If you regularly work from home or find yourself traveling a lot, a great laptop for work is high on your list of priorities. There are some great options out there that can meet the needs of almost any remote professional, so we’ve put together a comprehensive list that dives deeper into some of the top choices.
How should you decide which laptops are best for remote work?
Choosing the right laptop certainly comes down to personal preference, but there are also some key features that you might want to look out for. Remote workers should consider their personal workstation — whether you’re likely to be working on the move, or whether you typically stick to one location, it could make a big difference when it comes to choosing a laptop that meets your needs.
With that in mind, this list will consider several important factors, including portability, processing power, and, of course, the price tag.
The 8 best laptops for remote work: Examining top options for 2024
We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the 8 best laptops for remote work, and hope that it will provide a broad insight into the kinds of options that are available to you in 2024. This section will dive into each option in more depth, covering the laptop’s key features and other important factors that you might want to consider before making a purchase.
1. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 – The best laptop for remote work overall
Price: $999
Microsoft Surface 7 is a premium laptop that comes with various features catering to performance, design, and productivity. Unlike its predecessors, which offered a choice between two leading processor providers—Intel and AMD—Microsoft chose neither. Instead, the Surface 7 is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X processor. Users can choose between the “Plus” version, which has 10 cores, and the “Elite” version, which features 12 cores.
Microsoft Surface 7 also comes in two separate screen sizes, giving remote workers a choice between 13.8 and 15 inches, which could serve both digital nomads and work-from-homers equally well.
Its 20 hours of battery life and 16 or 32GB of RAM—depending if you buy the plus or the elite model—place Microsoft Surface 7 at the very top of the range when it comes to consumer laptops. It also offers a touch screen with stylus support (though the stylus is sold seperately), making it a versatile option for remote work across a wide array of professions.
Pros:
- Versatile
- Powerful
- Touchscreen
Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7
2. Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 – A good option for gaming on the go
Price: $1,399
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is a gaming laptop that gained popularity among remote workers for its powerful performance and compact design. The laptop is powered by a 13th gen Intel i7 processor, and it features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card that provides high-quality visuals.
In addition to being a powerful option, the ROG Zephyrus’ 16-inch display makes it fairly easy to transport as it fits into most backpacks, though it should be noted that a 16-inch screen is on the bigger side. It is also slightly heavier than some of its competitors, which could be a deciding factor for any remote workers who expect to be moving around frequently.
Pros:
- Powerful
- Versatile
- Durable
Cons:
- Heavier than competitors
- Expensive
3. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 12 – A lightweight powerhouse
Price: $1,540
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is a premium business ultrabook known for its sleek design, durable build, and high-end features. The carbon fiber chassis makes this version of the Thinkpad extremely light without sacrificing any of its durability, which makes it a great choice for digital nomads in particular. Its keyboard is also an absolute delight to use, which is a nice bonus.
On top of that, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is very powerful thanks to its high-performance Intel Core processor and 16GB of RAM, allowing for smooth multitasking during working hours. This laptop’s 14-inch display supports 4k resolution, and it also contains RapidCharge technology as an added bonus. The only real drawback to the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the price tag — it’s almost 50% more expensive than some of the other options on our list.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Powerful
- Supports 4k resolution
- RapidCharge technology
Buy the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon
4. HP Spectre x360 14T – A premium 2-in-1
Price: $1,289
The HP Spectre x360 is a premium 2-in-1 convertible laptop known for its sleek design, high-quality build, and versatile features. Due to its touchscreen display and foldable keyboard, the HP Spectre could be one of the best options for graphic designers, architects, or any other profession that requires hands-on interaction with the display.
The laptop is equipped with high-performance Intel Core processors, providing plenty of power for any kind of task that you might need it for. It also contains Bang & Olufsen audio built into it by default and over 16 hours of battery life. On balance, the Spectre x360 is a very versatile option, but it’s also one of the most expensive laptops on this list due to its unique design.
