Choosing a new laptop can be an exciting time, yet you always want to make sure you get the best device for your needs.
This is especially true if you’re looking for the best remote work laptop to work comfortably from your home, or even the best laptop for so-called digital nomads, if you’re looking to work on the move around the world.
To help you make your choice, we’ve put together a list of some of the best laptops around for remote workers and digital nomads, looking at things like design, flexibility, and functionality.
If you’re a remote worker, it’s always good to look for a laptop with the right qualities to help you work comfortably from home. Maybe you want a powerful machine that you can take from home to work and back, which doesn’t weigh too much, and gets the job done. Or maybe you want something that’s smart-looking, well designed, and satisfying to use.
Remote work doesn’t necessarily mean being on the move, and so we’ve included a handful of powerful laptops that are likely to be kept on a desk for extended periods, but are still suitable for taking into the office when needed.
Digital nomads tend to be on the go, never knowing where they may need to work from. Because of this, you might find yourself working from hotels, Airbnbs, coffee shops, the beach or swimming pool, or simply wherever there’s a Wi-Fi signal.
Similar to remote workers, you might be looking for a lightweight device that’s flexible and meets all your computing needs. But extra considerations may also apply, such as needing something that’s capable of taking a few bashes, or something with an especially long battery life.
Looking for something a little more high-end? Then the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio might be the device for you. This is an unashamedly heavyweight piece of equipment, with a comprehensive hardware specification, and a range of cutting-edge features.
Aside from having a 14.4 touchscreen, you can also stand this device up and pivot the screen through a wide range of angles and positions. This could be useful depending on where you’re sitting, whether at a table or somewhere comfy like the sofa. On the other hand, if you have to go into the office, or give an impromptu presentation in a co-working space, this nifty device will have you covered.
Do bear in mind that It has plenty of performance for everyday applications, and enough for modest design or creative 3D use, but it won’t be a replacement for a more powerful notebook.
Its battery life is impressive, though, lasting 18 hours for normal usage. For our video test, it endured for just shy of 17 hours which is one of the longest we’ve seen. There’s no need to fret, then, if you want to take it away with you for a long working day, or two if you’re careful.
Price when reviewed: £2,399 exc VAT
Read our full Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review for more information.
The Dell XPS 17 is power packed into a lightweight machine. Weighing slightly over 2kg and measuring under 2cm in thickness, this laptop will provide you with great flexibility moving from room to room in your home. Additionally, its lightness also helps if you’re ever on the road, or having to take it into the office, or beyond.
The device’s detailed vibrant UHD+ screen will make working from home a real treat as well, especially once you realise it’s touch enabled. If you happen to be in a brightly lit environment, like the garden for example, then its anti-glare surface will come in handy too.
The device isn’t shy when it comes to battery life, either. With our video test, it lasted for a whopping 11hrs 37 mins, allowing you to get through a working day completing modest tasks. However, if you’re expecting to complete activities like rendering out 3D, it will be a lot less, so if you work from a cafe or library don’t stray too far from the mains.
Price when reviewed: £2,166 exc VAT
Read our full Dell XPS 17 review for more information.
Samsung has collaborated with Qualcomm to produce this sleek device which boasts of ARM-based Windows software.
This is a slick-looking machine, clad in an aluminium chassis, with a thickness of less than 12mm. It’s not the thinnest laptop we’ve seen, but is certainly up there, and at just 961g is as light as it looks.
The 13.3in touchscreen panel has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, which is perfectly suitable for a laptop of this size. The device also has a wonderful keyboard, which will be great to write on no matter what kind of work you’re doing.
When it comes to performance, be aware that it won’t be doing any heavy lifting when it comes to processor-intensive tasks like video editing. However, that’s what we would expect from an ultraportable like this, and it provides a great performance for something of its size.
Its battery life is respectable, racking up a score of 14hrs 28mins in our video playback tests. This is an outstanding score, miles ahead of the majority of our Windows laptops. So if you’re looking for something to take all day to a coffee shop, then this could be the device for you.
Priced at under £1,000, this is a great choice for a laptop that not only looks amazing but can compete with rivals on performance.
Price when reviewed: £833 exc VAT
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book S review for more information.
This device is from a company renowned for building high-performance gaming equipment, and the Razer Book 13 is a fascinating deviation from the norm. The machine looks to prove it can be a viable enterprise-ready device, with powerful hardware, a dazzling 16:10 display, and a strong performance under the hood.
At first glance, it attempts to echo the MacBook Pro look with its sharpened edges and rounded accents, as well as narrow bezels that bleed into an expansive 13.4in 16:10 display. Don’t be dazzled by its looks, however, as remote workers and digital nomads should know that it is heavier than average, weighing 1.4kg compared to the sub-1.3kg weight for most 13in laptops.
When it comes to power, the Razer Book 13 met our expectations. It’s fitted with a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor built on the Tiger Lake architecture that combines well with 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM and Intel Iris Xe Graphics to produce a set of decent performance results.
It has a brilliant display along with a great battery life, as well as a LED-backlit keyboard. All of this, of course, comes at a price as it will set you back around £1,317. But if you’re looking for some serious power, and a gorgeous appearance, for your home based device, then look no further.
Intel Core i7-1165G7
Price when reviewed: £1,317 exc VAT
Read our full Razer Book 13 review for more information.
If you’re looking for a laptop that’s fast, sturdy, and unlikely to run out of battery halfway through a day visit to a library, pub, or coffee shop, then this device may be for you.
In terms of performance, it houses the ARM-based Apple Silicon M1 CPU which makes it feel like a regular MacBook Pro, but is smoother and snappier. Its performance is well beyond what we’d expect from a regular business laptop, putting this firmly into specialist workstation territory. The system runs cool, without a hint of an internal fan being heard, which is a big improvement from previous versions of this model.
The device’s battery life won’t let you down either, with it managing to run video for 17hrs 31 mins. This is the best battery life we’ve seen from any Mac laptop, outlasting most Intel-based rivals too. In practical terms, this translates to a full working day away from the mains, perfect for workers who are on the move and want to feel a thrill by leaving their power cable at home.
The Apple MacBook Pro is a powerful device which won’t leave you disappointed, whether you’re working from home or a different country. Just make sure you’re looking to spend over £1,000 on your new device.
Price when reviewed: £1,083 exc VAT (8GB/256GB)
Read our full Apple MacBook Pro 13in (2020) review for more information.
Stay creative on the go with this impressive mobile workstation from Asus. Although prices begin at £1,666.66 exc VAT, you’ll get a lot of computing power for your money. It also packs a punch when it comes to its internal hardware, meaning that if you’re looking for a laptop at home that’s comparable to a desktop computer, this could be the device for you.
The great news is that it comes with a gorgeous 16in, 4K OLED display, making it very easy on the eyes and a joy to use. Although you might be looking for a machine to help you work from home, if you ever take it into the office, it’s safe to say your colleagues will be very jealous.
Considering it has a fairly big screen and intensive hardware, you might be worried about how long this machine can keep running away from the mains if you plan on working remotely from different locations. Fear not, as the ProArt lasted for 6hs 19mins in our video playback battery test. This might be less than other devices on this list, but don’t forget that this device is aiming to replace your desktop PC. If you need to work while travelling, or want to work from a cafe, this laptop should get you through most of the day, as long as you don’t perform anything too hardware-intensive like video editing.
This is a powerful content creation notebook you can use on the move for extended periods of time, and one that is particularly attractive for graphic professionals.
Price when reviewed: £2,082 exc VAT
Read our full Asus ProArt Studiobook Pro 16 OLED review for more information.
The Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable is a 13.3in slate that can either be used on its own or with a detachable keyboard. It offers solid performance and good security presented neatly in a slim and lightweight bundle.
Any remote worker who is looking for a simple, competent, Windows tablet should take a look at this device. It offers good battery life and is significantly lighter and more flexible than a conventional laptop.
It weighs just 782g and is 8.4mm thick, making it exceptionally suitable for anyone who’s priority is weight. You’ll barely feel this in your bag if you need to transport it away from home, while in your house it will be extremely easy to work from any room.
It also has a hinge which can support the tablet at any angle between near-vertical and 170 degrees, making it ideal for use on a train or aeroplane if there’s much travelling involved in your line of work. It might help you use the tablet in bed at home too, but don’t let your boss know about that.
Price when reviewed: £1,474 exc VAT
Read our full Dell Latitude 7320 Detachable 13.3in review for more information.
The Asus CX9 is one of the more expensive Chromebooks on the market, but does a good job at defending its price tag. It looks great, has an impressive build quality, and it’s slim and light. It also has a super keyboard, good connectivity, and a bold, bright display.
Working from home you’ll be pleased to know it's able to handle any Chrome OS task easily. The Asus handles office apps and loads of browser tabs without complaint, and we were able to run this along with Spotify, social media apps, and email clients with no problems. It will basically do anything you want to do on a Chromebook, including mainstream photo-editing.
When it comes to its battery, it lasted for 10hrs 47 mins in our video test, so remote workers or digital nomads will be pleased to know they should be able to get through a working day with this device.
Overall, it will carry out the job with style, and costs more than twice what most other Chrome OS laptops sell for, but it’s one of the best of these kinds of devices you can buy.
Price when reviewed: £1,084 exc VAT
Read our full Asus Chromebook CX9 (CX9400CE) review for more information.
This device is as light as a feather, potentially making it the best digital nomad laptop. One of Acer’s standout laptops, the Acer Swift 5 boasts of a beautiful display, ultra lightweight feel, and overall great design.
Weighing just under 1kg, this device feels more like a tablet than a 15.6in laptop. It also boasts an elegant design, with a matte, dark-grey finish and coppery accents along the hinge.
One downside to the device is that it has extremely dull speakers, forcing us to crank the volume to 100% when watching a video and struggling to hear a thing. This is due to its poor design, where the speakers are located at the bottom of the device.
On the other hand, its vibrant 14in display doubles as a touchscreen, making it easy to open, close, or move tabs in just one swipe. The Swift 5’s display sports a remarkable 90% screen-to-body ratio which is beautiful to look at.
It’s equipped with a 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor and produces a performance that is comparable to a Dell Inspiron 15 7000 2-in-1. The device is quick on its feet and didn’t stutter, no matter if we were carrying out basic editing in Photoshop, or working in Google Docs.
As for the battery life, the Swift 5 lasted 9hrs 24mins during our video test. This compares well with rival machines and is far from problematic. It will last an average day of typing and even survived working from a cafe for five hours. If you’re looking to take it on a longer excursion, however, just make sure you take its charger.
With the price coming in at £833, this could be a great choice for remote workers too.
Price when reviewed: £833 exc VAT
Read our full Acer Swift 5 review for more information.
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