Best Ultrabooks in 2023: All the bite, but thin and light

The term Ultrabook isn't bandied about lightly, and it applied to only the crème de la crème of laptops that house Intel chipsets. Impeccably thin, and equally as powerful, these laptops are known for their all-day effectiveness and fine-tuned performance. Ultrabooks are ideal for those of us with an all-day, on-the-go lifestyle that need a laptop that can keep up to speed.

But, beyond thin and light, what is an Ultrabook? An Ultrabook used to mean a laptop would follow suit to very particular standards laid out by Intel themselves. Nowadays however, the moniker has somewhat been watered down, with the term loosely applied to premium laptops that meet the thin and light standards.

Our selection isn't too much different, however, we've also tried our best to pick Intel Evo certified laptops — a more modern Intel platform that requires premium laptops to adhere by a strict set of standards including energy efficiency, fast charging, and responsiveness.

Note that while most of these laptops are Intel Evo certified, that certification is usually for those running with integrated Intel Iris Xe GPUs. Laptops with discrete GPUs like those with Nvidia GeForce 40-Series graphics, will offer more graphical performance, but their battery life and energy efficiency may vary.

If you need a work machine, see our best business laptops rankings. Or if you're a student, we've put together a list of the best laptops for college. It's also worth checking out our best 13-inch laptops page as most of those listed below fall into this category, along with our list of best laptops under $1,000.

However, if you're still of a mind for something thin, light, powerful, and portable, read on for our selection of the best Ultrabooks in 2023.

The Quick List

Best Ultrabook overall

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is one of the best Ultrabooks you can buy today — providing convenience that the Dell XPS 13 Plus omits and standing up to the M2 MacBook Air with a gorgeous display, 12th Gen Intel power, fantastic touchpad and keyboard, and a seriously sleek design.

Sure, the battery life is a little lacking and the 720p webcam is pretty poor, but it overwhelmingly nails the essentials of an ultra-productive ultraportable with 12th Gen Intel power, a stunning touchscreen display, an ergonomic keyboard, a brilliantly spacious trackpad, and better speakers than you could ever imagine in a laptop this small — all enclosed in sleek, sexy chassis.

It even blows the M2 MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 Plus out of the water in performance, with a jaw-dropping Geekbench 5.4 multi-core score of 11,142.

Unfortunately, there is no direct availability (or support) in the U.S., but those in the U.K. and Europe can get their hands on it. If you can, you should, as it's one of the best laptops you can get. 

See our full Huawei Matebook X Pro (2022) review

Best All-Purpose Ultrabook

Dell's lineup of XPS laptops is still among the best you can buy, and the XPS 15 (9530) is a clear example of why. If you're not looking for a laptop to cater to any one task, then the XPS 15 is an ideal catch-all solution to your every day computing needs.

Outfitted with a fantastic 13th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, the XPS 15 impressed during our review, offering solid performance and showcasing some real multitasking potential. Backed up by 32GB of RAM and 1TB of rapid SSD storage, the XPS 15 also houses Intel Iris graphics on lower configurations, but up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 on pricier models — further bolstering its potential as a decent gaming platform.

That's all without mentioning the XPS 15's dazzling 3.5K OLED display that can be relied upon to deliver sharp, vivid, and all together stunning pictures.

See our full Dell XPS 15 (9530) review.

Best 2-in-1 Ultrabook

Dazzling display, powerful performance, and a versatile convertible form-factor make the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 8) one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you're likely to come across. The previous iteration of the Yoga 9i left us wanting due to its middling performance and battery life, but the latest revision has only left us thirsty for more.

 The eight-generation of Lenovo's iconic 2-in-1 features a mighty 13th Gen Intel Core i7-1360P CPU, Intel Iris Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. The grand sum of which equates to a performance powerhouse with enough muscle to tackle everything from work, to school, and entertainment.

When it comes to entertainment especially, the Yoga 9i features a jaw-dropping 2880 x 1880 OLED display with dazzling pictures thanks to its awesome vibrancy and contrast. Lenovo then flexes its engineering skill with an expertly designed speaker within the laptop's hinge that delivers Bowers & Wilkins audio for fantastic bass, crisp sound, and awe inspiring soundscapes.

