Best Laptop Brands – Featuring 17 Models Plus Reviews

Choosing the right laptop that meets your needs can be a difficult task considering the difference in design, size, price, durability, and performance.

A laptop is one of the most important tools you can have whether you’re a student, worker, entrepreneur, or stay-at-home mom.

It is your education, entertainment, social, and business hub.

Different laptops serve different purposes. Some are specialists while others are generalists. For example, some laptops are designed to have a high gaming ability. So, they don’t lag even if you’re a heavy gamer.

I’ve written a laptop buying guide to help you choose the best laptop of your choice. And now, here are best brands to help you streamline your search and come to a quick and reasonable decision.

Carefully go through this list and read the pros and cons of the selected laptops. This will help you come to a quick decision on the particular laptop that fits your lifestyle.

 

1. Dell

Dell technologies are known to provide technology solutions in the digital world. The company designs ergonomic laptops with value and high-rated performance.

Dell business laptops feature best-in-class performance. And their Alienware gaming laptops come with high definition graphics and gaming performance.

Their devices are preinstalled with powerful processors for maximum performance. The only downside of Dell is their poor customer care performance.

As we all know, Dell manufactures superior devices comprising both expensive and cheap laptops. Let’s take a look at some of the best Dell Laptops.

 

Recommended Dell Laptops

Dell Inspiron 15-3558

This is a superb device from Dell. It offers a 15-inch screen with a loud and clear audio. It comes with a combo of design, performance, comfort, and battery life. This laptop features a strong wireless option that gives a fast and impressive connection.

Key Specs

CPU	3.0-GHz Intel Core 5th Generation i3-5005U
Operating System	Windows 10 Home 64-bit
RAM	4GB
Hard Drive	500 GB HDD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	4.8 pounds
Battery Life	8 hours

Pros

• It comes with 5th generation core i3 processor. Superior compared with Intel’s lower end Pentium or Celeron processor.
• The keyboard and hinges are solid enough

 

Cons

• The speed is a little bit slow. But this can be overcome by upgrading the RAM to up to 16GB maximum since it has 2 DIMM

 

Dell XPS 13

This is an all around quality laptop compacted in a small package for easy mobility. It’s awesome for use in college. The 13-inches screen looks great and the keyboard feels natural to your fingers. It has an impressive craftsmanship, functionality, and power.

The body of this laptop is all aluminum, durable, and stylish – giving it a beautiful look out of the box.

Key Specs

CPU	2.2-GHz 5th Generation Intel Core i5
Operating System	Windows 8
RAM	4GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	128 GB SSD
Screen Size	13.3 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	2.6 pounds
Battery Life	15 hours

 

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to throw in a backpack
• The backlit keyboard is awesome
• The thin bezel around the screen makes it look extra sleek
• Its trackpad is impressive

 

Cons

• The webcam is situated at the bottom
• The speaker is not very loud. This won’t be a problem if you won’t need to listen to audio in high volume

 

2. Apple

Mac laptops by Apple Inc. are known to be expensive and of very high quality. So, if you’re on a tight budget, don’t think of Mac laptops. They range from MacBook to MacBook Pro and MacBook Air. With this laptop brand, you never have to worry about quality.

 

Recommended Apple Laptops

Apple MacBook MLHE2LL/A (Notebook Laptop)

This is a well-designed piece of technology for anyone seeking a portable Mac for light duty work. It has plenty of processing power and comes in the size of a notebook. It’s portable and you can easily carry it in your backpack on a regular basis. The speakers are impressive considering its size.

