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 Drive | LaCie Rugged Pro Solid State Drive | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity Options | 500 GB 1 TB 2 TB | 1 TB 2 TB |
| What’s in the Box | 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 SSD Pro Thunderbolt 3 (40Gb/s) cable Quick Install Guide Adobe Creative Cloud All Apps Plan |
| Weight | 0.22 lb. (or 0.1 kg) | 0.22 lb. (or 0.1 kg) |
| Dimensions | Length: 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 Requirements | USB 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 Requirements | Windows 7 (or higher) macOS 10.12 (or higher) | Windows 10 (or higher) macOS 10.14 (or higher) |
| Minimum Recommended Free Disk Space | 600 MB | 600 MB |
| Supported Protocols | 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 | 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 | Up to 1050 MB per second | Up to 2800 MB per second |
| Ingress Protection Rating | IP67 | IP67 |
| Drop Resistance | Up to 3 meters | Up to 3 meters |
| Warranty | 5-year limited warranty | 5-year limited warranty |
| Pricing | Check 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.
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