The 6 Best Laptops For Writers - Spring 2024 Reviews

The best laptop for writers we've tested is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022), a premium ultraportable. It has a compact design that makes it well-suited for on-the-go use, and its battery lasts easily through a full workday. The overall user experience is excellent, as it sports a sharp, bright display, a spacious keyboard, and a large haptic touchpad. Apple's M2 SoC is plenty fast and can easily handle most writers' workloads, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. If you want more screen space, the M2 Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023)—or the M3 model, which we'll get into shortly—is a good choice, too. It's the same device but with a 15.3-inch screen and better speakers. The increased screen real estate is great when you need to keep your reference material on one side while writing, and you also get more space on the keyboard deck to rest your wrists.

As you may already know, Apple has released newer versions of the MacBook Air 13 and 15 with its M3 SoC. These new models only have a few changes, including Wi-Fi 6E, slightly better performance, and support for two external displays, although the latter only works with the laptop closed. If you don't need these upgrades, you can still get the 13-inch M2 version, which has received a $100 USD price cut, but the 15-inch M2 model has been discontinued, so you can only get it through third-party sellers, marketplaces, and Apple's refurbished section. We'll have full reviews of both newer models soon.

If you prefer a Windows laptop, get the LG gram 14 (2023) instead. This 14-inch model is great for on-the-go use, as it has a compact design and weighs only 2.1 lbs. While not as sturdy as the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) above, it still feels very well built with its magnesium alloy chassis. The user experience is great; it has a sharp and colorful display, a tactile keyboard, and a responsive touchpad. Performance isn't a problem, as the Intel 13th Gen CPUs are more than adequate for most writer's workloads, and battery life is excellent at around 11 hours of light use. Its outstanding port selection includes two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, a MicroSD card reader, and an HDMI. Alongside its great 1080p webcam is an IR facial recognition camera, so you can log in quickly and get to work.

Another option is the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024), also a 14-inch ultraportable. It has a sturdier all-aluminum build and a nicer 120Hz OLED display with touch and stylus support. Its higher resolution OLED display comes at the cost of battery life, though, as it lasts only around eight hours of light use. It's also more expensive and harder to find at this time.

Our best mid-range pick is the Lenovo Yoga 7i 16 (2023). This 2-in-1 convertible has a large 16-inch screen, a great keyboard, and all-day battery life. It feels very well-built, though not as premium as a MacBook, but sturdy. It's also relatively thin and light for a 16-inch model, so it's easy to carry around. There are two display options, an FHD+ and a QHD+ panel; we recommend the latter, as it looks sharper and gets brighter to combat glare. Support for pen input is present, which is handy when you need to mark a passage for correction or editing. Performance isn't a problem; its Intel 13th Gen CPUs are more than adequate to handle most writer's workloads. The battery lasts over 12 hours of light use, even on a model with a QHD+ display, and it charges quickly over USB-C. There's a fingerprint sensor and an IR camera, so you can log in quickly and get to work.

If you want a more compact laptop that's easier to carry, get the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022), a 14-inch 2-in-1 Chromebook. Naturally, you won't get as much screen space for split-screen multitasking, but it's more portable, and its battery lasts even longer at over 13 hours of light use. It also supports pen input and comes with a stylus that you can dock into the side of the laptop for transport. Availability might be a problem since this is an older model. If so, you can check out the newer 2023 model, which we haven't tested but expect to perform similarly. It has a faster Intel 13th Gen processor and a higher resolution webcam. You can get the 2023 model on Amazon or at Best Buy. One last thing: Chrome OS is limited in the types of applications you can install, so if you use a writing app, just make sure you can access it through the browser or via an Android app.

We recommend this 14-inch Windows ultraportable, the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020), for those on a budget. Acer's Swift models aren't exactly considered budget, but because this is a 2020 model, the price has decreased considerably. For around $500 USD, you can get an Intel Core i7 configuration with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The Intel 11th Gen CPU is two generations behind Intel's latest offerings but still adequate for light tasks like text processing. The battery lasts easily through a typical workday with plenty to spare, so you don't have to worry about bringing a charger.

Build-wise, this laptop has a mostly metal chassis that feels sturdy. It has a sharp and reasonably bright IPS display, a decent keyboard, and a small but responsive touchpad. Ports include two USB-As, one USB-C, a full-size HDMI, and a headphone jack. The USB-C supports Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to connect up to two 4k displays with a single cable. There's a fingerprint sensor so you can log in quickly and get straight to work. Unfortunately, the webcam's video quality is bad; the image looks underexposed, and the microphone sounds staticky.

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. 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 8 (2021), a 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 you can also draw and take handwritten notes. It works with Microsoft's Slim Pen 2, 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, though, so you'll have to factor them into the overall cost of the device. It has an excellent 1080p webcam for video calls and a facial recognition IR camera to log in quickly.

As for the overall user experience, it has a very sharp 3:2 display. It gets bright enough to combat glare and has a 120Hz refresh rate to make pen input feel more responsive. 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 around seven hours of light use, which is respectable for a tablet PC, and you can charge via USB-C.

As you may already know, Microsoft has released the Surface Pro 9. It's essentially the same device but with faster Intel 12th Gen processors. The Surface Pro 9 is easier to find in stock, but if you don't need the performance increase and are willing to look around, you can save a good chunk of cash with a Surface Pro 8 since it's an older device and often on sale.