12 Best Laptops for Bloggers in 2021 (By a Travel Blogger)

If you’re looking for the best laptops for bloggers, this post is a comprehensive blogging laptops comparison. I am a travel blogger and a digital nomad, and I know what features we – bloggers need in a good laptop.

Blogging is so much more than just typing in WordPress. Many of us are also photographers, which means we need a laptop with good storage and graphics. YouTubers, videographers and podcasters will require a strong processing power that good laptops for editing should always have, while digital nomads want a lightweight body.

In the next section, you’ll find out what features to look for in the best laptops for blogging.

Best laptops for bloggers – Comparison Table

How to choose the best laptop for blogging?

The most significant determining factor in choosing your next laptop is how you intended to use it.

Light every day activities

If you’re planning to use your laptop predominantly for emailing, watching Netflix, social media, browsing the internet, perhaps doing research for your new blog posts or writing in Microsoft Word, then a laptop in the range of $500 to $1,000 should suffice.

It is worth researching what other applications and programmes would you need on your laptop and how much memory and power they require from a computer. If you only use standard applications, then 4-8 GB RAM is sufficient with up to 256 GB of storage that will allow you to store documents, photos, and movies.

Best Budget Laptop 2021 – Acer Chromebook Spin 311

Photo editing

If you’re a blogger who is also heavy into photography or travel and takes many photos to store on your laptop, you will require substantial storage.

If you have lots of RAW photos, then you will need a few terabytes (TB), a good processor and 16 GB RAM so that your laptop can smoothly operate in photo editing programmes such as Lightroom and Photoshop.

Best Laptop for Storing Photos – MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) with up to 8 TB SSD

Generally, laptops with very high storage capacity will cost substantially more. If you want to save money, you can purchase high-quality external storage such as LaCie. If you don’t mind an additional gadget, external storage will cost way less money and will provide extra security to your files.

Video editing

If you’re looking for the best laptop for film editing, in addition to good storage and high RAM, you will want to look at the power of computing of the laptop, which is closely related to its processor or chip.

A processor/chip of a laptop is the same as an engine in the car. Most laptops use Intel Core Chips that come in four categories – i3, i5, i7 and i9 – the higher being, the more powerful. So, if you want the best laptop for editing video, you may want to get one with Inter Core of at least i7.

Another essential feature for editing videos is a good display. It may often mean you may want to get larger than a 13-inch screen laptop with a dedicated graphics card.

Best MacBook Pro for Video Editing – MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019) with Intel Core i7-i9, up to 64GB RAM and professional graphic card from AMD

Gaming

In addition to their blogging business, for those who want to do some gaming on their laptop, there are additional specs to look for when choosing the best gaming laptop, such as a graphics card, sound system, and a powerful processor.

It will all depend on the games you play too. Some games require more robust laptops, such as the ones that you stream while playing. You will also want something not too chunky. One of the most powerful gaming laptops in 2021 is Razer Blade 15, and the best lightweight gaming laptop.

Best 2021 Gaming Laptop – Razer Blade 15

Podcasting/ recording

Whether you’re a professional podcaster or a beginner, you will want to decide what software for recording your podcasts you need and its hardware requirements.

Some software such as Audacity only requires 2GB of RA< and 1GHz processing speed, so if you’re on a budget, you don’t need to worry about the additional requirements. 

In addition to the recording software requirements, you will be using editing software and various audio plugins for sound effects and transitions that will require a powerful processor, so you don’t experience much lag in the recording.

Other recommended specs – minimum 8-16 RAM, minimum storage 256 GB SSD and Intel Core of i5.

Outdoor/ travelling

If you’re someone that does a lot of fieldwork, such as adventure bloggers with minimal charging opportunities, the battery life will be your primary concern. Also, if you’re using the laptop in a task-intensive way, such as downloading, you may also require a long battery life.  Some laptop batteries can last up to 20 hours.

If you are a digital nomad or a travel blogger, you may want to get something lightweight and small without compromising on the most important features. The sweet spot can be found between 1 kg to 1.5 kg with a 13-14 inch size screen. The best laptops for travelling are light with long battery life.

