Why you can trust TechRadar
We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you're buying the best. Find out more about how we test.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: 30-second review
It's nice to see that Lexar has evolved its portable SSD design, and the ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD is one of the best-looking portable drives on the market with its sand-coloured (Silver) finish and rubberised textured casing. It feels like a good premium product.
Lexar has developed this portable SSD for the mobile phone market, and it incorporates a magnetic contact on the back, enabling it to connect without any type of casing or fixing to the back of an iPhone. While the connection is made through that magnet connector, the data connection is still made directly with the included USB-C ribbon cable.
While the design has evolved quite a bit, and the actual drive itself is now one of the best-looking and probably best aesthetically designed SSDs on the market, it still requires a separate USB-C cable in order to make the data connection. However, Lexar has gone some way to make it just a little bit more integrated with a keyring-style rubber fob that enables you to insert the two cable connector ends, keeping both the drive and the ribbon cable neatly together. It still doesn't feel ideal, but it's a move in the right direction.
The construction also feels exceptionally good, and I really like the new colourway and the rubberised finish. It just feels nice and tactile, and if you're working on a surface away from a standard desk, then that rubber finish also means that it stays put without slipping around, something that's always helpful if you're working on site.
Another nice feature, although again I don't feel it goes quite far enough, is the fact that it comes with IP65 durability, meaning it's water and dust-resistant. So, it doesn't go the full way to being fully waterproof, but at least if you do get caught in a shower, then it should be absolutely fine.
Again, Lexar have gone for the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, and whilst this is nice and fast on a PC system with the correct connection, enabling transfer rates up to 2000MB/s, if you're using a Mac, that's going to be instantly downgraded to just 1000MB/s, still more than enough to do most work, but quite significantly below the advertised rates.
The other thing that I always like to see with any portable SSD is some form of built-in encryption, be that hardware or software. It's great to see the Lexar DataShield software included with the drive. This works on both Mac and PC and is simple enough to set up, enabling you to secure the contents of the drive. While it might not give you the full protection of hardware encryption, it still goes a long way, and even using my decryption software, I was unable to break through the security offered by the bundled app, which is impressive. Alongside the Lexar DataShield software, there is also a nifty Lexar app which you can use when plugged into an iPhone.
Ultimately, this is one of the best portable SSD from Lexar with real versatility, great aesthetics, superb raw speed (as long as you're on a PC with the right interface). And we like the connectivity, enabling you to use it with laptops, desktops, consoles, and smartphones.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Price and availability
- How much does it cost? From £146 / $149
- When is it out? Available now
- Where can you get it? Directly from Lexar.com or Amazon
The Lexar ES5 2TB SSD that I'm looking at in this review is widely available, and as well as a 2TB version, there's also a 1TB version available. Both can be bought directly through the Lexar website or from major online retailers such as Amazon.com (click here) and Amazon.co.uk (click here).
At time of review, the 1TB version of the drive is available for $120 or £106, while the 2TB version is available for $200 or £1710.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Specs
Capacities: 1TB / 2TB
Colour: Silver
Interface Protocol: USB 3.2 Gen 2×2
Speed: Up to 2000MB/s read, up to 2000MB/s write
Ingress Protection Rating: IP65 Water & Dust Resistant, 3-metre anti-drop
Systems Supported: macOS 10.6+, Windows 7–11, iOS, Android 4.4+
Devices: Smartphones, iPhone 15/16+, PC, Mac, Tablets, iPads, cameras, gaming consoles
Operating Temperature: 0°C to 50°C
Storage Temperature: -40°C to 85°C
Warranty: 5-year limited
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Design
The design for Lexar's portable SSDs has certainly evolved. While they've always been small, the ES5 just takes the quality of the design to another level. It's a really nice, tidy, small portable drive with its sand-coloured finish (which is listed as silver on the Lexar website), and it looks high-quality and premium.
Checking over the drive, the top and bottom surfaces are plain with that rubberised texture finish, giving a good tactile feel and also meaning it stays put when placed on most surfaces. The top is kept plain with just the Lexar logo in silver. Likewise, on the base of the drive, the rubberised texture finish changes to a darker grey with information about the drive and the MagSafe connector, which will connect directly to the back of your iPhone.
