Products at a Glance
How we picked
For this guide, we have looked at several laptops from different brands, compared them, and then picked the ones we thought were the best. The laptops have been selected based on specs, features, value for money, and anything else we thought made them stand out from the crowd. We’re always on the lookout for new laptops entering the market, and we update our guides often to reflect the latest releases from a variety of brands – so do check back here for newer updates.
Product Reviews
- Powerful M2 Pro chip
- Lightweight and portable
- 18-hour battery life
- Comparatively expensive
If you want the best 14-inch laptop that can handle whatever is thrown at it, then you should check out the 2023 Apple Macbook Pro, which we think is one of the best laptops for video editing and other creative tasks.
The 2023 iteration of the MacBook Pro is powered by Apple’s custom processor, the M2 Pro, which has 12 CPU cores and 19 GPU cores – so you can expect this MacBook to execute demanding tasks. Further, the variant we have selected comes with 32GB of unified memory, which should speed up the MacBook’s overall performance.
On the outside, the MacBook features a 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display with a resolution of 3024×1964 pixels, which should deliver stunning picture quality. Plus, the XDR feature promises a high contrast ratio of 1 million to 1, so you can expect realistic-looking visuals. Further, the laptop has 1,000 nits brightness, which should make it suitable for working in well-lit rooms.
Another notable perk here is the battery life. The MacBook Pro promises to give you up to 18 hours of battery life, which makes it one of the best battery life laptops. To add to its portability, the laptop weighs 3.5 pounds, which is lightweight and portable for most people.
- NVIDIA RTX 3080 graphics card
- AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor
- 14-inch QHD display
- Mediocre battery life
If you want a 14-inch laptop mainly for gaming, then you should check out the Razer Blade 14, which we think is one of the best Razer laptops available out there.
The Razer Blade 14 is powered by the AMD Ryzen 9 5900HX processor that has 8 cores, 16 threads, and a maximum turbo speed of 4.6 GHz, which should make this laptop well-equipped for both simple and heavy tasks. Paired with it, you have the NVIDIA RTX 3080 GPU that has 8GB DDR6 VRAM, which should be sufficient to play most AAA titles.
Further, the variant we have selected comes with 16GB RAM, which is recommended if you want a smoother gaming experience. Along with it, you get 1TB SSD, which should provide sufficient storage space for most users.
Coming to the display, this Razer laptop sports a 14-inch QHD display, which should deliver clear and high picture quality. Plus, the display offers a 165Hz refresh rate, which, much like some of the best gaming laptops, should be sufficient to give you a smooth gameplay experience.
Another perk here is that this laptop weighs around 3.9 pounds, which is quite light for a gaming laptop. However, much like other gaming laptops, this one has a mediocre battery life, which may last up to 8 hours.
- 2-in-1 laptop
- 14-inch FHD touchscreen
- 12-hour battery life
- Not suitable for gaming
If you are looking for a 14-inch touchscreen laptop, then we think that the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 might be a good fit.
The 2023 version of Lenovo’s Ideapad Flex 5 comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor, which is a powerful processor suited to non-gaming tasks. The processor has six cores and 12 threads, which should be sufficient for carrying out daily emailing, browsing, and other light tasks. Further, for graphics, you have the AMD Radeon R5 integrated into the processor, which should help with delivering graphics-related tasks, like media consumption.
On the outside, the laptop sports a 14-inch screen with FHD resolution, which should deliver clear, high-resolution picture quality. Plus, the display offers a 60Hz refresh rate, which should be sufficient for non-gaming purposes. As mentioned earlier, this is a 2-in-1 laptop, so the display is touch-enabled. And much like some of the best touch screen laptops, this one also folds backward, which should give you flexible controls.
As far as portability is concerned, this Lenovo IdeaPad weighs about 3.3 pounds, which should be easy for most users to lug around. To add to that, you get up to 12 hours of battery life, so you should be able to get a day’s worth of usage.
- 14-inch display
- Budget-friendly
- Lightweight and portable
- HD+ resolution, not FHD
If you are looking for a budget 14-inch laptop for general use, then you should check out the HP Stream laptop.
As mentioned, the 2023 version of HP Stream comes with a 14-inch display with a 1366×768 resolution, which should deliver good picture quality on a small screen. Plus, the screen has narrow bezels, so you should be able to get more viewing space.
Much like some of the best laptops under $300, this HP laptop, too, comes with an entry-level processor – the Intel Celeron N4120, which should be suitable for light tasks like emailing and web browsing. Further, the processor has integrated Intel UHD Graphics 600, which is sufficient for media consumption.
Coming to portability, the laptop weighs about 3.2 pounds, which is quite lightweight and should be portable for most people. Further, as the laptop has an entry-level processor, the battery should last you for 6 to 8 hours, depending on your use.
- 14-inch 2.2K display
- Budget-friendly
- Lightweight and portable
- Mediocre battery life
If you want a 14-inch business laptop, then we think that the Dell Inspiron 14 might be a good fit.