Best lightweight laptop with long battery life – MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020) with 20 hours battery life & 1.4kg (3lbs)

Best laptops for Bloggers – SUMMARY

12 Best laptops for bloggers

Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020) – The best laptop for bloggers in 2021

Apple MacBook Air M1 is a revolutionary laptop released by Apple in 2020 with the new Apple M1 chip that replaces the previous Intel processor. It’s fast, it’s responsive, has decent storage, and it is incredibly lightweight – so if you’re looking for the best laptop for content creation of any type, MacBook Air M1 is your pick.

Full Review

MacBook Air M1 is not a cheap laptop, but it gives an excellent value for money, being priced at the same point as the previous model MacBook Air. It is also cheaper than some premium Windows 10 laptops such as Dell XPS 13.

Apple claims that MacBook Air M1 is three times faster than other laptops in its class and 98% faster than PC laptops sold in 2020. Due to the new processor, some niche apps may not be compatible yet with the M1 chip, so you should definitely check before making a purchase if you use one of them.

To all photographers and videographers out there – MacBook Air M1 can run Intel-based apps such as Lightroom and Premiere Pro thanks to the Rosetta 2. Adobe Photoshop has already been optimised for M1 chips, and it’s just a matter of time when others will be optimised for M1 too. The bottom line is that you can still use them on the new mac but if you use a very niche app, make sure to double-check the compatibility.

MacBook Air M1, in addition to its revolutionary new M1 chip, has been preinstalled with macOS Big Sur that allows new, legacy and iOS apps to run seamlessly with it, which means you can use favourite tools from your iPhone and old apps from previous macs.

The battery life on the MacBook Air M1 is excellent and lasts up to 15 hours of web browsing or 18 hours of video playing, which is longer than its PC counterpart Dell XPS 13 but not as long as in MacBook Pro 2020. You can easily spend an entire day working on it without the need to charge, making it an excellent travel laptop / best travel business laptop.

With all the above features, coupled with its slim and lightweight body, it is one of the best laptops for digital nomads and the best laptop for travel and work.

It is also extremely quiet in use because it has no fan, which may be a helpful feature when using in public, for example, to do some work on the plane. 

MacBook Air M1 has precisely the same design and look as the previous model, which may be good news or a disappointment for those that wanted the design to reflect its revolutionary enhancements.

The bottom line is that MacBook Air M1 is the best laptop for travelers and bloggers of any sort, as well as the best laptop for home use if you’re fond of Apple products.

Dell XPS 13 (2020) – Best laptop for business travel & stylish design

Dell XPS 13 is a strong performer with a premium-looking design. If you’re looking for something professional and slick, expensive-looking, this is an excellent option for you. This is also a perfect option for those that don’t like Macs and prefer to stick with Windows-based devices.

Full review

Solid performance coupled with extreme portability and smart design makes Dell XPS 13 one of the best laptops for travelling business. This is a laptop you will want to show off at one of your business meetings!

The higher price tag comes with a stunning design – excellent display with almost no bezels, decent graphics displaying accurate colours and a comfortable keyboard.

With an Intel Core i7 processor and 16GB of RAM, you will be able to multitask on this laptop with ease without any noticeable slowdown. It’s also a robust device for manipulating large files such as RAW images in Lightroom or Adobe Photoshop.  However, if you’re a videographer, this may not be the best laptop for editing movies. Check out MacBook Pro 16″ 2019 instead.

If you’re willing to pay extra, you can upgrade the storage for up to 2TB and get a 4k touch screen. However, if you’re someone who cares about audio, this is not the best choice unless you wear quality headphones because the speaker is placed at the bottom of the laptop. Having said that, the bottom speaker is loud and clear enough for most activities such as watching movies.

With up to 17 hours of battery life, you’ll be able to get a full day of work on one battery with this Dell model and stream a few Netflix movies in the evening too!

With Dell Cinema Guide, you can search movies from all your streaming providers under one application. This awesome feature, coupled with the touch screen feature, makes Dell XPS 13 a strong contender for the best laptop for streaming videos.

