Apple MacBook Air 13″
Dell XPS 13
Apple MacBook Pro 13″
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo
ASUS VivoBook Flip
Welcome to the WFH (Work From Home) Olympics, where the best laptop for working from home is your winning ticket and your home office desk is your stadium!
This year, as we jump from Zoom meetings to spreadsheet juggling, our caffeine-powered races are nothing without the right tech gear.
So, whether your workspace is a sleek home office or, let’s be honest, your comfy bed, we’ve got your back.
Buckle up, we’re diving into the top 5 laptop picks that will make your work-from-home experience as smooth as your third cup of coffee!
What Is The Best Laptop For Working From Home?
When selecting a laptop for remote work, several key considerations can guide your decision.
Job Requirements
The first thing you’ll want to assess is your job requirements and the tasks you’ll be performing on the laptop.
For instance, if your role involves graphic design or video editing, you’ll need a high-performance laptop with a robust graphics card and ample storage space.
On the other hand, if you’re primarily working with documents and emails, a basic laptop with good processing speed should do the job (well, not literally!).
Battery Life
Another crucial factor to consider is the laptop’s battery life.
The best laptops have an all-day battery life so that you can be comfortably working remotely during your occasional coffee shop trip.
Therefore, a laptop with a long battery life offers more flexibility and convenience.
Screen Size
You should also consider the screen size and resolution.
A larger screen size laptop is more comfortable to use but heavier to carry and vice versa.
If you primarily work from home, you will likely need an external monitor for extra screen real estate.
Our Top Picks
Apple MacBook Air 13″
Best Overall
Quick Facts
Screen Size | 13″ |
Resolution | 1680x1050px |
Battery Life | Up to 18 hours |
Storage Space | Up to 2TB |
Ports | 2x USB C, 1 MagSafe, 1 3.5mm headphone jack |
The Apple MacBook Air 13″, featuring the highly-acclaimed Apple Silicon M2 chip, is our top overall pick for remote workers who demand solid performance, reliability, and mobility.
The M2 chip is a powerhouse, offering exceptional speed for multitasking, video conferencing, and even more demanding tasks like graphic design or editing videos.
Its superior efficiency also means that the MacBook Air can handle these tasks while maintaining a remarkable battery life of up to 18 hours, making it perfect for those long, uninterrupted work sessions.
The sharp, vibrant Retina display quality enhances your viewing experience, while the lightweight and slim design makes it a breeze to carry, ensuring your workspace can be as mobile as you are.
With the added benefit of macOS, known for its intuitive, user-friendly interface and robust suite of productivity apps, it’s clear why the MacBook Air stands out as the best overall laptop for remote work.
Last but not least, it features a fingerprint reader for secure login and 2-Factor Authentication.
Dell XPS 13
Best for Consultants
Quick Facts
Screen Size | 13.4″ |
Resolution | 1920x1200px |
Battery Life | Up to 8 hours |
Storage Space | Up to 1TB |
Ports | 2x USB C |
The Dell XPS 13 stands out as one of the best business laptops for consultants.
This is largely due to its advanced features that align perfectly with the needs of a consultant, who often needs to multitask and remain connected with clients and teams.
The Dell XPS 13’s processing power shines with its 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processors that can handle multiple applications running simultaneously without any lag, a critical feature for consultants who need to juggle between different tasks.
The laptop also comes with up to 16GB of RAM, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and up to 512GB of storage space, which is more than ample for storing large files and documents.
Moreover, the Dell XPS 13 offers a high-resolution InfinityEdge display that delivers vivid and sharp images, making video calls, presentations, and data visualization a treat for the eyes.
Its decent battery life and good performance make it a reliable laptop for virtual meetings and continuous web surfing.
Furthermore, its compact design, coupled with its durable build quality, makes it ideal for consultants who travel frequently.
Like other laptops in this article, the Dell XPS 13 can effortlessly fit into any bag, providing a workstation laptop that can be set up anywhere.
Apple MacBook Pro 13″
Best for Creatives
Quick Facts
Screen Size | 13″ |
Resolution | 2560x1600px |
Battery Life | Up to 20 hours |
Storage Space | Up to 2TB |
Ports | 2x USB C, 3.5mm headphone jack |
The Apple MacBook Pro 13″ is the best laptop for creative remote workers for multiple reasons.
First, this MacBook Pro features compact dimensions and a lightweight design which makes it perfect for working on the go or moving around the house.
While this MacBook Pro is not as lightweight as a MacBook Air, we’re only talking about a 0.3 lb difference.
Additionally, this premium laptop boasts an impressive Retina display with True Tone technology, delivering vibrant colors and sharp images, a real boon for creatives and those who spend long hours in front of the screen.
