Who's tougher, Dwayne Johnson or Jason Statham? The answer (obviously, Chuck Norris) is about as inconclusive as advertisements for laptops with vague, overlapping descriptions like "semi-rugged," "fully rugged," and "business-rugged." But the need for notebooks (and tablets) that can take a licking and keep on clicking is very real.

Let's be clear right up front about one thing: When PCMag refers to "rugged laptops," we're not talking to business travelers worried about a little turbulence knock-about in an airline overhead compartment. Really rugged laptops are vertical-market dwellers, designed for work in the field or on factory floors. They may be carried by first responders or military personnel, or get mounted on police-car dashboards. They may have to survive being rained on or dropped six feet onto a hard surface, or work through freezing or broiling temperatures, or keep from getting clogged up by clouds of blowing dust or sand.

What's the price you pay for such super-sturdy survivability? One is, indeed, the literal price: Rugged laptops cost a lot more than their civilian counterparts. Two, the weight: A laptop with virtual armor plating can test your biceps to the tune of 10 pounds, an immense burden compared to the three or four pounds of most laptops. That's why many of the true-blue rugged models come with pop-out carrying handles.

Time to look at some tougher-than-average laptops and convertibles! The models below are some of our favorites. Let's look at the pros and cons of each one, before getting into a few more details you need to know before you buy a rugged laptop.

Panasonic Toughbook 40

Pros	Cons
+ Nearly invincible and invulnerable	- Big and heavy
+ Many modular options	- Pentagon-style price tag
+ Epic runtime with second battery	- WiFi 6, not 6E
+ Keyboard and touchpad don't require brute force
+ High-resolution webcam

Why We Picked It

Ordinary notebooks may face a bit of turbulence in the overhead bin, but rugged laptops are carried into harm's way by first responders and combat troops. They're designed to be dropped onto rocks and used in freezing rain, to shrug off abuse that would pulverize your average MacBook or ThinkPad. They're bulky, heavy, and expensive. And they have a new champion: the Panasonic Toughbook 40 (starts at $4,899), an almost indestructible, ultra-customizable 14-inch armored data carrier that replaces the 13.3-inch Getac B360 as our Editors' Choice winner among fully rugged laptops.

Getac B360

Pros	Cons
+ Fully rugged without being a hulk	- Wobbly keyboard
+ Bright, full HD touch display	- Tiny touchpad
+ Dual, hot-swappable batteries	- Stylus garage on less intuitive (left) side for most users
+ Secure port covers and garaged stylus
+ Quiet operation
+ Accidental damage included in 3-year warranty

The Bottom Line:

The Getac B360 is a winner among rugged laptops for providing full protection in a relatively compact package, a display that works indoors and out, hot-swappable batteries, and a best-in-class warranty.

Why We Picked It

The trade-off with any laptop built for extreme conditions in the field is ruggedness versus usability, where you are forced to sacrifice practicality or performance for the ability to survive extreme environmental hazards. With myriad MIL-STD and waterproof certifications, the $3,499 Getac B360 is a rugged laptop that provides ample protection for first responders, military personnel, and other workers in the field—and does so without forcing you to lug around a huge slab of a system with a low-resolution display and outdated components. The 13.3-inch Getac is quite thin and light as rugged laptops go; its full HD, 1,400-nit display looks great indoors and out; and it boasts up-to-the-minute 10th Generation Intel silicon. You wouldn't want to write the great American novel on its keyboard, but the Getac B360 takes on Dell's Latitude Extremes and Panasonic's Toughbooks with a strong effort. It wins an Editors' Choice award for offering modern components and connectivity inside a fully rugged, relatively svelte package.

