Best laptop for travel in 2023 – our top picks
Whether you’re taking a long daily commute or decided to spread your wings and fly across the world, it’s well worth finding the best laptop for travel.
But what exactly makes a good laptop for travel? We think there are a few boxes that are worth ticking before making your choice.
First off, go for something lightweight and small enough to make it easier for you to travel with. On top of that, you’ll want something with a decent GPU and CPU so you can use it for basic remote work, and something that has a good SSD and preferably more than 8GB of RAM.
It also pays to grab a laptop with a bright, high-resolution screen, which can make watching movies, working on designs, or just everyday browsing much better. Bright screens are a must, especially if you fancy working outside. It’s also worth getting something with better-than-usual battery life if this sounds like you.
Speaking of work, we’d say that if you’re a traveling professional, we’d recommend browsing our laptop profession-based guides to find something that has everything you need. We’ve got you covered on everything from the best laptops for photo editing to the best laptops for programming, and more.
But for now, let’s take a look at some of what we think are the best laptops for travel on the market right now.
Products at a Glance
How to pick
For this guide, our experts have researched and picked some of the best laptops for travel. We have selected these laptops based on specs like display size, battery life, weight, and other aspects that make them suitable for traveling. Lightweight options can reign surpreme when it comes to travel, so for more options check out our top picks for the best lightweight laptops on the market.
Best laptop for travel in 2023 – our top picks
- 13.3-inch retina display
- 18 hours battery life
- Lightweight
- Limited ports
If you’re looking for a powerful laptop for travel, then the Apple MacBook Air is a solid choice. In fact, we think it’s one of the best lightweight laptops out there.
The MacBook sports a 13.3-inch retina display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600p, which should give you great visuals for presentations as well as general media consumption. Plus, with the True Tone technology, the Macbook adjusts the brightness automatically depending on your surroundings, which should be easy on your eyes.
On the inside, the laptop has an M1 chip, which is powerful enough to handle your daily tasks and even intensive tasks like graphic designing and video editing. The CPU boasts 8 cores that claim to be 3.5x than the previous generation, which should deliver efficient performance.
As far as battery life goes, you get around 18 hours of usage with a single charge, which should be sufficient for most people. To add to its portability, the laptop only weighs 2.8 pounds, so you should be able to lug it around effortlessly.
- 15.6-inch FHD display
- Slim and lightweight
- Decent battery life
- Mediocre display
If you’re looking for a laptop that can handle everyday tasks without going over the budget, then Acer Aspire 5 might be suitable for you.
On the inside, the laptop runs on an 11th-generation i3 processor, which is powerful enough to do your daily tasks, do some basic editing, and run some light games as well.
The basic model comes with 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD, which is sufficient for storing a few games and essential applications. But, if needed, you can upgrade this configuration to 20 GB of RAM and 1 TB of SSD.
As far as portability is concerned, the laptop has a battery life of 8 to 10 hours, which should be enough to get a day’s worth of use. Plus, the laptop weighs around 3.6 pounds, which is quite portable, considering that it has a 15.6-inch display.
The Acer laptop comes with a 15.6-inch FHD display, which should be sufficient for your work as well as media consumption. However, the brightness levels max out at 250 nits, which is okay for working under sunlight, but it could’ve been brighter.
- Powerful processor
- Anti-glare display
- 15.5 hours of battery life
- Accessories sold separately
If you want a hybrid laptop that can double up as a tablet, you can consider getting the Microsoft Surface Pro 9.
This 2-in-1 laptop comes with a 13-inch display that turns into a touchscreen and even lets you use a stylus. If you’re an artist or you need to take quick notes, this flexibility will come in handy. Plus, this display is anti-glare, so you should be able to view it under bright lights.
On the inside, the Surface Pro 9 is equipped with a 12th-generation i7 processor, which is powerful enough to run all your daily tasks. It also has an integrated graphics card, so you should be able to run light, casual games.
As far as portability is concerned, the laptop weighs only 1.9 pounds, which makes it quite lightweight to carry around. Plus, you get a battery life of 15.5 hours, which should last you all day. You also get a 10 MP webcam, so you should be able to be present at all your meetings.
How to pick the best laptop for travel
Before you start shopping for a good laptop for travel, here are a few considerations
Display Size
Now, the display will depend on your requirements and preferences. Typically, laptops meant for travelers tend to have a display between 13 to 14 inches. However, you can go for a 15.6-inch slim laptop to maintain a balance between weight and display size.
Battery Life
As you’ll be traveling, you need to look for a laptop that has a decent battery life – at least sufficient to give you a day’s worth of use on a single charge. Most laptops should give you a battery life of 7 to 8 hours. But for prolonged use, you can look for a laptop that offers 10 hours or more.
Weight
But usually, laptops aimed at travelers and commuters tend to be lightweight and weigh around 2 pounds. However, if you go for a bigger display, the laptop will weigh more.
In addition to this, you can look for a high-resolution webcam if you have to attend virtual meetings a lot.
Our Verdict
Overall, we think that the Apple Macbook Air M1 is a solid choice for frequent travelers. The laptop weighs around less than 3 pounds, which is super light and can be carried around easily. Plus, you get a battery life of around 18 hours, which should be more than sufficient for most people. The laptop is packed with a powerful M1 processor, which should handle your daily tasks quite easily. The 13.3-inch display, with the True Tone feature, should make it visible under bright lights.