Removable batteries on laptops used to be the norm many years ago. However, these laptops have gradually fallen out of fashion and finding one is now a once-in-a-blue-moon occurrence. While some posit that this change is so that laptop companies can charge excessive fees for laptop swapping services, others point out that in-built batteries help to make a laptop smaller and improve battery efficiency.
Whatever the valid reason may be, the fact remains that the typical user would be hard-pressed to find a laptop with a removable battery that they can purchase. Hence, the need for this article. Among notebooks with removable batteries, our thorough investigation has revealed that the Gigabyte A5K1 is the best overall laptop with a removable battery.
This article will explain why this laptop is the best and discuss other high-quality laptops with removable batteries.
The Best 14-inch Laptops with Removable Batteries
1) Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 MK2– Most Durable Laptop with Removable Battery
Key Features:
- 1080P camera
- Thunderbolt Support
- Anti-glare and Anti-reflective screen
- Dual sim
- 92db speakers
- 1000 nit touchscreen
Laptops with removable batteries are generally known to be more durable, but the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-55 MK2 is in a class of its own. With its suitcase-like architecture and hulking 4.9 pounds of mass, you can rely on this laptop to resist minor bumps and hits without issue.
It is not all mass either; depending on the configuration, it can house up to 64GB of random access memory alongside a Core i7 processor with a 12MB cache and latency of 4.8GHz. Its display is 14 inches, and its webcam is 1080p.
Its battery can last up to 18 hours with non-intensive use, and its screen is designed to avoid reflections and glare, making its use feasible in an outdoor environment. It also has multiple Universal Serial Bus ports and supports the Thunderbolt infrastructure.
Pros
- It is MIL-STD-810H certified, this shows it can withstand a 3 feet drop and almost all environmental conditions, name it: high or low temperature; thaw or freezing conditions.
- This laptop is compatible with previous Panasonic vehicle docks.
- It supports the use of external monitors via HDMI and USB-C.
- It has a spill-resistant keyboard.
Cons
- It is expensive
2) Lenovo ThinkPad P52– Best Laptop with Removable Battery for Business
Key Features:
- High Definition Multimedia interface
- 2 SSDs up to 2TB
- 720p webcam
The Lenovo ThinkPad P52 continues Lenovo’s long tradition of producing excellent business laptops. It sports 2 graphics processing units: an Intel UHD 630 integrated graphics processing unit along with a dedicated NVidia p3200 graphics processing unit.
It also has 2 random access memory slots, one of which has a capacity of up to 16GB while the other can reach 8GB, for an impressive 24GB total. Its hard drive storage is no less impressive as it comes with 2 slots that can support a combined capacity of 2TB of solid-state drive storage.
It also has a 15.6-inch light-emitting diode display and a 720p webcam. It has 5 Universal Serial Bus ports and also supports the high-definition media interface and Thunderbolt infrastructures. It is a bit heavy at 5.4lbs and also lasts just 9 hours, which could be better, but luckily it is hot-swappable.
Pros
- It contains 2 graphics cards
- This laptop boasts of 5 universal serial bus ports
- It has Thunderbolt and HDMI support
Cons
- It has a relatively short battery life.
3) Gigabyte A5K1– Best Overall Laptop with Removable Battery
Key Features:
- Anti-glare display
- 240Hz refresh rate
- Wi-Fi 6 support
The Gigabyte A5K1 comes equipped with AMD’s Ryzen 7 processor, AMD’s direct competitor against the core i7. Aside from its impressive computational abilities, it also has a massive 15.6-inch display that is full of high definition and has anti-glare protection. Depending on the configuration, the screen may have a refresh rate of up to a whopping 240Hz.
It can also pack up to 64GB of random access memory thanks to its two upgradable memory slots. It is no slouch when it comes to graphics either, thanks to its 2 graphics cards, one of which has 6GB of random access memory.
It also has a backlit keyboard along with 3 Universal Serial Bus ports and a high-definition webcam. At 4.68 pounds, it is par for the course when it comes to weights among laptops with removable batteries.
Pros
- High-definition multimedia interface support
- This laptop can support 2 solid state drives of up to 2TB
- High definition webcam
Cons
- No Thunderbolt support
Here are the factors that make these laptops the best with removable batteries.
What to Look for in the Best Laptops with Removable Batteries
1) Battery Configuration
Those who want laptops with removable batteries cite the ease with which these batteries can be replaced as the primary reason why and there is a point to be made here. Laptops with removable batteries can last much longer, not just because their batteries are less expensive and can be replaced easily but also because they tend to have sturdier builds.
However, some laptops with removable batteries have 2 batteries instead of one, with the main one being an external hot-swappable battery and the other being an internal battery that cannot be replaced without screws.
If you want a laptop with removable batteries for its own sake, we advise you choose a laptop with just 1 battery so that you will not have to seek out an engineer when the internal battery fails. Hence, all the laptops on our list have a single user-replaceable battery.
2) Central Processing Unit
A good laptop with a removable battery should be able to stand the test of time, and that means being able to keep up with both current and potential future strains on the laptop’s processing capabilities.
These days, an Intel Core i5 processor is sufficient for smooth day-to-day use. Hence, the best removable battery laptops should be able to support a Core i7 processor or its AMD equivalent or more significant. All the laptops on our list fulfill this criterion.
3) Portability
Internal batteries are designed to reduce the weight of laptops; hence, it comes as no surprise that laptops with removable batteries tend to be heavier than those with inbuilt batteries. This system hearkens back to when laptop manufacturers invested significantly in durability and made chunky laptops as opposed to the modern era where aesthetics is the preferred option.
However, a laptop should remain light enough to be considered a laptop, and no laptop with a removable battery should exceed 6 pounds in weight; all the laptops listed are below 6 pounds in weight. For reference, 6 pounds is about how much a steam iron weighs when empty.
4) Graphics Processing Unit
Removable battery laptops should be able to compete with their non-removable battery counterparts to be considered to be the best truly. Hence, it is prudent for you to buy a laptop with a graphics processing unit that has a capacity of 4GB or a laptop that can support 2 graphics cards.
Either of these two options would be sufficient, but having both would be even more advantageous. Once again, all the laptops on our list fulfill this requirement.
5) Hard Drive Storage
Laptops with removable batteries become rarer with each passing day, and hard drives become increasingly cheaper to mass manufacture with each passing day. Hence, the best laptops with removable batteries should be able to support one’s storage demands for a couple of years.
Hence, it would help if you got a laptop that can support 1TB of hard drive storage or more, and the laptops listed can do that.
Conclusion
The best laptop with a removable battery needs to have the proper battery configuration, a Core i7 processor or its equivalent, weigh less than 6 pounds, support at least 1TB of storage, and either has two graphics cards or one that is at least 4GB.
With all that in mind, the best laptop with a removable battery is the Gigabyte A5K1.
