As someone that spends more than half his days typing on his laptop, I think I’m qualified to determine what are the best laptops for writers.
Each job has its specific needs, and being a writer is no different. Writers seldom move and mostly look at a white page with a flashing cursor. Typing speed and display quality are therefore of prime importance.
Of course there is also a lot of research involved, so performance is also important. But that’s not where your laptop has to be the most efficient, although it still will. So here are the best laptops for writers that fit those criteria (and I also include in that the best laptops for journalists).
Let’s get started!
Our Top 3
#1 – Microsoft Surface Laptop |
#2 – Dell XPS 13 |
#3 – Asus VivoBook S510UA |
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 |
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Near Perfect Laptop for Writers |
Compact with Great Keyboard |
Affordable Laptop for Writers |
| 13.5″ QHD | 13.3″ HD | 15.6″ HD |
| Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| 256 GB SSD | 256 GB SSD | 256 GB SSD |
| Up to 14.5 hours | Up to 13 hours | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
| Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review | Jump to our Review |
What to expect from the Best Laptops for Writers
A laptop for writers shall have 2 important characteristics. First and foremost, have a great, comfortable keyboard. Second, have a good display for your poor eyes that look at the same page all day.
Keyboard & TouchPad
This is the main characteristic we’re looking for here. You type fast, you type often. Having a shallow or unresponsive keyboard is more than an annoyance.
There are three things that are important here. The key travel distance, the feeling of the keys and their spacing.
Key travel
Key travel is of prime importance to type fast and comfortably. You should feel the key, be able to easily push it down without effort, but also get decent feedback from it. This will make you type much faster than you would otherwise. Some chiclet keyboard will feel like you are typing in the frame of the keyboard, far from ideal for a comfortable typing experience. Usually, 1.5mm of key travel is considered ideal.
Keys Feeling
This varies greatly between laptops manufacturers and models. Some keys will feel like plastic or glass. Not the best in my opinion. It makes for a slippery and sweaty typing after a while. The ones I prefer will have a porous-like coating that feels comfortable, cool and non-slippery under your fingers. The best on the market here are the Asus Zenbook, Dell XPS and Lenovo ThinkPad series… but they are not cheap laptops…
Another thing that is important here: the keyboard should stay cool. Some are heating more than others due to a weak cooling system.
Keys Spacing
This is less of a problem on 13-inch laptops and bigger but, still, some do it better than others. Too much keys spacing gets tiresome after a while, too little and you make more mistake. Be especially careful when you look at small laptops. They don’t have full-sized keyboards, so you might want to avoid these. Some 12-inch laptops are not so bad and could work if you are working on the road, but I’d avoid 11-inch and mini laptops, they are just not comfortable enough to type on for a long time.
Display & Graphics
If you don’t want to end your days feeling like your eyes just went through a round of boxing, I suggest you get a good HD display. One that is not too reflective helps a lot when working in bright environments. You’re not a graphic designer, so here we’re going to accept dimmer and less colorful displays.
As for the screen size, it’s not really an issue here. Screen space is not that important when using a word processing software. Any 13-inch, 14-inch or 15-inch laptops will do the trick, although I suggest you skip the latter if you are often carrying your laptop. 12-inch are also an option, but as I said in the keyboard section, you might want to think about it twice since they’re too small to have a full-sized keyboard. But if you work with an external keyboard, smaller laptops might be a good option.
Design & Quality
You’ll find everything here in this list of the top laptops for writers. From cheap plastic to high-end aluminium. Of course metal chassis look better and are more sturdy, but even cheap laptops for writers will last a few years if you are careful with them.
Performance
Performance shouldn’t be your main concern. Pretty much any CPU will run a Word processing program. If you run the latest edition of Microsoft Office, you might not want the slowest processor on the market, but if you are on a budget, even the best laptops for writers under 300 dollars will do the trick.
If your budget is higher, I suggest you purchase a laptop with an i3 processor at least. These will give you better processing power when browsing the web. An i5 processor is ideal. You really don’t need an i7 unless you use your laptop for something else. You’ll waste your money.
