Best Products > Computer & Laptops 85 85 people found this article helpful The Best Lightweight Laptops of 2024 Ultrabooks can fulfill all of your computing needs without the added bulk or weight By Yoona Wagener Yoona Wagener Writer, Commerce Editor Bowling Green State University Yoona Wagener is a tech editor and writer. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on September 12, 2023 Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh Fact checked by Stephen Slaybaugh New York University London Metropolitan University Stephen Slaybaugh is a fact checker and music writer with with more than 20 years experience writing about internet retail and consumer tech. He has been featured in Digital Trends, DealNews, and TechRadar. He is a content designer at Bose Corporation and is completing his Master of Arts in Digital Media. lifewire's fact checking process We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Computer & Laptops Audio Camera & Video Car Audio & Accessories Computer & Laptops Computer Components Gaming Gifts Networking Phones & Accessories Smart Home Software Tablets Toys & Games TVs Wearables Lightweight laptops are powerful enough for all but the most demanding tasks but much lighter than expected. Most have enough processing power, RAM, and storage to complete everyday multitasking for the typical workday. Still, specialized models can rival the power of brawnier laptops or desktops with heavy-duty processors, expandable internals, and vivid and large displays with advanced graphics and color rendering. Above-average battery life that extends beyond a workday is also a bonus, and some models don’t require a recharge for 18 hours or longer. in this article Expand Our Picks What to Look For in a Lightweight Laptop Best for Travel Microsoft Surface Pro X Courtesy of Amazon View On Amazon $1,180 View On Best Buy View On B&H Photo Video $900 What We Like Less than 2 pounds Up to 15 hours of battery life Edge-to-edge 13-inch touchscreen What We Don't Like Keyboard and pen sold separately Limited ports If you’re keen on the flexibility a convertible laptop offers, the Microsoft Surface Pro X is an attractive option. While the keyboard and accompanying pen are sold separately, and you’ll have just two USB-C ports to work with, the main body of the Surface Pro X can rest flat on a surface or be propped up at your preferred angle with the help of the kickstand positioned on the back of the device. This versatile, super-compact 1.7-pound and 0.28-inch thick build and excellent 15-hour battery life make it an ideal traveling laptop. While this convertible is relatively small, it still manages to offer an edge-to-edge 13-inch touch display with a high 2880x1920 resolution plus an assortment of other desirable assets such as an accelerometer, gyroscope, ambient light sensor, LTE support, and 1080p front- and rear-facing cameras with 4K quality supported on the latter. The custom Microsoft SQ1 processor with the standard 8GB RAM and 128GB SSD should be speedy and versatile enough for a variety of multitasking, but if you want more memory and storage, up to 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD configurations are available. The Best Laptop Mounts of 2024 Best for Gaming Razer Blade Stealth 13 Amazon View On Walmart $2,070 View On Best Buy $1,800 View On Adorama.com $1,600 What We Like Durable but lightweight build Vibrant FHD display Upgradeable SSD What We Don't Like Middling battery life Thicker bottom bezel If you’ve always dreamed of a lightweight gaming laptop, Razer has combined the appeal of slim notebooks with the graphics and processing power of gaming-ready machines in the Razer Blade Stealth 13. It sports a sleek, durable aluminum and anodized build that isn’t too unwieldy at approximately 0.6 inches thick and 3.2 pounds. The 13-inch FHD display is matte, supports up to a 120Hz refresh rate, is surrounded by razor-thin top and side bezels, and is sRGB-tuned for color accuracy and vibrancy. Oddly, the bottom bezel is significantly larger, which our product tester found to be an unfortunate loss of valuable real estate. He also experienced the battery life to be less impressive but quick to recharge. The Stealth 13 is billed as a gaming laptop, and that it is. Performance-wise, it’s a powerhouse with a tenth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512 upgradeable GB SSD. For general ease of use and productivity, this compact laptop offers other valuable features such as biometrics for instant facial recognition access and numerous ports for connecting to gaming or other peripherals. Razer Blade Stealth 13 Review Best Battery Life Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Lifewire / Matthew S. Smith View On Amazon $780 View On Walmart $1,600 View On Lenovo What We Like Weights less than 2 pounds Strong CPU and GPU performance Great keyboard