Why do refurbished Zebra products make EVEN MORE sense right now?

Every year, more than 1 million Zebra technology products are retired. As a technology manufacturer committed to their corporate responsibility, that’s a number that can have a tremendous impact on the environment.

Studies show that the impact of the non-recycled end of life mobile devices around the world will soon produce a more significant carbon footprint than that of all desktops, laptops, and displays.1

So, Zebra has launched the Zebra Certified Refurbished Mobile Device program to help counter this
escalating problem. Of those million-plus devices that are retired, the ones that can be refurbished appropriately to meet Zebra’s standards will re-enter the marketplace rather than the landfill. And those devices that can’t be restored to meet standards will be recycled instead.

If you’re in-between technology upgrades, you can still replace/upgrade your devices at a lower cost. Because Zebra’s technicians refurbish them, you can believe that these devices are 100% tested, 100% certified, and 100% quality guaranteed by Zebra.

For most of you, 2020 is probably not going as expected. We’re all still discovering the economic effects of this global pandemic together, and likely will be for some time. Zebra’s refurbished device program may provide just the bridge you need to get from where you are today to a better place tomorrow.

At Lowry Solutions, we understand the pressures you’re facing every day to keep your doors open, to keep your employees safe, and to keep your business viable for the future. We believe that Zebra’s Certified Refurbished Mobile Device program offers you alternatives you can trust.

If you’re interested in how to add Zebra refurbished products to your workflow, contact Lowry Solutions, and let’s get through this together.

The Business Advantages of Picking Refurbished Zebra Devices  

Getting fresh hardware feels like the obvious thing to do once devices start aging out. But honestly, for many companies, the budget just does not align with that idea, especially when daily operations are already stretched thin, and capital is being watched pretty closely.

Refurbished Zebra devices have turned into a real, practical solution for that exact situation. Not some “lesser” compromise, more like a conscious decision that actually clicks both operationally and financially. More businesses are starting to see this, and the logic is pretty plain once you look at it without polishing it too much.

Meeting Business Needs Without Pausing Technology Improvements  

Delaying a technology refresh is expensive in ways that do not always show up right away on a balance sheet. Older devices can make people slower, and then small slowdowns quietly become big slowdowns. They also fail more often, and compatibility issues show up with newer software sooner than anyone wants. And, the longer an organization holds back, the more those issues tend to compound.

Refurbished enterprise devices let businesses move ahead without waiting for budget cycles to line up perfectly. The units are professionally restored, they’re ready to work, and they usually do not demand the same level of financial commitment as going all in on brand-new equipment. This really matters when operations cannot afford to sit there, idle.

Extending the Life of Enterprise Technology  

Enterprise devices are not built like the phone in your pocket. They’re engineered to survive drops, dust, long shifts, and the everyday handling that would make consumer gear complain. A lot of these devices still have years of useful life left even after the first deployment cycle is done.

Refurbishment basically brings that remaining value back into action. Rather than pulling fully functional equipment out of service and replacing it with something brand new, businesses can keep using gear that still performs well enough and, in many cases, well enough for what the team needs right now.

Supporting Sustainability Goals

Electronic waste is a real problem, and businesses are increasingly being held accountable for their part in it — by customers, by investors, and sometimes by their own employees.

Choosing refurbished devices is one of the more tangible things a company can do about this. Less new manufacturing. Fewer raw materials are consumed. Hardware that would otherwise end up as waste continues to do useful work instead.

The practical benefits include:

• Less electronic waste is going into the disposal stream
• Lower demand for new manufacturing and the resources that go with it
• Longer product lifecycles that make better use of what already exists
• Meaningful contribution to sustainability reporting and environmental goals
• Alignment with circular economy principles that more organizations are committing to

For businesses that have made public sustainability commitments, refurbished technology is a concrete step, not just a talking point.

Reliability Remains a Top Priority

The most common concern people raise about refurbished equipment is whether it can actually be trusted in a demanding environment. That concern is fair. But professionally refurbished devices go through real inspection, testing, and restoration before they ship.

Components get evaluated. Functionality gets verified. Devices get brought back to established performance standards. This is not a quick wipe-down and a repackage; it is a genuine restoration process.