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

Best Ultrabook for Business

The ExpertBook B9 is the Ultrabook of choice for the busiest of business users, offering lightweight portability, and some impressive benchmark scores that keep it more than relevant for most workloads. There's 2 terabytes of excellent SSD performance on show here with excellent reading and writing speeds, as well as 12th Gen Intel Core i7 performance backed up by 32GB of RAM and a bright and vivid 14-inch, 1080p, IPS panel.

Asus' ExpertBook comes equipped with a range of free tools including Secure Guard, Secure Storage, System Backtrack, File Shredder, and the Asus Business Manager. All of which offer impressive security and productivity enhancements – and make the ExpertBook an ideal platform to handle even the most sensitive of documents with peace of mind.

See our full Asus ExpertBook B9450 review.

Best 16-inch Ultrabook

I couldn't tell you what the LG headquarters looks like without Googling it, but if I had to make an educated guess, I'd bet it looks something like Hogwarts. It'd have to be, because clearly there's magic involved when it comes to the design of the LG Gram 16. A bold 2560 x 1600, 16-inch display; an ultra slim and lightweight chassis at just 2.5 pounds; and a battery life of over 13 hours? Wizardry. Wizardry, I tell you.

With performance spearheaded by a solid 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, the LG Gram 16 is capable of great things. Greater so when backed by 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage and Intel Iris Xe graphics. You won't be burning through the latest AAA games or toppling any graphics demanding workloads any time soon, but it will have you covered for just about everything else you'd want a laptop to do for you.

See our full LG Gram 16 (16Z90Q) review.

Best RTX 4050 Ultrabook

Samsung's prowess when it comes to phones and foldables is evident, but its laptops aren't too shabby either. In fact, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is one of the best Ultrabooks you can find today thanks to its stunning 16-inch screen and quality performance.

Outfitted with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce RTX 40-Series graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a lightning fast 1TB of SSD storage, the Galaxy Book 3 Ultra has an incredible amount of power tucked away within a chassis that's just 0.65 inches thick.

When you take in to account the Book 3 Ultra's dazzling 2880 x 1800-pixel, 120Hz, Super AMOLED 2X display you end up with a laptop that won't disappoint by any standards. It may be a little heavier than most of our selection at 3.95 pounds, and its webcam and battery could be better, but the Book 3 Ultra is otherwise flirting with perfection.

See our full Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra review.

Best 14-inch Ultrabook

The term "MacBook killer" gets bandied about a lot, but the Acer Swift Go 14 is once of the few instances where this label truly applies. Offering powerful 13th Gen Intel Core i7 performance with 16GB of RAM and a speedy 512GB of SSD storage, the Swift Go 14 is a productivity powerhouse – and an excellent Windows alternative to Apple's iconic clamshell.

If it's not the impressive performance, satisfying keyboard, or the incredibly bright and vivid 2.8K, 14-inch display that wins you over, then the Acer Swift Go 14's affording pricing absolutely will. Offering a compelling MacBook alternative for less, while at times delivering even more.

See our full Acer Swift Go 14 review.

Best 15-inch Ultrabook

LG's 15-inch Ultrabook is a superlative magnate. Not only is the SuperSlim, super-slim, it's also  super-light, super-fast, super-portable, and super-long-lasting. It's the ideal thin and light companion for those on the move, but still a solid option for those looking for a solid machine with a preference for the laptop form factor.

Powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor with 32GB of RAM, 512GB of SSD storage, and Intel Iris Xe graphics, the SuperSlim showcases competition-beating performance. And, a 15-inch, 1080p, OLED panel only pushes this laptop's awesome potential further with its phenomenally rich and crisp pictures.

See our full LG Gram SuperSlim review.

Best 13-inch Ultrabook

Are you ready for the future? Dell certainly is, and for them, the future is the XPS 13 Plus. Although the laptop sports an incredibly minimalistic and polarizing design, it doesn’t skimp in the power department — thanks to its Core i7 processor. The 4K OLED display is a vision of loveliness and the keyboard is comfortable, which just serves to sweeten the pot. 

Some will be drawn to the ultra-minimalistic aesthetic while others will take issue with the invisible touchpad and absent headset jack. Either way, you're getting a sleek, uber minimalist Ultrabook worth checking out. Dell does what it does best, streamlining and optimizing to create one of the best portable powerhouses on the market.

See our full Dell XPS 13 Plus review.

Best Ultrabook Alternative