The 6 Best Laptops For Writers of 2025

The best laptop for writers we've tested is the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024). This Windows ultraportable is amazing for writers: its display looks very sharp, and at 15 inches, there's plenty of room to keep your reference material on one side while you write. More importantly, it has an amazing keyboard with a good amount of travel and satisfying, tactile feedback. Its easy-to-use haptic touchpad is large but not so large that it feels like it's in the way when typing. The laptop is surprisingly compact for a 15-inch device, and with a 17-hour battery life in light uses, you can work pretty much anywhere without worrying about running out of juice. Should you need to plug the laptop in for a quick charge, you can do so via USB-C, so there's no need to use the proprietary Surface Connect charger.

The most important thing to know is that, unlike previous Surface Laptops, it runs on an ARM-based SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. This chip is plenty fast to handle most writer's workloads; however, some programs don't run natively on an ARM processor. You'll be fine if you can access your work through a web browser, and non-native apps will likely run with minimal issues through emulation, but we still recommend you check for compatibility first, especially if you use a third-party writing app. If you want something even more compact, there's a 13-inch version of the Surface Laptop, which we haven't tested but expect to be very similar. It may be a better option if you work with an external monitor and mainly use the laptop as a second screen.

For Mac users, we recommend the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024), which is also a 15-inch premium ultraportable. It has a sturdy but thin design, making it well-suited for on-the-go use, and its battery easily lasts through a full workday. The overall user experience is excellent, though the keyboard's short key travel might not be to everyone's liking, and while Apple's Retina display is very pretty, it doesn't get nearly as bright as the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024)'s and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Also, the port selection is scant, comprising only two USB-Cs and a MagSafe charging port. Performance isn't a problem—Apple's M3 SoC easily handles most writers' workloads, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback.

If you want a smaller form factor, the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) is a good choice, too. It's the same device but with a 13-inch screen and worse speakers. For those on a tighter budget, the M2 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is still available. With the release of the M3 model and the discontinuation of the base 8GB RAM model, you can find the 8GB model for as low as $750 USD. Some retailers are even selling the 16GB model for $799! Its only downside is that, unlike the M3 model, it can only support one external monitor, which might not be a big deal for most people.

Our best mid-range pick is the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024). Though sturdily built, this model doesn't feel as premium as the picks above, as there's more plastic in the construction. It also has a smaller 14-inch display, a slightly mushier keyboard, and a non-haptic diving board touchpad. That said, the overall user experience is still good. You can choose between an FHD+ IPS or a 2.8k OLED display; both look sharp and get bright enough for use in most indoor settings. If you're sensitive to screen flickering, getting the FHD+ panel is best, as the OLED panel's flicker may cause eye strain. This laptop features Intel's Meteor Lake CPUs, which are plenty fast for general productivity tasks. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a 1080p webcam, and a wide port selection that includes two Thunderbolt 4s and an HDMI. The battery lasts around 11 hours of light use and charges over USB-C.

If you want something a bit cheaper, get the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024), a 2-in-1 Chromebook. Chrome OS is more limited when it comes to software compatibility, so be sure to check if you use any specialized programs. OS limitations aside, this laptop feels great to work on. Its IPS display looks vibrant and features both touch input and stylus support (although a stylus isn't included). The display has poor reflection handling, though, so this isn't the best choice for working in well-lit coffee shops or outside in broad daylight. On the bright side (no pun intended), the performance is great. Its Intel Core Ultra CPUs can easily handle word processing and multitasking, so it won't be an issue if you like to keep many Chrome tabs open. Its keyboard and touchpad are comfortable to use, and its battery life is great at over 10 hours of light use.

The best budget laptop we've tested for writers is the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023), a 16-inch Windows ultraportable. This model feels well-built and is easy to carry around despite its size. You can configure it with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, which are more than adequate to handle writing tasks like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. Most models come with 8GB of RAM, which can be a bit limiting, depending on your workload; however, you can find models with 16GB through some retailers or upgrade it yourself. You may need to charge throughout the day as the battery lasts only a little over eight hours of light use.

The overall user experience is good. It has a comfortable keyboard, a large, responsive touchpad, and a decent 720p webcam. Its 1080p display looks reasonably sharp but isn't the brightest, so visibility may be an issue in well-lit rooms. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a fingerprint sensor for quick logins, and a decent port selection with three USB-As, a USB-C, and an HDMI. Unfortunately, the USB-C doesn't support video output, so you'll have to use the HDMI port to connect an external display.

The best cheap laptop we've tested is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). You can find this laptop for as little as $300 to $500 USD. Writing isn't particularly CPU-intensive, so any CPU and RAM configuration will do. However, we highly recommend getting the Core i3-N305 CPU with 8GB of RAM if you're a relatively heavy multitasker. If you have trouble finding it elsewhere, you can get this configuration (paired with a touch-sensitive FHD display) from Lenovo. The 1080p display looks sharp and gets bright for use in most indoor settings. Its battery life is outstanding at around 13 hours of light use.

Naturally, there are some downsides to a budget-friendly laptop like this one. The keyboard feels spacious but mushy, and the touchpad is small and not always responsive. The webcam is surprisingly good, though, especially for a cheap Chromebook. Port selection is decent; you get two USB-As, a USB-C, and an HDMI port. The USB-C supports charging and video output. There's no fingerprint sensor or facial recognition camera, which is unfortunate but expected for such an inexpensive device.

The best 2-in-1 tablet for writers we've tested is the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024), a premium Windows tablet PC with a kickstand and detachable keyboard. This form factor makes the Surface Pro incredibly versatile. You can use it as a traditional laptop or as a tablet, and thanks to its pen input support, you can easily take handwritten notes or mark up passages in your text. It works with Microsoft's Surface Slim Pen 2, a stylus specifically designed for the new Surface Pro, and there's a slot on the type cover keyboard to store and charge the pen. The stylus and type cover keyboard are separate purchases, so you'll have to factor them into the overall cost of the device. It has an excellent 1440p webcam for video calls and a facial recognition IR camera to log in quickly.

As for the user experience, it's available with very sharp 3:2 OLED or IPS displays. They get bright enough to combat glare and have a 120Hz refresh rate to make pen input feel more responsive. Unfortunately, the OLED display exhibits a 'screen door effect' caused by its digitizer, which might bother some people. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile; however, typing with the device on your lap can be challenging because all the weight is in the display, and the type cover keyboard isn't super stable. Also, the kickstand can dig into your legs if you wear shorts. The battery lasts over 11 hours of light use, which is fantastic, especially for a tablet PC. Finally, like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) mentioned above, this device uses an ARM-based SoC, so everything said about software compatibility applies here, too.