Dell XPS 13, unlike MacBooks, has an SD card reader, which can be handy for exporting photos and videos from your camera without the need for an adapter or a USB cable. And a good quality webcam makes this also an excellent choice for podcasters and vloggers.

Overall, Dell XPS 13 is a solid laptop with a gorgeous design if you’re willing to pay the premium price tag and if you’re not a big fan of mac devices. 

Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch 2019) – Best laptop for Adobe Premiere Pro & all pro bloggers

MacBook Pro 16″ is believed to be the best MacBook ever, and there are many good reasons for that! Apple is about to release an updated version of MacBook Pro 16″ sometime in 2021. Until then, this MacBook remains to be the best mac laptop for video editing and pretty much everything else, strongly competing with some of the best computers for YouTubers.

Full Review

MacBook Pro 16″ is a mighty laptop that can handle pretty much any task intensive workload. It has some powerful specs and can be configured up to 64GB RAM and 8TB of storage! It doesn’t really get more powerful than this. If you’re a blogger that likes to store all your photos, videos, or audio files on your laptop to use them any time, this is the laptop for you. That will also save you the need to carry an external hard drive with you, which may be a nuisance if you travel lots.

Stellar processor and storage coupled with solid 7nm AMD Radeon Pro 5000M series graphics card mean MacBook Pro 16″ can handle pretty much any graphic-intensive tasks seamlessly such as video rendering. MacBook Pro 16″ is the best laptop for filmmaking but also good for gaming. If you’re a professional YouTuber or videographer, this MacBook is really worth the investment.

Another critical feature for the best laptop for movie editing is display, and MacBook Pro 16″ does not fall short in this area either. Its screen has a higher resolution than the previous Mac model. It’s also larger, but thanks to making bezels thinner, it doesn’t really look larger than MacBook Pro 15″. A bigger laptop screen is also helpful in working with multiple applications and allows you to have two windows open side by side, imitating having two screens.

In addition, MacBook Pro 16″ has one of the best laptop speakers ever (if not the best) with clear stereo separation and incredible virtual surround, making watching movies a true pleasure. And with an excellent inbuilt microphone, this is not only the best laptop for making videos but also the best laptop for vlogging and the best laptop for podcasting.

Finally, it is also great to know that battery life hasn’t been compromised with such a powerful laptop! With up to 11hours (which is better than Razer Blade 15), you will be able to go through most of your working day undisturbed.

To sum up, MacBook Pro 16″ is one of the most powerful laptops ever made with premium features and hardly any flaws. The only reason you may not want to choose this laptop is its relatively hefty price tag (although it is the same as the previous pro model) or the fact that you may not simply need all its power.

Dell XPS 15 (2020) – Best Dell Laptop for video editing

Dell XPS 15 is one of the best laptops out there. If you’re not a fan of Apple products and looking for something Windows-based, then this laptop is the ultimate choice for any type of blogging. However, it does cost more than the newest MacBook Air M1.

Full review

With 10th generation Intel Core i7 and 512GB of storage, Dell XPS 15 is a strong performer when it comes to pretty much any workload, multitasking and some lighter gaming.

Dell XPS 15 can also be configured up to 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, which means that this laptop can be used by creative professionals – music makers, videographers and photographers alike. With a higher configuration, this Dell is by far the best Windows laptop for video editing and one of the better digital nomad laptops if you don’t mind that extra weight in your bag. 1TB of storage will give you a decent amount of room for storing your large RAW files

Another great feature of this Dell laptop is its 3840 x 2400 resolution display which is bright and vivid, displaying accurate colours that creators and photographers can appreciate.

Dell XPS 15 has one of the best designs seen in a Windows laptop –it’s thin, it’s relatively light with speakers upfront and way thinner bezels than other laptops. If you’re looking for something stylish non macOS run, XPS 15 won’t disappoint with the CNC aluminium outside and carbon fibre on the inside.

XPS 15 is equipped with excellent quality speakers that can be a deal-breaker for some creators looking for the best recording laptop but also a handy feature to watch Netflix in bed.

