Best laptop for seniors in 2023 – our top picks
Whether you’re looking to buy a laptop for someone or you’re looking for yourself, we’ve found what we think are the best laptops for seniors available on the market right now.
As we get older, sometimes tasks we used to find easy become a little more challenging, whether it to do with typing, lifting, seeing, or even just having the energy to problem solve…especially with the technology that seems to change from month to month.
We think the best laptops for seniors are essentially laptops that are lightweight, easy to use, have great webcams for video calls, and have excellent screens that reduce eye strain. It also goes without saying that leaning towards reputable brands, the latest models, and good quality, durable builds is an excellent call – as let’s face it, we’ve all got better things to do than lug these down to a repair shop, or spend hours on the phone sorting a replacement…
With that in mind, we’ve picked some standout laptops for seniors to kick-start your search in the best way possible. We’ve also selected a few options at different price ranges, so you can tailor your pick to your own individual budget.
Products at a Glance
How we pick
For this round-up, our experts picked some of the best laptops for seniors based on several important specs like display size, accessibility, weight, battery life, and more. We’ve picked a few laptops here that we think fit the bill, but if you’re looking to explore more budget options that will be great for everyday usage, we’d recommend checking out our picks for the best laptops under $300.
Best laptop for seniors in 2023 – our top picks
- Powerful M1 processor
- 18-hour battery life
- Lightweight and compact
- 720p webcam
The Macbook is a powerful device that can be suitable for all age groups, including seniors. If you’re familiar with Apple’s OS, then you should consider getting this laptop.
To begin with, the Macbook has an M1 chip, which is quite powerful as well as efficient, so you can expect the device to perform. Plus, you get 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, offering plenty in terms of multitasking and storage, with options to upgrade.
In terms of battery life, you get around 18 hours of performance, which is quite impressive. With that kind of battery life, you don’t have to worry about finding charging ports frequently. To add to its portability, the MacBook weighs only 2.8 pounds and has a thickness of 0.63 inches.
For those who need to keep in touch with family via Zoom or FaceTime, this Macbook comes with a 720p camera. While it’s a step back from the more defined 1080p camera, good lighting during video calls should make up for the slightly grainy video. Apart from the almost non-existent noise from the laptop, users will also appreciate the color options, as Apple has this laptop in space gray, gold, and silver colors. Plus, as always, the Macbook has a premium aluminum finish.
With most recent laptops, the USB A port is missing, and Apple isn’t an exception, as they’ve included two USB C ports to cater for charging, file transfer, etc. A USB C hub would help in the event there’s a need to connect a non-USB C device.
With a price tag of under $800, this laptop falls into the mid-range laptop market. Considering the performance, long battery life, and compactness, this is indeed a good option
- Powerful processor
- Fingerprint reader for easy access
- 9 hours battery life
- Keyboard may feel cramped
The Ideapad 3 (2021 version) comes with a 14-inch screen, which has an FHD resolution. While an FHD resolution may not sound like much, it delivers good picture quality on a 14-inch screen.
But performance is where this Ideapad 3 delivers. Lenovo hooked this laptop up with a hexacore AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, which has a maximum turbo speed of 4 GHz. This processor handles everyday tasks with ease, and with 8GB of DDR4 RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage, booting up should be a breeze. For graphics, the integrated Radeon 7 GPU is enough to run games like Minecraft and Solitaire.
The Ideapad comes with a fingerprint reader, which should help with easy accessibility for the elderly. You won’t have to bother with memorizing passwords and pins. For video calls, you get a 720p webcam, which may not be the best resolution out there but should certainly do the job. Further, connectivity won’t be an issue either since this laptop has six ports, including two fast-fading USB A ports and one USB C port.
As far as portability is concerned, this laptop weighs 4.4 pounds, which is not exactly lightweight, but you can carry it around. Plus, the battery should last you 9 hours, which might be sufficient for a day’s worth of use.
Considering that you get a powerful processor, decent battery life, and useful features (like a fingerprint reader and multiple ports), Lenovo Ideapad 3 can be a good option – especially with a reasonable price tag.
- Powerful processor
- 144Hz refresh rate
- Upgradable RAM and SSD
- Average battery life
While a gaming laptop may not be the first option that comes to mind when shopping for seniors, the ASUS TUF Gaming F15 laptop ticks quite a few right boxes for this age group.
The laptop comes with a Core i5-11400H processor that has six cores, 12 threads, and the ability to max out at 4.5 GHz. So, whether users are viewing a spreadsheet and browsing simultaneously or gaming, there shouldn’t be any stuttering. Although the laptop comes with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, there are several upgrade options since both RAM slots can take 16GB, and both SSD slots can accommodate 2TB each.
