Best laptops for writers in 2023

The best laptops for writers let you plop down on a couch and type away during any given workday, and there are plenty of options to get the job done, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. You’ll typically want a laptop with a comfortable, easy-to-use keyboard, as getting through eight hours of work is even more exhausting when the machine you’re writing on has stiff, shallow keys. Additionally, long-lasting battery life is important for those who expect to travel often, while fast performance will assist in getting work done with few slowdowns.

There are also specific advantages to certain laptops. Perhaps you’ll need something that can balance both gaming and writing, or something that won’t break the bank with its price, or maybe even a 2-in-1 laptop for extra versatility.

Regardless, this list of the best laptops for writers will surely help in finding the right device for you.

Quick List

Best Overall

The HP Envy 13 boasts a slew of alluring features, including long-lasting battery life and a satisfying keyboard. On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits, the Envy 13 lasted 11 hours and 15 minutes. The keyboard’s deep travel and well-spaced keys ensure a pleasant tactile sensation with every click.

As far as performance goes, the Envy 13’s Core i5 CPU is nothing to scoff at. Even with this processor, it performed at the top of its category and even surpassed some more expensive models that possess Core i7 processors. The Envy 13 also boasts a bright and vivid display, quick SSD performance, and a low starting price. All of these incredible features in such an affordable laptop make it a great value pick for writers.

See our full HP Envy 13 review. 

Best keyboard for writers

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s secret ingredient lies in its keyboard. While these keys have a resistance that could prove difficult to get used to initially, they reward you with a tactile bump after every click. This keyboard is snappy and responsive, with our reviewer going so far as to claim it's his favorite laptop keyboard, period. 

The X1 Carbon also boasts outstanding battery life, managing 15 hours and 39 minutes of runtime on the Laptop Mag battery test at 1080p (web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits). 

The X1 Carbon can also survive under harsh conditions, as it’s been tested against 12 military-grade durability tests, and that is despite having an ultra-slim 0.6-inch chassis that weighs only 2.5 pounds. This makes it a good choice for writers on the go. And although the 1080p X1 Carbon starts at a premium price, it’s worth it for those looking for fast performance, a lightweight but durable design, a satisfying keyboard and decent battery life.

See our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (9th Generation) review. 

Best 2-in-1 laptop for writers

In our review of the previous Lenovo Yoga 9i, we were disappointed by its middling performance and weak battery life, but the company has returned with a passionate vengeance to ensure that no aspect of this 2-in-1 laptop could be described as “subpar.” 

Delivering a gorgeous 2880 x 1880 OLED display with mouthwatering vibrancy, phenomenally loud and impactful speakers, superb SSD speeds, a satisfying keyboard, excellent productivity scores and decent battery life, I came away from the 8th generation of the Yoga 9i with newfound love in my heart. 

And as the indulgent cherry on top, the laptop’s sleek and sturdy all-aluminum exterior and firm 360-degree hinge will make anyone feel premium. Our only criticism of this excellent 2-in-1 is that its display could be a little brighter, but that flaw quickly turned to dust whenever I was knee-deep in my favorite TV shows.

This is easily one of the best laptops out there for writers who need a gorgeous 2-in-1 laptop that can crush each and every one of their demands. It has become a personal favorite of mine and it's what I do a lot of my work on when I don't want to hop onto my desktop PC.

See our full Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 8) review.

Best high-end laptop for writers

After delivering one of our favorite laptops of 2022 in the Galaxy Book 2 Pro 360, Samsung is coming out of the gate hard in 2023 with the super-charged Galaxy Book 3 Ultra.

As the name suggests, this laptop takes everything that we like about the recent entries in the Galaxy Book line and then adds an Intel 13th Gen H-Series CPU and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-series GPU, while keeping the laptop below 4 pounds. 

This is the thinnest and lightest RTX 40-Series laptop that we’ve reviewed so far this year, which explains one of our only qualms about the laptop — the 9-hour battery life. It’s not bad enough to kill our enthusiasm for the laptop, but it would have been outstanding if it cleared 10 hours.