It also comes with an SD card reader, which is always a bonus since most laptops nowadays don’t have that in the name of portability and slimmer body, and it will allow you to live an adapter free life.

This laptop is a good Dell travel laptop too. With a battery lasting up to 10 hours, it will get you through a long flight or a full day of work outdoors or in between meetings. 

Overall, Dell XPS 15 is one of the best laptops out there for those that want a Windows-based best computer for blogging. It has a slick design, quality display, and its solid computing power can handle pretty much any task. It also comes with a substantial upgradeability for professional content creators.

LG GRAM 17 (2021) – Best big screen laptop

LG Gram 17 is a powerful laptop with a beautiful large screen and simple design for those looking for maximum functionality and power for their money.

Full review

LG Gram 17 is equipped with an 11th generation processor Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM and up to 1TB of storage. These features make this laptop a powerful device for any task. It boots up quickly, opens various apps with almost no waiting time and can handle multiple tasks performed simultaneously with ease and no delay.

If you’re a person that has multiple Chrome tabs open while messaging and editing photos at the same time, LG Gram 17 will provide you with a smooth performance. While it is not a gaming laptop, LG Gram 17 will handle some smaller-scale games with ease. 

Also, LG Gram 17 comes with a generous amount of ports such as HDMI, SD card reader and USB-C Thunderbolt 4. This will allow you to download your photos from a camera or videos from your drone without the need for an adapter. You can also plug with ease external storage devices.

The 17-inch screen with 2560 x 1600 resolution makes the display beautifully crisp and large. This aspect is particularly handy if you work with multiple windows at once. On the 17-inch screen, you can easily have two windows open, which will increase your productivity. With Intel Iris Xe Graphics, LG Gram 17 is suitable for photo editing and will make watching Netflix an absolute pleasure. Another great feature is its large and comfortable keyboard that will be appreciated by any blogger that does a lot of writing.

The biggest selling point of this laptop is its large screen coupled with how light it is. It weighs 1.35 kg which is truly astonishing for a 17-incher. LG Gram 17 is the lightest 17 inch laptop, and its competition doesn’t come any near it. For example, Gigabyte Aero 17 weights 2.49 kg and XMG Pro 17 2.3 kg. However, if a large screen is not the main draw to this laptop for you, go for LG Gram 16″, which will save you quite a few backs, and it’s even lighter!

If you’re looking for something highly portable for travelling or commuting but don’t want to compromise on the size of the screen – LG Gram 17 (2021) is an excellent portable, powerful laptop. It also has a sturdy built featuring a full metal body that will be able to survive a few bushes with ease.

LG Gram 17 also has an excellent battery life lasting way beyond a working day, depending on the type of work you do. It also charges from zero to complete within 2 hours. So, if battery life is essential for you, then you should strongly consider LG Gram 17.

Overall, LG Gram 17 is an excellent choice for bloggers that are looking for maximum productivity. With a large, quality screen, powerful processor, plenty of storage and super-long battery life, you will undoubtedly be able to achieve that.

Acer Swift 3 (14″ 2020) – Best cheap laptop for editing YouTube videos

If you’re looking for the best cheap laptop for video editing, Acer Swift 3 offers a solid performance that comes close to the performance of high-end laptops such as Dell XPS 13 for a much smaller price tag. If you’re on a tight budget and looking to get the best value possible for your bucks, then this is it.

Full review

Acer Swift 3 is a solid multitasker allowing users to run multiple tabs and apps smoothly.

Is it also the best budget laptop for Adobe Creative Cloud. You will be able to upload and edit photos in Lightroom and Photoshop effortlessly. So, if you’re blogging business involves a lot of content creation and looking for a budget laptop, Acer Swift 3 is a great option.

In terms of video editing, Acer Swift 3 will handle light editing well, and because it has both expandable storage and memory, you can add that in the future if required. It has two memory card slots where you can put up to 16GB RAM in each and plenty of ports to plug an external drive if you need more storage for your videos or photos. If you’re a starting up YouTuber or videographer, this is a great entry-level laptop.

