windows 10 and works perfectly. Moreover, a few strongly agree that the drive is great for the larger size.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This works with cpu via usb.
  • This is easy to configure in windows 10 & usb3 is fast.
  • This is perfectly acceptable quality, about 12 inches long.
  • This does not get much easier than this unit.

Best For Dvr: Western Digital Storage Device

Western Digital Storage Device
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Western Digital offers a variety of drive for personal choice and yet maintains quality in all the variants. The Western Digital Storage Device suitable for PC or mac. Plug the drive into a usb type-a 3.0 or 2.0 port using the included usb type-a cable and open your device’s file manager, such as file explorer or finder. In addition, this is essential, it is slightly wider and has a portable design.

The drive allows for great storage, it runs quietly and has a lightweight design. Moreover, it is strong, comes with hardware encryption, it is great for gaming and has a high design. Finally, the western digital storage device allows for good speed, can be bought for good value, it goes back and has a rugged design.

Most customers quickly discovered that the drive includes a USB 3.0 cable. And, a few say that the drive is good for most computer users, unless you are a data analyst or a graphic artist. Further, they strongly agree that the drive is not water proof, splash proof, or any of that type of thing.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • What needs to be done to format this device for mac ?.
  • Superspeed usb-a cable for transfers up to 5gbps.
  • The second one is used as a backup disk to the same computer.
  • Do you need a battery for the drive to work ?.

Best For Tons Of Space: Seagate Usb Drive

Seagate Usb Drive
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The best part: Seagate usb drive costs comparatively little and it is available to ship in 24 hours. The Seagate usb drive is ready to use and has a beautiful design. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. This usb drive provides plug and play simplicity with the included 18 inch usb 3.0 cable.

Finally, the Seagate Usb Drive has a writing speed, it works on a standard usb connector and has a rugged design.

Almost all customers quickly discovered that the drive is designed to stand vertically on its second-longest axis. And, they strongly agree that the drive is a great way to expand storage and is mostly worth the price. Moreover, a few strongly agree that this drive is very light weight and highly portable. Consequently, customers were eager to recommend it to friends and families.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This allows for easy backup, it can be trusted for good quality and has a great design.
  • This comes with it’ssssss own usb connector, and has loads of storage.
  • This storage device is great to use for an xbox one.
  • This has to be connected at all times to work.

Best For Home Office: Lacie External Tape Drive

Lacie External Tape Drive
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The Lacie External Tape Drive should be able to handle its purpose and duties with ease. The lacie external tapedrive includes a complimentary one - month membership to the adobe creative cloud all apps plan for access to awesome photo and video editing apps, as well as a two - year limit for long - term peace of mind. Travel with a capacity of 2tb in an ultra compact portable hard drive—lacie rugged mini. This portable hard drive 's compact yet robust design works overtime to help protect photos and more.

The drive is super easy, it is great at a reasonable price and has a simple design. Finally, the lacie externaltape drive is best for high quality, It feels solid and has a good design.

Most customers think that the drive will try to recover what might have been damaged. In addition, a few say that the drive is great, feels durable and has about 3 months of 4-6 hours of classes each day recorded on it and is not even halfway full. And, they also found that the orange protective sleeve is on the drive when boxed by the manufacturer. Overall, many customers have used the drive for more than a few months without any complaints, and it shows no sign of giving up.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This is easy to use, and cheaper here than on the apple website.
  • This comes with speeds of up to 130mb/s, Rugged mini enables seamless transfers and backups.
  • This comes with both lighting and usb cables.
  • This will work for your cpu and laptop.

Best For Gaming Console: Toshiba Canvio Gaming External Drive

Toshiba Canvio Gaming External Drive
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We would, of course, be remiss if we didn't mention Toshiba canvio gaming external drive for daily use. The Toshiba Canvio Gaming External Drive is great for transfer of data, Its unit is small, it is used for game consoles and has a modern design. Please refer to the playstation’s or xbox’s user manual on using external storage devices. Also, this is compatible with other platforms without erasing data and reformatting.

The drive go ahead, buy it for ps4, It comes with great items and has a high design. In addition, this makes for plenty of room, makes for great storage, It works well for hard drive type and has a nice case design. Above all, the toshiba canvio gaming hard drive is glossy and has a portable design.

Most customers agree that the drive will no longer be recognized by a windows-based computer. And, a few say that the drive will backup any data type file. And, a few say that the drive is really nice and compact, so it is easy to store in your bag or on your shelf.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • It is easy to wear red.
  • This is a windows based gaming system.
  • Built for gamers. Features a firmware-customized “always-on” mode for a responsive gaming experience.
  • This works with mac's, ipads, android phones.

Best For Maximum Capacity: Lacie Spinning Drive

Lacie Spinning Drive
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The Lacie Spinning Drive's superior materials make sure that it ages well with use. The lacie spinning drive is great little, It comes with a thunderbolt cable and has a wonderful design. Enjoy a high - speed usb C 5gb/s interface and confidently tackle any terrain with drop, crush, and rain resistance. Also, it comes with up to 5tb of space, rugged usb-c is ideal for moving footage from on-set to post-production, or for storing a massive content library.

