This post is sponsored by Mirum.
I've talked about having a personal computer separate from my work computer, using kids messenger programs, and even trying voice control with TV. We're BIG on tech around here. Having a travel laptop dedicated to being used on the road, though? That's a hot topic. It's controversial to integrate a screen into a vacation. Most families think this time should be devoted to personal connections. Here's how our travel laptop helps us learn more, have more fun, and free up more time to spend together.
A Travel Laptop as Flexible as You
We got an HP Pavilion X360 2-in-1 Touchscreen 15.6″ Notebook with a 7th Gen Intel® CoreTM i5 processor from Sam's Club. Sam's Club has amazing deals on HP laptops for the holidays, and this one makes an awesome gift for anyone on your list! What drew us to it initially was the flexibility of use. With a stylus, touch screen and 360 degree hinge, we can get stuff done just about any way we want – anywhere in the world.
When Life is Work and Work is Life
Upon opening the box, I knew this was the perfect fit for us. A sticker on the keypad read, “Creators. Influencers. It's your turn.” Talk about meant to be! Our family works with brands to create custom content for use online. We travel about half the year, usually in an RV, and we're often working when we're away from home. The idea of “vacation time” being off grid…that's not really a concept for us. I suspect that the same applies to other families. No matter what industry you're in, odds are that you need to be able to check emails and manage schedules on-the-go. Even if that's not the case for you, you're liable to want to edit photos or videos to share your adventures with friends and family in real-time!
The Price is Right
The travel laptop we picked runs less than $1000. Cheap enough that we can justify it, but not so cheap that we're cutting corners on build quality or durability. It also comes with a 2-Year Care Pack (a value of $159.99) for extended protection beyond the standard limited warranty.
Entertain the Whole Crew, Together
We don't have TVs in our truck, and there isn't one installed in the bedrooms in the RV. Instead, we use our travel laptop to watch downloaded movies. The screen is big enough that we can all see it. We can talk about what's on-screen, so it turns into a much better bonding activity than individual tablets.
Know Your Way
Having this as our central hub helps keep our family on the same page as far as schedules, destinations and priorities. We also use our travel laptop to navigate and look up important local information.
Learning Stuff on a Laptop
Homework isn't always done at home. We do a special independent study contract when we travel, meaning that our kids are practicing math, science, history, penmanship and all sorts of other stuff. Whether we're on a plane or in a train, boat or car, our schoolwork comes along. Having a travel laptop helps us keep things compact with downloadable books and worksheets. The HP Digital Pen lets us sketch, blend and write directly on the screen with complete accuracy. We've totally replaced notebooks and paper! When we have access to WiFi, we even use our travel laptop to learn more about the destinations we're visiting.
Super Lightweight
Weight is ALWAYS a concern with our gear, so it was one of our primary concerns when shopping for a travel laptop. Powered by a high-tech 7th Gen Intel® CoreTM i5 processor, it's also super-thin and has great battery life so it can go wherever we go!
Our pick for a travel laptop has served us well. It's flexible and really helps enhance our adventures. If you're not needing a computer to tote along on trips, though, a laptop still makes a great gift idea. There are some awesome options for gamers, home offices, and students at Sam's Club.
Whatever gift you're giving your family members this year, I suggest chucking social norms or opinions out the window. Look at your habits, your trends, your preferred way of life, and decide what will best serve you all collectively and individually. A travel laptop isn't necessarily top of the list for every family we know, but it's served us SO well. It was the perfect solution for filling a ton of needs in our life. There are bound to be needs yet to fill in our own life, and the holidays are the perfect time to get them taken care of.
Does your family have a travel laptop?