If you can spend more money, I recommend going for the MacBook Air M1, which is one of the best laptops for most people and it will give you more computing power and even better performance.

The Swift 3 features a 15″ Full HD display, which meets the market standards but at the same time is not the sharpest on the market right now, and in a budget model, you should not expect that either.

Acer Swift 3 has a stylish minimalist design resembling a MacBook Air with its matt-silver finish. It is incredibly light and thin, which makes it also a great laptop for travel.

Overall, Acer Swift 3 is the best affordable laptop for video editing on the market right now and offers an excellent bang for your buck.

Google Pixelbook Go – Small travel laptop with best camera

Google Pixelbook Go is an excellent Chromebook that won’t break the bank. It comes with premium features such as superb battery life and a 1080p webcam superior to more expensive proper Pixelbook and even MacBook Pro 2019!

Full review

With its star feature – 1080p front-facing webcam recording 60 frames per second, Google Pixelbook Go is a solid laptop choice for those that do online teaching, Zoom calls with clients and record podcasts and online courses.

When it comes to performance, with 8GB RAM, Pixelbook Go can handle multitasking well, including some light photo editing. However, this is not the best laptop for travelling photographers and content creators if you’re a professional. It is also because the Chrome OS operating system cannon compete with the full spec of Windows 10 or macOS.

If you need more computing power, choose MacBook Air M1 or MacBook Pro 2019 for an ultimate powerhouse.

Google Pixelbook Go is exceptionally lightweight – just over 1 kg and super thin, making this small lightweight laptop one of the best travel laptops.

It also comes with one of the best keyboards ever made – Google’s ‘Hush’ design that facilitates silent typing. The keyboard is also backlit so you can work in the dark, for example on an airplane. The touch screen capability on this laptop can be handy while travelling and operating various apps.

Travel laptops should also have a long battery life, and Google Pixelbook Go doesn’t disappoint in this area either. With up to 12 hours of battery life, Pixelbook Go will allow you to stream movies on a train journey or browse the net while waiting for the plane. It also charges extremely quickly, which is another perk for making this your travelling laptop.

Overall, Google Pixelbook Go is the best Chromebook for travel and one of the best laptops for travellers due to its extremely lightweight body and slim design. It has a superior web camera which is its biggest selling point.

ASUS ZenBook 13 – Best laptop for travelling (budget pick)

Asus ZenBook 13 is one of the best laptops for travelers looking for a stylish Ultrabook with an excellent battery life that won’t break the budget.

Full review

The best feature of this laptop is its stylish design – ultra-slim with a backlit keyboard and weighing just over 1 kg; Asus ZenBook is one of the lightest and most portable laptops out there.

If you are a travel blogger that travels lots, you may want to consider this budget choice. In addition, to be slim and light, ZenBook 13 has a durable build that can survive quite a few bashes here and there. And its remarkable battery life of up to 16 hours will get you through not only a day of work but also a night of watching Netflix or browsing.

Equipped with Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM, ZenBook 13 seamlessly handles casual usage such as streaming, watching Netflix, emailing, social media, browsing and occasional light photo editing sessions. This Asus laptop is also extremely quiet while operating, which is a bonus.

However, if you’re looking for an Asus editing video, this is not it. Instead, I recommend looking into getting MacBook Air M1 or if you’re not a fan of macOS laptops, consider buying Dell XPS 15.

What’s very handy is that Asus ZenBook 13 comes with an SD card reader, which is a great function for downloading content from your camera with ease. It does not come with a headphone jack, but Asus provides a dongle for that. Further, 3 USB ports will allow for plugging in some external storage. Finally, ZenBook 13 comes with excellent quality speakers, which definitely compensates for the lack of a headphone jack.

Overall, Asus ZenBook 13 is a solids budget choice for bloggers that value portability, slick design but don’t plan to do any heavy computing work such as video editing.

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 Best cheap lightweight laptop 2 in 1

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a super cheap convertible laptop with excellent versatility and a fun ‘tent’ design.

