Seagate‘s Backup Plus Slim is a venerable part of the company’s product line. Offering moderate storage capacity in a compact, durable package, the Backup Plus Slim has continued to be an excellent product for those looking for a portable hard drive that’ll get the job done at an affordable price.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim Review | Design
The latest refresh of the Seagate Backup Plus Slim (STHN1000402) is similar to previous models. The drive is available in 1TB ($52.49, Amazon) and 2TB ($67.99, Amazon) models, and comes in either a brushed or black aluminum finish. The drive is trimmed in plastic, but the metal cover is sturdy enough to add some protection to the top and bottom. The Seagate logo in embossed on the
It’s an understated, yet attractive design, and one that holds up well to the hazards of travel. However, if you’re looking to use and carry a hard drive in a particularly hazardous environment, you may want to look to products that are designed to be more impact resistant.
The Backup Plus Slim, like its name suggests, is very small. It’s not much larger than the 2.5-inch drive inside it, making it one of the most portable external hard drives you can buy. It’s small enough at 115 x 78 x 12mm to toss into a purse, backpack, or even your pocket, and light enough at 126g to not be a burden while carrying it.
One negative about the design of the Backup Plus Slim is that it utilizes a USB Micro B port for data transmission. This does make the drive USB 3.0 compatible, which is fast enough that the Backup Plus Slim doesn’t saturate it before hitting its top speed. However, it would have been convenient and great futureproofing if it utilized USB-C. Luckily, Seagate does include a USB-A to USB-C adapter with the drive, so you don’t have to worry about purchasing one separately.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim Review | Performance
The Seagate Backup Plus Slim uses the following hard drives:
1TB: ST2000LM035
2TB: ST2000LM007
Both of these drives spin at 5,400 RPM and have a Data Transfer Rate of 140MB/s. These are typical laptop HDDs with a 128MB cache. However, for the price, they do exactly what’s expected of them. For regular, everyday data storage, they’ll meet the requirements of almost any user.
In testing, the Backup Plus Slim actually performed a bit better than its bluesheet suggests:
CrystalDiskMark Results
- Read: 142MBps
- Write: 136MBps
With large file transfers, you’ll find that the drive tops out at around 125-130MBps, which is respectable for a unit with these specifications. The aluminum that makes up the top and bottom of the case also works as a superb heatsink. I estimate you’d never run into issues with overheating, even with constant use.
With solid-state drives coming down in price, it’s hard to say whether the Backup Plus Slim’s price-to-performance ratio is attractive. In the 1TB range, purchasing an SSD and an external enclosure might be worth it if you’re looking for speedier data transfer. However, the high price of 2TB SSDs makes the version of the Backup Plus Slim in that capacity a much better value.
Seagate Backup Plus Slim Review | Bottom Line
For simple, compact, and portable external storage, few products can approach the Seagate Backup Plus Slim’s value. Hard disk drives in the 1TB to 2TB range are being superseded by solid-state drives, but there’s still a niche to be found for them. For static file storage, there’s no sense in paying the premium for an SSD over an HDD.
A two-year warranty and bundled trials of Mylio Create and Adobe Creative Cloud only sweeten the deal for this low-cost, barebones portable drive. Products like this just go to show that the latest isn’t always the greatest in every case.
Seagate PR provided us with a 2TB Backup Plus Slim for review.
