External hard drive -- put in luggage, or with movers?

Does anyone know if it's a good idea to put an external hard drive in checked luggage on a plane? I'll be bringing my laptop with me, and I have an external hard drive about the size of a king of thick book. I can either let the movers pack it, put in my carry-on bag with the laptop or put it in my checked luggage. What's the best way to transport it? I want it to be as safe as possible, though it's all backups and nothing that I must have with me.

I have transported external hard drives in checked luggage with no problems at all.   Whether  you bring it with you or not really depends on how much you use/need what is on it. 

June

I've put ours in checked luggage and in carry-on.  It's small enough that I figured it was worth it to me to bring myself.

Cool, I will put it in checked luggage if there's room. I don't really need to have it with me, but it is my back-up of important things and it's got most of my music on it. I probably wouldn't really use it much before the movers arrived with my stuff in England, though.

Unless you want it to end up on the coast of Devon, I'd carry it in your luggage! 

Unless you want it to end up on the coast of Devon, I'd carry it in your luggage! 

Ugh, I heard about that. I think I will let the movers take it after all, but I'll decide after I pack my luggage up.

We shipped ours with our movers...got here safe and sound.  Now that I think about it though, I can't even believe we did that!     I would have lost everything had they messed with our stuff!!!