Full review

Chromebook Spin is one of the best cheap lightweight laptops. It only weighs just over a kilogram and is smaller than an A4 page! At the same time is made exceptionally well with Gorilla glass to protect the screen and can serve well as a backpacking laptop that can take a bash or two. And costing well under $500, it really is the best budget travel laptop.

Chromebook Spin 311, although not the best laptop for writing due to its small keyboard, can be extremely useful on the go, used on a lap or on a small airplane table. Its touch screen is responsive and easy to use, although the display comes with large bezels, and it is not as bright as more expensive models.

With 4GB RAM, this Chromebook is not the most powerful in-store but very suitable for browsing, watching movies, answering emails, messaging, social media and using Microsoft Word. If you’re looking for a budget laptop for the casual activities mentioned above, Chromebook Spin 311 will run seamlessly. It will do a great job having to handle a few tasks at once but don’t expect any heavy workload such as editing videos from this little Chromebook.

There are, however, some further limitations that you should be aware of before purchasing this model. The first one is that this Chromebook can only work with Android apps, including Microsoft Office apps, Instagram, Facebook, Spotify, Netflix, and any web browser-based activities. The second limitation is that Spin 311 has only 64GB of storage, so if your blogging business requires any photo-taking, this device will run out of memory pretty soon.

Chromebook Spin 311 is super versatile and can be used as a laptop, touchscreen tablet and also can be converted to the tent mode for watching Netflix. With a decent battery lasting up to 10 hours, this little but mighty Chromebook is an excellent travel laptop alternative.

Overall, if you’re looking for the best small laptop for travel or taking with you to meetings, Chromebook Spin 311 is an excellent versatile and cheap choice with a good battery and the ability to perform light computing tasks such as emailing, browsing, using Microsoft Office apps and watching movies.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 – Best budget 2 in 1 laptop alternative

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solid budget choice if you’re looking for versatility in a laptop that can also serve as a tablet.

Full review

IdeaPad Flex 5 has a slick design that feels premium for the price with a Full HD 1,080-pixel screen that flips 360 degrees and offers full tablet functionality. It is really perfect if you want both.

With 4GB RAM, this budget laptop is suitable to run simple tasks with ease, such as browsing and movie streaming, but it’s not designed to be an extreme multitasker. This laptop is excellent for more causal scenarios.

If you require something with 8GB RAM for more computing power and are willing to pay a little more, you can get HP Pavilion x360 or Asus VivoBook without tablet versatility.

It has this expensive feel and a very comfortable and crisp keyboard and, for that reason, is a solid contender to be the best budget laptop for writers. If you’re a blogger who predominantly writes and is not photography heavy, you should consider Lenovo.

Unfortunately, due to its weight of over 4 lbs, it is not the best laptop for portability, but it’s a perfect laptop for home use. This is due to the in-built mechanism allowing this laptop to flip all 360 degrees that is not light. This laptop may not be the lightest, but it has an impressive, long-lasting battery that can keep you going for up to 12 hours.

Other great features that are very appreciated in this laptop are a full-sized HDMI socket that gives the ability to plug the computer to the bigger screen and an SD card reader and a USB-C port with charging capacity.

The big disadvantage of Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is that it can only run software from the app store, which means no Adobe software and no Apple apps. This can be a deal-breaker for many bloggers that also are photographers and use Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom daily. 

Apple iPad Pro (2021) 5th Generation – Best 2 in 1 laptop

Apple iPad Pro is the best tablet money can buy now, not only for Apple fans. Its computing power allowing you to achieve almost everything you would on a computer, phenomenal display, and a strong battery makes this tablet absolutely the best you can get and the best mac laptop tablet ever.

Full review

The most significant upgrade from the previous models and what sets Apple iPad Pro apart from its competitors, such as Samsung Galaxy Tab S7 Plus, is the revolutionary Apple M1 chipset. M1 processor makes Apple iPad the best laptop for videos streaming, browsing multiple tabs and operating various apps simultaneously and with lightning speed.

