A lightweight laptop is a perfect solution for those who want to travel light, but also need a reliable and powerful laptop. The best ultralight laptops are built to withstand intensive tasks, such as photo or video editing.
The latest ultrabook models offer a mix of excellent design, power and performance that will more than satisfy most people. For the really high-end users, we recommend getting one of these laptops with a dedicated graphics card for more intense gaming, 4K video or photo editing needs.
1. ASUS Zenbook 14
The Asus Zenbook 14 is an ultra light laptop that’s designed to give you the power to go wherever your creativity takes you. It’s a good choice for graphic design, digital art, and photo editing.
It’s also a great option for gaming, thanks to its dedicated graphics card and other high-end specs. It also has a 180-degree hinge, making it easier to work from different angles.
As for the display, the Zenbook 14 is available with both IPS and OLED panels. The OLED screen offers a brighter picture, but it’s not as responsive as the IPS panel.
However, the IPS panel is still very good for gaming and other multimedia tasks. It has a 1920 x 1080 resolution, which isn’t as high as the OLED, but it’s more than enough to handle most things you’ll do on a 14-inch laptop.
In terms of connectivity, the Zenbook 14 has a number of ports to meet your needs. Its left side includes a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, while its right side features an HDMI 2.1 port, two Thunderbolt 4 ports for fast charging and 4K monitor connectivity, and a 3.5mm audio jack.
For storage, Asus didn’t skimp on its hard drive. It equipped the Zenbook 14 with a 512GB NVMe SSD, which duplicated 4.97GB of data in 10 seconds for a rate of 508 megabytes per second. That’s pretty fast for an entry-level laptop, especially when compared to the Gram (512GB M.2 SATA SSD, 169.6 MBps) and the PS42 8RB Prestige (512GB M.2 SATA SSD, 164.6 MBps).
The Zenbook 14’s ergonomics are impressive as well, with a wide trackpad that’s easy to use and responsive. There’s also a fingerprint sensor on the keyboard that’s quite reliable. The keys themselves are a standard TKL layout, with an inverted T-shaped layout for the arrow keys. The caps-lock and camera/mic indicators on the F9/F10 keys are nice touches, too. They’re a welcome addition, as is the backlighting system that provides three brightness levels.
2. Dell Inspiron 15 5000
The Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is a mid-range laptop that comes with a number of features. It has a lot of storage and is able to run multiple tasks at once. The laptop is also designed for comfort, and the ErgoLift hinge lifts the keyboard up to a three-degree angle, which can make it easier to use. The hinges are also made from hard rubber, which aims to protect the laptop and keep it from scratches.
The Inspiron 15 5000 is aimed at users who need a laptop that can perform multiple tasks efficiently and can handle high-end software. It is suitable for everyday computing and is good for a wide variety of tasks, from web browsing to photo editing.
It has a 15.6-inch screen with a 19201080 resolution, making it ideal for watching videos and movies. It also has a full-size USB 3.0 port, a HDMI port, and an SD card reader.
This model is available in different configurations with a variety of CPUs and storage options. You can choose between Intel’s 8th Gen Whiskey Lake processors and a range of SSD or HDD storage types, so you can tailor your laptop to your own specific needs.
There’s also a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, which is capable of running a wide range of games. It is also very affordable, and offers excellent value for money.
In terms of battery life, the Dell Inspiron 15 5000 is one of the best performing laptops we’ve tested. It lasted 6:57 hours on our battery test, which is significantly better than the average.
The Inspiron 15 5000 isn’t the best-looking laptop on the market, but it is well-made and has many features that will help you get the job done. It’s also an excellent choice for users who want a budget-friendly laptop that will deliver solid performance and long battery life.
3. Lenovo IdeaPad 3i
Ultra light laptops are the perfect companion for a busy lifestyle. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is a good example of this, offering a stylish design, decent components and a great screen all for a reasonable price.
The main drawbacks of the ideapad are the screen – it isn’t bright enough and the battery life is poor, but that should be expected with a budget laptop. Luckily, it offers a lot of features for its price and can even be purchased with a Windows 10 operating system for a few hundred dollars.
This Ideapad is available in a range of attractive colours and is very well built. It’s also very easy to carry around and weighs 1.6kg which makes it ideal for travelling or to take into work.
With a high-performance Intel Core processor and a discrete graphics option, the ideapad 3i delivers speedy performance and easy multitasking. And thoughtful design features like the physical webcam security shutter safeguard your privacy and ensure you’re always in control.
The display is a 15.6-inch FHD IPS touchscreen with narrow bezels on all four sides, delivering great screen real estate for an impressive visual experience. And there’s a choice of different display sizes and resolutions for maximum flexibility.
You can also get a dual-storage option on select models, allowing you to choose the size and amount of storage that works best for you. This is especially useful if you’re looking to save space on your desk, but are also concerned about performance.
Featuring the latest 12th Gen Intel(r) Core(tm) processors and integrated Intel(r) Iris(r) Xe graphics, this Ideapad has the power to take on your tasks. And its smarter cooling and battery management features keep it running optimally while preserving energy for longer use.
For added convenience, the ideapad 3i has a full-function USB-C port that supports data and power, and offers 4K display connectivity. The ideapad 3i also includes Bluetooth 5 and Wi-Fi 6 to allow you to stay connected.
It’s also possible to connect the laptop to an external monitor via HDMI. There’s also a 3.5mm audio jack, a UHS-I SD card reader and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports.
4. HP ZBook Studio G8
The HP ZBook Studio G8 is a mobile workstation that’s aimed at creative professionals and gamers alike. It’s a sleek and professional-looking laptop that offers everything a user needs to complete high-performance workflows.
Compared to other workstations, the ZBook Studio G8 isn’t the most expensive on the market, but it does come with some important perks that set it apart from similar options from Dell and Lenovo. These include a Xeon processor, ECC RAM, MIL-STD reliability testing, software certifications from major developers like Adobe, and an extended warranty.
It’s also the only HP laptop on the market with a backlit RGB keyboard and custom per-key backlighting, which is a big draw for gaming fans looking for a business-friendly machine. While this isn’t exactly an essential feature, it’s a nice touch and adds to the overall appeal of the ZBook Studio G8.
In our 3DMark Time Spy tests, the ZBook Studio G8 scored just a bit lower than other mobile workstations we’ve tested, especially when compared to a Razer Blade 14 and Lenovo Legion 5 Pro that both sport RTX 3070 graphics cards. While this wasn’t the end of the world, it did leave us disappointed when we sat down to play Battlefield V and Civilization VI, both of which were more demanding than most other titles on test.
Our testing showed that the G8’s battery life was poor, especially considering the fact that it sports a 4K OLED display and some top-tier components. It only has an 83 watt-hour battery, which isn’t too bad compared to other laptops in its price range, but it’s still not going to give you the longest day of your work.
If you’re in the market for a mobile workstation, the ZBook Studio G8 might be worth a look, but it’s not for everyone. If you don’t need a lot of extra features, then the ZBook Fury is a better choice. If you do need a high-performance laptop that’s portable enough to sling in your bag, the ZBook Power is also an excellent option. It’s a little more expensive than the Studio G8, but it also packs in some of the same performance features and offers more expandability.