20 Best Laptops for Digital Nomads and Traveling [With Prices]
As travelers and digital nomads, choosing a great travel laptop is crucial for us. Without it, it’s pretty hard to do work, edit our photos or videos, make digital art or transfer our files; we can’t do it effectively in our phone alone. So we need something that we could bring along our trips.
When choosing a travel laptop; we need to consider the size and weight as we carry it in our backs, especially when trekking or backpacking. A slim one is always better to put in our bags than a bulky one so that we could fit many things in there. Those on a budget might consider the price or if they are willing to invest in a good travel laptop. Battery Life must also be considered. Also, if you are also doing more demanding tasks you may need something like a gaming laptop for photo or video editing, so you might as well buy something that has impressive performance.
So here are the 20 best travel laptops:
- 10 Best Travel Backpacks with a Laptop Compartments
- 11 Things You Must Have for Your Home Office – Work From Home Equipment and Essentials
- 12 Useful Tips on How to Work From Home Effectively [Working Online Tips]
- 2 Clever Ways to Stay in Charge of your Devices While Traveling
- 5 Must-Have Tech Gadgets that Travel Bloggers Should Invest In
Table of Contents
1. Apple MacBook Air
1.25 kg
15.6mm thin
up to 12 hours of battery life
13” Retina Display
1.6GHz dual Intel Core i5 processor
up to 16GB, 1TB SSD Storage
2 USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports
iOS Operating System
Starts at $899.99
MacBooks are my ultimate favorite, as a travel blogger, I have been with them for years, and they have been tried and tested. MacBook Air’s latest model comes with an improved display which is now with true tone compared to the previous version. The best thing about MacBook air is that is light, a pro if constantly traveling. If you’re also into making travel vlogs and editing pictures, then Apple is one of the best.
2. Dell XPS13
1.4 kg
15mm thin
up to 16 hours of battery life
13” InfinityEdge Touch Display
up to 4.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
up to 16GB, 1TB SSD Storage
1 USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) and Micro SD card reader ports
Windows 10 Home
Starts at $1,694.30
XPS 13 is definitely is one of the best lightest powerful PC laptops. With its specs and reliability, this is also what most travel nomads use.
3. Apple MacBook Pro (13)
1.37 kg
14.9mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
13” Retina Display
up to 1.6GHz Quad-core Intel Core i5 processor
up to 32GB, 2TB SSD Storage
2 USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) ports
iOS Operating System
Starts at $1,223.41
Faster and better than the Mac Book air; this laptop is also lightweight and excellent in editing media and videos. This is also great for traveling as it is lightweight and thin too! It is a great investment especially for those who are working online.
4. Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (1796)
0.77 kg
8.5mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
12.3” Quad HD LED Backlit PixelSense with Multi-touch Display
up to 1.9GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 256 GB SSD capacity
1 USB 3.0 and microSD reader
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $848.00
Microsoft Surface Pro 6 is an e-book reader, a sketchpad, a tablet, which can transform into a laptop too. With a good memory, it can be quite useful for travels and saving photos.
5. HP Spectre X360 13 (ae013dx)
1.25 kg
13.6mm thin
up to 12 hours of battery life
13.3” Diagonal 4K IPS micro-edge WLED-backlit touch screen
up to 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 (6th Gen) Processor
up to 16GB, 512 GB SSD capacity
1 USB3.1 and micro SD-Card slot
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $1,199.00
Spectre x360 is a stunning 2-in-1 with an elegant design, strong performance and long battery life.
6. Microsoft Surface Go Book (CB5-132T-C67Q)
0.52 kg
7.6mm thin
up to 6 hours of battery life
10” Quad HD LED Backlit PixelSense with Multi-touch Display
up to 1.6GHz Intel Pentium Dual-Core Processor
up to 8GB, 128 GB SSD capacity
Windows 10 Home
Starts at $475.00
Use it either on Laptop or Tablet Mode; you can choose to detach or fold the Type cover. This is a versatile gadget with a sophisticated touch but still sturdy.
7. HP Envy 13 x360 (13m-ag0002dx)
1.29 kg
14.9mm thin
up to 11 hours of battery life
13.3” Diagonal FHD IPS micro-edge WLED-Backlit Touch screen
up to 2.2GHz AMD Quad-Core Ryzen 7 Processor
up to 8GB, 256 GB SSD capacity
1 USB 3.1, 1 USB-C, micro SD-Card Reader
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $599.00
Envy gets you envious; lightweight but fast performing, bright display but with long battery life, stunning design yet on your budget.
8. Lenovo Thinkpad (X1 Carbon)
1.2 kg
13.2mm thin
up to 11 hours of battery life
14” QHD Non-Touch Display
up to 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 (6th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 512 GB SSD capacity
2 USB-A Slot, 2 Thunderbolt 3, HDMI and micro SD-Card slot
Windows 10
Starts at $1,949.99
X1 carbon has the best mixture of performance and portability. It is also very attractive and light.
9. Huawei Matebook X Pro (53010CAJ)
1.33 kg
14.4mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
13.9” 3K LTPS Touch Screen
up to 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 16GB, 512 GB SSD capacity
1 USB-C Slot and 1 USB-A slot
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $1,167.13
Matebook XPro is a fast performing and long-lasting notebook. It’s one of the best touchscreen and college laptops.
10. Lenovo Yoga Book C930 (E1-572)
0.78 kg
9.9mm thin
up to 9 hours of battery life
10.8” QHD IPS LED Multi-touch Screen Display
up to 1.2GHz Intel Core i5 (7th Gen) Processor
up to 4GB, 256 GB SSD capacity
2 USB-C Slot and micro SD-Card port
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $762.99
Yoga Book C930A is a very thin 2-in-1 laptop which is an improvement from the older version. The keyboard is E-ink and features artificial intelligence, then you can also change it for sketching or taking notes.
