Is LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive good for video and photo editing? The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C sports the familiar design of its now iconic Rugged Line of drives first introduced years ago, and since become a staple of photography and videography sets all over the world. The orange design provides high visibility as well as protection from drops from upwards of 6ft. And while I didn’t test these numbers, I’ve certainly had my previous LaCie Rugged drives fall from my desk in the past, and landed with no damage. Additionally, the drive promises a 1-ton crushing resistance, as well as IP54 rated, which protects it from dust and dirt, as well as light water splashes. Reveal more on LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive review.
LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive Specs
- Form:Portable
- Storage Type:Hard Drive
- Capacity:4TB
- Connectivity Type:Thunderbolt 2 integrated cable, USB Type-C jack (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
- Sustained Transfer Rate:Up to 130MB/s
- OS Requirements – Mac:OS X 10.6.8 or later
- OS Requirements – PC:Windows 7 SP1 or later
- Power:Bus powered
- Height:1.3″
- Width:3.5″
- Depth:5.8″
- Weight:1.3 lbs.
Compare LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive models
| LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt USB-C 4TB External Hard Drive Portable HDD | LaCie Rugged 4TB USB-C and USB 3.0 Portable Hard Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatible Devices | Laptop, Desktop | — |
| Digital Storage Capacity | 4 TB | 4 TB |
| Hardware Connectivity | USB 3.0, USB, Thunderbolt | USB 3.0, USB |
| Item Dimensions | 1.34 x 3.58 x 5.84 inches | 1.02 x 3.39 x 5.32 inches |
| Item Weight | 1.32 pounds | 0.88 pounds |
| Memory Storage Capacity | 4 TB | 4.0 TB |
| Model Year | 2019 | 2016 |
| Size | 4TB | 4TB |
What is good in LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive?
Thunderbolt-equipped All-terrain External Drive
The LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt/USB-C (T/USB-C) hard drive is a dependable solution for on-the-go data access. When you have clients waiting or are racing to finish a last-minute project, you’ll enjoy the LaCie Rugged’s fast 130MB/s transfer and backup rates. Not only that, but the LaCie Rugged T/USB-C is highly resistant to drops, shocks, and water, so it’s a great companion for shooting and recording in the field. Sweetwater Sales Engineers have confidently recommended LaCie drives for years. Access your data wherever life takes you, with the LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt/USB-C external hard drive.
Protected against drops and shocks
When it’s your reputation on the line — your shoot, your session, or your presentation — you can’t afford a hard drive failure. Fortunately, the LaCie Rugged T/USB-C drive takes all reasonable precautions to secure your data. Its scored orange bumper protects the drive from accidental drops from up to 2m in elevation, and its 2,000-pound crush resistance guards your files against disasters.
Rain-resistant for field work
Field recordists, documentarians, and adventure-seeking photographers will appreciate the LaCie Rugged T/USB-C’s IP54-rated rain resistance. The Rugged’s water-resistant cover helps ensure that your 5,400rpm drive will keep spinning, wherever you go. Back up that shoot, film, or audio track in confidence at the end of your trek, no matter the conditions, with the all-terrain Rugged.
Future-friendly, yet backward-compatible
Your latest Apple MacBook or forward-thinking PC deserves a drive that natively supports Thunderbolt and USB-C streamlined connectivity: the LaCie Rugged T/USB-C. Even if you have multiple devices, never fear. The LaCie Rugged USB-C is also compatible with legacy devices with USB 3.0 and even USB 2.0 protocols — and it even includes adapters!
Encrypted against unauthorized use
A software suite (included; download only) with LaCie Private-Public protects data with AES 256-bit encryption. This secures files against accidental or unauthorized access in your absence. In today’s world of challenging security conditions, Lacie is taking steps to make sure that your data is protected.
Rescue Data Recovery Services
LaCie knows how important your files, sessions, photos, and data are to you, your music, and your creativity. That’s why this drive is protected by their industry-leading Rescue Data Recovery Services. No matter what causes your data to be lost – from accidental file deletion and viruses to damaging malware, power surges, water damage, and more – you’re covered.
LaCie Rugged Thunderbolt key features
- 4TB portable external hard drive with Thunderbolt/USB-C connectivity
- Up to 130 Mbit/s file transfer speed for efficient file storage, backups, etc.
- Tough, shock-resistant rubber cover defends against drops/falls from up to 2m high
- IP54-rated resistance to the elements for confident use in the field and on the go
- Integrated Thunderbolt and included USB-C cable for current and backward-compatible connectivity
LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive review
Which makes this Lacie 4TB Rugged USB Type-C a hammer, or a chisel, in your toolkit of electronics. Steadfast and sturdy, the design hasn’t changed in years, and that’s totally fine, because it doesn’t need to. A Type-C port gracing one end of the drive is the only clue this drive wasn’t made 10 years ago.
