Overview
The external Hard Drive that can withstand the toughest weather and environmental conditions at an affordable price. At least that is how is it advertised on the manufacturer’s website.
This product is designed for the people such as photographers, vloggers, movie makers. People that go outdoors and have to carry a storage device with them in a lot of situations.
We got our hands on the black version of 2TB of storage and we decided to have a look at it.
And here is a quick specifications list:
| Capacity | 1TB/2TB |
| Color | Black / Blue / Green |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) | 129.4 x 97.9 x 20.2 mm / 5.1 x 3.9 x 0.8 in |
| Weight | 211g / 7.4 oz (500GB), 223g / 7.9 oz (1TB/2TB) |
| Interface | SuperSpeed USB 3.1 (backward compatible with USB 2.0, though slower speeds) |
| Accessories | USB 3.1 cable; Quick Start Guide |
Features
Shockproof
Resisting to drops from up to 1.8m the device comes enveloped in three protective layers:
- It has a silicone layer on the outside that absorbs the shocks
- A hard plastic layer under the silicone layer
- Cushioned mounting inside that plastic structure
On top of this the device has a sensor that automatically retracts the reading heads of the HDD in order to prevent the damage during the shock. After the shock has passed the red LED situated near the USB port should turn blue signifying that the HDD returned to the original state and normal operations can be resumed.
We have actually dropped the HDD several times from a height of 50 cm while being turned on without encountering any issues. The shock sensor acted according to the manufacturers specifications, turning the red LED on first and after it was put back in the original position the blue LED lit and we could continue the activity.
Dustproof
The product is dustproof with an IP6X certification and it features a silicone cap around the USB port that should provide (if correctly put) total protection against dust. Though it can be very tough to create a tight fit with the cap as you would need to push it very hard in order to remain in place as it should. Most of the times the cap would slide of exposing the USB port to the environment which is a disadvantage to us as most of the times the device would be inside a backpack with other items that could cling to the cap and make it slide off accidentally.
Waterproof
The HDD is rated for IP68 Water Resistance and can withstand being submerged in 2 meters depth waters for up to 120 minutes.
Speed
The speed of the HDD is quite good for a 5400 rpm reaching speeds up to 111 mbps when Reading and up to 117 mbps when Writing.
Conclusions
The HDD has many advantages:
- the ruggedness with the waterproof shockproof and dust proof certifications.
- the USB cable that slides inside the specific grooves around the HDD in the external silicone layer
- the decent write/read speeds
From what we have tested, the only disadvantage that this device has is the silicone cap that is very hard to put in place to create a tight seal around the USB port in order to protect it against dust and water.
This should be among the first choices for people that do not want to have to worry about the conditions the storage device is as it can take a beating through most common conditions. People like photographers and film makers that need a backup storage should consider this option.
