The best business laptop should be reasonably fast, offering solid performance for its price. It also needs to be light and portable, with a battery life to last you through the day.
In this guide, we’ve reviewed and compared 13 different models, looking at their specifications and performance benchmarks to help you choose the best business laptop.
The Best Business Laptops Shortlisted
Here’s our final list of the best business laptops in 2024 to give you a quick rundown of the best on the market:
- Acer Aspire 5 — Our top pick for the best business laptop of 2024, with four AMD Ryzen processors to choose from and easily upgradable RAM and storage.
- Apple MacBook Air M1 — Powerful CPU and GPU, with built-in machine learning and a stunning Retina Display, ideal for video, image, audio editing, and 3D modeling.
- Lenovo Flex 5 — Flexible 2-in-1 laptop with a digital pen, a 14″ touchscreen, 360° hinges, a webcam privacy shutter, and a fingerprint reader.
- Asus VivoBook L203MA — Best budget business laptop, which is light and portable and has a 10-hour average battery life and a one-year Microsoft Office 365 license.
- HP Chromebook 14″ — Light and compact Chromebook with a dual-core AMD processor, perfect for freelancers and digital nomads.
- Lenovo 100e Rugged Chromebook — Best small business laptop with a MediaTek MT8183 processor, built for doing some light work on the go.
- Asus TUF F15 — Premium laptop for professionals who like to game after work, with a powerful Intel i5 processor and an RTX 2050 GPU.
- Lenovo Chromebook 3 — Affordable model with impressive battery life, a full HD touchscreen display, and a built-in microSD card reader.
- HP Pavilion — Sleek and modern Windows 11 laptop with nine different RAM and SSD presets, and easily adaptable to your needs.
- MSI Modern 15 — Perfect for image and video editing, thanks to its Intel Iris XE graphics and a stunning 15.6″ full HD display.
- Apple MacBook Pro i7 — Stunning 16″ retina display and powerful performance on offer, with an average battery life of over 11 hours.
- Coolby Windows 11 Laptop — Great value for money, with a gorgeous 15.6″ IPS display, a 2.0 Megapixel camera with a privacy shutter, and a built-in cooling fan.
- Dell Latitude 7390 — Best Dell laptop for business, with excellent connectivity options, a backlit keyboard, and a fingerprint reader.
Reviews of the Best Laptops for Business Use
There are many excellent laptops on the market, but depending on your needs, your budget, and the type of work you’ll be doing on the machine, one particular model might be a much better fit than another. To help you make an informed decision, we’ve put together in-depth reviews of every laptop on our list.
1. Acer Aspire 5 — Overall, the Best Business Laptop for Most People
The Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent budget option for anyone working in programs that aren’t particularly resource-hungry, like Google Docs, Word, and Excel. It’s also great for casual web browsing and streaming online movies and TV shows.
A great thing about the Acer Aspire 5 is that you can choose between four different Ryzen processors. The standard Ryzen R3 3200U is perfectly serviceable, but if you need a bit more computing power, then you can upgrade to a newer generation CPU.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $359 | AMD Ryzen R3 3200U — R5 7520U | Vega 3 Graphics | 4 Gb DDR4 | 128 Gb SSD | 15.6″ | 14.31 x 9.74 x 0.71 inches | 7.5 hours |
The laptop comes with integrated AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics – a chip which has low power consumption, supports DirectX 12, and offers crisp, sharp visuals. You also get 4 Gb of DDR4 RAM, which is enough for some light work, but you can always upgrade the laptop if you need to simultaneously run more resource-intensive apps.
The one downside of this model is that it comes with just 128 Gb of storage, so you’ll either need to rely on cloud storage or purchase an additional SSD if you want to store more files on the device.
The Acer Aspire 5 offers excellent connectivity options, with an ethernet port, an HDMI port, and three USB ports, so you can easily connect peripherals like a USB mouse or headphones.
Another thing to note is that this model has Amazon Alexa built-in, so you can leverage your personal voice-controlled virtual assistant to play your favorite songs, manage alarms, set reminders, create shopping lists, and more. It definitely ranks alongside the best laptops out there.
2. Apple MacBook Air M1 — Built-in Machine Learning, Perfect for Image, Video, and Audio Editing
The Apple MacBook Air M1 packs a ton of power and offers excellent performance thanks to its patented M1 chip. As a result, it’s capable of achieving up to three and a half times faster CPU speeds and about five times faster GPU speeds than older MacBook Air models.