11. Acer Swift 5 (SF514-52T)
0.97 kg
14.9mm thin
up to 8 hours of battery life
14” Full HD LED Backlit IPS Display
up to 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 512 GB SSD capacity
1 USB-C, 2 USB, 1 HDMI port
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $999.99
Stylish and light for a 14” laptop, you’ll think it’s too good to be true. You can flatten this to feel like working on a tablet.
12. Acer Chromebook R11 (CB5-132T-C67Q)
1.27 kg
19.3mm thin
up to 11 hours of battery life
11.6” HD LED IPS Touch Screen Display
up to 1.6GHz Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor
up to 4GB, 32 GB SSD capacity
1 USB-30 Slot, 1 USB-20, HDMI SD-Card slot
Google Chrome
Starts at $199.00
Acer Chromebook R11 is a 2-in-1 laptop ideal for those who don’t want to spend much money. It looks clean and elegant and has a good battery life compared to other Chromebooks.
13. Lenovo Idea Pad Flex 14
1.9 kg
21.5mm thin
up to 8 hours of battery life
14” LED Backlight IPS Display
up to 1.7GHz Intel Core i5 (4th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 128 GB SSD
1 USB-C Slot, 2 USB 3.1, SD-Card Reader, HDMI
Windows 8.1 Professional
Starts at $599
An attractive 2-in-1 laptop than can be used as a tablet. It’s also one of the most affordable laptops.
14. Samsung Chromebook (XE500C13)
1.15 kg
17.8mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
11.6” Full HD LED Four Way Nano Edge Design
up to 1.6GHz Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor
up to 4GB, 64 GB SSD capacity
1 USB 2.0 Slot, 1 USB 3.0, HDMI and micro SD-Card Reader
Google Chrome
Starts at $398.95
Samsung Chromebook is a great travel laptop with strong performance, a fun webcam and good battery life for travelers.
15. Asus Zenbook (UX305UA)
1.3 kg
16mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
13.3” IPS Full HD LED backlight Display
up to 2.3GHz Intel Core i5 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 256 GB SSD capacity
3 USB-30 Slot, HDMI and SD-Card Reader
Windows 10
Starts at $799.99
A good price for a laptop with a thin and stunning aluminum body, bright display, many ports and long battery life; it’s a great choice.
16. LG Gram 17 (Z990)
1.34 kg
17.7mm thin
up to 12 hours of battery life
17” WQHD IPS Anti-Glare LED Touch Display
up to 1.8GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 16GB, 512 GB SSD capacity
2 USB-C Slot, 1 USB-3.0, HDMI, micro SD-Card Reader
Windows 10
Starts at $1,496.94
LG Gram 17 is the lightest travel laptop this big; offering you a great display and long battery life.
17. Acer Spin 1 (SP111-33-C6UV)
1.25 kg
22.8mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
11.6” HD LED Backlit IPS Touch Screen Display
up to 1.1GHz Intel Celeron Dual-Core Processor
up to 4GB, 64 GB SSD capacity
1 USB-30 Slot, 1 USB-20, HDMI, Micro SD-Card Reader
Windows 10 Home Basic
Starts at $245.00
It is a great budget 2-in-1 laptop that provides an attractive metal design and a great screen.
18. Lenovo Ideapad (100S-11IBY)
1 kg
17.5mm thin
up to 9 hours of battery life
11.6” HD LED Glossy Display
up to 1.8GHz Intel Atom Quad-Core Processor
up to 2GB, 32 GB SSD capacity
2 USB 2.0 Slots, HDMI, micro SD-Card Reader
Windows 10
Starts at $199.99
Ideapad is a very budget-friendly laptop with a solid performance and long battery life.
19. Asus Chromebook Flip (C434TA)
1.45 kg
15.7mm thin
up to 10 hours of battery life
14” Full HD LED Four-Way Nano Edge Design
up to 1.5GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 128 GB SSD capacity
1 USB-A Slot, 2 USB-C, and micro SD-Card slot
Google Chrome
Starts at $1,479.66
Chromebook Flip has a great display and is also 2-in-1. Touchscreen, long battery life and a sleek design, you should check this out.
20. Microsoft Surface Book 2 (1832)
1.64 kg
23mm thin
up to 13 hours of battery life
13.5” Quad HD LED Backlit PixelSense with Multi-touch Display
up to 1.9GHz Intel Core i7 (8th Gen) Processor
up to 8GB, 256 GB SSD capacity
1 USB 3.1, USB Type C, SD-Card Reader
Windows 10 Professional
Starts at $1,999.95
Surface Book 2 is a detachable 2-in-1 laptop with a best-in-class display. With great graphics, long battery life and removable, it’s a great investment.
With 20 best travel laptops; choose well and choose wisely. Laptops can be your partner during your travels so make sure what you have bought is worth it. It all really depends on your preference; you want long battery life, a strong performance, lightweight or 2-in-1. I hope you find my list of 20 Best Travel Laptops helpful. Happy shopping!
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Hi ! This is a really great list and I have been researching a lot for a good new laptop for myself, I am about to be in my final year of my graphic design degree and was wondering if you think its necessary to have a 2 in 1 or just to have a powerful laptop + separate tablet. My current set up is an Acer Aspire 5 , Intel i5, 8GB Ram, 256 ssd and a small XP-PEN Star G640 drawing tablet. The laptop was great while it lasted but is just super heavy (15.6in) and I just really like all the new 2 in 1, especially since the latest models have a screen that has the ability to draw. I am just not sure if it is worth the money. Thanks !