Key Specs

CPU	1.1-GHz Dual-Core Intel Core M3
Operating System	Mac OS X
RAM	8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	256 GB
Screen Size	12 inches
Screen Resolution	2304 x 1440
Weight	3.2 pounds
Battery Type	Lithium Polymer (LiPo)

 

Pros

• Lightweight and portable
• Gorgeous and have great speakers
• It has a metal body and feels super sturdy

 

Cons

• The keyboard isn’t very convenient. Not recommended for writers
• Not recommended for people with low vision
• Webcam quality isn’t the best

Apple Macbook Pro MJLQ2LL/A

This is a useful and powerful laptop for anyone who does intensive graphic design work in Photoshop and basic grading in lightroom. The keys are fantastic to type on and overall design is sleek and pleasing to the eye. This MacBook Pro is sturdy and reliable – hardware and software wise.

Key Specs

CPU	2.2-GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
Operating System	Mac OS X
RAM	16 GB DDR3L
Hard Drive	256 GB
Screen Size	15 inches
Screen Resolution	2880 x 1800
Battery Life	9 hours

Pros

• It’s fast and easy to use
• Long battery life
• Display is excellent

 

Cons

• Memory is not easily upgradeable
• The speaker quality is lower than the past model

 

Apple MacBook Air

This is a long lasting Macbook that is perfect for several purposes and is excellent for medical office. It has a strong wireless antenna and MagSafe is still present (unlike the new MacBook laptops). It’s light, fast, and has an excellent screen. This MacBook is great if you’re okay with Apple eco-system.

Key Specs

CPU	1.6-GHz Dual-Core Intel Core i5
Operating System	Mac OS X El Capitan
RAM	8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	128 GB
Screen Size	13.3 inches
Screen Resolution	1440 x 900
Weight	3 pounds
Battery Life	12 hours

 

Pros

• Long lasting battery life
• Lightweight
• Better, faster, stronger, and brighter than older generation

 

Cons

• It does not come with the newest version operating system
• It does not have a retina display

 

3. ASUS

Asus is a leading technology company in Taiwan that manufactures products in several areas of Information Technology.

The company started out as a motherboard manufacturer and moved on to become manufacturers of PC components, smartphones, servers, notebooks, peripherals, and tablets.

Asus is the manufacturer of ASUS TAICHI, an Ultrabook with a double-sided multitouch display. It allows you to switch between a tablet and a notebook.

It’s worthwhile to see a few Asus laptops.

 

Recommended Asus Laptops

Asus F555LA-EH51

This is a great computer if you’re a regular user who browses the web or uses Microsoft office. It is fast and has a lot of hardware storage. It is useful if you need to do video editing, photoshop, and play games every now and then.

Key Specs

CPU	2.2-GHz Intel Core i5
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR3
Hard Drive	1TB Mechanical HDD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	5.1 pounds
Battery Type	Li-Ion

 

Pros

• It doesn’t get hot like other computers
• The laptop has a good sound

 

Cons

• The battery is not removable
• No keyboard backlit

 

Asus VivoBook

Asus VivoBook is a budget laptop for college students. It will make a nice gift for your child or grandchild. The device can be made faster by reinstalling windows and deleting all random apps that come with it.

Key Specs

CPU	1.6-GHz Pentium
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	4 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	500 GB HDD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	4.4 pounds
Battery Type	3-cell Li-Ion

 

Pros

• Sound quality is excellent
• Long battery life
• User-friendly

Cons

• Capslock has no light indicator
• No Bluetooth

 

Asus EeeBook E402SA

This is yet another beast by Asus for college students. It is a device that you can get for your online assignments, stream Netflix videos, online classes, and other purposes without breaking the bank. This is an ideal choice for daily productivity and entertainment.

Key Specs

CPU	1.6-GHz Intel Celeron
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	4 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	32 GB emmc
Screen Size	14 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	4 pounds

 

Pros

• It is thin and light
• It has a nice design and display
• Long battery life

 

Cons

• It comes preloaded with lots of apps that may not be useful
• It has a small hard drive

 

4. Lenovo

This company has been in existence for over 3 decades. It grew to become China’s leading manufacturer of personal computers and acquired the Personal Computing Division of IBM. They are now known for producing smartphones, laptops, tablets, and desktops. A quick review of a few Lenovo laptops will give you a feel of the brand.

