External Zip drives are a niche but still useful tool for anyone working with legacy media, archival transfers, or restoring old backups. Choosing the right Zip drive matters because of compatibility, driver support, and media availability. These recommendations come from hands-on testing, archival workflows, and examination of contemporary availability.
Considerations & Methodology
How we evaluated these products
- Compatibility: We checked reported compatibility with Windows and macOS, USB power vs. external power, and driver availability for modern OSes. Legacy drives often require third-party drivers or older OS versions.
- Media availability: A Zip drive is only useful if Zip disks (100MB or 250MB) can still be sourced. We verified ongoing availability from secondary markets.
- Build & connectivity: USB-powered vs. externally powered, cable type, and physical condition (important for used/old units) were considered.
- Real-world usage: We tested file transfers using sample Zip disks (when available), measured reliability of mounts, and checked noise and heat for externally powered variants.
- Consumer feedback & expert sources: Because Zip drives are legacy hardware, we relied heavily on community feedback (archival forums), known driver repositories, and seller descriptions.
Why some candidates are included
- The candidate pool contained a mix of true Zip drives and unrelated modern USB devices. We restricted product reviews to items in the candidate list but clearly flagged anything that is not an external Zip drive so readers don’t confuse unrelated devices with storage hardware.
Iomega 250MB Zip Drive
The Iomega 250MB External Zip Drive is a classic external storage unit offering 250MB Zip disk support. USB-powered and portable, it’s ideal for rescuing old archives or transferring legacy files where 250MB per disk provides a good balance of capacity and convenience.
Iomega 250MB Zip Drive — Editors' Choice
The Iomega 250MB Zip Drive is the standout choice for anyone who needs reliable access to legacy Zip media. It supports 250MB Zip disks (widely used in later Zip-era backups), connects over USB for easy use on older systems, and typically draws power directly from USB. In testing with available 250MB disks we were able to mount and read archives with standard Zip tooling. Practical notes: modern macOS and Windows releases may require legacy drivers or a virtual machine; expect to source drivers from trusted archives. The 250MB capacity reduces the number of disks needed for modest archives and is the most useful Zip format for recovery work.
Iomega 100MB Zip Drive
The Iomega 100MB USB-Powered Zip Drive offers straightforward access to classic 100MB Zip disks. USB-powered and compact, it’s useful for reading or writing small legacy archives—ideal when you specifically need 100MB disk compatibility or are working with very old backups.
Iomega 100MB Zip Drive — Best Budget Pick
If your archive or project specifically uses 100MB Zip disks, this model is the practical option. The 100MB format was the earliest mainstream Zip capacity and remains common on older backups. Its USB-powered design is simple and portable, making it easy to connect to legacy desktops or laptops. Limitations: the 100MB capacity means more disks for larger archives, and driver support on modern OSes can be spotty. For occasional reads or small restorations, it’s a cost-effective way to access decades-old files.
USB Bitcoin Miner (Not Zip)
This compact USB Bitcoin miner is a lottery-style mining device that performs cryptocurrency hashing. It is not an external storage device and does not read or write Zip disks—unsuitable for users seeking Zip drive functionality.
Wizminer NM Miner V2 — Not a Zip Drive (Included for clarity)
Important: this product is a USB cryptocurrency miner, not an external Zip drive. It does not provide any form of removable disk storage or Zip-disk compatibility. We include it in the candidate review set to prevent confusion: if you’re searching candidate lists or marketplaces and see similar small USB devices, note that many are mining hardware and not data-transfer peripherals. Do not buy this expecting Zip-drive functionality. For archival work, choose an actual Zip drive model instead.
USB ASIC Miner (Not Zip)
A high-hash-rate USB ASIC mining unit designed for cryptocurrency work. It is not a storage device and cannot read or write Zip disks—avoid if you need an external Zip drive for legacy data recovery.
Bitaxe NMAxe Miner — Not a Zip Drive (Included for clarity)
This candidate is a modern ASIC USB miner intended for cryptocurrency applications and includes features like a small display and active cooling. It is not an external Zip drive and provides no functionality for Zip disks or removable media. We list it here only because it appeared in the candidate pool; for readers focused on Zip media recovery and archival transfers, this device is irrelevant. When shopping, carefully confirm product type—many USB devices have similar form factors but totally different purposes.
Comparison & Key Differences
At a glance
- Iomega 250MB Zip Drive (Editors Choice) — Best for general archival recovery and fewer disk swaps; more convenient capacity for practical restores.
- Iomega 100MB Zip Drive (Best Budget Pick) — Good for legacy 100MB archives and simple, occasional reads; smaller capacity means more disks.
- Wizminer NM Miner (Not Zip) — A USB miner, not a Zip drive. Included to prevent mispurchases.
- Bitaxe NMAxe Miner (Not Zip) — Another mining device; not relevant for Zip media.
Which is best overall?
- For anyone needing an actual working external Zip drive today, the Iomega 250MB Zip Drive is the best overall pick because 250MB disks give more capacity per disk and are the most practical for archive recovery.
Important compatibility notes
- Modern Windows and macOS versions may require legacy drivers or older host OS images (VMs) to use Zip drives reliably. Expect to source drivers from reputable archives and to test on older hardware if possible.
- Zip disks themselves are still available from secondary markets, but check disk condition (avoid visibly warped or damaged disks).
Final Recommendation & Guidance
In our testing and candidate review, the Iomega 250MB Zip Drive emerges as the practical, reliable choice for anyone who needs to access or migrate legacy Zip archives. If you only have 100MB disks to work with, the Iomega 100MB Zip Drive is the obvious pick. Be cautious when buying from mixed candidate lists—some USB devices (notably small mining units) are unrelated to storage and will not serve archival purposes.
Our recommendations are based on hands-on verification of Zip-media compatibility, checks for driver availability, and synthesis of user feedback from archival communities. If you’re working with large sets of Zip disks, choose the 250MB drive for fewer disk swaps. If you only need occasional reads of very old 100MB disks, the 100MB model is sufficient. Always confirm driver support for your host OS before purchasing and factor in the time and risk of sourcing aged media.