Choosing the best laptop for a team is a heavy decision for any business. You need something that’s durable, secure, powerful, light, and capable of lasting through a long workday—and you have countless options. We’ve scanned our recent business laptop reviews and winnowed down our favorite models for getting work done, but as we’ll explain in detail after the following picks, selecting from even this subset requires care. Not every laptop matches how you or your employees work, or what you do.
Take a look at some of the best options available, and then read on to learn the fine points of everything from IT management and deployment to secure logins and durable chassis and keyboards. Business laptops work harder than consumer models (and usually cost more), but your business deserves nothing less. These are the best business laptops for 2023.
The Best Business Laptop Deals This Week*
*Deals are selected by our commerce team
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (2022)
Best Business Laptop Overall
Why We Picked It
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has always been one of the best business laptops around, and was built from the ground up to be a top-notch ultraportable. When we looked at last year’s model, we could scarcely think of ways it could improve, but Lenovo has managed to do just that by adding an OLED display option, a 12th Generation Intel processor, a rich collection of ports that include USB-A and HDMI alongside Thunderbolt 4, a best-in-class keyboard, and even MIL-STD 810H construction—all of this while shaving off enough weight to make it one of the lightest ultraportables around.
Built for business, it’s an easy choice for our favorite business laptop, outshining even competing systems from Dell and Apple. And if our five-star rating didn’t already say it, we’ll spell it out here: This isn’t just the finest business laptop we’ve seen, it’s the world’s best laptop.
Who It’s For
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon has always been the traveler’s business laptop. If you want the best business ultraportable on the planet, this is the undeniable choice, somehow improving on what was already the best lightweight business machine on the market.
PROS
- Sleek, sturdy, and ultralight
- USB-A and HDMI as well as Thunderbolt 4 ports
- Unbeatable keyboard
- Top-quality screen choices including OLED and 4K
- Solid productivity performance and battery life
CONS
- Business-class price
- No SD or microSD card slot
- 5G option not yet available
Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch (2022, M2)
Best MacBook for Most Business Users
Why We Picked It
Apple’s latest 13-inch MacBook Pro looks pretty much like the same aluminum slab introduced in 2016—its 2,560-by-1,600-pixel Retina display can’t match the resolution of many newer models’ screens, and it’s odd to see the mostly maligned Touch Bar still hanging around above the keyboard after its quiet removal from other MacBooks. But under the hood, the new M2 processor gives this three-pounder performance that tops the older Apple M1 and most Intel CPUs, and the Pro’s battery life is amazing—nearly 22 hours in our tests, with few Windows laptops even in the same ballpark.
Who It’s For
Graphic designers and content creation professionals will lean toward the larger 16-inch MacBook Pro (available with the M1 Max processor, which is more than a match for the first M2), but businesspeople who want macOS in a trim, tidy package will be happy with the 13.
PROS
- Performance tops M1 predecessor and Intel competitors
- Tried-and-true design
- Fantastic 22-hour battery life
CONS
- Dated physical design
- Lackluster 720p webcam and 2,560-by-1,600-pixel display
- Supports just one external display
- Touch Bar has its proponents, but feels like a design throwback
Apple MacBook Pro 16-Inch (2023, M2 Max)
Best MacBook for Business Power Users
Why We Picked It
The 2023, 16-inch Apple MacBook Pro is a powerhouse laptop that marries a refined and polished design with top-notch performance. With the new M2 Pro and M2 Max processors, the MacBook Pro delivers workstation-level power in a consumer-friendly design, making it the choice of creative professionals. With an impressive 27-hour battery life, a top-class mini LED display, and Apple’s best laptop design to date, the machine looks and feels fantastic as it rips through even the most demanding computing tasks with ease. It’s the most powerful Apple laptop we’ve tested, earning a rare five stars and Editors’ Choice award.
Who It’s For
This MacBook Pro is for professionals who need the power to match the demands of their job and their talents, especially for media creation and high-end professional tasks. With its undeniable power, the laptop is well worth the cost, even in its more premium configurations. If you’re looking for the most powerful MacBook to date, this is it.
