Your greatest option if you’re looking for a laptop for work is an ultraportable that’s light and portable and has a battery life that will last you the entire day. The quality of the display, keyboard, touchpad, and webcam should also be considered because they have a big impact on the user experience as a whole. Several peripherals or external displays can be connected without the need for a separate dock thanks to a large port variety. You would need sufficient processing power to complete all of your tasks, of course. To assist you with your purchase decision, we’ve put together a list of our top picks, which includes alternatives for various operating systems and form factors so you can discover something that meets your demands.
The LG Gram 17
The LG Gram 17 (2021), an excellently constructed ultraportable laptop with all-day battery life, is the best business laptop we’ve tested. It has a 17-inch screen that is perfect for multitasking and a Numpad on the keyboard for individuals who frequently work with numbers. You get a comfortable keyboard, a sizable touchpad that responds quickly, and a lot of connections for connecting devices and external monitors. Text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and presentations can all be handled with ease by this computer’s Intel 11th Generation Processor.
Be aware that there is a newer model of the gram 17 with Intel 12th Gen. Processors available on Amazon before completing your purchase. You will have a comparable user experience because this new model mostly involves internal upgrades. Also, you’ll see improved performance because Intel 12th Gen. CPUs are noticeably quicker than their predecessors, particularly in multi-thread performance. It’s a good idea to get a 12th Gen. model now that we’re in the early years of 2023 and anticipating a newer model with Intel 13th Gen. CPUs. A different choice is to hold off until the 13th Gen. devices, which LG claims will be available in February.
The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) for Mac users or the Dell XPS 13 (2021) for Windows users are your two choices if portability is more important to you than screen size. They are both top-notch 13-inch ultraportables and some of the top small business laptops we’ve evaluated. Both laptops have sufficient processing power to handle the majority of workloads and offer a quality user experience. You can purchase the older Apple MacBook Air 13 if you think the M2 MacBook Air to be too pricey (M1, 2020). Its battery life is longer than the 2022 model’s, but its older design, 720p webcam, and slightly slower processor make up for these drawbacks. M1
Asus Yoga 7i 14
The Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) is a well-built 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge and is our choice for the best upper mid-range laptop. For presentations and media consumption, you can set up the laptop in tent mode, or you can turn the screen around and use it like a tablet. Its small size makes it simple to transport, and its battery easily lasts a whole workday. It boasts two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, a respectable port variety, a roomy touchpad, and a comfortable backlit keyboard. The camera works reasonably well; the image is a tad faint, and conversations come over the microphone clearly but quietly.
The same Intel 11th Gen. processors that power our top pick are also available in this laptop, which are more than capable of tackling everyday productivity tasks. Up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage are available. The primary drawback is that the display doesn’t become extremely bright, which could make it difficult to see in brightly light or sunny spaces. A fingerprint sensor for speedy logins and a webcam privacy cover are further features. If you wish to take handwritten notes, the display enables pen input, but the stylus must be purchased separately, and there isn’t a place to keep it charged. Still, this is a good laptop that will suit the majority of users and is among the finest professional laptops we’ve tested.
Swift 3 14 by Acer
The Leonov Yoga 7i 14 (2021) is still too pricey, so we recommend the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020), which is the finest mid-range laptop for small businesses. This well-made 14-inch Windows laptop has a battery life of almost 14 hours with modest use, more than enough to go through a regular workday. Although though it’s a little small, the keyboard feels comfortable to text on, and despite its size, the touchpad is reasonably snappy. There is just enough space for split-screen multitasking and the display appears sharp, but because it doesn’t get very bright, glare may be an issue in well-lit areas or in direct sunlight outside. Sadly, the webcam’s video quality is poor; the picture appears to be underexposed, and the microphone has a staticky sound.
You may equip it with an Intel Core i5 or i7 CPU from the 11th generation, as well as up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The more recent 2022 model, like this Core i7 variant on Amazon, is available if you’re ready to pay a little bit more. The 2022 model hasn’t been tested by us, but we anticipate it to be pretty similar, but with a faster Processor.
Chromebook C340 from Lenovo
Get the 15.6-inch Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) if you’re on a tight budget. It is lightweight and portable, and because it is a 2-in-1, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. The battery life is also excellent for an entire workday. A full-size keyboard is provided, along with a small yet useful touchpad on the right. Although the display has ample space for multitasking, it doesn’t get extremely bright, which could make it difficult to see in well-lit environments. You have the option of configuring this laptop with either an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 CPU; both are potent enough to deliver a fluid Chrome OS experience. You can only receive a maximum of 4GB of memory, so if you have too many Chrome tabs or open applications, it can stutter.
Office Surface Pro 8
Get the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021), one of the best laptops for both professional and personal use we’ve tested, if you enjoy 2-in-1s like the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) we suggested above but prefer a tablet with a detachable keyboard. The built-in kickstand allows you to tilt the screen to an almost flat position to take notes or draw with a pen, and the keyboard can be removed to free up space when watching video or to make the device easier to hold. Also, the stylus enables tilt unlike the Lenovo, making it appropriate for digital painters and makers. The trade-off is that the keyboard and stylus must be purchased separately, raising the price of the gadget as a whole.
Particularly for a type cover keyboard, the keyboard feels really pleasant to type on, and the webcam is among the best available. There isn’t much room in a tablet form size for a large battery, thus battery life is just about seven hours of light use, but that is to be expected. The faster Intel 12th Gen. Processors in the newer Microsoft Surface Pro 9 are faster, but they are typically more expensive, so you must decide whether you require the additional processing power.
Conclusion
We have listed what we believe to be the top laptops available right now for small companies in our recommendations above. We take into account the cost (a less expensive laptop wins over a more expensive one if the price difference isn’t significant), comments from visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
The whole list of all of our laptop reviews is available if you would rather make your own choice. The table only displays the results of the model we tested; for details on other variations, it is best to read the complete evaluation. Keep in mind that the majority of laptops come in a variety of configurations.
