Nowadays laptops are widely used by many people and are used every day to help their work. Whether it’s editing photos, writing emails, writing documents, or keeping in touch with friends and family, laptops are there for the job.
Some of the factors in choosing a good laptop are power, efficiency, portability, and convenience. The best laptops should have fantastic keyboards and trackpads as these are the reasons why you should choose a laptop over a smartphone or tablet. The display should be pleasing to the eye, bright, and sufficient. It should be powerful enough for almost any intensive video editing and heavy gaming. It should be easy to carry around from place to place, and should last all day without needing to be plugged in.
The following are the recommendations for the best 2021 laptops that you can buy.
Best Laptop of 2021: MacBook Air (2020)
LAThe late 2020 MacBook Air is the best laptop powered by Apple’s M1 processor. It has 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. In terms of appearance, this laptop has a lot in common with the MacBook Air with Intel processors that Apple released earlier this year, including some things in common like a 2560×1600 screen, Touch ID, 720p webcam, fingerprint sensor, and a scissor-switch keyboard.
But the newer processor is an advantage because it’s fast. When it comes to photo and video editing, it’s better than most Intel-powered laptops this year. The laptop can also run Shadow of the Tomb Raider games at close-to-playable frame rates, which is quite a feat for integrated graphics. Plus, the use of processing power doesn’t even put a strain on battery life.
Best Windows Laptop: HP Specter X360 14
The Specter x360 14 is a very impressive laptop with a rugged build and a premium look and feel. But the Specter x360 14 is not only beautiful to look at, it’s also fun to use for everyday work. The latest Intel 11th Generation processors and Iris Xe integrated graphics deliver powerful performance without slowdown. And the average battery life is 10 hours, one of the best.
On the outside, the Specter has a spacious 3:2 display, and if FHD resolution isn’t to your liking, OLED and 1,000-nit options are available. There’s even a stylus that attaches magnetically to the side of the Specter and comes in handy if you’re using the device as a tablet. Almost every other aspect of this laptop, from the comfortable keyboard and smooth touchpad to the bass-heavy audio and handy port options, can rival or surpass the best laptops on the market.
This great feature pack doesn’t come cheap and many customers will find everything they need in a cheaper product. Overall, this is the best Windows laptop you can buy.
Best Large Screen Laptop: LG Gram 17 (2021)
Even if you’ve used light laptops before, it’s hard to explain how light the LG Gram 17 is. It has a large 17-inch screen, but weighs just three pounds.
But the light weight of the Gram 17 isn’t its only standout feature. It also has the best battery life you can get, going over 12 hours. Other than that, this laptop has a great keyboard, solid port selection, quiet fans, and a fast processor. If you want a big screen for your daily office work and watching Netflix, this might be for you.
Best Laptop at an Affordable Price: HP Envy X360 (2020)
You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a laptop that looks and feels premium. The HP Envy x360 2020 is the best affordable laptop you can buy, thanks to its rugged, compact build, sleek design, and outstanding performance.
What makes the Envy so great is that HP has removed a number of elements from its outstanding 2019 flagship, the Specter x360, including a thin and light chassis and a nearly bezel-free display with an 88 percent screen-to-body ratio. The touch screen is bright and looks great and supports the HP MPP2.0 pen. And HP has added an array of convenient shortcut keys to the keyboard, including a kill switch for the microphone and webcam.
But the most interesting feature, the new Envy x360, is powered by the AMD Ryzen 4000 series. Can do amazing work with heavy multitasking load. And AMD Radeon graphics provide good gaming performance.
Best MacBook Pro for Daily: MacBook Pro 13 (2020)
If you’re looking to buy a MacBook M1 for a heavier workload, you might want to try the late 2020 MacBook Pro. It’s more expensive than the late 2020 MacBook Air.
The MacBook Pro has a slightly different design and appearance from the Air, as well as some additional features such as the Touch Bar. But both have the same processor. The main difference is that the Pro includes a fan while the Air is fanless, meaning it can withstand heavy workloads for longer periods of time without needing to limit its performance. But you won’t see much difference in performance between the two MacBooks unless you routinely work on heavy tasks for long periods of time.