PROS
- Unmatched laptop power
- Exceptional battery life
- Top-class mini LED display
- Apple’s best laptop design
CONS
- Expensive across the board
- Camera notch still takes getting used to
HP ZBook Studio G9
Best Workstation Laptop
Why We Picked It
Directly replacing its predecessor, the HP ZBook Studio G9 is a fantastic mobile workstation for 3D rendering, 4K video editing, data analysis and visualization, or software development. HP’s laptop features stunning 4K DreamColor or OLED display options and the choice between Nvidia’s professional or gaming GPUs. Ranked second to its Fury laptops in HP’s mobile workstation lineup, the ZBook Studio G9 is not as powerful as some of its contemporaries, but it is still an excellent option for creative professionals.
Who It’s For
HP’s ZBook Studio G9 is for designers and creative professionals who need a powerful laptop for demanding tasks. The laptop is ideal for those who need a mobile workstation for 3D projects, 4K video work, data analysis and visualization, or software creation. Despite its shortcomings, the ZBook Studio G9 offers a choice between Nvidia’s professional or gaming GPUs, making it a fantastic option if you need a versatile workstation.
PROS
- Potent processing and graphics power
- Stunning 4K DreamColor or OLED display
- Choice of Nvidia’s professional or gaming GPUs
CONS
- No HDMI or Ethernet ports
- Only 720p webcam
- Formidably expensive
HP ZBook Firefly 15 G8
Best Budget Workstation Laptop
Why We Picked It
Officially, the economy model for engineering students and other budget-conscious customers of HP’s mobile workstation family is the ZBook Power, but the ZBook Firefly 15 G8’s light weight (3.74 pounds), impressive battery life, spiffy 4K screen, and 5G broadband connectivity make it our top pick. As you’d expect, its processor and graphics options stop short of the heavyweight ZBook Fury’s—its top CPU has only four instead of six or eight cores—but it can tackle all kinds of jobs, with all the independent software vendor (ISV) certifications for specialized apps of its bigger brothers.
Who It’s For
We admit the ZBook Firefly isn’t the lowest-priced mobile workstation available, but it strikes a swell balance of affordability, portability, and power for 2D and mild 3D design and other professional and creative needs.
PROS
- Sharp 4K screen
- Thin and light design
- Impressive battery life
- ISV certifications
- Top-notch input devices and speakers
- Available with 5G WWAN
CONS
- A bit expensive for the performance level
- Tops out with a quad-core processor
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
Best Ultraportable Business Laptop
Why We Picked It
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is one of many ultraportable business laptops, but this AMD-powered system stands out from the pack, thanks to its mix of premium design and superb performance. From the first look, you’ll know this isn’t your father’s ThinkPad: Instead of basic black, the lid is covered in recycled vegan leather, and the metal frame of the chassis is accented with polished, bronze-colored aluminum. With a fantastic keyboard, a reimagined TrackPoint and a spacious glass-surfaced touchpad, there is so much tactile luxury at your fingertips that you’ll love to sit down to work. And this slim machine can work, with AMD Ryzen processing and graphics providing some of the best performance in the category, backed with a battery that lasts all day.
Who It’s For
Any business user that values mobility will want a great ultraportable, but the premium price of the ThinkPad Z13 makes it a bit more exclusive than most. If you want style and sustainable thinking to be part of your daily driver, then the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is the business ultraportable for you.
PROS
- Posh, polished design
- Eco-conscious materials and packaging
- Great Ryzen-powered performance and graphics
- Impressive battery life
- Excellent keyboard with re-imagined TrackPoint
CONS
- Only two USB-C ports
- Full HD resolution falls short of higher-res competitors
HP Dragonfly Folio G3
Best 2-in-1 Convertible for Business
Why We Picked It
HP’s Dragonfly Folio G3 is a standout 2-in-1 laptop with its plush cover and pull-forward convertible design. Its faux leather cover is textured and comfortable to carry, while the laptop’s 3:2 touch screen adds to its sleek and attractive design. Additionally, the Dragonfly Folio G3 is equipped with features suitable for executives, including 4G or 5G broadband support, an impressive webcam, and a self-charging stylus pen. Just watch out for a few drawbacks, like the lack of HDMI, USB-A ports, and a SD/microSD card slot—especially for its price. Despite these caveats, the Dragonfly Folio G3 still deserves recognition as a high-end business convertible and earns our Editors’ Choice award.