In addition to the M1 eight-core CPU, this model comes with either a seven-core or an eight-core GPU and 8 Gb of RAM, so it’s perfectly capable of running several demanding applications and programs simultaneously.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $899 | SoC Apple M1 Chip (eight-core CPU) | Apple 7-core — Apple 8-core GPU | 8 Gb | 256 Gb SSD | 13.3″ | 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches | 18 hours |
The 13″ retina display provides stunning image quality, so it’s perfect for both work and streaming online content. The laptop also comes with a built-in HD camera, so you’ll be ready to hop onto video calls from the get-go without having to invest in an external webcam.
Another major advantage the Apple MacBook Air M1 offers over most models on our list is extended battery life. You can use this model for up to 18 hours on a single charge, so it’s perfect for busy executives who travel often and don’t always have the luxury of sitting next to a power outlet.
3. Lenovo Flex 5 — Flexible 2-in-1 Laptop With a Digital Pen
The Lenovo Flex 5 is the best 2-in-1 laptop on our list, offering superb flexibility and excellent performance for the price. You can switch between a regular laptop and a 14″ touchscreen tablet in seconds and choose any angle for optimal convenience, thanks to its powerful rotating hinges.
This light and portable Lenovo business laptop features a powerful eight-core AMD Ryzen 5 4500U processor with integrated graphics, as well as 16 Gb of DDR4 RAM, so you won’t experience any performance issues even with multiple resource-hungry apps and a dozen Chrome tabs open.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $605 | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | AMD Integrated Graphics | 16 Gb DDR4 | 256 Gb SSD | 14″ | 12.66 x 8.56 x 0.82 inches | 10 hours |
The laptop is also a good option for people who want advanced security, thanks to its webcam shutter and fingerprint reader, which ensures nobody else can gain access to your device.
With a 10-hour battery life, the Lenovo Flex 5 will easily last throughout a full workday. Thanks to its fast-charge technology, it can go from 0% to 80% in an hour, so you’ll never have to worry about it dying on you in the middle of work.
4. Asus VivoBook L203MA — Best Budget Business Laptop
The Asus VivoBook L203MA is a light and portable laptop with a battery optimized for mobile computing and designed for mobility. It’s a super-affordable option for people who need to get some quick work done on the go that doesn’t require the processing power of high-end machines.
Given the fact that you can get the Asus VivoBook L203MA for under $200, we rate it as the best-budget business laptop.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $183 | Intel Celeron N4000 | Intel UHD Graphics 600 | 4 Gb LPDDR4 | 64 Gb eMMC | 11.6″ | 11 x 7.5 x 0.67 inches | 10 hours |
The laptop also comes with a one-year Microsoft Office 365 license, which is a nice bonus for anyone working in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint. It also comes with a MicroSD card slot, so you can add an additional 256 Gb of storage for just $20 if you need to store more work documents, photos, and videos on the laptop.
One major downside of this model is that it comes with Windows 10 in S mode, which offers enhanced security but only allows you to install apps from the Microsoft Store. So, if you want to access apps from outside the store, you’ll need Windows 10 Pro.
5. HP Chromebook 14″ — Light and Compact Chromebook With a Dual-Core AMD Processor
The HP Chromebook 14″ is a light and compact Chromebook with impressive specifications for the price, perfect for freelancers and digital nomads.
This laptop runs on ChromeOS, meaning you can start working in seconds simply by logging into your existing Google account. You’ll have quick and easy access to all your files and work documents on Google Drive and will be able to download all the apps you need straight from the Play Store.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $199 | AMD Dual-Core A4-9120 | Integrated graphics | 4 Gb DDR4 | 32 Gb eMMC | 14″ | 8.93 x 13.27 x 0.72 inches | 9 hours and 15 minutes |
The average battery life of this model is just above nine hours, which is more than enough to get the work done without worrying about charging.
6. Lenovo 100e Rugged Chromebook — Best Small Business Laptop for Light Work on the Go
The Lenovo 100e Rugged Chromebook is another decent laptop running on ChromeOS, with an MT8173 CPU that leverages machine intelligence to adapt to your needs to help you get more work done with increased efficiency.
The main selling point of this Chromebook is its size. Being only 11.46″ wide and weighing only 2.65 pounds, it’s easy to carry with you wherever you go.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $139 | MediaTek MT8183 | PowerVR GX6250 graphics coprocessor | 4 Gb LPDDR3 | 32GB eMMC | 11″ | 11.46 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches | Up to 10 hours |
While not a premium laptop by any means, the Lenovo 100e Rugged Chromebook is a great option if you travel a lot and need to check your inbox, review and approve work documents or articles, write in Google Docs, create spreadsheets, or do any other work that doesn’t require high computing power. All of that makes this the best laptop for small business.
