When most people think of protecting their laptops, their first thought usually goes to software. You probably have installed the best antivirus and firewall software on the market to protect your machine from malicious attacks, but what about the physical part of it?
Imagine you quickly pack your bag one morning because you’re running a little late for work. You arrive ready to make an urgent presentation to your boss, only to open your bag and find that your laptop screen was broken during the commute. This is a risk you take when you do not take the safety of your laptop seriously.
For commuters particularly, daily travel with your laptop in a backpack is a high-risk business. We’re going to shed light on some of the best ways to ensure the safety of your laptop as you carry it around.
Table of Contents
Ways Your Laptop Could Get Damaged
Even the most powerful laptops can be quite delicate when it comes to the hardware. Potential damages your laptop could experience from travel include:
- Cracked screen- This is arguably the most common type of breakage. The screen could break if you accidentally close objects inside, or it could occur due to mishandling.
- Dropping- A drop from any height can potentially lead to physical damage.
- Too much shaking- Shaking a laptop can disorient the hard drive and other components, leading to costly repairs or replacement.
- Drinks- Do yourself a favor and never even think about putting your water in the same bag as your laptop. All it takes is one leaky seal and suddenly everything in your bag is soaked.
- Overheating- There’s a couple of things that can cause your laptop to overheat, but in this case, it will likely be from leaving your laptop on and the bag preventing your laptop from getting some much-needed ventilation.
- Weather- Too much sun could cause overheating and make the screen spill its ink, and rainwater could cause even worse problems.
Betting on a High-Quality Bag
If you’re using an unstructured tote bag, you run even higher risk of damaging your laptop during your commute. It goes without saying that investing in a high-quality backpack is pivotal to the safety of your laptop. There are many brands that claim to sell protective laptop bags, so you need to take your time to review the quality of your options. You want to look for a bag with excellent design that appeals to you without sacrificing your comfort. Some of the qualities we recommend looking for include:
- Made of high-quality materials like leather and polyester
- Reinforced with layers of foam and fabric to absorb impact in case of bumping or falls
- Thick padding at the base to protect your laptop by absorbing the shock when you are putting the bag down
- Pockets for storing laptop accessories such as chargers and USB cables. This is to make sure they are not pressing or stressing the machine.
- A laptop compartment inside with size-specific modifications to hold it firm
Depending on where and how often you’re traveling, you might feel more comfortable securing your laptop in a backpack that offers some anti-theft properties. Some of the qualities include:
- Hidden zipper to bar potential thieves from opening your bag from behind
- Hidden pockets to carry accessories and other valuables
- Lockable zippers either with a small padlock or a code
- RFID-protected pockets
- External USB port so you do not have to open your bag to charge a phone.
Whether you travel a lot or you have a long walk from your car to your work building, a waterproof bag is always a great idea because you won’t have to worry when it starts raining. If you want to go the extra mile, you could even look into a bag made of fire-resistant materials.
While the perfect laptop backpack could go a long way to ensuring safety for your machine, other factors are purely up to you.
When most people think of protecting their laptops, their first thought usually goes to software. You probably have installed the best antivirus and firewall software on the market to protect your machine from malicious attacks, but what about the physical part of it?
Imagine you quickly pack your bag one morning because you’re running a little late for work. You arrive ready to make an urgent presentation to your boss, only to open your bag and find that your laptop screen was broken during the commute. This is a risk you take when you do not take the safety of your laptop seriously.
For commuters particularly, daily travel with your laptop in a backpack is a high-risk business. We’re going to shed light on some of the best ways to ensure the safety of your laptop as you carry it around.
Ways Your Laptop Could Get Damaged
Even the most powerful laptops can be quite delicate when it comes to the hardware. Potential damages your laptop could experience from travel include:
- Cracked screen- This is arguably the most common type of breakage. The screen could break if you accidentally close objects inside, or it could occur due to mishandling.
- Dropping- A drop from any height can potentially lead to physical damage.
- Too much shaking- Shaking a laptop can disorient the hard drive and other components, leading to costly repairs or replacement.
- Drinks- Do yourself a favor and never even think about putting your water in the same bag as your laptop. All it takes is one leaky seal and suddenly everything in your bag is soaked.
- Overheating- There’s a couple of things that can cause your laptop to overheat, but in this case, it will likely be from leaving your laptop on and the bag preventing your laptop from getting some much-needed ventilation.
- Weather- Too much sun could cause overheating and make the screen spill its ink, and rainwater could cause even worse problems.
Betting on a High-Quality Bag
If you’re using an unstructured tote bag, you run even higher risk of damaging your laptop during your commute. It goes without saying that investing in a high-quality backpack is pivotal to the safety of your laptop. There are many brands that claim to sell protective laptop bags, so you need to take your time to review the quality of your options. You want to look for a bag with excellent design that appeals to you without sacrificing your comfort. Some of the qualities we recommend looking for include:
- Made of high-quality materials like leather and polyester
- Reinforced with layers of foam and fabric to absorb impact in case of bumping or falls
- Thick padding at the base to protect your laptop by absorbing the shock when you are putting the bag down
- Pockets for storing laptop accessories such as chargers and USB cables. This is to make sure they are not pressing or stressing the machine.
