• Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme — for outdoor adventures and construction sites
• Update: Dell has released the Latitude 5424 — an updated ruggedized Latitude laptop
• Lenovo Thinkpad 11e — a ruggedized business laptop
• Panasonica Toughbook CF-33 — a ruggedized outdoor laptop

A Laptop For Outdoor and Work Environments: Dell Latitude 14

If you need a laptop that can survive construction sites and industrial environmental hazards, go for the Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme.  It is fortified by a magnesium alloy backbone and is compression-sealed.

The Latitude Rugged Extreme stands up to MIL-STD-810G testing. That means it can withstand Transit drop (72”,60”,48”; single unit; 78 drops), operating drop (36”), blowing rain, blowing dust, blowing sand, vibration, functional shock, humidity, salt fog (optional with rubberized keyboard), altitude, explosive atmosphere, solar radiation, thermal extremes, thermal shock, freeze/thaw, tactical standby to operational.

It has an operating thermal range of -20°F to 145°F and has ANSI/ISA.12.12.01 hazardous location certification, so it can be used in pretty much any environment on earth.

The Dell Latitude 14 Rugged Extreme is available from Amazon.

A Ruggedized Business Laptop: ThinkPad 11e

Lenovo’s Lenovo Thinkpad 11e has carbon-fiber frame lid, magnesium body and stainless steel hinges. The hinges are both flexible and durable, lasting longer than any other on the market. The Thinkpad 11e meets MIL-SPEC standards in 11 categories: high pressure, humidity, vibration, high temperature, temperature shock, low pressure (15,000 ft), low temperature, solar radiation, fungus, salt fog, and dust.

The Thinkpad 11e also features a spill-proof ergonomic keyboard. ThinkPads are renown for their comfortable keyboards, so they are great for extended typing. A backlit keyboard is also available.

Lenovo’s Thinkpad 11e is available from Amazon.

Brightest Bike Light: Niterider Pro 3600 Lumen Light

The Niterider 3600 Pro is a 3600 lumen light made in the USA. This light has two chambers, and each chamber contains three Cree XML LED bulbs.

Niterider have a great reputation, and I’ve found their lights to be very durable — they’ve survived a few falls onto pavement from my bike.

This light is very bright and projects a wide beam hundreds of feet. A unique feature of this light is the included DIY software, which allows you to customize the settings it to your needs.

Brightest Bike Light With Built In Battery

Note that the light’s beam is just too bright to use in an urban area, unless you greatly step down the intensity! If you feel you’ll be doing this, you might consider the 1800 Lumen Niterider or the 1200 lumen Niterider.

The Brightest Keychain Flashlight: Titan Plus

I received this flashlight, and it’s very bright and solidly constructed. I personally carry this light on my keychain. But others might find it too large — if this is the case, I would recommend the compact ThruNite Ti3 (see below).

All Surefire flashlights are designed and built in the USA, although some components are still sourced outside the US. The company says:

We do import a few components – most notably, the finest light emitting diodes (LEDs) from top-notch manufacturers outside the country – to incorporate into our products. All of that said, we do rely on as many American-made parts and components as possible, and the assembly of these components is done under our watchful eye in the U.S. to ensure optimal quality.

The Titan Plus is available from Amazon for about $90.

The Brightest Compact Keychain Light: ThruNight Ti3

The brightest compact keychain flashlight, the ThruNite Ti3 shines with 120 lumens in its highest mode. This is a very small light — it’s only 2.76 inches (70mm) in length. Its body is a titanium alloy, and at 0.56 ounces (16 grams) — this makes it one of the lightest keychain lights.

The ThruNite Ti3 uses just one AAA battery and costs about $13. It’s fully IPX-8 waterproof — it can be submerged up to 2 meters.

Here is the ThruNite Ti3 in action on its highest mode:

Personally, it’s all the light I need to travel through the forest at night.

One negative for me — when the Ti3 is first turned on, it starts in “firefly” mode (.5 lumens), and it requires a couple of more twists to get it to”medium” mode (12 lumens). However, if you keep the light off between 2 to 10 seconds and then turn it on, the light will turn on in the last mode accessed, thankfully.

The ThruNite Ti3 is available at Amazon for around $14.

Panasonic’s Eneloop Pro AA Batteries.

These are made with Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) chemistry and have low standard discharge, meaning they can hold a charge for years.

AmazonBasics AA High-Capacity Rechargeable Batteries are a reliable low-cost alternative. They are about 30% cheaper than Panasonic cells, but last only 75% as long per charge.