The gaming laptop sports a 15.6-inch screen with an FHD resolution, which is quite decent. You also get a 144Hz refresh rate, which is not common in mid-range gaming laptops. For gaming, the RTX 2050 graphics card is good enough to play some AAA titles with the right settings.
As far as portability is concerned, gaming laptops are not exactly lightweight or have a long battery life – and this one is no exception. The laptop weighs about 7.75 pounds, which may not be very portable. Further, it has an average 720p webcam, which should do the job.
In case you’re looking for laptops to specifically play games, we’d recommend checking out some of our best gaming laptop picks.
- 2-in-1 laptop
- Decent battery life & quick charging
- Lightweight
- Average webcam
If you’re looking for a versatile laptop with intuitive touch controls, you can check out Lenovo Ideapad Flex 5. The 2-in-1 laptop doubles up as a tablet, which might make it easy for seniors to use.
The laptop comes with a 14-inch FHD display, which can be easily converted to a 14-inch tablet. Plus, you also get the fingerprint lock feature, which should make it easily accessible without the hassle of entering a password. And for quick navigation, the laptop comes with a stylus pen.
On the inside, the laptop is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 5 4500U, which was designed for slim laptops. With six cores running at 2.3 GHz and a maximum speed of 4.0 GHz, the Flex 5 should handle basic tasks quickly. The computer is also equipped with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which both translate to smooth multitasking and fast bootup speeds.
As far as portability is concerned, the laptop weighs 3.64, which should not be a bother to carry around. Plus, you get a battery life of around 10 hours, which might be sufficient for a full day of use. To add to that, the laptop has a quick charge feature which fills the battery up to 80% in an hour.
- 14-inch FHD display
- Upgradable RAM and SSD
- Webcam with privacy shutter
- Not very portable
If you’re looking for a budget laptop to execute simple tasks like opening emails, reading documents, or video conferencing, you should take a look at the 2023 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 laptop.
This newer version of Ideapad comes with a 14-inch FHD screen, which should be sufficient for media consumption and most of your everyday tasks. For video calls, the laptop comes with a 720p webcam, which also has a privacy shutter for those who take security and privacy seriously.
As far as performance is concerned, the laptop is equipped with an 11th-generation Core i3 processor, with two cores and four threads, which might seem limiting. However, the processor’s 4.1 GHz turbo speed may compensate for it. In terms of storage, the IdeaPad comes factory-fitted with a 128 GB SSD, which can get filled pretty fast. The good news is that there’s an option to install a higher-capacity SSD to expand storage. The same applies to the RAM, where the unsoldered 4GB RAM can be swapped for a higher capacity RAM.
Coming to portability, the laptop weighs 4.65 pounds, which is not exactly portable. The battery lasts for around 7.5 hours, which is average too. Assuming that you won’t be carrying the laptop a lot and are looking to perform simple tasks, this Lenovo IdeaPad 3 can be a good fit within a small budget
How to pick the best laptop for seniors
Considering the sheer variety of laptops available, it might be difficult to shortlist a few products. Ideally, for seniors, we want a laptop that is lightweight, has a long battery life, and is easy to use.
Here’s a quick overview of what to consider when getting a laptop for seniors:
Display Size
Laptops come in all sizes – right from 13-inch ones and all the way up to 17-inch ones. If you are looking to carry the laptop, then you should look at the 13-inch and 14-inch options. Some 15.6-inch laptops, too, are lightweight, and they’re a middle ground for display sizes. However, if you’d be reading or watching content on your laptop, you can consider getting 16-inch and 17-inch laptops. However, note that these laptops would be heavier and may not be portable.
Accessibility
Whether you are a first-time user or not, a laptop should be easily accessible. Many products out there have a fingerprint lock, which makes it easy to access the device and keep it secure at the same time. This also reduces the need to memorize passwords, making it more user-friendly for seniors.
Weight
Ideally, we’d want a laptop that strikes the right balance between screen size, battery life, and weight. However, if you’re looking to lug your laptop around, you should consider getting a lightweight laptop with a compact build. The 13-inch and 14-inch laptops usually weigh around 3 pounds, which are easy to carry. However, the weight would increase as you up the screen sizes.
Battery Life
On average, laptops have a battery life of 8 hours, which is sufficient to get a day’s worth of use. However, if you are planning to carry the laptop around, you should consider getting one that has a bigger battery. You can also look for complementary features like quick charging to make it easier for you.
In addition to this, you should consider getting a laptop that has a great webcam. While a 720p resolution webcam does the job, a 1080p one would deliver a better picture quality
Our Verdict
If you were to buy the best laptop for seniors today, we’d recommend getting the MacBook Air (M1) 2020. The laptop comes with a mid-range price tag and offers some great features like a powerful processor, long battery life, and a stunning display. Plus, the laptop weighs only 2.8 pounds and has a slim profile, which makes it easy to carry around. Overall, the 2020 MacBook Air strikes a good balance between price and features.