Best Laptops for Writing 2022 (BATTERY, KEYBOARD & MORE)

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A great laptop for writing can make the difference between a gruelling test of your hands’ endurance while being tied to a wall socket, or comfortably flicking across the keys as you spend the day untethered.

I’ve done the hard work for you and found the best laptops for writing that have a great keyboard, generous battery life, and overall solid performance. Whether you’re searching for a budget machine or a monster laptop with some extra bells and whistles, we’ve got you covered.

Quick Menu

• Best Writing Laptops (Overall)
• Best Laptops for Writers on a Budget
• Best Laptops for Writers With a GPU
• FAQ – Best Laptops for Writing and Blogging

Best Writing Laptops (Overall)

Find our top 3 writing laptops below. We’ve included one of each from macOS, Windows, and Chrome OS.

MacBook Air M1 – Truly Premium With a Killer Keyboard

The new M1 chips that Apple has created for its newest MacBooks take performance to the next level, while its Magic keyboard update is a significant step up from its previous design. In combination, this makes it a brilliant device for writers – especially those who can make use of some extra creative power (or who simply desire something a little more premium).

Although they’re known as a premium range of laptops, MacBooks have been notorious for their less-than-perfect butterfly keyboard switches for several years now. Fortunately, with the release of the latest M1 MacBooks, Apple has decided to go with the superior scissor switches. These give you better key travel and comfort while typing, making for an overall far more satisfying typing experience.

The inclusion of the new M1 chips are great not only due to their improved performance – they also lead to significant improvements in battery life. Estimates show that battery life while browsing can reach a massive 18 hours, although this is under lab-like conditions. In practice, you’ll simply never have to worry about getting through a whole workday on a single charge.

Of course, if you’re into Apple products you already know what to expect as a whole. Top build quality, a slick user interface and simplified settings, and an overall premium experience are what we’ve come to expect from Apple, and the MacBook Air M1 is no different. The completely fanless (and silent) build just makes it all the more impressive.

If you prefer something a little more powerful, the MacBook Pro M1 offers improved specs including more CPU and GPU power, increased RAM, and a fan to actively cool your device during heavier workloads.

Note: The Macbook Air M1 technically has GPU cores that can be used for beefier creative work like video editing or some light gaming. However, I included it here and not in the writing laptops with a GPU section simply because it’s my #1 pick overall and doesn’t technically house a dedicated GPU.

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9 – Extreme Build Quality and a Quality Keyboard

Initially seen as a business-class range of laptops, ThinkPads have since become recognized by all folks for their superior build quality and fantastic keyboards. The X1 Carbon Gen 9 continues this trend, with a spill-proof keyboard, solid carbon-fiber construction, and great specs.

You can choose between high-quality 4K or 1080p panels – 4K is brighter than all but one of the 1080p options, which is important if you plan to write a lot outdoors. However, a 4K panel will also have a large impact on your battery life, and doesn’t benefit you a lot on a panel that’s just 14″ large. The most balanced pick is the brightest 1080p panel with the matte option, which is better for battery while being bright and usable in bright environments. A huge upgrade over the previous X1 Carbon is that the new panel is 16:10 – this is brilliant for the extra usable screen space you’re given.

The X1 Carbon has chiclet-style keys, which have a good amount of travel, satisfying “clickiness”, and overall make for a great typing experience. The keyboard is also spill-proof to prevent accidental disaster, and also makes it easy to wipe down if you’ve spent some time in public and want to sanitize the device. You’ve also got the classic Lenovo pointing stick (or “nipple mouse“) available if you’re a fan.

Overall, Lenovo has done a lot to improve this generation of the X1 Carbon – there’s a fingerprint reader built into the power button, solid upwards-firing speakers, and an optional IR camera that’s compatible with Windows Hello face recognition. It’s a good balance of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” and thoughtful iteration.

The only downside is that I’m used to my keyboards and laptops having the CTRL key in the bottom left of the keyboard and FN somewhere to the right, while the X1 Carbon has them flipped over. However, if it bugs you, you can use ThinkPad’s integrated software to switch them back.

