Best Laptop for Remote Work

Looking for the best laptop for remote work in 2022?

For working remotely efficiently, a powerful and long-lasting laptop is crucial. However, finding the right laptop for your specific remote work needs can be a tiring task because there are loads of options and vendors to choose from.

So whether you need video editing and large memory storage, or something for typing reports and video conferencing, you need to have the best laptop for remote workers!

From choosing the right CPU to long-lasting battery life, and often most important, the price can all be difficult. We have curated this list for you to list the seven best laptops we believe will be ideal for remote work or being a digital nomad.

This list is diverse and we will be giving suggestions for all kinds of users.

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Comparison Table of the Best Laptops for Remote Work

How We Choose the Best Laptop for Remote Work

The key points to note and to take into account are different than when purchasing a laptop for, say gaming purposes or a PC computer.

In our selection, we have taken into account different types of users as well as the intended purposes of these laptops.

The performance and the metrics of this can have huge implications in helping you decide what the right pick for you will be.

Seeing the CPU, RAM, and Storage capacity is important here because they will have a direct effect on the performance and the overall speed of your laptop.

Are you a graphic designer or a video editor who does a lot of video editing and needs to render high-end graphics?

You will need a CPU and a GPU-heavy laptop which will do that job for you and make things faster.

Or if you’re someone who needs a lightweight laptop for lightweight everyday work, we’ve got that covered here as well.

With laptops, battery life is vital since it is supposed to be a portable machine for you after all. When taking the battery into account, you also have to check the thermals and the power efficiency of the remaining hardware since they will impact the battery and performance.

If your laptop is not power-efficient, you will end up taking performance hits and will have to keep on charging the laptop more often than you’d like.

Screen quality and screen size can quite often be deciding factors for many people, especially for a good business laptop for remote work. For instance, a graphic designer will need a better quality screen so that the color reproduction is optimal.

Similarly, someone who wants an outdoor working environment to be a thing that they don’t have to worry about will need one with good brightness and glare protection.

7 Best Laptops for Remote Working!

So whether you’re looking for a Quad core processor, or simply something with a large screen size and many USB ports, we’ve got you covered. No matter your needs, we have put together a list of the best laptops for remote work choices just for you!

1. Dell XPS 15 – Editor’s Choice

Size: 15.6-inches | CPU: Intel Core i7 10th Gen 10750 | GPU: Nvidia GTX 1650 Ti | RAM: 16-32Gb | Storage: 512Gb | Battery: 10 hours | Resolution: 3840×2400 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

On top of this list, we have the Dell XPS 15 taking the award for the best laptop suited for remote work.

With the previous Dell XPS 15 winning over so many hearts, Dell sought to do even better and released an upgraded model for their beloved laptop. Which ended up raking in even more fans than other laptops in the same line.

The latest Dell XPS 15 features ultra-thin bezels on its body, which Dell has labeled as the Infinity Edge display (quite rightly so).

With these thin bezels, you end up with even more screen space to work with, which is a definite bonus given the Dell XPS 15’s fantastic and vibrant 15.6-inch display.

It features a 4K display with an aspect ratio of 16:10. Even with low brightness, the Dell XPS 15 is able to handle glare off of its screen surprisingly well, which makes it really suitable for outdoor use as well.

With the low bezels, however, it seems that the webcam of the Dell XPS 15 has taken a hit. It comes with a 720p webcam with not as good of a quality as we have seen with the MacBook Pro.

In terms of raw CPU performance, the XPS 15 shined through all of our work environmental tasks with ease. However, the XPS 15 comes with either the GTX 1650 Ti or GTX 2060.

With all of this GPU-intensive power that the Dell XPS 15 has, it was expected that the thermals would get a bit high and they did.

The thermals for this laptop are more suited for work-related and everyday tasks. So it can be ideal for work purposes still but don’t expect gaming performance from this lineup.

This one has a lighter and a thinner chassis with a  very comfortable keyboard. Even in very long typing sessions, you’ll barely notice any fatigue in your hands.

On both sides of the Dell XPS 15, there are two speakers with preinstalled Waves MaxxAudio Pro drivers.

This laptop also has support for 3D sound and toggling it on does make the difference noticeable. In our tests, the battery lasted just shy of 10-hours which is not that bad for work-related tasks but does feel a bit short when the price is put into question.

Although the GTX 1650 Ti is a good mid-range GPU for gaming purposes, the XPS 15 is not. And therefore, its thermals end up taking a bit of a hit in that department.

However, the Dell XPS 15 is a good investment long-term for your remote work plans, especially with the Intel Core i7 power, and rightfully so.