The hold of that MagSafe connector is relatively strong, unlike some other drives at this time, and in use, because of the depth of the drive and also the curved edges of the shaping, it just sits really nicely in the hand, far better than many other drives of this type. It just feels like part of the phone.
The only real issue is that it still utilises a ribbon cable to connect to the base of the phone, and this obviously does get in the way just a little bit, as it does with all phones. It would've been nice to have a shorter right-angled cable that just made that short link between the phone and the drive rather than this longer addition.
However, having that longer cable means that it's far more flexible, so it easily plugs into a laptop or console or other device that accepts external storage without issue, and the quality of the USB-C ribbon cable is once again exceptionally high, enabling those maximum transfer rates that are offered by USB 3.2 Gen 2×2.
When it comes to size and weight, this drive is small. You have the drive itself and a small rubber fob that's attached, into which you can insert the USB cable. The drive and fob weigh in at 57g, and once you add in the ribbon cable, it comes to 65g. When it comes to dimensions again, it's nice and small, with the drive itself measuring 84mm x 53mm x 10mm.
But then you do have to take into consideration the fob with the ribbon cable, it's a bit like a slightly oversized keyring with a lanyard attached.
The drive has also been made to be extremely rugged. While it doesn't quite meet the full waterproof credentials, it does come with IP65, which means that it is weather-resistant. So, it should be perfectly fine even if a little bit of moisture or dust gets to it, but it shouldn't be submerged in water.
Looking around the exterior of the drive, aside from the USB-C 3.2 Gen 2×2 port on the base, there are no other inputs or outputs, with the only other distinguishing design feature being a small lanyard loop in the top right-hand corner where the fob is attached.
As portable SSDs go, the ES5 is one of the best-looking options available, and I really do like the colour and the fact that Lexar has gone that extra mile in thinking about how to ensure the cable is attached to the drive at all times. While it might not be the most aesthetic or integrated option, at least finally we have a drive that keeps the cable with it at all times.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Features
The ES5 magnetic portable SSD is simple, with a clean design that has been made for pure functionality while having some of the best aesthetics of any portable SSD I've looked at. The main connection interface between the drive and a device is made through a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, and on the right type of machines with compatibility, this is going to offer transfer rates of about 2000MB/s. While this is fast, if you're using a Mac device, then due to compatibility issues with this particular interface, that transfer rate will be downgraded to 1000MB/s.
The design is the standout feature of this small drive with its rubberised finish and distinctive colourway. While that rubberised finish looks great, it also has a practical application, adding to the robustness of the drive and enabling it to have an IP65 dust and water resistance rating. So, if you are using this out in the field, it's going to withstand a lot more than some other drives.
It's also good to see that the drive comes pre-formatted in the exFAT file format, which means that it can be used with Mac, PC systems, as well as iOS, Android, and many gaming consoles. There's also some bundled software onboard, Lexar DataShield, which enables you to encrypt the contents of the drive.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Performance
Benchmark scores
CrystalDiskMark Read: 2045.36MB/s
CrystalDiskMark Write: 1996.87 MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Read: 1804 MB/s
AJA System Test Lite Write: 1800 MB/s
AS SSD Read: 1853.82 MB/s
AS SSD Write: 1805.31 MB/s
ATTO Read: 1900 MB/s
ATTO Write: 1870 MB/s
Starting out with testing the drive on the MacBook Pro M1 Max, the drive was instantly recognised. I ran through the installation process for the DataShield software just to ensure that the drive contents were fully encrypted. The process for this was straightforward: simply installing the software from the drive, then setting a password. Essentially, that was it; then every time the drive is plugged in, it requires the software before you can access the file content.
If you just want to use the drive without the encryption, then that's equally easy. If you want to switch it off at any point, you can do that through the app you installed on your Mac or PC.
Using it with the Mac, the transfer rates were good, although because of the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface, they are, of course, limited by the Thunderbolt 4 connection on the Mac, effectively halving the potential 2000MB/s transfer rate.
Through the test, I used the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD to edit video footage in Final Cut Pro X. While the drive did get warm to the touch, there didn't really seem to be much thermal throttling when editing straight 4K video from a Sony A7 IV, and it handled the files for the 15-minute edit without issue. For longer edits, I would want to have a larger storage device, but for on-site quick edits, this small storage device with its 2TB capacity is more than sufficient.