Google Pixelbook Go – Fantastic Keyboard and Extremely Light

I never saw myself recommending a Chromebook so high up, but Google’s Pixelbook Go ticks so many boxes for writers that I couldn’t ignore it.

First of all, the Hush keyboard might be one of the best keyboards on a laptop. Its keys are almost silent but have great feedback, preventing long typing sessions from turning into a wrist pain nightmare. If you’re purely after a fantastic typing experience, the Pixelbook Go might be for you.

You can also take this writing machine on the road with you for extended periods, with an average battery life of 10-12 hours. This varies depending on the model you choose and your device activity, but it’s a fantastic base that’s seldom seen.

If you need a webcam to communicate with clients or friends, you’ll also be more than happy with the crisp 1080p webcam included. It’s a rarity since it runs not only at such a sharp image quality but also at 60 frames per second – giving you some of the smoothest picture quality in your video chats.

There are some quirks that may annoy you if you’re used to Windows or macOS devices, such as the lack of a Delete key and a launcher button instead of the Caps Lock key. However, these are minor niggles on an otherwise fantastic machine. Additionally, keep in mind that while the Pixelbook’s specs are by no means weak, if you’re looking for raw power for when you’re not writing you’ll be better served with other choices on this list.

Best Laptops for Writers on a Budget

Want a quality writing machine that doesn’t break the bank? You’ll find a few of the best laptops for writers on a budget below.

ASUS VivoBook L203MA – A Great Ultra-Portable Budget Choice

If you’re looking for a device that can be taken with you almost anywhere and is cheap enough that it won’t break the bank, the L203MA is a great choice. This ASUS VivoBook is the smallest device on this list and by far the most affordable.

The keyboard isn’t on the same level as the more premium devices on this list, but it holds its own considering the price and size of the device. It’s a chiclet-style affair, but lacks the backlighting you’ll find on all other devices here – if you frequently work in the dark, it won’t be the best option. However, the keyboard is surprisingly nice to use, and it’s hard to find much better at this price point.

The 11″ display has a resolution of 1366×768. This is only HD (rather than full HD) and may be noticeable if you’re coming from a higher-resolution display. However, the smaller size of the display helps offset the lower resolution, and in this price range, it’s a common drawback.

I was also pleasantly surprised to find that the L203MA has a good selection of ports for such a small device. The inclusion of a USB-C is perhaps most surprising, although you also get USB 3.1, HDMI, and a MicroSD reader. Finally, you should get around 5 hours of use from the L203MA – enough to see you through most of the working day.

It won’t win any awards for laptop of the year, but the L203MA makes for a surprisingly great budget build.

Lenovo Flex 5 14″ AMD – Offers Versatility and Great Value for Money

The Lenovo Flex 5 may be a budget laptop but it has a whole lot on offer. The keyboard has a comfortable amount of travel and makes long writing sessions a breeze – it’s also backlit, which many budget laptops don’t offer. My main gripe with the keyboard is that the up and down arrow keys are only half-sized, which took a little while for me to get used to.

The “Flex” part of the name indicates that you can flip the screen all the way over and stand the laptop up or use it like a tablet. I found this very useful when I finished a longer writing session, since I could lie back and read back over the text in a way that few other laptops let you do.

Performance-wise it’s also no slouch, packing an AMD APU that can handle any of your regular tasks like word processing, browsing, or watching content. Don’t expect too much from the integrated GPU, although it can handle some light photo and video editing (as well as some basic gaming if that’s your thing).

I was perhaps most impressed by the Flex’s battery life, clocking in at over 10 hours on one charge. However, this is helped out by one of the main downsides of the Flex 5 – its rather dim display. When you’re on battery this gets even dimmer due to AMD’s Vari-Bright technology (which you can turn off in the settings). However, if you’re not frequently sitting with your screen directly exposed to sunlight, it should be plenty for most regular use.

