WD My Passport SSD review

Western Digital's My Passport is a great lightweight SSD that has a range of excellent features including security encryption and a backup facility.

The unit itself comes in a range of different colors including gold and red which are particularly nice. With read/write speeds of 1050MB/sec and 1000MB/ sec respectively you'll be able to transfer files pretty quickly.

WD My Passport SSD: Specifications

Connection: USB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 Gbps)
Capacities: 500GB, 1TB, 2TB
Read: 1050 MB/sec
Write: 1000 MB/sec
Drop rating: Up to 1.98m
Security: AES 256-bit hardware encryption
Weight: 45.7g
Size: 100mm x 55.0mm x 9.0mm

This SSD is good to go straight out of the box with PC and Mac compatibility. It supports USB 3.2 Gen-2 technology and comes with a USB-C cable. For those on legacy systems, a USB-C to USB-A adaptor is included.

The My Passport SSD can move large files around relatively quickly with read speeds of up to 1050MB/sec and write speeds of up to 1000MB/sec. This puts it on par with the likes of the Samsung T7 and the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2.

To help keep data safe and secure, the My Passport includes encryption to keep it safe from others and drop-resistant to protect it from accidents. The encryption comes in the form of password-enabled 256-bit AES hardware encryption. The drop resistance is up to 1.98m and it's also shock and vibration resistant. Due to the lightweight nature of the materials, I would doubt its ability to endure more substantial knocks.

For those who want additional peace of mind, this SSD includes backup software that enables files to be backed up to another drive or cloud service account. This requires an internet connection.

WD My Passport SSD: Design & Handling

The build and handling of the My Passport is probably the only thing that lets this feature-rich SSD down. The case is of metal construction which you would think would be a positive but in reality, it's not a particularly thick metal and therefore lacks durability. This design choice is likely to be the result of wanting to keep the weight down but it does make me wary of just throwing it in the bag or exposing it to potential impacts.

At 45.7g this device is one of the lightest on the market and will not add any meaningful extra weight to any on-the-go bag.  At 100 x 55.0 x 9.0mm in size it makes it comparable in size to their Samsung, Lexar, and SanDisk competitors.

I was grateful to see a USB-C to USB-A adapter but the included USB-C cable is woefully short giving no flexibility for positioning the device anywhere other than right next to the port it is plugged into.

WD My Passport SSD: Performance

The My Passport SSD performed well during testing and worked reliably in my workflow. The My Passport SSD boasts speeds that will be sufficient for most users. Read speeds of 1050MB/sec and write speeds of 1000MB/sec were more than enough for me when transferring my files around. The only times I could imagine this not being enough is for users working a lot with larger files such as 8K video or large zip files.

The device's drop rating is 1.98m which means it performs comparably with most other devices of this type. Due to its weaker metal construction, I would feel much more comfortable dropping this on a carpet rather than a solid concrete floor. Despite it being advertised as shock and vibration-resistant, it doesn't have an IP rating which means it has no official rating for this. If this is important to you then SanDisk's Extreme Portable SSD V2 has an IP rating. of IP65.

The device doesn't have the best operating temperature range with only 5°C to 35°C being supported. The low end of this will be particularly limiting for users who want to use it under more extreme weather conditions. There's no problem with storing the device in colder conditions though with a non-operating supported range of –20°C to 65°C.

WD My Passport SSD: Final Verdict

Western Digital's My Passport SSD is feature-rich with great transfer speeds. At 1050MB/sec for read speed and 1000MB/sec for write speed, you'll find your files transferring at an impressive rate. The variety of case colors is a nice touch for customization but the case itself is flimsy and susceptible to damage if exposed to more extreme force. Encryption security and a backup facility will give users peace of mind to know their files aren't going to be stolen or lost.

Alternatives

Similar specced SSDs include the SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD V2 and the Samsung T7 SSD with the former sold at the same price and the latter a little more expensive. Better read/write speeds are available with the Kingston XS2000.