Shifting over to an Asus ProArt P16, I essentially followed exactly the same testing criteria, running all the benchmarking tests and doing a similar 15-minute edit to some 4K video in DaVinci Resolve. Again, the speed of the drive was more than enough to keep up with the demands of DaVinci, and the video edit was once again nice and smooth. The drive got warm to the touch but never too hot. I also liked the small size and that rubberised finish, which just meant that it stayed put on the table. What was also really nice was that in the box, there's a metal ring that you can stick onto the back of your laptop case so that you can use the MagSafe connector to attach the drive to the back of your monitor. This is something I always like; it just keeps things neat and off the table if you're working on site.
Again, on the ProArt, without that USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 connection, the transfer rates stuck around 1000MB/s, still more than enough for editing 4K video, but quite a notch down from those maximum transfer rates advertised.
I then switched over to a desktop PC with an ASUS PRIME Z890-P WIFI motherboard that features the correct interface, and here there was a major uplift in the transfer rates, much closer to those advertised.
Obviously, there are many laptops out there also with this interface, so it's worth checking. If you do require those maximum transfer rates, make sure your machine is fully compatible.
The final test was to link it to my iPhone 15 Pro, and again, it was instantly recognised, enabling me to record Apple ProRes footage directly onto the drive. What I really liked here was that due to the design of this new portable SSD, it was far more integrated, and it just felt a lot more comfortable to hold than some other magnetic portable SSDs I've used in the past. This is by far one of the best when it comes to ergonomic design.
However, throughout the test, I was still very aware that I had this USB-C cable running from the phone to the drive. While that's not an issue when using it with a laptop or desktop, when it comes to using it with a mobile phone while shooting video, it is a little bit annoying. I do wish Lexar had included a short right-angled cable for use with mobiles.
Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD: Final verdict
At the end of the test, I was impressed by the overall performance of the drive both on Mac and PC systems, as well as on my iPhone 15 Pro. The transfer rates were good, but it was only when I used the drive with my desktop machine that features the USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 interface that I was able to make full use of the potential of the drive with those maximum transfer rates.
However, for most work out in the field, it's rare that I'll need anything more than 1000MB/s, and this small drive is more than capable of reaching those speeds, if not slightly exceeding them.
What I really like about this drive is just how ergonomically it's designed. The MagSafe connector and the exterior casing just sit really neatly on the back of your mobile phone, and compared with other portable external SSDs, it just feels a lot more comfortable in the hands. However, there is still the issue of the USB cable. However neatly a ribbon cable is designed, it's just not the greatest solution when you're filming with your mobile, especially if you're using a gimbal such as the Insta360 Flow 2.
For the most part, the design and finish are just about as good as you get for any portable SSD. It's still far from perfect, with the USB ribbon cable still being a completely separate entity from the drive. Although Lexar have taken a step towards integration by including that rubber fob that you can insert the ribbon cable into to keep it all together, it still feels like a bit of an afterthought. It's a step in the right direction, but still far from 100%.
Through the test, I used it out in the field and in the studio, and due to this being a test, I put it through its paces, just throwing it into a bag and not looking after it to any degree that you normally would if you'd spent your hard-earned cash on such a device. Through the two weeks that I had the drive on test, it stood up to everything, and its IP65 rating really did show that it can stand up to a great deal of abuse. The lighter colourway of the casing did start to look a little bit grubby after the two weeks, but it stood up to everything and still works perfectly fine, and I quite like the slightly worn look that it started to take on.
If you're looking for a neat portable SSD, then the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD is a great choice. But do take into consideration that unless your computer offers USB 3.2 Gen 2×2, you will see your transfer rate limited.
Should I buy the Lexar ES5 Magnetic Portable SSD?
|
Value |
Great value for money and exceptional performance if your machine offers the right interface |
4 |
|
Design |
One of the best designs that I've seen for a portable SSD. It looks great and it's durable |
4.5 |
|
Features |
A direct set of features that offer a huge capacity, fast transfer speed and the inclusion of encryption software |
4 |
|
Performance |
As long as you have the right interface, this offers superb all-round performance |
4 |
|
Overalls |
Excellent performance, huge capacity and a great look. If you have the right interface, then this is a must-have buy |
4 |
Buy it if…
Don't buy it if…
For more storage solutions, we've tested out the best external hard drives and the best rugged drives.
