With prices mostly significantly above $1,000 business notebooks tend to offer a lot. However, business customers also tend to ask for quite a lot in return. Long-lasting and robust cases, a wide variety of safety features, top-of-the-line communication modules, and last but not least a high level of performance paired with a low level of emissions. And to make matters worse, professional users have the habit of frequently asking for extended warranties and service options.
Given the often significantly longer life cycles of business notebooks, particularly in regard to the long-term availability of spare parts, we have extended the time frame for this category to at least 12 months or more. Please consider the following top lists when making a decision as well: MINI SERIES
The table above contains an overview over the best business laptops reviewed by Notebookcheck over the course of the past 12 months as well as still relevant and available older products. In cases of identical score the more recent device is listed first. All prices in above table and price comparisons are updated daily and can thus differ. Link: all devices in this class reviewed
The Dragonfly is taking flight: HP says goodbye to the name "Elite" for this year's HP Dragonfly G4 model, so that Dragonfly is now its own sub-brand. Apart from that and the upgrade from Intel Alder-Lake to Intel Raptor-Lake, not much changes on the Dragonfly. That's not a bad thing, since the Elite Dragonfly G3 was one of the business laptops we liked best last year, and the HP Dragonfly G4 fits right in. Its strengths include the great 3:2 display options, the very pleasant input devices, and the long battery life - all in a 1.148 kg case. The Dragonfly does not have to hide from Lenovo's X1 Carbon.
The fourth-generation Dragonfly is a small update for the already excellent third-generation Dragonfly. If you don't care about the new processor, you'll get virtually the same user experience with the Dragonfly G3.
The Elite Dragonfly G4 with i7-1335U costs around $2,000 on Amazon. Alternative, HP is now listing various configurations of the model, prices starting at $1,274.
Asus is not a big name in the business laptop sector, but the Asus ExpertBook B9 achieved a very good score in our test. It is a very light, compact business notebook with good input devices, a relatively large battery and a high-quality OLED display, which nevertheless accommodates numerous connections and security functions in the compact casing. One negative point is the high temperatures, and the RAM is soldered.
There is no real criticism. The ExpertBook is fast, light, mostly quiet - and expensive.
The device is sold among others through Amazon US in two configurations: 1TB SSD and 16GB RAM or 2TB SSD and 32GB RAM.
If the EliteBook series has a centerpiece, then it is clearly the EliteBook 800 series. The EliteBook 845 G10 is probably the most important and best model, especially in the second configuration we were able to test, which is equipped with a WUXGA display. Compared to the EliteBook 845 G10 with WQXGA LCD, the battery life of this variant is around a third better.
Otherwise, the model with 7840U retains the strengths of the other model, such as the very extensive features that leave little to be desired, the very good performance as well as the great input devices and the robust aluminum casing. In the end, the HP business notebook earns a "very good" rating.
With the AMD Phoenix-U processor, the EliteBook 845 G10 is even better in everyday use, as the fan is barely audible. The low-power display offers decent image quality and provides a clear advantage in terms of battery life.
At the time of writing, he HP EliteBook 845 G10 is available for a base price of US$2,007.00 in HP's US webstore.
Classic, more classic, ThinkPad T-series: If there is a laptop series that has been making the desktops of the world unsafe since the year 2000, that says something about its quality. This makes the ThinkPad T-series one of the most important pillars of the Lenovo ThinkPad portfolio - and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is the central pillar. We tested it in both the Intel and AMD versions, with the Ryzen offshoot performing slightly better. Lenovo offers a compact notebook that is extremely versatile, offers high quality input devices and is also very efficient. This earns the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 a "very good" rating.
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 AMD offers a great package of efficiency and versatility for businesses, but has to contend with one or two weak points.
The ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 is configurable in the US via Lenovo's official website, with prices starting at $840. Alternatively, users can purchase an AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 7840U-powered SKU of the laptop via Amazon for around $1,153.
In recent years, the AMD variants of Lenovo ThinkPads have tended to perform better than their Intel counterparts. So it is only logical that the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s Gen 4 AMD also achieves a better score than the ThinkPad T14s G4 Intel. The AMD variant delivers a significantly higher performance with a better battery life at the same time. Other features, such as the very good input devices or the numerous security features remain the same, the matte low-power display is also slightly better suited for normal office use - even if the OLED version has more beautiful colors. It's a bit of a shame that the fan tends to be a bit louder than on the competitors, and the soldered RAM is also to be criticized.
More performance and significantly longer battery life: With the AMD Ryzen processor and the matte IPS display, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14s G4 is even better and is one of the best business laptops on the market.
Black Friday deals: The device is currently selling at discounts of 40%-45% on Lenovo's US store.
Dell has done some experiments with its Latitude 9000 series this year, like the haptic trackpad or the new keyboard. We didn't like these experiments, so it's only logical that the Dell Latitude 7440 with its more conservative design wins a spot on our best list - while the more expensive Latitude 9440 has to stay out. Good input devices are a feature we simply expect in a business laptop, and the Dell Latitude 7440 does not disappoint in this area. Another strength is the good speakers, and the fan also remains quiet. On the other hand, we were somewhat disappointed by the stability of the magnesium-carbon case.
Other notable highlights of the Dell Latitude 7440 are the quiet fan noise, the good battery life and the loud speakers for a subnotebook design.
