One of the most important purchases a writer will make is a laptop. (Well, you know how we feel about good old-fashioned notebooks…those are pretty important too!) But unlike other writing supplies, we usually don’t invest in laptops very often. Because of this, buying a new laptop can be a bit daunting. We’ve done some homework and have come up with our list of best laptops for writers.
How We Chose
We surveyed the 2022 market and selected laptops with features that writers look for, including portability, display, battery life, and affordability. We also looked for options that pack the most technology for the buck. TBRH highlights features that we think writers will appreciate, such as lit keyboards, back lighting, and graphics capabilities for those who may want to design their own book covers and merchandising. We’ll update this list of best laptops for writers as new models are released. Good luck in your search for the best laptop for you!
Best Laptops for Writers: Portability
1. Apple MacBook Air
Key Features:
- Strikingly thin design
- Weighs only 2.7 pounds
- 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display
- 8-core CPU/10-core GPU/24 GB ram
- MagSafe charging port, 2x thunderbolt ports, headphone jack
- 1080p camera
- Spatial audio with 4 speakers, 3 mic array
- 18-hour battery life
- Mac OS
To Consider:
- No touchscreen
2. Dell XPS 13 Touch Laptop
The Dell XPS is a great option for writers who prefer Windows operating systems and want a lightweight and portable laptop. This laptop features a 13.4-inch screen and 16 GB of ram with a 512 GB hard drive. It has an Intel Core i7 processor and Intel Iris XE graphics. Weighing only 2.8 pounds, it is about as lightweight as laptops come.
Key Features:
- 13.4-inch screen with touchscreen
- 4.8 GHz CPU speed
- 16 GB of ram and a 512 GB solid-state hard drive
- Weighs 2.8 pounds
- Dual fans to to spread heat
- Windows 10 Pro OS
- Thin profile
3. Acer Convertible Spin 5 Laptop
This convertible laptop features a widescreen 13.5-inch backlit touchscreen. It also has a backlit keyboard for nighttime visibility. Because it is a convertible, it works with the Acer stylus. It runs on Windows 10P and has up to 15-hours of battery life. Weighing just 2.65 pounds, it is one of the more portable designs out there. Lastly, it uses the Intel Core i5 processor, has 8 GB of memory, and a 256 GB solid-state drive.
Key Features:
- Convertible laptop
- 13.5-inch backlit touchscreen with stylus
- Weighs only 2.65 pounds
- Uses Intel Core i5 processor / 8 GB memory / 256 GB solid-state drive
- 15-hours of batter life
- Windows 10 Pro OS
Best Laptops for Writers: Large Display
1. 2022 HP with 17.3″ HD Display
HP’s newest 2022 laptop features a large HD display with anti-glare. This model packs a lot of features into a home-office laptop. It has a Core i3 processor with up to 4.1 GHz, 16 GB of ram, and 16 GB of memory. It has a moderate battery life with about 8 hours per charge and weighs 5.2 pounds. This laptop is a great value for the dollar, and would work well as a robust home-laptop.
Key Features:
- Large 17.3-inch HD display with anti-glare
- Core i3 processor with up to 4.1 GHz
- 16 GB of ram and 16 GB of memory
- 8-hour battery life
- Weighs 5.2 pounds
- Windows 11 OS
To Consider:
- No touchscreen
- Weight and size may make this model less portable
2. Dell Inspiron 15 Touchscreen Laptop
The Dell Inspiron 15 Touchscreen Laptop has a 15.6″ ultra wide display with 1920×1080 resolution. It features 16 GB of system memory and a 1TB solid-state hard drive. This laptop uses the Windows 11 operating system. Lastly, it has good portability for its screen size, weighing just 3.8 pounds.
Key Features:
- 15.6″ touchscreen with ultra wide display
- 16 GB system memory and 1TB SSD
- Windows 11 OS
- Weighs 3.8 pounds
- Intel Core i7 processor
3. 2021 MacBook Pro
The 2021 MacBook Pro is at the top-end of the market, but if you are looking for the best features and up-to-date technology, this is your large display dream. For those who prefer Mac operating systems and the Mac experience, this is a great laptop. This laptop features the M1 chip, which takes performance to a whole new level: up to 4x faster graphics and a neural engine to adapt to your preferences. This larger laptop has a 16.3″ backlit Liquid Retina XDR display and weighs in at 4.7 pounds. It features up to 1 TB of storage and 400 GB of memory bandwidth. It also has a 1080 HD camera and 6-speaker sound system.
Key Features:
- Top-end of technology and options
- M1 chip: 4x faster graphics with neural engine
- 16.3 inch liquid Retine XDR display
- Weighs 4.7 pounds
- Up to 1 TB of storage / 400 GB memory bandwidth
- 1080 HD camerq
- 6-speaker sound system
- 21 hours of battery life
- Mac OS
To Consider:
- No touchscreen
- High price tag
Best Laptops for Writers: Value
1. Lenovo Yoga 6
The Lenovo Yoga 6 is an affordable laptop for writers that has a lot of great features. With a 13.3 inch HD screen that doubles as a touchscreen, the Yoga boasts a 256 GB solid-state drive, fast start-up time, and a long-lasting battery. This laptop is also great for design and comes with video and photo-editing applications. It has a back-lit keyboard and an energy-efficient LED backlight for those all-nighter writing sessions. Like its name suggests, you can adjust this laptop by flipping the screen forward or back to suit your needs.
Key Features:
- 13.3 inch screen (touchscreen) with 1920×1080 resolution
- 256 GB SSD; 8 GB RAM; AMD Ryzen 5 processor
- Energy-efficient backlight and back-lit keyboard
- Weighs 2.9 pounds and is .7 inches thin
- Windows 10 OS
2. ASUS Thin and Light Business/Student Laptop
The ASUS Thin and Light Laptop is an incredible value for writers who need a simple and functional laptop and aren’t looking for large amounts of storage or processing speed. This model has a 14″ HD screen and weighs only 2.87 pounds, making it one of the most portable laptop options around. It features a long battery life (up to 12 hours per charge). This laptop uses a Dual Core Intel Celeron processor (2.8 GHz), 4GB of memory and 64 GB of storage. It comes with the Windows 11 Home operating system.
Key Features:
- 14″ HD display
- 2.87 pounds
- 12-hour battery life
- Dual Core Intel Celeron Processor (2.8 GHz)
- 4GB of memory and 64 GB of storage
- Windows 11 Home OS
- Good value
To Consider
- No touchscreen
- Smaller memory and storage than other laptops featured here
3. 2022 HP with 14″ Display for Student/Business
This 2022 HP packs its value into storage. This model features upgraded storage (up to 1TB flash memory) plus a 128GB solid-state hard drive. It has a 14″ display but weighs in at a hefty 5 pounds, making it portable but not lightweight. It uses the Windows 10S operating system and features a 2.6 GHz CPU speed and 16GB of ram.
Key Features:
- Upgraded storage: up to 1TB flash memory
- 2.6 GHz CPU speed
- 16 GB ram
- Windows 10S OS
- 14″ display and weighs 5 pounds
To Consider:
- No touchscreen
- Does not come with Office 365