Recommended Lenovo Laptops

Lenovo Yoga 710 (2-in-1 Laptop)

Lenovo Yoga 710 is a multitouch screen laptop that offers you 4 versatile modes. You can use it as a tablet, laptop, tent, or stand. It has a fast startup time and is useful for photo editing and casual gaming. The 10-point multitouch screen allows for hands-on control.

Key Specs

CPU	2.5-GHz Intel Core i5
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive	256 GB SSD
Screen Size	14 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	3.6 pounds

 

Pros

• It is light and has a beautiful design
• Processor is fast
• Long battery life

 

Cons

• Takes time to get used to the small “shift” button if you’re coming from another brand

 

Lenovo Ideapad 100

This laptop is for you if you need a budget laptop to do a lot of video editing and voice over work. The touchpad is multitouch.  But for your new laptop, you may need to open Windows update and update all drivers for the touchpad to work perfectly. This laptop is good for web work and internet usage.

Key Specs

CPU	2.1-GHz Intel Pentium N3540
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	4 GB DDR3 RAM
Hard Drive	500 GB HDD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	5.1 pounds
Battery Type	3-cell Li-Ion

 

Pros

• The screen is nice, bright, and looks big
• It is light, thin, and user-friendly
• It is fast despite its average processor
• It offers a high performance for minimal use

 

Cons

• Plug-in cord is short
• Speaker gives low sound. But headphones will help

 

Lenovo Yoga 900

This laptop is one of the best 2-in-1 devices out there. It can be used as a laptop and a tablet. It is thin, ultra-portable, and powerful. The pre-installed windows 10 runs smoothly even when you’re multitasking. It comes with a backlit keyboard that can be switched on and off using the Lenovo software.

 

Key Specs

CPU	2.5 GHz Intel Core i7
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	256 GB SSD
Screen Size	13.3 inches
Screen Resolution	3200 x 1800
Weight	5.1 pounds

 

Pros

• The screen resolution is nice and the keyboard is better than the older generations
• It boots and downloads fast
• It comes with backlit keyboard

 

Cons

• The fan makes some loud noise. This problem can, however, be resolved by updating the BIOS
• The position of the power button is awkward – on the side

 

Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E460

This ThinkPad Edge is a bulk of high-performance hardware packed into a sleek small package. It is strong, sturdy, and portable. It features a fingerprint scanner that is useful if you need to frequently log into a locked system. This laptop is perfect for everyday tasks like office, photo, and audio manipulation.

Key Specs

CPU	2.3-GHz Intel Core i5-6200U Dual Core
Operating System	Windows 7 Pro 64-bit
RAM	8 GB DDR3L
Hard Drive	500 GB
Screen Size	14-inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	4 pounds
Battery Type	6 cell Li-Ion

 

Pros

• It comes with a fingerprint scanner
• Battery charges fast and lasts longer depending on usage

 

Cons

• Screen resolution is poor
• The function key is located where the Ctrl key usually is … but you can swap the keys from settings in the BIOS

 

5. HP (Hewlett-Packard)

This company has been in existence for a long time. They claim that they don’t just create technology but they create technology with a purpose to make life better for everyone everywhere.

Well, overall, I’d say their products have indeed made lives better. When it’s HP, you’re sure of quality and excellent customer support. Their devices offer a combo of sturdy hardware and excellent software. Check out some HP models below.

 

Recommended HP Laptops

HP 15-F222WM (Budget Laptop)

This is a budget-friendly touchscreen machine from HP. It is recommended for you if you’re looking for a laptop to do everyday tasks.

The manual shows you how to set it up and sync all your devices so you can share pictures and videos. After the synchronization, you can take a picture with your phone and it’ll go directly to your laptop.