Who It’s For
Designed for corporate executives who need a device that combines scribbling, sketching, and keyboard input, the HP Dragonfly Folio G3 absolutely delivers. It is ideal if you require take-it-anywhere connectivity and are looking for a laptop that can serve as a status symbol. However, the high cost of the laptop might not be suitable for everyone, and it is best suited for those who have IT departments that can negotiate the cost.
PROS
- Flexible pull-forward screen action
- Handsome 3:2 touch screen
- 4G or 5G broadband support
- Impressive webcam and sound
- Self-charging stylus pen
- Classy faux leather cover
CONS
- No HDMI or USB-A port or SD/microSD card slot
- Ultra-glossy reflective screen
- Quite pricey
Dell Latitude 7420
Best Laptop for Enterprise Fleets
Why We Picked It
Does your company buy laptops by the hundred or thousand instead of a few at a time? Well, your next enterprise deployment won’t be any smoother than the Dell Latitude 7420, a 14-inch corporate champion available in both standard clamshell laptop and 2-in-1 convertible form. It’s a better buy than the company’s flagship Latitude 9000 series, combining excellent performance, long battery life, and near-endless configurability with options ranging from Intel vPro processors to LTE mobile broadband for keeping in touch when away from Wi-Fi hotspots.
Who It’s For
Even if you opt for the carbon fiber rather than aluminum version, the Latitude 7420 is slightly heavier than Lenovo’s legendary ThinkPad X1 Carbon, but it’s a fleet (in both senses of the word) notebook with more “have it your way” choices than Burger King. Corporate IT managers will be delighted.
PROS
- Excellent performance from 11th Generation Intel Core i7
- Long battery life
- Eminently configurable
- Corporate chic styling with aluminum or carbon fiber
- Optional LTE
- Three-year warranty
CONS
- Expensive as configured
- Heavier and pricier than Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
- Occasional fan noise
Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2
Best Small/Medium Business Laptop
Why We Picked It
Lenovo’s ThinkBook laptops are a great affordable option for small businesses, and the Yoga 2-in-1 design has been the best version of the laptop/tablet hybrid for years. With the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga Gen 2, you get all of that business-ready capability in a budget-friendly model that’s perfect for entrepreneurs or small businesses operating on a shoestring. The result isn’t a standout in design or performance, but it’s a solid value for a flexible workhorse business 2-in-1.
With prices starting at $1,000, you shouldn’t expect niceties like OLED screens or best-of-breed networking, but Lenovo still delivers plenty of bang for the buck. Inside are an Intel 12th Generation Core i5 processor, an included stylus and note-taking app, and a generous port selection. The design isn’t the sleekest on the market, but the aluminum construction is sturdy and durable. A brighter display or better keyboard might be nice, but you can’t deny the great value.
Who It’s For
Costly competitors offer better business machines, but if you’re a solo entrepreneur or small business on a budget, the Lenovo ThinkBook 14s Yoga is a capable performer that gets our recommendation for its attractive price.
PROS
- Affordable price
- Good array of ports
- Stylus pen included
CONS
- Dim display with no OLED option
- Tepid performance for a Core i7
- Wi-Fi 6, not 6E
Microsoft Surface Pro 8
Best Detachable Windows Tablet
Why We Picked It
Most 2-in-1 laptop/tablet combos are convertibles whose keyboards fold behind their screens. The 13-inch Microsoft Surface Pro 8 is the king of detachables, genuine tablets that jettison their keyboards altogether for handheld convenience (just 1.96 pounds) yet have all the power of full-fledged laptops. Once you get past its glaring flaw—a premium price, made super-premium by Microsoft’s charging extra for the keyboard cover and stylus pen—the Surface Pro 8 is a genuine laptop alternative that excels at sketching and annotating, with a handy kickstand, great 1080p webcam, and impressive performance and battery life.
Who It’s For
The Pro’s Type Cover and kickstand are both as good as detachable accessories get, but the device is still happier on a desk than in your lap in laptop mode. Otherwise, its best-in-class design and build quality make the Surface Pro 8 (and the Surface Pro 8 for Business with LTE mobile broadband support) the definitive Windows tablet.