The Details

Panasonic eneloop pro batteries are high-capacity lower-cycle AA battery popular with electronics reviewers and photography enthusiasts. First launched back in 2006, Sanyo eneloop batteries (since acquired by Panasonic) use eco-friendly NiMH cells designed for use with a wide-variety of products, ranging from flashlights to cameras. Up until the eneloop’s debut, rechargeable batteries were prohibitively expensive and couldn’t hold a charge for anywhere near the length of their alkaline competitors.

Eneloop changed that, but still lacked a little when compared to alkaline batteries or newer competitors. Panasonic’s upgraded option, eneloop pro, can maintain a charge for an extended period of time, with a capacity of 2,550 mAh and Low Self Discharge (LSD) technology. LSD tech is thanks to a highly-durable super lattice alloy that prolongs battery life with increased hydrogen stability that leads a stable voltage output and reduced self-discharge. Expect an eneloop pro to still have 85% of its charge after a year and 70% of its charge for ten years.

What really sets eneloop pro apart is the increased performance in high drain devices, such as DSLR cameras and ultra-bright flashlights. Eneloop pro lasts longer and omits more power in these high power consumption devices when compared to similar NiMH rechargeable batteries on the market. Simply put, these are the best choice for photographers and survivalists.

The added power comes at a payoff, however. Eneloop Pro batteries are among the most expensive NiMH batteries on the market, and last for fewer lifetime charges. Panasonic estimates that an eneloop pro can be recharged 500 times, but number is even lower in reality. Compare that to Powerex’s Imedion AA, which boast 1000 recharges.

Another Option

AmazonBasics offers pre-charged high-capacity NiMH batteries for an affordable price. They are rated at 2400mAh, giving them a longer run-time than similarly priced competitors. They are ideal for everyday uses in low drain devices, like TV remotes and electronic alarm clocks.

Wirecutter found that AmazonBasics did not perform as well in high power devices, such as flashlights and digital cameras.

HooToo updated its popular line of iPhone flash drives earlier this summer to incorporate the speed of USB 3.0 and improve design. The HT-IM003 model is housed in a durable aluminum alloy case and wins out in terms of functionality and design.

It’s slim, sleek, and sturdy. It weighs just a quarter of an ounce and is about 2″ long. On one end sits the standard USB 3.0 drive, with the lightning end on the other. This time around the lightning connected is protected by a cap that is attached by a key-ring. The connector is extended by 4mm which is just enough to work around thick protective cases. That’s a pretty important function, as it’s a pain in the ass to take off a phone case every time you want to use your device.

USB drives are not known for their fast speeds. But USB 3.0 technology gives the HooToo a significant boost over previous models. The drive hits 80 MB/s read and 30 MB/s write speeds on USB 3.0, with some user benchmarks surpassing advertised speeds. That’s good enough to transfer a full HD movie in less than a minute. Unfortunately, lightning port speeds are still stuck in the dark ages, with top read speeds of 30 MB/s and write speeds of 10 MB/s. That means moving large amounts of data from your Apple device to the drive will take a while, but still much faster than uploading to the cloud or sending via email.

HooToo uses a free app called iPlugmate to work on your device. The app has a simple interface that automatically segregates your files based into pics, music, videos, etc. It supports most common file types, including wav, mp3, avi, mkv, doc, pdf, and ppt. You can stream your files directly from iPlugmate while it is attached, which frees up valuable storage on your device. The app lacks any security features, which is disappointing.

Best 2-in-1 iPhone USB Drive: RAVPower Charging Cable

HooToo just released the RAVPower Charging Cable, a 64GB external storage device that doubles as a charging device. It’s the perfect 2-in-1 plug-in for viewing high-usage content like HD videos and picture slideshows.

The RAVPower cable delivers transfers files at a similar clip to the External Storage stick. That means the USB 3.0 port gets 80 MB/s 30MB/s, while the lightning port chugs along at 30 MB/s read and 10 MB/s write. It also operates on the iPlugmate app, which lets you stream most common file types directly from the drive.

The design differs in a couple ways. First, the metal USB 3.0 and lightning ports are connected by a soft rubber cord. This 5 inch long device is flexible, with no unwieldy clip. While the design is convenient, both ports are uncapped. This opens the possibility of them snapping in a purse or briefcase, which is a disadvantage compared to the standard drive. But its functionality as a charger offsets this restriction.

The Details

USB Thumb Drives use flash memory to store and transfer data. These little guys have been around for awhile, and are a quick and effective means of transferring data. There are a couple factors to keep in mind when purchasing a USB thumb drive. The first is speed. The era of slow-as-molasses thumb drives is gone but not forgotten, and many of today’s USB 3.0 drives still leave something to be desired.