The only other hurdle you need to clear is the pricing, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra starts at $2,199, which is the price you pay for this kind of performance in a chassis this thin-and-light. For writers, we've found that this beast boasts more than enough power and portability (alongside formidable battery life) to be a great pick for those can afford it.

Best Graphics Performance for writers

The Lenovo Legion 5 Pro is not only one of our favorite budget gaming laptops, but it is perfect writers. Boasting superb RTX 4070 performance that outperforms its many competitors without a sweat, alongside excellent productivity scores to satisfy your needs in everyday tasks.

The Legion 5 Pro also boasts a personal favorite keyboard, and I even went as far to call it my keyboard soulmate earlier this year. By giving the arrow keys its own little nook, featuring its own touchpad, and having a wonderful feeling 1.5mm of key travel, it stands out and excels as one of the best and is phenomenal for writers.

And while the Legion 5 Pro doesn't have the best display, it is surprisingly high quality for a laptop at this price point. Managing a DCI-P3 score of 82.4% and 319 nits of brightness at this cost is often unprecedented. It also has a surprisingly powerful audio system.

With a AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD, this laptop excels with a Geekbench 6 score of 13,063, alongside only taking 4 minutes and 5 seconds to convert a 4K video into 1080p resolution through the HandBrake app. And with the final cherry on top being 2,150 megabytes per second transfer rate, every aspect of its performance is unbelievable.

See our full Lenovo Legion 5 Pro review.

Best Battery Life for writers

Thanks to its long-lasting battery life and compact keyboard, the HP Elite Folio is a great laptop for writers who expect to travel often. This 13.5-inch chassis may not be too friendly to those with large hands, but its lightweight nature ensures you won’t be lugging a brick around while on the go. What sets the Elite Folio apart from others on this list is the pull-forward display that lets you use the Elite Folio as a 2-in-1 while keeping the keyboard right in front of you. It's an excellent design for artists or designers. 

This emphasis on portability is especially evident when analyzing its battery life. On the Laptop Mag battery test, which involves continuous Web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness, the Elite Folio offered a jaw-dropping 16 hours and 21 minutes of runtime. However, the Elite Folio’s performance won’t amaze you, so if you’re expecting lightning-fast processing power and load times, look elsewhere. It’s certainly not cheap, but for those who need a compact and long-lasting laptop when they’re on the move, the Elite Folio is a solid pick.

See our full HP Elite Folio review. 

Best Overall Value for writers

The Acer Chromebook 514 makes its presence known with a tantalizing 14 hours and 8 minutes of battery life. Laptop Mag has been testing Chromebooks for nearly a decade, and the Acer Chromebook 514 has the longest lasting battery life of any Chromebook we’ve ever reviewed. 

While this is nowhere near as impressive HP Elite Folio's 16-hours, the major difference here relates to cost. The Acer Chromebook 514 is sub-$500, making it an excellent choice for writers with a limited budget who frequently find themselves on the go.

If you're in need for a shockingly good speaker system and decent performance, especially when compared to the Chromebook's cost, this is a solid pick. However, be prepared for a touchpad that's sluggish to use and a display that fails in displaying a bright, vivid image.

See our Acer Chromebook 514 review.

Best Sound System for writers

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 simply has one of the best keyboards you'll find on an ultra-thin laptop. It's springy and the keys are big enough to fit most hands, which makes typing feel effortless and accurate. Additionally, the touchpad’s size makes for a comfortable fit. And although its battery doesn’t last as long as its competitors, the Surface Laptop 4 still survived for 10 hours and 46 minutes under the Laptop Mag battery test (continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits).

The Surface Laptop 4 also boasts an incredible Omnisonic speaker system with Dolby Atmos hidden beneath the keyboard, yet our reviewer screamed like a giddy child when he first heard it playing. And with fast performance, a vivid display, and a sleek aluminum chassis, the Surface Laptop 4 is a good pick for writers who need an overall winner.

