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Best HP Laptops for Working Outside
Kirstyn Amanda
|
May 23, 2024
More organizations are embracing a new way of working, allowing their employees to mix office time and remote work. This hybrid approach aims to improve work/life balance, thereby boosting productivity. When working remotely, you may end up working outdoors. As a much more grinding and savage environment, more rugged laptops and work tools are required. This brings to question, which is the best laptop for working outside?
Using your laptop on sidewalk tables in restaurants, patios, or in your backyard has unique challenges. Think about it: dust, spills, sunlight, and the risk of accidentally dropping or bumping your laptop.
In this article, we'll guide you through what to look for when selecting the best laptop for working outside, including features like portability, battery life, and screen readability. Additionally, we'll explore some of the best HP laptops for working outside that should be on your radar.
Key Features to Consider
Before picking a laptop for outdoor work, you should consider a few important features, namely durability, battery life, outdoor readability, and portability. When working outdoors, rugged laptops are vital. If you are working from your backyard, on an island in the sun or while climbing a bucket-list mountain, you will need certain features to make it work.
Top HP Laptops for Working Outside
Best ultraportable HP laptop for travel: HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13-be2047nr
Technical specifications
- 13.3" diagonal display with 1920 x 1200 screen resolution
- AMD Ryzen™ 5 7535U processor
- Weighs less than 2.2 lb
- Up to 12 hours of battery life
- 400 nits of brightness
- Fingerprint reader
If you’re searching for a budget laptop that is lightweight and portable, consider our HP Pavilion Aero Laptop 13-be2047nr. It's easy to carry around wherever you go, as it weighs less than 2.2 lbs. Plus, we’ve equipped it with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535U processor to provide enough power to handle tasks like creating reports and editing spreadsheets effortlessly.
Best 2-in-1 HP laptop for working outside: HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop 16-aa0047nr
Technical specifications
- Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 155H processor
- 500 nits of brightness
- 16" OLED diagonal display with 2880 x 1800 screen resolution
- Intel WiFi 7 BE200
- Over 13 hours of battery life
- HP Wide Vision 9MP IR camera
We’ve equipped our premium HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 Laptop 16-aa0047nr with a high-quality OLED display boasting 500 nits of brightness, ensuring excellent visibility even in bright conditions. This makes it an ideal choice for journalists or consultants who require a sophisticated laptop capable of capturing photos and videos and report their findings in real-time with ease and clarity.
Best HP laptop for digital nomads: HP Dragonfly 13.5 inch G4 Notebook PC
Technical specifications
- Protected by HP Wolf Pro Security
- HP 3-Year Offsite Notebook Hardware Support
- Intel Core i5-1335U processor
- 512 GB PCIe® NVMe™ TLC SSD
- 400 nits of brightness
- 13.5" diagonal display with 1920 x 1280 screen resolution
Our HP Dragonfly 13.5 inch G4 Notebook PC is the perfect companion for freelancers and travel bloggers. It is super lightweight and offers ample storage space for all your files, videos, and photos. Moreover, you can focus on creating content, knowing that our remote technical support team is always on standby to assist you with any issues that may arise.
Best HP laptop for security: HP ZBook Firefly 16 inch G10 Mobile Workstation PC
Technical specifications
- Intel Core i7 -1370P processor
- 16" OLED diagonal display with 2880 x 1800 screen resolution
- Protected by HP Wolf Pro Security
- 400 nits of brightness
- HP 3-Year offsite notebook hardware support
- Backlit and spill-resistant keyboard with drain and DuraKeys
If you need a laptop that ensures the security of your sensitive documents while working outside the office, consider our HP ZBook Firefly 16-inch G10 Mobile Workstation PC. We’ve equipped it with HP Wolf Pro Security and several additional features, including HP Sure Sense, HP Secure Erase, and HP TamperLock, to protect your data from unauthorized access.
Factors to consider when looking for the best laptop for working outside:
Rugged Construction and Durability
Choose laptops made with sturdy materials like metal or reinforced plastic. These materials offer enhanced resistance to bumps and provide better protection against wear and tear.You can also ask the manufacturer whether their laptop has undergone rigorous testing for drops, vibrations, and extreme temperature and received certification for ruggedness standards such as MIL-STD 810H.
Many mishaps can occur when using your laptop outside. For instance, you might accidentally spill a drink on your computer at a coffee shop or drop it from a park bench. Additionally, working under the sun could cause some components to overheat, potentially damaging them and shortening their lifespan.
To address these challenges, our laptops are designed to mitigate such risks. We've constructed the chassis of our laptops using durable metallic materials like aluminum or an alloy of magnesium and aluminum. Additionally, we've reinforced the hinges to help the machine withstand the wear and tear that comes with accidental bumps or drops.
One example of a rugged business laptop for outdoor work is the HP ZBook Firefly G10 Mobile Workstation. This model has undergone rigorous stress tests and has received MIL-STD 810H certifications, meaning you can safely use it even if it’s hot or cold outside without damaging its hardware.
If you happen to spill your coffee on it, there's no need to worry. We've equipped it with a spill-resistant keyboard that prevents liquids from seeping through and damaging essential components. Notably, it has a drainage hole that allows excess liquid to make its way through the gaps between the keys to safely exit the laptop without causing damage.
Long Battery Life and Power Efficiency
Ideally, you want a laptop capable of sustaining your workload for at least 10 hours on a single charge. This is because there is no guarantee that you’ll find a power outlet in outdoor workspaces. A laptop with a long battery life allows you to focus on being productive without the constant anxiety of finding a charging point.
Moreover, consider laptops equipped with fast charging capabilities that allow you to juice up to 50% of battery capacity in just 45 minutes. This feature can come in handy in busy outdoor environments with limited power access or when you're on the move and running low on charge.
Sometimes, you want to make the most of your time on long flights or trains by finishing work reports, preparing presentations, or learning new courses online. But it can be frustrating if you can't find a power outlet. That's where a laptop like the HP Dragonfly G4 Notebook PC comes into play. We've equipped it with a powerful 6-cell battery lasting over 18 hours on a single charge. With this laptop, you can stay productive without worrying about running out of power.
Additionally, we’ve included an Intel Core i5-1335 U-series processor in this laptop to make it super-efficient. These processors are designed to use less power while still providing good performance. So you can smoothly juggle multiple tasks with minimal downtime.
Outdoor-Readable Displays
Bright sunlight can make it difficult to see your screen clearly. Look for laptops with high brightness levels, preferably over 400 nits. Additionally, choose a screen with an anti-glare feature to reduce reflections and improve visibility in outdoor settings.
Ensure you don’t compromise screen quality if you want to use your laptop outdoors. This is because a display with low peak brightness levels can make text unclear without squinting, leading to eye strain.
Our team has designed the HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptop with peak brightness levels of 400 nits in standard dynamic range (SDR) mode and 500 nits in high dynamic range (HDR) mode. Whether working on a project or streaming shows, you’ll enjoy legible text and vivid colors that elevate your viewing experience.
We've built the screen with anti-reflection Corning® Gorilla® Glass NBT™ and Low Blue Light features to improve visibility and comfort. These features reduce glare and filter out harmful blue light, minimizing eye strain and fatigue even in bright outdoor settings. With these enhancements, you can stay productive outdoors for longer periods without discomfort, making our HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 laptop one of the best laptops for outdoor use.
Portability and Ergonomics
Nobody wants to lug around a heavy laptop. Pick one that's lightweight and easy to carry from place to place. A compact design will also make it easier to fit into your backpack.
Our HP Pavilion Aero 13 laptop is the perfect travel companion for those who need an ultraportable laptop that doesn’t compromise performance. It weighs less than 2.2 lbs, so you can effortlessly transition between working in your home office and backyard.
We’ve fitted it with a full-size backlit keyboard that is comfortable to use, as the keys have a good amount of travel. It also features a large and responsive touchpad that you can use to easily navigate through documents without needing an external mouse.
Summary
The best laptop for working outside should be tough enough to handle accidental bumps and drops, have a long-lasting battery, and be light enough to carry around easily. It should also have a screen that's easy to read in different lighting conditions.
Before you pick a laptop, think about where you'll be using it outside. Then, identify the standout feature, be it battery life, durability, visibility, or portability, and prioritize accordingly.
