We 'broke' one of the world's toughest laptops

If you’re going to claim to have one of the toughest laptops in the world, you can be damn sure Tom’s Guide will put it to the test. That’s what we did with the Panasonic Toughbook 40. And we broke it… well kinda.

First some context: Panasonic Toughbooks are basically the name in hard-as-nails laptops designed to withstand all manner of punishment. Clad in tough shells that more resemble compact suitcases than laptops, these machines are a far cry from the svelte aluminum-clad industrial design of MacBooks and the best Windows laptops

And thus you’re not going to see these laptops being used to tap out prospective screenplays or startup pitches at your local hipster coffee shop. But that’s fine as Toughbooks are almost certainly not for you. 

When the going gets rough, this laptop get tough 

A photo of the Panasonic Toughbook 40 in a testing chamber at Panasonic's Cardiff facility

(Image credit: Future)

Rather, Toughbooks are for people operating in challenging environments, from telecom engineers and emergency services operators to military deployment. They're designed to cope with severe vibrations, bumps, bangs, temperatures well below freezing and brush off all manner of debris.

Specs are somewhat irrelevant too, as the Toughbooks are configured to a customer’s specification, on both a hardware and software level, though they do have access to recent chips and components. 

Their modular nature also means components like hard drives and batteries are hot-swappable — handy if you're in a desert with a power outlet nowhere in sight.

Lessons to be learned 

A photo of the Panasonic Toughbook 40 at Panasonic's Cardiff facility

(Image credit: Future)

I (Managing Editor Roland Moore-Colyer) and Senior Producer Matt Philips got to see this modularity in action when we were invited to Panasonic’s Cardiff facility, which handles Toughbook configuration, repair and customer services, as well as check out the new ToughBook 40. 

I went hands-on with the laptop in a head-to-head race against Tim Danton, Editor-in-Chief of PC Pro, one of our sibling publications. Tasked with fitting in a range of components, I’m happy to report that I got the Toughbook 40 into a bootable state faster than Danton, despite his longstanding PC experience — he’s even written a book about the history of computers

Putting my ego aside, the modularity of the Toughbook 40 puts most other laptops to shame. Sure you can swap the SSD and Wi-Fi cards of some of the best gaming laptops. But aside from the Framework Laptop 13, very few ultraportable laptops have any form of DIY upgradability. I love my MacBook Air M2 but if it breaks, I’d have more chance of spontaneously levitating than repairing the machine myself. 

Modularity isn't easy to implement. But at a time when everything is more expensive and tech continues to have an unpleasant environmental impact on the world, I think more brands could learn from the durability and self-service nature of the Panasonic Toughbook 40. 

A smashing time

But you’re here to know how Matt and I managed to break the toughest laptop in the world. Well, I suggest you watch the video above before reading on.

But if you want the text version, here we go. 

After defeating Danton, a Panasonic rep piped up and asked if we wanted to drop the Toughbook 40. Without missing a beat, Matt and I quickly agreed, followed by a chorus of yeses from other media in attendance. Who doesn't want to see a laptop get dropped, if it's giving the big potatoes as one of the hardest around?  

Now there was some debate on where we should drop the Toughbook 40. For reasons of lighting (not fighting), Matt suggested we head outside. And what would you know, there was a set of metal stairs on the outside of the building with a platform some two-plus meters up. 

While some of the more sensible Panasonic product managers discussed what a good height to drop the laptop from was, I was encouraged by another to go up to the platform. 

Combined with my height of 187cm, I dropped the laptop from somewhere between two and a half and three meters up; it’s only rated to withstand drops of 1.8 meters. 

With a tremendous bump the Toughbook 40 hit the solid tarmac, ejecting its battery pack in a way that one might describe as unceremonious. Now to be fair, we don’t think the battery pack was fully screwed in, so its escape was somewhat inevitable. 

a photo of a closed Panasonic Toughbook 40

(Image credit: Future)

After some fiddling, I and the surrounding Panasonicians got the battery pack in and the laptop rebooted after it ran a self-diagnostic. So it survived. The Panasonic reps looked relieved. 

But we don't test things once at Tom’s Guide, so of course we dropped the Toughbook 40 a second time. The battery remained in place, but when I opened up the laptop and hit the power button it became clear that the LCD touch screen was broken, with around two-thirds of it blacked out. 