RATING:

• Performance: 8/10
• Battery: 9/10
• Display: 9/10
• Value for Money: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 8.75/10

2. MacBook Pro (16-inch) – Best Premium Laptop for Remote Workers

Size: 16-inches | CPU: M1 Pro | GPU: Integrated M1 Chip | RAM: 16-32Gb | Storage: 512Gb-1Tb SSD | Battery: 21 hours | Resolution: 2435×2234 | Refresh Rate: 120Hz

With MacBook Pro’s 2021 release, Apple changed and improved quite a lot of things. With the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, Apple boasts not just significantly improved performance but efficient power consumption as well.

Moreover, the display quality is better than earlier Mac Computers, as well as its refresh rate (pro-motion), which is a definite bonus for those working in graphics and design.

As usual, the MacBook Pro models are available in a 14-inch and a 16-inch variant. Although the latest MacBook is a bit larger and heavier than the previous models and the MacBook Air, it does ultimately serve a purpose here and that is greater battery life and more ports for connectivity.

The 16-inch variant comes with a resolution of 3456×2234, with 1600 nits of maximum brightness. On this rather generous screen, there is a notch for a camera.

Frankly speaking, notches just don’t hit the spot for me as they can oftentimes interfere with your canvas.

The top portion with the notch is reserved for menus for apps however, we found a number of apps that were not updated to fit the notch cutout and therefore, ended up just making the notch section of the menu completely invisible.

This is something that will hopefully be fixed with updates. The 1080p HD camera that it comes with shows a remarkable picture on the other end, and is useful for remote meetings. Though there is also the fact that the MacBook Pro sadly does not feature FaceID unlocking.

Putting the new MacBook Pro’s M1 chip to the test proved to be quite a delight in terms of RAW performance. However, the real spice is the M1 Pro’s power efficiency, which quite frankly is vital for a laptop best suited for remote work.

While on battery, the M1 Pro chip handles power very efficiently and the drop in efficiency compared to battery vs plugged-in is barely noticeable.

This power efficiency also helps the MacBook Pro remain in optimal temperatures, adding to its great thermal design.

The M1 Pro chip can also support 2 simultaneous displays of up to 6K resolution running at a 60Hz refresh rate. Apple’s trackpad and the keyboard have always remained consistently good and this carries on over to the MacBook Pro as well.

It has a Backlit Magic Keyboard and a Force Touch trackpad, which of course features multi-touch gestures as well. All of these coupled with the MacBook Pro’s long-lasting battery of 19-20 hours is just the cherry on top.

Being extremely power efficient, greatly designed for handling high thermals, and providing a flawless experience overall- it’s not difficult to see why the MacBook Pro easily scores our best premium remote work laptop award.

This new model does present a few problems, but they are minor compared to what this ideally suited and well-designed machine has to offer.

RATING:

• Performance: 9/10
• Battery: 9/10
• Display: 9/10
• Value for Money: 7/10
• Overall Rating: 8.5/10

3. HP Envy x360 15 – Best Budget Laptop for Digital Nomads

Size: 15-inches | CPU: Ryzen 5 5500U | GPU: Vega 8 | RAM: 16-32Gb | Storage: 256Gb SSD | Battery: 8 hours | Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

Moving on down, we welcome the HP Envy x360, one of the best budget laptops you can buy in 2022. Compared to the high prices of the laptops mentioned above, the Envy x360 is a much-welcomed addition to this list with its relatively affordable price.

Given that this laptop is targeted towards the professional class, HP does not really make any attempts to show any highlighting features with the chassis and design.

However, In the case of Envy x360 15, the bezels have gotten thinner with the exception of the bottom bezel as it is still the same.

Being a touch-screen laptop, the hinges let you fold the Envy x360 comfortably in half as well. The hinges were not really flimsy and there was minimum flex on the body as well.

The 15.6-inches screen of course only has a FullHD display instead of 4k etc. However, given the price and its consistently good color reproduction and minimal glare even outdoors, we don’t see any reason to complain.

Especially given the fact that the targeted audience will most likely be okay with an FHD display.

In terms of performance, the HP Envy x360 15 comes with Ryzen 5 processors. The Ryzen notebook lineup of CPUs tend to be highly reliant on the power and the thermal limits that the laptop has.

Therefore, it is very important that the Envy x360 be kept in cool and optimal temperatures with no blockage to the airflow as it can have a negative effect on the performance of its CPU.

Having said that, we were pleasantly relieved by the performance of this 6-core CPU. With its base specs of Ryzen 5 5500U, 8 Gigs of RAM, and a 256Gb SSD, we noticed really decent performance metrics throughout.