You also want a drive with encryption. The sad truth is that USB drives are easy to lose, especially if you use shared computers. Get a device that can encrypt your files so strangers can’t access them if they find your drive.

Finally, you want a durable device. While the exact level of ruggedness you want may vary, make sure to get a well constructed product that doesn’t overheat or jam up in a slide.

The Best Overall Thumb Drive: SanDisk Extreme CZ80 64GB

For the pasts few years, California-based SanDisk has produced the best USB 3.0 thumb drive. Their 64GB Extreme CZ80 is fast, affordable, and secure.

This drive delivers read and write speeds at a significantly faster clip than most competitors. SanDisk advertises read speeds up to 245MBs and write speeds of 190MBs, and user benchmarks confirm that these speeds are mostly accurate. This means you can transfer a full-length SD movie in about 10 seconds. That’s 50x faster than old USB 2.0 drives (and double the speed of many 3.0 drives). This drive is ideal for transferring large files, both due to its capacity and speed relative to other options on the market.

The drive also protects your files with AES 128-bit encryption and a secure access vault that works on both Macs and USB. It also includes RescuePRO data recovery software. The Extreme is made with durable plastic, not the most rugged USB drive on the market, but it is solidly constructed and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. It’s also not the most discrete, coming in at 2.8 inches long. But the speed and value of this device cannot be beat for most users.

The Fastest USB Thumb Drive: Lexar 128GB JumpDrive P20

USB drives get a bum rap for their slow speeds. Earlier models had read and write speeds in the low teens, while even many of today’s USB 3.0 drives take twice as long as an external hard drive. But the Lexar 128GB Jump Drive P20 delivers an impressive read/write speed of 400/270MBs. That speed is fast enough to transfer an HD movie in less than the time it takes a Netflix video to load and buffer.

The JumpDrive P20 is housed in a sturdy metal alloy case with a glossy black mirror finish. It’s a retractable drive, which made me suspicious at first, as retractable drives are prone to jamming or otherwise breaking. But the P20 slides along solidly (if not a little stiff) and is protected by a lock mechanism that keeps it safe when extended. At 25 grams, it has a nice heft to it. Lexar includes a limited lifetime warranty. I also like the 256-bit AES encryption via EncryptStickTM Lite software.

The main draw is the drive’s USB 3.0 capacity. This drive runs faster than many external HDDs. While it doesn’t touch SSD speeds, it gets the job done fast enough to be a viable option for large data transfers. Transfer 1000 photos in 1 minute 15 seconds or a full-length HD movie in 36 seconds.

The Most Secure USB Thumb Drive: Apricorn Aegis Secure

The Apricorn Aegis Secure Key is the perfect storage device for a small amount of data. There are two steps to protect your data. First, it requires you to enter a 7-15 digit code on an alphanumeric keyboard.

The second layer of security comes from 256-bit AES Military Grade Hardware Encryption. The Secure Key is tested by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and receives a FIPS 140-2 Level 3 cryptography specification. It doesn’t need any software or firmware to run. That means there’s no risk of a firmware hack. Finally, it protects against brute force attacks with a mechanism that deletes the encryption key if an incorrect PIN is entered too many times.

You can set up an Admin PIN as well as individual user PINs, so companies can recycle the keys if they are granted to new users. The keypad is powered by a battery and is convenient to use. It also resits dust and water ingress. The rest of the device is also solidly constructed in water-resistant aluminum casing. This version uses USB 2.0. A USB 3.0 version exists, but has a few issues (like overheating) that this version doesn’t have.

The Toughest Camera: Olympus TG-4

The Olympus TG-4 is a shockproof and freeze-resistant camera that will capture beautiful images in extreme environmental conditions. It works underwater, and can snap pictures in RAW with a wide-angle lens. See our full review.

The Toughest Tablet: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 8.0

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active 8.0 is a rugged water and dust resistant tablet that can survive in rough-and-tumble workplaces. Enjoy the vibrant colors and ultra-high resolution of Samsung’s flagship line of portable electronic secured in a MIL STD 810G rated anti-shock case. See our full review.

The Toughest Laptop: Panasonic Toughbook 31

The Toughbook 31 combines military quality drop-shock protection and best-in-class performance to create the world’s best ruggedized Windows notebook. A full magnesium alloy case safe-guards a powerful touch-screen notebook from hazardous environmental conditions and accidental drops and blows. See our full review.

The Toughest Smart Phone: Droid Turbo 2

Frequent phone droppers rejoice — Motorola has created the world’s first truly shatterproof smartphone, the Droid Turbo 2. An innovative five layer plastic AMOLED screen and aluminum chassis keep the Droid Turbo functioning even after drops of over 900 feet. See our full review.

The Toughest Audio Player: Cowon Plenue 1

Audiophiles in search of a portable audio player with high-fidelity sound and durable construction need to check out the Cowon Plenue 1. This tough device forgoes cheap plastics for a diamond-cut aluminum chassis. The solid-metal frame makes this MP3 player the toughest in the field, and a Burr-Brown DAC gifts the discerning listener with great sound quality and diverse file support. See our full review.

The Toughest Headphones: V-MODA XS

Listen to music with the peace-of-mind that your headphones can survive the use and abuse of daily transit. The V-MODA XS offer hi-fi sound in a solidly constructed shell. It has a steel frame, detachable cloth braided cords and a headband that bends but doesn’t break. See our full review.

The Toughest Portable Charger: Unifun Waterproof Battery

Keep your portable electronics fully charged in harsh environments with this dustproof and waterproof external battery by Unifun. The lithium-polymer battery is water-resistant and protected by a hard plastic case and shock-absorbing rubber edges. Plastic cover seals the Unifun’s two micro-USB charging ports from water. See our full review.

The Toughest USB Drive: Survivor Stealth USB 3.0

Transport your files in aircraft-grade aluminum with the Survivor Stealth USB 3.0, a military-style data transport that can endure extreme environments. An EPDM waterproof seal keeps water out and a molded shock damping collar protects this USB drive from drops and crushing. See our full review.

The Toughest External Hard Drive: U32 Shadow

Edit HD video and store your files on the U32 Shadow, a compact Solid State Drive housed in a stylish and durable aluminum case. Store up to 256 GB of files and run them through USB 3.0 at a speed of up to 400 MB/s. See our full review.

The Toughest Keyboard: Topre Type Heaven

Discover the joy of typing on this luxurious Japanese keyboard, the Topre Type Heaven. The solid, heavy design features electrostatic capacitive key switches at an affordable price point. The Topre Type Heaven will win over any typist with its satisfying tactile feedback and silent stroke. See our full review.

The Toughest Mouse: G602 Wireless Gaming Mouse

Get over 20 million clicks with the G602, a wireless mouse with 11 programmable buttons and a crazy long battery life. The G602 is outfitted with mechanical switches to increase lifespan and uses Delta Zero Sensor Technology for ultra-accurate cursor control. See our full review.

The Toughest Compact Flashlight: Titan Plus

The brightest and strongest ultra-compact flashlight is the SureFire Titan Plus. This flashlight that shines with 300 lumens at its highest setting — more than enough light to illuminate a forest trail. A nickel-plated brass body gives rugged protection that brushes off scratches and prevents corrosion. See our full review.

The Details

The Survivor Stealth USB 3.0 is compatible with both USB 3.0 and USB 2.0 technology. USB 3.0 gives the drive additional speed, and is four times faster than traditional USB 2.0 drives. The drive has a max read speed of 85 MB per second and max write of 70 MB per second. Those speeds are a bit slower than drives specifically engineered for high speeds, but are still more than serviceable for such a rugged drive.

In addition to being fast as lighting, the Corsair Flash Survivor Stealth is rugged. Its aircraft-grade aluminum housing is waterproof up to 200 meters thanks to the use of an EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer rubber) waterproof seal. A molded shock damping collar makes the Survivor vibration proof and shock resistant.

In addition to the 64 GB storage size, Corsair offers the Survivor Stealth in 16, 32, and 128 and 256 GB. The drive weighs 1.3 ounces and is a bit bulky, as can be expected from a rugged drive. It has a hole to hook on to your key ring, but the hole is on the drive itself, not the cap. It unscrews in two halves, so you need to be careful not to lose the cap.

The Survivor Stealth USB 3.0 is available from Amazon for around $45.

Another Option

The LaCie XtremKey is another rugged USB drive with USB 2.0 and 3.0 capability. It can withstand ten tons of pressure thanks to its metal alloy exterior. The XtremKey also holds up well against heat and water.

The XtremKey outpaces the Corsair Survivor Stealth in speed tests. A Maximum PC test found that it performed key reads at an impressive 213MB/s, taking just 3 minutes 34 seconds to write an 11GB file-copy test. The XtremKey is even bulkier than the Survivor, so it is not great for portability.

The LaCie XtremKey is available from Amazon for around $83.