If portability is a top priority of yours, then investing in an ultraportable laptop is the way to go. This class of laptops are exceedingly thin, lightweight, and generally have good battery life. However, while they may share certain essential characteristics, ultraportables can still differ greatly. From the parts they use, to the trade-offs they make to achieve ultraportability, to the build quality, it’s important to know what mix of features make the best ultraportable laptops.
Battery life, ergonomics, and specs are all worthy of consideration. Basically, the laptop needs to perform well and travel easily. But if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the choices out there, don’t sweat it, as we’ve done most of the heavy lifting for you. See our recommendations below for the ultraportable laptops that our expert reviewers have deemed best.
For even more buying recommendations, see our roundup of the best laptops, which covers the full range of laptop sizes, prices, and purposes.
Updated 01/24/2023: Check out our latest review of the HP Dragonfly Folio G3. While expensive, it’s a compelling business 2-in-1 with a well-designed keyboard and trackpad as well as decent performance. Also, be sure to take a look at our review of the Acer Swift Edge. At only 2.5 pounds and 0.55 inches thick, it’s impossibly slim and lightweight. It also comes with a gorgeous 16-inch 4K OLED display.
Dell XPS 13 Plus – Best ultraportable overall
Pros
- Fast CPU
- Gorgeous 3.5K OLED
- Great audio
Cons
- Only two USB-C Ports
- Middling battery performance
- No headset jack
Between the leading-edge performance and a stunning OLED panel, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is the cream of the crop among ultraportables. The Intel Core i7-1280P CPU has an impressive 14 cores, which means you can expect fast processing performance. It’s more than capable of whizzing through photo editing work as well as general-use tasks. This device also comes equipped with Intel Xe graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. In addition to the impressive internal components, we really liked the 13.4-inch OLED touchscreen. It has a resolution of 3456×2160, so you can expect a sharp and vibrant picture. That said, connectivity is limited and battery life is mediocre. If you can forgive those limitations, then the Dell XPS 13 Plus is a good option for most people.
HP Pavilion Plus 14 – Best budget option
Pros
- OLED display is gorgeous
- Sleek, all-metal chassis
- Strong multimedia performance
Cons
- Woeful battery life
- Onboard memory can’t be expanded post-purchase
- Low contrast between keys and key symbols
The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is the most budget-friendly option on this list. The OLED display is stunning and the all-metal chassis is both durable and chic. Under the hood, you’ll find an Intel Core i7-12700H CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of PCIe NVMe SSD storage. That’s enough power for productivity work, not to mention general-use tasks. The 14-inch OLED display has a resolution of 2880×1800, an aspect ratio of 16:10, and a 90Hz refresh rate. According to our tester, the display produces “incredible contrast and deep blacks” as well as a “sharp picture” overall. That said, battery life is less than stellar. But if you’re looking to save some money on an ultraportable with decent specs, then the HP Pavilion Plus 14 is well worth considering.
Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 – Best battery life
Pros
- Large, high-contrast OLED screen
- Fantastic battery life
- Top-notch 12th-gen Core performance
Cons
- Average keyboard
- Webcam doesn’t quite deliver as expected
- Fingerprint reader needed re-authentication
- Tons of additional apps
If you’re on the hunt for an ultraportable with excellent battery life, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 may be your best bet. When we ran our battery benchmark, which cycles through a bunch of different tasks and videos, the Pro 360 lasted 14 hours on a single charge. And, despite the hefty 67 watt-hour battery inside, the device itself still manages to weigh just a little over three pounds. As for the internal components, it has an Intel Core i7-1260P CPU, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSD storage. That’s plenty of oomph for multitasking, media editing, spreadsheet work, and so on. The 15.6-inch AMOLED display has a resolution of 1920×1080, which is perfectly fine for most tasks. For ports, you’re getting three USB Type-C, one microSD, and one 3.5mm audio jack. If you’re a frequent traveler and need a laptop that’ll last you more than a full work day, the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Pro 360 is a great choice.
Lenovo Slim 7 Pro X – Best for gaming
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