Ideal for business or leisure.
Whether you regularly go abroad for work or you’re planning a few months of solo adventuring, you’ll know that so often a functioning, convenient laptop is your best travel companion.
The reasons that laptops have become such an essential piece of kit for intrepid travellers are myriad. Firstly, they present an opportunity to be plugged in and connected from anywhere, to anywhere, in the world. Next, they also allow for photo documenting, travel planning and more, in real-time, on the road. Finally, having one grants the opportunity for a fully flourishing digital nomad existence.
Loads of reasons to get the best you can afford, then. Here’s our favourites; these 8 of the best travel laptops, IDEAL for business or leisure.
MACBOOK AIR
The MacBook air is named as such because of its incredible weightlessness, coming in at just 1.29 kilos. On top of that, it has 10 hours of battery life – long enough to put a sizeable dent in an overseas flight before you ever have to reach for your charging cord.
It runs on the 1.8 GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5 Processor for speedy functioning and 128 GB SSD for all your documents. Plus with a Mac, you can always use the remote desktop for Mac feature and access your main computer from anywhere.
Some sacrifices do have to be made. The MacBook Air likely is neither powerful enough or has sufficient storage space if you’re dealing with a lot of videos or complex software editing. But it should be able enough to complete most photo editing tasks as well as simple work on documents.
Another problem with the Mac is the hefty price tag. The Macbook Air comes in at about $980 on Amazon, depending on the model. That said, for those on-the-go, it’s size and weight is incredibly convenient.
MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK
The Microsoft Surface Book is only a touch heavier, at 1.46kg and also boasts a solid 8-hour battery life. The Surface Book series are essentially tablets and laptops rolled into one, giving them extra versatility when the occasion calls for it.
Still, like the Macbook Air these are models on the pricier side, clocking in at between $500 and $1000, depending on the model and the features you opt for.
ACER CHROMEBOOK
The Acer Chromebook has consistently positive Amazon reviews, and at only $300, it’s affordable for most travellers. It weighs in at a heavier 2kg, sure, but boasts of a whopping 12 hours of battery life to boot.
On top of that, the thin aluminium style gives it a mac-style appearance, without the hefty price tag. If affordable appearances are your thing, then you’ve found your travel companion.
The Acer Chromebook comes with 32 GB of internal storage. Since it’s a Chromebook, most of your data is automatically backed up on the cloud, making it easy to access should you ever lose your laptop.
On top of that, it has a luxurious anti-glare screen if you find yourself working outdoors under the sun and want to engage with your laptop without squinting. Perhaps when you’re relaxing poolside, hey?
LENOVO IDEAPAD
If you need something to get work done while you’re on the road, but you’re a bit, should we say, accident-prone, consider the Lenovo Ideapad. It’s a bare-bones (and bare budget) computer that can easily check emails and handle projects that aren’t very CPU intensive.
It comes in at 1.43 kg and should last you a full workday without needing a charge. And at an extremely budget-friendly $190, you won’t be too heartbroken if it gets lost, damaged, or stolen. As long as you’ve backed up your projects, that is.
MACBOOK PRO
Okay, we just had to. Because no laptop list is complete without a MacBook Pro. They’re powerful enough to edit videos, and the screen is big enough that you can appreciate life’s kaleidoscope of colours, too.
If you’re already an iPhone user, your data will span across all your devices, and the built-in FaceTime app makes it easy to stay connected. The battery can last for 10 hours, and despite its impressive spec, it only weighs 1.36kg.
But MacBooks come with a (very) hefty price tag. Even the cheapest models will cost you about $1200, and you’ll likely need to get additional accessories since the newer models of the Macbook don’t come with a USB drive.
DELL XPS
So you like the MacBook Pro, but you can’t bear to pay that much for it? Join the club! You can save a few hundred dollars by opting for the Dell XPS instead, which has the same memory and storage as the cheapest Pros.
It also has more power, a better battery life, and it’s even lighter, at just 1.36kg, with a sleek all-aluminium body, and fingerprint ID for added security.
Still, it’s not exactly budget-friendly, ranging from $900 to $2000, depending on the exact model and specifications. But if you need a powerful laptop for video editing or gaming, consider the Dell XPS a good fit.
ACER ASPIRE
The Acer Aspire is the perfect laptop for travelling writers since it has a 12-hour battery life, and a backlit keyboard, which is awesome for dimly lit planes, outdoor trips, or late nights spent in a hostel trying to keep the noise (and brightness) down.
The Aspire runs on Windows 10, but you can change this if Microsoft’s operating system isn’t to your liking. What’s more, this neat laptop also comes with 2 GB of RAM dedicated to graphics, should you intend to include a lot of photo editing in your writing.
ASUS ZENBOOK
First, the headline grabbing part; the Asus Zenbook 13 can run for up to a whopping 14 hours without needing a charge. Wow! When you do charge it, it reaches 60% capacity in only 49 minutes, so you can get back on the road in no time.
It also comes in at only 1.13kg. It’s made with a sleek aluminium frame and three USB ports, making it easy to use a wireless mouse and keep all your documents in safe external storage simultaneously.
THE BOTTOM LINE
There are travel laptops out there to fit any budget and requirements. We hope your choice finds you success on the open road for many years to come!