Best business laptop 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.

If it wasn’t for the LG Gram, the MateBook 16s would comfortably rank as the best big Windows laptop you can buy.

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. Huawei has embraced Intel on the 16s with strong results from the 12th-gen CPUs. Decent battery life is supplemented by impressive fast charging speeds, all within a slick, premium design.

But the MateBook 16s isn’t perfect by any means. 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.

However, all these things would be easy to overlook for most consumers. Whether they’re dealbreakers in a business environment is up to you.

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

Huawei has updated its flagship MateBook X Pro laptop twice in 2022, but this second iteration only adds new Intel chips and a slightly lighter build.

That’s not a problem, though, as it was already one of the best laptops you can buy. Moving to 12th-gen CPUs delivers a notable improvement to performance, even without a discrete GPU.

Elsewhere, subtle refinements to the thin and light design means it looks and feels better than ever – especially with combined with the gorgeous 90Hz display/ A superb keyboard and trackpad are among the best you’ll find in any laptop.

Huawei has managed to squeeze in no fewer than four USB-C ports, but for some reason there’s no USB-A. You’ll also have to contend with underwhelming battery life, although there is 90W fast charging for when you do run low.

That premium price tag makes those drawbacks harder to ignore, but the latest MateBook X Pro remains an excellent option for almost all business users.

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.

The Surface Laptop 5 is beginning to look a little long in the tooth, but it remains a solid all-rounder that’s worth considering.

Microsoft has decided against updating what was already a dated design, meaning the device doesn’t look like a laptop that was released in 2022. The only upgrade compared to the Laptop 4 is a move to 12th-gen Intel CPUs, which yields a small boost to performance and power efficiency.

The latter benefits battery life, but no option for AMD processors this year limits its impact – that was where the better battery life could be found last time out.

But despite being unchanged, the 13.5in or 15in touchscreens remain excellent, while the keyboard is one of the best in any laptop.

Aside from that, the Surface Laptop 5 isn’t best-in-class in any area. But it does do most things pretty well, which bodes well for business use.

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.

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.

For many business tasks, a regular laptop display simply won’t cut it – you need something with extra screen real estate. 

The LG Gram 17 certainly delivers on that, with a huge 17in (2560×1600) display within a chassis that’s just 17.8mm thick and 1.35kg in weight.

It’s powered by Intel’s 11th-gen processors, alongside up to 16GB of RAM and a bumper 1TB SSD on high-end models. If that’s not enough, you also get stellar battery life from the 80Wh cell.

The below-par trackpad and speakers – our two biggest complaints about the 2020 model – have also both been addressed by LG, making this the best big-screened laptop you can buy.

There are now 2023 versions of this and the smaller LG Gram 16, but aside from new Intel CPUs it’s generally more of the same. You’ll probably be happy with either.

The XPS 13 has been one of the most popular laptops for a while, but this new Plus model is very different.

It offers a new take on the classic Dell design, with a stunning OLED display and new edge-to-edge keyboard. The viewing and typing experience are great as a result, but the new haptic function keys flatter to deceive.

Performance from Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs is solid, and it’s nice to have support for both face unlock and a fingerprint sensor. But disappointing battery life and a poor port selection take the shine off the experience, particularly at this price.

However, if you can afford it and are content with the compromises, it remains a great option for business use.

It’s expensive, but the Yoga Slim 7i Pro X delivers the high-end laptop performance that many business users crave. Combining a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and 32GB means it can handle almost everything you throw at it – aside from demanding games, perhaps.

Other key strengths include a superb keyboard and capable trackpad, although you might still want to connect a mouse. There’s also plenty of ports, something which is often sacrificed on thin and light laptops – a slightly chunkier design is worth it.

However, underwhelming battery is the main reason it’s not higher in this list. The 14.5in, 120Hz display has a high resolution, but struggles a bit for colour accuracy. Alongside that high price tag, it stops the Slim 7i Pro X from being an instant recommendation.