The battery life does take a hit here as it is only about 8 hours with the best and least extensive usage you can come up with.

With that being said, you will do quite well with the performance of the Envy x360 and will find your work to be even more productive with the investment of this laptop.

Envy x360’s sound system left some things to be questioned. While it did okay with its Bang & Olufsen audio drivers and gives you different presets for switching between different types of audio output, the design does not impress.

The webcam is a 720p camera, meaning that you shouldn’t be expecting any high-end picture reproduction however, there is a physical shutter switch on the keyboard that simply deactivates the camera.

The Envy x360 has made significant improvements over the past designs. In terms of performance, there are sure boosts and benefits but HP still has some catching up to do as some aspects end up lagging.

The camera quality is not very ideal and the thermals and the audio quality is subpar as well.

However, with most laptops sporting a much more expensive price tag, the HP Envy x360 remains the budget laptop that it originally set out for and does a great job in proving that there is a market for it.

RATING:

• Performance: 7/10
• Battery: 9/10
• Display: 8/10
• Value for Money: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 8.25/10

4. Lenovo Ideapad 3 – Best Entry Level

Size: 14-inches | CPU: Ryzen 5 3500U | GPU: Vega 8 | RAM: 8Gb | Storage: 256Gb SSD | Battery: 9 hours | Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 has done an excellent job of filling the void between too expensive and too cheap laptops for a digital nomad. Lenovo sure earns some points for making an affordable laptop sport such a good look.

There’s no denying that the Lenovo Ideapad 3 has competitors that weigh far better in terms of what they can do Like the Samsung Galaxy Book or Acer Swift.

However, with the price tag that this laptop boasts, it’s just really difficult to simply pass it on.

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 is available in some really good colours and the Abyss Blue variant comes with very slick colors that do not make it look like a professional-looking laptop at all.

Although the overall build quality is quite solid, we did notice some flex on the top half of the Ideapad 3 which isn’t very reassuring.

As a bonus, we are able to get a Full HD resolution of 1920 x 1080 with this laptop and the price. But the color reproduction and the glare are mediocre with this laptop’s panel. On the top bezel is the 720p webcam with a physical sliding shutter as well.

The base model of the Lenovo Ideapad 3 comes with a Ryzen 5 3500U, 8 Gigs of RAM, and a 256Gb SSD. It features built-in Vega 8 graphics, which won’t run you any high-end games however, can decently get the job done for what this laptop’s target use is.

This particular CPU should prove more than sufficient for your everyday working tasks and then some.

However, with its limited and low RAM of 8Gb, that did prove to be a bit of a problem. The Lenovo Ideapad 3 has some really good thermals and the credit for that goes to the software and the hardware design of this laptop.

Moreover, with the app, you can also choose to vary and adjust the speed of the fans located on the sides and at the bottom.

Moving on to the keyboard and trackpad, we found them to be quite comfortable and responsive.

The slight lift and the curvature of the keys on the keyboard help make for smooth and fatigue-free typing and the trackpad is responsive and quick enough to make any kind of lag unnoticeable.

Not to mention lots of connectivity with HDMI port options and USB ports.

The Lenovo Ideapad 3 is a great budget laptop that will not end up burning a hole in your wallet. With the price cuts, expect some really noticeable drawbacks as well but Lenovo does a great job of “masking” them with its fantastic-looking design.

For those who are looking for a higher-performing laptop, your best bet will be to spend a bit more and buy the HP Envy x360.

However, for digital nomads with everyday tasks on their hands and no plans for more intensive and higher load usage in mind, the Lenovo Ideapad 3 is an excellent buy that will be affordable and easy on the wallet.

RATING:

• Performance: 7.5/10
• Battery: 9/10
• Display: 7/10
• Value for Money: 9/10
• Overall Rating: 8.1/10

5. Microsoft Surface Go 3 – Best for Portability

Size: 10.5-inches | CPU: Intel Pentium Gold | GPU: Integrated GPU | RAM: 4Gb | Storage: 64Gb SSD | Battery: 11 hours | Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

Moving on down to the 5th laptop best suited for remote work in our list, we have the Microsoft Surface Go 3. This is a bit of an odd one from the bunch.

With this laptop, it’s quite clear that Microsoft has not made this for any extensive and high-load tasks. Rather, the Surface Go 3 is more focused on portability with its small size and for light work.

Following almost the same design pattern as the Surface Go 2, the Surface Go 3 is a on par with the Microsoft Surface Book. Small, and very portable since this computer barely weighs a thing.

With a durable aluminum build, the Microsoft Surface Go 3 cuts down on the price and makes it more affordable. It features the same durable stand at the back that we’ve come to terms with.

The Surface Go 3 features a 10.5-inch display screen with rather thick bezels. Regardless, the colors and the brightness are something you’ll be pleased with.

However, It features an aspect ratio of 3:2, which might be not perfect for everyone. Also, the Surface Go 3 ends up leaving some trails behind in bright backgrounds when you’re scrolling up and down.

We feel like the Surface Go 3 needs better native support for tablet mode usage with the new Windows 11 Upgrade and the ability to use a Surface pen.

Luckily, more native apps can be run on Windows 11 which supports tablet mode and we hope Microsoft will keep working on that which can have drastic improvement effects on the usage of the Surface Go 3.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 features fast charging which is extremely useful. Microsoft has rated the battery to last 11 hours of usage.

However, that is obviously subject to change as things like brightness, display quality, the intensity of usage, and more do come into play.

Having said that, with the portability and ease of use that the Surface Go 3 has, the battery life and the fast charging are welcome features.

It features a 1080p camera which can prove to be quite the lifesaver for when you quickly need to scan documents on the go. Moreover, the speakers will impress you over other competitors like the Samsung Galaxy Book.

The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is not really the laptop for consistent and high-load intensive tasks which other typical laptops support.

It does have an SD card slot, but simply having an SD slot doesn’t mean it has the memory storage some digital nomads may need.

You’re much better suited and will end up enjoying the Surface Go 3 for your lighter tasks such as document editing, web browsing, and more. And on top of all that, Microsoft has made it much more affordable than the other similar 2-in-1 laptops of the same category.

RATING:

• Performance: 6/10
• Battery: 8/10
• Display: 7.75/10
• Value for Money: 8/10
• Overall Rating: 7.5/10

6. Acer Aspire 5 – Best for Clean Design

Size: 10.5-inches | CPU: Intel Core i5-8265U | GPU: Integrated GPU | RAM: 8Gb | Storage: 256Gb SSD | Battery: 7 hours | Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

The Acer Aspire 5 laptop is an excellent choice if you’re searching for something economical. Acer is known for producing low-cost laptops like the Acer Swift, with the Aspire line serving as the company’s crowning achievement.

Although the Aspire 5 is not the most recent model, it is, nevertheless, solid and inexpensive.

While it may appear to be a little outdated now, the Acer Aspire 5 remains a strong laptop. It features an Intel Core i5 processor and a fast M.2 SSD.

When you add in 8GB of RAM, a good 48Wh battery, plus a 1080p IPS panel, you have ultimate dependability. The Acer Aspire 5 features a fast processor and can even perform basic image editing.

The 14-inch display is not very good. The only plus side is that it is an IPS panel which does show better color reproduction than some of the laptops out there. Still, the overall quality is mediocre.

Plastic cases, on the other hand, are not long-lasting and inexpensive. When you’re out and about, you’ll have to take extra precautions to keep your laptop safe.

It’s worth mentioning that the power supply is connected to the computer via an old-school barrel connector. There is USB Type-C connectivity on the Aspire 5, but it is exclusively for data. It’s a bummer that you can’t charge it via USB-C.

Overall the Acer Aspire 5 is an excellent alternative for anyone looking for a low-cost computer.

While the Acer Aspire 5 will most certainly need to be replaced every few years, or become a refurbished laptop, it is a reliable laptop for those who are just beginning to start with remote work.

RATING:

• Performance: 7/10
• Battery: 6.5/10
• Display: 7/10
• Value for Money: 7.5/10
• Overall Rating: 7.25/10

7. Asus Zenbook 13 – Simple and Effective

Size: 13.3-inches | CPU: Intel i5-8250U | GPU: NVIDIA MX150 | RAM: 8Gb | Storage: 256Gb SSD | Battery: 11 hours | Resolution: 1920×1080 | Refresh Rate: 60Hz

The most affordable premium laptop is the ASUS Zenbook 13. If you don’t want to spend the money on a MacBook Air, HP Envy, clunky Mac and PC Computers, or Dell XPS, this is a wonderful alternative.

One of the Asus ZenBook 13’s most distinctive aspects is its appearance. With a thickness of 0.55 inches (13.9 mm) and a weight of only 2.51 pounds (1.14kg), this Ultrabook is extremely light.

We found the edge-to-edge keyboard to be adequate, but if you type for a living you may find the key arrangement to be too cramped, and the trackpad isn’t as responsive or comfy as the one on the XPS 13 and other Asus laptops.

There are two USB Type-C ports: a USB Type-A port, an HDMI 2.0 output port, and a microSD slot. You’ll notice that there’s no headphone port, which we’d have wanted to see instead of a micro SD card slot.

The processing power of the ASUS Zenbook 13 is more than enough to multitask between several tasks. ASUS Computers are known for great performance butut this computer’s performance is a bit of a mixed bag.

On the one hand, its multicore performance easily outperforms competitive Intel Core i7 CPUs like the i7-1165G7. However, this Intel Core falls behind in single-core performance.

This is common of AMD chips, which are stronger at multitasking than Intel CPUs but fall short in applications that require more single-core power, such as gaming or video encoding.

On our list, the ASUS Zenbook 13 is a versatile and great laptop that can be used from anywhere. It can be utilized for business trips or to regularly move around the office.

This is especially handy if you’re willing to switch things up at work. It’s small and light, with a lengthy battery life that gets the job done.

RATING:

• Performance: 7/10
• Battery: 7/10
• Display: 6.5/10
• Value for Money: 6.5/10
• Overall Rating: 7/10

Buyer’s Guide for the Best Laptops for Working Remotely

With our laptops picked, we need to now look at what you should be looking at to determine whether the laptop you’re going for is right for you or not.

You may need something with hours of battery life, an Intel Core i7, or a touchscreen laptop with solid processor performance, let’s break down what you may need!

CPU

For a work-related laptop, it is important that it be able to run your CPU-intensive tasks but still have incredible battery life.

Depending on how intensive your work is expected to be, you will want a higher-performing CPU so that you can comfortably work remotely without having to worry about performance and speed degradations.

Battery Life and Battery Life Price Point

Battery life is a very important factor in determining whether a certain laptop will cut it for remote workers. You want to be able to push out for the late deadlines and work easily knowing you have a super long battery life. A good battery life also means having a decent battery life price point. That way you aren’t spending a huge amount, but still having battery life issues.

Software and OS

While a MacBook pro offer some great features and performance boosts, it is safe to say that Mac computers aren’t for everyone. You need to be comfortable with the software and the OS you use.

If you have not used a MacBook Pro or MacBook Air before, the MacOS might take some getting used to. Therefore, it may not be the best idea for you to invest thousands of dollars into an OS that might end up not being the right fit for you.

So for windows users, windows laptops are a better choice.

2-in-1 or Not

In our list, we have covered 2-in-1 laptops, as well which are able to switch between traditional laptop and tablet mode of use.

Depending on the model, a 2-in-1 might end up costing you more, therefore it is important you know the laptop features and what you may need first.

For a designer, a 2-in-1 laptop might be a better fit since the touchpad can help make more precise colors and drawings, not to mention photo editing.

On the other hand, for someone who has their work mainly focused on typing, the hybrid laptop might not cut it.

Video editors, and people who need high image quality for photo editing might like the 2-in-1 best.

Portability and Lightweight Laptop Needs

An underrated benefit of remote working is that you can take your work anywhere with you. Remote working and work from home might sound similar, but they are not the same. 

If your job does not care where you are working, you can get your work done from a café, a library, or anywhere else you feel comfortable.

Just because you don’t have to commute to your office, doesn’t mean you should be sitting in the same workspace at home all day.

This is why you should get a good laptop that is powerful, yet still a lightweight computer to get work done on the go. It can be a hassle to carry around heavy devices all the time. Now, if you are searching for the best laptops for remote work, you still need to consider one thing.

Powerful performance comes at the cost of portability and vice versa. A powerful laptop will be great when you want to handle intensive workloads, but not so great when you need to be mobile. On the other hand a thin laptop might not be the high quality computer you need.

Similarly, some of the best laptops for remote work also happen to have the best battery life. Not all laptops are built for working while traveling. So, know what you want ahead of the time between the spectrum of power, portability and a good battery life price point.

FAQs

How Much RAM is Ideal for a Work Laptop?

A minimum of 8GB RAM is ideal for a work laptop because more RAM simply means more speed. Therefore, you want to go for more Gigs of RAM which will allow you to go about your tasks with much more efficiency.

How Can I Increase My Productivity with My Work Laptop?

To increase productivity with your work laptop you’d want the keyboard, elevation, and trackpad to be designed with ergonomics in mind, making sure that you end up with as little fatigue on your hands as possible.

Are Laptop Prices and Their Performance Directly Related?

Laptop prices and their performance are directly related in most cases. However, while being able to get better components as the price rises, the price is not always the sole indicator of the performance. You should go for the laptop that you feel will be justified with its price, and that is completely dependent on what your intended use for the laptop is.