Best business laptops 2023

Available in 14in and 16in sizes, the latest MacBook Pro is the best laptop Apple makes right now, and one of the very best options for business use.

The highlight here is the immensely powerful M2 chips (choose from Pro or Max versions), which delivers incredible performance across any demanding productivity app. Its superb power efficiency means battery life is among the best you’ll find on any laptop, making it great for on-the-go business.

However, at 1.6kg for the 14in and 2.1kg for the 16in, they’re not the most portable. The displays are stunning (despite adopting an unusual 15.4:10 aspect ratio), but there’s still no touch support and the unsightly notch still doesn’t support Face ID. HDMI and SD card slots are great, but you still don’t get USB-C either.

It’ll take a while for Windows users to familiarise themselves with macOS, but the two are becoming more similar over time. But the Apple ecosystem means you can easily share files and other data from your iPhone or iPad. There’s also plenty of useful pre-installed software, and some apps available which don’t work on Windows.

The 2023 MacBook Pro doesn’t come cheap, but a premium design and stellar performance go a long way to justifying the cost. If you prefer Mac to Windows, this is the finest option for business.

The Galaxy Book 3 Ultra is Samsung’s first attempt at an ultra-powerful laptop, but you wouldn’t know it. This is arguably the best laptop around for business, particularly if your work involves content creation.

Combining 13th-gen Intel CPUs with Nvidia RTX 40 Series GPUs yield predictably excellent performance. That includes all demanding creator-focused apps and even gaming, although that’s not what it’s designed for.

The 16in OLED display is a joy to use, especially with a slick 120Hz refresh rate. All-day battery life is still well within reach, while the webcam and port selection are both above average.

So, why isn’t it top of this list? The main reason is price, which makes it an unnecessary purchase for most people. With a mediocre keyboard and patchy audio, it’s not perfect either.

But if money is no object, this is a superb all-rounder that ticks almost all the boxes when it comes to business.

Huawei has only added 13th-gen Intel CPUs to the 2023 MateBook X Pro, but wholesale changes weren’t necessary. This was already one of the best laptops for business use, and that’s even more true now.

Everything is centred around an excellent 14.2in touchscreen. It’s IPS LCD rather than OLED, but still boasts a 3K resolution and 90Hz refresh rate, and looks great.

A magnesium alloy build gives the device a premium look and feel, yet it remains impressively lightweight: at 1.26kg, it’s one of the lighter laptops of this size. But the keyboard and trackpad are arguably even more impressive, and among the best you’ll find in any laptop.

Performance is solid across all regular business tasks, but the lack of a discrete GPU means you may run into problems with anything more demanding. You’re also limited to USB-C ports, while battery life could be better, despite the inclusion of fast 90W charging.

But overall, the MateBook X Pro offers pretty much everything most people are looking for in a business laptop. If the options above aren’t to your liking, this is definitely worth considering.

A convertible might not be your first thought when considering a business laptops, but the Galaxy Book 3 Pro 360 ticks pretty much all the boxes.

That 360° is one part of an attractive yet robust design, which looks the part without making any real compromises. Perhaps the only exception is the keyboard, which remains very usable but offers limited travel.

However, there’s plenty of performance here, despite the lack of a discrete GPU. The 120Hz OLED screen is a joy to use, especially when combined with the included S Pen.

It’s certainly Samsung’s best convertible laptop to date, and it could easily be your new best friend for business.

Huawei’s 2023 MateBook 16s isn’t a big upgrade compared to the 2022 version, but it remains an excellent laptop for business.

The high-res 16in touchscreen is a joy to use, and there’s enough room within the slim top bezel for a decent 1080p webcam. A 13th-gen CPU is the only hardware upgrade, but it benefits both performance and battery life. The keyboard and audio experience are also impressive, while you still get a slick, premium design.