Excellent battery life Loud, clear audio Windows Hello support What We Don't Like Mediocre display Disappointing Wi-Fi performance High pricing Limited connectivity Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Review The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is built with travelers and frequent fliers in mind. It’s incredibly light, starting under two pounds, and lasts eight to nine hours on a charge. Yet it also packs excellent performance, especially in graphics workloads, where it’s shockingly capable for a 13-inch laptop. This is an excellent laptop for productivity. ThinkPads are known for class-leading keyboards, and the X1 Nano does not disappoint. It also has a TrackPointer and an IR camera that supports Windows Hello for quick login via facial recognition. Our reviewer found the display a bit disappointing, though, as it can’t keep up with Apple’s MacBook Air or the new OLED display in Dell’s XPS 13. This laptop starts just north of $1,450 and goes up from there. Whatever specifications you choose, the X1 Nano will be a few hundred dollars more expensive than a similar MacBook Air or Dell XPS 13. That’s hard to justify unless portability is your top priority. Best for Video Editing Apple MacBook Pro (16-Inch) Amazon View On Best Buy $2,040 View On Apple $2,499 What We Like Powerful and fast processor Up to 8 TB SSD Retina display What We Don't Like Heavier build Pricey The Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch isn’t a featherweight or the most affordable option in the lightweight laptop class. Still, considering all the power at your fingertips, this is quite a manageable 4.3-pound workhorse. You can choose between an Intel Core i7 or i9 processor with 16GB of RAM (expandable to 64GB RAM) and a standard 512GB or 1TB SSD that can be upgraded to an astonishing 8GB of SSD storage. This processing power and storage are generous enough to support everyday multitasking and the most demanding creative projects, such as 3D rendering, professional video editing, and gaming development. Of course, visual tasks require a high-quality display, and the vibrant 16-inch 3072x1920 Retina display is the largest from the brand in laptop form. It uses the P3 wide color gamut to render true-to-life video and photo quality. You can also expect up to 11 hours of battery life, the convenience of a touch bar with secure touch ID access, and a Thunderbolt 3 port that supports up to two 6K external displays. Best for Photo Editing Apple MacBook Pro Amazon View On Apple $1,299 What We Like Apple M1 chip Up to 20 hours of battery life Up to 2TB SSD What We Don't Like Not all apps optimized for M1 chip Lack of ports If you want the capable chops of the Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch in a slightly more portable form factor, the 3-pound MacBook Pro 13-inch with the M1 chip is a worthy alternative—especially if you need a machine for photo editing on the go. Like the 16-inch variation, this device sports a vivid Retina display with P3 comprehensive color gamut technology that Apple says renders 25% more colors than sRGB. The new 8-core M1 chip is an impressive addition that delivers lightning-quick performance supported by up to 16GB RAM and up to a 2TB SSD. One catch with the specialty chip is that not all apps that run on MacBooks with Intel chips are optimized for M1-equipped models. But popular photo editing software such as Lightroom and Photoshop are covered by native apps or with the help of the Rosetta 2 translator that bridges the gap for hiccup-free use. This latest version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro does have a limited selection of ports (just two Thunderbolt ports). Still, it also boasts many amenities, including a handy Touch Bar with touch-ID access and slots for customizing shortcuts and the most extended battery life of any MacBook—up to 20 hours. Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) Review What to Look For in a Lightweight Laptop Screen size: Thanks to new displays with higher pixel density, smaller 11-inch or 13-inch displays are now more than acceptable for most tasks. That smaller screen also means you'll end up with a lighter and, therefore, more portable laptop. You can find models with bigger screens, but the trade-off is more weight. Battery life: Thanks to recent advances, lightweight laptops have much better battery life than just a few years ago. If you prefer spending less time recharging or searching for an available outlet while traveling, some models have extended capacities of 11 hours or more. Processor and memory: At this point, light convertible laptops can handle any computing task, but if you have special needs like video editing or gaming, consider choosing a more powerful processor and adding additional RAM. The Best Laptops of 2024 Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit