8 Best Laptops for Remote Work in 2024

If you regularly work from home or find yourself traveling a lot, a great laptop for work is high on your list of priorities. There are some great options out there that can meet the needs of almost any remote professional, so we’ve put together a comprehensive list that dives deeper into some of the top choices.

How should you decide which laptops are best for remote work?

Choosing the right laptop certainly comes down to personal preference, but there are also some key features that you might want to look out for. Remote workers should consider their personal workstation — whether you’re likely to be working on the move, or whether you typically stick to one location, it could make a big difference when it comes to choosing a laptop that meets your needs.

With that in mind, this list will consider several important factors, including portability, processing power, and, of course, the price tag.

The 8 best laptops for remote work: Examining top options for 2024

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list of the 8 best laptops for remote work, and hope that it will provide a broad insight into the kinds of options that are available to you in 2024. This section will dive into each option in more depth, covering the laptop’s key features and other important factors that you might want to consider before making a purchase.

1. Microsoft Surface Laptop 4 – The best laptop for remote work overall

Price: $949

Microsoft Surface 4 is a premium laptop that comes with various features catering to performance, design, and productivity. It offers a choice between two leading processor providers, Intel and AMD, which could prove invaluable for more technical remote workers.

Microsoft Surface 4 also comes in two separate screen sizes, giving remote workers a choice between 13.5 and 15 inches, which could serve both digital nomads and work-from-homers equally well.

Its 17 hours of battery life and 32GB of RAM place Microsoft Surface 4 at the very top of the range when it comes to consumer laptops. It also offers a touch screen and stylus, making it a versatile option for remote work across a wide array of professions.

Buy the Microsoft Surface Laptop 4

2. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 – A good option if you want to play games occasionally

Price: $1199

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a gaming laptop that gained popularity among remote workers for its powerful performance and compact design. The laptop is powered by an AMD Ryzen 9 processor, and it features an NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics card that provides high-quality visuals.

In addition to being a powerful option, the ROG Zephyrus’ 14-inch display makes it fairly easy to transport as it fits into a bag of almost any kind. It is, however, slightly heavier than some of its competitors, which could be a deciding factor for any remote workers who expect to be moving around frequently.

Buy the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 

3. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon – A lightweight powerhouse

Price: $1,597

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is a premium business ultrabook known for its sleek design, durable build, and high-end features. The carbon fiber chassis makes this version of the Thinkpad extremely light without sacrificing any of its durability, which makes it a great choice for digital nomads in particular.

On top of that, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is powerful. It has a high-performance Intel Core processor and 16GB of RAM, allowing for smooth multitasking during working hours. This laptop’s display supports 4k resolution, and it also contains RapidCharge technology as an added bonus. The only real drawback to the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon is the price tag — it’s almost doubly as expensive as some of the other options on this list.

Buy the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon

4. HP Spectre x360 – A premium 2-in-1

Price: $1,245

The HP Spectre x360 is a premium 2-in-1 convertible laptop known for its sleek design, high-quality build, and versatile features. Due to its touchscreen display and foldable keyboard, the HP Spectre could be one of the best options for graphic designers, architects, or any other profession that requires hands-on interaction with the display.

The laptop is equipped with high-performance Intel Core processors, providing plenty of power for any kind of task that you might need it for. It also contains Bang & Olufsen audio built into it by default and over 16 hours of battery life. On balance, the Spectre x360 is a very versatile option, but it’s also one of the most expensive laptops on this list.

Buy the HP Spectre x360

5. MacBook Air M2 – A very solid option for Mac users

Price: $965

The MacBook Air M2 provides a built-in performance boost when compared with older M1 models, as Apple’s own brand processor is known to provide a quality level of performance. Another unique feature of the MacBook Air is its macOS operating system, which differs from every other laptop on this list that uses Windows. For any remote workers who prefer macOS to Windows, this would likely be the laptop to go for.

MacBooks are known for their high-resolution retina display and enhanced security features. A key drawback with the MacBook Air is that it only has 8GB of RAM, which can potentially cause latency when multitasking with applications that use significant memory to run. Overall, the MacBook Air is a very versatile laptop that is both lightweight and durable, and it offers plenty of functions that would serve remote workers well.

Buy the MacBook Air M2

6. LG Gram 17 – For remote workers who need more screen real estate

Price: $1499

The LG Gram 17 is a lightweight and portable laptop known for its large 17-inch display and impressive battery life. For any remote workers seeking a large screen size, this one’s a great option. The large display provides a spacious and immersive viewing experience, making it suitable for content creation, productivity, and viewing multimedia.

The laptop is typically equipped with Intel Core processors, and offers 16GB RAM. In addition to being a powerful laptop capable of supporting all kinds of activities from work, to gaming, to simply browsing the web, LG Gram 17 has a precision touchpad and more than 11 hours of battery life. Overall, it’s a great choice — but the price may be an overshot in terms of its capabilities.

Buy the LG Gram 17

7. Dell XPS 13 – A thin and lightweight Windows machine

Price: $1027

Dell XPS 13 is a popular ultrabook known for its premium build quality, high-resolution display, and overall performance. The laptop has a virtually borderless InfinityEdge display, which maximizes the screen-to-body ratio for a more immersive viewing experience. It is also constructed with premium materials that provide both durability and a sleek, professional appearance.

Like the MacBook Air, the Dell XPS 13 only has 8GB RAM. This places it more in the mid-range for consumer laptops. While 8GB should be plenty for most activities, any remote workers who need a higher level of power may want to seek out a more premium alternative. On balance, Dell XPS 13 has a compact and lightweight design, and could be the perfect choice for remote workers who expect to be taking it from place to place.

Buy the Dell XPS 13

8. Dell Inspiron 14 – A solid budget option

Price: $519

Dell Inspiron 14 laptops offer a range of processor options, including Intel Core and AMD Ryzen processors, providing choices for different performance needs. The Inspiron 14 typically comes with a 14-inch display, but it also offers different display options, such as Full HD (FHD) or touchscreen. This could be particularly useful for certain remote work professions.

The laptop has 8GB RAM, which would usually be plenty for most activities, but it’s definitely worth considering the type of work you need to complete and the strain it might place on the laptop’s performance capabilities. Overall, the Dell Inspiron 14 represents a more budget option when compared to the other laptops on this list, but it remains a great option in terms of its lightweight design and innate portability.

Buy the Dell Inspiron 14

The bottom line: What is the best laptop for remote work?

Choosing the best laptop for remote work is a case of personal preference. Some remote workers may need high power capabilities in order to complete their tasks, while others may find that a standard consumer laptop works perfectly well for their needs. That said, here are the top 3 best laptops for remote work in 2024:

1. Microsoft Surface 4
2. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
3. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon

All 3 of these laptops provide a balanced performance and versatile range of capabilities. As all-round options go, they are undoubtedly some of the best. In particular, the Microsoft Surface 4 takes the top spot because it’s also available at a fairly reasonable price, and it has some unique specifications, such as a touchscreen display. All in all, it could be the best all-round pick in terms of the best laptops for writers in 2024.

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