The best rugged laptops of 2018: we test drop-proof laptops for working outside

If you’re looking for a laptop that can handle everything that happens in your crazy life, you’ve come to the right place. The best rugged laptops can handle drops, knocks and extreme temperatures. And, we didn’t just rank the best rugged laptops here, but we also included our exclusive price comparison tool, so you know you’re getting the best deal.

The best rugged laptops have solidly-built bodies that can withstand drops, or even pressure being placed on it – like if something heavy falls on top of it. It should also ideally protect against liquid, dust and extremely high and low temperatures.

While rugged built quality is important, the actual laptop features should not be forgotten, so we're also looking for the best rugged laptops that feature powerful components as well.

So, if you work on a busy work site, or often use your laptop while travelling, then buying the best rugged laptop for your needs is essential, so read on to find our top picks for 2018.

Check out our overall list of the best laptop 2018

The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is easily the best rugged laptop you can buy today, and while it’s been around for a while now, this is still a fantastically designed rugged laptop that meets military standard (MIL-STD) requirements. It has a rigid magnesium alloy build, shock-absorbent case, is IP65 certified against dust, sand and water, and can even withstand extreme temperatures. It also has some pretty beefy internals as well, and like other Dell laptops, you’ll be able to customise the Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme so that it runs on the best components for your needs. If the Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is a bit overboard for your needs, you may find the next laptop on our list more to your liking.

Dell is another big name laptop maker that also does some excellent rugged laptops. The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged is a fantastic machine that combines a tough outer shell with some very decent specifications, included a fast Intel Core i5 processor and a dedicated AMD Radeon graphics card. The screen looks great and it comes with a matte finish, which makes it comfortable to use outdoors - which is probably where you will be mostly using the Dell Latitude 14 Rugged. It's the less...well, 'extreme'... version of the Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme which sits at the top of our list of the best rugged laptops.

Panasonic Toughbook CF-33 is a very unique device, as it is a 2-in-1 laptop, which can have its keyboard removed to become a rugged tablet. This gives it a flexibility that many of the other devices on this best rugged laptops list miss out on. If you need something to easily carry while you do stock takes and jot down notes, then the Panasonic Toughbook CF-33's tablet mode works brilliantly. Then, if you need to write documents, turning it back into a laptop allows you to comfortably type away. You do pay a price premium for this, and at $3,649 (about £2,800, AU$4,900) starting cost , it is one of the most expensive devices on our list. At the moment it is only out in the US, but hopefully we'll see worldwide availability soon.

At first glance you'd think that the HP ProBook x360 11 G1 EE Notebook PC is just an ordinary laptop, rather than a rugged one. However, it actually falls somewhere between the two. While it isn't designed for big drops and dangerous environments, it is built to withstand more knocks, drops and spillages than normal laptops. This is thanks to an industrial rubberised body, spill resistant keyboard and Corning Gorilla Glass 4 screen. While it may not be as robust as other rugged laptops, it is easily portable, and the screen can be flipped to turn it into tablet mode.

The Lenovo ThinkPad 11e, like the HP ProBook x360 11 G1 EE, is more of a standard laptop with rugged elements to it. However, Lenovo has put a lot of thought into the construction of this machine, so it includes reinforced corners and ports, and can withstand drops of up to 90cm. It has also passed military specifications that ensures that this is a laptop that can withstand a lot of punishment, including high pressure, vibrations, high and low temperatures and a lot more. It's also modestly priced, while still offering plenty of power for day-to-day tasks.