Durabook S15AB

Pros	Cons
+ Large-screened and rugged	- Pale, non-touch screen
+ Affordably priced	- No built-in biometrics or Thunderbolt 3 port
+ Comfortable keyboard	- Audible cooling fan
+ Up to three storage drives
+ Excellent connectivity, including optional WWAN
+ 3-year warranty

Why We Picked It

Durabook's S15AB (about $1,614 street) is one of the few large-screened notebooks with rugged features. While not waterproof, this 15.6-incher's aluminum-magnesium chassis, IP5X dust protection, three-foot drop rating, and military-grade certifications make it far better suited for the rough and tumble than normal laptops. Excellent connectivity, optional WWAN mobile broadband, space for three storage drives, and a swappable battery make it an asset in the field. A noisy cooling fan and a so-so screen hold it back, but its affordable price (for a ruggedized system, anyway) helps bridge the gap. Unless you need the protection of a fully rugged notebook, this Durabook offers an attractive harmony between durability and practicality.

Panasonic Toughbook 33 (2021)

Pros	Cons
+ Shrugs off abuse that would shatter ordinary 2-in-1s	- Expensive and heavy
+ Plenty of ports	- Lackluster battery life with standard cells in test unit
+ Super-bright touch screen for outdoor visibility	- Optional long-life cells add bulk
+ First-class webcam	- Tiny touchpad, designed for gloved use, can balk at bare fingers

Why We Picked It

We've recently praised several mainstream laptops, such as the HP Spectre x360 14 and the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, for having screens with a taller 3:2 rather than 16:9 aspect ratio, requiring less scrolling of text and web pages. The Panasonic Toughbook 33 (starts at $3,599; $5,187 as tested) featured a 3:2 display at its debut back in 2017, not only for data viewing but to reduce the risk of its width blocking a police car's dashboard airbag. That kind of design detail tells you something: This specialized PC is made for very specific types of in-the-world deployment.

Panasonic's newly refreshed detachable 2-in-1 is a formidable example of a rugged laptop, built to survive in harm's way in the field, riding around in cars, or on factory floors. It's ponderous and pricey, but a well-nigh indestructible solution that goes toe to toe with last year's Dell Latitude 7220 Rugged Extreme Tablet. The Dell model's considerably lower cost and better battery life preserve its Editors' Choice award, but it's a near thing.

Panasonic Toughbook 55 (2021)

Pros	Cons
+ Components are easy to swap out (including hot-swap batteries)	- Pricey
+ Bright 1,000-nit touch screen with 1080p webcam	- Touchpad feels cramped
+ Comfortable keyboard
+ Reasonably compact for a rugged laptop
+ Built-in stylus
+ Intel vPro support

Why We Picked It

The first time you use a Panasonic Toughbook, you might be simultaneously impressed and disappointed. These legendary rugged laptops ooze durability, from their rock-solid display hinges to the physical doors that protect all of the ports from water and debris. But many also use dim, low-resolution screens and enormous chassis that make them look laughably retro, like you’ve just opened a laptop from the mid-1990s. The Toughbook 55 Mk2 (starts at $2,524; $3,104 as tested) combats the latter problem with a modern, lightweight chassis and the latest components, many of which can be swapped out in the field. It’s not the most rugged design on the market, but it is one of the most user-friendly laptops to bear the Toughbook name.

Dell Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme Tablet

Pros	Cons
+ Very bright, polarized screen	- Keyboard cover is a pricey extra
+ Long-lasting batteries are hot-swappable	- Unreaponsive touchpad
+ Extensive selection of accessories

Why We Picked It

Thick cloud cover, heavy rain, and blustery wind are commmonplace in New York City in January. These truly miserable midwinter days are ideal for testing the Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme Tablet (starts at $1,909; $2,687.02 as tested). Dell claims that this detachable Windows tablet is equally at home in blinding sunlight, driving snow, extreme heat, biting cold, and pretty much anything else nature can dish out. Even better, the tablet's rugged enclosure protects pleasingly capable components, including a surprisingly bright full HD touch screen and hot-swappable batteries. And considering that rugged competitors from the likes of Panasonic and Getac fetch serious premiums, the whole package is suprisingly affordable. That makes the Dell Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme our new Editors' Choice rugged laptop.

Panasonic Toughbook G2

Pros	Cons
+ Not technically indestructible, but not far from it	- Expensive and heavy
+ A varitry of expansion modules and vehicle docks available	- Screen is squinty-small for its high resolution
+ Great battery life	- Balky touchpad

Why We Picked It

At 10.1 inches, the Panasonic Toughbook G2 ($2,999 alone; $3,594 with keyboard) is considerably smaller than most other Windows tablets like the 12.3-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 7 or Lenovo ThinkPad X12 Detachable, yet it's much heavier at 2.9 pounds. On the other hand, try taking one of those tablets out in pouring rain or dropping it from shoulder height, and you'll be sorry. With its detachable keyboard, the G2 qualifies as a rugged laptop for first responders and field workers, able to shrug off tremendous abuse. It can also be fitted with optional modules—Panasonic cites 36 possible combinations—ranging from a barcode reader to a thermal camera that lets firefighters find hidden hotspots in a smoldering structure. It just misses Editors' Choice honors, partly because we think its 12-inch Toughbook 33 sibling is easier to read, but it's a formidable ally for soldiers, police, and emergency crews headed into harm's way.

Getac F110 (2022)

Pros	Cons
+ Fully rugged, with IP66 rating	- Expensive
+ Optional keyboard is as rugged as the tablet	- Heavy
+ Bright touch screen that's usable with gloves

Why We Picked It

Forget the old Timex watch that “takes a licking and keeps on ticking”—how about a versatile Windows tablet that keeps on running, despite a drubbing? That would be an appropriate motto for the sixth-generation Getac F110, a 2-in-1 rugged laptop with an optional detachable keyboard. (Models start at $2,579; our test sample is $4,954.) This is not an everyday approach to tablet computing—the F110 is armored to the gills, with a price to match. Granted, the high price is for a fully loaded system with the keyboard and two high-capacity batteries. But if you’re going for a tablet that can take the kind of abuse the F110 can, you’re going to have to pay for the privilege. It's an excellent alternative to the less expensive but otherwise similar Panasonic Toughbook G2.

Durabook S14I

Pros	Cons
+ Shrugs off abuse that would smash most laptops	- Pricey
+ Brilliant 1080p touch screen	- Slightly awkward keyboard, and balky touchpad
+ Highly configurable	- Weak audio
+ Peppy 11th Gen Core i7 CPU	- Disappointing battery life

Why We Picked It

Buyers of rugged laptops, sturdy systems designed to be bolted to first responders' dashboards or dropped onto rocky ground, make a distinction between "semi-rugged" and "fully rugged" notebooks—machines rated to survive a fall of three feet versus six feet, say, or pouring rain versus a high-pressure hose. Its maker calls the Durabook S14I ($3,004 as tested) "one step above semi-rugged," meaning it's not the most bulletproof laptop you can buy, but it's still formidably tough, versatile, and well-equipped. The S14I hits a sweet spot for users whose work takes them (and their gear) into harm's way. The only thing keeping it from an Editors' Choice award is its mediocre battery life. You'll definitely want to fill its modular bay with the available second battery pack instead of the DVD drive found in our test unit.

Getac S410 G4

Pros	Cons
+ Survives more falls and hits than a Hollywood stuntman	- Heavy
+ Many config options, including barcode reader and triple battery	- Gets expensive fast
+ Plenty of ports	+ Screen favors brightness over color accuracy

The Bottom Line:

Go ahead and beat up Getac's S410 G4. Field and factory workers and first responders will find this semi-rugged laptop almost indestructible.

Why We Picked It

Panasonic's Toughbooks are arguably better known, but Getac has been making rugged laptops since the early 1990s. The S410 G4 (starts at $1,599; $3,695 as tested) is the fourth generation of its 14-inch semi-rugged notebook, rated to survive a three-foot drop and with IP53 ingress protection that means it's proof against dust, rain, and sprays of water (though not pressurized jets or immersion). Its operating (not storage) temperature range is -20 to 145 degrees F, and the configuration options include a barcode reader and three batteries. Fully loaded models cost a fortune, but if you're heading into harm's way, the S410 G4 has got your back.

Business Table Stakes: MIL-STD 810G

Before we get into brawny machines that can survive six-foot drops and jets of water, we must acknowledge that not all mainstream notebooks are frail and fragile. Some Lenovo ThinkPads, HP EliteBooks, and other business systems are reasonably resistant to bumps and bruises, though they can't survive high dives or liquids in excess of minor keyboard spills. Even some Chromebooks carry the same designation as these hardy travelers—MIL-STD 810G, which indicates compliance with a series of tests required for the US Department of Defense to consider using a piece of equipment in a military setting.

The MIL-STD 810G standard spans over 800 pages and nearly 30 laboratory test methods for challenges ranging from weather (high and low temperatures, rain, and humidity) to physical forces (acceleration, vibration, and shock). Few computer vendors push their products over every hurdle that the standard posits, including such tortures as gunfire-recoil shock, icing or freezing rain, whether a laptop might spark an explosion in flammable-gas atmospheres, and—wait for it—resistance to fungus. Rather, the manufacturer may note that the system has passed, say, 10 or 12 MIL-STD tests.

The trouble with a MIL-STD 810G sticker on a laptop's box or a vendor's website is that it doesn't tell you enough. Because no independent agency certifies MIL-STD compliance, it's up to you to look for documentation or details of which tests a product passed, who conducted the tests—the manufacturer, or an outside lab—and how the tests were performed. For example, since users are prone to drop laptops, certification for shock is a popular claim. But there's no rule about what height to drop a device from.

Does this make the certification useless? Not at all. Just think of it as a checklist item or the first thing to look for, rather than a guarantee of bulletproof reliability, and be aware that you need to read the fine print.

Braving the Elements: IP Ratings

A more stringent abbreviation seen on seriously sturdy laptops is a code such as "IP65." The IP stands for "ingress protection"—the ability to keep solids or liquids out of the machine's vulnerable innards. This rating is measured numerically, rather than by general terms such as "dustproof" or "water-resistant."

You can read our primer on IP and MIL-STD ratings for full details, but here's IP in a nutshell. The first digit after the letters "IP" denotes safety against solids, on a scale of 0 to 6. The number 2 means you can't stick your fingers into the device. The number 4 means the system is proof against objects larger than 1mm, such as most wires; 5 means some and 6 means complete protection against dust and sand.

The second digit after IP measures protection against liquids, this time on a scale of 0 to 9. A device rated 1 can resist a few vertical drips; 4 means splashing water and 5 means jets of water; and 7 and 8 refer to immersion in less than one meter, and in one to three meters, of water respectively. Unlike some smartphones, no laptop that we know of is safe to wholly submerge, so don't expect to see a liquids rating higher than 5.

A sure sign that a manufacturer is serious about an IP rating is sealed ports—doors that cover connectors such as USB ports and HDMI video outputs. Differences in these doors can contribute to differences in ratings: Those of the Dell Latitude 5424 Rugged, for instance, snap securely shut as part of the system's IP52 score...

The doors covering the Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme's ports, by contrast, are waterproof, with sliding lockable latches. That laptop's rating is IP65...

Assessing the Chassis

Other things to look for in a rugged laptop start at first sight—its outer case or chassis. Obviously, the thin plastic of many consumer models turns to shrapnel when faced with what rugged PCs go through, though it's amazing what a little reinforcement can do. For example, classroom-computer specialist CTL says the lid of its Chromebook NL61TX (supplanted since our review by the NL7X) can withstand the weight of a few books piled on it in a desk or backpack—can withstand, in fact, 365 pounds of pressure before the screen breaks.

More common chassis materials include magnesium or magnesium-aluminum alloys, with rubber or rubberized bumpers on a laptop's corners a popular protective measure against drops. The Dell Latitude 7424 mentioned earlier, for one, has a steel-reinforced security lock.

We've already discussed doors that cover ports, but as with any laptop, you should consider which ports you need. Machines built for duty on factory floors are among the last that still have RS-232 serial ports, often used for connection to legacy data-collection equipment. Others feature modular or swappable bays for storage drives or batteries, or slots for mobile-broadband SIM cards so you can go online when out in the field, away from Wi-Fi hotspots.

While you can't see them easily, many rugged laptops have specially shock-mounted components. It was a boon for the category when jolt-resistant solid-state drives (SSDs) replaced relatively delicate spinning hard drives, but some vendors go beyond that—the Panasonic Toughbook 31 actually has a heated SSD that keeps working in frigid temperatures.

Real Hands-On Issues: Factoring in Gloves and Rain

Virtually all laptop screens are good enough for work in your average office. Take one outside, however, and it's a whole different story.

Looking at a typical display panel in direct sunlight can render it invisible, without enough contrast to make out more than the palest ghost of an image. That's why many rugged laptops boast extra-bright displays, with 1,000 or more nits of brightness compared to the 200 to 400 of most indoors-optimized systems.

You'll also find reinforced glass to combat cracking or shattering, though you almost certainly won't find the 4K (3,840-by-2,160-pixel) resolution of conventional flagship laptops—rugged screens tend to peak at full HD or 1080p (1,920 by 1,080 pixels), with some settling for even lower, older resolutions such as 1,024 by 768.

On these laptops, note that touch screens are a special case. Most of today's touch-screen notebooks use capacitive technology, in which a near-transparent digitizing layer over the panel detects your finger via the electrical conductivity of your skin. Fine, but what if you're wearing gloves? Oops—capacitive tech doesn't work. The solution is resistive touch-screen design, in which—with a slightly harder push from you—the top layer flexes to close a circuit with another layer beneath it.

The same goes for the touchpads located in laptops' palm rests. Capacitive pads are no good if you're wearing gloves or if it's raining, whereas a two-layer resistive touchpad can track in wet or adverse conditions. On the minus side, you may discover that a resistive pad requires so much pressure that it feels clumsy with a dry, bare finger.

I mentioned that many business systems have spill-resistant keyboards and drainage holes in their bottoms to save your bacon if you spill a few ounces of water, so it's no surprise that rugged keyboards are designed not to drown with even greater amounts. Depending on the weather where you work, some manufacturers offer a choice of keyboards built for wet or wetter conditions, the latter with rubberized or coated keys that sacrifice a little typing feel to provide extra protection.

So, Which Rugged Laptop Should I Buy?

Time to look at some tougher-than-average laptops and convertibles! The models below are some of our favorites. At a minimum, they've passed MIL-STD tests; at the maximum, they're the next best thing to bulletproof. We'll refresh this guide as we review additional true-rugged systems.

Thanks for reading, and let's be careful out there.

• The Best For Touch-Screen Use
  Dell Latitude 7212 Rugged Extreme Tablet
  $1,956.38 at Dell Technologies

  See It
• The Best For Vehicle Mounting
  Panasonic Toughbook 33
  $3,499.99 at Amazon

  See It
• The Best For Swappable Components
  Panasonic Toughbook 55
  $2,689.00 at Amazon

  See It
• The Best For Use in Direct Sunlight
  Dell Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme
  $3,499.00 at Dell Technologies

  See It
• The Best For Field and Factory-Floor Workers
  Durabook S15AB
  $1,614.05 at Amazon

  See It
• The Best For Withstanding Shocks, Water Jets
  Panasonic Toughbook 31
  $2,800.00 at Amazon

  See It
• The Best For Ruggedization in a Light(er) Chassis
  Dell Latitude 5424 Rugged
  $1,459.00 at Dell Technologies

  See It