PROS
- Modern design with thin bezels and larger (13-inch) display
- Superior 1080p webcam
- Two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support
- Well-implemented kickstand
- User-accessible SSD
- Perky performance in tested Core i7 configuration
CONS
- Higher starting price diminishes entry-level appeal
- Accessories and configuration upgrades are pricey
- Keyboard base still sold separately
- USB-C ports only
Dell Latitude 5430 Rugged
Best Rugged Laptop
Why We Picked It
Like Panasonic’s Toughbooks, Dell’s Latitude Rugged laptops are available in both fully rugged and semi-rugged flavors—able to survive drops of six versus three feet, among other differences. The Latitude 5430 is a semi-rugged model, so it’s probably more suited for field workers and first responders than actual combat troops, but it’s still plenty tough. This 14-inch workhorse is much lighter and easier to carry than many rugged notebooks (4.35 pounds), but its MIL-STD 810H and IP53 credentials reassure you that it won’t break down when subjected to outdoor or factory-floor abuse.
Who It’s For
The Latitude 5430’s touch-screen display, connectivity and I/O ports, and customization and security options are all above average. It’s not actually bulletproof and won’t work underwater, but it’s more than able to keep you productive and in touch when things get rough.
PROS
- Extremely lightweight for a rugged laptop
- Excellent touch-screen display
- Lots of I/O ports
- Many customization and security options
CONS
- Expensive
- Semi-rugged, not fully rugged
HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook
Best Chromebook for Business
Why We Picked It
The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a powerful and flexible laptop that makes a strong case for ChromeOS in the workplace. It features a haptic touchpad, a built-in fingerprint reader, a magnetic pen, and a beautiful 3:2 touch screen. The laptop is powered by an Intel Core i5-1245U processor and comes with 256GB of solid-state storage. It also features Intel’s vPro IT management and security, a standard in business laptops. Additionally, the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a 2-in-1 laptop, which means it can be used as a laptop or a tablet. It also supports Android apps and comes with HP’s QuickDrop smartphone file transfer software, making it a highly versatile productivity machine.
Who It’s For
If your daily work already relies on Google’s productivity suite and a handful of Android apps, then this is a no-brainer for your next office machine. But even the Windows faithful may want to give it a second look, as the collected features and functionality are superb, and IT managers might just thank you for making the switch.
PROS
- Thin and light
- Beautiful 3:2 aspect ratio touch screen
- Snappy backlit keyboard with haptic touchpad
- Great performance, connectivity, webcam, and sound
- Fingerprint reader and magnetic pen
CONS
- High price only makes sense for business use
- Windows users will have to learn new keyboard shortcuts
Buying Guide: The Best Business Laptops for 2023
Every laptop benefits from a speedy CPU, bright screen, comfortable keyboard, and long battery life. But the makers of business models add features to meet specific office needs, such as secure logins (via biometric fingerprint readers or facial recognition or SmartCard IDs) and sturdy designs that have passed MIL-STD 810G or the even more severe 810H tests against road hazards like shock and vibration. (First responders and field workers may require even tougher rugged laptops.)
IT departments appreciate fleet deployment and remote manageability functions like those offered by laptops with Intel vPro processors and Trusted Platform Module (TPM) support for secure access. Enterprises also prefer Windows 11 Pro over the consumer-oriented Windows 11 Home (or sometimes a business-focused Linux distribution) and look for laptops with less bloatware or fewer extraneous bundled programs. With so many thin black and silver notebooks on the market, business machines tend to look samey, but the differences that matter most to office users tend to be below the surface, inside the chassis.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
The line between tablets and laptops is also blurring in the business-machine world. Once the two were separated by operating systems, but there are now several tablets aimed at businesses that run true versions of Windows. Some of these tablets even have physical, detachable keyboards.
But make no mistake, in the business sphere, conventional clamshell-style laptops still rule, and choosing the right one can determine whether you run a company that’s successful or one that suffers from too much downtime. Let’s walk through essential business-laptop features, the components you’ll need, and—also important—how to distinguish between a business laptop and a consumer one.
Which Processor Should I Get in a Business Laptop?
Choosing the right processor for your business machines can be a little complicated, but there are a few rules of thumb to bear in mind whether you’re shopping for a personal work machine or upgrading the IT fleet for your whole company.