Sheepishly, I handed the laptop over to the Panasonic folks, a couple of whom looked less impressed with the machinations of Matt and I. And off the Toughbook 40 went into the bowels of the Cardiff facility. 

So yeah, we broke the world’s toughest laptop, albeit after dropping it twice well in excess of its tolerances. 

Rapid repair

A photo of Panasonic's repair facility in Cardiff

(Image credit: Future)

But some 25 minutes later, we were taken back to the repair floor of the Cardiff facility and presented with the Toughbook 40 back up and running. Sure it had a few scuffs and bruises, but otherwise it was fine.

This was more Panasonic showing what it can do when it immediately triages a broken Toughbook, than a day-to-day repair job. But the standard agreement is to get a Toughbook fixed within 48 hours; try getting Apple to do that and you’ll be laughed out of a store by a “Genius.”

All this was genuinely impressive, from the testing Panasonic puts the Toughbooks through to their configurability and repairability. And other laptop makers could learn from Toughbooks. 

Sure, we don’t need a Dell XPS 15 to survive a big drop, but a tougher chassis and a stronger display wouldn't go amiss. Plus the ability to quickly and easily swap components in laptops would certainly be a boon for getting more out of the machines rather than accepting whatever spec you opt for at the time of purchase you're stuck with.

Until then, I’ll say sorry and thank you to Panasonic for letting us abuse a Toughbook 40. And if you want me to try and break other tech just let me know.

More from Tom's Guide

TOPICS
Roland Moore-Colyer

Roland Moore-Colyer a Managing Editor at Tom’s Guide with a focus on news, features and opinion articles. He often writes about gaming, phones, laptops and other bits of hardware; he’s also got an interest in cars. When not at his desk Roland can be found wandering around London, often with a look of curiosity on his face. 

Read more
Lenovo ThinkBook Flip laptop concept shown open on table
I just tried Lenovo's 18-inch foldable laptop concept — and it sets a new standard for 2-in-1 devices
Asus zenbook a14
I wanted the Asus Zenbook A14 to crush the MacBook Air, but it’s complicated — here’s why
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 6
I just went hands-on with Lenovo's first rollable laptop at CES 2025 — this is nuts
Framework Laptop 12 preview unit on a desk at Framework event in San Francisco
I went hands-on with the Framework Laptop 12 and this 2-in-1 could be my favorite yet
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
New Galaxy S25 Ultra's durability test throws cold water on Samsung's claims
A split screen image showing an instant camera on the left and a Dyson vacuum on the right
What Tom’s Guide tested this week: Expert reviews of Dyson, Insta360 and more
Latest in Laptops
Surface Laptop 7 from the front
Amazon just gave Surface Laptop 7 a 'frequently returned' label — here's what's going on
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4 — I'll help you pick the best MacBook for your needs
Razer Blade
Nvidia's DLSS 4 demo in a Razer Blade 16 with RTX 5090 gives me hope again for next-gen gaming laptops
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 shown with game controller
I wanted an RTX 50-series gaming laptop, but $620 off this Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 broke me
The Razer Blade 16 (2025) on a couch
Razer Blade 16 with RTX 5060 spotted in new leak — with a pretty shocking $1,999 price tag
HP OmniBook
HP’s new OmniBook lineup looks set to smash AI laptop price barriers — that’s a good thing if the company keeps up its end of the deal
Latest in Features
A hand feels the temperature regulation of the SPRINGSPIRIT Dual Layer Mattress Topper.
What is a bamboo mattress topper and should you buy one?
2025 Mini Cooper Countryman SE All4 review.
I drove the Mini Cooper Countryman EV for a week — here’s my pros and cons
Troubadour Apex 3.0 Backpack
I tested this laptop backpack for 6 months — and it’s one of the best purchases I’ve ever made
a person with muscular calves running
Physio says runners need these 3 calf strength variations in their training — here’s why I’m finally listening
Obscura VPN website landing page
Obscura VPN wants to be the "best darn VPN out there" – can it?
Galaxy S25 Ultra next to macro shot of flower
I test camera phones for a living — here's 3 tips for taking great macro shots