Best 2-in-1 Laptop: Dell XPS 13 2-In-1
If you’re looking for a convertible laptop that does almost everything right, maybe Dell’s newest XPS 13 2-in-1 could be your pick. This laptop features a sturdy frame, a nearly bezel-free 16:10 touchscreen, and the latest 11th Gen Intel processors.
In addition, this laptop is also equipped with a Core i3-1154G4, 8GB RAM, 1920×1200 screen, and a 256GB SSD. You can set it up to a 3840×2400 screen, Core i7-1165G7, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. Basically, there are options for everyone.
Dell has made some minor changes to this laptop since last year’s model. The webcam now supports Windows Hello and the RAM and microSD reader have been upgraded. The joy of this laptop is the new chip and new integrated graphics from Intel. The XPS 13 2-in-1 laptop can do a better job than a 10th Generation laptop with an iGPU. And it can play some games that break 60fps in Rocket League , League of Legends , and Overwatch , and even 36fps in Shadow of the Tomb Raider on its lowest settings. That’s an improvement over 10th Gen systems, and also beats some 11th Gen systems (including the Dell XPS 13 clamshell).
Of course this laptop also has its drawbacks. Port options are limited and the keyboard is rather flat. But overall, this 2-in-1 laptop excels in the basics of build quality, display, performance and battery life.
Best Laptop for College: Dell XPS 13 (2020)
The Dell XPS 13 is a compact and reliable laptop. It has a beautiful build, an incredible 16:10 display, and excellent performance making it a great choice for general use. This late 2020 model laptop comes with Intel’s new Tiger Lake processors, from Core i3-1154G4 to Core i7-1165G7.
This laptop can get the job done without any slowdown or heat. It runs pretty well and easily beats its 10th Generation predecessor in gaming and media usage. But it’s not as good as the XPS 13 2-in-1, if you like the look and feel of the XPS 13 and prefer the clamshell model, this XPS is still a good choice.
Best Gaming Laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G15
Weighing just over four pounds, the Zephyrus G15 is one of the lightest 15-inch gaming laptops you can buy. Although it has the advantage of portability, but this does not sacrifice performance. The G15 is powered by the top mobile chips AMD and Nvidia have to offer, and pairs that with a fast 165Hz QHD display.
Apart from that, the G15 also has a lot of other good stuff like great audio, the best keyboard and touchpad on the market, the selection of ports you need, and a battery that can last more than eight and a half hours on a single charge. If you are looking for a high-powered gaming machine that also works well for daily work, the Zephyrus G15 is worth considering.
Best Business Laptop: Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Nano
The ThinkPad X1 Nano is a laptop that features a rugged, rugged chassis, a split clicker, a physical privacy cover, a red TrackPoint in the center of the keyboard, and all kinds of business-specific security and management features.
What’s special about the Nano is that it’s the lightest ThinkPad Lenovo has ever made. It’s also one of the lightest laptops you can buy, at just 1.99 pounds. With the light weight, this laptop also does not sacrifice performance that can do heavy work without fan noise or heat. If you’re looking for a reliable business laptop that doesn’t feel like it’s out of your bag, this is the one for you.
Best 14-inch Gaming Laptop: Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The Zephyrus G14 is a very powerful gaming laptop at a low price (relative to other notebooks with comparable hardware). This laptop has the new AMD Ryzen 9 4900HS with an Nvidia RTX 2060 Max-Q GPU and a 120HZ display, and can run games at the highest settings without any issues. It’s also light enough for a powerful laptop, weighing in at just over 3.5 pounds. The battery life is also impressive for a gaming device which can be used for almost nine hours of multitasking.
In addition, this laptop is also a notebook with a unique retro and is good for the needs of business work and daily multitasking with a unique retro design. Plus the keyboard and touchpad are amazing and quiet enough so they don’t bother coworkers. But if you need to use your laptop for video conferencing, the G14 isn’t the right choice, as it doesn’t have a webcam.