But better endurance is a bonus, especially if you’re using the drive for high-intensity tasks such as 4K video editing.

You’d have to write hundreds of terabytes of data to even begin to wear out most SSDs, though, and few people approach that limit. A portable SSD should also be sturdily built and not feel creaky or hollow. Since portable SSDs lack moving parts, they are less susceptible than mechanical drives to total failure when dropped, jostled, or subjected to changes in temperature or vibration.