Durabook S14I: Tough Semi-Rugged Laptop

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.

- ERIC GREVSTAD

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.

MAY EXPERIENCE SOME TURBULENCE

The Durabook S14I (technically S14I-G2, to differentiate it from a predecessor with 8th Generation instead of 11th Generation Intel processors) is built to withstand a drop of four feet, one foot more than two rival 14-inch laptops for field workers, the Dell Latitude 5424 Rugged and the Panasonic Toughbook 55. Its IP53 ingress protection rating means it’s secure against dust and sprays of water but not against pressurized jets or immersion.

As you’d expect, it’s no ultraportable—its aluminum-magnesium alloy chassis weighs 5.07 pounds, a bit more than the 4.6-pound Panasonic but noticeably less than the 6.8-pound Dell (and far less than the 8.5 pounds of the latter’s six-foot-droppable sibling, the Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme). At 1.5 by 13.8 by 11.1 inches, it’s bulkier than the less well-armored and much less costly Acer Enduro N3 (0.98 by 13.8 by 9.7 inches), closer to the Toughbook 55 (1.3 by 13.6 by 10.7 inches).

Durabook S14I

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