10 Best Laptops for Writers 2023: Author & Journalist Favorites

best laptop for writers

The best laptop for writers is one that is comfortable and compact rather than having high specifications.

A writer needs a laptop with a comfortable keyboard, compact design, vibrant display, and good battery backup. Portability or size is a factor too, but it matters for some writers, not all.

High specifications are not relevant here. A very fast RAM and a GPU won’t help you here because these are things which you will never think of while writing unless you want to use it as a laptop for gaming.

So if you are a writer or your job involves a lot of writing, we have good news for you. We have thoroughly reviewed the best laptops for writers, which will definitely work for you as expected.

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Editor’s Top 3 Picks

2020 Apple MacBook Air M1

Apple MacBook Air

CPU: Apple M1
RAM: 8GB
Display: 13.3 (2560 x 1600)
Asus ZenBook 14 UX433

Asus ZenBook 14

CPU: Intel Core i7-8565U
RAM: 16GB
Display: 14 FHD
LG Gram 14 2020

LG Gram 14

CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G7
RAM: 8GB
Display: 14 FHD

What makes the Best Laptop for Writers?

The answer to this question is: Any laptop having a compact design, ergonomic keyboard, and a good battery backup will prove good for writing purposes. High Specifications won’t help you out in this case. All you need is a comfortable laptop with a nice screen that you can use for hours without hesitation.

Keyboard

A laptop with the best keyboard for writers is the top priority here. No matter how good a laptop is, but if the keyboard is not comfortable, it won’t be helpful for writers. This is why you need to make sure that the keyboard is exactly what you want. Generally, the best laptop keyboard for writers will have optimal space between the keys and be responsive.

Additionally, a full-size keyboard with Numpad won’t be necessary either. You know better that if you are good at typing, you never use Numpad rather the number keys below the function keys.

Display

Writing content for long periods can be hectic sometimes. This is where you need a good resolution display. Any normal display will make your work messier. Whereas a good display of at least 1080p resolution will make it easy to read the lines and clearly see the punctuation marks. Besides, good displays come with awesome color effects which do not disturb your eyes at all. This way you can increase your productivity and work an hour or 2 more. Most of the 1080p display laptops come under $600, they are pretty good and suitable for casual use besides writing in particular.

Weight

Many writing jobs involve a lot of traveling. Journalists can be an example here, this is why your laptop for writing needs to be lightweight. You will be able to easily fit it anywhere in your backpack and carry it. Also, carrying it around to your colleague or boss at work while asking for opinions or corrections will become easy.

Battery Backup

Good battery timing is necessary for all sorts of uses. But for writers, it is crucial. You might be traveling a lot, or you may need to sit in some corner far away so you could think and write better. This is where you will need a long battery time. And no laptop can be called the best laptop for writers unless it does justice with battery timing.

Compact Design

Laptops for writers need to be compact. This involves thin bezels, enough palm rest area, an optimized keyboard, and overall minimal nature. Compact design is important because a writer may travel a lot or change positions time and again to increase productivity. OK, without any further ado, below mentioned are the best laptops for writers 2023.

Best Writing Laptop 2023

1. Apple MacBook Air (2020)

Battery.Design.Keyboard

2020 Apple MacBook Air M1

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Apple M1 (8-core)
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Display: 13.3 (2560 x 1600)
  • Battery: 16 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Responsive Keyboard
  • Best Battery Backup
  • Lightweight
WHY AVOID?
  • Thunderbolt Ports only

As a professional writer, you will look for a sleek laptop with good battery backup, a stunning display and performance on the go. The MacBook Air released in 2020, powered by Apple’s own M1 chipset is a stunning beauty. The laptop weighs 2.8 pounds and is just 0.63-inches tall, making it one of the most portable laptops in its class. Its slim design combined with a battery backup of over 16 hours makes it even better for writers. As for its usability and user experience, Macs are best known for ease of use and simplicity in terms of productivity. Then comes the most important part, its keyboard. Like what we had in previous MacBooks, you have the Magic Keyboard, which is best for writers because of its tactile feel and responsiveness. For its performance, if you use multiple tabs and programs simultaneously. The new M1 chip is impressive, offering almost 3.5x more speed than its predecessor, powered by an Intel processor.

