This blog was updated in June 2022.
When you’re thinking about the best laptop to use in your business, there is more to weigh up than simply connecting to the internet and sending emails. As a portable device, your new business laptop must also be sturdy enough to take on the inevitable knocks and bumps it will receive when you’re travelling. It should be as super-reliable and easy-to-use when on the move – on an aeroplane, attending an event – as it is working from home.
In a nutshell, the best business laptops are equipped with the latest hardware and productivity features, providing you with all the power you need to get work done anywhere, anytime. As there is not always a power outlet nearby, a long-lasting battery plays a key role too.
And because you’re going to be carting it about with you, good laptops for work are always lightweight. You don’t want to be dragging the equivalent of a house brick around with you.
And for the optimal laptop experience, it’s worth considering what accessories you will need, such as laptop bags, docking stations and privacy filters.
What are the best business laptops?
In a business environment, Windows laptops are by far the most common. Depending on the role, however, an Apple laptop or Linux laptop could be more useful. A rugged laptop, with an outdoor-readable display and a field-tested chassis, has its obvious use cases, whereas a student may opt for an affordably designed Chromebook.
Whether you are a city high-flier or a one-man band, you need to consider a variety of features on a business laptop. To make your decision easier, we have put together this easy-to-follow guide to help save yourself hours of research. So, let us look at how to pick the best laptops for business users.
How much do business laptops cost?
Before you begin, it is best to set yourself a budget. This ensures you get the most out of your tech spending. Otherwise, it is too easy to keep upgrading to the next level of performance. And when it comes time to flash the cash, you realise it exceeds what you can pay; whether you’re purchasing a single device or multiple laptops to equip your full team.
Setting a strict budget is wise; not every business requires a vast fleet of high-end laptops. To be honest, it is a waste of time looking at high-end laptops if they are well outside your budget. Rather, you should ensure you get the most performance and features for your money. Buy the best office laptops that meat the needs of your staff rather than buying PCs which have power which won’t be used.
For example, there’s not much point buying laptops for work which have a RTX 30 Series GPU, 12th Gen i9 processor, and a 144hz 4K display if it’s only going to be used for word processing, email, and everyday computing. A mid-level laptop will be a far wiser and better value for money choice.
When buying tech, a common approach is to split up your spending into tiers based on needs. For example, it makes sense to equip your developers with high-performance devices, whereas your support team may only need entry-level devices. We would also recommend sticking closely to one or two brands. This streamlines the number of unique devices your IT team must support for easier maintenance. However, if you have creative professionals in your business – photographers, video editors – an Apple laptop may be essential for their work.
Not sure how to strike a balance between cost and quality? Here is a breakdown of laptop budget ranges, so you can work out what is best for your employees…
£300 & Under: This price range is where you find some Chromebook laptops and some low-end Windows laptops. While they are cheap, they are not necessarily a good value. These devices are not recommended for businesses as they compromise too much on performance, build quality and storage.
£300 – £500: Here you’ll find higher end Chromebooks and good Windows laptops. Chromebooks are more advantageous in this range because they have far less storage (which can be expensive), so they can stay at a lower price without sacrificing on build and display. This means you can get a very good quality Chromebook device for your money.
Laptops in this range are ideal for staff using Microsoft Office, browsing the web and posting on social media. So, for basic admin and office tasks, this price range will do the trick.
£500 – £800: This is the price range which will meet most professional businesses user’s needs. Memory and storage – along with a processor powerful enough for multitasking, charts, and video presentations.
The best work laptops in this category typically feature advanced security features which are perfect for business protection – sometimes including fingerprint scanners. Laptops in this price range tend to have excellent battery life, advanced keyboards and quality displays.
We would also suggest that the machines you find in this price range are the best laptops for working from home.
£800 and upwards: Laptops in this range will provide much more power than ones in the lower price brackets. Powerful workstations are also in this category. This is the best price range for users such as development and design teams and executives who want to project a certain image. You’ll get super-fast performance and top-end designs for the ultimate in portable power.
