10 Light and Portable Laptops for Working Professionals

Posted on 4th September 2023

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A lightweight laptop can come in handy during many situations, like regular commutes to work or heading out to a local café for lunch. You may also bring your device during a flight. Lugging around a large, bulky laptop can cause aches and pains you don’t need. Instead, a featherlight machine is highly preferable.

While a light laptop has several obvious benefits, there is often a trade-off in performance. In the past, light laptops get a bad reputation for low battery charges, small hard drives, and inadequate processors. Fortunately, recent years have brought thinner, more lightweight, more reliable, and highly power-efficient laptops. Yet, finding these superstars in the laptop market is not always obvious.

Here are the best light laptops for work, with cutting-edge designs and pro-level specifications.

1. ASUS ExpertBook B9

The ASUS ExpertBook B9 is an optimal business laptop that suits those looking for a reliable machine. This device weighs only 880g, giving it the distinction as the world’s lightest 14-inch business laptop. In addition to its featherlight weight, the laptop comes with solid specs. It is supported by up to a 12th Gen Intel Core vPro i7 processor and Iris Xe graphics. There is also up to 4TB capacity between two SSDs.

The ASUS ExpertBook B9 has a long-lasting battery. You can expect up to 16 hours of battery life from this slim and light 14-inch laptop. Furthermore, the 66-watt-hour battery recharges to 60% in just 44 minutes. Also, the laptop features an impressive suite of security features. Users may enjoy the NFC reader, fingerprint sensor, and infrared camera login system.

2. Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best general-use light laptops for work. It is extremely thin, has decent battery life, and boasts a contemporary design. Admittedly, this device does not compare with more advanced, super-powered laptops. However, the Dell XPS 13 is well-rounded enough to get decent marks in portability and performance.

3. HP Pavilion Aero

HP is known for fairly good affordable light laptops, such as the HP Pavilion Aero. This device is packed with processing power, including an eight-core Ryzen 7 CPU. It also offers more memory, storage, and ports than the popular Dell XPS 13. If you’re on a tight budget, something like the HP Pavilion Aero is worth a look.

4. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Nano

The Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Nano is one of the best light business laptops. At 1.99 pounds, it is one of the lightest laptops offered by the company. Unfortunately, this device is not strong enough to be a desktop replacement. It also has a limited number of ports. Regardless, the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Nano comes equipped with long battery life and excellence in engineering.

5. MSI Modern 14

The MSI Modern 14 is an affordable laptop that gets the job done. Although the specs are relatively average, you’ll get decent quality across the board. It also features a decent number of ports. The biggest drawback is the disappointing and limited 128GB SSD, which may not be enough for some business users.

6. Apple MacBook Air

The Apple MacBook Air is the best light macOS laptop for work you can get. While the Air has undergone several revisions over the years in design, the latest version offers many improvements. In addition to the unique thin and lightweight design, you also get the innovative M2 chip. This laptop delivers optimal performance and a large, vibrant display screen. If you’re an Apple fan, this laptop suits your needs ideally.

7. Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 is one of the best light portable laptops preferred by students and young professionals. It has a stylish, colourful design, a high-quality keyboard, and a competitive CPU. Unfortunately, this laptop has a less than 180p display, nonstandard resolution and an average-quality webcam. It is still an ideal, budget-friendly choice if you don’t mind the graphical limitations.

8. Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 10

The Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is another excellent laptop for work. It offers a high-quality OLED 4K screen, robust specs, and a sleek design. The only downside is the high cost. This executive-level laptop may not be affordable for those on a budget.

9. ASUS ExpertBook B5 Flip OLED

The ASUS ExpertBook B5 Flip OLED weighs only 1.65kg and provides up to 11.5 hours of battery life. It offers excellent specs, including up to the 12th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 vPro processor and up to Intel Arc A350M graphics. In addition, it has a sleek 360-degree flip design with an impressive OLED display. With this ASUS favourite, you will be more than capable of accomplishing anything for work.

10. HP Pavilion Plus 14

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is ultraportable and business-friendly. It offers a robust processor and an excellent high-res webcam. In addition, the laptop showcases a stunning 2.8K OLED display. Although affordable, there are some limitations on features. The device has no Thunderbolt 4 ports. In addition, the battery life is designed for under ten hours of use.