2. Asus ZenBook 14

An optimized laptop for writers

Asus ZenBook 14 UX433

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core i7-8565U
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 14 FHD
  • Battery: 8 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Thin Bezels
  • LED Numpad
  • Lightweight
WHY AVOID?
  • Price

Weighing 2.6 pounds and bearing a thickness of 0.6 inches only, this laptop by ASUS is one impressive computer to have. The laptop basically is a combination of everything put together in an optimized way. It is lightweight, sleek, the blue color looks sexy, and on top of all this, its chassis is military-grade durable. Now, how come this become the best laptop for writers? The thing is that you shouldn’t always go very cheap on the laptop you are buying. And if you get ready to spend $1000 or a little above that, then the ZenBook 14 UX433 automatically becomes the best laptop to write on.

The looks and design of it are one thing, but the specs of it are impressive too. Inside this laptop, you get an 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8565U processor backed by 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. But that’s not it; you also get a dedicated MX150 GPU by Nvidia, which further adds to the overall performance of the laptop and its graphics. The display on it is 14 inches and comes with a resolution of 1920 x 1080. The display itself is bright, accurate with colors and the panel has very thin bezels. More, the audio performance of the laptop falls in the good range. Its speakers are loud, and the sound of them is nicely sweet.

For I/O, you get enough ports for all normal external connections. The laptop is home to a USB-C, 2 USB-A ports, an HDMI, SD card reader, and of course, a headphones jack for audio. Now for writers and editors, the Zenbook comes with one amazing keyboard. The keys are nicely placed to fulfill what you need for fast typing, and the keypad is also backlit. The touchpad of it works nice, but it’s not just a touchpad. It can act as a touch-enabled Numpad whenever you want it to. There is another version of the same laptop available, it’s known as the Zenbook Screenpad 2.0. A second screen is placed instead of a touchpad and allows you to do a lot. About the battery, the laptop lasts well above 8 hours which is nice timing even if you carry your laptop and spend your day outside.

3. ASUS VivoBook S15

Normal Specs, Sleek Looks

ASUS VivoBook S15

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-10210U
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 15.6 FHD
  • Battery: 12 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Display
  • Lightweight
  • Battery
WHY AVOID?
  • Speakers
  • Touchpad

Coming up next on the list of best laptops for writers 2023, carries a great set of specifications for its price with an attractive design and portable nature. Writers aren’t required to equip extremely powerful internal in their laptops like a strapping graphics card, CPU, etc. Still, here the Vivobook S15 is configured with the latest-generation processor to provide you with immense power. Also, the laptop is equipped with a 15.6 inches large display screen with FHD (Full high definition) display that manages to depict true accurate colors and rich details. Writers for entertainment watching movies, dramas, and seasons would be happy with its display performance.

Regarding the design of this top-rated laptop for writers, it comes with a catchy screen pad 2.0 of 5.65 inch on its deck that works perfectly fine. The display screen is encased in 5.22mm narrow bezels that help the display appear more immersive. Keyboard keys are well placed that assist in fast typing with their low key travel. Coming towards the specifications of Asus Vivobook S15, it is configured with the latest generation Intel Core i5-10210U processor for strapping performance. Also, you are getting a well capable 8GB of DDR4 RAM to deal with demanding multitasking comfortably. 512GB of Solid-state drive is more than enough to hold your all important files and ensure a fast file processing speed. Getting a useful set of ports is a plus. The Vivobook S15 never disappoints in this section. The I/O ports include 2 x USB 2.0, a USB Type-A 3.1 port, a USB Type-C input port, an HDMI port, a microSD card reader, and a headphone/microphone audio combo jack. The laptop provides massive 15 hours of battery backup to always keep you up.