Let’s now presume you’ve set your budget and you’re ready to proceed and search based on cost. Try and keep to your budget – looking at laptops outside your budget will not do you any good, so try and avoid it!
Shop laptops at Ebuyer- over 400 to choose from
Choosing an operating system
It is a high likelihood that a laptop comes pre-loaded with one of the three main operating systems: Windows, macOS or Chrome OS. We are going to walk through each one, but if you’re not too sure after reading this guide, then we recommend Windows as it’s the business standard around the world for a reason.
Windows
As mentioned, Windows is, for obvious reasons, the standard among businesses. This means if you opt for a Windows laptop, you will have a considerably larger range of devices to choose from.
For context, Ebuyer stocks well over 200 Windows laptops, from low-end to high-end devices. The latest version of the operating system is Windows 11 and it includes many productivity-boosting features. From Microsoft’s virtual assistant Cortana to Microsoft Teams, Windows gives you the latest in communication. Most people have used or are actively using Windows, even on their personal devices, so familiarity and ease-of-use us an instant benefit. Also, the majority of IT teams are well-versed in the Windows ecosystem, able to provide programs and support easily.
macOS
Is it mostly creative professionals who opt for Apple laptops over Windows laptops, as certain programs run best on macOS or are outright exclusive to Apple’s operating system. Though, as always, it depends on personal preference and how much you are comfortable spending on a business laptop.
Buying an Apple laptop may sometimes be a business necessity; you need the software that’s only available on macOS. So, it’s worth talking to experts about operating systems and their software compatibility before buying new laptops.
Also, Apple laptops undoubtably have a status associated with them. If you operate in an industry where appearance matters, then this may contribute to your final decision.
Chrome OS
Debuting in 2011, Google’s Chrome OS is a relatively new compared to the other operating systems mentioned above, so many people are not sure what to expect from it.
Designed for low-powered Chromebooks, it’s important to understand that Chrome OS is not your typical operating system; many popular programs do not run on it natively. As the name implies, Chrome OS instead relies on cloud-based programs running through the Chrome web browser, such as Adobe Creative Cloud and Microsoft Office 365.
In essence, you can think of Chrome OS as a glorified web browser. This limits what you can do; anything more complex than a web browser is not suitable for a Chromebook. On the flip-side, however, Chromebooks are the cheapest laptops on the market.
As Chromebooks run a web browser, they do not need much processing power, bringing down their cost. This has broadened the appeal of Chromebooks among businesses. You would be surprised at how much work can be done through a web browser – many businesses use the cloud-based Google Docs heavily in day-to-day work.
If you are comfortable up there in the cloud, then a Chromebook could be the device for you. What’s more, a cloud-connected Chromebook fetches updates automatically, leaving you more time to focus on what’s important.
Normal laptop vs. hybrid laptop
A hybrid laptop – also known as a 2-in-1 or a convertible – doubles up as a tablet in addition to the traditional laptop experience.
While your normal laptop has a hinge that folds open and shut in a single motion, a hybrid laptop can transform into a secondary form-factor. This varies from model to model; some hybrid laptops have displays that detach from keyboard deck entirely, whilst others have a wide 360-degree hinge that folds back onto itself to be used as a tablet.
If you have employees who are on the road and need a compact, multi-functional device – such as standard typing on the keyboard, with stylus and touchscreen inputs as well – then a hybrid laptop may be a smart choice. As most 2-in-1s have touchscreens and extra design considerations, you are likely to pay more than a standard, equivalently-specced laptop.
Do I need a touchscreen?
When you need it, a touchscreen is extremely convenient, but it comes at a cost. Despite its increased popularity thanks to devices like the smartphone and tablet, a touchscreen has yet to become the norm on the laptop. Furthermore, a laptop with a touchscreen is almost always going to be more expensive than a laptop without one.