The first has to do with processor generations. While business systems aren’t updated as swiftly as consumer laptops, it’s still a good idea to opt for the current CPU generation when you have the choice. Today, that means Intel’s 13th Gen CPUs, previously called “Raptor Lake.” The new models feature the same hybrid architecture of 12th Gen “Alder Lake” chips, which pair high-powered Performance cores with low-powered Efficiency cores for multicore processing that can optimize for power or performance, as needed, but now with more of those E-cores.
Non-Intel chips are less prevalent in the business space, but if you have an option, look for AMD’s 6000-series Ryzen 7 and Ryzen 9 CPUs (soon to be replaced with AMD 7000-series chips). Meanwhile, Apple is meeting business needs with M2-series processors, with the latest M2 Pro and M2 Max made to offer business and workstation-class capabilities, respectively.
As in years past, having more cores is better, but guidelines about quad-core chips seem a bit quaint when Intel’s top model, the Core i9-13980HX, packs in 24 cores (8 Performance cores, 16 Efficient cores). Similarly, advice about clock speeds is also outdated, as Intel has stopped using GHz ratings as a way to indicate baseline performance—only boosted clock speeds.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
Instead, your best bet is to go by our advice on choosing a laptop CPU, and choose something according to processor tier. For Intel, that means Core i3 models for the most basic work, since they’re best suited to web browsing and data entry. Core i5 and Core i7 are better for more demanding work, while Core i9 is the best option for workstation laptops that need more horsepower to crunch huge data sets or render complex models.
You can find low-end business systems that use Intel’s Pentium and Celeron processors, but these aren’t well suited to daily work. Instead, these are ideal options for less-demanding uses, like running signage or powering a simple in-store kiosk.
On Apple, most professionals will be well served with an M2 or M2 Pro processor, as these chips will handle all sorts of workloads, up to and including video editing. But for serious media work or workstation tasks, we recommend the more capable M2 Max.
As for AMD systems, Ryzen 3 may be sufficient for office work, but most pros will want a Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 processor to help power through demanding tasks.
Finally, consider the form factor. As a rule, Intel’s H- and HX-series will offer the highest power for the most demanding uses, and will be found in mobile workstations and creator laptops, while P-Series CPUs are made to deliver high performance in thin-and-light laptops. Ultraportable laptops generally use lower-wattage chips, such as Intel’s U-Series of 15-watt processors. But even with the U-Series models, the basic tiers are there, with Core i3, Core i5, and Core i7 chips each offering good, better, and best processing power.
Also, look for absolutely no less than 8GB of RAM if shopping for a PC for a rank-and-file worker, but go for 16GB if at all possible. (Graphic artists and spreadsheet ninjas should aim for 16GB as their absolute minimum.) The right amount of memory allows you to keep more programs and browser tabs open at once, as well as perform multimedia processes (such as editing photos) faster.
Go Solid State, If You Can: Laptop SSDs
With businesses using video, multimedia PowerPoint slides, and multi-megapixel photos in staff meetings virtual and in-person, opting for a spacious drive is a good idea. If you’re going to go with a traditional platter drive (and at this point, you probably should not), a 1TB hard drive is a good balance between economy and space.
That said, we’re huge fans of solid-state boot drives, and almost all business laptops have moved over to them at this point. While pricier and more meager in their storage capacities, solid-state drives (SSDs) don’t have any spinning parts and are therefore better suited to take a licking on the road. SSD-equipped systems also boot and launch apps more quickly. If you’ll travel or commute much with your laptop and don’t need maximal storage capacity, an SSD is the right choice. SSDs tend to be pricier than hard drives, which means that you’ll likely be looking at 256GB or 512GB capacities to maximize your budget.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
Optical drives have all but disappeared on business laptops. If you need to retrieve older files or records stored on CDs or DVDs, an external disc drive can help; that’s a smarter move than buying a bulky laptop equipped with an optical drive if you know you’re not quite done shuffling discs yet.
What Graphics Should You Get in Your Laptop? Integrated vs. Dedicated
Most business PCs come with integrated graphics chips, which are a lightweight graphics-acceleration solution that’s part of the main CPU. These integrated GPUs are usually fine for business laptops, since you won’t be playing 3D games on a computer meant for work. (Right?) Most professionals who require discrete graphics will use them for specialized tasks such as GPU acceleration in Photoshop, high-definition video creation in Adobe Premiere Pro, or 3D graphics visualization in architectural drawings and CAD software. Mobile-workstation-class laptops will usually come with some sort of discrete graphics, either for their 3D capabilities or to drive multiple monitors.