4. Lenovo Chromebook S330

Cheap.Handy.Stylish

Lenovo Chromebook S330

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: MediaTek MT8173C
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64GB SSD
  • Display: 14 FHD
  • Battery: 10 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Portable
  • Lightweight
  • Performance
WHY AVOID?
  • Display

Lenovo Chromebook S330 brings you the perfection that Chrome OS offers – in a business black stylish, sleek design. Chromebook S330 enables you to enjoy your favorite multimedia content with the help of its crispy 14 inches anti-glare FHD (Full High Definition) display screen.

Lenovo Chromebook S330 is quite capable of handling all your daily life computing activities with ease. The Lenovo Chromebook delivers the best performance, especially for writers, schools, businesses, and more. The 14 inches bright display ensures to deliver accurate and vivid colors. Lenovo Chromebook S330 is backed by MediaTek MT8173C powerful processor, lightning-fast LPDDR3 4GB of RAM memory, and 64GB eMMC of fast SSD, which help tackle daily life multitasking easily.

The Lenovo Chromebook comes with a good range of smart input/output connectivity ports that includes USB-C and USB 3.1 support that allows you to connect your favorite devices. The Lenovo S330 also features a powerful AC Wi-Fi with Bluetooth 4.1 for connecting up to two Bluetooth devices simultaneously, complete with a 720p webcam and two 2w speaker systems for crystal clear video calls. Lenovo’s OS delivers a suite of applications & services perfect for group work or individual play.

5. LG Gram 14

Portability combined with power and ease

LG Gram 14 2020

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G7
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Display: 14 FHD
  • Battery: 18 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Battery
  • Lightweight
WHY AVOID?
  • Price

LG Gram 14 2020 unveils new standards of advanced and ultra-slim laptops with an amazing power to do anything and the portability factor to go anywhere. Designing, working, gaming, video editing – The cutting-edge Intel fast processor, impressive long battery life, and handsome memory to handle all with ease. LG Gram 14 is an amazing laptop with two amazing perks: the extra long-lasting battery life and the featherweight design with much durable chassis.

LG Gram 14 is packed with a brilliant 14 inches FHD 1920 x 1080 FHD display, which can deliver some amazingly bright and accurate vivid colors enabling you to have a better experience watching your favorite videos, movies, or playing video games. The power performance of LG Gram 14 is backed with a 10th gen 1.8Hz Intel Core i5-1035G7 fast processor. It has an ultra-fast RAM of 8GB paired with a speedy 256Gb of M.2 NVMe SSD.

LG Gram 14 comes with durable chassis and narrow bezels making it a good-looking compact design. LG 14 is powered with one of the most advanced input/output connectivity ports to connect external peripherals, upload images from the camera, projecting a screen onto a monitor, all easily. The array of ports on the left-hand side includes one USB 3.1 Type-A port, HDMI 3.0 port, Thunderbolt 3 support that makes it easy to transfer data at a higher transfer rate, etc. The right-hand side includes another USB 3.1 port, lock slot, headphone/microphone jack, and a microSD card slot. The perfectly adequate keyboard of LG Gram 14 assists fast typing with well-placed keys. The next big thing is its amazing long-lasting battery life that can work for almost 19 hours.

6. Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

Aspect ratio suits writers

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 15

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: AMD Ryzen 7
  • RAM: 16GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 15.6 (2496 x 1664)
  • Battery: 8 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Powerful
  • Display
WHY AVOID?
  • Price

The Surface Laptop 3 is one best typing laptops for a reason. The reason is that unlike other Surface products from Microsoft, this one actually is a laptop. Microsoft initially came up with products like the Surface Go, Surface Pro, and the Surface Book, which were good. Still, with the release of the first Surface laptop back in 2017, it became a popular one among good notebooks. Now the latest model of it is the Surface Laptop 3. It is sleek, lightweight, powerful, and comes with one splendid keyboard on it. It’s a MacBook rival at its best. Many would still prefer a MacBook over Windows, but for some, this lad is the winner. You can get either a 13 or 15 inches variant, both are powerful and useful.

