CalDigit is a popular maker of docks, external storage, and other accessories that work well with Apple's ecosystem, and the company recently released a new Tuff nano external solid-state drive that packs blazing-fast transfer speeds into a tiny package.

I don't have a huge need for external storage with my MacBook Pro, but when I have needed it I've used CalDigit's previous Tuff SSD, which I reviewed a couple of years ago. The original Tuff was available in both SSD and traditional hard disk versions, with the hard disks offering greater capacity at slower speeds while the SSDs offered faster speeds but with lower capacities and higher prices.

caldigit tuff nano mbp
The cost of SSDs has come down over the past couple of years as the drive modules have also gotten smaller, and CalDigit has taken advantage of those advances to create the Tuff nano.

The Tuff nano is currently available only in a 512 GB version priced at $150, and while it's big enough to back up my entire ‌MacBook Pro‌, some power users may want more. Regardless, when you need speedy data transfers in a compact form factor, it's a great option, and CalDigit is planning to launch a 1 TB version late in the first quarter of next year (pricing to be announced closer to launch), so you might want to hold out for that if you need a bit more storage space.

caldigit tuff nano close
The Tuff nano is built for the road, with the compact size easily fitting in a pocket or bag and the SSD offering great shock protection. The drive casing is made of aluminum to help dissipate heat, but the whole thing is wrapped in a silicone bumper to protect everything against drops of up to three meters.

The silicone bumper also has a tab that fits over the drive's USB-C port, helping give the Tuff nano IP67 water and dust resistance, meaning it is fully dust tight and can stand up to immersion in water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes. The tab seemed a little bit finicky in getting it to firmly seal the USB-C port, so make sure you double-check that it's seated properly before potentially exposing the Tuff nano to liquids.

The Tuff nano comes in a selection of four bumper colors (Tomato Red, Olive Green, Royal Blue, and Charcoal Black), letting you choose your favorite if you only need one drive, or easily differentiate between multiple drives. The whole thing also comes in a plastic archive case measuring around four inches (10 cm) square by a little over 0.75 inches (2 cm) thick that fits both the drive and the included short 0.25-meter USB-C to USB-C and USB-C to USB-A cables that come with the drive.

caldigit tuff nano box
The Tuff nano itself measures just three inches (7.6 cm) long by a little over two inches (5.5 cm) wide and just over half an inch (1.5 cm) thick, including the bumper. The drive weighs only 2.6 ounces (74 grams).

Moving on to performance, the Tuff nano maximizes speed by using a Toshiba M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD over a 10 Gbps USB-C connection, which CalDigit says offers read speeds of up to 1055 MB/s.

In my testing with the Tuff nano connected directly to a 2016 15-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌, I didn't quite reach that level, but it was still plenty fast, yielding read speeds of 920 MB/s and write speeds of around 765 MB/s. Compare that to the original Tuff connected to the same machine, which maxed out with read speeds of just over 500 MB/s and write speeds around 485 MB/s.

caldigit tuff nano speed
That also makes the Tuff nano faster than Samsung's popular T5 portable SSD, although the T5 is a little bit smaller and definitely cheaper per gigabyte than the Tuff nano, with Samsung rumored to be preparing a new T7 successor. Another competitor is SanDisk's new Extreme Pro Portable SSD, which offers similar speeds to the Tuff nano at solid pricing but in a somewhat larger form factor that also lacks the Tuff nano's water and dust resistance.

The Tuff nano comes formatted in HFS+ for macOS and can be connected directly to an iPad Pro over USB-C. For use on Windows, you'll need to reformat the Tuff nano. Similarly, it should work with many Android phones, provided it's formatted in exFAT or FAT32.

caldigit tuff nano separate
CalDigit clearly views the Tuff nano as the future of its highly portable SSD lineup, as it has reduced its original Tuff offerings to just the 2 TB hard disk model, and even that appears to be running low on stock, so it would not be surprising if that disappears entirely in the not too distant future.

The Tuff nano is an early entrant in the next generation of portable SSDs that are taking advantage of NVMe-to-USB technology to deliver blazing-fast data transfer speeds with versatile connectivity, and they're a welcome advance in portability and performance. CalDigit has blended a strong set of features, including fast speeds, a compact design, and excellent water and shock resistance, all at a reasonable price point to provide convenient on-the-go storage for a variety of users.