And yet, the bright orange silicon and muted silver chassis still fits in alongside more modern offerings. These Lacie drives set the stage for the external drives that have become ubiquitous in a laptop-driven market, and the Lacie Rugged Type-C carries that tradition on without changing a thing.
Design
Lacie’s Rugged external drives are immediately familiar, with a silver body wrapped in a thick layer of orange silicone. The drives haven’t changed much over the years, but here, that’s a good thing. The original design is still very attractive, and the wrap is a lot thicker and more durable than a cheap phone case. The drive itself feels solid and beefy, without being overly large, and the outer shell is removable if need be.
It serves a purpose too. Lacie has drop tested the drive to four feet while not in use. You could theoretically drive a car over it. And while it isn’t water-proof, it should be fine in the rain. We didn’t durability test these features by dropping from specific heights, but we had no fear throwing the drive in a backpack or taking it with us anywhere. Our confidence comes from past experience with these drives, which have made their rounds through our video production crew.
While the Lacie is very durable, do keep in mind that it’s only protected when it’s not actively being written to or read from. It’s still a spinning disk drive with moving parts, and if it takes a drop while you’re using it, you’re likely to lose some of your data and risk corruption. Solid state drives have no moving parts, and that means you can toss it around or plug it into your phone and not worry about breaking anything. You may not be able to drive over it with a car, but it’s worth considering that in this case, there are two kinds of durability.
Normally we’d break out a section for connectivity, but here it’s just a single USB 3.0 Type-C plug. If you don’t have a Type-C plug on your computer, no need to worry. Lacie includes Type-C to Type-C and Type-C to Type-A cables inside, both USB 3.0 compatible.
How to setup LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive?
When you first plug the drive in, you won’t see the volume immediately. Instead, at least in Windows, there’s a read-only 256MB partition named Lacie Setup. Running setup allowed us to format a NTFS partition — Windows only — of 4TB, or to devote up to 32GB to a FAT32 partition that can be read and written by Mac and Linux machines.
After a few minutes, your drive will be properly partitioned and ready to go. Lacie offers to install a few applications, like Adobe Reader Link and Genie Timeline, a backup suite. It will also stash some documentation and the installation software on the FAT32 partition, if you had it create one.
It’s not exactly a stressful or time-consuming process, but it’s one that’s increasingly uncommon among external drives. Often, you just plug the drive in, and it’s already formatted and ready to go. Lacie’s approach is due to a belief that different users might need to format this drive different ways. That makes sense, but also underscores the fact this drive is for people who need something more than bargain-priced backup storage.
LaCie rugged thunderbolt USB-C 4TB portable hard drive performance review
Lacie promises a 130Mbps read speed, close to the limit for mechanical drives as a category. That’s a cap we’ve seen on other USB 3.0 drives as well, but you don’t buy an external drive for speed, usually.PreviousNext
The Lacie Rugged managed to average 135MBps in our testing, with the write speed trailing close behind. That’s basically the limit for mechanical drives, and even internal hard disks running over a SATA connection rarely break 150MBps or so.
Only external SSDs like the Samsung T3, used over a high-speed USB 3.1 connection, are able to start producing even higher speeds. They provide numerous other benefits too, including a lack of moving parts for increased durability. The T3 is also several times smaller than this hard disk. Those features come at a steep price, however, as the largest 2TB Samsung T3 is around $800, which is almost four times the price of this 4TB Lacie drive.
Warranty
Lacie’s two-year limited warranty may not feel luxurious, particularly at the price point, but it’s twice the length you’ll find on less expensive drives. That said, the much more expensive Samsung T3 once again steals the show with a three year warranty – you get what you pay for.
How long will it last?
As for longevity, the Lacie Rugged is a mixed bag. Like the name implies, the drive’s construction is unlikely to fail you anytime soon. The USB-C connection is a forward-looking move, with a cable thrown in for anyone who hasn’t upgraded their system in a while. On the other hand, mechanical drives are often more prone to failure than more expensive solid state options. Lacie’s two year warranty is solid for the industry, and should give you some peace of mind, but it won’t save your files if you drop the drive while copying to it.
Are there any alternatives?
External hard drives are an easy business to get into, and there’s no shortage of options with every feature set and capacity under the sun. Seagate, which owns Lacie, also offers a 4TB drive of the same size for just $120, without the orange shield. The rugged category is much smaller, but Transcend offers a 2TB drop-tested drive for just $100, or a 256GB SSD for $120.