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Prime Day 2021 UK: Best hard drive and SD card storage deals not to miss

Close up selective focus of Model checking her photos on a camera screen
Get a bit lost when it comes to storage devices? Here's all you need to know. (Getty Images)

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Storage is the one thing you can never have too much of.

Whether you’re photographing every meal you make, looking to expand storage on your laptop or tablet, or need a portable hard drive to archive hours of precious video footage, storage is a perennial obsession.

The good news is there are plenty of high capacity options available, and thanks to Prime Day, some remarkable bargains to be had.

But first, let’s unravel some jargon. Here’s what you need to know when buying a new memory card…

Portable hard drives

An external portable hard drive is essential for backing up content from laptops. If you haven’t got one, get one. And then if there’s still room in your drawer, buy another.

Our top pick: Samsung T5 1TB

When it comes to portable storage, think big. This Samsung offers a huge 1TB of space, in a pocketable form factor (weighing just 51g). Currently with a £50 saving on Amazon, it’s priced at just £99.99. It is a solid state SSD drive (so no moving parts) making it ideal for storing games, music, or office work, and it boasts super fast write and read speed.

Inside the neat aluminium case is robust Samsung V-NAND flash memory. Helpfully, it’s bundled with USB Type-C to C and USB Type-C to A cables.

Buy it: Samsung T5 1 TB USB 3.1 Gen 2 External Solid State Drive | £99.99 ( Was £149.99) - 33% off from Amazon

SD cards tend to come with lots of arcane labelling, but don’t be intimidated

When you see SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) or SDXC (Secure Digital eXtended Capacity) on a card it’s simply a classification for size. SDHC cards are above 2GB and below 32GB. SDXC cards are 32GB and greater. I’m only going to recommend you buy 32GB or larger.

However, if you’re buying an SD card for an older digital camera, it’ll doubtless only work with SDHC cards (which are becoming prohibitively expensive).

Maybe it’s time to buy a new camera?

Now let’s talk speed

If you want an SD Card for camcordering or sports photography, you’ll want speed.

Cards are rated Class 2 (very slow), Class 4 (slow), Class 6 (good) or Class 10 (excellent). My advice is always opt for Class 10, not least because the card may end up outlasting whatever the device is you’re using it with.

Then there’s something called UHS Speed Class. This represents the writing speed for recording video. You’ll typically see UHS 1 and UHS 3 quoted. If you’re shooting in 4k, always go for that faster Class 3 card. Don't worry about either if you’re not shooting video.

Best SSD card deals

SanDisk Extreme 128 GB SDXC Memory Card

SanDisk has an enviable reputation for reliability and performance, and this hugely capacious 128GB SDXC card offers loads of storage space.

Buy it: SanDisk Extreme 128 GB SDXC Memory Card | £19.99 (Was £38.99) - 49% off from Amazon

SanDisk Extreme 128 GB SDXC Memory Card
SanDisk Extreme 128 GB SDXC Memory Card

It’s rated Class 10, so is fine when fast recording is required (maybe photo bursting on your new camera), and at U3 it’s ideal for shooting 4k video too. The 128GB is currently excellent value at £19.99 on Amazon.

Other great SD card deals on Amazon

Kingston 64GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card

Kingston is another venerable brand that I’ve turned to time and again over the years. When it comes to bang for buck, it’s hard to beat. Consider this 64GB card, which again has a Class 10 rating. It’s just £8.99 on Amazon right now.

Buy it: Kingston SDS2/64GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card | £8.99 (Was £12.99) from Amazon

Kingston SDS2/64GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card
Kingston SDS2/64GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card

You can buy the 128GB version for a mere £16.34. The point to note is that it has a UHS 1 speed rating, so this particular card isn’t really suitable for video work.

Buy it: Kingston SDS2/128GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card | £16.34 (Was £22.99) from Amazon

Kingston SDS2/128GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card
Kingston SDS2/128GB Canvas Select Plus SD Card

But if you’re not planning to pop your new SD card in a camcorder or DSLR, take the saving.

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