Top 10 Best Laptop Brands (Get the Perfect Laptop for Your Needs)

The portable computer, or as commonly called the ‘laptop,’ has come a long way. What started as a chunky book-style computer back in 1982 has become one of the most useful technologies in the world. Today, we will list down the best laptop brands. 

This list is not exhaustive, but it covers most user profiles, from those who use it mainly for browsing the internet to those who play heavy graphics games. Also, our listing is not based on market capitalization but based on technology, the range of products, and the design offered by the brand. 

According to Gartner, PC shipments have picked up dramatically in 2021, totaling 71.6 million in the second quarter. By market cap, Lenovo remains the leader, followed by HP and Dell.

Best Laptop Brands

If you’re in the market for a new laptop, these top brands will meet your needs easily. Almost all of them have a global footprint, so you can find them everywhere. 

Hewlett Packard (HP) – Best Overall

HP is one of the pioneering companies in the portable computers space, producing a wide range of laptops and notebooks. They are also a big-time corporate favorite with enterprises using HP laptops for their employees. In terms of sales, there’s a very tight competition between HP and the Chinese tech giant, Lenovo. 

The brand has the most variety in 13-inch laptops, which is a decent size for most users. While there are many laptop series within HP, the most popular remains HP Envy. These are terrific machines packed with high-power processors, ample memory, and SSD storage. 

HP Envy x360, which is the latest in the series, is hands-down one of the best laptops in the market right now. Similarly, HP Envy 15 is also a powerful, all-rounder laptop with a beautiful design. 

HP laptops are generally more on the pricier end of the spectrum, but there are budget options as well. The brand’s premium laptop series is the Spectre, with the latest models including Spectre x360 13 and Spectre x360 14.

Most HP laptops come with Intel processors and Intel GPU. All of them are Windows-based, mostly coming with Windows 10 Home.  

HP also stands out from the crowd for its aesthetics. For many users, the design of the laptop is among the top considerations. These laptops are super sleek, lightweight, and feature decent keyboards. 

Furthermore, the company also fairs well when it comes to customer support. With most laptops coming with up to a three-year warranty, you’ll feel safer purchasing even a very expensive HP laptop.

Lenovo – Best Range

Lenovo is now the biggest laptop brand in the world, dominating the sales year on year. You’ve probably seen its ThinkPads and Ideapads in offices and classrooms alike. The company has established itself as a reliable manufacturer with the use of the latest technology and sturdy makes. 

For us, Lenovo stands out because of the sheer volume of choices it gives. The ThinkPad has become almost a flagship series for the brand. But there are several other series as well, catering to all sorts of users. 

Recently, they ventured to more dynamic lines, focusing on design more than what goes inside the machines.  

For instance, the ThinkPad X1 Nano is a competitor of MacBook Air as far as design is concerned. Then you also have the Ideapad Slim series that come with AMD processors. So they don’t just have the basic, durable PCs, but some aesthetically pleasing ones as well. 

Lenovo is also a winner when it comes to value for money. While people often think of their laptops as budget-friendly (and they indeed are), there are expensive models as well. For instance, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon can easily qualify as a high-end laptop.  Nevertheless, Lenovo also has laptops starting at just $249.

Dell – Best Battery Life

Most of us probably got a Dell as our first prized laptop. The Texas-based company dominated the PC industry for many years before other brands gained considerable market share. Dell devices are synonymous with reliability, with models lasting for years. 

The most popular Dell laptops are from the Latitude and Inspiron series. Much like HP, these Dell Latitude laptops, as well as some other models, do very well in the business and corporate sectors. Again, reliability is a big factor here because no business wants laptops with frequent issues. 

Dell championed solid designs that were driven by the latest Intel processors. However, over time, they have also focused on other areas of the machines. For instance, all the latest models come with high-resolution screens, competing with other brands that readily offer this feature. 

One thing that makes Dell laptops the best is their long battery life. However, that’s not the case with all, and also, the battery life reduces over time. However, if you compare it with others, Dell does offer long-lasting batteries in its laptops. 

Apple – Best for Apple Fans

You cannot talk about the best laptop brands without mentioning Apple. The MacBook Pro and MacBook Air laptops have a league of their own. The company has the third biggest market share in the US, according to Statista. 

Prior to 2020, Apple was using Intel processors in all Mac models, including MacBooks. However, now it’s making its very own processors, starting with the M1 chip. However, Intel still claims that its 11th generation Intel Core processor is better than the M1 processor. 

You simply cannot beat the level of precision, quality, and reputation Apple has managed to build with its laptops. They are razor-thin, feather-light, and very powerful. We all know how amazing Apple’s infrastructure security is, so these laptops are way less susceptible to viruses than Windows laptops. 