The must-have accessory that unfortunately comes for an extra price is the Magic Keyboard that turns this iPad into a laptop and allows for comfortable typing. And to make this Apple product even more versatile, there is an excellent Apple Pencil with wireless charging that will take notes taking and drawing to a whole new level.

As a blogger, you will be able to perform tasks on this iPad that could previously be only done on a laptop, such as making music, drawing, editing photos and videos! It also comes with 8GB or 16GB of RAM and storage space up to 2TB, which is the most you can find on any other tablet and impressive storage even for laptops. This can be particularly useful if you want to store your photos, videos and audio on the iPad.

However, it doesn’t come with an SD card slot (not many laptops do those days), so this is something to keep in mind when choosing storage. Having said that, iPad Pro 2021 is the first Apple device with a USB-C slot that supports Thunderbolt connections which translate to 4 times more speed and the ability to connect to other devices such as faster external storage.

Apple iPad Pro 2021 comes with a 12MP front camera. With the latest software update, the camera can follow you when you move and are still in the frame, which is an awesome feature for YouTubers, those who teach online or do calls regularly. There are also two rear cameras – a 12MP main one and a 10MP ultrawide.

Finally, with less than 1 kg in weight and an extremely slim body, iPad Pro is the fastest lightest laptop-tablet – an excellent alternative to some of the best laptops for travel and for travellers that want to do backpacking with a laptop but don’t want to carry heavy full-body laptops.

Overall, Apple iPad Pro 2021 is the best tablet currently available to buy – a super powerful alternative to a laptop with a stunning display and strong battery for those that value portability and versatility to type, draw, watch, edit and more.

Razer Blade 15 Base – Best laptop for gaming

Razer Blade 15 is one of the best gaming laptops out there. If you’re looking for a laptop for blogging and gaming, you should strongly consider Razer that produces the best gaming laptops on the market.

Full review

With the 15.6-inch display full HD 1,920 x 1,080 resolution, Razer Blade 15 produces vivid colours that facilitate a great visual experience. The display is not the brightest, especially at night, but it’s bright enough at this price point. When it comes to graphics (which is a crucial feature in a good gaming laptop), Razer offers a few different options depending on your needs and budget, Nvidia GeForce RTX 3070 GPU being the ultimate one.

In terms of gaming performance, Razer Blade 15 can run most graphic-intense games smoothly, depending on the game it mostly meets and sometimes exceeds the industry averages. For example, on the Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Razer Blade 15 exceeds 78 frames per second.

When it comes to computing performance, Razer Blade 15, equipped with Intel Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, can handle extreme multitasking seamlessly – for example having 40 tabs of web browser open and running a video editing simultaneously.

Razer Blade 15, while heavier than most ‘normal’ laptops, is light for a gaming laptop compared to its competition, such as Alienware laptop m15 R4. It has a solid black aluminium build with impressively thin display bezels and large speakers located outside the keyboard. Razer Blade 15 has an excellent selection of different types of ports, USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and the Ethernet port, giving gamers the ability to get faster internet. When it comes to battery life, it lasts up to 7 hours, and that will be substantially reduced while gaming.

Overall, Razer Blade 15 is a good option for bloggers on the go that don’t want to compromise on gaming functionality. It allows a decent upgrade level in terms of graphics, RAM and storage, and the base level starts at a very reasonable price point. If you’re a content creator, you will also love the ability of editing and multitasking on Razer Blade 15.

Understanding laptop features for non-tech

Storage

If you use your laptop for storing some files, a few movies and some photos with no large applications, then a 128GB SSD is enough.

However, if you’re a blogger that regularly creates content, such as RAW images, videos, or audio files, you will need a minimum of 265 GB. And you will most likely have to buy external storage to store some of your files. 2TB External Hard Drive starts at under $100, which is a very affordable way to increase the storage capacity of your laptop.

For just example, 2 minutes drone clip can take up to 4GB of memory on the laptop, so you can imagine what can happen to your storage after 12 months of regular content creation.

