This highlights another point in its favour though – because the drive is hardware-encrypted you don’t even need to wipe it if you want to get rid of it down the track. Mac users need to install and authorise a driver to decrypt. The decryption program is stored on the drive, so it can be used with other computers. Without it, you’re not getting your data back. And when you do, make sure you choose a strong password, but one that you’ll remember. You have to download the Seagate Toolkit software to enable this. The built-in 256-bit AES hardware-based encryption means you can take the drive with you everywhere, with the peace of mind that comes from knowing your data is safe if the drive is lost or stolen. If security and portability are paramount for you, the Ultra Touch drive is a strong solution. Shopping around for a new laptop? Our laptop and tablet reviews compare more than 20 models from Apple, Dell, HP, Microsoft and more.

And priced no more than the standard Backup Plus Slim drive, it’s the smart choice. It lets you slip 2TB (terabytes) of highly-secure storage into your pocket, with software and services to make the most of it. This super-slim drive ticks all the boxes for highly mobile users. It also comes with a two-year data recovery service, usually an extra-cost option which is great for peace of mind.

Included is a one-year Mylio Create (photo organiser) membership and two-months of the Adobe Creative Cloud Photography plan. Mac-only users can reformat the drive to be compatible with macOS’s Time Machine for full system disk backups. Onboard software handles backup and synchronising of folders between multiple devices but no disk image backup. It connects to Windows and Mac laptops (the disk is formatted as exFAT) via USB 3 (A-type plug) or USB-C via a supplied adapter.

It’s slim, lightweight, attractively finished with a textile covering on the top and most importantly, secure (as long as you enable the hardware encryption). The Seagate Backup Plus Ultra Touch is a premium drive with professional features, but an everyday price tag.

Seagate backup plus slim 2tb reviews