Now, more than ever, it’s important to ensure that every business has the right equipment so owners and employees can easily work from home or on the go.
This makes choosing high-quality, durable laptops one of the most important business decisions you’ll make.
Not sure how to choose the best laptop for small businesses? Here’s a rundown of our top recommendations.
What to Look for When Choosing a Business Laptop
When choosing a laptop for your business, you want something that is small enough to carry with you but also versatile and powerful enough to run all of the applications you need. This is true whether you’re looking for the best business travel laptop or one that you’ll only use while working from your kitchen table.
Here are a few of the things you’ll want to look for.
- Screen Size
You’ll generally want a screen between 12.5 and 14 inches. This is large enough to work comfortably but still small enough to carry around. If the laptop will mostly be used at home, a larger screen might be preferable.
- Battery Life
Long battery life will guarantee greater productivity no matter where you are. Look for one that will last at least 8 hours between charges.
- Flexibility
Depending on your needs, you may want a 2-in-1 laptop that converts to a tablet. This gives you the ultimate flexibility in how you choose to work.
- Platform
Before you start looking at laptops, decide which platform you’re most comfortable with. Do you want a computer that runs in Windows, Chrome OS or MacOs?
While this is mostly a matter of personal preference, you probably want the one that most employees are familiar with. For example, if no one in your office has ever used an Apple computer, they’ll waste a lot of time doing searches like “how to restart my Mac,” or “screen capture Mac instructions.”
If you choose to convert your office from Windows to Mac (or vice versa), just remember that there will be a bit of a learning curve that could slow down office productivity at least for a little while.
- Cost
Laptops range in price from around $150 all the way up to $2,500 or even $3,000. Make sure the option you choose fits within your budget. This is particularly important if you have a lot of employees you need to provide with laptops.
- Brand
While you may be able to save a few dollars on off-brand laptops, it’s likely to cost you in the long run. Not only is there a good chance you’ll have more tech problems, but you might also have trouble finding tech experts who are familiar with them. Stick with a well-known brand and you’ll have a lot more flexibility.
The Best Laptops for Small Businesses in 2020
Now that you know what to look for, we’re going to make things even easier for you. Here are our top picks for the best business laptops available in 2020.
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2
If you’re looking for a 15-inch laptop, you can’t go wrong with this option. It provides excellent speed and durability and you’ll have access to premium support. Due to its large size, this is best for using at home or in the conference room, rather than working in conference rooms and on airplanes.
This is also a fairly expensive option, running around $1,200.
- HP ZBook Studio
Looking for a powerful desktop workstation in a super-portable package? The HP ZBook Studio is an excellent choice. It’s great for number-crunching and highly visual applications like using 3D modeling or editing 4k video.
This laptop weighs only 4.4 pounds and is only 0.74 inches thick, so it’s easy to toss in a bag when you’re on the go. It’s not cheap, though. It will set you back about $1,800.
- MacBook Pro 16”
This laptop offers a big, beautiful screen and powerful configurations. If you don’t want a Windows-based computer, this is your best option. In fact, it’s likely the most powerful laptop on this list. You can choose from a 6-core or 8-core processor and also expand the RAM to 64 GB.
Like the others we’ve discussed so far, these laptops come with the hefty price tag you expect from top-of-the-line Apple products. Expect to pay around $2,400.
- Lenovo ThinkPad T490
Not looking to spend an arm and a leg on your business laptops? Take a look at the Lenovo ThinkPad T490. You can get hold of one of these for around $1,100.
This workhorse of a laptop has all of the classic ThinkPad features for a lower price. One of the best features is the incredible keyboard, which will give you excellent long-term comfort and incredible accuracy.
- Microsoft Surface Book 2
The 13.5 inch Surface Book 2 is another great budget option. This powerful 2-in-1 laptop is powerful enough to handle most day-to-day business applications and can even keep up with light video editing or even some gaming on your off time. For this, you’ll want to make sure you choose a model with a dedicated graphics card.
If you prefer a larger screen, you can also get a 15-inch Surface Book 2. Best of all, you can get your hands on one for just under $1,000.
Find More Tips for Running Your Small Business
Now that you know all about how to find the best laptop for small businesses, you’re one step closer to being prepared for the new reality that all businesses are facing right now.
Want even more business tips? Keep scrolling through our blog!