Here we will be talking about the 15 inch model of the Laptop 3 because it has a larger display panel and comes with powerful internals. But despite all this, it still is a portable one weighing around 3.4 pounds and is 0.6 inches thick only. So it ultimately becomes the best laptop for typing work. Speaking of the specs, the 15-inch model comes packed with AMD Ryzen 7 backed by 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD. This gives the laptop massive power. It doesn’t need any better configuration because both Hardware and OS come from the same manufacturer, which means optimization is at its best.

The display of it comes with a resolution of 2496 x 1664. It is bright, has good color accuracy, and will best suit writers and editors. This resolution makes the display not so wide, rather it looks taller compared to other laptops. So this makes it perfect for reading PDF or writing in any editing software. Speaking of I/O, the laptop comes with a USB-A and USB-C, that’s all you get. For any other connectivity besides this, you will have to use adapter cables. About typing comfort, the laptop comes with a pretty comfortable keypad with enough palm rest area and is backlit too. Finally, about the battery, it can go unplugged for around 8 hours which is good enough considering its size and specs.

7. Google Pixelbook Go

A super portable Chromebook

Google Pixelbook Go

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core-i5 8th Gen
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 128GB SSD
  • Display: 11.6 HD
  • Battery: 12 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Lightweight
  • Budget friendly
WHY AVOID?
  • Audio

Google is never stepping down to leave the market for competitors to dominate. With its Pixelbook Go, Google has achieved new landmarks with out-of-the-box amazing design, a brilliant display screen that delivers perfect color combinations, and enough display details to give a realistic experience. You get one of the best battery backups. No matter how intensive you from web surfing to scrutinizing excel sheets, the Google Pixelbook delivers a 12 hours battery backup. You get exceptional security keeping your passwords and emails secure than ever before, and the Chrome operating system keeps on updating automatically, offering you new amazing features consistently.

The Google Pixelbook holds great internal that are capable of delivering immense power for what it costs. As a professional writer, you would be looking for a powerful processor that provides uninterrupted performance. The Google Pixelbook Go comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor that can handle anything you throw at it. It comes with 8GB of fast RAM storage to have smooth multitasking and a 128GB of SSD (Solid-state drive) that helps the processor deal smoothly with intensive programs.

The Google Pixelbook Go packs a compact design with its 11.6 Inches HD display screen, narrow bezels and weighs 2.33 pounds, making it perfectly easy to carry alongside on business and friendly trips. The portability factor is assisted further by the long-lasting 12 hours battery life. The laptop won’t drain out surely when you need it the most. The laptop doesn’t offer a vast number of input/output ports. It holds 2 USB Type-C ports and a headphone/microphone jack.

8. Microsoft Surface Go

Cheap, 2-in-1, Multipurpose

Microsoft Surface Go

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Pentium Gold
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 128GB SSD
  • Display: 10 (1800 x 1200)
  • Battery: 6 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Budget
  • 2-in-1
WHY AVOID?
  • Battery

Sometimes budget becomes a constraint, and low budget can only buy you bulky and old laptops, but here is a good alternative to it. If your budget does not allow you to spend a lot and at the same time what you need is a modern-looking portable and slim laptop, then the Surface Go is going to be a perfect fit. It is a 2-in-1 in nature, basically a tablet but comes with a type cover which makes it one amazing laptop. Besides, you can also get a pen with it, which makes things even easier. And compared to other budget Windows laptops, this one offers much better performance.

Speaking of performance, the Surface Go comes housed with an Intel Pentium Gold CPU, 4GB RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. This may not sound too good, but the price of it is low. In fact, the way it performs is much better than other Windows laptops having better configuration than this one. This is obvious because both Hardware and Software here belong to Microsoft. So the Surface products get an edge for it. OK, for graphics, you get Intel UHD 615 integrated. This does not sound very good either. Still, you won’t be using this tablet for graphics-intensive work. It has 10 inches display that comes with very clear and vibrant images, but its bezels are thick.

For I/O, all you get is a USB-C, Surface Connect, and an audio jack. This is all you will get because at 0.33 inches thickness, there simply can’t be too many ports for connections. Talking of its type cover, it comes with a touchpad and is backlit as well. So you get an amazing experience while typing on it. The only thing you will have to take care of is that it’s not as good on your lap as it is on the desk. You can skip the type cover and buy just the tablet, but if you want to buy a laptop for writing only, then it needs to be there with it. Last but not least, its battery goes as high as 6 hours, which is good but not better than competing tablets.