The result is hardware that holds up in settings like:

• Warehouses processing thousands of transactions daily
• Manufacturing facilities with dust, heat, and constant movement
• Distribution centers running multiple shifts without stopping
• Retail environments where devices get picked up and put down hundreds of times a day
• Healthcare organizations with strict uptime requirements
• Transportation and field service operations where devices travel everywhere

A device failure in any of these environments does not just create an inconvenience. It disrupts workflows, affects inventory accuracy, and can ripple out into customer service problems.

Faster Access to Needed Technology

Supply chain problems over the past few years have taught a lot of businesses that lead times on new hardware can stretch far longer than expected. When a facility needs devices now, not in four months, waiting on a manufacturing queue is not a workable answer.

Refurbished inventory tends to be available much faster. Whether a business is scaling up for a busy season, opening a new facility, or replacing devices that failed unexpectedly, certified refurbished stock can close that gap quickly.

Ideal for Temporary Projects and Growth Initiatives

Not every hardware need is permanent. Seasonal expansions, pilot programs, short-term logistics projects, and warehouse reconfigurations call for additional devices without necessarily justifying a long-term capital investment in brand-new equipment.

Refurbished hardware fits these scenarios naturally:

• Seasonal workforce increases that require more devices for a few months
• Inventory projects that pull in extra scanning capacity temporarily
• Facility startups that need quick deployment before permanent decisions are made
• Pilot deployments testing new workflows before a wider rollout
• Temporary logistics operations supporting a specific project or contract

Using refurbished devices for these situations keeps costs proportionate to the actual need.

Reducing Total Cost of Ownership

The upfront price is only part of the picture. Total cost of ownership includes everything: maintenance, support, training, deployment, and how long the device actually stays useful in the field.

Refurbished enterprise devices bring that number down in several ways:

• Lower acquisition cost compared to new hardware
• Faster return on investment because the initial outlay is smaller
• More budget flexibility to allocate resources where they are needed most
• Reduced capital expenditure that preserves cash for other priorities
• Better overall utilization of the technology budget across the organization

For businesses managing tight margins, that financial breathing room is not a minor benefit.

Maintaining Consistency Across Operations

Switching to an entirely new device platform is not just a hardware decision. It means retraining staff, updating software configurations, revising support processes, and managing a transition period where productivity tends to dip.

Refurbished devices let organizations extend familiar platforms rather than starting over. Employees already know how to use them. IT teams already know how to support them. Workflows do not have to be rebuilt from scratch.

For large mobile workforces, especially, that consistency is worth a lot.

Supporting Digital Transformation Initiatives

Digital transformation is often treated as synonymous with buying the newest technology available. It does not have to be. What actually drives transformation is having reliable tools that work well with existing systems and support the workflows people depend on.

Refurbished Zebra devices continue handling the core functions that keep operations running:

• Barcode scanning and RFID applications
• Inventory management and asset tracking
• Mobile workforce and data collection tools
• Warehouse operations and shipping workflows

Paired with modern software platforms, this hardware remains a fully capable part of a broader technology strategy — not a limitation.

A Practical Choice for Uncertain Times

When economic conditions get unpredictable, large capital commitments get harder to justify. Businesses need solutions that preserve flexibility without sacrificing the operational capabilities they depend on.

Refurbished devices sit right in that space. They address immediate technology needs without requiring the spending that ties up resources for other priorities. Decision-makers get what they need now and keep their options open for what comes next.

Looking Ahead

Technology is always moving forward, and businesses will always need tools that keep pace with operational demands. At the same time, responsible resource management and sustainability are not going away as priorities; if anything, they are becoming more important.

Refurbished Zebra devices support both sides of that equation. Solid performance. Reduced environmental footprint. Better use of existing resources. Lower costs over time.

For businesses trying to run lean, stay agile, and make technology decisions that hold up under scrutiny, refurbished enterprise hardware is not a fallback. It is a smart choice made for the right reasons.

1. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S095965261733233X?via%3Dihub

Also read – Five Facts You Need to Know about Zebra Refurbished Products