Note: CalDigit provided MacRumors with a Tuff nano for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received. MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

Top Rated Comments

alphaod Avatar
71 months ago
I just bought two Samsung T5s to backup my RAW files on the go... they were $300 each. The 1TB I think is $150.

I don't quite understand why I need my SSDs to be "rugged;" this pricing seems expensive when you consider Samsung makes some of the best SSDs on the market right now.

If I wanted faster than the USB of the T5, I'd get the X5 which runs on Thunderbolt 3 for a little more than pricing of these ones in the article, and the X5 is 2+ GB/s read/writes.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bsbeamer Avatar
71 months ago
Love CalDigit stuff (usually), but really suggest everyone starts to look at NVMe enclosures and just populate the blade yourself to save some money and get higher capacity.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Razeus Avatar
71 months ago
First thing that I thought is why does my SSD drive need to be "rugged"? I use Samsung T5's and there are no moving parts. If I need it to be "rugged", I just wrap several rubber bands around it.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
PBG4 Dude Avatar
71 months ago
The Samsung SSD link in the article is broken. :-(
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
urgs Avatar
71 months ago
It's neither remarkable fast nor is it compact.

The speed is the normal operational speed of any JMS583 based enclosures. You can buy such stuff (w/o the SSD) from 30$ on Amazon or Ebay.
It's almost twice as fast as a SATA SSD, but very limited, if you compare it to the speed the NVMe SSD can provide under better conditions (i.e. a Thunderbolt enclosure or as an internal drive)

And in witch part of this universe is this brick a compact enclosure?
Please do yourself a favor and put the SSD beside the enclosure to see how much space is simply wasted.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
tvOS 18 Feature

Apple Releases tvOS 18.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:01 am PDT by
Apple today released tvOS 18.5, the latest version of the tvOS operating system. tvOS 18.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of tvOS 18.4, and it is available for the Apple TV 4K and Apple TV HD models. tvOS 18.5 can be downloaded using the Settings app on the ‌Apple TV‌. Open up Settings and go to System > Software Update to get the new software. ‌Apple TV‌ owners who have...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

WSJ: Apple Weighing Price Hikes for iPhone 17 Lineup Without Blaming Tariffs

Monday May 12, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
Apple is considering raising prices for its upcoming iPhone 17 models set to release this fall, according to people familiar with the matter cited by The Wall Street Journal. The company reportedly aims to pair the potential price hikes with new features and design changes to justify the increased cost to consumers, rather than attributing them to U.S. tariffs on goods from China. The...
iOS 18

iOS 18.5 Expected This Week With These New Features

Monday May 12, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Following more than a month of beta testing, Apple is expected to release iOS 18.5 to the general public this week. While the software update is relatively minor, it still includes a handful of new features and changes for iPhones. Below, we recap everything new in iOS 18.5. Pride Wallpaper Apple recently announced its 2025 Pride Collection, including a new Apple Watch band, watch face,...
macOS Sequoia Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.5

Monday May 12, 2025 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.5, the fifth major update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that launched last September. macOS Sequoia 15.5 comes a little over a month after the launch of macOS Sequoia 15.4. Mac users can download the ‌‌‌macOS Sequoia 15.5‌‌‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. It is available for free on all Macs able to run ...
Mayday Calendar

Apple Acquisition Hints at Upgraded Calendar App on iOS 19 or Beyond

Friday May 9, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple acquired Canadian startup Mayday Labs in April 2024, according to a European Commission listing, spotted by French blog MacGeneration. The acquisition had not received widespread attention from tech publications until now. Apple is legally required to report certain acquisitions to the European Commission, under the terms of the EU's Digital Markets Act. Mayday Labs founder Jeremy...
top stories 2025 05 10

Top Stories: iOS 18.5 Release Imminent, iPhone Rumors for 2025 and Beyond, and More

Saturday May 10, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
With Apple's developer conference where it will show off iOS 19 just a month away, the company is wrapping up work on iOS 18.5 ahead of an imminent release to deliver a few new features and updates. This week also saw a number of iPhone-related rumors, encompassing not only this year's iPhone 17 lineup but also Apple's plans for 2026 and 2027, even as Apple's Eddy Cue suggested AI could make ...