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9. Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA

Conventional Looks, Sturdy Build

Asus Chromebook Flip C302CA

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core m3-6Y30
  • RAM: 4GB
  • Storage: 64GB eMMC
  • Display: 12.5 FHD
  • Battery: 9 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • 2-in-1 Nature
  • Battery
  • Lightweight
WHY AVOID?
  • Camera

Chromebooks are not well-known among normal laptop users, but they are definitely up to the mark. People may not prefer them because they are used to Windows OS, but the Chromebook should be normal for you once you like Android and are OK with it. Chromebooks go a few years back. They run Chrome OS and are becoming good with time. The recent models can run all apps of Android and do a lot more things. OK, now straight to the point about why it can be a good laptop for writers. This Chromebook by ASUS is budget-friendly and is housed with enough specs to fulfill a writer’s needs.

More it’s 2-in-1 in nature, which means you can flip and use it as a tablet, as the name of the laptop itself suggests. It is lightweight and thin in nature, plus it has a superb battery. Weighing 2.6 pounds and a thickness of 0.6 inches only makes it one of the most compact designs among the best 2-in-1 laptops. All these things makes it a unique and best cheap laptop for writers.

Speaking of performance, a Chromebook is something that you carry around all the time. This is because Chromebooks are designed for quick and small tasks, and for the same reason, they come with normal specs, not powerful. One being reviewed packs an Intel Core m3-6Y30 CPU with 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage. However, the battery life is something you will definitely like. It easily lasts beyond 8 hours. The keypad of it is a splendid one as a laptop for typing. The keys are black, and the chassis is silver which makes a nice combination,

10. Acer Aspire 5 Slim

A budget option for writers

Acer Aspire 5 Slim

SPECIFICATIONS
  • CPU: Intel Core i5-8265U
  • RAM: 8GB
  • Storage: 256GB SSD
  • Display: 15.6 FHD
  • Battery: 8 Hours
WHY BUY?
  • Lightweight
  • Affordable
WHY AVOID?
  • Ports

The Aspire 5 Slim would be an affordable laptop for writers. It comes with good specs, a large screen, a full-sized keypad, is good at portability, and is slim. All this, and it still is a budget option which is because it isn’t the latest one on the market. The looks of it clearly say that the laptop is dated a few years back. But who cares about the looks if you are getting something cheap enough to afford it and at the same time it fulfills your needs. Acer Aspire 5 Slim is definitely one of the best laptops for writers on a budget. It is portable and comes with good battery life.

Speaking of the specs, the laptop houses an 8th Gen Intel Core i5-8265U processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, which you can always upgrade later if needed. This is a good configuration if you will be mainly using your laptop for writing only. The display of it is 15.6 inches and comes with 1920 x 1080 resolution, it is sharp, bright and the colors are pretty accurate. For I/O, you get a USB-C, 3 USB-A ports, HDMI port, Ethernet port, and a headphones jack too. This is all you will require for external connectivity. However, a Thunderbolt 3 is missing here.

The keyboard on this laptop is a great deal. First and foremost, it is a full keyboard, so you get to enjoy the Numpad. Second, it is the best laptop keyboard because black keys on silver chassis always make things easy, and it is backlit too. In addition, the key-travel and actuation force here falls in the optimal range. More, Aspire 5 slim comes with good audio performance. It’s the type of audio you will like to hear to music on, in your free time. And about the battery, it can hit a sweet spot of 8 hours which is massive for a budget laptop like itself.

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Conclusion

That’s all about best laptops for writers 2023 from us. The best laptop for writing doesn’t always mean a good keyboard. Neither does it refer to great portability. It actually is the combination of whatever we talked about at the very start. Going too high on one factor will leave you with issues. You have to consider everything like the keypad, battery life, portability, display type, connections, etc. Only then you will be able to get yourself the best fit. Good Luck!

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