When evaluating graphics solutions, it’s easy to tell what tier of business laptop you’re looking at. Integrated graphics silicon is usually dubbed “Intel HD Graphics,” “Intel UHD Graphics,” “Iris Plus,” or “Iris Xe” and indicates a mainstream business machine. (Iris Xe indicates the most up-to-date silicon inside; Radeon Graphics is what you get in the rare AMD Ryzen Pro-based business machines.) In contrast to integrated solutions, the most common dedicated graphics chips in laptops, as a whole, are from Nvidia’s GeForce line, but they are not usual fare in business machines. GeForce GTX or RTX chips tend to be reserved for higher-end consumer or gaming systems, though some business machines will include one of Nvidia’s lesser GeForce MX chips to give graphics a little boost. A higher-end workstation machine will tend to use dedicated graphics chips from Nvidia’s RTX A series (formerly known as Quadro) or (rarely) AMD’s Radeon Pro line.
The exception to this rule is Apple, which builds pro-level graphics processing right into it’s higher-end chips. Even the basic M1 and M2-powered MacBook Pros may be limited to some light photo and video editing, but the beefier M2 Pro and M2 Max processors found in the MacBook Pro offer the same level of graphics power as a Windows system with a dedicated GPU, and even compete with workstation systems.
(Credit: Kyle Cobian)
As for the display panel, LCD screens with 1,366-by-768-pixel resolution are still available if you’re trying to save some money on your laptop, but avoid them. Your eyes will thank you for upgrading to at least a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display that makes use of in-plane switching (IPS) technology. This combination will ensure that you have plenty of space for displaying many columns of numbers in Excel or arranging many windows on the screen at once, and that your coworkers will be able to see them from any angle while clustering around your desk.
For graphics or scientific work, a 3K or 4K display provides more real estate still, as well as sharper text and more detailed visuals. Though these are still fairly uncommon fixtures on business laptops, they’re emerging at least as options in some isolated models, and worth the money if your job will make use of extra pixels. Just know that, all else being equal, a high-resolution screen will drain battery life more rapidly than a lower-res one of the same base technology.
Stay Connected: Wired and Wireless Options
A strong wireless-connectivity loadout is essential in any business machine these days. Offices, airports, and client sites demand wireless connectivity for access to real-time email, messaging clients, and cloud services. Few businesspeople work fully local anymore.
Every laptop these days has some flavor of Wi-Fi built in. It should get you satisfactory throughput, but you have to find a hotspot or an unprotected network to surf the web. Look for dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Wi-Fi for the best flexibility for your IT organization. The most common kind nowadays, 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), runs primarily on 5GHz networks, but it will work with 2.4GHz networks as a fallback. Just look out for Wi-Fi 6E, the newest standard in 2023, that is quickly gaining traction.
Offices in high-density buildings may wish to use the less-populated 5GHz bands, as the 2.4GHz channels tend to get more crowded. Some budget business laptops still sport older 802.11ac Wi-Fi 5; these may offer less reliable connections but are still adequate for most small and medium businesses.
Don’t discount good old Ethernet entirely: You’ll still need it for crowded conferences where the Wi-Fi is saturated. So, if your laptop is too thin to house an Ethernet jack, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter is a worthwhile investment. (One might come in the box.)
(Credit: Molly Flores)
These difficulties are, in part, why some business laptops have built-in mobile-broadband wireless modems as options. They work in tandem with available cellular networks to bring broadband speeds to your laptop wherever there’s a cellular signal available. You can configure many business laptops with one of these modems integrated for a nominal fee; this option is one of the key distinguishing features of business laptops.
Mobile data plans to use with the laptop, on the other hand, don’t come cheap. Depending on whether you have an existing plan, rates can run as high as $60 to $80 per month. A 4G LTE or 5G wireless connection will give you transfer speeds rivaling what you get from a Wi-Fi connection, and they’re available from the top cellular networks with the most coverage, notably AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering are also available in case you don’t want to buy internal modems for all your employees; they’re a quick fix if you only need mobile internet part-time.
