Best Business Laptops in 2022
The best business laptops are small enough to carry and big enough to use. They also pack enough battery power to get you through the day and enough grunt to get work done quickly. Don’t be left searching for a mains socket or waiting for your presentation to load. Invest in one of the best business laptops today.
Products at a Glance
Features and considerations
You need to consider a business laptop’s scope of use. It’ll likely be connected to a monitor, keyboard and mouse when used indoors. It’ll also be used on the move and at other sites to deliver presentations or video-confer with colleagues. Chances are you’ll be using cloud services and need web access. This means you need:
- A high-capacity battery that can last the working day
- Decent Wi-Fi and Ethernet connections to keep you connected
- Video ports to let you connect to offsite projectors and monitors
- Enough USB ports to connect various peripherals
- A powerful yet energy-efficient CPU
- A quick and energy efficient SSD
- A clear display
Powerful graphics adaptors are less necessary unless your work involves high-end CAD or creative work. You also need enough RAM to handle multiple applications and web browser windows for today and in the future.
How we picked the best business laptops
We picked the best business laptops using a combination of specs such as CPU, SSD capacity, memory size, screen resolution, peripheral ports, Wi-Fi standard and device weight. We also considered price. Laptops are customizable, so make sure the one you buy has everything you want and expect.
Best Business Laptops in 2022
- Great value
- Great set of connections
- Fast Wi-Fi
- Can specify NFC and contactless smartcard reader
The Dell Latitude 5000-series laptops pack high-end technology, a variety of connections and more into their chassis. Laptop sizes are 14in and 15.6in. It also includes Intel vPro management for security, reliability and performance.
You can configure the laptop with a choice of powerful 11th-generation Intel Core i5 and Core i7 processors. You can choose between 8GB and 16GB memory capacities, too, and 256GB and 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs. This means you can run multiple business applications at once, with fast boot and response times thanks to the SSD.
You can connect an Ethernet cable for network connectivity, but the Dell Latitude 5000-series also comes with 802.11ax Wi-Fi. This means you can get the fastest Wi-Fi speeds if you connect to a compatible router. That’s great if you need to be connected to use online services or connect to your work PC remotely.
Connections include HDMI 2.0 output, two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB3.2 ports, a MicroSD slot and a 3.5mm audio output. This means you’re unlikely to need USB or peripheral hubs. The laptops come with Windows 10 Pro installed and a Windows 11 Pro upgrade licence code.
This is the best business laptop for high-end business features such as Intel vPro, NFC and a contactless smartcard reader.
- Biometric security
- Latest generation connections
- Can specify a touchscreen display
- Battery lasts less than eight hours
The ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 is a sleek and attractive laptop whose higher specifications make it very business focussed. You can specify a Core i3 processor but go for a Core i5 or Core i7 processor instead. The processors are all 12th generation, so you’ll be using the latest ones. Specify Windows 11 Pro too.
The ThinkBook 15 has a fingerprint reader for biometric security. This gives you peace of mind should it go missing or if a colleague tries to gain access.
Storage can be configured between 256GB and 1TB, while the Full HD screen can be upgraded to an IPS touchscreen. Base Wi-Fi is 802.11ac, which is good, but you’ll want to specify 802.11ax for the fastest speeds.
Latest generation connections include a USB3.2 gen 2 port with DisplayPort and power delivery features, two USB3.2 gen 1 ports (one always on) and a Thunderbolt 4 port. There’s a HDMI2.1 video output, an Ethernet port and a combined microphone and headphone jack too, and a card reader.
Battery life is up to six hours, so not quite a working day. The ThinkBook 15 uses AI to help control ambient noise when you’re teleconferencing, which should improve the experience. Intel vPro compatibility is available on higher spec devices.
This is the best business laptop if you want the latest tech in a snazzy, business-focussed package.
- Powerful processors
- 16in model comes with Windows 11 Pro
- Not as many connections as the Dell Latitude models
Dell Vostro 5000-series laptops pack a good deal of value into their frames.
You can choose between two 11th-generation Intel processors (Core i5 and Core i7) when configuring the 14in version. 16in devices come with a choice of 12th-generation Core i5 and Core i7 processors. This means you can match your processor to your workload and budget.
You can upgrade 16in Vostro 5000s from 8GBs of memory to 16GBs. 14in models just have 8GBs of memory, which is enough for many users, but 16GBs is better for future use. You can select 256GB or 512GB m.2 PCIe NVMe SSDs. Either will give you snappy response and fast boot times, but the larger capacity is more desirable.
16in Dell Vostro 5000-series laptops come with Windows 11 Pro preinstalled, so you don’t have to upgrade from a home version or a previous Windows version. 14in models come with Windows 10 Pro preinstalled but have an upgrade licence for Windows 11 Pro.
Connections are two USB3.2 ports, one USB2 port, one HDMI 1.4 output, a Gigabit Ethernet port and a 3.5mm audio output. Not as varied as with a Dell Latitude laptop but still very much useable.
The Vostro 5000-series devices have 802.11ax Wi-Fi, which is the latest, fastest standard. This is great for those using online services over Wi-Fi.
This is the best business laptop for those who want value for their money.
- Biometric security
- Good value
- Limited number of connections
The ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 isn’t the latest generation of this laptop, but it is great value and still available. Its chassis contains an Intel Core i5- 1135G7 processor, 16GBs of RAM and a 512GB NVMe SSD. This lets you run multiple business applications and browser windows without trouble.
The integrated fingerprint reader reinforces the ThinkPad’s business nature, as does its 802.11ax Wi-Fi adaptor, which is the latest standard. This means you can gain the fastest Wi-Fi speeds when you’re connected to a compatible router.
Connections include one Thunderbolt 4, one USB3.2 (always on), one USB2 and one Ethernet ports. Plus, the ThinkPad E15 Gen 2 has a combined headphone and microphone jack. These are usable ports, but we’d prefer to have more.
It comes with Windows 11 Pro, so you don’t have to upgrade from a Home or previous Windows version. This lets saves your time and lets you configure it straight away. The ThinkPad E15 Gen 2’s 15.6in touchscreen lets you interact with it in a more natural manner when web browsing.
This is the best business laptop for those who a good value and biometric security.
Our Verdict
The Lenovo ThinkBook 15 Gen 4 is highly desirable and has lots of business-oriented features. However, the Dell Latitude 5000-series is the best business laptop for us. This is due to its Intel vPro compatibility, palmrest NFC connectivity, contactless smartcard reader and more.