On Our Desk - 11

Icy Box Enclosures

So far we’ve looked at a lot of different USB flash drives, but that doesn’t mean that flash storage is the only way to transport your data.

In fact, if swankiness is more important to you than size – it is what you do with it that counts, afterall – then a small 2.5” hard drive can be the right way to go instead, provided you can find a decent hard drive enclosure to keep it in.

When it comes to hard drive enclosures there are a few things that you always want to bear in mind – you need something slimline, because bigger isn’t always better and there’s no point in having a portable brick. Then you want to make sure that the enclosure is stylish, preferably something combines form with function.

Lastly, you want to make sure that the enclosure is secure and that your drive isn’t going to wobble in the housing at all. Enclosures like these ones from Icy Box are designed to be thrown in a bag with a laptop along with a bunch of other cables and plugs, so keeping that hard drive secure is an absolute must.


Thankfully then, these two enclosures seem to fit the bill nicely. We’ve got hold of both the IB-283 and IB-285 drives containers, and though both of them could undoubtedly do with a better name they are very slick and stylish looking with a nice, tough and well-stitched leather coat on the outside and some slick super-shiny chrome underneath. The lovely black and silver colour theme is very nice.

We’ll look at the 283 first. This little storage-storer is the simpler of the two in that it doesn’t have any startlingly important features. Instead, simplicity is the key here and there’s only a simple metal strip held in by two flat-head screws that keeps the end of the enclosure on.

Well, that and USB connector which straps over the top of the enclosure. Cleverly, the USB connection itself actually fastens down into a small female port to keep the whole thing secure – and though the cable is a bit short, both enclosures come with USB extension cables, as well as the needed screwdrivers to get the drives in and out.

The 285 model however is a little more complicated, though it does share the 283’s reliance on a USB connection and a SATA hard drive (IDE is not an option here). Both enclosures have no other connectivity options than the USB connector, which is a bit of a shame - we'd have liked eSATA too, but realistically it's all most are ever likely to need.


The 285 model though boasts some extra features and bling over the 283, with wrap-around USB port that keeps the whole thing together like a moleskin pocket diary. Opening up the diary-cum-enclosure reveals some appreciated extras though – little pockets and wallets for you to store credit cards or whatever in. Unfortunately though there isn’t a lot give in the leather, so don’t expect to squeeze an extra flash drive or whatever in there.

The main problem with the 285 though is that it’s a tiny bit fiddly and cumbersome to use. The USB connector has a tendency not to slide into the fastener smoothly and the combination of elastic, Velcro and USB fasteners can make it annoying to use when you’re in a rush and the end result is rarely as tidy as the with the 283.

Still, in the end both enclosures do the job well and, while read and write speeds are naturally going to be limited by the drive you are using first and foremost, we didn’t have any problems transferring files at speed – the final results were actually about on par with the Corsair Flash Voyager drive.

Product Name: Icy Box IB-283 2.5” Enclosure
Manufacturer: Icy Box
UK Price (as Reviewed): £16.50 (inc. Delivery)
Verdict: A solid and simple enclosure, that's got quite a bit of bling and should look good in any pocket. Our preferred choice.

Product Name: Icy Box IB-285 2.5” Enclosure
Manufacturer: Icy Box
UK Price (as Reviewed): £18.79 (inc. Delivery)
Verdict: A little bit fiddly, but an excellent choice for you corporate types nonetheless.