The 2023 iteration of Dell Inspiron runs on the Intel Core i5-1235U processor, which is an entry-level CPU made for thin and light laptops. This processor has 10 cores split into 2 performance cores and 8 efficient cores, which should deliver sufficient power for daily tasks like emailing, browsing, presentations, and more. Further, the CPU has integrated Intel UHD Graphics, which is sufficient for plenty of day-to-day applications, but it will struggle with gaming and graphics-intensive tasks.
Much like some of the best business laptops, this one, too, has a high resolution. This laptop sports a 14-inch display with 2.2K resolution (2240×1400), which should deliver great picture quality. Plus, you get a 16:10 aspect ratio, which should appear taller than a regular 16:9 ratio, so you can expect more room on your display.
Coming to portability, the laptop is quite lightweight as it weighs only 3.4 pounds, which should be portable for most people. Plus, considering that the laptop is equipped with an efficiency-focused processor, it should give you decent battery life.
How to pick the best 14-inch laptop for you
Buying any type of laptop is a big decision for most people, especially if you aren’t very experienced in the computing world. This is why we are sharing how we compared our choices for best 14-inch laptops, so you can make the best decision possible for your needs. Let’s go over what we feel are the four key areas to pay attention to when considering a new laptop.
CPU
As there are a lot of 14-inch laptops available on the market, you will need to find one with a processor that matches your needs. If you have fairly simple demands of your laptop, such as browsing and watching your favorite shows, then an entry-level CPU will be absolutely fine. An example of this would be the Intel Celeron 4000 series. If you are a casual gamer or want to do some basic video editing, then you would be better suited to a mid-range CPU, such as the Intel Core i5 or Ryzen 5.
For high-end gaming or content creation, you are going to want to find a laptop that houses one of the Intel 14th generation CPUs, or an AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 series. As you might expect, some of the best AMD Ryzen 7000 series laptops come with equally powerful GPUs to make sure performance is at its highest.
GPU
Similarly, the GPU you choose needs to match up to your requirements. In general, a built-in GPU (onboard graphics) will be sufficient for users who don’t want to do anything very graphically intensive. For light gaming, a mid-range GPU such as the NVIDIA 2000 series will be up to task.
For peak graphics performance, you will need to look for laptops with NVIDIA RTX 3000 and 4000 series GPUs, or their AMD equivalent RX 6000 series. In turn, the market’s best gaming laptops are equipped with the RTX 4000 series graphics cards to deliver top-quality output.
Display
When it comes to resolution, you should aim for the highest possible within your budget. Higher resolution means more clarity and quality in the display, and this is beneficial whether you are watching movies or creating content. You can find 14-inch laptops that boast resolutions like FHD, QHD, and even 4K.
Portability
Being able to comfortably carry your laptop around with you is a big benefit for many users, which means that weight is a key factor. There are smaller, lighter options, such as the Chromebook, which is around 2 pounds, but there are also heavy-duty gaming laptops that weigh up to 9lbs. Ideally, if you want a portable laptop, you should look for models that weigh around 4 pounds. For instance, some of the best lightweight laptops weigh from 2 to 4 pounds.
Similarly, battery life is a critical factor, with the majority ranging from 6-10 hours. However, several models have much higher capacity, such as the MacBook Pro.
Frequently asked questions
When it comes to finding the best 14-inch laptop, there are always a few questions that commonly arise. Let’s take a look and see if we can help answer them for you to help you with your search.
Is 14 inches too small for a laptop?
For many people, 14 inches is an ideal size for their laptop. It balances the portability of a 12-13″ machine with the performance afforded by larger 16-17″ laptops. There are limitations to the smaller machines when it comes to the components that can fit, while 17″ laptops are often heavy and less portable. In general, ideal laptop size is dictated by the user, but 14 inches can fit the needs of many people.
Why are 14-inch laptops popular?
Firstly, 14-inch laptops are able to balance performance, portability and price. The size allows future-proof components to be used, usually without sacrificing size or breaking the bank. Secondly, 14-inch laptops have benefited greatly from the popularity of bezel-less designs, allowing manufacturers to fit larger screens onto a smaller frame. This improves the appeal of this size of laptop for many people.
What are the advantages of a 14-inch laptop?
A high-end 14-inch laptop is highly portable, which is the main appeal for using a laptop for many people. However, the small size does not mean there is any compromise in performance, as improvements in chassis design allow a balance of aesthetics and power. For many, the 14-inch laptop is the most versatile size available.
Our Verdict
If you want the best 14-inch laptop that looks premium and does not compromise on performance, then we’d suggest opting for the 2023 MacBook Pro. The device comes with an M2 chip should deliver excellent performance for both CPU and GPU-intensive applications. Plus, the MacBook has a 14-inch display with 3024×1964 resolution, so you can expect high-quality visuals. Another notable perk is portability. The MacBook weighs around 3.5 pounds and has a battery life of up to 18 hours, which should make it portable for most users.