The 6 Best Travel Laptops of 2024

The best travel laptop we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2024). This premium model has a remarkably sturdy build, a compact design, and a 15-hour battery life in light uses, making it the perfect device for on-the-go use. It delivers an amazing user experience, sporting a gorgeous 120Hz Mini LED display that gets bright enough to combat glare outdoors, a spacious and tactile keyboard, Apple's industry-leading haptic touchpad, and an excellent port selection for peripherals and external displays. Things get even better if you're in the Apple ecosystem, as you can instantly connect to your phone's hotspot for internet access, use your phone's camera as a webcam, unlock the laptop with your Apple Watch, or use your iPad as a second screen.

Apple's M4 SoCs are faster and more power-efficient than ever, giving you plenty of processing power to tackle the most challenging tasks while still lasting comfortably through a full workday on battery. Notable upgrades and new features include a higher peak display brightness of 1000 cd/m² (outdoors), an optional nano-texture display finish that further cuts glare, and a 12 MP webcam with Center Stage support, a feature that allows the camera to follow you when you move around. The Pro/Max models' USB-Cs have been upgraded to Thunderbolt 5, tripling Thunderbolt 4 data transfer speeds, and the base M4 model gets a third USB-C port with the same external display support as the Pro models.

If your workload consists mainly of general productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, spreadsheets, and video playback, an ultraportable might be a better choice. We recommend the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024). This 2024 version is super compact, and its battery lasts around 17 hours of light use. You get a sharp, bright 15-inch screen for multitasking, a comfortable keyboard that you can type on all day, and a responsive haptic touchpad. Its 1080p webcam is among the best you can find in the Windows world, eliminating the need to carry a separate webcam. Its port selection is likely sufficient for most people, though there's no Thunderbolt 4 support.

An important thing to know about this laptop is that it now sports an ARM SoC, the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. This chip performs well and is more than adequate for light productivity tasks; however, many programs don't run natively on an ARM processor. While Microsoft has introduced a new emulation layer to improve compatibility, you should still check that the apps you use are compatible or run well enough to get your work done first.

For Mac users, get the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024), which is also a high-end model that provides a premium user experience. Its base M3 SoC is plenty fast for most people, and of course, you get all the benefits of the Apple ecosystem, which is the same as the MacBook Pro above. Unfortunately, the display's refresh rate is limited to 60Hz (120Hz on the Surface), and its port selection comprises only two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3s and a MagSafe charging port. Its battery life is great at 11 hours of light use, though not nearly as impressive as the Surface Laptop's.

If you want a more affordable mid-range option, check out the Acer Swift Go 14 (2024), a compact and lightweight ultraportable. Although it doesn't feel quite as premium as the picks above, it still feels pretty sturdy and can likely survive a few accidental bumps. You can get around 11 hours of light use on a full battery charge, so you likely won't need to plug it in to get through a typical day. Configuration-wise, it's available with Intel Meteor Lake CPUs, up to a Core Ultra 9 185H, paired with up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. Performance is great; these processors can easily handle general productivity tasks, as well as more intensive workloads like programming and photo editing.

Display options include an FHD+ IPS and a 2.8k OLED panel. The latter delivers a superior viewing experience, whether you use the laptop for productivity or media consumption; just remember that it's susceptible to permanent burn-in and will drain the battery faster. You get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a great 1080p webcam, a fingerprint sensor for quick logins, and a wide port selection, including two Thunderbolt 4s and an HDMI. Unfortunately, the bottom of the laptop gets very hot when performing intensive tasks, reaching up to 52 °C (125.6 °F), so you'll have to be careful when using it on your lap.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) is the best travel laptop we've tested with a budget-friendly price. This 14-inch model is a great option if you only need a portable device to browse the web or get some light work done while on the go. It feels decently well built for the price, sporting an aluminum and plastic chassis, and its battery life is outstanding at around 12 to 13 hours. You get Wi-Fi 6E, a surprisingly excellent 1080p webcam, and a decent port selection with two USB-As, one USB-C, and an HDMI. The keyboard feels spacious but a tad mushy, and unfortunately, the touchpad is small and sometimes unresponsive.

While there are many CPU and display configuration options available, we recommend getting a Core i3 model with 8GB of RAM and a 1080p IPS display, which you can regularly find on sale for about $400 to $500 USD via Lenovo's website. The N100/N200 models with 4GB of RAM are likely fine if you only use the laptop to access the internet and want to pay as little as possible; just know that you'll experience more frequent stutters and slowdowns when multitasking. Lastly, remember that Chrome OS is limited in the type of applications you can install so make sure you can do everything through a Chrome browser or Android app.

If you want a versatile work device that you can also use as a tablet for media consumption, get the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024). Unlike 2-in-1s with a 360-degree hinge, this tablet form factor is great when you just want to kick back and watch some videos. You can remove the keyboard to make the device easier to hold, and doing so also helps save space, which is handy in tight places, like on an airplane or bus. Along with a host of upgrades, like an OLED display option, a 1440p webcam, and Wi-Fi 7, Microsoft has released a new Flex keyboard, which sports a haptic touchpad and Bluetooth connectivity. The latter lets you use the keyboard when detached from the device, giving you more flexibility in positioning the device to your liking. Unfortunately, the type cover is still a separate purchase, and the same goes for the stylus.

Like the Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition 15 (2024) above, this new Surface Pro runs on an ARM-based Snapdragon SoC, so everything said about app compatibility applies here. Also worth noting are the limitations regarding the display options: the Snapdragon X Plus model has an IPS panel, while the X Elite model has an OLED panel. The OLED display will give you deeper blacks, but it exhibits the 'screen door effect,' meaning the digitizer is visible, creating a grid-like pattern that some may find distracting. Also, remember that OLEDs are susceptible to permanent burn-in. Go with the X Plus model if these issues bother you; just know that you'll have to compromise a bit on performance.

For gaming on the go, we recommend the sleek and compact ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024). This 14-inch model is available with AMD Ryzen CPUs and NVIDIA 40-series GPUs (up to an RTX 4070), providing plenty of processing power for a smooth gaming experience in intensive AAA titles. Its 120Hz 2.8k OLED display has a fast response time, so you get a clear image in fast-moving games and great input responsiveness, and there's also VRR support to minimize screen tearing. There's a wide port selection for peripherals and external displays, including four USBs, a MicroSD card reader, and an HDMI 2.1. Unfortunately, there's no Ethernet port, though you do get Wi-Fi 6E.

Configuration-wise, every model can handle gaming at 1080p, but if you want to play at 1440p or at the display's native 2.8k resolution, we recommend going up to an RTX 4060 or 4070 GPU, as the RTX 4050 will struggle to reach 60 fps in highly intensive titles. Storage configuration maxes out at 1TB, which isn't a lot these days, but thankfully, you can easily replace the SSD, as this laptop uses a standard M.2 SSD. Unfortunately, the battery life lasts less than two hours when gaming, so you'll need to bring the charger when gaming on the go.