Lexar 1TB SL500 Portable SSD
Up to 2000MB/s, Compatible w/Type-C Laptops, iPhone 15/16, Smartphones, Tablets, PS5, Xbox, USB 3.2 Gen 2x2…
Price as of 2026-06-05. Check Amazon for the current price.
Quick Decision
Price Intelligence
Currently $249.99 — the 90-day average is $125.40.
All-time low: $74.50 on Thu Nov 20 (from 168 price checks).
- Budget:$36–$169
- Mid-range:$169–$360← You are here
- Premium:$360+
Is This Right For You?
- •IPhone 15/16 Pro videographers shooting Apple ProRes 4K/60 directly to drive
- •Budget creators on USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 hosts wanting Wirecutter's editorial endorsement
- •Multi-year owners who value the 5-year warranty plus Thermal Control Design
- •And shoppers willing to trade the smallest review base for the freshest 2026 budget pick
- •Smallest verified-purchase review base at 200 ratings
- •USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 hosts are still uncommon
- •No formal IP rating
- •Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD — budget alternative at $156 (Score A+)
- •Samsung T7 Portable SSD — higher rated at 4.7/5 ($190)
📝 Based on our editorial review.
Mubboo Score: B-
How we calculate the Mubboo Score
Quality (45%): customer rating, normalized to a 10-point scale
Popularity (35%): review volume vs the category leader, log-scaled
Value (20%): price position vs other Portable SSDs
Computed from live Amazon rating, review count, and price across 41 Portable SSDs available to US consumers · last refreshed 2026-06-05.
How It Compares
This Product Lexar 1TB SL500 Portable SSD | Most Popular Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD | Best Rated Samsung T7 Portable SSD | Best Value Crucial X9 1TB Portable SSD | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $249.99 | $155.63 | $189.98 | $156.18 |
| Rating | 4.5/5 | 4.6/5 | 4.7/5 | 4.6/5 |
| Reviews | 226 | 90,286 | 37,924 | 7,533 |
| Mubboo Score | B- | A+ | A | A- |
Pros & Cons
- •Wirecutter's official 2026 budget pick — 'good performance for less' beating the Kingston XS1000 and SK hynix Beetle X31 in their head-to-head test bench.
- •Apple ProRes 4K/60 recording support — shoot directly to drive from iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 16 Pro Max at the full data rate; a feature competitors at this price tier do not match.
- •USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 at US$180 — roughly half the per-GB rate of Samsung T9 on the same Gen 2x2 interface; the cheapest legitimate Gen 2x2 portable in the shortlist.
- •Thermal Control Design holds speed during long video offloads where some Gen 2x2 drives throttle — confirmed by Wirecutter's sustained-write bench.
- •Smallest verified-purchase review base at 200 ratings — newer launch with less long-term durability data than the 89K-rating SanDisk or 16K-rating T7 Shield.
- •USB 3.2 Gen 2x2 hosts are still uncommon — most pre-2024 laptops fall back to roughly 1,050 MB/s Gen 2, no faster than the SanDisk Extreme at half the price.
- •No formal IP rating — Thermal Control Design protects the chip from heat, but the chassis is not dust-or-water rated for outdoor or wet environments.
What People Say
Synthesized from 40 reviews · 100% verified purchases.
Connect directly to USB-C for full speed and avoid hubs; SSDs may run warm under load, and performance can degrade when near full capacity.
- Fast transfer speeds
- Compact and portable design
- Reliable and durable build
- Easy plug-and-play setup
- Heat buildup during sustained transfers
- Write speed drops when drive fills up
Expert Picks in Portable SSDs
- Samsung T9 — Most users — versatile all-rounder
- SanDisk Extreme Pro Portable SSD — Rugged use / outdoor professionals
- LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 — Professional / Thunderbolt 5 workflows
- Samsung T9 — Best overall — most users
- SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD — Outdoor / rugged use
- LaCie Rugged SSD4 — USB4 / cross-platform performance
Category recommendations from independent expert publications. Source links in References.
Related Video Reviews
About Lexar
- 16 products in our database
- Average rating: 4.5/5 across all products
- Price range: $29.99 – $499.99
- Categories: electronics, External SSDs, SD Memory Cards, Portable SSDs, USB Flash Drives
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Bottom Line
Lexar 1TB SL500 Portable SSD earns Mubboo Score B-. At $250 it's above the 90-day average of $125 — waiting for a dip may pay off. Rated 4.5/5 from 226+ reviews. Strong buy if: iphone 15/16 pro videographers shooting apple prores 4k/60 directly to drive, budget creators on usb 3.2 gen 2x2 hosts wanting wirecutter's editorial endorsement. Skip if: smallest verified-purchase review base at 200 ratings — Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD (Score A+, $156) may fit better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Lexar 1TB SL500 Portable SSD worth buying in 2026?
It earns a Mubboo Score of B-, with a 4.5/5 rating from 226 reviews — better than 54% of Portable SSDs we track.
How much does the Lexar 1TB SL500 Portable SSD cost?
It is currently $249.99. The 90-day average is $125.40 and the all-time low we recorded is $74.50.
How does the 1TB SL500 Portable SSD compare to other Portable SSDs?
The category's most-reviewed alternative is the Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD (4.6/5, 90,286 reviews, $155.63). The 1TB SL500 Portable SSD carries a Mubboo Score of B- vs A+.
Sources & References
Products available through US retailers. Prices in USD. Sales tax varies by state and is not included.
Mubboo may earn a commission on purchases made through affiliate links. This does not affect our Mubboo Score, product rankings, or editorial judgments. Prices are accurate as of the last sync (2026-06-05) and may change.