For most writers, CPU performance isn't really important, as text formatting requires very little processing power. As long as you can open a dozen or more browser tabs simultaneously along with a few applications without the system bogging down, it's enough to handle a writer's typical workload. The user experience is far more important. You'd want a thin and light laptop that you can easily carry around, long battery life, a sharp display that doesn't tire your eyes, and a spacious and comfortable keyboard. Fortunately, there are tons of ultraportable laptops on the market that check all those boxes. This article will help you narrow down your options and, hopefully, help you choose the right laptop for your needs.
We've bought and tested over 70 laptops. Below you'll find our recommendations for the bestlaptops for writers you can buy. You can also see our recommendations for thebest laptops, the best Chromebooks, and the best Windows laptops.
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Best Laptop For Writers
Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022)
School
8.5
Gaming
6.4
Multimedia
7.9
Workstation
7.8
Business
8.0
Size
13.6"Portability
9.1
Brightness
8.5
Typing Quality
8.0
Touchpad
9.2
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
10.9 hrsSee all our test results
The best laptop for writers we've tested is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022), a premium ultraportable. It's a newer version of the very popular Apple MacBook Air 13 (M1, 2020). It has an exceptionally sturdy build, a thin and light design, and a battery that lasts easily through a full workday. The display is sharp and gets bright enough for use outdoors, and the keyboard feels comfortable to type on for extended periods. Its M2 SoC is plenty fast and can easily handle most writers' workloads, like text processing, web browsing, and video playback. Plus, it's a fanless device, so you don't have to worry about loud fan noise distracting you from your work. The only downside is its limited port selection, as you only get two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 and a MagSafe charging port.
See AlsoNew AMD Ryzen™ 7020 C-Series Processors Bring Fast Performance, Longer Battery Life, and Advanced RDNA™ 2 Graphics to Chromebook UsersHow to check a Chromebook’s specs, CPU usage, and moreBest Lenovo Chromebooks in 2023Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Flex 3i 2023 review: extraordinary value [VIDEO]If you find the M2 MacBook Air too expensive, there's good news: the M1 model is still available alongside the 2022 version. It starts at a lower price than the newer version and is often on sale. Its battery lasts longer, but there are some trade-offs, like its older design and lower-resolution webcam. The M1 SoC is slower but still more than fast enough for a writer's workload.
On the Windows side, we recommend the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022), the equivalent of a MacBook Air in the Windows world. It's available in a 13.5-inch or 15-inch size, so you can choose the one that fits you best. Naturally, the 15-inch is more expensive, but the extra screen real estate does come in handy when you need to keep your reference material on one side of the screen while writing. It has a spacious and tactile keyboard, a smooth and responsive touchpad, and a surprisingly good 720p webcam. The battery lasts around eight hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you might need to plug it in for a quick charge to get through the day.
See our review
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Best Mid-Range Laptop For Writers
Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022)
School
8.1
Gaming
4.7
Multimedia
8.0
Workstation
6.7
Business
7.8
Size
14"Portability
8.5
Brightness
7.4
Typing Quality
7.5
Touchpad
6.8
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
13.6 hrsSee all our test results
If you don't want to spend too much on a premium laptop, get the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) instead. Its 14-inch screen gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings, and it's flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain on those long work days. Also, since this is a 2-in-1 convertible, you can flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. It supports pen input, which is great for fans of handwritten notes, and It comes with a stylus that you can dock into its charging slot for transport. For ports, you get one USB-A, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4, and an HDMI port. The battery lasts well over 13 hours of light use and charges over USB-C.
One thing to note about this laptop is that while it's available with various Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, availability is scarce. At this time, the Core i5 model with 8GB of memory and 128GB of storage is the easiest to find. The Core i5 is more than adequate for anything you'd need to do on a Chromebook, and with 8GB of memory, you likely won't experience any slowdowns unless you're a heavy multitasker. If you're new to Chrome OS, you just need to ensure you can do everything through a Chrome browser or Android app due to Chrome OS' limitations. It's particularly important for those working with writing apps like Scrivener or Ulysses, which are only supported on Windows and macOS.
If you prefer working on Windows, the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) is a great alternative. It's also a 14-inch laptop that provides a good user experience. However, its display doesn't get as bright, so you may have some visibility issues in well-lit settings, and its keyboard isn't as comfortable to type on because it feels cramped. You still get fantastic battery life, though, and it has a fingerprint sensor for quick logins, which the Spin 714 lacks.
See our review
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Best Budget Laptop For Writers
Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020)
School
7.5
Gaming
4.3
Multimedia
7.1
Workstation
4.4
Business
6.9
Size
15.6"Portability
7.8
Brightness
6.6
Typing Quality
8.0
Touchpad
7.6
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
12.1 hrsSee all our test results
If you're shopping on a very small budget, get the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020). This 15.6-inch Chromebook has a thin and light design, making it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts comfortably through a full workday. You can configure it with an Intel Pentium Gold or Core i3 CPU, both of which are powerful enough to provide a smooth desktop experience on Chrome OS. Unfortunately, you can only get a maximum of 4GB of RAM, which means it'll stutter if you have too many things running.
Another compromise is the display's brightness; it only gets bright enough for use in a moderately-lit room. The keyboard feels great to type on, and while the touchpad is small, it tracks all movements and gestures well. As this is a 2-in-1 convertible, you can set this laptop up in tent mode for media consumption or flip the screen and use it as a tablet. Lastly, like the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) above, this is a Chrome OS device, so you need to ensure you can do your work through a Chrome browser or Android app.
See our review
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Best Cheap Laptop For Writers
Acer Chromebook 315 (2020)
School
7.4
Gaming
4.1
Multimedia
7.1
Workstation
3.8
Business
6.8
Size
15.6"Portability
7.6
Brightness
6.2
Typing Quality
7.5
Touchpad
7.0
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
13.9 hrsSee all our test results
If you want something cheap to start your writing journey, go with the Acer Chromebook 315 (2020). It feels well-built for a laptop in its class, and its battery lasts easily through a full day of light use with plenty to spare. Its 15.6-inch screen gives you plenty of space for multitasking, although it's on the dimmer side, so it's best suited for a dark to moderately lit room. It has a comfortable full-size keyboard, a reasonably large touchpad, and a good port selection that includes two USB-As, two USB-Cs, and an SD card reader. Its Intel Celeron CPU can only handle light workloads, which is fine for most writers since word processing isn't an intensive task but isn't ideal for heavy multitaskers. Overall, it's a simple and wallet-friendly device that can get the job done.
See our review
Recent Updates
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Apr 18, 2023: Minor structure change. Removed the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2020) because it's discontinued. Replaced the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) with the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) because the Spin 714 provides a better user experience overall. Added the Acer Chromebook 315 (2020) as the 'Best Cheap' pick.
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Feb 17, 2023: Added the Lenovo Yoga 7i 14 (2021) as the 'Best Upper Mid-Range' pick. Removed the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15 (2021) because it's almost the same price as the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) but isn't as good. Moved the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) to the 'Best Budget' category.
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Dec 19, 2022: Verified accuracy of picks; no change in recommendations.
All Reviews
Our recommendations above are what we think are currently the best laptops for writers to buy. We factor in the price (a cheaper laptop wins over a pricier one if the difference isn't worth it), feedback from our visitors, and availability (no laptops that are difficult to find or almost out of stock everywhere).
If you prefer to make your own decision, here's the list of all of our laptopreviews. Keep in mind that most laptops are available in various configurations, and the table only shows the results of the model we tested, so it's best to see the full review for information about other variants.