If you're looking for a laptop to work from home, there are a couple of things you want to look for. A large, sharp screen allows you to work comfortably, and port selection is critical if you want to connect multiple peripherals or external displays. The quality of the keyboard and touchpad is also important, and of course, you'll need a good webcam for your meetings over Zoom or Teams. While battery life isn't the most important aspect when working from home, having a laptop that can last a while on battery allows you to move from one room to another without bringing the charger. If you plan to work outdoors in the summer, you'll also want to ensure the display is bright enough to combat glare.
We've tested over 150 laptops, and below, you'll find our recommendations for the best laptops for working remotely you can buy. You can also see our recommendations for the best Chromebooks, the best 2-in-1 laptops, and the best laptops at Best Buy. If you want to learn more about how we test laptops or our review process, check out this article, where we give you a quick rundown of each step from the moment we purchase the laptop to the final published review.
The best laptop for working from home we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024). Simply put, this is the one to get if you need a lot of processing power to tackle demanding tasks or want the best user experience. It has a gorgeous Mini LED display, a tactile keyboard, an easy-to-use haptic touchpad, an excellent webcam, and tons of ports. The display gets very bright, and there's a new nano-texture display that further cuts glare, so you can comfortably work in your backyard in the warmer months. Plus, you don't have to lug the charger around, as the battery lasts easily through a typical workday. If you don't plan on using an external monitor and prefer a larger screen, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2024) is the obvious choice. It has better-sounding speakers but costs more.
If you prefer or must work on Windows, get the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024), also a premium workstation laptop that can handle intensive tasks like 3D graphics and simulations. Its 16-inch display gives you plenty of room for multitasking, though none of the available panels get as bright as the MacBook Pro's, so visibility won't be as good when working outdoors. You get Lenovo's much-beloved keyboard and Trackpoint, a large haptic touchpad, an excellent 1440p webcam, and tons of ports for peripherals and external displays. Its battery life is shorter but still very respectable at around 12 hours of light use. One advantage this device has over the MacBook Pro is that its RAM and SSD are user-replaceable, so you can upgrade or add more later.
For those with a lighter workload that consists mainly of tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and video playback, get the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024). This ultraportable has an incredibly sturdy build and a battery life of around 17 hours of light use. Its 120Hz 15-inch display looks sharp, gives you plenty of room for split-screen for multitasking, and gets bright enough for use in most settings. You get a comfortable keyboard that you can type on all day, a responsive haptic touchpad, and one of the best webcams you can find on Windows laptops. This laptop uses an ARM SoC, which means some programs might not work or will run poorly through emulation, so it's best to check for compatibility first.
The alternative for Mac users is, of course, the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024). Its M3 chip is blazing fast and more than adequate for general productivity tasks. Plus, it has a fanless design, allowing you to work in complete silence. It's lighter and more compact than the Surface Laptop, but its battery life is shorter at around 12 to 13 hours of light use. A downside is that while its Retina display is very pretty, it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and doesn't get as bright. Also, you only get two USB-C ports.
FYI: Apple has announced the M4 MacBook Air. Other than the new Sky Blue color, this 2025 model is largely a spec and feature update, bringing better performance, a 12MP camera with Center Stage support, and Thunderbolt 4 video output. The latter lets you connect two external displays in addition to the built-in screen. If you don't care for these upgrades, you can likely get the M3 model at a discounted price, though you'll have to get it through a reseller, as Apple no longer offers it on its website. Lastly, we've ordered the new M4 MacBook Airs (13- and 15-inch) and will begin testing them as soon as we get them in the lab.
If you don't want to spend too much on a premium model like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) or the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024), the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) is a more affordable option with only a few compromises. Fortunately, you don't have to sacrifice on performance; it features Intel's Meteor Lake CPUs, which are powerful enough to handle general productivity tasks and more demanding workloads like programming. You can get up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage—only the latter is user-replaceable, so ensure you get enough RAM for your needs upfront. It comes with Wi-Fi 6E, a 1080p webcam, and a fingerprint sensor.
The build quality, as well as the overall user experience, is where this laptop feels a tad inferior compared to the picks above. Its chassis doesn't feel quite as premium or rigid, as there's more plastic in the construction, and it also has a slightly mushier keyboard and a non-haptic diving board touchpad. You can choose between an FHD+ IPS or a 2.8k OLED display; the OLED looks much sharper, but keep in mind that it's susceptible to permanent burn-in and will drain the battery faster. It also flickers, which might bother some people. Its outstanding port selection includes two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a MicroSD card reader, and an HDMI. The battery lasts around 11 to 12 hours of light use—you can charge the laptop via USB-C.
The best budget laptop for working from home we've tested is the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023). This 16-inch Windows ultraportable feels well-built for its price, and it isn't overly bulky or heavy, so it's still easy to carry around when you need to go to the office. It's available with an AMD Ryzen 5 or Ryzen 7 CPU, which are more than adequate to handle light productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and video playback. You can get this laptop with 8GB or 16GB of RAM, though the 16GB models can be hard to find. If you can't find one, you can always upgrade the RAM yourself via the SO-DIMM slot. Its battery life is okay; it lasts a little over eight hours of light use, so depending on your workload, you may have to plug it in for a quick charge.
The overall user experience is good. It has a comfortable keyboard, a large and responsive touchpad, and a decent 720p webcam. Its 1080p display looks reasonably sharp; however, it doesn't get very bright, 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 for working from home we've tested is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). This 14-inch Chromebook is a great option for those with a light workload, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. We recommend the Core i3 configuration (paired with a touch-sensitive FHD display, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage), which you can regularly find on sale for around $400 to $500 USD on Lenovo's website. You can get one of the cheaper configurations (Intel N100 or N200 CPU and/or 4GB of RAM) if you have an extremely light workload; just know that you'll experience more slowdowns when multitasking.