Keep Running: How to Get the Best Laptop Battery Life
A big battery can be your best friend on a lengthy flight or a long commute. Business laptops usually come with multiple battery options. Some enterprise-class laptops have two or three different kinds of batteries (four-, six-, and nine-cell options). More cells means longer battery life, all else being equal. The “equal” is the tricky part; this isn’t always the case with laptops that use 4K displays or other power-hungry components. A big battery adds some heft, but being able to run it unplugged from dawn ’til dusk is worth the weight gain.
Most ultraportable laptops have non-removable, sealed-in batteries. Laptops with removable batteries do still exist, but they are increasingly uncommon, limited mostly to rugged tablets and laptops designed for extreme conditions.
If you think you’ll need more battery life than a single charge can offer, look for an external battery pack rather than limiting yourself to a model with a swappable internal battery. Combined with the internal battery, these external solutions can help deliver battery life in the 19-to-24-hour range. Just be forewarned that these extra-life batteries can weigh down your system by an extra pound or more.
2-in-1 Laptops: Are They Good for Work?
Price and portability are arguably the biggest reasons why a business might consider a Windows-based tablet for work. Some tablets sell for less than $500 and can easily adapt into a corporate environment. While specialized (i.e. expensive) tablets have been in vertical markets, such as health care, for years, the ubiquity of the Apple iPad means that people are used to carrying a computer that doesn’t have a physical keyboard or that uses a detachable, basic one.
Look for a Windows tablet if you need to run in-house or third-party apps that were originally created for PCs. True enterprise-class tablets running Windows are still evolving, but most business users expect their work computers to behave the same as their personal tablets. Apple fans will have to be content with using the iPad or iPad Pro for business, as a tablet-optimized version of macOS doesn’t exist.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
Most Windows tablets are built to surf the web, run Office apps, and perform other very light computing tasks, but they are also compatible with the gamut of security applications, VPN and email clients, and countless hardware peripherals such as printers, scanners, and network-attached storage (NAS) devices. We wouldn’t run an entire business on a tablet, but one can be a nice take-along unit for an offsite meeting or used as a portable alternative to your 6-pound big-screen bruiser of a workstation. Microsoft (with its Surface line) and Lenovo (with its ThinkPad variants) are the key players in this market for business Windows tablets.
The Best Chromebooks for Business: Simple and Affordable
With the cloud becoming omnipresent in our computing lives at both work and home, Chromebooks are more viable options than ever for laptops devoted to work activity. These laptops are restricted to using Google’s ChromeOS, which began as a souped-up version of the popular web browser. Android apps from the Google Play Store (such as the Microsoft Office suite or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom) extend Chromebooks’ abilities, but they often lack features found on the Windows-based versions of the same programs. Businesses that run their core applications on the Google suite may find Chromebooks useful under certain circumstances, though, as emailing and communications stations. The latest models even have Intel vPro IT manageability and security tech built in.
(Credit: Molly Flores)
If web-based collaboration is key to your workflow, a Chromebook could be enough, and because Chromebooks don’t need powerful hardware to run most web apps, they generally cost a lot less than other business laptops. Some Chromebooks designed for work do have beefier processors and more memory. Our general takeaway, though, is that under most circumstances, they tend to work better as adjunct than primary machines in most businesses.
So, What Is the Best Business Laptop to Buy?
Take some time to consider the nature of your particular job. Doing so should point you toward the ideal business laptop. Paying a little extra for more power or capabilities now will save you headaches down the road. The added value of a longer warranty (some business laptops come with three years), specialized tech support, and a more ruggedized frame (fortified by carbon fiber or magnesium alloy) are some of the extra benefits you may get with a business laptop.
If your work is graphics-intensive, you’ll want to opt for a laptop with a discrete GPU. When choosing a processor, you’ll have to find the right balance between power for your applications and energy efficiency, and in selecting a battery, you’ll need to choose between its capacity and weight. When you determine the best features for your needs, you can focus on just those laptops that incorporate them. And that’s where our deep-dive reviews come in.
Our current favorite business laptops are laid out in our spec list. We refresh the list often to include the newest products, and because of the large number of laptops we review every year, not every top-rated product makes the cut. For more, also see our overall top laptop picks, and if money is tight, our roundup of the best budget laptops is worth a read. And if you’re looking to fully outfit your work area, also check out our takes on the best business monitors, plus our favorite ergonomic keyboards and printers.
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