See our Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 review. 

How to Choose the best Laptops for writers

Do your intensive daily workloads require more RAM than the average Joe? Are you a video editor who needs extra storage? Are you a power user who wants a beefy GPU? Sorting through the best laptops to fit your lifestyle is a tricky business.

To make your shopping process a little easier, our Editor-in-Chief Sherri L. Smith has put together some tried-and-true guidelines to help you choose the best laptop.

Budget: What you get for the money.

You can find decent Windows laptops and high-quality Chromebooks for under $500. However, better mainstream laptops usually cost more than $700 and premium Ultrabooks can run over $1,000. The best gaming laptops can cost $2.000 and up, but you can play the latest titles at decent frame rates on gaming laptops under $1,000.

Screen Size: 12 to 14 inches for Portability

Knowing a laptop's screen size tells you a lot about its portability overall. If you want to use your computer on your lap or carry it around a lot, go for one with a 12, 13 or 14-inch display. If you want to use the computer on tables and desks and won't carry it around much, a 15-inch model may give you more value. Some gaming rigs, media machines and workstations even have 17 or 18-inch screens, but those are hardest to carry.

2-in-1 or Clamshell?

More and more of today's laptops are 2-in-1s with screens that either bend back 360 degrees or detach so you can use them as tablets. If you like the idea of using your laptop in slate mode for drawing, media consumption or just using it standing up, a 2-in-1 could be for you. However, you can often get better features or a lower price by going with a traditional clamshell-style laptop.

Battery Life: 8+ Hours for Portability

Unless you only plan to use your laptop on your desk, battery life matters. Even within the home or office, having plenty of juice enables you to work on the couch or at the conference table, without being chained to the nearest outlet. For the best portability, we recommend getting a laptop that lasted over 8 hours on the Laptop Mag Battery Test. The longest-lasting laptops endure for over 10 hours.

Specs: 1080p / Core i5 / 8GB Are Best Bets

You can spend a lot of time delving into specs, but here are the key components to think about. If you just want really good mainstream performance, go for a Core i5 CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and a 1080p screen.

How We Test the best laptops for Writers

We put each laptop through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate each aspect of the laptop, including its performance, battery life, display, speakers and heat management.

In our benchmark testing, we use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and sRGB color gamut of the laptop's display. For performance testing, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 4.3 and 5.0 and 3DMark professional graphics tests. 

To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and to duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is the Dirt 3 benchmark with medium settings at 1080p resolution.

We also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and measuring temperatures in different areas of the laptop. Last but not least, our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. For MacBooks and premium Windows 10 laptops, a runtime of over 9 hours is considered a good result whereas gaming laptops and workstations that can stay powered for longer than 5 hours deserve praise. 

These tests are complemented with extensive hands-on testing from our reviewers who critique everything from the laptop's materials to the feel of its touchpad.

See this page on How We Test Laptops for more details on our benchmarking procedures.

Why Trust Laptop Mag

Laptop Mag reviews over one hundred different laptops every year, from paperweight ultralights to everyday workhorses to lumbering gaming notebooks that scorch the frame rates of even the hottest AAA games. We're not just experts in the laptop field, as we go one step further by meticulously testing smartphones, tablets, headphones, PC accessories, software, and even the latest in gaming. 

We are 100% independent and have decades of experience to help you buy with confidence. In fact, Laptop Mag has been testing and reviewing products for three decades, and we continue to deliver trustworthy reviews you can rely on. 

Our experienced team of writers and editors scour the available information about the laptop and put it through its paces to determine which is best for you. But before they start, the testing team subjects each system to a rigorous regimen of synthetic and real-world tests to see how a system handles the type of work and games you’re most likely to throw at it. 

Our editorial trustworthiness is enforced by one of the world's largest technology publishers, Future Publishing. As a company, we have unrivaled experience across every tech sector — and we're the group's specialist for all things mobile tech.