However, the MateBook 16s certainly isn’t perfect. Performance is limited during demanding tasks with no discrete GPU, while Huawei has decided against a separate number pad next to the keyboard despite there being plenty of space for one. While there are lots of ports, you’re missing out on an SD card slot, so might need an adapter.

These will be easy to overlook for most consumers. But whether they’re dealbreakers in a business environment is up to you.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, the 2022 MateBook D 16 is a great alternative.

Provided you choose the Intel version, the Surface Pro 9 is a great choice if you want the flexibility of a 2-in-1.

It includes a laptop-sized 13in display, complete with 120Hz refresh rate for silky-smooth visuals. Paired with the premium surface design and solid performance from Intel’s 12th-gen chips, the Pro 9 nails the basics.

Other highlights include a great webcam, solid battery life and and excellent detachable keyboard – although the latter is sold separately. Adding that and a pen makes the device very expensive, while the port selection still needs work.

You might be tempted to go for the ARM version, which offers 5G support, new video calling features and even better battery life. But the performance issues and clunky experience with some apps simply isn’t worth it.

The display is an important part of any laptop, but it needs to be particularly versatile on a business laptop. The 15.6in, 2.8K OLED one on the Zenbook 15 OLED more than delivers, especially with its silky-smooth 120Hz refresh rate.

Performance, another top priority, is strong across all everyday tasks and some more demanding workloads, despite no discrete GPU alongside the Ryzen 7000 Series processor. A healthy port selection includes the fast USB4 (USB-C) connection, USB-A and full-size HDMI, while build quality and audio are both above average.

The price isn’t extortionate for these specs, but you will have to put up with mediocre battery life – a full day away from the charger is only just about within reach. And while built-in fans are effective, they’re quite noisy.

The Zenbook 15 OLED is still a solid option for business, but only if you don’t stray too far from a power source.

If your work involves regular video calls, look no further than the Aspire Vero 15. It has a crystal-clear 1440p webcam that handles colours and exposure much better than most built-in laptop sensor.

But that’s just one of the many selling points of this laptop. Another big one is its eco-friendly build, with part of the chassis and almost all of the packaging made using recycled plastic. However, unlike the Framework Laptop 13, internal parts can’t be repaired or upgraded.

Unless you need top tier performance, the combination of Intel’s Core i7-1355U (Core i5-1335U models are also available), Iris Xe integrated graphics and 16GB of RAM is plenty powerful enough. And despite an unassuming 56Wh battery, you can also expect all-day battery life.

Other highlights include an attractive 15.6in Full HD IPS LCD display, good port selection and that unique speckled finish. While annoying pre-installed apps in Windows 11 and underwhelming durability means there’s still room for improvement, the Aspire Vero 15 remains a fine option for business – especially for well under $1,000/£1,000.

If you want to handle business and look good in the process, Asus has a laptop for you.

The Zenbook 14X OLED features a stunning ceramic-like rear which helps it instantly stand out from the crowd. But the 120Hz OLED display is arguably even better, helping content to really come alive. Performance from Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs is solid too, even if there’s no option for a separate discrete GPU.

With lots of ports and a great keyboard (something that’s often sacrificed on a thin and light laptop), it’s easy to recommend the Zenbook 14X OLED. Battery life is the main thing that counts against it, but unless you spend a full day away from the power, it’ll cope just fine.

The XPS 17 might be expensive, but it’s a compelling device for business use.

Dell has packed an impressive amount of power into this thin and light chassis. Intel’s 13th-gen CPUs combine with Nvidia RTX 40 Series GPUs for great performance, even if it falls slightly short of some rivals.

You also get great battery life and an excellent keyboard, plus an attractive 17in display. The latter is one of the best panels around, but it’s IPS LCD rather than OLED. For content creators, this might be a dealbreaker.

Alongside a lack of USB-A and HDMI ports and a mediocre 720p webcam, the XPS 17 can’t be any higher in this list. As good a laptop as it is, these drawbacks are hard to excuse when you’re paying so much.