Best Laptops for Writing with a GPU

After one of the best laptops for writing and video editing? Or perhaps you just like to kick back for some gaming after work. You’ll find machines that can handle all of the above here.

Asus Zephyrus G14 – Tons of Power in Just 14″

The Zephyrus G14 was my favorite laptop of 2020, and with its 2021 refresh, it retains the crown. This is due to a combination of its portability, great keyboard, and surprising power.

Its keyboard offers a great typing experience, with good travel and adequate key spacing even on such a small device. I regularly type on it for 10+ hours per day and have never encountered hand fatigue or discomfort. Where the keyboard falls slightly short is the key backlighting, which is slightly irregular and not as clean as it could be.

“Gaming laptop” and “many hours unplugged” seem like counterintuitive ideas, but the G14 believes otherwise. With some tweaks (there are many guides online), you can easily achieve 8-10 hours on a single charge if all you’re doing is writing and doing some light browsing. Of course, with some video streaming or other processor-intensive activities, these figures will drop off.

Your GPU choice begins with the 1060TI, which is enough for some light gaming and creative work, all the way up to the RTX 3060 which can handle a whole lot more. In combination with the latest Ryzen processors, the G14 makes short work of video editing, rendering, gaming, and anything else you can throw at it. Given its size, this is no small feat by Asus!

Of course, no laptop is without its faults. The main culprits here are the complete lack of a webcam and the numpad area you’d usually find on a larger keyboard. I’m personally not too bothered by the missing webcam since I have a separate, dedicated one, but if you don’t and need one while on the move this could be an issue. The keyboard layout may be more frustrating to people, since you lose out on several keys such as HOME, END, PGDOWN, PGUP etc. However, even though I write all day and dabble in coding, I learnt to live with this very quickly and don’t have any continuing issues.

If you prefer a larger screen and a little more power you can also check out the Zephyrus G15. This comes with a larger 15-inch screen, more powerful GPU options, and a larger battery size – but retains many of the elements that makes its smaller sibling great.

Lenovo Legion 5 Pro – Powerful Specs and a Great Display for Productivity

Lenovo’s Legion line is known for its no-nonsense approach to high-spec but affordable machines. The latest Legion 5 Pro doesn’t change this winning formula, twinning AMD’s latest Ryzen 5000 chips with up to an RTX 3070 GPU. This combination will simply knock the socks off any task you can throw at it.

Lenovo’s TrueStrike keyboard offers good travel and feedback, feeling very similar to their ThinkPad range (which I ranked very highly just up the page). The keys actually have a slightly concave shape to them, which I found even nicer than regular flat keys thanks to the more tactile feeling while typing. For extended writing sessions, it’s an extremely comfortable keyboard, something you don’t always see on a gaming machine like this.

One of my favorite features of the Legion Pro 5 is its 16:10 aspect ratio display. This means you get extra vertical real estate – perfect for writing and dedicating more screen space to any given task. It’s also great to simply snap programs to the left or right of your screen and see more of what you’re up to, or just for consuming video content. The fact that it’s a color-accurate quad high-resolution screen also means that everything you do is easy on the eyes (and beneficial if you do photo or video editing on the side).

By nature of being a gaming laptop with a larger display, the main problem you’ll face here is battery life, although you’re likely to achieve 7-8 hours on one charge. It’s also the heaviest and bulkiest laptop on this list when it comes to carrying it around, which might deter some. However, if you’re looking for a mobile desktop replacement, it’s hard to go wrong here.

FAQ – Best Laptops for Writing and Blogging

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Whichever laptop you choose, you’ll want to ensure it’s running the most useful apps for productivity, organization, and more. We’ve created a list of the best apps for freelancers, including several apps that are must-haves for writers and freelancers in general – make sure you use Ninite (at the bottom of the article) to make initial setup of your computer a breeze.

Additionally, if you want to browse anonymously and retain access to your favorite content wherever you are in the world, you can check out our shortlist of the best VPNs for freelancers and digital nomads.