Whether you're buying a fleet of laptops for your employees or just looking for a single productivity system for yourself, you'll want a business laptop that's durable, powerful and easy-to-use.
We review dozens of business laptops each year, and the models that make our best business laptop list offer the best combination of comfort, performance and battery life.
Lenovo made our favorite business laptop even better by improving its speakers and adding some useful security features, including a webcam shutter and IR camera. On top of that, you get fast performance, long battery life (on the 1080p model), and two gorgeous 1080p and 4K display options, all in an impossibly lightweight chassis.
But it's still those classic ThinkPad features — a durable design, best-in-class keyboard, and stealthy black/red aesthetics — that carry the X1 Carbon to greatness.
HP's Elite Dragonfly redefined what it means to be a business laptop. This stunning laptop has a breathtakingly gorgeous chassis that flaunts a unique dark-blue finish. The design is as practical as it is attractive; the Elite Dragonfly has flexible hinges that convert the laptop into a tablet, and at 2.2 pounds, it's one of the most portable 13-inch laptops around.
You'll somehow need to take your eyes off the Elite Dragonfly's aluminum body to appreciate its bright and vivid 13.3-inch display. But the Elite Dragonfly's greatness doesn't stop there. The laptop also has a surprisingly comfortable keyboard, fast performance and a host of security features, including an IR camera, a fingerprint sensor and MIL-SPEC-810 rated durability.
The Surface Pro 7 has practically everything you could want from a business 2-in-1 laptop. This flexible detachable now has speedy 10th Gen Intel processors, which offer a significant performance boost when compared to last year's Surface Pro.
You can navigate the gorgeous, 12.3-inch touch screen display with the responsive Surface Pen, and the comfortable Type Cover keyboard attachment has a useful touchpad. We're also glad that Microsoft added a USB-C port. We just wish the Surface Pro 7 lasted longer on a charge.
Lenovo took a chance with the ThinkPad X1 Yoga, the first metal ThinkPad, and it paid off. While we still love the signature matte-black carbon-fiber found on most ThinkPads, the aluminum and magnesium ThinkPad X1 Yoga is a gorgeous change of pace. Not only does it have a slim design, but this convertible 2-in-1 flaunts a bright display and offers a best-in-class keyboard and long battery life. You also get loads of extra goodies, like a built-in stylus slot and webcam cover.
The HP ZBook Studio x360 G5 is hands down the best business laptop for power users, provided money isn't an obstacle. This exorbitantly priced 15.6-inch laptop has it all, including a vivid, bright display and outstanding performance.
Most impressive, however, is the workstation's uncharacteristically sleek profile and long battery life. It's also uncommon for a workstation to have a flexible chassis like the x360 G5's, and the device's touch screen can be used with a stylus.
If you're willing to spend some coin and want the most powerful machine around, look no further than the Dell Precision 7730. This 7.5-pound workstation may not be the best for travel, but its Core i9 CPU and Nvidia Quadro P5200 GPU are capable of running even the most demanding applications, like 3D modeling or photo editing. But the Precision 7730 isn't just about performance. A gorgeous 4K display, a comfortable keyboard, and a MIL-SPEC design make this an exceptionally well-rounded machine, even though its battery life isn't great.
Although its beefier sibling, the Latitude 7424 Rugged Extreme, is the more durable laptop, the Latitude 5420 Rugged is the better all-around machine thanks to its exceptionally bright display, strong performance and comfortable RGB keyboard. Unlike other rugged laptops we've tested, the Latitude 5420 has a responsive touchpad and a relatively thin chassis to go along with its beefy battery life.
How to choose a business laptop
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Here are some things to keep in mind when choosing the right model of business laptop for you or your company.
- Do you need vPro? Many business laptops are available with CPUs that have Intel vPro technology, which lets a support person log in remotely, even if the computer can't boot. However, unless you have a large IT department and a huge fleet of laptops that you need the ability to service remotely, you probably won't use this feature.
- How fast do you need it to be? Most business users will be happy with a laptop that has a dual-core, Core i5 CPU like the Core i5-7200U or Core i5-7300U (vPro) and the CPU's integrated graphics processor. However, if you require a high-end performance for 3D Modeling, professional video editing or creating predictive models, then get a mobile workstation with a quad-core Core i5 or Core i7 CPU (model numbers end in HQ) and Nvidia Quadro graphics.
- Long battery life: Nobody wants to run out of juice in the middle of a long workday or a cross-country flight. Unless you're getting a giant workstation, look for a laptop that gets more than 9 hours on a charge. Some business systems come with a choice of regular or extended batteries; always get the high-capacity unit.
- At least a 1080p screen: It's hard to be productive if you can't see much text on the screen. Avoid laptops with low-resolution, 1366 x 768 screens like the plague. Get one with a resolution that's 1920 x 1080 or higher.
- SSDs for responsiveness: If you want a truly fast computer, get a solid state drive rather than a mechanical hard drive. SSDs boot up, open programs and multitask at least three times faster than old-fashioned hard drives.
- The right ports: Nobody likes to carry a bag full of dongles. Consider which kinds of connections you or your employees will need the most. If you connect to a wired network a lot, make sure the laptop has an Ethernet port. If photography is a key part of the job, choose a laptop with a memory card reader. No matter what your needs, a Thunderbolt 3 port is a huge plus, because it will allow you to connect to a new generation of high-speed peripherals, universal chargers and powerful docks.
- A great keyboard: It almost goes without saying that every laptop should have a good keyboard. But with business systems, a comfortable typing experience is even more important. Look for snappy feedback, deep travel and absolutely no flex.
