Best Laptops for Outdoor Use : 2019 Buyer’s Guide!

If you happen to be a freelancing worker like me – or you’re a college student, chances are you might be tempted to take your laptop outside on a sunny day. What can beat the pleasure of typing on your keyboard while a refreshing breeze tickles on your skin? Well, using a laptop outdoors, or in bright sunlight, can be quite challenging.  Most laptops are equipped with glossy displays that suffer from glare when used in direct sunlight. Some displays are also so dim, that it becomes hard seeing anything on the screen when you’re outdoors. But worry no more, we’re here to help you find the best laptops for outdoor use!

How to use your laptop outdoors:

Before we show you our top picks, here are some tips in order to help you use your laptop outside in the sun.

First of all, if you don’t want to squint away trying to see what you’re doing, You’ll want to find a shady spot for your little outdoor adventure. The first solution that comes to mind to use a laptop in the sun and prevent screen blindness, is to face the sun. This way, your laptop’s screen isn’t directly in the sunlight and thus can be more visible.

Another suggestion is to position yourself with the sun at your back, so that you can cast a shadow on your laptop’s display. Either way, things might get a little uncomfortable if the glare hits the display, making it rather difficult for your eyes to see clearly.

What about display brightness?

Truth is, most laptops are designed for indoor use, in a dimly lit environment. But it doesn’t mean that there aren’t any laptops with bright displays out there; in fact, most of the laptops we are recommending here have super bright displays.

Most manufacturers use “Nits” to indicate how bright a display is. The Nit is the standard unit of luminance used to describe various sources of light. Brighter displays have higher ratings.  Indoor LCD displays have usually about 250-350 nits. In order for you to have an equally vivid and luminous screen in direct sunlight, your laptop of choice must feature a display with at least 500 nits. Another thing to consider here is the display’s type: Glossy displays are great for indoor use, as they make the colors pop out and provide a better picture quality. But when used outside, or in a direct light source; they simply become a mirror. That’s why matte displays are recommended for outdoor use. Matte displays have an anti-glare coating applied to them, which helps prevent reflections.

What else to look for in laptop for outdoor use?

The display type and brightness is definitely the first thing to consider when looking for a laptop for outside use, but that’s not all,  there are another few things you should consider too.

First of all, portability and ease of use. You probably don’t want a heavy burden on your shoulders, but a thin and lightweight laptop that you can carry everywhere. A big plus comes in the form of 2 in 1 laptops, the ones that you can bend all the way around to have a perfect tablet experience. In fact, when you’re outdoor you won’t always find a place as a comfortable as a table to put your machine on.

Next, you’ll need to consider the battery life. Even though it might seem daring, you would better invest your money in a laptop that doesn’t shut off on your face in the middle of your activities.

Another thing to pay attention too is the build quality. Because using a laptop outdoors is not the same as using it in a room: there is sunlight, dust, and an increased risk of a drop. If you are also looking for a laptop for field work for example, you’d rather look at some of the rugged laptops out there, or buy a protective rugged case with your laptop. Because modern slim laptop will not last long in such extreme environments.

With that being said, here are our top five best laptops for outdoor use.

Best Laptops For Outdoor Use:

HP EliteBook X360 1030 G3

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First, we have the HP Elitebook X360 1030 G3, a high-end 13.3” Full HD touchscreen laptop. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid state drive, offering a smooth booting experience. It also comes with the Windows 10 Professional operating system.

The EliteBook X360 is a rather powerful machine, packing a considerable amount of RAM and a powerful processor all in just 2.76 pounds of weight. On top of that, you can bend it all over and use it as a tablet, thanks to the touchscreen display. But the reason why the Elitebook X360 G3 is the best laptop for outdoor use, is its display brightness. Tests have show that the display has a max brightness of 673 nits, which is amazing for a laptop. In addition to that, the battery life is phenomenal!

Not only that , but thanks to the sleek design and the size of it, the EliteBook X360 makes for a perfect laptop for outdoor use. It features an external slot for a Nano SIM, for you to always stay connected to the Web.

Dell XPS 9380

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At a similar price range, the Dell XPS 9380 is a beautiful, 13.3 inch laptop. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of solid state drive, that is exceptional for fast booting and opening software. It also comes with the Windows 10 Professional operating system.

The XPS 9380 is an astonishingly beautiful machine, featuring a narrow bezel designed display with an incredible resolution and an average brightness level of 375 nits. And thanks to the processing power and the considerable amount of RAM, the XPS 9380 makes for a perfect laptop for professional use.

With its backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader as additional features, the XPS 9380 will stay with you everywhere you wish to take it, thanks to the reviewer’s favorite battery life on average use.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20LD001KUS

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The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga 20LD001KUS is a beautiful and sleek, high-end 14” Full HD 2 in 1 ultrabook, that you can bend all the way around to have your perfect tablet experience. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state drive. It comes with the Windows 10 Pro operating system.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga comes with an active pen for Windows Ink, that charges while in the device. The laptop has a great ergonomic keyboard and features the latest connectivity additions, like the USB Type-C port and the fingerprint reader.

The ThinkPad X1 Yoga is an overall well thought machine even for outdoor use, it’s sturdy enough, lightweight, and most of all its display has an average brightness level of 372nits, which is good for use outdoors. It brings together power performance, ease of use through its different modes and fast charging, long lasting battery life – up to 15 hours of  use.

Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US

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The Samsung Notebook 9 NP900X5T-X01US is a 15” Full HD lightweight and reliable, touchscreen laptop. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM and 256 GB of solid state drive. It’s also packed with a dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX150 entry-level graphics card.

The Notebook 9 weights only 2.84 pounds, making it a considerably portable 15 inch laptop for outdoor use, the display can reach a brightness of 473 nits if you turn on the “Outdoor mode”. And thanks to the graphics card, you’ll be able to play some few games occasionally.

The Notebook 9 also offers impressive battery life for its size, which makes it a for a perfect companion if you’re looking for a travel companion.

Lenovo ThinkPad T490

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Last but not the least, we have the Lenovo ThinkPad T490. ThinkPads have always been designed for business users and those of you looking for a reliable that can last for years; and the T490 is no exception. It comes with an 8th generation Intel i7-8565U processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB PCIe SSD. The T490 is great if you’re looking for a laptop for daily productivity tasks, programming,… as long as you don’t require dedicated graphics. Since this laptop only comes with Intel’s integrated UHD 620 graphics, do not count on it for running games or doing any GPU intensive tasks.

But let’s get to the part why we included the T490 on our list in the first place: the display. The T490 comes with a wide variety of display options, and the model featured here has a 14 inch Full HD IPS display. The Screen is matte and can reach a brightness of 428 nits (depending on which version your get), and even in direct sunlight, this laptop remains usable. Battery life is also great, with Lenovo claiming up to 16.1 hours, but you can expect to get at least around 8 hours of real world use.