Working remotely but need a reliable laptop to support your work? We bring you the best laptops for working from home today.
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The pandemic rendered many businesses either shut or companies had to exercise the option of letting their employees work from home. Remote jobs all over the world require extensive hours of work, even if they are flexible. In order to deliver your best, your machines need to be running efficiently at all times.
It is ideal to invest in a PC or laptop that has the latest software and processors, to give you the extra boost you need. Laptops are always an ideal asset to have because they give users the flexibility to carry them anywhere, with ease.
Features To Consider When Choosing A Laptop for Working From Home
Before we list the best laptops for working from home, we give you a brief description of what you should look for when carrying out a search.
Processor
The processor is among the most important aspects that one needs to consider when looking for a laptop to control computing operations. The processor needs to perform smoothly in order for you to get the most out of your machine. You will see a lot of laptops with the latest 11th Gen Core i5/i7 processors, but even a 10th gen chip works just fine as long as you are getting a plausible deal on it.
Graphics Card
The next crucial component of a laptop is the GPU. Everything a user sees on the screen is processed by the graphics card otherwise they may experience frame drops if GPU is unable to handle visual data. To cater to such issues, Intel’s latest Iris XE series came with several improvements as well as AMD Radeon Vega graphics. Apple, on the other hand, includes a more powerful GPU plus a dedicated machine-learning processor.
RAM and Storage
RAM & storage play an important role in processing any data on a laptop. The RAM acts as a temporary memory to store data for the CPU. In contrast, storage stores them permanently until you delete them manually. The minimum requirement for newer laptops is 8GB RAM but you can even go with 16GB DDR4 RAM for more-intensive tasks, which is pretty much standard if you are on a budget.
Webcam
A good quality webcam is a necessity for working from home as your Zoom meetings and presentations depend on it. Without this, you might be struggling with the online streams that your work may need. So, we have put this feature in our list of best laptops for working from home.
Keyboard & Security
In order to work efficiently and effectively, it is evident that you need a comfortable keyboard for typing while handling remote office-related work. Opting for a backlit keyboard will increase your productivity further when working in a low-lighting environment. Security, again, is an important factor to secure the important data of your office work and includes several security features, such as a fingerprint scanner, and other biometric options.
Battery Life
The battery becomes equally important in the long run like the other features we have mentioned. It might not be as effective for some people, but you need a long-lasting battery if you are traveling for office work, or if you have to juggle multiple tasks not specifically concerning your workspace. So, to be on the safe side, you need to consider a laptop that offers a long battery life. Luckily for you, the majority of portable laptops offer a very good life, whether Windows or Mac.
Best Laptops For Working From Home
1. Apple MacBook Air M1
The new Apple MacBook Air is among the best laptops for working from home with excellent performance and a stunning display. It has the latest Apple M1 chipset and features a 13.3-inch Retina display based on IPS LED technology. It offers 2560 × 1600 resolution to give sharper picture quality while the panel strikes nearly 100% P3 color gamut with Dolby Vision support.
The HD camera is surrounded by thin bezels and Apple has changed the keyboard structure on this MacBook while previously it was using butterfly keys. So now there are more key travel distances a huge trackpad. There are two USB C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support and Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 for wireless connectivity.
2. HP Pavilion 15
Powered by the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, this laptop comes loaded with an integrated Intel Iris XE Graphics G7. The latest Windows 11 OS operates this device with all its latest features making it among the best laptops for working from home. It has 16GB DDR4 RAM and 512GB Solid State Drive. With these features, it offers 5-20 times faster read/write speed than a hard disk, depending upon the SSD type you choose.
It supports Wi-Fi 6 connection along with Bluetooth 5 to support the connectivity. There are two USB C, two USB A, and HDMI ports, along with a micro SD card reader and a jack for headphones. It lasts up to 5-6 hours on a single charge.
3. Acer Swift 3
Packed with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U processor based on Zen 2 architecture that is manufactured on a highly power-efficient 7nm processing node, this laptop comes with a 14-inch FHD IPS LED display at 1920 × 1080 resolution. If you’re looking for laptops for working from home that has minimum screen bezels, this laptop has a 4-way NanoRdge bezel display. Moreover, it has 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD drive.
For security, there is Windows Hello for facial recognition and a fingerprint scanner. The main I/O ports of the laptop include 2x USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, 1x USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 port, 1x HDMI port, and a MicroSD Card Reader. It operates on the Windows 10 OS. Its battery life is decent enough with 5-6 hours of battery backup in a single charge. On the plus side, it supports fast charging technology that can charge this laptop to 50% within 45 minutes.
4. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
This system features an 8GB DDR4 RAM and a 256GB SSD drive onboard (they are not upgradable). Apart from that, it features a 13.5 inch IPS LED touchscreen with 2256 × 1504p screen resolution, has bright colors, and clear picture quality. For connectivity support, it has both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.
