Seagate announced LaCie Rugged SSD4 on September 15, 2025. In this new launch, Seagate discontinued the 500GB variant. The LaCie Ruggest SSD4 is available immediately in 1TB ($134.99), 2TB ($249.99), and 4TB ($479.99)
This is the first USB4-based portable SSD from the iconic LaCie Rugged series. You can clearly see the 20-year evolution of the famous orange-bumper design that continues till now. However, the company has opted for a USB4 instead of Thunderbolt 5, which is an interesting market positioning choice.
The company claims to offer read speeds of up to 4,000 MB/s and write speeds of up to 3,800 MB/s using the USB 4 (Standard) 40Gbps interface. However, it will be backward compatible with USB 3.2, USB 3.0, USB 2.0, and Thunderbolt 3, 4, and 5.
This one is significantly faster than its predecessor, the Rugged Mini SSD (2,000 MB/s max). As an example, it can transfer a 4GB 4K movie in about 1 second. You can check the product datasheet here.
Design
The drive features the same iconic Neil Poulton design, complete with an orange rubber bumper. It has a brushed aluminum exterior with a centrally located USB-C port. Packed in a Palm-sized form factor, it has dimensions of 105 x 67 x 18 mm, and weighs 109 grams. The company claims that it contains minimum of 35% post-consumer recycled materials.
Durability
This portable drive comes with an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance. However, with the condition that the cap should be properly seated. It is tested for a 3-meter drop resistance test. The drive can withstand up to 1-ton pressure. However, some sources say it can handle up to 2 tons.
Pricing
This portable drive significantly undercuts Thunderbolt 5 competitors (OWC Envoy Ultra 2TB: $399.99 vs LaCie SSD4 2TB: $249.99). However, it is more expensive than basic USB drives, but justified by performance and build quality
4TB model at $479.99 competes well against the Samsung T9 and other premium drives.
TARGET AUDIENCE & USE CASES
Basically, this drive targets creators who need speed but don’t require absolute maximum performance
The primary audience is Content creators, filmmakers, and photographers. This drive is well-suited for iPhone 15/16 Pro users recording ProRes 4K video. It meets Apple’s requirements: 220 MB/s for 4K60, 440 MB/s for 4K120. Also, it is compatible with iPhone USB-C ProRes recording.
What’s included in the box?
- LaCie Rugged SSD4
- Silicone cap
- USB-C cable (40 Gbps)
- Quick Install Guide
- LaCie Toolkit Backup and Sync Software
- 2-month Adobe Creative Cloud Pro
- 3-year Rescue Data Recovery Services
Legacy & Brand Heritage
The LaCie Rugged series is 20 years old with over 6 million units sold since 2005. Interestingly, the Neil Poulton drew design inspiration from the 1960s sci-fi “Captain Scarlet”
