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Hard drive enclosures are the specially designed casings used for holding or covering hard drives along with providing them with a mechanism for communication. They enable a connection between the drives and other devices like laptops, desktops, etc. The connection comprises of power and data supply sections.A variety of enclosures are available in the market, as per your needs which may range from storage requirements to cooling requirements to transfer of data and so on. The various types of enclosures available include FireWire, USB, optical disk drive and magnetic hard drive enclosures.
Your choice of enclosure might change based on whether it is required for a small business, for personal use, or for an enterprise. There are a wide range of factors that affect your choice of the hard drive enclosure ranging from the material quality to the speed and the compatibility of the drive. Hard drive enclosures are indeed objects of great relevance in today’s techno-savvy lifestyle.
Contents
NVMe Hard Drive Enclosures
Benefits
The primary benefit of hard drive enclosure is providing portability and reusability to internal hard drives. They also make data transfer easy as they are compatible with most OS. Along with this, they help in protecting sensitive data from viruses while also providing physical protection to the hard drive. Adding to these benefits, hard drive enclosures also reduce cooling requirements within the computer.
Along with this, NVMe enclosures offer lower power consumption, however it largely depends on the form factor and the number of PCIe lanes in use.
Here is a list of some of the best NVMe hard drive enclosures:
At a Glance – Our Top Picks
| Image | Product | Details | Check Price |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Glotrends USB-C Hard Drive Adapter Closure | Specs: Supports two SSDs simultaneously, supports both SATA and NVME Benefits: Aluminum covering, Comes with an 18-month warranty | Check on Amazon |
  | Plugable USB-C NVME Tool-free Enclosure | Specs: USB 3.1 Gen 2 and Thunderbolt 3, USB C and USB 3.0 cables included Benefits: Aluminum covering and a tool-free design | Check on Amazon |
  | Sabrent Aluminium USB 3.1 NVME Enclosure | Specs: Compatible with USB 3.0 and USB 3.1 Gen 1 and Gen 2 Benefits: Aluminum casing and reduced power consumption | Check on Amazon |
  | YIKESHU Aluminium External Closure | Specs: Includes USB C to USB C and USB C to USB A cables Benefits: Premium aluminum exterior and an LED indicator | Check on Amazon |
  | ORICO NVME Transparent Enclosure | Specs: 2 TB storage, speed up to 10 Gbps Benefits: Transparent casing and aluminum bottom | Check on Amazon |
  | ORICO Retractable NVME Type C Enclosure | Specs: USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C port, compatible with Android phones Benefits: Retractable, easy to use, made of aluminum alloy | Check on Amazon |
1. Glotrends USB-C Hard Drive Adapter Closure – The Enclosure for Two SSDs
Design
The hard drive enclosure by Glotrends comes in a super innovative two-in-one design and it supports two SSDs at the same time.
They can be both NVMe, both SATA or a mix of the two.The hard drive enclosure comes with a screw installation to make the installation process easier for the users. It also has an LED which indicates the status of the SSD.
Built
The enclosure sports an aluminum casing that provides better heat resistance and adds to the look of the hard drive. It also has 2 x 10 pieces of heat-conducting silica gel pad which help in heat dissipation. The hard drive enclosure weighs about 6.4 ounces and is sturdy to use.
Performance
The hard drive enclosure supports UASP, TRIM and SMART technologies and offers a speed of up to 10 Gbps. However, TRIM and SMART technologies are not compatible with Mac OS and only work with Windows and Linux. The enclosure also includes a USB C to USB C cable and a USB C to USB A cable within itself. It is a plug and play device that does not require any driver to be installed. It also comes with an eighteen-month warranty.
- Supports 2 SSDs at the same time
- Works with both NVMe and SATA
- Aluminum built
- Comes with an 18-month warranty
- Good value for money
- The material quality is not very good
- Does not support TRIM and SMART in Mac
2. Plugable USB-C NVMe Tool-free Enclosure – The Tool-free Enclosure
Design
The hard drive enclosure has a compact and sleek design which makes it a good companion for travel as it takes little space.
It is a tool-free NVMe enclosure that allows super quick and easy installation of your M.2 NVMe SSDs.Although the hard drive enclosure does not have an LED indicator, it has a locking latch at the back to secure the SSD and keep it notched.
Built
The enclosure is built with anodized aluminum case and also has extruded fins for extra heat dissipation. The enclosure also has ports on either side for allowing the free flow of air to cool it. It is light and only weighs around 3.2 ounces.