You might not know this, but a touchscreen laptop burns through more power compared to a normal laptop – even if you are not actively using it. Another consideration is that touchscreens are heavier than normal screen. So, if you want the lightest laptop possible, it will likely not have a touchscreen.
Overall, the best advice we can give is to get a laptop with a touchscreen or stylus support only if you know you need it – for taking notes, quick sketches and so on. Don’t get one just because it sounds like a nifty add-on.
How important is the keyboard?
It’s easy to overlook the keyboard when you are too focused on tech-specs such as the CPU, GPU, and RAM. However, the keyboard is the main method of interacting with a business laptop. An uncomfortable keyboard can end up hampering your productivity.
Extrapolate this out to weeks, months, and years, and it becomes clear that keyboard comfort is vital. When browsing Ebuyer’s range of laptops, bear in mind that the smaller the laptop, the smaller the keyboard. Typing on too cramped of a keyboard for several hours at a time can cause repetitive strain injuries. But for those long typing sessions, you can always buy and hook up and external keyboard to your laptop.
How important is portability?
If you find yourself frequently on the road, away from the typical desk set-up, then it may well be worth compromising on other aspects of a laptop for a lighter, more portable form-factor. You can check a laptop’s weight in its product description. A lighter weight tends to be the result of a smaller display (going from 17” or 15” to 13”) and cooling solution, which can in turn affect the laptop’s performance.
When you’re looking at a laptop’s spec, remember the display is measured corner-to-corner, like a TV. As a general rule, anything that weight less than 1.5kg is classed as portable for business travel. If you have to carry a laptop around for long stretches of time, then you will also want a good-quality laptop bag to help distribute the weight.
If you’re considering a lightweight laptop, then make sure it has enough ports for hooking up any must-have peripherals and devices – an external keyboard, portable storage and so on.
The slimmer the laptop, the fewer ports it will likely have. While a thicker ‘desktop replacement’ laptop may have a full-sized HDMI and ethernet, among other ports, a lightweight laptop may rely on a handful of USB-Cs for connection.
Alternatively, you could use a USB hub to make up for a laptop’s port shortage, but carrying around another device is not exactly ideal when portability is concerned.
Do I need a rugged laptop?
A rugged laptop is one that’s built to withstand harsher conditions, essential for some business that operate in remote, less controlled environments. These devices are also known as ‘toughbooks’ and are popular in public sectors such as the police and fire services, as well as industries like construction and oil.
As you can imagine, a rugged laptop is considerably heavier than a normal laptop. Armed in a reinforced, weather-resistant chassis, they’re larger and clunkier – but, then again, that’s to be expected from such a device. Rugged laptops are not designed to be used at a desk.
They can be drop-proof, water-proof, dust-proof and more, with touchpads and touchscreen which can be used even whilst wearing gloves. For remote deployment, a rugged laptop often includes a range of accessories, such as vehicle mounts and battery packs.
As they’re intended for a specialised purpose, the price of a rugged laptop can be quite a bit higher than a normal laptop. Most businesses don’t need rugged laptops, but if yours does, then don’t waste your time looking at normal laptops.
Shop laptops at Ebuyer- over 400 to choose from
Compare the specs
By now, you should have a selection of laptops that not only have the features you require, but also fall into the budget you’ve set. To narrow your options further to find the best business laptop, it’s time to compare tech-specs. If you’re not a ‘techie’ – and most people aren’t – then this can seem complicated. But let’s break it down to the basics.
Do I need a powerful CPU?
Look at a laptop’s spec-sheet and you’ll see the CPU (central processing unit) listed first and foremost. You can think of the CPU as your car’s engine. It drives your car, but if you’re never going to go over 30mph, what’s the point in picking an overly powerful one?
You need a CPU that has enough power for your needs, but you also don’t want to blow past your budget. Buying too much power can be costly and unnecessary. To help you decide on the best business laptop, here’s a general guideline of laptop CPUs.