Thanks to the Touch Bar, the MacBook Pro series are even more user-friendly. While MacBook Pro is more advanced in terms of technology, MacBook Air still qualifies as a high-tech laptop with many advanced features. 

These laptops are ideal for those who already rely on the Apple ecosystem with iPhones and iPads. Also, if you’re used to Mac computers, you might not find transiting to a Windows laptop so easy. However, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air are not for gamers. 

Microsoft – Best 2-in-1 Laptops

Microsoft is known for Windows, so you wouldn’t expect them to land in the best laptop brand list. But they have made it to the list and for all the right reasons. The Microsoft Surface series of 2-in-1 laptops (laptop and tablet) easily beat out other such offerings from Lenovo, HP, and Dell. 

The company has made the Surface series a brand in its own right, producing many models that are suitable for a variety of users. The Surface Pro 8, for instance, is a high-tech laptop/tablet with way better battery life than the earlier iterations of the model. 

With tablets becoming more and more sophisticated, the Surface series has created a portable computer that works in many ways. It can also be great for those who rely on their laptops for entertainment. Simply detach the screen and watch movies and shows like you would on a tablet. 

Other than Surface Pro, the Surface Go 3 (following in the footsteps of its predecessor, the Surface Go 2) is extremely portable. The Surface Book 3 is the most powerful laptop by Microsoft, with an Intel Core processor and NVIDIA GeForce graphics card. 

It goes without saying that these laptops have the best Windows support because they come from Microsoft.

Acer – Best Budget-Friendly

Acer, the Taiwanese company, is known for budget-friendly laptops, and rightly so. If you have a small budget and want the best value for your buck, Acer is the answer. You can easily find a decent model under $500 with an Intel processor, although many models sport AMD processors. 

We find Acer to be an underrated brand as it has so much to offer. The Acer Swift series is its best offering so far, with incredibly sleek models at par with those of Lenovo or Dell. Then you also have the Acer Split series, which is basically like Microsoft Surface, but way less pricey. 

In terms of sales, the Acer Aspire laptops are the most popular. These are designed for casual users, but the higher-tier ones can also be used at offices and schools. You have both Intel and AMD processor choices, but they aren’t the latest in some models. 

Acer has also dabbled with Qualcomm, producing an ARM-based, extremely budget-friendly PC. 

If that’s not enough, Acer also offers something affordable for gamers with its Acer Nitro series. These are entry-level gaming laptops with all the essential features. 

The company also has a large collection of Chromebooks. Again, you can find both low-end and high-end Chromebooks, so there’s something for everyone. 

Razer – Best Gaming Laptops

If you’re looking for a gaming laptop brand, Razer is the best. Yes, almost all other brands also have gaming laptop series with some pretty great options, but Razer specializes in these laptops. You know how they say, you don’t have to be good at many things, you just have to be great at one!

Razer started as a gaming accessories and peripherals company and gradually started making laptops. Gamers give rave reviews about the Razer Blade series laptops, with the latest Razer Blade Pro 17 FHD 360 Hz easily being the best gaming laptop of the year. 

The brand knows everything about gaming, so they focus on making the machines better for gamers. What they want, they get; it’s as simple as that!

Recently, Razer is also venturing into other kinds of laptops and targeting another subset of laptop users. For instance, the Razer Blade 15 Studio Edition is designed for creative types, like designers, graphic artists, architects, and photographers. It has a stellar OLED display and 1 TB of SSD. 

Asus – Best for Casual Users

Asustek Computer Inc. is a Taiwanese multinational computer hardware and electronics company headquartered in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The company is also currently one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world and has a market share of around 11.7% by 2016. ASUS is a leading company when it comes to laptops.

Their products are not only from basic to advanced, from light to heavy, from cheap to expensive, but they have a wide variety to choose from. It seems that Asus has a laptop for every budget and every need!

It deserves to be on the best laptop brands list because of its stellar designs. The company produces ultra-thin notebooks called the ZenBook. These ZenBook laptops are simply beautiful and come with the same resources you would find in many Lenovo or Acer laptops. 

Asus ZenBook S is the best in the series, with a big display and angled keyboard that’s truly modern. It weighs just one kilogram. So even if you’re looking for more advanced laptops, Asus has some good options. 

The warranty is also impressive and offers one-year protection for many of the models. Learn more about other Asus laptop series here. 

Conclusion

These laptop brands cover about all brands available to us in the markets. Almost all of them have different series catering to business/enterprise clients, students, designers, gamers, and general users. However, each one is best at a particular type of laptop. 

So, as long as brand integrity and reliability is concerned, you can rest assured that you’re getting both. It’s also important to remember that not everything is perfect, so you must evaluate your needs and research before getting one for yourself.