By Thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient designs have always been the driving forces behind the growth of laptops, and regardless of the year, these needs come together to create ultraportables, which are the epitome of cutting-edge laptop design.
What particular definition applies to this category? Ultraportables often have screens that are 14 inches or less, weigh three pounds or less, and have enough battery life to get through a workday without being plugged in. These laptops are among the quickest ever, travel-friendly, and equipped with an array of functions and display resolutions that cater to a wide range of users. Over the years, you may have seen references to laptops of this type as “ultrabooks” or “streambooks,” but such terms were just attempts to add some branding to the same basic template of “ultralight laptop.”
The fundamental components of the design are always the same: long-running, light, and thin. The best ultraportable laptops of 2024 are listed here, along with purchasing recommendations.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED (UM3402)
Our favorite consumer ultraportable laptop is the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, which is also one of the finest prices available. It has many high-end features, including a stunning 14-inch OLED touchscreen with color accuracy comparable to that of a professional monitor. In addition to being ultraportable, its sleek and ruggedized chassis is strong enough to withstand 12 MIL-STD-810H military-grade tests. Thanks to the AMD Ryzen CPU inside, the device has a long battery life that will last you through a full day of work or school, a wide port selection that removes the need for dongles, and a rock-solid overall performance. It’s the greatest ultraportable available for less than $1,000.
Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5-2023
Our favorite 2-in-1 ultraportable is the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5, which boasts an elegant all-metal appearance and a 13th Gen Intel processor. It is by far the best 2-in-1 ultraportable to suggest right now because of its amazing design, light weight of just 3.09 pounds, amazing OLED display, and outstanding overall performance.
Apple MacBook Air
For most consumers, the iconic and incredibly thin Apple MacBook Air is still the greatest notebook money can buy. It’s also the best value. It boasts the company’s revolutionary laptop design and is among the first MacBooks to employ Apple’s potent M2 CPU. Without gaining weight or bulk, an inside smaller logic board enables practical features like a larger, bolder display. This is the best grab-and-go Mac available, and it’s Apple’s most recent MacBook Air in a long time.
Acer Swift Go 14
With its 2.9-pound carry weight, remarkable 16:10 aspect ratio OLED display, and crisp 1440p camera, the Acer Swift Go 14 is an unexpected notebook. When you combine all of that with a 13th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, this clever little laptop will give you plenty of productivity boosts. Since the Swift Go checks all the boxes for a capable ultraportable at a starting price of around $800, we’ll ignore little qualms about the keyboard. Thus, it’s our choice for students attending colleges and universities.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1
The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, Lenovo’s flagship business ultraportable, is more capable than ever, receiving five stars in a row for its remarkably light design without compromising connectivity or performance. Its lightweight design of aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber allows it to weigh 2.48 pounds, which is less than some ultraportables with somewhat smaller screens. Executives who carry one can anticipate an abundance of ports, almost 13 hours of battery life, a 16:10 display that will look fantastic throughout the day, and of course, the excellent keyboard we have come to expect from a ThinkPad. This is the best business ultraportable available in the world if that’s what you’re searching for.