Best CPUs for business laptops
Low-end CPUs: This includes AMD Athlon, Intel Celeron, and Intel Pentium. If all you’re planning to do on your laptop is basic, day-to-day tasks such as web browsing and light word processing, then a low-end CPU should be fine.
However, most business tasks involve a level of multi-tasking – having a number of programs open simultaneously. This can be too tall of an order for these low-end CPUs, to the point they become a hindrance.
Mid-range CPUs: This includes Intel Core i3 and i5, and their AMD equivalent. Expect to see these CPUs in most business laptops, as they provide ample power for the average business workload. Email, documents, spreadsheets – any modern mid-range CPU can effortlessly handle multi-tasking between these.
Intel Core i5 CPUs are by far the most popular in business laptops, and for good reason. If your business uses programs such as QuickBooks whilst managing a large spreadsheet, whilst you also have several browser tabs open, an i5 gives a much-needed edge in performance over an i3.
High-end CPUs: This includes Intel Core i7 and i9, and their AMD equivalent. These provide optimum power, but you only need to go this route if you’re involved in high computational work, such as data science and analytics.
If you’re not sure if an i7 or i9 is necessary, it’s always a good idea to talk to your key workers and see what they need. Generally, these CPUs will be more than enough power in the best business laptops.
What is memory and storage in a laptop?
Every laptop has memory and storage, but it’s important not to conflate the two. There’s random access memory (RAM) and but there’s also the hard drive (HDD) and/or solid-state drive (SSD). In short, RAM is super-fast memory that holds the data used by programs, but only temporarily.
Whereas HDDs and SSDs are used to save and store files and programs permanently. For more information, check out our blogs What is Computer RAM… and SSD Buyer’s Guide… It sounds a bit confusing, but hang in there, we’ll explain.
SSDs are an increasingly popular storage option in laptops as they are faster than an HDD. Which in simple terms means your laptop will load into the operating system much faster and everything will feel that bit snappier; opening programs, navigating the file explorer and so on.
This is due in part to the all-digital nature of SSDs. They feature no moving parts, unlike HDDs. Additionally, this means an SSD can better withstand drops and shocks, perfect for a portable device like a laptop.
SSDs, HDDs, RAM – the tech-specs can quickly pile up and get confusing if you just want to know: is it a good laptop, and will it do what I want it to? Fortunately, you don’t need to go into the specs – here’s how to work out if a laptop has enough memory and storage for your needs…
RAM: Don’t think about laptops which only have 2GB RAM, they’ll be too frustrating to work on. Nowadays, 4GB is absolute bare-minimum amount but 8GB is better still. 16GB is great – but not necessary for most business users. Sorted!
HDD/SSD: A combined storage capacity in the region of 500GB should be more than sufficient, unless you’re handling a lot of high-resolution images and videos on your laptop. These suggestions are aimed at business users purchasing Windows or Apple devices. Chromebooks have considerably less storage space, but as mentioned, this isn’t an issue if you’re happy using cloud-based storage.
How important is battery life?
Realistically, how often do you use a laptop unplugged from a power source? For many, a laptop may as well be a permanent fixture on their desk that’s always hooked up to a charger. The portable form-factor is used sparingly, moving to a conference room and back again at most. As such, a laptop’s battery life is an insignificant aspect for some – but for others it could make all the difference to what business laptop they end up choosing.
When looking at what a manufacturer lists as their laptop’s battery life, remember it’s only an estimate – and usually a generous one at that. It may not be representative of a real-world use case.
For instance, a laptop with a fresh out-of-the-box Windows installation will have a longer battery life than one that’s been loaded up with programs and background processes. Add screen brightness and power modes into the equation and battery life can vary greatly.
You can usually buy extended-life batteries which can extended the battery life of a laptop. Remember that additional battery packs will also add weight.
Best Business Laptops at Ebuyer
Hopefully you’ve now narrowed down the choice of best business laptops, based on what you need and what your budget is. Don’t forget to find the best business laptops you can always consult our Solutions Team by calling 01430 433671.
