Work from Anywhere: The Search For The Best Laptop For Remote Work

A Laptop Is You Ultimate Productivity Tool

If you’re reading this, chances are you already know how remote work has completely transformed the way we think of jobs. The main component of any remote work environment is the set of tools that enable it. Tools like having the right laptop are your lifeline to productivity, creativity, and seamless communication. Finding the perfect remote work laptop can feel overwhelming with countless options flooding the market. Whether you’re a digital nomad, freelancer, or corporate professional working from home, in this guide we will try to answer your question as we look for the best laptop for remote work.

An efficient and supportive computer or laptop is among the many essentials remote workers require. According to a study on computers and productivity cited in the New York Times, computing technology delivers gains in worker productivity that are three to five times those of other investments.¹ Suffice it to say, the right laptop can help you maximize your professional productivity. Let’s look at some of the options available to the average computer-using remote worker.

Best Laptops for Remote Workers

Best Budget Laptop: Acer Aspire 3

• Pros
  • AMD Ryzen 3 7320U Quad-Core Processor
  • 15.6″ display
  • 1920 x 1080 FHD IPS display
  • 8GB LPDDR5 RAM
  • 128GB NVMe SSD
  • 1 USB Type-C (Gen 2) port
  • 2 USB Type-A (Gen 1) ports
  • 1 HDMI port
  • AMD Radeon Graphics
  • Windows 11 Home in S mode
  • Wi-Fi 6 support
  • Lightweight at 3.92 lbs
  • Up to 11 hours of battery life
  • Under $325

• Cons
  • Average processor not suited for advanced computing tasks
  • Storage options capped at 128 GB SSD
  • Average build quality
  • Overheats easily during demanding tasks

Best MacBook For Work: Apple MacBook Air M3

• Pros
  • Apple M3 chip
  • 8-core CPU and 10-core GPU
  • 13.6/ 15″ liquid retina display
  • 16/ 24 GB Unified Memory
  • 256/ 512 GB SSD Storage
  • 2 Thunderbolt Type-C ports
  • Wifi-6E supported
  • 1080p FaceTime HD camera
  • Touch ID
  • Up to 18 hours of battery life
  • Made of Aluminum with great build quality
  • Connectivity with other Apple devices is amazing
  • From $900

• Cons
  • No expandable RAM and storage (ROM)
  • No USB-A support
  • The display doesn’t have anti-glare
  • No HDMI port

Best Windows Laptop For Work: Dell XPS 13

• Pros
  • Intel Core i7-1195G7 Processor
  • 13.4-inch OLED 3.5K Touch Display
  • Antireflective display
  • 16GB LPDDR4x RAM
  • 512GB SSD storage
  • 2 Thunderbolt USB-C ports
  • Micro-SD card reader
  • Made from machined aluminum with superior quality
  • Windows 11 Home OS
  • Wi-Fi 6
  • From $1,140

• Cons
  • No USB-A support
  • No HDMI port
  • Overheats when performing demanding tasks
  • Around 8 hours of battery time

Best Professional MacBook: Apple MacBook Pro M3

• Pros
  • Apple M3 Pro chip
  • 12-core CPU and 18-core GPU
  • 14.2″ liquid retina display
  • 18 GB Unified Memory
  • 512 GB/1 TB SSD Storage
  • 2 Thunderbolt Type-C ports
  • Wifi-6E supported
  • Touch ID
  • 1080p FaceTime HD camera
  • HDMI port
  • Up to 18 hours of battery life
  • Remains cool, even while performing demanding tasks
  • Made of an all-aluminum unibody enclosure
  • Connectivity with other Apple devices is amazing
  • From $1,610

• Cons
  • No expandable RAM and storage (ROM)
  • No USB-A support
  • The display doesn’t have anti-glare
  • A little on the pricier side

Best Surface Laptop: Microsoft Surface Laptop

• Pros
  • Snapdragon X Plus/X Elite Processors
  • 10-Core(X Plus) and 12-Core (X Elite) variants
  • 13.8/ 15″ LED 2K, 120 Hz Touch Display
  • 16/ 32 GB LPDDR5x RAM
  • 256/ 512 GB/ 1 TB SSD storage that is upgradable
  • 2 USB-C ports
  • 1 USB-A port
  • Micro-SD card reader
  • Made from durable aluminum for a superior feel
  • Windows 11 Home OS
  • Up to 15.5 hours of battery life
  • From $1,000

• Cons
  • Costlier as compared to other Windows machines
  • The display doesn’t have anti-glare
  • No Wi-Fi 6 support

Here are our recommendations for each specific requirement

Best Budget Laptop

Acer Aspire 3

Best Performance Laptop

Apple MacBook Pro with M4 chip (2024)

Best Ultraportable Laptop

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 3

Best Durable Laptop

Dell Latitude 5000

Best Gaming Laptop

ASUS ROG Strix G16

Laptop Accessories

High-quality webcam and microphone

Logitech Brio 101

privacy protection

Laptop Privacy Screen 14″
Laptop Privacy Screen for Microsoft Surface

External GPUs

GIGABYTE AORUS RTX 3090 eGPU

Wireless Keyboard

Logitech MK270 Wireless Keyboard And Mouse Combo
Apple Magic Keyboard
Logitech ERGO K860 Wireless Ergonomic Qwerty Keyboard

Wireless Mouse

Logitech MX Master 3S
Read our buying guide on the best ergonomic office mice to know about other options.