Audio
Audio is not the most important aspect, but I know I like to listen to some instrumental, soft music in the background when I’m writing. So at least a decent pair of speakers is necessary. It’s something you’ll have with even the most basic laptop nowadays.
Windows or Chromebook?
As a writer, you have the luxury to be able to write in any program and you need very few specialized software. So you can do what other fields can’t: choose between a Windows and a Chromebook. Chromebooks will deliver more than enough for your needs.
The best Chromebooks for writers allow you to type & edit – in Google Docs – and to do all the internet research you need. Of course Windows laptops are more flexible if you want to do something else, but Chromebooks are definitely cheaper laptops for writers.
Other Aspects
Battery life is important if you often work outside or from a café. Most of mid-range and premium laptops will last a full day, this way you don’t have to carry the charger.
Specs for the Top 12 Best Laptops for Writers
Graphics 11, 12, 13, 14, 15-inch Processor Pentium, Celeron, Intel m3, Intel i5, Intel i7 RAM 4 to 8 GB Storage 32 to 1000 GB Battery life 5 to 14 hours OS Windows 10, ChromeOS Thickness / Weight 0.53 to 0.8″ / 2.14 to 5.29 lbs Price Range $$, $$$, $$$$
Top 12 Best Laptops for Writers
1 – Microsoft Surface Laptop – 13″ QHD
“Near Perfect Laptop for Writers”
Not only does the Microsoft Surface laptop looks awesome with its high-end lightweight design – available in 4 colors – but it’s also definitely one of the best laptops for writers. With one of the most comfortable, quiet keyboard on the market, you’ll be able to type for hours without any fatigue. It has a near-perfect key travel and instead of the classic plastic or metal palm rest, you get a soft fabric.
Not only that, but you also get a vibrant, high-quality QHD display that put others to shame. Plus, you get an ultra-long battery life and more power than you need. All that for a laptop that usually sells around $800. As I said, it’s a near-perfect laptop for writers!
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.5″ QHD touchscreen (2256 x 1504) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 14.5 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.57″ / 2.83 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Other similar versions (prices may vary)
Blue
Silver
Graphite Gold2 – Dell XPS 13 – 13″ HD
“Compact with Great Keyboard”
The Dell XPS 13 is another premium-looking notebook that sells at a mid-range price. It’s also powerful, has a vibrant QHD display and have a compact design that makes it looks smaller than it is. No wonder I’ve been recommending it for a long time!
But what makes it one of the best laptops for freelance writers is its keyboard. It’s comfortable and keeps cool, even when you’re running demanding applications. Really, a great laptop! Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 13 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.59″ / 2.9 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
3 – Asus VivoBook S510UA – 15″ HD
“Affordable Laptop for Writers”
If you’re looking for a bigger screen, the Asus Vivobook S510UA is a great choice. It’s a 15-inch laptop with a good HD display and enough power to get you through pretty much any task. Even if it’s a laptop sold under $700, you still get a quality, lightweight device that’ll allow you to carry it around anywhere.
It doesn’t have the best battery life, but for a 15-inch it’s actually not bad. And of course, if it’s in the top laptops for writers, it’s because you get a very good comfortable, responsive keyboard. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Expect 5 to 6 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.7″ / 3.7 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
4 – Acer Swift 1 – 13″ HD
“Best Cheap Writer Laptop”
Now, this one is different. The Acer Swift doesn’t deliver the most performance and has very little storage, but since you don’t really need that as a writer, I consider this is the best cheap writer laptop. For a budget laptop, you hardly find better.
What you do get, it a cheap laptop with a good HD screen, a lightweight 13-inch design that you can carry around easily and of course a comfortable keyboard. Really a good affordable product from Acer here!
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Pentium N4200 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.59″ / 2.87 lbs |
| Price Range | $ |
5 – Acer Chromebook 14 – 14″ HD
“Best Chromebook for Writers”
As mentioned earlier, if you only need a laptop for writing, you should definitely consider a Chromebook. And the Acer Chromebook 14 has been one of my favorite for a long time. I seriously consider it the best Chromebook for writers.
