TOP PICK 
BLW's Score
89
87
86
84
82
MSRP
Price not available
$998.99
$989.00
$699.99
$188.27
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i5
Intel Core i7-8565U (up to 4.6 GHz)
Intel Core i5-6200U 2.5 GHz
Intel Core i5-6200U 2.3GHz
Intel Celeron N3350 2.4 GHz
RAM
8GB DDR4
12GB DDR4
8GB LPDDR3
8GB DDR3
4GB DDR3L
Hard Disk
128GB SSD
512GB SSD
128GB SSD
256GB SSD
32GB eMMC
Display
13.3" Retina (2560 x 1600)
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)
13.3" FHD (1920 x 1080)
13.3" FHD Touchscreen (1920 x 1080)
14" HD (1366 x 768)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 617
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
Intel HD Graphics 520
Intel HD Graphics 520
Intel HD Graphics 620
OS
OS X
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10 Home
Windows 10
Chrome OS
Weight
2.75 pounds
4 pounds
2.8 pounds
3.2 pounds
3.75 pounds
Battery Life
12 hours
8 hours
13 hours
7 hours
9 hours
TOP PICK
Model
BLW's Score
89
MSRP
Price not available
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i5
RAM
8GB DDR4
Hard Disk
128GB SSD
Display
13.3" Retina (2560 x 1600)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 617
OS
OS X
Weight
2.75 pounds
Battery Life
12 hours
Model
BLW's Score
87
MSRP
$998.99
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U (up to 4.6 GHz)
RAM
12GB DDR4
Hard Disk
512GB SSD
Display
15.6" FHD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
NVIDIA GeForce MX250
OS
Windows 10 Home
Weight
4 pounds
Battery Life
8 hours
Model
BLW's Score
86
MSRP
$989.00
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i5-6200U 2.5 GHz
RAM
8GB LPDDR3
Hard Disk
128GB SSD
Display
13.3" FHD (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 520
OS
Windows 10 Home
Weight
2.8 pounds
Battery Life
13 hours
Model
BLW's Score
84
MSRP
$699.99
More Information
Processor
Intel Core i5-6200U 2.3GHz
RAM
8GB DDR3
Hard Disk
256GB SSD
Display
13.3" FHD Touchscreen (1920 x 1080)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 520
OS
Windows 10
Weight
3.2 pounds
Battery Life
7 hours
Model
BLW's Score
82
MSRP
$188.27
More Information
Processor
Intel Celeron N3350 2.4 GHz
RAM
4GB DDR3L
Hard Disk
32GB eMMC
Display
14" HD (1366 x 768)
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 620
OS
Chrome OS
Weight
3.75 pounds
Battery Life
9 hours
Note: Our comparison table only shows our top 5 picks. You can find the other recommendations within this article.
Are you a writer who is looking for a new laptop for their daily activities? Well, if yes then you're at the right place, and here you'll find 10 of the best laptops for writers and authors.
Almost every digital work these days requires a laptop, and that includes writing. Many think that writing is not for them but ultimately everyone has to write something whether it be emails, college projects, editing, reviewing, etc.
Many believe that almost any laptop on the market can be used for writing but that's not true at all, and one surely has to consider things like keyboard, screen size, portability, battery life, overall speed, etc.
If you're missing out on these features, then your laptop surely isn't the best one for writing. We have compiled this guide for authors and full-time writers who will be traveling on weekends along with their laptop.
What to look for while buying a laptop for writing?
Keyboard
The keyboard should always be the priority when it comes to best laptops for writers. A compact keyboard will never be good for writing, and one should simply ignore that.
We highly recommend a well-spaced keyboard that feels smooth while typing and if it has a backlight that'll be a great thing for writers who prefer working in dark environment.
You also need to make sure that your laptop has a full-size keyboard in case you have to work with numbers.
Display
If we talk about the display for writing, then you should consider at least 13-inch display because anything less than that wouldn't be good for your eyes and brain.
A 15-inch display would be the best choice, but you can go for larger if you want. However, when it comes to writing, the screen resolution doesn't matter since you can easily adjust the text size while writing.
You can also go with a touchscreen display for better impact, but that's not recommended in every case.
Portability
If you're one of those writers, who prefer writing whenever you feel like then you certainly need a machine that's portable enough to carry around.
Writing is a skill that's for everyone, but only a few understand the power and value of it. That's where portable laptops come in, and we usually recommend a lightweight laptop with 13-inch of display and slim design.
So overall, the lighter it is, the better for you since you'll be carrying it around with yourself almost everywhere you go.
Battery Life
If you don't want to be the person that's desperate for a plug, then you should get a laptop with at least 6 hours of battery life. And in case you're a full-time writer then you'll most probably need to carry an extra battery with yourself.
