The Best Business Laptops for 2022

It’s a big deal when it comes to picking out a laptop for work. In the end, you want something that will hold up to the rigours of a long day at work while yet being comfortable and convenient. Even though we’ve narrowed the field down to the top ten business laptops, it’s important to proceed cautiously when looking through the remaining computers. There is no one-size-fits-all laptop for you or your staff.

Even though these business-oriented computers have the same basic components as everyday personal computers, the companies that make them make them include business-specific features like biometrics (fingerprint readers and facial recognition), military-grade chassis and keyboards (MIL-SPEC tested), Intel-vPro-certified networking and power management, and secure access through the Trusted Platform Module. However, everyone needs better physical security and durability, regardless of whether they are purchasing a fleet of IT-based business laptops or not.

Professional versions of Windows with less bloatware are also available, making it easier to pick a computer that suits your needs. Many business laptops look same because there are so many thin black and silver laptops out there. However, what really matters for business users is what’s inside the chassis, not what appears on the surface.

(Zlata Ivleva’s photo is credited)
In the world of business machines, the distinction between tablets and laptops is likewise becoming more and more hazy. When it came to tablet computers, Windows and Android used to be mutually exclusive, but that is no longer the case. Tablets with detachable keyboards are becoming more and more common.

Traditional clamshell-style laptops still rule in the business world, and if you operate a firm that is successful or suffers from too much downtime, the proper laptop can make all the difference. Let’s take a look at the most crucial aspects of a business laptop, the parts you’ll need, and how to tell a business laptop from a consumer laptop.

The Best Business Laptop Deals This Week*

*Deals are selected by our partner, TechBargains

• Dell XPS 13 9305 Intel i5 256GB SSD 13.3″ Touch Laptop — $799.99 with code 50OFF699
• Dell Inspiron 15 5510 Intel i7 512GB SSD 15.6″ Laptop — $649.99 with code 50OFF699
• Acer Swift 3 Intel i7 512GB SSD 8GB RAM 14″ 1080p Laptop — $899.99 (List Price $939.99)
• Lenovo Yoga 7i Intel i7 512GB 12GB RAM 2-in-1 Laptop — $929.99 (List Price $1,129.99)
• Dell Inspiron 16 Plus Intel i7 RTX 3060 1TB 3K Laptop— $1,299.99 with code 50OFF699

Evaluating Processing Muscle and Memory

To meet the needs of both email checking and more demanding business applications, today’s processors are equipped with four or more cores. Despite the fact that newer 11th generation “Tiger Lake” and 12th generation “Alder Lake” processors are already available, older 10th generation “Ice Lake” and “Comet Lake” laptops are still widely available for business use and are more than capable of performing the majority of office productivity tasks. Hexa-core processors, such as the latest high-end Core i7 and Core i9 CPUs, are required for very demanding workflows. Some larger workstation-grade workstations aimed at designers, engineers, and severe data crunchers now use eight-core Core i9 CPUs, which were previously only available on desktops. The Ryzen Pro series of CPUs used by AMD-based laptops are still uncommon, but some classic business-laptop lines, such as Lenovo’s ThinkPad, have begun to use them.

Intel’s Y-series Core processors, which are now being phased out of laptops, and Pentium and Celeron chips in tablets and ultraportable notebooks are on the other end of the range, consuming less power. The “Y” in the chip name (if it’s a Core chip) tells you the distinction between these ultra-low-wattage CPUs and higher-performance chips. Actually, Core Y and Celeron processors may be a bit weak for normal productivity work if you tend to multitask, with multiple programmes running at once.

A “U” or (in the most recent examples) “G3,” “G4,” or “G7” indicates the relative strength of the on-chip graphics in mainstream business laptops powered by Intel’s Core i3, i5, and i7 U-Series processors. It’s easy to get bogged down in laptop processor minutiae, but our guide to picking a CPU for your laptop that suits your needs will give you a good overview without overwhelming you.

A female HP Envy laptop user (Photo: Zlata Ivleva)
Intel Xeon processors or the option to have them are available in a small number of business laptops. Designed to run specialised software in fields such as financial modelling, engineering, and graphic design that require the ultimate in both power and constant-grinding reliability, these mobile workstations are ideal. They typically cost more and have a shorter battery life than mainstream business laptops powered by Intel’s Core CPUs. The only time you should use one of them is if you need to run a CPU-intensive app. Alternately, you can get comparable performance and cost savings with an Intel Core i7 or Core i9 processor.