Currently, users can purchase Dell Latitude 7440 with a core i5-1345U for around $1,220 on Amazon. Also, it is available on Dell's webstore with prices starting at $1,529.
The HP Elite Dragonfly Folio 13.5 G3 is a special quick-change artist: it is a laptop-tablet hybrid with a hinge ala Surface Laptop Studio, where the screen lies on the keyboard. However, it is not HP's first laptop with this design; the predecessor with the same name already had such a hinge. However, there is one big difference between the new model and the older variants: The new Elite Dragonfly Folio 13.5 G3 relies on an Intel processor instead of an ARM chip.
This results in a much better performance than the predecessor, which significantly increases its practicality as a business laptop. The HP Folio has a great 3:2 screen, good input devices, it is maintainable and comes with an eight megapixel webcam as well as a stylus in the box. One weak point is the few ports, and it is also comparatively heavy.
The design of the Dragonfly Folio G3 is too important. The Dragonfly does offer unique aesthetics, but you get more ports on the slimmer EliteBooks and are more flexible as a result.
In the US, some variants of the Elite Dragonfly Folio 13.5 G3 are listed on Amazon with prices starting at $2,140.
What the EliteBook 800 is for HP and the ThinkPad T series for Lenovo, the Latitude 7000 series is for Dell. The Dell Latitude 7340 is the most compact model in this premium business laptop series. With its 13.3-inch display and a weight of just 1.1 kg, it is an almost ideal device for business customers who are often on the move. Part of the package: a long battery life, low fan noise and a matt, bright display.
The longer battery life, which is thanks to the identical battery with lower power consumption, is a positive feature.
Dell is currently shipping the Latitude 7340 starting at $1,619. Alternative, users can order the device via Amazon US.
There are already eight generations of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga. With the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga G8, Lenovo only takes a small update step, just like with the sister model X1 Carbon. The conclusion is similar: It is still a very high-quality business device, but there is room for improvement and a new design would be appropriate by now.
All in all, the 7th generation of the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is still a very good business convertible, but it becomes more difficult to justify the high price in view of the competition.
Amazon US is now listing some variants of ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 8. Otherwise, users can purchase the model via Lenovo's online store.
The largest model of the ThinkPad T-series enters its second generation, and the design does not change. Accordingly, the Lenovo ThinkPad T16 Gen 2 is largely identical to the predecessor, but now with a 5-megapixel webcam and Raptor Lake instead of Alder Lake.
The advantages and disadvantages of the predecessor are also largely the same in this model: The comparatively light and sturdy case has numerous ports including the now rare RJ45, a changeable and comfortable ThinkPad keyboard and a matte, bright low-power display. The ThinkPad laptop runs quietly for the most part and hardly gets warm, and the battery life rates are very good. On the other hand, soldered components like the RAM or the Wi-Fi module are disadvantageous, and an SD card reader is also missing.
Lenovo primarily updates the ThinkPad T16 G2: Alder Lake gives way to Raptor Lake - otherwise, nothing changes compared to the predecessor.
At the time of writing, ThinkPad T16 Gen 2 is available on Lenovo's webstore with prices starting at $1,093.
Lenovo traditionally launches the smallest ThinkPads as the ThinkPad X series. The latest model is the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4, which comes with an OLED screen for the first time, and the latest model also has a modernized design that is more reminiscent of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon.
This compact all-rounder for traveling business customers has many strengths, such as being equipped with 5G, the aforementioned OLED display and the very good ThinkPad input devices - however, the Intel Raptor Lake platform installed here leads to a high fan noise level and the OLED display to poor battery life. The CPU performance is also rather below average.
The Lenovo ThinkPad X13 G4 Intel is a high-quality subnotebook with 5G and OLED, but the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 also offers these two features.
In the US, some variants of Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Gen 4 are listed on Amazon. Alternatively, users can configure their own item via Lenovo's online store.
Light, lighter, Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano G3. No other ThinkPad laptop has such a low weight, which gives the compact 13-inch model a unique selling point. Otherwise, there is not very much to say about the X1 Nano Gen 3, as not much has changed in terms of design, features and display since the first version from 2021. The choice of Intel Raptor-Lake P28 CPUs is definitely to be criticized because the X1 Nano cannot call up the performance properly at all, but the battery life suffers - the U15 chips would have been the more suitable choice here.
The Gen 3 ThinkPad X1 Nano is one of the few 13-inch notebooks under 1 kg that is equipped with Core P CPUs. The performance is excellent for a short time before heat development and throttling set in.
Lenovo is now listing various configurations of ThinkPad X1 Nano G3 with prices starting at US$1,969.
For business travelers looking for a compact convertible laptop with a stylus, the Lenovo ThinkPad X13 Yoga G4 is an ideal choice. A matte, bright screen paired with great input devices, a rich feature set and long battery life - what more could you want for the ideal productivity machine on the go? In this case, the question can be answered: A better performance under permanent load, because here the X13 Yoga G4 is even slower than its direct predecessor.
Long battery life, but below-average performance: Lenovo's ThinkPad X13 Yoga Gen 4 once again shows the dilemma of Intel Raptor-Lake.
PREMIUM PLUS Currently, the X13 Yoga G4 is configurable in the US via Lenovo's official website, with prices starting at US$1,193.