On the flip side, this laptop only has one USB C and one USB A port, a headphone jack, and a surface connector. It also supports charging via the Type C port. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 can last for more than 17 hours on a single charge, putting it among the best laptops for working from home.
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
This IdeaPad has a 14-inch display with Full HD 1920 x1080 resolution. It comes with 8GB of DDR4 shared memory and a 256GB SSD drive. The laptop comes with the latest Windows 11 OS. Its storage and RAM can be increased with a new SSD.
Apart from that, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 features the full version of Windows 10 Home. On a single charge, it runs for 7-8 hours of real-world usage battery life.
6. Microsoft Surface Pro 8
On the back, it has a built-in stand to use as a laptop. Quickly looking forward to internal, this computing machine features a 13-inch PixelSense display that has a resolution of 2880 × 1920 pixels. Under the hood, Microsoft Surface Pro 8 comes with an 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7. Paired with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM coupled with a 128GB SSD drive.
But there are other options available at higher prices. Moreover, it runs on Windows 11, the latest version of Windows with a clean user interface. In terms of I/O ports, there are two USB Type-C, a headphone jack, a Surface Connect port, and a micro SD card reader. this laptop offers 8-10 hours of max battery backup. Besides, it supports fast charging technology.
7. HP Envy x360
HP Envy x360 is a convertible laptop that comes with a flexible 2-in-1 display. This laptop is powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor. the HP Envy x360 has 8GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD drive with expansion slots. On the front, this laptop features a 13.3-inch FHD display based on the IPS LED technology.
The provided panel is also a touchscreen that supports digital pen and finger input; however, you need to spend additional money to buy that pen. it has two USB Type-A ports and a USB Type-C port with Thunderbolt 3 support.
In addition to that, you will see a backlit keyboard on this laptop. Speaking of its battery, it offers 6-7 hours of battery life on a single full charge. Furthermore, the computer supports fast charging technology to top up 50% within 30 minutes.
8. Dell XPS 13 9310
On the outside, Dell XPS 13 features a 13.4-inch infinity-edge FHD+ IPS LED display. It has a 1920 × 1080 screen resolution. This is a touchscreen with digital pen support. Besides, you will get 500 nits of max brightness along with 100% DCI-P3 color coverage. powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1195G7 processor.
An integrated Intel Iris XE GPU delivers worthy graphics performance for regular applications as well as professional ones, such as Photoshop, Autocad, etc. Alongside, it is paired with 16GB DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD drive.
Regarding the I/O ports, this laptop has two USB Type C ports with Thunderbolt 3 support. In terms of connectivity features, it has Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support. this laptop lasts for more than 10 hours as far as the battery is concerned.
9. Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5
Chrome OS has gained more features and is more capable ever than before. That is why we have included the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5. It features a 2 in 1 design with a 13.3-inch FHD display that is also a touchscreen. There are 360-degree hinges that allow it to become a tablet. You can also use a digital pen on this laptop.
This Chromebook uses the 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10110U processor. Alongside, it offers a perfect battery because of its 14nm architecture and low-powered cores. With this Chromebook, you will get more than 10 hours of battery life. it has 4GB DDR4 RAM and 64GB eMMC SSD storage. None of them is upgradeable. two USB Type C ports, one USB A port, and an audio jack. There is also a micro SD card reader. Additionally, it offers Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 wireless connectivity.
10. Asus Zenbook 13
the laptop is backed by the 11th gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor designed on the 10nm Intel SuperFin process. In terms of memory, the laptop comes with 8GB LPDDR4X RAM and 512GB Solid State Drive in terms of storage. it comes with the Intel Xe graphics G7 integrated GPU. to deliver smooth graphics performance.
The front portion is surrounded by a 13.3-inch display with 1920 × 1080 resolution. it has two USB C ports with Thunderbolt 4 support and 1x USB 3.1 Gen A ports. this is a thin laptop with superior performance and good battery life.
System Requirements Of An Ideal Laptop
The most difficult bit in getting a good laptop is finding one that suits all your requirements. Your budget plays as important a role as does your system requirements, or even your color preferences if you are like me.
There are many alternatives at variable price points that can confuse anyone easily, especially if they are not familiar with the tech world. The following specifications should be kept in mind if you are looking for a new laptop, and generally, you should find a machine that is at least close to these, if not exact:
- Display: 15.6-inch Full HD
- Processor: 11th Gen Intel Core i5 AMD 5000 Series Ryzen 5
- GPU: Integrated GPU
- RAM: 8GB DDR4
- Storage: 256GB SSD
- Battery Life: 5-6 hours
- Operating System: Windows 10, macOS
- Weight: Under 5 lbs