Also, if you’re looking for a PC for a regular worker, aim for at least 4GB of RAM, but ideally 8GB or 16GB. When it comes to graphics designers and spreadsheet ninjas, you should strive for a minimum of 16GB. It’s easier to multitask and execute multimedia tasks (like photo editing) faster when you have enough RAM installed on your computer.

Go Solid State, If You Can: Storage Solutions

Choosing a large hard drive is a smart move for companies that have virtual and in-person staff meetings using video, multimedia PowerPoint slides, and high-resolution pictures. A 1TB hard drive is a reasonable compromise between cost and storage volume if you’re using a standard platter drive.

Solid-state boot drives, on the other hand, are a favourite of ours. Solid-state drives (SSDs), despite their higher price and smaller storage capacity, are better suited for road use because they don’t have any moving parts. SSD-powered computers also start up and open applications faster. If you plan on using your laptop for frequent travel or commuting and don’t require a large amount of storage, an SSD is the way to go. Because SSDs are more expensive than hard drives, you’ll probably want to stick to capacities of 256GB or 512GB if you want to get the most for your money.

On corporate laptops, optical discs have all but disappeared. It’s better to invest in an external hard drive with an optical drive if you know you won’t be done shuffling discs for some time and need to access old data or songs kept on CDs or DVDs.

Assessing Graphics: Integrated vs. Dedicated

Since they’re built into the primary CPU, integrated graphics processors are standard equipment in most business PCs. Since a business laptop isn’t going to be used to play 3D games, these integrated GPUs are usually fine. (Right?) Specialized jobs such as GPU acceleration in Photoshop, HD video creation in Adobe Premiere Pro, or 3D visualisation in architectural drawings and CAD applications are the most common uses of separate graphics for professionals. Of order to support 3D graphics or numerous displays, laptops in the mobile workstation class typically have discrete graphics.

It’s easy to identify what kind of business laptop you’re looking at based on the graphical capabilities. There are a few different names for integrated graphics chips, including Intel HD Graphics, Intel UHD Graphics, Iris Plus, and IRIS Xe. Aside from the uncommon AMD Ryzen Pro-based business machines, the Iris Xe denotes the most up-to-date silicon within. GeForce graphics processors are the most prevalent dedicated graphics chips in laptops, however they aren’t usually seen in business PCs. While Nvidia’s more expensive GeForce GTX and RTX chips are often found only in high-end consumer and gaming systems, certain corporate workstations may integrate a cheaper GeForce MX chip to increase graphics performance. Graphics chips from Nvidia’s Quadro or AMD Pro lines will typically be found in high-end workstations.

Avoid 1,366-by-768-pixel LCD displays if you’re looking to save money on your laptop’s display panel, although they’re still available. As long as you have at least a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel display with in-plane switching (IPS), your eyes will appreciate the upgrade. Your coworkers won’t be able to see your work if they’re clustered around your workstation if you use this combination.

While a 4K or 3K display will provide you more screen real estate, a 3K or 4K display will give you crisper text and more detailed images. Though your work necessitates the utilisation of more pixels, then these are worthwhile investments in some business laptops, even if they’re not commonplace. Assuming all other factors are equal, a high-resolution display will consume more battery power than a lower-resolution display of the same technology.

Stay Connected: Wired and Wireless Options

In today’s business world, wireless connectivity is a must-have. Wireless connectivity is needed in offices, airports, and client sites to access real-time email, messaging clients, and cloud services. In today’s corporate world, it’s rare to find someone who works solely on a local level

Wi-Fi is now built into nearly every laptop. You’ll need a hotspot or an unencrypted network to surf the web, but it’s worth the effort. The best Wi-Fi for IT organisations is dual-band (2.4GHz and 5GHz). 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) is the most widespread, however it can also connect to 2.4GHz networks as a fallback. 5GHz bands, which are less congested than 2.4GHz channels, may be preferable for high-density office environments. Some low-cost business laptops still use 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which may be less reliable but is still adequate for most small and medium-sized businesses.

There are times when Wi-Fi is so congested at a conference that Ethernet is still necessary. A USB-to-Ethernet converter is a good buy if your laptop lacks an Ethernet port. You may get one in the package.

Some business laptops include built-in mobile broadband wireless modems as an option because of these limitations. As long as a cellphone signal is there, your laptop will be able to connect to the internet at full speed. Many business laptops can be configured with one of these modems built in for a modest charge; this choice is one of the most differentiating aspects of business laptops.