Most of the writers these days prefer writing in places like coffee shops, malls, restaurants, etc. And if you're one of those then you certainly need to look at best laptops with longest battery life.
Speed
To be completely honest here, speed doesn't matter as long as you want to do some writing. However, for other general tasks we usually recommend at least 2 GB of RAM and Intel Celeron processor. Better is always good for you, but these specifications will be enough for writing purpose.
Our Top Picks for Best Writing Laptops
1. Apple MacBook Air
Specs:
Writers that are looking for a portable and lightweight laptop for their basic tasks like writing, checking emails, browsing, Skyping, etc. should certainly take a look at the Apple MacBook Air. Based on our analysis and many other experts, guides and reviews, this is one of the best laptops for writers.
Apple’s MacBook Air is the first laptop that set the real standards of portability and made all vast and bulky laptops disappear from the market.
What makes it different from other laptops is its reliability, performance, sharper display, and its build quality. It boasts a 13-inch Retina display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels along with an Intel HD Graphics 617 graphics processor.
Its other hardware includes Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of DDR4 RAM and 128 GB of SSD. On a final note, it's extremely slim, lightweight and portable laptop which is packed with a long lasting battery life of 10 hours and excellent specifications.
2. Acer Aspire 5
Specs:
Powered by the most powerful 8th generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor, the Acer Aspire 5 is among the most reliable laptops for writers. It features a reliable touchpad and backlit keyboard which can be a great combination for users that do not prefer working with an external mouse.
Acer Aspire series laptops are seen in plenty of corporate offices, and reason behind that is surely its value for money and power. It's available in many different variants, and one can also choose the device with increased RAM or storage space.
However, the RAM and storage in our featured configuration should be perfect for writers as all they do is word processing and other basic tasks. It features 8 GB DDR4 RAM and 512 GB SSD. This laptop will start fast and run smoothly.
One can also play some high-end titles on it, thanks to its NVIDIA GeForce MX250 GPU and backlit keyboard. Its 8 hours of battery life is another plus point for users on the go. Overall, for such price, it's an excellent notebook that'll get all your work done effortlessly.
3. Dell XPS 9350-1340SLV
Specs:
Looking at its external appearance, the Dell XPS 9350-1340SLV is another one of the best portable laptops and can be a great Windows alternative to Apple MacBook Air. It surely is a flagship device of Dell XPS 13 series, and it features great specifications as well as finest design.
It will cost you somewhere around $900, and that's the reason we had to list it on the third spot in our guide of best laptops for writers. Being such a powerful laptop, it weighs 2.8 lbs. It's an ideal choice for travelers as well as college students that want to carry around their PC with them.
It's powered by Intel Core i5-6200U processor coupled with 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM and Intel HD Graphics 520. These are pretty great specifications for a laptop of this size, and on top of that, it has 128 GB of SSD which might not be enough to store your games and movies but it'll surely boost the overall performance of your laptop.
Last words, it's not only recommended to writers but for all kinds of users that are in search of such a portable Windows laptop.
4. ASUS ZenBook UX303UA
Specs:
The ASUS ZenBook UX303UA is another one of the portable laptops for writers, and it's a perfect alternative to Apple MacBook Air and Dell XPS 9350-1340SLV. I have to say that ASUS has done a great job on this notebook and it's listed on top in our guide of best business laptops.
It features a full HD touchscreen display as well as 256 GB SSD for almost $100 cheaper than Dell XPS 13, so if you're not a fan of Dell, then we suggest you go with this one. It's powered by 6th generation Intel Core i5-6200U processor and 8 GB of RAM.
Moreover, it has a backlit keyboard which is very much appreciated by users these days, and it weighs just little over 3 lbs.
The smokey brown color suits perfectly with its slim and robust design. It's packed with energy efficient specifications, and its battery life can easily last for up to 7 hours, and with its super hybrid engine, one can extend its battery life by almost 30%.
For an $800 laptop, the ASUS ZenBook offers plenty of amazing features and of course a reliable performance.
5. HP Chromebook 14
Specs:
The HP Chromebook 14 is a perfect budget option for basic daily tasks like writing, browsing, emailing, etc. Like other machines in this list, it's also portable enough to carry around with ease, and it's a perfect choice for writers as well as multimedia users on the budget.
It offers decent performance being a laptop under $250 and it comes with Google's Chrome OS which is incredibly easy to operate even for beginners. While most of the budget laptops offer cheap components, this one comes with Intel Celeron N3350 processor, 4 GB SDRAM, Intel HD Graphics and 32 GB Flash Drive.
It can be used not only by writers, but all kinds of users and I personally use it as my traveling laptop. Its storage space can be a huge issue for many users, and we recommend buying an external HDD with it.
It's a complete package of portability and price, and we highly recommend it to users with a low budget. While being attractive and extremely portable, this device could use more power and a better processor would have made it a lot more famous.
6. ASUS VivoBook
Specs:
The ASUS VivoBook sports some powerful components like Intel Core i5-8250U processor, 8 GB RAM, and a large 1TB hard drive.
With less an inch slim body, 5 hours of battery life and an amazingly fast performance, it's a great all-purpose laptop that can be used by college students, businessmen, programmers, graphic designers and video editors.
It's a great value for money, and it is one of the most popular laptops on sites like Amazon and NewEgg.
Though it can't be compared with high-end gaming laptops, still it's a good combination of power and portability. It comes pre-installed with Windows 10 and other bloatware, but that's totally fine since almost all laptops come with programs that are not appreciated by users.
Overall, it's the best option for users who want a powerful laptop without breaking their bank balance.
7. Apple MacBook Pro 13
Specs:
The Apple MacBook Pro is one of the most powerful laptops of all time, and it features some of the unique features like Retina display and Intel Iris Graphics. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor and 128 GB SSD, it's undoubtedly the most popular laptop in the US.
It also packs an 8 GB of RAM which is good enough for writers and of course power users can extend it up to 16 GB. The 13-inch model is available in 3 different variants, and one can choose between 128 GB, 256 GB, and 512 GB SSD.
The 9 hours of battery life is more than enough for all kinds of users, and this one is surely not the most portable laptop on the market. It's also available with Apple's new feature known as Touch Bar which can be pretty useful for advanced users.
As usual, its sound is quite loud and clear, and I am sure no other laptop can even come close when it comes to audio quality. Its keyboard is incredibly soft and comfortable which might take some time to get used to, but once you start using you will never look for anything else. Overall, it's best but expensive laptop for writers and if you can afford then go for it
8. HP Pavilion X360
Specs:
Here comes the only refurbished laptop that we recommend to writers. The HP Pavilion X360 is one its kind of laptop which is fast, reliable, portable and can handle most of the daily tasks including writing.
It's a 2-in-1 laptop that can be carried around effortlessly and also be used as a tablet. We mostly recommend it to multimedia users, but I don't see why writers shouldn’t take advantage of it. It will cost you somewhere around $250 which is not that costly, and almost everyone can afford it including school students.
It boasts components like Intel Celeron N2840, 32 GB Flash Drive, Intel HD graphics and 2 GB RAM. These are enough for writing tasks but not enough for multi-tasking. It can last for more than 9 hours on a single charge which is way better than most of the machines available nowadays.
Its overall design and build quality are very attractive, and it also features a TrueVision HD webcam by HP. Overall, it's a budget-friendly hybrid laptop that offers decent performance for such a low price.
9. ASUS F556UA-AB32
Specs:
When it comes to the best laptop for writers, the ASUS F556UA-AB32 is surely the best notebook under $350 that one can consider. It features a full HD display along with other powerful components such as Intel Core i3-6100U processor, 1 TB HDD, and 4 GB DDR4L RAM.
This 15-inch laptop is also one of the best lightweight and slim laptops that run on Windows 10. Unlike other ordinary ASUS machines, this one uses a polymer battery that can last two times more than the regular Li-ion batteries.
It's a highly recommended budget laptop for anyone who needs a basic all-purpose laptop for their daily activities like social networking, watching movies, checking emails, word processing, etc. Its specifications make it faster than all its alternatives that one could buy for around $400.
We also suggest that you upgrade its RAM to 8 GB and see how it performs. All in all, if you need something lightweight, portable and affordable, then this is the machine that's right for you.
10. Dell Inspiron 15 i5558-5718SLV
Specs:
The Dell Inspiron 15 is yet another one of the budget friendly laptops for writers, and it comes with an amazing battery life and design.
It features 4th generation Intel Core i5-4210U processor and 8 GB of RAM. Its 15-inch touchscreen display with TrueLife and multi-touch function is extremely responsive as well as crisp.
What makes it among the best notebooks for writers is its full size backlit keyboard which is very responsive and comfortable while typing. It can also be used for intense multitasking and casual gaming.
Thanks to its Intel HD 4400 shared graphics; one can also watch some of the full HD movies and videos. Its battery life is very decent, and you can't ask for more from such an affordable laptop.
With 1 TB of HDD, it is offering a storage space that's almost double than its rivals, and you will hardly see such specifications in a laptop under $450. All in all, it's large, robust and well-designed laptop for anyone including casual gamers and writers.
Conclusion
I understand being a professional writer isn’t something to be taken lightly as I know the struggle we writers face while writing and a laptop that’ll be best for writing will surely help with boosting your career.
We also need to make sure that our laptop doesn’t get in the way of writing and is portable enough to carry around.
I have been using MacBook Air for over five months now, and I think that’s what I would recommend to most of my readers. Anyways, if you have any more doubts or would like to get in touch with me then feel free to use our contact page.