7. Asus TUF F15 — Premium Laptop for Professionals Who Like to Game After Work
The Asus TUF F15 is a great option if you’re looking for a more powerful laptop that you can use for both work and gaming – and it certainly sits on the field of affordable gaming laptops.
This premium laptop boasts an Intel Core i5-11400H, Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 graphics card, 8 Gb of RAM (upgradable), and a 512 Gb PCIe SSD. With these specifications, you can easily run complex programs and multiple resource-intensive applications and play newer AAA games on medium-to-high settings.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $699 | Intel Core i5-11400H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 | 8 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb PCIe SSD | 15.6″ | 14.13 x 0.9 x 10.08 inches | 6 hours |
Another major benefit of the Asus TUF 15 is its high durability. It’s made from military-grade materials and designed to be resistant to drops, vibrations, humidity, and extreme temperatures, so it will last you for years to come.
The one downside of the Asus TUF 15 is the six-hour average battery life, meaning you will have to charge it at one point during the workday.
8. Lenovo Chromebook 3 — Affordable Chromebook With an Impressive Battery Life
The Lenovo Chromebook 3 is another cheap, easy-to-set-up laptop that lets you easily connect to your Google account and pick up work right where you left off. Given its affordable price, it would even make a great laptop for college.
In terms of performance, it’s on par with the two other Chromebooks on our list, thanks to an Intel Celeron N4020 processor with integrated graphics and 4 Gb of RAM. It’s light and portable, with an 11.6″ full HD touchscreen display and great battery life, so it’s a solid budget-friendly option for everyday tasks.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $139 | Intel Celeron N4020 | Integrated graphics | 4 Gb LPDDR3 | 64GB eMMC | 11.6″ | 11.02 x 7.87 x 0.67 inches | 10 hours |
The laptop comes with four USB ports and an audio combo jack, so you’ll have no trouble connecting all your peripherals to it. It also has a 720p camera with a built-in microphone, so you can hop on to video calls on Google Meet in seconds.
9. HP Pavilion — Sleek and Modern Windows 11 Laptop
The HP Pavilion is a sleek, modern laptop that offers a ton of flexibility regarding the amount of RAM and storage. There are nine different presets to choose from, ranging from 4 Gb to 64 Gb of RAM and from a 64 Gb SSD to a 1 Tb SSD.
This gorgeous HP business laptop comes with an 11th gen Intel Core i3-1115G4 dual-core processor, running at 3.0 GHz, so it’s more than capable of running multiple resource-intensive apps and a dozen browser tabs without slowing down.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $499 | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | Integrated UHD Graphics | From 4 Gb to 64 Gb DDR4 | From 64 Gb to 1 Tb SSD | 14″ | 12.76 x 8.86 x 0.7 inches | 8 hours |
One thing to note is that this model comes with Windows 11 Home preinstalled, which is a bit snappier than Windows 10 and offers slightly improved performance on most laptops.
The average battery life of the HP Pavilion is around eight hours, so a single charge will last you a full workday.
10. MSI Modern 15 — Sleek and Modern, Perfect for Image and Video Editing
The MSI Modern 15 is the top choice for graphic designers, videographers, and anyone else working in a creative field, thanks to Intel Iris XE integrated graphics, which support fluid design.
Depending on the complexity of the tools and app you’re using for everyday work, you can choose between five different processors. As far as RAM goes, you can choose between 8 Gb or 16 Gb of DDR4 RAM and can always upgrade up to 32 Gb later down the line.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $999 | Intel Core i7-1195G7 | Intel Iris XE | 16 Gb DDR4 | 1 Tb SSD | 15.6″ | 14.05 x 9.2 x 0.67 inches | 5 – 7 hours |
While extremely powerful, the MSI Modern 15 is pricey, and its battery typically lasts between five and seven hours. That said, it can be fully charged in under an hour, but you will have to be on the lookout for a power outlet if you want to make it through an entire eight-hour workday.
11. Apple MacBook Pro i7 — Stunning 16″ Retina Display and Powerful Performance
The Apple MacBook Pro i7 is a late 2019 Apple computer laptop built for performance. It features a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i7 processor, AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics, and 16 Gb of RAM, so it runs smoothly even with multiple resource-hungry apps open at the same time.