Performance
It offers plug-and-play compatibility with Windows, Mac and Linux OS. However, the new drive needs to be formatted before use. For faster performance, USB-C Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 3 is recommended. The enclosure comes with USB C to USB C and USB 3.0 to USB C cables and provides a speed of up to 10 Gbps.
- Includes USB C and USB 3.0 cables
- Aluminum built
- Tool-free design
- Price is a bit on the higher side
3. Sabrent Aluminium USB 3.1 NVMe Enclosure – The Perfect Travel Partner
Design
The hard drive enclosure by Sabrent comes in an ultra-sleek aluminum sandblasted shell which is convenient and durable. The hard drive enclosure is designed to be compact making it travel-friendly.
It also comes in multiple colors which provides you with options to choose from.The drive enclosure supports easy installation and does not require a driver.
Built
The hard drive comes in an aluminum case which is designed for heat management. It helps in optimal heat dissipation and reduces power consumption. This is a slightly heavy and sturdy weighing about 7.8 ounces.
Performance
It comes with a USB 3.1 Gen 2 port which supports data transmission speed up to 10 Gbps. It is also backward compatible with USB 3.1 Gen 1 and USB 3.0, however, the performance reduces when they are used. It is a plug and play device which does not require the installation of any driver and thus has a very easy installation. It is compatible with Windows and Mac and uses TRIM and UASP technologies to increase the transmission speed. However, the hard drive is not compatible with the Linux OS.
- Designed for reduced power consumption
- Aluminum casing
- High price
- Not compatible with Linux
4. YIKESHU Aluminium External Closure – The Compact One
Design
The hard drive enclosure by Yikeshu features a small and pocketable design. The compact design makes it easy to travel with the hard drive. The enclosure also has an LED to indicate SSD’s working status. It uses a USB 3.1 Type-C NVMe cable. For installation, it comes with a DIY kit.
Built
The hard drive is made of a premium aluminum exterior. The hard drive has a large dissipation area which leads to better heat management.
However, the hard drive requires a fan for cooling if it is used for a longer time.It also has two side vent holes for heat dissipation. The enclosure weighs 5 ounces.
Performance
It has a high performance with reduced latency. It uses TRIM technology to increase speed up to 10 Gbps and has a plug-and-play installation. It comes with USB C to USB C and USB C to USB A cable. It is compatible with Windows and Mac OS. The hard drive enclosure also comes with a one year warranty.
- Premium aluminum exterior
- Comes with a LED indicator
- 1-year warranty
- Requires fan for longer usage
- Not compatible with Linux OS
5. ORICO NVMe Transparent Enclosure – The Transparent One
Design
The hard drive enclosure by Orico has a transparent casing made of plastic to easily identify the hard drive inside. It also comes in different colors which makes the hard drive enclosure look attractive. It also has a tool-free design making it very easy to install.
Built
It has an aluminum alloy plate on one side of the drive which helps in heat management as it increases the area for heat dissipation.
The other part is built of transparent plastic to allow the user to identify the drive.The drive also has a copper bar with holes to absorb the heat emitted by the SSDs and also includes thermal pads for heat resistance. The enclosure has a weight of 5.6 ounces.
Performance
It is compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux OS and uses UASP and TRIM technology to increase transfer speed up to 10 Gbps. The user has to install the SSD and plug in to use the hard drive enclosure. It also fits storage to up to 2 TB.
- Transparent casing
- Fits storage up to 2 TB
- Compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac
- Plastic built
6. ORICO Retractable NVMe Type C Enclosure – The Retractable Hard Drive Enclosure
Design
The hard drive enclosure by Orico is sleek and compact in design. It has a blue LED indicator on the M2 case which turns on when you plug in the device and flashes when it is in use.
The hard drive enclosure has a one-piece built equipped with an extremely convenient retractable connector that allows you to retract with your thumb.Built
The hard drive is made of aluminum alloy shell which gives it an excellent heat dissipation surface. The casing protects the NVMe SSD from heat and also increases the performance of the drive. The hard drive enclosure is extremely light-weight and weighs only about 0.64 ounces.
Performance
The retractable hard drive is a plug and play device compatible with Windows, Mac, and Linux OS with storage up to 2 TB. The latest USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type C port which supports transfer speeds up to 10 Gbps. It is a hot-swappable device that does not require a driver. It can also be used with Android phones which is an added advantage.
- Retractable USB C connector
- Fits storage up to 2 TB
- Supports Windows, Linux, and Mac
- Aluminum alloy
- Compatible with Android phones
- Requires a screwdriver but comes with one