Size & weight

Most laptops nowadays are small and lightweight. They range between 13 and 17-inch screen size and around 1.5kg weight. Some laptops like ASUS ZenBook 13 weigh only just over 1 kg, and that’s one of the lightest on the market. If you’re looking for a large screen, then LG Gram comes with a 17″ gorgeous screen, and it’s very light for this size.

Overall, if you’re looking for the best laptop for travel, you probably want it to be 13 inches and under 1.5kg.

Battery Life

Battery life will vary from 5 to 20 hours for the top range laptops. A good midrange pick will have a battery life of about 10 hours. If you work from home, then this won’t impact you at all. But, if you’re a digital nomad, battery life will be more critical. However, you still can charge your laptop in most places such as cafes and airports.

Performance – processor, RAM, CPU

In order to get a fast performing laptop, you will need to look at three aspects: a strong processor, fast CPU and large RAM.

Processor

The most reliable processors are Intel, AMD, and Apple’s own latest M1 processor.

A processor can be single, dual, quad-core with four cores and an octa-core processor for the most powerful laptops.

CPU, which means Central Processing Power, is the computer’s main component, a chip that tells other parts what to do. The faster the CPU, the faster your computer runs the applications and tasks. Most laptops in this article come equipped with Intel Core processors varying from i3 to i9.

RAM (Random Access Memory) is the laptop’s operating memory. The more RAM, the better your computer will be able to handle multiple tasks simultaneously at speed. RAM vary from 8GB up to 64 GB.

For most bloggers, 16GB RAM with Intel Core i7 and storage of 512GB is a solid configuration.

Operating system

An operating system is a critical aspect to think about before deciding on a laptop. Generally, Apple laptops come with Apple operating system – macOS and other full laptops come with the newest Windows. It really is down to your personal preference. Most software, such as Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint and Excel), as well as creative software such as Lightroom, Photoshop and Premiere Pro, are available for both operating systems.

If you’re used to working on Windows, it may take some getting used to when you switch to mac. But from my personal experience, if you already use iPhone and love the intuitive interface, you are most likely to like it on a MacBook.

Finally, iPads, tablets of any kind and Chromebooks will have their own operating system, which will be much more limited to what you can install. So, if you’re considering one of them instead of a full laptop, make sure you are aware of that.

Display – size and graphics

Graphics cards are particularly important when choosing a gaming laptop. Most modern games are graphic-intensive, and if you play games daily, you will need a gaming laptop that will be able to keep up with the fast-paced games to enjoy them fully.

If you’re not a gamer, a graphics card is not something to worry about too much.

In terms of screen size, laptops vary between 13 and 17 inches. If your priority is something with the utmost portability that is light and fits easily in your bag, then go for 13″ to 14 inches. But, if you enjoy a larger screen which can be handy in video editing and having two windows open side by side, consider going for a larger screen but pay attention to weight and how thick the laptop is.

These are the two best laptops with large screens and light body:

MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

LG Gram 17

Convertibility

If you’re looking for a laptop and tablet in one body, you can either go for a tablet that comes with a keyboard or a laptop with a touchscreen that flips 360 degrees to a full tablet functionality.

Ports

For some users, a wide range of ports is significant when choosing the best laptop. Nowadays, laptop manufacturers focus on making laptops the slimmest possible, which often means compromising on the available ports.

It is standard to have at least 2 USB ports that will support different devices and often charging and a headphone jack.

Some more generous port sets include various types of USB ports, an HDMI port that is primarily used to connect the laptop to a larger screen, for example, while presenting to an audience and an SD card reader, which allows for an easy transfer of multimedia files from cameras and drones.

Budget 

The budget will be your ultimate determinator to what laptop you will get. Often, it is not possible nor advisable to simply get the most expensive model. Most of us have limited budgets and won’t be able to do it. That is why it is important to look closely at what you need instead of trying to get the best out of the best.

Examples of budgets:

Under $500 – For bloggers that primarily perform everyday activities on their laptops such as browsing, emailing and watching videos.

$500 – $1,000 – For bloggers that want a fast and reliable laptop.

$1,000 – $2,000 – For professional bloggers and content creators heavy on photography or videography.

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