The laptop provides stunning visuals thanks to its 16″ Retina Display with built-in True Tone technology, so it’s great for both work and streaming TV shows and movies. It also comes with a six-speaker system for a fully immersive experience when watching online content.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $918.99 | Intel Core i7 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb SSD | 16″ Retina Display | 14.9 x 9.68 x 0.64 inches | 11 hours |
12. Coolby Windows 11 Laptop — Great Value for Money, With a Gorgeous 15.6″ IPS Display
The Coolby Windows 11 Laptop offers excellent value for money, boasting an 11th gen Intel N5095 quad-core processor, integrated Intel UHD graphics, and 12 Gb of DDR4 RAM.
The main selling point of this thin, portable laptop is its 15.6″ IPS display, which provides wider viewing angles, rich colors, and improved color consistency, all the while protecting your eyesight.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $339 | Intel N5095 Quad-Core | Intel UHD Graphics 16 EUs | 12 Gb DDR4 | 256 Gb SSD | 15.6″ | 14 x 9 x 1 inches | 9 hours |
The Coolby Windows 11 Laptop also features a built-in cooling fan, which prevents the hardware from overheating and makes this model comfortable to use for extended periods of time.
13. Dell Latitude 7390 — Best Dell Laptop for Business
The Dell Latitude 7390 is a modern Dell touchscreen laptop with a sleek carbon shell that improves its resistance against drops and vibrations while giving it a smooth, professional look.
Dell laptops are known for a great ratio of performance to price, and the Dell Latitude 7390 is no exception. For a little over $300, this model comes with an Intel Core i7-8650U processor, a 512 Gb SSD, and 16 Gb of DDR4 RAM.
Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
From $325 | Intel Core i7-8650U | Integrated Intel Graphics | 16 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb SSD | 13.3″ | 14 x 9 x 1 inches | 10 – 12 hours |
Comparison of the Top 13 Business Laptops
Here’s a quick comparison table to give you a better overview of the specifications of all the different best-buy laptops on our list so you can choose the one that’s right for you:
Laptop model | Price | CPU | GPU | RAM | Storage | Display | Dimensions | Avg. Battery Life |
Acer Aspire 5 | From $359 | AMD Ryzen R3 3200U — R5 7520U | Vega 3 Graphics | 4 Gb DDR4 | 128 Gb SSD | 15.6″ | 14.31 x 9.74 x 0.71 inches | 7.5 hours |
Apple MacBook Air M1 | From $899 | SoC Apple M1 Chip (eight-core CPU) | Apple 7-core — Apple 8-core GPU | 8 Gb | 256 Gb SSD | 13.3″ | 11.97 x 8.36 x 0.63 inches | 18 hours |
Lenovo Flex 5 | From $605 | AMD Ryzen 5 4500U | AMD Integrated Graphics | 16 Gb DDR4 | 256 Gb SSD | 14″ | 12.66 x 8.56 x 0.82 inches | 10 hours |
Asus VivoBook L203MA | From $183 | Intel Celeron N4000 | Intel UHD Graphics 600 | 4 Gb LPDDR4 | 64 Gb eMMC | 11.6″ | 11 x 7.5 x 0.67 inches | 10 hours |
HP Chromebook 14″ | From $199 | AMD Dual-Core A4-9120 | Integrated graphics | 4 Gb DDR4 | 32 Gb eMMC | 14″ | 8.93 x 13.27 x 0.72 inches | 9 hours and 15 minutes |
Lenovo 100e Rugged Chromebook | From $139 | MediaTek MT8183 | PowerVR GX6250 graphics coprocessor | 4 Gb LPDDR3 | 32GB eMMC | 11″ | 11.46 x 8.1 x 0.8 inches | Up to 10 hours |
Asus TUF F15 | From $699 | Intel Core i5-11400H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 2050 | 8 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb PCIe SSD | 15.6″ | 14.13 x 0.9 x 10.08 inches | 6 hours |
Lenovo Chromebook 3 | From $139 | Intel Celeron N4020 | Integrated graphics | 4 Gb LPDDR3 | 64GB eMMC | 11.6″ | 11.02 x 7.87 x 0.67 inches | 10 hours |
HP Pavilion | From $499 | Intel Core i3-1115G4 | Integrated UHD Graphics | From 4 Gb to 64 Gb DDR4 | From 64 Gb to 1 Tb SSD | 14″ | 12.76 x 8.86 x 0.7 inches | 8 hours |
MSI Modern 15 | From $999 | Intel Core i7-1195G7 | Intel Iris XE | 16 Gb DDR4 | 1 Tb SSD | 15.6″ | 14.05 x 9.2 x 0.67 inches | 5 – 7 hours |
Apple MacBook Pro i7 | From $918.99 | Intel Core i7 | Intel UHD Graphics 630 | 16 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb SSD | 16″ Retina Display | 14.9 x 9.68 x 0.64 inches | 11 hours |
Coolby Windows 11 Laptop | From $339 | Intel N5095 Quad-Core | Intel UHD Graphics 16 EUs | 12 Gb DDR4 | 256 Gb SSD | 15.6″ | 14 x 9 x 1 inches | 9 hours |
Dell Latitude 7390 | From $325 | Intel Core i7-8650U | Integrated Intel Graphics | 16 Gb DDR4 | 512 Gb SSD | 13.3″ | 14 x 9 x 1 inches | 10 – 12 hours |
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Business Laptop
Depending on what type of work you do and the apps and programs you use daily, not every laptop is going to be a suitable choice.