Lastly, the lacie spinning drive is made worth the cost, It makes for great performance and has a portable design.

Most customers agree that the drive is best with select macbook models 2015. Further, a few strongly agree that the drive will work if you "partition" the drive first when you format it. Moreover, they strongly agree that the drive is great for on the go or in home use. With no doubts, this drive passed the test and had very satisfied buyers eager to share their experience.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This can indeed take a beating.
  • This drive does hold up to its proclaimed speeds of 130mb / s.
  • The drive is formatted for mac or PC as appropriate, it will work.
  • This includes the lightweight, well-encased ssd and a matching short orange usb-c connector.

Best For Small Form Factor: Western Digital External Tape Drive

Western Digital External Tape Drive
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Western Digital line of drive comes in a pretty wide variety of styles, so you can definitely find one that suits your individual preferences and needs. The Western Digital External Tape Drive is perfect for the ps4, It works fine and has poor design. Wd discovery software for WD backup, password protection, and drive management. In addition, the drive has been designed with good opinions thus far and has a metal design.

The drive makes for great backup, allows for easy plug, It is highly recommended and has a great design. Most importantly, the western digital external tape drive is great for a small form factor, It is compatible with windows and has a nice design.

Most buyers opine that the drive has software for both PC and mac, You need to read the information on the Amazon webpage. Moreover, a few also found that the drive works for Windows 10. Moreover, they also found that this particular drive is formatted for PC / windows, and you would have to re - format it for a mac to use it on one.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • The router supplies enough power for the usb port so it should work.
  • Superspeed usb-a 3.0 (5gpbs), 2.0 compatible.
  • The mac version of this drive is already formatted for IOS.
  • This works well with the mb pro 2015.

Best For Data Cable: Gtechnology External Tape Drive

Gtechnology External Tape Drive
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We know from years of feedback from readers, amazon sellers, and family and friends what most people want in a convenient and appropriate drive. The Gtechnology External Tape Drive is exactly that - it's a simple drive that hits all the right notes. The gtechnology external tape drive travel friendly, is affordable, it is great for fast transfer and has a super design. Finally, a rugged drive you can rely on. Moreover, it is great for good performance, is fully functional, it is spacious and has a functional design.

The drive is used for storage capacity, one terabyte (tb) = one trillion bytes. Finally, the gtechnology externaltape drive can cook for nice size, reasonably fast, It is built for portable high capacity and has a portable ssd design.

Most buyers opine that the drive has a usb-c port cover assuming to help with the water resistant aspect. And, they say that the drive is great for about three months and then suddenly, without moving it or changing the usb port, it disappeared from Windows explorer. Moreover, a few also found that this one provides enough memory space with 1 TB and durability for traveling as the external edges are cushioned.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • This works well on ipad & mac, decent value for the size.
  • There are no words to accompany that diagram.
  • This will work with any laptop which has a usb port.
  • The usb interface is to connect the drive to your computer for data transfer.

Best For Usb Cable: Fantom Drives External Tape Drive

Fantom Drives External Tape Drive
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Not everyone likes to purchase a drive for their daily use, but mobile drives external tapedrive would be an anomoly. The fantom drive external tape drive is great for high quality, is affordable, it works like a charm and has an aluminum design. Manufacturer says: Our award-winning storage solutions include g-force and greendrive external hard drives, raidbank5 and platinum raid disk arrays, maxnas & smartnas network attached storage (nas) and a complete range of accessories including the netbook mate docking station and usb flash drives. The gforce 3 pro usb 3.0 hard drive is perfect for audio and video professionals requiring maximum performance and reliability.

The drive allows for lots of storage, It is built with a metal case and has a beautiful design. Also, this provides protection for drives and doubles as a heat sink to keep temperatures cool and operation quiet. Lastly, the Fantom Drives External Tape Drive is made with aluminum casing, making for a great buy, It is nearly silent and has a lightweight design.

Almost all customers opine that the drive looks amazing, The black aluminum complements the black casing of the xbox. Also, a few also found that the drive would work for PC gaming. And, a few say that the drive works well with nvidia swords. In conclusion, at the price, they believe that they got a steal of a deal with it.

Top Customer Quotes:
  • The fantom drive has continued to perform for over two years.
  • This drive is tough, quick, and always does the job.
  • This comes with a usb 3.0 cable and a power adapter.
  • This drive is very loud, and the light is extremely bright.

Best Backup Device: Tandberg Data - Lto External Tape Drive

Tandberg Data - Lto External Tape Drive
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The Tandberg Data - Lto External Tape Drive is capable of outshining several other drives featured in this list in overall features in its price range. Make sure this fits by entering your model number. Further, the drive makes for great backup and it is affordable. In conclusion, with a 4.1 rating and more than 80 buyers, the tandberg data - lto external tape drive stands as the best choice.

A few strongly agree that this usb-3 dock connected to a usb-3 pro hub, the same data cartridges read and write much faster.

Why We Like This:
  • Good investment for the long term.
  • Delivers what they promise.