The 15 best laptops for travel

Which laptop should you choose for your travels? We’ll help you choose the best laptop!

Checking your e-mails, keeping track of expenses from your bank’s online space, booking a hotel or an activity on site… there are many tasks during your trip that will require the use of a laptop. But you need to know how to choose the best laptop for your needs, and your means.

To help you see things more clearly, we’ve put together a ranking of the best models currently available on the market.

HP Spectre 13

Unveiled last year by the American manufacturer, the Spectre 13 is nothing less than the thinnest notebook currently available on the market. However, this race for slimness has an impact on the performance delivered by the beast, as does its technical endowment, which rather restricts the field of action and deployment attributed to it.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 229 x 10.4 mm, for 1.1 Kg and 6h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 or i7 processor combined with 8 GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 520, 13.3″ non-touch IPS display defined at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a non-expandable 256 or 512 GB SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Lenovo Yoga 910

In the space of a few years, Lenovo has become the real challenger to American manufacturers in the notebook and even desktop markets. The Chinese company did it again last year with the launch of a rather interesting convertible, the Yoga 910.

Dimensions, weight & operating time: 323 x 224.5 x 14.3 mm, for 1.4 kg and 9h operating time

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620, 13.9″ non-touch IPS display defined at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a 256 GB SSD, non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Home.

Acer Swift 7

Acer is the laptop industry’s true chameleon. The Taiwanese company knows how to adapt to all the changes inherent in the market, and covers all segments as usual. With its Swift 7, Acer offers a unique experience at an unbeatable price.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 324 x 229 x 98 mm, for 1.1 Kg and 5h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 615, 13.3″ non-touch IPS display defined at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by an expandable 256 GB SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Microsoft Surface Book

The Surface Book is Microsoft’s first foray into the notebook market. With this attempt at hardware, the software publisher became a manufacturer of electronic devices. Versatile and hybrid, this laptop is an excellent choice if you want to experience Microsoft products in a whole new way.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 229 x 10.4 mm, for 1.5 Kg and 8h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 or i7 processor combined with 16 GB RAM and an Intel HD Graphics 520 or NVIDIA 940M graphics card, depending on version, and a 13.5″ IPS touchscreen with 3200 x 1800 pixel resolution. Storage is provided by a non-extendable 128GB SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

HP EliteBook Folio G1

Every year, HP floods the market with portable machines in all segments. Its second laptop in this ranking is none other than the EliteBook Folio G1, a computer resolutely focused on versatility.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 229 x 12 mm, for 1 Kg and 9h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core m5 processor combined with 8 GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics, 12.5″ non-touch IPS display defined at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a 512 GB SSD, non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Acer Aspire S 13

At the end of 2016, Acer offered a new, more powerful machine with a sleeker design, the Aspire S 13.

Dimensions, weight & operating time: 327 x 228 x 14.5 mm, for 1.33 Kg and 9h operating time

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 520, 13-inch non-touch IPS display defined in 1920 x 1080 pixels. Storage is provided by a non-expandable 256 or 512 GB SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Samsung Notebook 9 Spin

Samsung reigns supreme on the smartphone market, but is struggling to establish itself on the laptop market. Hesitant to take on the big names in the sector, the South Korean has decided to market its portable machines only in certain countries, but you’ll also have access to them thanks to specialized resale sites. The laptop model we’re interested in today is none other than the Notebook 9 Spin, in a 13-inch convertible version.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 229 x 15 mm, for 1.3 Kg and 7h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 8 GB RAM and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 950M graphics card (2 GB GPU), a 13.3″ IPS touchscreen defined in 3200 x 1800 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a non-extendable 256 SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

HP Spectre x360

Much more affordable, the Spectre X360 is a rather interesting convertible developed by American manufacturer HP.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 306 x 218 x 13.8 mm, for 1.3 Kg and 8h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 Kaby Lake processor with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620, 13.3″ IPS touchscreen with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Finally, storage is provided by a 256 GB SSD, non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Razer Blade Stealth

Razer is a brand that specializes in computers for gamers. That said, the American giant hasn’t forgotten nomads and would-be travelers, who can count on the excellent Blade Stealth and its outrageous capabilities, for a few games of Call of Duty or Uncharted 4.