- A laptop compartment inside with size-specific modifications to hold it firm
Depending on where and how often you’re traveling, you might feel more comfortable securing your laptop in a backpack that offers some anti-theft properties. Some of the qualities include:
- Hidden zipper to bar potential thieves from opening your bag from behind
- Hidden pockets to carry accessories and other valuables
- Lockable zippers either with a small padlock or a code
- RFID-protected pockets
- External USB port so you do not have to open your bag to charge a phone.
Whether you travel a lot or you have a long walk from your car to your work building, a waterproof bag is always a great idea because you won’t have to worry when it starts raining. If you want to go the extra mile, you could even look into a bag made of fire-resistant materials.
While the perfect laptop backpack could go a long way to ensuring safety for your machine, other factors are purely up to you.
Always Keep the Laptop in its Compartment
Most laptop bags have a padded area that is designated for laptop placement. A 15-inch laptop may fit in that space, but you may still be able to fit a 17-inch laptop in other parts of the bag. Even if you can make that larger laptop work, don’t do it. Remember that the other sections of the bag are not explicitly designed to protect the laptop, so your laptop is at more risk if you aren’t using that laptop compartment properly.
Buying a TSA Checkpoint-Friendly Bag
Frequent travelers are at a greater risk of losing their laptops from damage, and understandably so. Once you pack your backpack at home, you should only unpack when you reach your destination or only when you need to. There is no point in packing, only to be halted by the security officers to remove everything in your bag for screening. In such an occurrence, and given the speed with which you are supposed to do it, your laptop could be prone to scratches or even breakages. It is also unlikely that you will reorganize your bag like before, which further poses a danger. Acquiring a TSA checkpoint-friendly backpack will eradicate this problem because the security personnel will scan without unpacking a single thing.
Handling the Backpack With Care
Having a great backpack from a reputable manufacturer is just one side of the coin. Even the best laptop bag is not going to be enough if you literally throw your backpack in your car or someone sits on it on the bus. Some of the things that amount to good handling are:
- Ensuring it does not drop to the floor or road
- Not stacking other items on top of it
- Storing it in places it won’t be stepped on if you put it close to your feet
- Remembering to leverage all your bag’s safety measures such as locking, strapping, and zipping
There is no good reason for shoving your laptop in the bag when it is still running. Shutting it down means you will be preserving battery life, at the very least. After shutting down the laptop, make sure you don’t forget to remove all accessories that were attached. If you leave flash drives and other dongles in their ports, they could snap off or damage the port. These accessories include everything from headphones and flash drives to mice and even your power cables.
Using Protective Sleeves
Of course, your backpack has padding, but if you are not comfortable enough, you can take it up a notch by putting the computer in a sleeve before carefully placing it in its backpack compartment. This is vital if your journey is particularly rough or involves passing through a crowded place. Laptop sleeves are usually padded and provide an extra layer of protection for your machine.
Insuring Your Laptop
However hard you might try to protect your laptop, sometimes the worst is inevitable. There could be an accident during your commute, or you could spill your morning coffee. If you are the kind that is traveling all the time, consider buying a travel insurance package. There are insurance companies that offer good plans for both local and international travel. They will help you with the cost of the damages or even cover the replacement and file recovery costs depending on the plan you choose.
Why Protect Your Laptop From the Inside
Now you have taken all the measures necessary to keep any kind of physical damage at bay. But what good will a laptop be if it is not protected from the inside? Something as simple as an outdated driver can cause problems you may not have time to address if you have a meeting first-thing at work. Some of the ways to maintain a laptop’s good health are:
- Setting a password to log in- this is an easy way to make sure no one gains access to your computer and your files without your approval.
- Encrypting your drive- this bolsters the password, so if a person tries to hack the hard disk, they will not succeed.
- Data backup- in case of damage or theft, you will be able to recover your files without any problems.
- Updating software- software companies release newer versions all the time. Keeping your computer updated will help you stay on top of the latest security measures while helping you achieve peak performance.
- Installing reputable antivirus software- antivirus and firewall programs protect the laptop from malicious attackers and virus software that could corrupt your files.
Your laptop is probably a critical element of what you do for a living. Even if you are a student, your laptop is sure to be the spot where you store all of your notes and assignments. You have a whole lot of information in there that you could potentially lose, not to mention the cost of repairs or even buying a new laptop. A damaged laptop can be a huge setback in more ways than one.
As such, you should do anything within your capacity to ensure its safety. A quality backpack is a primary measure for laptop safety, but you will have to do a lot more than that. Take these tips into consideration and be prepared for a safe and comfortable commute or vacation every time.
Katie Tejada is a writer, editor, and former HR professional occasionally working with companies such asTargus UK. She often covers the latest developments in business communication, innovation, and workplace technology.