Important Things to Consider When Buying Laptops

Battery Life

Having a good battery life is probably the main reason laptops were invented in the first place: portability. Lucky for us, most new laptops these days give on average anywhere between 4 and 6 hours of continuous use. But there is a lot of difference in the many options you can own, for example, Apple’s MacBook line of computers possess incredible battery times. However, if you plan on working from the comfort of your home, or even remotely from anywhere, chances are you might have thought through external power options so getting a laptop with an average battery will not be a deal breaker for most.

Portability

Laptops were made for portability so they have to be easy to set up and work from regardless of where you are. A good portable laptop should be lightweight and have a comfortable form factor, in addition to being able to perform without a direct power supply. All laptops are portable, but not all will serve your specific interests if they throttle under increased loads running on battery power alone.

Processing power and performance

When we say that a laptop is your ultimate remote work tool we mean it drives productivity and creativity and you subsequently create value with it. This can depend entirely on the type of work you do and use your laptop for. If it’s for managerial tasks like attending meetings and basic staff work in a typical office, you might not need a performance beast. However, if you are a creative specialist like a video editor, graphic designer, or software engineer, chances are you would need a machine that can manage your professional workload.

Display quality

When we talk about a laptop as your primary work machine, you will be spending lots of your time staring at a screen. So naturally, the quality of that screen will invariably impact your performance. A higher resolution, crisp, and bright display with blue-light filtering technology will do you well. And if you are working in graphic design or content creation, a higher screen will likely be more suitable.

Display Size

The size and orientation of the display are other important aspects that depend on the nature of your remote job. For example, if you are a coder, you might want a standard quality display that can be vertically tiled to read code more easily. Or if you’re a video editor, you might want to get a bigger display so you can multitask efficiently and see details and results rendered at better quality.

Connectivity

A laptop serves as a hub for all your devices and peripherals to work from and through. A good example can be that of your phone’s seamless connection to your laptop to pick up calls, respond to messages, etc. Furthermore, using extended peripherals that enhance your work experiences like keyboards, mice, second-displays, and headphones among other devices is almost ubiquitous in any WFH setup. This means that a generous amount of I/O (Inputs and Outputs) ports can benefit you extremely. So, you should consider all hardware and software connectivity options before purchasing to ensure the device only increases your productivity.

Durability

Although a home office setup is pretty secure, there are times when people need to establish home offices in multiple-use spaces like dining rooms, or lobies even. In case you’re home office setup is prone to other uses or regular intrusions, you might want to invest in a durable machine that can last you longer physically if it falls from table height.

Another aspect of durability is the software support and longevity of the laptop. The software support is self-explanatory and depends on the computing parts like processors, RAM, ROM, etc. The longevity, however, can be gauged by the build quality. Often, laptops with premium materials like machined aluminum last longer compared with those in plastic housing.

Operating System (OS)

A big debate on the type of software system you want to work inside is that of the OS. These days there are many available but for most users, the decision will be between Apple’s Mac OS and Microsoft’s Windows. Needless to say, there is a big debate among these giants but we’re here to make things easier for you. If you’re already using Apple’s devices and all tools that you use for work are available on the App Store, then go for a Mac. Otherwise, if you’ve used Windows through most of your professional life and are familiar with it, try sticking to what works best for you. There is no harm in experimenting with a different ecosystem, however.

Why Your Laptop Matters The Most

So, now you know why a good laptop that suits your specific requirements and concerns is crucial for your remote career. Whether it is sending emails, attending online meetings, or using creativity software, or management tools, selecting the right laptop is a critical decision for any remote professional. In summary, your device is more than just technology—it’s your gateway to productivity, creativity, and professional success.

We hope this guide will help you a lot in making the right purchase when it comes to finding the best laptop for your work-from-home career.

To read about the ergonomics of home office monitors, read our blog in the Home Office section.

You can also read about what the Optimal Standing Desk setup looks like on our blog in the Home Office section.

Read more about the other essentials required to set up the ideal home office on Remote Turtle.

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References

1. Lohr, S. (2007, March 13). Study says computers give big boosts to productivity. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/13/technology/13tech.html ↩︎