Best Laptops for Working Remotely: 2019 Buyer’s Guide!

With remote work and freelancing jobs becoming more and more popular, many companies are trading their desktop computers for laptops. Laptops offer a portable solution to have your work done virtually anywhere, organizing your own time schedule as you go. Whether you’re going at a local café or coworking space, or in your occasional commute to your work’s place you need a trustworthy companion to carry along with you. Read through the article: we’ll be sharing some of the best laptops for working remotely, but before we go to our list, let’s first have an idea why we chose these laptops.

What to look for when choosing a laptop for working remotely?

As you might already know, it all depends on what type of remote work you’ll be doing; so there is no definitive answer here. So, before making your decision, list all the main tasks you’ll need to do on your future laptop, and also any resource intensive program that you might wanna use.

In addition to that, here are a few things that you should take into consideration to help you pick your next machine. As it’s needed for professional use through the course of the years, we wouldn’t recommend going any lower than an 8^th generation Intel Core i5 for the processor. On the RAM side, 8 GB minimum should do for any kind of software that you usually run for your business. Most of the professional laptops today come with a solid state drive (SSD) rather than a traditional HDD. Despite being more expensive for the same storage amount, SSDs offer an overall improved computing experience. They enable your laptop to boot on the go, so you’ll be just a few seconds away from your work files. Depending on your work, you may need to look out for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card. That’s for running photo editing, video editing and other graphics demanding software. The entry-level graphics card for laptops is the Nvidia GeForce MX150.

What about the screen size?

For most users, 13  to 14 inch  screen sizes offer the best balance between portability, ease of use and productivity. If you’re always on the go and don’t mind the loss in space view, a compact laptop might be the better choice for your needs. In our list, we’re going to recommend both traditional 15.6” laptops as lesser sizes. Another important feature of your machine is the battery life, especially if you plan to use it outdoors or in places where you don’t have the possibility to plug the laptop in. The more reliable laptop is the one that doesn’t shut down on you in the middle of work. Last, check in on the connectivity options. The latest standard for plugging in any phone or external drive is the USB Type-C, or Thunderbolt 3.

So, now that you have an idea what types of laptops we’ll be looking at, here are some of the best laptops for working remotely available right now. This list has no particular order, as these laptops are quite different from one another, and they suit different budgets too.

Best Laptops for Working Remotely:

Acer Aspire E 15  E5-576G-5762

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The Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576G-5762 is a great all-purpose laptop for those on a tight budget. The E15 is a great option if you’re looking for a budget laptop that can handle almost anything you throw at it. That’s because it features an entry-level dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX150 graphics card. The Aspire E15 is equipped with an 8th generation I5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD.

The Aspire E 15 offers a consistent performance and stays very responsive thanks to the included SSD and the fast RAM. In case you need more power, the RAM is expandable up to 32GB. You can add a second hard drive, too.

The Aspire E15 also offers great battery life: while Acer claims it can last 15 hours, you can expect an average of 10 hours in real world use, which is excellent at this price range!

LG Gram 15Z990-R.AAS9U1

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The LG Gram 15Z990-R.AAS9U1 is a thin and light, 15.6” Full HD touch-screen laptop with a narrow bezel design. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 8565U processor, coupled with 16 GB of RAM and 1TB SSD. Despite having a traditional screen size, the Gram weights less than 2.5 pounds.

Thanks to its processing power and considerable amount of RAM, the Gram makes for a rather powerful, high-end professional machine. It’s equipped with a backlit keyboard that features a separate number pad as well. That comes in handy if you do data entry work or are a heavy spreadsheets user.

Weighting less than 2.5lbs, the LG Gram also features one of the latest USB Type-C ports which also doubles as a Thunderbolt 3 port. The most surprising spec, though, is the battery life. The manufacturer claims it lasts up to 18.5 hours on average usage! That’s remarkable.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 20KH002JUS

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The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 20KH002JUS is a high end, 14” Full HD touch-screen laptop. It features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 8650U processor, 16 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD. It also comes with the Windows 10 Professional operating system.

Weighting less than 2.5lbs, the ThinkPad X1 makes for a rather powerful, highly durable and sleek laptop for business and productivity. As additional features, it includes a fingerprint reader and a USB Type-C port. And the cherry on the top is a built-in sliding cover for your webcam that ensures your privacy.

The ThinkPad X1 lasts up to 15 hours on average usage. Thanks to the rapid charge technology, you can recharge all your battery life in just about an hour. No wonder this laptop was reviewed as one of the best for business last year!

MSI P65 Creator 8RF-450US

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Next, the MSI P65 Creator 8RF-450US is a perfect fit for digital nomads who want plenty of power, but need a lightweight laptop that is easy to carry around. The P65 Creator features an 8^th generation Intel Core i7 8750H processor, 32 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD. The MSI P65 Creator should definitely be on your short list if you’re remote work involves any demanding tasks such as video editing or 3D modelling.

You’ll have trouble finding a laptop at this price range with the P65 Creator’s raw power, thanks to the remarkable amount of RAM. It’s also equipped with a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX1070 graphics card. That makes this laptop suitable for playing the latest AAA videogames, if that’s your alley.

The P65 Creator includes a fingerprint reader and a Thunderbolt 3 port. It enables for 8 whole hours of untethered productivity.

MacBook Pro 13

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When it comes to working remotely, the list cannot be complete without mentioning the Macbook pro. The new MacBook Pro 13 is a highly portable, 13.3” laptop that features an 8^th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 512 GB of SSD. This latest model comes with the Apple Touch Bar for a better ease of use. And there’s the Touch ID, to login on the go and secure online payments. If you’re a fan of the Apple OS, the MacBook Pro 13 is your choice to go.

The MacBook Pro 13 offers a great and durable build, while being thin and light at the same time. You won’t have trouble carrying it along with you in your daily businesses. It features four of the latest Thunderbolt 3 ports and offers up to 10 hours of battery life. There’s a reason as why so many freelancers chose the MacBook for their professional use.