If you didn’t know, Apple said goodbye to Intel core CPUs a while back. The MacBook Pro is powered by Apple’s newest M2 chip, making it one of the best laptops for working on a range of tasks, from basic word processing to more demanding applications like video editing or 3D modeling.
Apple didn’t disappoint on the processing power side of things.
It also has two USB C ports and one headphone jack.
What truly sets it apart, however, is its impressive battery life – able to run up to 20 hours on a single charge, promising uninterrupted productivity for the entirety of your workday and beyond.
Similar to its MacBook Air sibling, it features a fingerprint reader for secure login and 2-Factor Authentication
Last but not least, its SSD storage can be set up to 2TB. Offering both breathing room and extra data processing speed.
ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16
Best for 3D Modeling
Quick Facts
Screen Size | 16″ |
Resolution | 3840x2400px (4K) |
Battery Life | Around 3 hours |
Storage Space | Up to 4TB |
Ports | 3.5mm headphone jack, 1x HDMI port, 2x USB A, 2x USB C, 1x LAN port |
In the demanding world of 3D modeling, having a device that can keep up with your creative process is more than necessary, it’s vital.
That’s where the ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo 16 laptop steps in. While this is officially a gaming laptop, its advanced features and high-end computing power has set this powerful laptop as a new standard for what a 3D modeling device should be.
At the heart of the Zephyrus Duo 16 is an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX processor, delivering lightning-fast speeds that can handle even the most resource-intensive tasks with ease. Paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics card, this laptop offers exceptional performance for real-time rendering and 3D visualization.
With 2TB SSD storage and 32GB DDR5 RAM, the Zephyrus Duo 16 ensures quick access to your projects and smooth multitasking. Less time spent waiting for files to load and more time bringing your 3D models to life.
The Zephyrus Duo 16 features a 16-inch ROG Nebula HDR QHD display with a 240Hz refresh rate and 4K screen resolution. Whether you’re sculpting, texturing, or lighting your 3D models, the high-resolution display delivers crisp visuals and vibrant colors.
Thanks to the combination of graphics power and overall powerful performance, it will also deliver some sweet sweet FPS during your gaming breaks (don’t worry, we won’t tell).
The laptop’s unique form factor, which includes a secondary screen, allows for an efficient workflow.
Despite its powerful specs, the Zephyrus Duo 16 remains portable. Weighing in at 5.5 lbs, it’s a relatively lightweight option for such a high-performing laptop.
That said, as with most gaming laptops, the battery life is where this beast frails. You can realistically expect about 3 hours of battery life if you work on the go, so you’ll be better off getting it if you’re planning to mostly work from home with an external display and direct access to a power plug.
Long story short, if you’re after a powerful Windows laptop with crazy performances and aren’t put off by a high price tag, the Zephyrus Duo is for you.
Asus VivoBook Flip
Best Budget Laptop
Quick Facts
Screen Size | 14″ |
Resolution | 1920x1080px |
Battery Life | Around 10 hours |
Storage Space | 512GB |
Ports | 1x HDMI, 2x USB A, 1x USB C |
In the realm of budget-friendly laptops, the ASUS VivoBook Flip reigns supreme.
This is one of the best Windows laptops at an affordable price point.
This laptop delivers an impressive blend of performance, versatility, and affordability.
The ASUS VivoBook Flip’s features are what make it stand out in the crowd of budget laptops.
Its sleek design makes it ultra-portable, so you can work or play anywhere, anytime.
The touchscreen functionality adds an extra layer of convenience, allowing you to navigate with ease when using it in “Tablet mode”.
Powering this nifty device is an AMD Ryzen 5 processor along with 8GB of RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking performance.
With up to 512GB of storage, there’s ample room for all your documents, photos, and applications.
And let’s not forget the robust battery life that will last a full workday without constantly hunting for a power outlet when out on a coffee shop trip.
Despite being an affordable laptop for working from home, it doesn’t skimp on the technical specs needed to ensure you can get work done and enjoy a long battery life.
Summary
So there you have it. These are the top picks for the best laptops for working from home.
With so many laptops to choose from, it can be hard to know which one is best for your particular needs.
Whether you are a consultant, graphic designer, multitasker, developer, or just someone who wants a sleek and stylish laptop, there is something on this list for everyone.
I hope this piece helped narrow down your search and get a (big) step closer to getting some quality work done in your PJs.
About the author
Karim Bel Hadj
As his name suggests, Karim is the founder of Creme de la Karim. He fell in love with remote working since he left his first corporate job and never looked back! And because something you love is almost always better shared, he is on a mission to help all remote workers and digital nomads make the most of this amazing lifestyle. You can reach out to him via Twitter @cremedelakarim