Depending on the CPU and GPU model and the amount of RAM, some laptops will only be capable of performing simple tasks, while others will allow you to run multiple resource-hungry apps without an issue.
You should also think about portability, battery life, and the ability to upgrade the laptop with more RAM and storage later down the line. Here’s a quick breakdown of all the key factors you should consider when buying a business laptop:
Performance
There’s a huge difference in performance between budget laptops and high-end models, so you should carefully consider what apps and programs you’ll be using and how much CPU and GPU power you’ll need to run everything comfortably without the laptop slowing down or freezing.
While budget laptops can be great for everyday use, casual browsing, and replying to emails, you can’t expect them to run CPU-intensive apps like Photoshop, Lightroom, or Blender. So, if your work involves image processing, video editing, graphic design, 3D modeling, or anything else that requires a lot of processing power, your best bet is a high-end laptop with a powerful processor.
Graphics
Most work programs and applications aren’t graphically demanding, so you can easily get by with a business laptop with integrated graphics. However, if your work entails something like 3D graphics rendering, video editing, or machine learning, you’re going to need to buy a powerful GPU for the job.
Additionally, if you love gaming in your spare time, you should consider a mid-range or premium laptop with a dedicated graphics card.
Size
Portability is one of the main reasons people choose laptops over desktop PCs, so you should consider the size and weight of different models. This is especially important if you travel a lot and need to get work done on the go, so a slim, lightweight laptop that can easily fit into your backpack or a small laptop bag is an ideal choice.
Storage
If you need to store a lot of files, images, or videos, you’ll need a laptop with a lot of storage space, preferably 512 Gb or more. On the other hand, if the bulk of your work is done on the cloud, you can opt for a model with a smaller SSD (Solid State Drive) since the majority of your data will be saved on remote online servers.
Battery Life
Lower-end laptops typically have low power consumption and can function for more than 10 hours on a single charge. If you opt for a more powerful model, keep in mind that you’ll likely have to sit next to a power outlet for at least an hour in order to make it through an entire eight-hour workday.
Connectivity
One thing that people often overlook when choosing a laptop is the available ports. If you want to connect all your peripherals, like a mouse and a headset, you should opt for a model that has multiple USB ports.
Additionally, it might be worth going for a laptop with an HDMI port if you occasionally need to work on a bigger screen or if you want to watch online content on a larger TV screen.
Upgradeability
A good business laptop should function flawlessly for at least three to five years, so you should consider it a long-term investment. To that end, it pays off to buy a model that can be upgraded in case you need more storage or RAM.
Price
When it comes to the price, you should look beyond just the price tag and focus on how much value different models provide for the money. What we mean by this is that you should compare the specifications of different models and see how much power (CPU and GPU), RAM, and storage you get for the price.
Best Business Laptop FAQs
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Conclusion – What’s the Best Business Laptop to Buy in 2024?
There are thousands of different laptop models on the market, so it can be difficult to choose one over another, especially if you’re not particularly tech-savvy or don’t know how different specifications might impact performance.
Depending on your needs and the type of work you do, some laptop computers will be a better fit than others. For example, the best laptop for business and personal use will vastly differ from the best gaming laptops since the latter require a much more powerful CPU and GPU.
Our choice for the best business laptop overall is the Acer Aspire 5 because it offers excellent performance for the price and plenty of connectivity options – so it’s a great fit for most business professionals in a wide variety of industries.