The portability of a laptop allows you to be productive from multiple locations compared to a desktop PC. If you are an outdoor person, then you may enjoy working outdoors and sometimes during sunny days. However, you may be wondering if you can use your laptop while in the sun?
Using a laptop under the sun is possible, but the glare from the sun might hinder the visibility of the laptop’s screen. Also, the heat from the sun could affect the computer negatively.
Sitting in the sun while using a laptop is acceptable, but there are tips you can take to ensure your laptop does not overheat or get damaged. You should also follow these tips to make sure your overall experience outside is pleasurable.
Can I Sit In the Sun With My laptop?
Sometimes you want to sit outside on a sunny day and work on your laptop at the same time. so you worry about the sun affecting it.
The truth is, the amount the sun affects your laptop depends on how modern your laptop is. However, prolonged exposure to the heat and light of the sun can impact it negatively regardless of how modern your laptop is.
For one, if your laptop’s screen is made with an older LCD, it is prone to damage from the UV radiation of sunlight. However, this is not the case with modern LCD screens. The glass used with modern LCD screen blocks about 90% of the worst UV. A large portion of low-energy UV still gets to the screen, but this UV is not damaging to it.
Another issue is if the chassis of your laptop is made of plastic. The sun can fade the plastic, as well as warp it. However, modern-day laptops are usually made with metal which is safe against fading but increases the chance of overheating.
Another issue is overheating. Heat is never suitable for electronic devices. When a laptop gets too hot, it runs the risk of getting damaged. For example the battery; once the lithium-ion battery of a computer gets overheated, it is unable to hold as much capacity as it once did.
Luckily, you can take action to avoid the damage caused by the sun on your laptop. These actions also aid in making your experience with your computer a breeze.
How to Use a Laptop Under the Sun
Being under the sun is acceptable in small doses. Aside from the safety of your laptop, you should also take measures to ensure you enjoy your time outside. Here are some of these measures.
Increase Your Screen Brightness
The light from the sun probably feels good on your skin, but not so much on your laptop’s screen. With how bright the sun is, it is pretty hard to see what’s happening on your screen.
Now you might be thinking the way to thwart the glare from the sun is to reduce your screen brightness, but this doesn’t work. The brighter your screen is, the better you’ll be able to see.
Most laptops can adjust their brightness according to the ambient light without you having to do it. However, most times, they are unable to adjust their brightness based on the ambient light properly. The best thing to do is to adjust the brightness by yourself.
To adjust the brightness on a laptop, you can use specific function keys located at the top of the keyboard. Depending on your computer’s operating system, you should be able to adjust your laptop’s brightness from settings.
You might also want to take a look at the screen’s contrast setting, which you can format to make text stand out more.
One thing you should remember is that the brighter your screen is, the faster your laptop’s battery will deplete. So if you do not have an outlet nearby to charge, this might be an issue.
Charge Your Laptop and Manage Its Battery
If you know you’re going to stay outside for a while, it’s best to prepare adequately. You might not have an outlet close by to plug in your laptop when you’re outside. If you fall in this category, you can prepare by fully charging your laptop before stepping out.
Once you’re outside, you should consider conserving your laptop’s battery. You need your laptop’s brightness as high as possible, so that’s not an option. You should look towards closing applications you are using at the time.
Face the Sun
This is an easy measure to take, and you don’t even have to do much. By sitting and facing the sun, you save your laptop’s screen from the wrath of the sun, making it nearly impossible for your computer to reflect any sunlight.
Even though your laptop’s screen is protected from the sun, your eyes aren’t. So if you choose to use this measure, ensure your eyes are well protected.
Use Proper Equipment
If you plan to stay outside a lot, it might be wise to invest in some equipment to make your time outside easier.
One item you can buy is a laptop hood. A laptop hood does what its name suggests; it acts as a cover to prevent the rays from the sun from affecting your screen. A laptop hood is also called a laptop cap.
You can also opt for something called a privacy screen. You can attach it to your laptop’s screen to reduce the effects of the sun; however, it doesn’t completely get rid of it.
Another thing to consider is a laptop stand. You might not need one if you’re using your laptop on a table, but just in case, you can buy one to ensure the air vents on your laptop are not covered. The sun is already hot enough; you don’t want your laptop overheating from lack of proper airflow.
Consider Your outfit
This might sound funny to you, but what you wear might determine how easily you can view your screen.
Brighter colors, primarily white, tend to reflect onto your screen, and this will make your reflection show on your screen. If you can see yourself, how do you expect to see what you’re working on?
However, if you wear darker clothes like black, the chances of them reflecting on your screen are much lower.
Look Out for Your Laptop’s Temperature
As I’ve mentioned earlier, heat is never good for an electronic device. It can affect your laptop’s battery, slow down its performance, and lead it to shut down abruptly.
To avoid this, you should always check the temperature of your laptop. If you notice it is starting to overheat because of the sun, take a break and find some shade. Let your computer cool down, and then you can continue working. This also gives you a chance to charge your laptop as it cools down.
Finding a Shade
Being in the sun doesn’t have to mean literally being in the sun. You can find shade outside and work within it.
Not only will this save you from sunburns, but it also allows you to actually see what you’re working on without having to struggle. Not to mention that you save your laptop the stress of getting overheating in the sun.
A fun advantage to being in the shade is that if you have a cold beverage with you, the shade helps to keep it that way.
You can start working directly under the sun, but as the day progresses, you can find shade and stay there for a while; your laptop will thank you for it.