On the other hand, mobile data plans for laptop use aren’t inexpensive. Rates might range from $60 to $80 per month depending on whether or not you have an existing plan. Transfer speeds are comparable to those of Wi-Fi when using a 4G LTE or 5G wireless connection. These connections are available from the largest cellular networks, including AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. If you don’t want to acquire internal modems for all of your staff, you may use mobile hotspots and smartphone tethering instead. This is a quick option if you just need mobile internet sometimes.

Keep Running: Evaluating Battery Life

On a long flight or a long commute, a large battery might be your best friend. Multiple battery options are standard on business computers. Multiple battery alternatives are available on some high end business class laptops (four-, six-, and nine-cell options). All other things being equal, a larger battery has a longer lifespan. Laptops with 4K displays or other power-hungry components aren’t usually “equal,” which makes determining whether they’re “equal” difficult. If you can operate it without a battery from dawn to night, the extra weight is worth it.

Non-removable, sealed in the chassis batteries are common in ultraportable laptops. Still, notebooks with removable batteries are becoming more and more rare, with only a handful of tough tablets and laptops able to use them.

To get the most out of your phone’s battery, don’t settle for a model with a removable internal battery and instead opt for an external battery pack. Combined with the internal battery, these external solutions can assist give battery life in the 19- to 24-hour range. Just be aware that these batteries can add an additional pound or more to the weight of your system.

The Appeal of 2-in-1 Tablets

The most compelling arguments for using a Windows-based tablet for business purposes are its low cost and ease of portability. Tablet computers that cost less than $500 are well-suited for use in the workplace. Since the Apple iPad is so widely used, people are used to carrying a computer without a physical keyboard or one that uses a detachable, basic keyboard, even though specialised (read: expensive) tablets have been available in vertical markets like health care for years.

If you need to run PC-based applications on a tablet, look for a Windows tablet. Although Windows-based tablets designed specifically for business use are still in the early stages of development, the majority of corporate users expect their work computers to behave much like their personal tablets. There is no tablet-optimized version of macOS, so Apple fans will have to make do with the iPad or iPad Pro for business.

As a general rule, most Windows tablets are designed for browsing the web, running Office applications (such as Word and Excel), and performing other light computing tasks, but they are also compatible with a wide range of security applications, VPN and email clients and a wide range of hardware peripherals, such as printers and scanners. We wouldn’t trust a tablet to operate our entire company, but it can be a convenient off-site meeting tool or a lighter workstation option to our 6-pound big-screen brute. The major players in the Windows tablet market for businesses are Microsoft (with its Surface range) and Lenovo.

Chromebooks for Business: Simple and Affordable

Chromebooks are now more realistic solutions for work-related laptops than ever before because of the cloud’s increasing presence in our digital lives. Chrome OS, a revamped version of the popular web browser, is the only operating system available on these laptops. Microsoft Office Suite and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom are two examples of Android apps that improve Chromebooks’ capabilities, but they often lack functionality that are available in Windows-based versions of the same programmes. Chromebooks can be beneficial as email and communication stations for businesses that use Google’s suite of applications as their primary backbone.

When it comes to web-based collaboration, a Chromebook may be all you need. Because Chromebooks don’t require expensive hardware to operate most web programmes, they typically cost less than comparable corporate computers. It is true that certain Chromebooks meant for the workplace feature more powerful processors and more RAM. However, in general, we’ve found that they’re more effective as supplemental rather than primary equipment in most businesses.

Mobile Workhorses: Our Top Bets

Allow yourself some time to ponder the specifics of your work role. Using this method, you should be able to identify the appropriate laptop for business use. Paying a little more now will save you a lot of trouble in the future. If you’re buying a business laptop, you’ll likely get some extras like a longer warranty (some have three years), specialised tech support, and a more durable chassis (made from carbon fibre or magnesium alloy).

A laptop with discrete graphics is a better choice if your work requires a lot of graphic processing power. Power and energy efficiency are critical considerations when picking processors and batteries, respectively, so you’ll need to balance the two. When you know what features are most important to you, you may narrow your search to only those laptops that have them. This is where our reviews come into play.

The following is a list of the best business laptops currently on the market. In order to keep up with the ever-growing number of laptops that we review each year, we constantly update our list. If you want to learn more, check out our list of the best laptops overall and our list of the best budget laptops.

We’ve also got reviews of the best business monitors, as well as our picks for the best ergonomic keyboards and printers, if you’re wanting to complete your workspace.