Laptop sun shades for summer: 7 top tips to help you work from home

If you're working from home during hot weather, it might be tempting to take your tasks outside. Before you do, protect both yourself and your tech from the heat – and make sure your screen is still easy to see.

There are plenty of ways to keep your laptop protected – you can use a heat-resistant laptop sun shade, an umbrella with a table clamp or even a spare cardboard box (more on that later). But don’t forget to consider how you’ll power your laptop, and whether it can maintain a good connection away from your router.

Keep scrolling for tips on working from home in the sun, plus a quick recipe for a delicious iced coffee to keep you cool.

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1. Make sure your laptop doesn't overheat

Laptops aren't designed to work in boiling temperatures for a long time, so make sure your machine is well protected against the elements. Get into the habit of checking the underside now and then — if it feels noticeably hotter than usual, it’s a good idea to move to a cooler spot.

Make sure your laptop's fan isn't blocked. Resting your computer directly on the grass, for example, smothers the fan and increases the chance of the laptop overheating.

If you notice dust in your laptop’s fan, avoid using compressed air, as it can damage sensitive components. Instead, power down your laptop, remove the battery if possible, and use a microfibre cloth. 

Don’t use a damp cloth around any of the ports (see also: cleaning mistakes that can break your laptop).

Try a laptop sun shade

If you can't move to a shady spot outside, you can try a laptop sun shade, also known as a laptop tent. You'll typically find them online for between £20 to £50.

Below, we've listed a couple of sun shades available on Amazon – your options vary based on the size of your laptop display. Note that we haven't tested these products in our lab.

Alternatively, consider using a parasol (perhaps you have one as part of a garden furniture set). An umbrella would do the job, too – you can buy a clamp for around £20, use a bulldog clip, or tie it to something sturdy.

You can also try the 'cardboard box hack', removing one of the sides of the box and placing your laptop inside. But if you decide to give this a go, your laptop must have enough room to breathe.

Fan vs air conditioner – see if an electric fan will keep you cool in the heat or whether it's worth investing in a more powerful air conditioner.

2. Increase your screen brightness

If you're working outside on a sunny afternoon, you'll no doubt need to increase the brightness of your screen to battle against the glare. Try this:

• On Windows – select Start > Settings > System > Display, then choose Brightness and tweak the slider.
• On Mac — press the brightness key at the top of your keyboard (look for the sun icon). Alternatively, if your Mac has a Control Strip (the touch-sensitive bar above the keyboard), tap the icon and drag the brightness slider left or right.

3. Manage your battery life

Increasing the brightness of your screen will have an impact on battery life. You can solve this problem by plugging your computer into a power source, but that might not be an option if you're at the far end of the garden and don't have an extension lead. Try this:

• On Windows 10 – try the Battery saver feature, which limits notifications and background activity when the battery is running low. Go to Settings > System > Battery. (Find out how you can plan for when Windows 10 loses security support.)
• On Windows 11 – go to Settings > System > Power & battery. Scroll to Battery saver.
• On Mac – Click the battery icon at the top of your screen to see how much charge is left. If you select Battery preferences, you can turn on Low power mode, which reduces energy use to increase battery life.

If your laptop's battery life is frustratingly bad, use our expert pick of the best laptops to choose a new model.

4. Use a wi-fi extender if your connection is poor

Taking a video call while you're sitting outside will only work if you have a stable internet connection. To increase the range of your home wi-fi, consider getting a wi-fi extender. These amplify and repeat the wireless signal originating from your router to extend its reach.

Alternatively, you can try sharing a signal with your smartphone. If you're paying for a data plan, you can activate the hotspot feature so your computer can connect to the internet. Before you do, check with your provider to see what your monthly hotspot data allowance is. If you're downloading large files, you risk blowing through your data allowance.

A long ethernet cable could do the trick, too – a 10m cable costs around £10. One end plugs into your router and the other into your computer. Be careful about yourself or others tripping over the cable, though, and make sure it doesn't get wet.

We've tested a selection of wi-fi extenders, including the following:

• TP-Link RE705X – this extender is compatible with TP-Link’s EasyMesh feature, which aims to eliminate dead zones by pairing with other devices.
• TP-Link RE815XE – an advanced tri-band extender, supporting Wi-Fi 6E technology. This enables it to operate a third frequency – incorporating the super-speedy 6GHz, in addition to 2.4GHz and 5GHz.
• Netgear Nighthawk X6 EX7700-100UKS – a simple wi-fi extender that includes two ethernet ports.

Alternatively, you might want to consider investing in a mesh system – this is made up of a series of nodes that act as extra routers and sit around your home. One of them is connected to your router, or can take the place of your router in some cases, and all the other nodes act as repeaters.

Discover which models our experts recommend - see our rundown of the best wi-fi extenders and wi-fi mesh systems.

5. Try noise-cancelling headphones

To stay focused on your work, and to block out noisy neighbours, consider a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. As an added bonus, some feature a built-in microphone that'll come in handy when you're on a call.

When reviewing headphones, we test noise cancelling in two ways. 

Firstly, our lab uses a synthetic reference ear to assess a headphone’s noise cancelling performance under controlled conditions. For models with Active Noise Cancelling (ANC), we test with ANC both enabled and disabled to measure its effectiveness.

Secondly, our professional listening panel try out the noise cancelling themselves and give their verdict.

We've tested plenty of headphones with external noise-cancelling technology, including:

• Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless – these are touch control-focused headphones. The only button you’ll find is the on/off/pairing button; for everything else the right earcup acts as a touchpad. 
• Bowers & Wilkins PX8 – through the app, you can switch some control designations, such as changing the button for noise-cancelling on the left earcup to activate a voice assistant instead.
• JBL Wave Beam 2 – despite the low price, they have active noise cancelling to block out external noise, or ambient mode lets a little bit of noise in when you do still want to hear your surroundings.

To see which headphones are ideal if you want to block out distractions, see our independent round-up of the best headphones.

6. Be mindful of your posture

When working outside on your laptop for hours at a time, make sure you're sitting correctly.

Ideally, you need to be using an ergonomic chair that provides adequate back support. But even if you don't have an ergonomic chair that you can wheel outside, there are various ways to alleviate muscle tension.

Make sure your lower back is supported – you can use a cushion, if necessary, or a rolled-up towel. Position your knees so they're slightly lower than your hips (a footrest might help) and check that your wrists and forearms are straight and level with the ground.

Your screen should be positioned directly in front of you so you don't have to bend your neck to read from it. If you need to raise your laptop, you might want to consider a laptop stand for around £30.

Our guide to the best office chairs has more details on ergonomics and how to avoid back pain when sitting.

7. Limit your time in the heat and use sun cream

It's important to stay protected from the sun, so make sure you're using sun cream. It makes sense to avoid the hottest parts of the day (to stop both you and your technology from overheating), so having your lunch break indoors might be a good idea.

Apply sun cream 15 minutes before you head outside. Experts recommend you should top up every two hours or so, although you might need to reapply it sooner if you find yourself sweating a lot. 

One Which? researcher told us they like to set up their foot bath with cold water on particularly hot days, adding: 'It helps to regulate my body temperature and I never get too hot. Of course, I am careful to be away from plugs and have a towel nearby.'

Opt for an iced coffee over your regular hot drink – it's a breeze to make, whether you have a coffee machine or not. See how to make iced coffee if you want to give it a try.

If you're knocked off for the day, you might want to find out the fastest way to chill your beer. 

For everything you need to know about choosing a sun cream and applying it properly, see our guide to the best sun creams.

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