The touch-sensitive FHD display on the aforementioned Core i3 model looks very sharp and gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings. Above the display is an excellent 1080p webcam, so your colleagues can see and hear you clearly on video calls. Unfortunately, the keyboard feels a little mushy, and the touchpad is small and sometimes unresponsive. Its battery life is outstanding at around 13 hours of light use or 12 hours of video playback. Lastly, Chrome OS is limited in the type of applications you can install, so just make sure you can do everything through a Chrome browser or Android app.
If you want a versatile device that you can use as a tablet for media consumption, get the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024). Unlike convertibles with a 360-degree hinge, this is a tablet PC with a detachable keyboard. Removing the keyboard makes the device easier to hold as a tablet and takes up less space on a table, and you can simply pop it back on when you need to type something. The downside is that it's a bit more unstable when using it as a laptop on your lap. The new Flex keyboard feels spacious and comfortable, and it now works even when disconnected from the device, giving you more flexibility to position the tablet to your liking. It also has a new haptic touchpad that's larger and easier to use. Unfortunately, the keyboard is still a separate purchase, and the same goes for the stylus.
Like the Surface laptop mentioned above, this device runs on an ARM processor, so make sure the apps you use are compatible or run well enough through Microsoft's Prism emulation layer to get your work done. One thing worth mentioning is the display. The Snapdragon X Plus model has an IPS panel, while the X Elite model sports an OLED. The OLED display will give you deeper blacks for a superior visual experience, but it exhibits what's commonly known as the 'screen door effect,' which some may find distracting. Also, remember that OLEDs are susceptible to permanent burn-in. Other than that, this is a great device overall. You get an excellent 1440p webcam, an IR facial recognition camera, Wi-Fi 7, and clear-sounding front-facing speakers.
The Dell Precision 5690 (2024) is also a great Windows alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024). It has more powerful GPU options than the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024), including the NVIDIA RTX 4000 and 5000 Ada Generation Laptop GPUs. However, it has fewer ports and a lower-quality webcam. Also, it uses soldered RAM, which means you can't upgrade the memory later.
See our reviewThe HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (2024) is a great alternative to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) if you prefer a 2-in-1 convertible or can't work on an ARM-based device. However, its OLED panel doesn't get as bright, and its flicker may bother some people. Its battery is also shorter at around 10 hours of light use.
See our reviewThe LG gram 16 (2024) is a larger alternative to the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) for those who want as much screen space as possible. It's incredibly lightweight, weighing only 2.6 lbs; however, this comes at the cost of build quality, as it doesn't feel nearly as sturdy as the Surface Laptop. It also has a dimmer display, a non-haptic touchpad, and a lower-quality webcam.
See our reviewWith the release of the M4 MacBook Airs, many retailers are selling their remaining M2 Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022)s at around the same price as the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024). The MacBook Air feels more premium build-wise, and it provides a better user experience overall. However, its performance isn't quite as good, and it only has two USB-C ports with support for a single external display.
See our reviewThe Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (2024) is a great convertible laptop at the same mid-range price point as the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024). It provides a very similar user experience as the Swift Go overall; the only downside is that it's only available with FHD+ displays. Also, the lower-end panel looks noticeably dimmer and more washed out than the Swift Go's.
See our reviewThe Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) is cheaper than the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024), and it's a 2-in-1 convertible, allowing you to use it as a tablet. Its keyboard feels more tactile, and since it's a 2-in-1 convertible, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. It doesn't have quite as much processing power and runs on Chrome OS, though, so it's only suitable for lighter tasks that you can access through a Chrome browser or Android app.
See our reviewReplaced the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) with the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip 14 (2024) in the Notable Mentions because the OmniBook is a newer model and is easier to find. Added the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) as a Notable Mention.
Replaced the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) with the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024) since the M3 model was discontinued. Added the Lenovo Yoga 7 2-in-1 14 (2024) as a Notable Mention.
Replaced the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024) with the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) because the Surface has a brighter display, a better keyboard, and longer battery life. Replaced the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) with the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) because the Acer has a sturdier build and provides a better user experience overall. Removed the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024), ASUS Zenbook 14 Flip OLED (2023), Framework Laptop 13 (2023) from the Notable Mentions because there are better options. Removed the Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023) from the Notable Mentions because it's hard to find. Added the Dell Precision 5690 (2024), HP Spectre x360 14 (2024), and LG gram 16 (2024) as Notable Mentions.
Aug 26, 2024: Replaced the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021) with the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th edition (2024) because the Pro 8 is discontinued and harder to find. Added the Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen 7 (2024) as an alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). Replaced the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023) with the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024) because the Lenovo is discontinued. Removed the Acer Swift 14 (2023) from the Notable Mentions because it's no longer available. Added the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) and the Lenovo Yoga 6 13 (2023) as Notable Mentions.
Jun 03, 2024: Replaced the M2 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) with the M3 version because the M2 model is no longer available. Added the Dell XPS 16 (2024) as an alternative to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023) since the Dell XPS 15 (2023) is discontinued and hard to find. Added the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024) as an alternative to the Apple MacBook Air 15 (2024). Replaced the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) with the ASUS Vivobook 16 M1605 (2023) because the ASUS has a larger screen and better performance.
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laptops for working remotely to buy. We factor in the price (a cheaper laptop wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our laptop reviews, sorted by price from low to high. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it's best to see the full review for information about other variants.
What do you think of our picks? Let us know below.
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I’m really looking forward for an the best mouses for left handed/left handed friendly article. I know it’s quite niche but none of the sites are doing complex reviews.
Update: Replaced Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT with Logitech G PRO X SUPERLIGHT 2 in Notable Mentions section due to superior overall performance.
What do you think of these changes? Let us know