Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our laptop database and find the best business laptops available in 2024. Here are our top picks.
Our criteria for the best business laptops:
Usage: We focused on laptops for general use.
Portability: We placed some emphasis on portability because business people tend to move often with their laptops.
Battery: We placed some emphasis on battery because business people are often on the go with their laptops.
Budget: We set a budget of upto $2,000
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized laptop recommendation
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is a premium, lightweight laptop, making it highly portable and suitable for on-the-go use, especially with its long battery life. With a midrange price, you're getting solid build quality, a vivid OLED touchscreen, and excellent heat management. It has an Intel i7-1355U processor paired with 32GB RAM, which will handle general use very efficiently. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics are fine for casual gaming and moderate creative tasks, but might fall short for intensive 3D rendering or engineering software. The laptop offers a good selection of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, and a comfortable backlit keyboard, although it lacks an Ethernet port and an option for hardware upgrades due to having no available RAM or storage slots.
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2023) is positioned at a premium price point with powerful performance thanks to its Apple M2 Pro processor. It boasts a large 16.2-inch Mini LED display with high resolution, making it an excellent choice for professionals who need accurate colors and clear visuals for tasks such as video editing or graphic design. Its battery is robust, providing long hours of typical usage, which is ideal for those who need to work on the go. Weighing 4.7 pounds, it is heavier than some laptops, which may affect its portability. This MacBook Pro also comes with a large touchpad, a high-quality backlit keyboard, a fingerprint reader for added security, and multiple USB-C/Thunderbolt ports for connectivity, but it lacks an HDMI port and an Ethernet connection. It doesn't come with a number pad on the keyboard, so for tasks that require numerical data entry, this could be a limitation. It’s not primarily designed for gaming, but it can handle general and engineering tasks very well. Overall, if you value top-notch build quality, excellent screen performance, and are not constrained by budget, the MacBook Pro 16 (2023) would be a strong choice, albeit with some trade-offs in portability and gaming capabilities.
The LG Gram 17 is a midrange-priced laptop that is highly portable, weighing only 2.98 pounds despite its large 17-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2560 x 1600. It has generous amounts of storage and RAM, ensuring smooth performance for general use. Equipped with an Intel i7-1260P processor and integrated Iris Xe graphics, it's capable of basic 3D tasks and engineering software but is not designed for intensive gaming or high-end machine learning tasks. It offers a long battery life, a full backlit keyboard with a number pad, and multiple USB-C ports, including two that support Thunderbolt 4. The build quality, heat management, and fan noise are rated good. Suitable for users seeking a large-screen laptop that is easy to carry and capable of handling everyday tasks efficiently.
The Apple MacBook Air 15 (2023) comes with an appealing combination of features for those who prioritize a blend of performance and portability. It has a larger 15-inch display and a powerful Apple M2 chip with ample memory for smooth multitasking and everyday tasks. However, note that it's priced in the upper midrange spectrum. While it has a very slim design and light weight, enhancing its portability, it may not be the first choice for those seeking the utmost in gaming or intensive engineering due to its display limited to a standard refresh rate and integrated GPU. It offers fanless operation for a silent experience and a backlit keyboard. Although excellent for general use, performance may be fair for more demanding 3D and machine learning applications, and good for engineering tasks. Battery life is solid, allowing for extended use between charges. The MacBook Air has a top-tier build quality, excellent keyboard, and great speakers, making it a strong all-around laptop, but the premium price reflects its status as a high-end Apple product.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is a midrange-priced laptop, equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 processor and an AMD RX 6500M graphics card, suitable for moderate to intensive tasks and light gaming. It sports a high-quality OLED screen with a sharp 3840 x 2400 resolution, perfect for professional creative work. However, it is not the lightest at over 4 pounds, which might affect its portability for users who travel frequently. For connectivity, it includes a variety of ports but lacks an SD card reader. The laptop offers robust security features and is expected to have fair battery life, making it ideal for professionals who need a durable, secure, and reasonably powerful machine. It comes with Windows 11 Pro and its build quality is rated as excellent.
The Apple MacBook Pro 13 (2022) is positioned at an upper midrange price and excels in general use with its high-quality keyboard, silent operation, and solid build quality. It offers ample storage and is equipped with the Apple M2 chip for efficient performance. Its fanless design ensures silent operation, while the 20-hour battery life makes it suitable for extended use without needing to recharge. However, it may not be ideal for intensive gaming or high-end 3D tasks and machine learning applications due to its less powerful GPU compared to gaming-focused laptops. The lack of a touchscreen and the average performance in 3D/rendering tasks may also be considered if these features are important for your workload. It's very portable, making it a good choice for those who need to work on the go.