Pros:
- Powerful
- Versatile
- Convertible touchscreen display
5. MacBook Air M3 – A very solid option for Mac users
Price: $1,099
The MacBook Air M3 provides a built-in performance boost of about 20% when compared with M2 models, which is a significant upgrade. However, the biggest selling point of the MacBook Air is its macOS operating system, which differs from every other laptop on this list that uses Windows. For any remote workers who prefer macOS to Windows, this would likely be the laptop to go for. As its name implies, the MacBook Air is light and extremely thin, making it very portable.
MacBooks are known for their high-resolution retina display and enhanced security features. A key drawback with the previous MacBook Air model is that it only had 8GB of RAM, but they addressed that with this year’s upgrade, giving it a solid 16GB, which is necessary for multitasking these days. Overall, the MacBook Air is a very versatile laptop that is both lightweight and durable, and it offers plenty of functions that would serve remote workers well.
Cons:
- Some users report battery issues
6. LG Gram 17 – For remote workers who need more screen real estate
Price: $1,499
The LG Gram 17 is a lightweight and portable laptop known for its large 17-inch display and impressive battery life. For any remote workers seeking a large screen size, this one’s a great option. The large display provides a spacious and immersive viewing experience, making it suitable for content creation, productivity, and viewing multimedia.
The laptop is typically equipped with Intel Core processors and offers 16GB RAM. In addition to being a powerful laptop capable of supporting all kinds of activities from work, to gaming, to simply browsing the web, LG Gram 17 has a precision touchpad and more than 11 hours of battery life. Overall, it’s a great choice — but the price may be an overshot in terms of its capabilities.
Pros:
- Powerful
- Versatile
- Large display size
- Touchscreen
Cons:
- Expensive compared to competitors
7. Dell XPS 15 – A thin and lightweight Windows machine
Price: $1,483
Dell XPS 15 is a popular ultrabook known for its premium build quality, high-resolution display, and overall performance. The laptop has a virtually borderless InfinityEdge display, which maximizes the screen-to-body ratio for a more immersive viewing experience. It is also constructed with premium materials that provide both durability and a sleek, professional appearance.
The Dell XPS 15 comes with 32GB of RAM and a powerful Intel Core i7-13620H processor, ensuring you can multitask without a hitch. In terms of power, this makes the XPS 15 a high-end laptop, which is reflected in its high price tag. The Dell XPS 15 has a compact and lightweight design and could be the perfect choice for remote workers who expect to be taking it from place to place.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Durable
- InfinityEdge display
8. Dell Inspiron 14 – A solid budget option
Price: $549
Dell Inspiron 14 laptops offer a range of processor options, including Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors, providing choices for different performance needs. The Inspiron 14 comes with a 14-inch display, but it also offers different display options, such as Full HD (FHD) or touchscreen. This could be particularly useful for certain remote work professions.
The laptop has 8GB RAM, which would usually be plenty for most activities, but it’s definitely worth considering the type of work you need to complete and the strain it might place on the laptop’s performance capabilities. Overall, the Dell Inspiron 14 represents a more budget option when compared to the other laptops on this list, but it remains a great option in terms of its lightweight design and innate portability, despite being 2 years old at this point.
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Cheaper than competitors
Cons:
- Less powerful than competitors
- Slightly outdated
The bottom line: What is the best laptop for remote work?
Choosing the best laptop for remote work is a case of personal preference. Some remote workers may need high power capabilities in order to complete their tasks, while others may find that a standard consumer laptop works perfectly well for their needs. That said, here are the top 3 best laptops for remote work in 2024:
All 3 of these laptops provide a balanced performance and versatile range of capabilities. As all-round options go, they are undoubtedly some of the best. In particular, the Microsoft Surface 7 takes the top spot because it’s also available at a fairly reasonable price, and it has some unique specifications, such as a touchscreen display. All in all, it could be the best all-round pick in terms of the best laptops for writers in 2024.
If you want to learn more about the best computer equipment for specialized tasks, make sure to check out our other articles:
