HACKER Q&A
📣 samuell

Hardware problems from running with a laptop in a backpack?


I have around 9 km to work, and bikes to work most days. I have a really hard time finding time to get out on runs often enough though, and so would like to run to work and back 1 or 2 days a week.

I can not really plan for each day if I will stay at home or be at work though, so I need to carry my laptop with me (a 14" Dell Latitude with an SSD) in my backpack.

I was getting worried about the wear on the laptop because of the bouncing when running though, and so I was interested to hear others' experiences:

- Did you get any hardware problems from running with your laptop?

- Have you found any solution to minimize the bouncing?

- Are there certain laptops that are more suitable for this than others?

  👤 tycoon177 Accepted Answer ✓
The only other concern I might have other than an hard drive would be the fans. Any moving pieces could have issues caused by vibrations, but fans are much more resilient than hard drives and I wouldn't personally worry about it.

> Have you found any solution to minimize the bouncing?

Any quality laptop bag/backpack has straps to keep the machine stationary and wearing it securely on your pack should reduce nearly all risk of damage short of a lot of moisture (rain) or impact damage (falling over onto your laptop or dropping it)

If it were me, I would go for it! Really low risk, IMO.

👤 theGeatZhopa
Hi.. no sich experience. I take my lappy always in my backpack with me. Though, I'm not running but rather walking.

Nevertheless, as long you don't have a HDD built in, all the other components are not sensitive to bouncing. Since I changed to SSD I always throw my lappy onto the bed, etc..

So. 99 percent no problem. I did not experience anything in the last 5 years. Laptop is already 12.. my old friend.

👤 paulcole
What backpack are you using?

https://ultimatedirection.com/commuter-briefcase/

I’ve had excellent luck with a MacBook Pro 13” running with that, about 3 miles 2x a day, for a couple of years. It fits very snugly in the laptop section and I haven’t had any issues. One thing I did was get a cheap laptop sleeve off Amazon to give an extra layer of protection. I got paranoid about sweat getting into he laptop after a couple multi-hour trail runs when I took the long way home.

The computer is provided by my employer though, so it’s their problem if anything goes wrong. Not sure I’d be as cavalier with a nice computer I paid for myself.

👤 runningnerd
I've been running with my laptop most days for eight years with 5 km to work. I'm a ThinkPad guy. But I think the sleive and the backpack is more important.

I use a backpack with two compressing straps on each side. This is to make sure the content inside the backpack is as still as possible.

I've had no laptop break down on me.

👤 brudgers
Your laptop is a machine to improve your life.

So run to make your life better and if the machine breaks replace it.

With another machine.

Laptops are fungible.

Good luck.

👤 mikewarot
I'd worry more about flexing if that backpack curves to your back at all.

Your best bet is to buy a backup machine and mirror to it often. Then you're covered should something break, or get stolen. (You do have a password on it, right?)

👤 mardiyah
There are certain laptops that vary in hi quality / sturdiness level, of course, as money never lie

Lenovo Thinkpad

HP Elite x2 1013 G3

we don't put slightest mind for treating them in such chores