Dimensions, weight & battery life: 321 x 206 x 13.1 mm, for 1.3 Kg and 7h battery life (mixed use) and 5h playtime

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 16 GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620, 12.5″ IGZO touchscreen with 2560 x 1440 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a 256 GB SSD, non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Asus ZenBook UX305UA

Asus has proved to be one of the most successful computer manufacturers in recent years, despite a sluggish market. Last year, the Taiwanese giant threw itself into the race for luxury computers, offering the general public a new range of ZenBooks, the Windowsian alter-ego of the MacBook. The first model, the most affordable (in the luxury range) and also the most extensive in terms of connectivity, is the ZenBook UX305UA.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 229 x 10.4 mm, for 1.2 Kg and 6h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core M3 or M7 processor, combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 515, a 13.3″ non-touch IPS display defined in 1920 x 1080 pixels. A QHD+ 3200 x 1800 pixel version is also available. Finally, storage is provided by a non-expandable 256 or 512 GB SSD. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

Asus Zenbook 3

With its ZenBook 3, Asus offers a real alternative to Apple’s 12″ MacBook. The machine boasts breathtaking sobriety, far superior to that of its Apple rival. The ZenBook 3 also boasts a highly interesting technical arsenal, including a processor far more efficient than that of the 12-inch MacBook, and finally, in terms of finish, Asus has never delivered such a high level of quality.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 296 x 181.2 x 11.9 mm, for 910 g and 8h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 16 GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 620, 12.5″ non-touch IPS display defined at 1920 x 1080 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a 512 GB SSD, non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

MacBook Pro Retina 2016 with TouchBar

Last year, Apple finally renewed its aging MacBook Pro. With the 2016 Retina model, the Apple company offered a new machine featuring a new (and not always useful) technology, the Touch Bar. This is a second OLED screen that replaces the column where the function keys used to be located, and offers different levels of interaction with the computer.

The new MacBook Pro Retina is a real eye-catcher. What’s more, coupled with its now excellent battery life, it’s a nomadic machine, in the truest sense of the word.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 304 x 212 x 14.9 mm, for 1.37 Kg and 11h autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel Iris Graphics 540, 13.3″ non-touch IPS display defined at 2560 x 1600 pixels. Last but not least, storage is provided by a 256-bit, non-expandable SSD. The machine is installed under macOS Sierra.

Dell XPS 13

Dell went through a difficult period between 2005 and 2010. Since its recapitalization and the return of its founder to the board of directors, the brand has been producing machines that reconcile us with computing. Its excellent 13-inch XPS, renewed at the beginning of the year, offers the nec plus ultra of what to expect from an Ultrabook PC. Sober, well-groomed design, finesse, computing power and extensive connectivity are just some of the arguments that make this American machine the best choice of laptop for travelers.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 304 x 200 x 15 mm, for 1.34 Kg and 7h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i7 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 520, 13.3″ non-touch IPS display defined at 3200 x 1800 pixels. Finally, storage is provided by a 256 GB SSD, which is non-expandable. The machine is installed under Windows 10 Professional.

MacBook 12 Retina

Apple created a surprise in 2015 when it launched a new portable machine, the MacBook 12, equipped as its name suggests with a 12-inch screen. This machine initially posed a problem, featuring just one physical communication port, a USB Type-C. With the 2016 version, Apple has done it again, offering just one output, but the machine has managed to establish itself and to a lesser extent replace the aging MacBook Air, whose commercial performance is lagging behind.

Slim, compact and powerful enough for everyday tasks, it’s the perfect travel companion!

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 280 x 196 x 13.1 mm, for 920 g and 7h of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core m3 processor (base) combined with 8 GB RAM and Intel Iris Graphics 515, a 12″ non-touch IPS display defined in 2560 x 1600 pixels. Storage is provided by a non-expandable 256-bit SSD. The machine is installed under macOS Sierra.

MacBook Air 13 inch

Despite its wrinkles, the indestructible MacBook Air remains the affordable benchmark in Apple’s laptop catalog. The laptop, which was launched in 2008, will soon be relegated to prosperity, but until then, it remains the traveler’s only real companion. Combining versatility and power, elegance and finesse without sacrificing battery life, the 13-inch MacBook Air is our favorite in this ranking. It’s also the champion of all categories in terms of battery life.

Dimensions, weight & autonomy: 325 x 227 x 17 mm, for 1.35 Kg and 12h35 of autonomy

Platform: Intel Core i5 processor combined with 8GB RAM and Intel HD Graphics 6000, 13.3″ non-touch IPS display with 1440 x 900 pixel resolution. Finally, storage is provided by a 128 non-expandable SSD. The machine is installed under OS X Yosemite/macOS Sierra.