We may earn a commission if you buy something through the affiliate text links or affiliate image links on Seeking Tech.

What’s the difference between the LaCie Rugged and Rugged Pro SSDs?

LaCie has two similarly named external solid state drives. So, what are the main differences between the Rugged and Rugged Pro?

You can find out in this comparison guide for the LaCie SSDs.

Quick Summary

When compared to the LaCie Rugged Solid State Drive, the LaCie Rugged Pro Solid State Drive is more than 2 and ½ times faster at maximum transfer speeds.

So, assuming you meet the requirements for both SSDs, we recommend getting the pro version if you want the best performance.

The two external storage drives are identical when it comes to drop resistance, dust resistance, water resistance and warranty coverage.

LaCie Rugged vs. LaCie Rugged Pro Comparison Chart

You can take a look at Seeking Tech’s comparison table for the Rugged solid state drives below.

LaCie Rugged Solid State DriveLaCie Rugged Pro Solid State Drive
Capacity Options500 GB

1 TB

2 TB
1 TB

2 TB
What’s in the BoxLaCie Rugged:

LaCie Rugged SSD

USB Type-C (USB 3.1 10Gb/s) cable

USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable

Quick Install Guide

Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan
LaCie Rugged SSD Pro

Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s) cable

Quick Install Guide

Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan
Weight0.22 lb. (or 0.1 kg)0.22 lb. (or 0.1 kg)
DimensionsLength: 0.669 in (or 17.0 mm)

Width: 2.555 in (or 64.9 mm)

Height: 3.854 in (or 97.9 mm)
Length: 0.669 in (or 17.0 mm)

Width: 2.555 in (or 64.9 mm)

Height: 3.854 in (or 97.9 mm)
Minimum Port RequirementsUSB Type-C

USB Type-A (USB 3.0)
Thunderbolt 3

USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 1)

USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2)
Minimum Operating System RequirementsWindows 7 (or higher)

macOS 10.12 (or higher)
Windows 10 (or higher)

macOS 10.14 (or higher)
Minimum Recommended Free Disk Space600 MB600 MB
Supported ProtocolsHi-Speed USB 2.0: Transfer rates up to 480 Mb/s

SuperSpeed USB 3.0: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s

USB 3.1 Gen 1: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s

USB 3.1 Gen 2: Transfer rates up to 10 Gb/s

Thunderbolt 3: Transfer rates up to 40 Gb/s
USB 3.1 Gen 1: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s

USB 3.1 Gen 2: Transfer rates up to 10 Gb/s

Thunderbolt 3: Transfer rates up to 40 Gb/s
Transfer SpeedUp to 1050 MB per secondUp to 2800 MB per second
Ingress Protection RatingIP67IP67
Drop ResistanceUp to 3 metersUp to 3 meters
Warranty5-year limited warranty5-year limited warranty
PricingCheck price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned)Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned)

Capacity Options

When it comes to capacities, both products offer a 1 TB and 2 TB option. The Rugged is the only version to provide a 500 GB option, however.

You check out a breakdown of the available capacity options for both products below:

LaCie Rugged:

  • 500 GB
  • 1 TB
  • 2 TB

LaCie Rugged Pro:

  • 1 TB
  • 2 TB

What’s in the Box

You can take a look at the content included inside each new box for both the Rugged and Rugged Pro below:

LaCie Rugged:

  • LaCie Rugged SSD
  • USB Type-C (USB 3.1 10Gb/s) cable
  • USB Type-C to USB Type-A cable
  • Quick Install Guide
  • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan

LaCie Rugged Pro:

  • LaCie Rugged SSD Pro
  • Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s) cable
  • Quick Install Guide
  • Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan

Weight

The two external storage drives in this versus showdown are identical when it comes to weight.

You can find the weight specifications below:

  • 0.22 lb. (or 0.1 kg)

Dimensions

Both solid state drives are also identical when it comes to size.

You can find the exact measurements for the two SSDs below:

  • Length: 0.669 in (or 17.0 mm)
  • Width: 2.555 in (or 64.9 mm)
  • Height: 3.854 in (or 97.9 mm)

Minimum Port Requirements

When it comes to ports, you can plug the Rugged in USB Type-C or USB Type-A.

With the pro version, you can use USB Type-C or Thunderbolt 3.

You can find the minimum port requirements for both products below:

LaCie Rugged:

  • USB Type-C
  • USB Type-A (USB 3.0)

LaCie Rugged Pro:

  • Thunderbolt 3
  • USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 1)
  • USB Type-C (USB 3.1 Gen 2)

Minimum Operating System Requirements

The pro version does feature higher requirements when it comes to the operating system.

You can find the OS requirements below:

LaCie Rugged:

  • Windows 7 (or higher)
  • macOS 10.12 (or higher)

LaCie Rugged Pro:

  • Windows 10 (or higher)
  • macOS 10.14 (or higher)

Minimum Recommended Free Disk Space

LaCie also recommends that you have at least 600 MB of free space on your computer or Mac.

Supported Protocols

The following protocols are supported by the external SSDs in this comparison guide:

LaCie Rugged:

  • Hi-Speed USB 2.0: Transfer rates up to 480 Mb/s
  • SuperSpeed USB 3.0: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s
  • USB 3.1 Gen 1: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2: Transfer rates up to 10 Gb/s
  • Thunderbolt 3: Transfer rates up to 40 Gb/s

LaCie Rugged Pro:

  • USB 3.1 Gen 1: Transfer rates up to 5 Gb/s
  • USB 3.1 Gen 2: Transfer rates up to 10 Gb/s
  • Thunderbolt 3: Transfer rates up to 40 Gb/s

Transfer Speed

The pro version of the LaCie Rugged has a major speed performance advantage over the normal version.

The Rugged Pro is 1750 MB per second faster, or 166.67% faster, at maximum transferring when compared to the Rugged.

You can find the transfer speed specs below:

  • LaCie Rugged: Up to 1050 MB per second
  • LaCie Rugged Pro: Up to 2800 MB per second

Ingress Protection Rating

Both devices have an ingress protection rating of IP67.

This means that the external solid state drives are completely dust tight as no dust particles will be getting inside of the outer shell.

The SSDs can also be submerged underwater at up to 1 meters for around half an hour.

Drop Resistance

Furthermore, the two products have the same drop resistance as both can withstand being dropped from heights at up to 3 meters high.

Warranty

The LaCie Rugged Solid State Drive and LaCie Rugged Pro Solid State Drive each comes with a 5-year limited warranty.

Resources: