When it comes to choosing a laptop for the military, there are several factors that you need to consider. You want something that's durable and can stand up to the rigors of your job but also needs to fit into your budget. Luckily, we've compiled a list of laptops that will do exactly that! This guide will help you find the best option for rugged laptops in the defense and military industry.
Panasonic Toughbook 40
- Model: Toughbook 40
- Display: 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080 - 7.4lb)
- Operating System: Windows 11 Pro
- Storage Size: 512 GB SSD - 2 TB
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7
- Memory: 16 GB - 64 GB
- Camera: Yes
- Touchscreen: Glove Touch, Pen, Stylus Pen
- Keyboard: Backlit Emissive
- Condition: New
- Warranty: 3 Year Standard
- Sale Price: Starting at $4300.00
The Panasonic Toughbook 40 is a lightweight, rugged laptop that offers military-grade durability and performance. The laptop is built to withstand extreme conditions and is MIL-STD 810G certified. It has a 14" HD display with an anti-glare coating.
The Toughbook 40 features an Intel Core i5/i7 processor and up to 64GB of RAM, which makes it suitable for most business applications.
As the duties of defense and security professionals become more diverse, they need a mobile IT solution that can keep up with their growing demands. But imagine a rugged laptop that you can easily configure in the field—one minute it’s an encryption machine, and the next minute its smart card reader is configured for border control. Want to allow multiple users to login securely on the same device? It's easy.
Toughbook 40 is primarily used for security and defense applications, including foot soldiers and vehicle-based uses. It can also be used in diagnostics maintenance training when applied to vehicles. Police and border control officials can use the device to help them do their jobs, for example by routing cars or identifying numbers on a license plate.
Panasonic Toughbook 54
- Model: Toughbook 54
- Display: 14-inch HD screen(1366 x 768 2lb)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Storage Size: Starting 256 GB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i5-7300U 2.60GHz vPro Boost
- Memory: Starting 16 GB
- Keyboard: Emissive Backlit Keyboard
- Condition: Refurbished
- Sale Price: Starting $1,359.00
The Panasonic Toughbook 54 is a rugged laptop that is designed for military use. It has a spill-resistant keyboard and a touchscreen display, as well as an Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM.
The Toughbook 54 also comes with an array of ports, including two USB 3.0 ports, an HDMI port, a Contactless SmartCard reader and an Ethernet port.
The Toughbook 54 is available in two different configurations. The basic model comes with an Intel Core i5 processor with the ability to customize all other specs like memory, storage, display type, add-ons, expansions, 4G LTE and more. You can also upgrade to an Intel Core i7 processor if they prefer more power or need the extra speed for their work.
Dell Latitude Rugged 5420
- Model: Latitude 5420
- Dimensions: 14-inch FHD screen(1920 x 1080)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Storage Size: 256 GB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i5-8350U 1.70GHz
- Memory: 16 GB
- Keyboard: Standard Keyboard
- Condition: Certified Refurbished
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Price: $
2,200.00 - Sale Price: $1,759.00
Dell Latitude Rugged 5420 is a military grade laptop. It is designed for rugged use in harsh conditions, so it can be a good choice if you need to take your laptop with you while traveling in extreme environments that are not suitable for other laptops.
For example, if you have to travel by land or sea or through rough terrain without an aircraft carrier or some kind of submarine, this might be the best option for you. It also has many other features that make it suitable for military use:
- Military Specification (MIL-SPEC) tested to withstand temperatures as low as -4°F (-20°C) and as high as 140° F (60°C).
- IEC 60529 ingress protection (dust-tight, protection against pressurized water
- Optional fingerprint reader
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 31
- Model: Toughbook 31
- Display: 13.1-inch HD screen(1366 x 768)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Memory: 8/16 GB
- Keyboard: Emissive Backlit Keyboard
- Camera: No
- Touchscreen: Yes
- Condition: Refurbished
- Warranty: 90 days - Two Years
- Sale Price: Starting $899.00
The Panasonic Toughbook 31 laptop is a rugged-built unit that can withstand the rigors of military life. It has an Intel Core i5-5300U processor and 512GB SSD, which provide enough power for most everyday tasks.
The 13.1" display may be small but it's still clear and bright enough to use outdoors, as well as indoors with its backlit keyboard. The unit also features 16GB RAM, which makes multi-tasking easy even when running several applications at once.
It comes with Windows 10 Pro pre-loaded to ensure optimal performance while ensuring compatibility with government software such as Adobe Reader or Microsoft Office (which you'll need if you're doing any work related).
The TOUGHBOOK 31 also boasts up to 12 hours of battery life—just enough juice for a full day on the go!
Read the full review on Toughbook 31 here.
Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 MK2
- Model: Toughbook 55 (MK 2)
- Display: 14-inch HD screen(1366 x 768)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Storage Size: 512 GB SSD - 2 TB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i5 or Intel Core i7
- Memory: 16 GB - 64 GB
- Keyboard: Emissive Backlit Keyboard
- Camera: 1080p webcam
- Condition: New
- Warranty: Three Years
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Price:
$2,695.99 - Sale Price: $2,359.91
The Panasonic Toughbook 55 is a semi-rugged laptop with a 14-inch display and an 11th generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, 3.1 pounds and ruggedized for harsh environments.
This laptop also includes military-grade drop protection to protect the device from damage if it were to fall during use.
This Toughbook 55 also includes a 1080p webcam, an emissive backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader and a 60Wh battery that can last up to 20 hours. This laptop is available in silver/black and comes with three years of warranty coverage.
The semi-rugged Toughbook also features a MIL-STD-810H certification. This means it stands a 3" drop, sand, vibration, dust, cold and heat temperatures. Also IP53 certified and STM D4169-16 certified, spill-resistant keyboard, magnesium alloy case, and storage drive heater.
Dell Latitude Rugged 5430
- Model: Latitude 5430
- Display: 14-inch touch or non-touch (1920 x 1080)
- Operating System: Windows 10 Pro
- Storage Size: 256/512/1TB SSD
- Processor: Intel Core i5-1135G7
- Memory: 8/16/32 GB
- Keyboard: Non-Backlit Sealed Internal Keyboard
- Camera: RGB Front Camera
- Condition: New (Open Box)
- Warranty: Two Years (2025)
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Price:
$2,699.00 - Sale Price: Starting $1,499.00
Dell's Latitude 5430 Rugged laptop has been specifically designed for military users , who have particularly high demands on their laptops. It's built to withstand extreme temperatures and rough treatment, and is certified to meet the MIL-STD-810G standard for durability. The 5430 has a spill-resistant keyboard, magnesium alloy case, storage drive heater, and shock mounted hard drive.
If you need a laptop that can withstand being dropped and is waterproof, then the Dell Latitude Rugged 5430 is for you. It has an Intel Core i5 processor, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD, 14-inch full HD display (1920 x 1080), Intel Iris Xe Graphics and a RGB front webcam.
Due to it's high demand, Latitude 5430 laptops are hard to find. For more information click the button below.
What Does Military Grade Mean?
Military-grade laptops are designed to meet the US Military Standard 810F, which means they've been tested to withstand extreme temperatures, humidity, shock and vibration. They're also built to be durable—so they can stand up to military use.
What laptops do the US military use?
The Toughbook line of Panasonic laptops is recognized around the world as a leader in rugged computing for the military. These devices are used by military and police personnel, firefighters, construction workers—and other people who work in tough environments.
The US Military has a long history of using Panasonic Toughbook laptops. Some of the laptops that the US military uses are the Panasonic Toughbook CF-54, and the Panasonic Toughbook CF-31. These ruggedized laptops are bigger and heavier than typical consumer models due to shock-protection measures in their design (often rubber casing).
To enhance the operating time of their devices, manufacturers use batteries that are larger than normal—a necessary requirement in rugged laptops since people who need them are often far from wall outlets for long periods.
The Dell Latitude Rugged 5420 is another popular choice for military personnel. This laptop comes with a 14-inch display and can be purchased with up to an Intel Core i5 processor and 512 GB of storage space on the hard drive or solid state drive (SSD).
Some big name brands are Panasonic, Dell, Durabook, and Getac.
Should You Buy a Military Grade Laptop?
With all that said, you may be wondering whether a military-grade laptop is right for you. If you have a job that requires using computer equipment in situations where typical consumer electronics may not survive, then a military-grade laptop could be the right choice for you.
While these devices are more expensive than most, their protection features make them worth the money. As a general rule, military-grade equipment is designed to withstand harsh weather and rugged conditions longer than consumer products. It makes more sense to buy a rugged laptop that can withstand drops and survive in harsh conditions than to pay for repairs on consumer electronics.
Conclusion
So there you have it! These are ten great laptops for military use. Of course, there are many more options out there and if you find one that’s right for your needs we would love to hear about it!