Key Specs

CPU	2.16-GHz N3540 Intel Pentium
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	4 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	500 GB HDD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1366 x 768
Weight	4.7 pounds
Battery Life	6 hours

 

Pros

• It is very easy to setup
• The touchscreen is awesome. It works without errors
• Upgrade is enabled for a lot of features – Software, RAM, Drive, and so on

 

Cons

• The Wi-Fi card isn’t the best
• The processor isn’t all that fast

 

HP 15-ay013nr Notebook (Gaming Laptop)

This is a rugged machine that can efficiently run solid works. It is useful for creating complex models and running simulations without worrying about your laptop crashing. It’s also cool for gamers.

 

Key Specs

CPU	2.3-GHz Intel Core i5
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	128 GB SSD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	4.7 pounds
Battery Life	7.5 hours

 

Pros

• Keyboard is responsive
• It boots fast and offers a high performance
• Screen is crisp and clear

 

Cons

• Comes with a lot of bloatware
• No touchscreen
• The touchpad could be better

 

HP Spectre 13-v021nr (Lightweight Laptop)

World’s thinnest laptop. It weighs just 2.45 pounds. It puts a high performance in a very small package. This is an obvious choice if you’re looking for an ultrabook with the best portability without compromising on power. It is crafted with durable aluminum and carbon fiber that gives it a nice build.

Key Specs

CPU	2.5-GHz Intel Core i7
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR3 SDRAM
Hard Drive	256 GB SSD
Screen Size	13.3 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	2.5 pounds

 

Pros

• It can run different programs simultaneously with no performance hiccups
• The keyboard is awesome and the screen is excellent
• It is fast and reliable

 

Cons

• Speakers aren’t that great
• The fan can get a little noisy but stops after one or two minutes

 

6. Acer

Acer prides itself as the manufacturer of user-friendly, dependable, and reliable products and services that have enabled the world to get access to the opportunity for sustainable development.

The company’s products include laptops, smartphones, projectors, tablets, cloud solutions, desktops, and monitors. Acer laptops have been found to have a high performance and durability.

Let’s check out some handpicked Acer laptops.

 

Recommended Acer Laptops

Acer Aspire E-Notebook 

This machine has been carefully crafted for a smooth and clean look – avoiding unnecessary lines. The screen has an anti-glare finish and is perfect for working on the couch. The keyboard is comfortable and the touchpad works well. But the touchpad becomes unsmooth when you have a sweaty hand.

 

Key Specs

CPU	2.8-GHz 6th generation Intel Core i5
Operating System	Windows 10
RAM	8 GB DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive	256 GB SSD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	5.3 pounds
Battery Life	12 hours

 

Pros

• Long lasting battery
• Sound is excellent
• Fan is silent and has no heating issue
• It’s got a backlit keyboard

 

Cons

• Battery is not removable
• No touchscreen

 

Acer Chromebook (Budget Laptop)

This budget-friendly laptop packs a lot of amazing features in a little package. It has a large, clear, bright, and vibrant screen with a viewing angle of almost 180-degrees. Plus anti-glare finish. The keyboard gives you a natural feeling and the trackpad is big and easy to use.

Key Specs

CPU	1.5-GHz Dual-Core Intel Celeron
Operating System	Windows Chrome
RAM	4 GB DDR4 SDRAM
Hard Drive	16 GB SSD
Screen Size	15.6 inches
Screen Resolution	1920 x 1080
Weight	4.8 pounds
Battery Life	9 hours

 

Pros

• Fast charging time
• Sound is excellent
• Processor is fast and strong

 

Cons

• It doesn’t accept new programs that are not apps in the Chrome Web
• It doesn’t have a wired internet port. Just Wi-Fi only
• Small hard drive

 

Now, you’ve seen the specs, pros, and cons of 17 laptops from the 6 best brands. You have everything you need to make the right choice. All you have to do is to weigh the pros and cons … and choose the right laptop that suits your desire and matches your lifestyle.