It has a sleek aluminium design that looks more premium than its price (this laptop usually sells under $300). It is also lightweight, especially when you consider it’s a 14-inch notebook. And the keyboard is well-spaced and have a good key travel. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Pentium N3160 with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32 GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 12 hours |
| OS | ChromeOS |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.67″ / 3.42 lbs |
| Price Range | $ |
6 – HP Spectre X360 13t – 13″ HD Convertible
“Ultra-Thin with Excellent Keyboard”
I really like the HP Spectre x360. This 13-inch 2-in-1 is really a great piece of engineering. The fact that HP managed to put such a great keyboard on a thin laptop is impressive. Then you get a great display and a sound system that’ll allow you to skip the external speakers. It’s a bit more expensive than some, but if you have the budget it’s a really smart choice.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i7 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.55″ / 2.9 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$$ |
# 7 to 12 Best Laptops for Writers
7 – Acer Spin 1 – 11″ HD Convertible
“Budget 11-inch with Good Keyboard”
Now this one is something different. I usually don’t recommend 11-inch laptops for writers, but some of you might prefer portability to keyboard size. Of course you don’t get a full keyboard and long typing sessions should be made on a normal keyboard, but for portability & price, you get a nice affordable laptop. And the keyboard it’s actually nice to use, even if it’s smaller than normal. It’s really one of the best small laptops for writers on a budget.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 11.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Celeron with 4 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 32+ GB eMMC |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.8″ / 2.65 lbs |
| Price Range | $ |
8 – Samsung Notebook 7 Spin – 13″ HD Convertible
“2-in-1 Wrtier Laptop”
The Samsung Notebook Spin 7 is an all-around good, versatile device. It delivers great value for a $700 laptop. With a nice display and a comfortable keyboard, it’s probably the best 2-in-1 laptops for writers.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.3″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.78″ / 3.92 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
9 – Lenovo ThinkPad Yoga X1 – 14″ HD Convertible
“Sturdy with Nice Display & Keyboard”
This is definitely not the cheapest laptop for writers, but the Lenovo series always had an ultra-comfortable and responsive keyboard. If you have the budget, this ThinkPad Yoga X1 will give you everything you need. Its 2-in-1 format makes it a great entertainment laptop. And if you’re the kind of person to bump your laptop around, its military grade design will surely be useful!
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 180 to 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 11 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 Pro |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.66″ / 2.8 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
10 – Acer Swift 5 – 14″ HD
“For the Stylish Road Warrior”
Here, you don’t get the best keyboard on the market. The Acer Swift 5 keys are a bit too shallow to be great… but what you get is a pretty decent keyboard on an ultra-thin, ultra-stylish notebook. You cannot have everything! And you get a vivid display on one of the most lightweight laptop on the market. So if you’re often moving around for work, this is a great choice. Read our full review.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 14″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 8 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.59″ / 2.14 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
11 – Acer Aspire R15 – 15″ HD Convertible
“Affordable 2-in-1”
The R15 is further down on this list, but it is not because it’s not good. At more than 5 pounds, its only real drawback is its weight, but otherwise Acer managed to make a great and affordable 15-inch 2-in-1. Except for it rather reflective display, it has very few flaws. A loud sound system, vivid screen and a comfortable & large keyboard… It’s pretty clearly one of the best laptops for writers on a budget.
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 15.6″ HD touchscreen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 1000 GB HDD (5400 rpm) |
| Battery life | Up to 10 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.79″ / 5.29 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
12 – Lenovo IdeaPad 720s – 13″ HD
“Good Mid-Range Laptop for Writers”
vThe Ideapad line has always produced nice laptops. It’s Lenovo’s middle range series and this 720s lives up to the name. It’s equipped with a vibrant HD screen and has a design that competes with the very best 13-inch laptops on the market. As with other Ideapad, the keyboard is comfortable to type for hours. A good choice!
Pros
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Cons
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| Graphics | 13.3″ HD screen (1920 x 1080) |
| Performance | Intel i5 with 8 GB of RAM |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours |
| OS | Windows 10 |
| Thickness / Weight | 0.53″ / 2.2 lbs |
| Price Range | $$$ |
Erik is the owner and main editor of lptps.com. He has been working in computers and information technology for more than 20 years. He’s a business analyst, developer, and avid traveler.
