The Best Laptops for Digital Nomads

A reliable laptop is a digital nomad’s most essential tool—and you often realize this the hard way.

My first laptop failure in Krakow was frustrating but manageable thanks to the city's tech stores. The second, in the remote ski town of Borovets, was a nightmare—hours lost troubleshooting instead of enjoying the slopes.

But reliability alone isn’t enough. Your laptop needs to be powerful, lightweight, practical, and stylish—all within your budget. That’s why in this guide we’ve tested and rounded up the best laptops for digital nomads, along with key criteria to help you choose the perfect one for remote work. Let's get started!

Best Travel Laptops for Digital Nomads: Our Top Picks

Whether you’re a location-independent programmer, a backpacking graphic designer, or a continent-conquering copywriter - we’ve found the best laptops for you to rely on around the world.

1. Apple MacBook Pro M3 - Best Overall
2. HP Pavilion Plus - Best Budget-Friendly Laptop
3. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9 - Best Laptop for Creative Professionals
4. Dell XPS 15 - Best Laptop for Developers
5. Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition - Best 2-in-1 Laptop
6. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition (13.8”) - Best Lightweight Laptop

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1. Apple MacBook Pro M3

Best Overall

Features

• Display: 14.2” or 16.2” Liquid Retina XDR Display
• Dimensions: 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.61 inches or 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches
• Weight: 3.4 to 4.8 lbs
• Processor: Apple M3, M3 Pro, or M3 Max
• RAM: 8GB to 128GB
• Graphics (GPU): 10-core to 40-core GPU
• Storage Capacity: 512GB or 1TB SSD (Configurable to 8TB)
• Battery Life: 18 hrs to 22 hrs

The Apple MacBook Pro (M3) needs no introduction. It’s the benchmark for digital nomad laptops and a fantastic piece of reliable tech with exceptional performance.

The latest iteration of the MacBook Pro comes with the much-anticipated M3 chip, 8GB of RAM, and 512 GB of SSD storage in its base configuration. These numbers can all be boosted in the Apple configurator to create a laptop with unparalleled performance.

There are, however, a couple of downsides to the MacBook Pro. Most users will be looking to upgrade from the already expensive base spec to a more powerful model. For example, upgrading from 8GB to 16GB of RAM or boosting the M3 chip to the M3 Pro.

This can quickly multiply the price and - depending on your budget - become an unaffordable solution. It may be the best that money can buy, but you might need a lot of it for your dream spec.

2. HP Pavilion Plus

Best Budget-Friendly Laptop

Features

• Display: 14" (1920 x 1200), 14" diagonal 2560 x 1600 or 14” 8K (2880 x 1800) OLED
• Dimensions: 12.36 x 8.94 x 0.74 in
• Weight: 3.19 lbs
• Processor: Intel® Core™ i5-1335U or Intel® Core™ i7-1355U
• RAM: 16GB
• Graphics (GPU): 10 core
• Storage Capacity: 512 GB to 1 TB
• Battery Life: Up to 13 hours

The HP Pavilion Plus range is the go-to for budget business PCs that are perfect for digital nomads.

The 14” display is available in three tiers, the most impressive of which features an 8K (2880 x 1800) OLED that is shockingly good. The processor is powerful (Intel i5 or i7) and there’s 16 GB of RAM and the choice of 512 GB or 1 TB of internal storage. For a quality PC on a budget, this tailors to most nomads with light to moderate power requirements.

The only downsides lie in the webcam quality (upgrades are always available) and the lack of different RAM options. We will also note that HP Support is notoriously poor - worth noting when investing in a budget PC.

3. Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9

Best Laptop for Creative Professionals

Features

• Display: 14” 2.8K (2880x1800) OLED or 14” 4K (3840x2400)
• Dimensions: 12.44 x 8.66 x 0.63 inches
• Weight: From 2.98 lbs
• Processor: Intel® H Series Core™ Ultra 7 Processor (Series 1)
• RAM: 16GB / 32 GB
• Graphics (GPU): Intel® Arc™ Graphics
• Storage Capacity: 512GB / 1TB
• Battery Life: 10 - 19.5 hrs

Creative professionals always get the most interesting tech and it’s no different with the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9.

This 2-in-1 laptop is one of the best on the market and offers plenty of features for graphic designers, artists, photographers, and more. Use it in its standard laptop form, as a tablet with the Lenovo Slim Pen, or in “tent mode” for the best visuals. It’s versatile, it’s desirable, it’s a real quality piece of kit.

Its flexible design works well with one of the best portable laptop stands for digital nomads, creating an adaptable workspace that supports both creative tasks and relaxation in any location.

It is, however, expensive. For the same money, it’s contending for the base model MacBook Pro and that’s fierce competition to go up against. However, if you’re in the market for the 2-in-1 functionality, it doesn’t get better.

4. Dell XPS 15

Best Laptop for Developers

Features

• Display: 15.6", 1920x1200, 60Hz, 500 nit
• Dimensions: 13.57 x 9.06 x 0.71 inches
• Weight: From 4.21 lbs
• Processor: 13th Gen Intel® Core i7-13700H, 13th Generation Intel® Core i7-13620H, or 13th Gen Intel® Core i5-13500H
• RAM: 16 GB or 32 GB
• Graphics (GPU): Intel® Iris® Xe, Intel® Arc™ Graphics A370M, or NVIDIA® GeForce RTX™ 4070
• Storage Capacity: 512 GB to 4 TB
• Battery Life: Up to 16 hours

The Dell XPS range has been looking threateningly good over the last few years and the current XPS 15 is the very best of the bunch.

There’s up to 16 hours of battery life, a quality 720p HD webcam, up to 32 GB of RAM, and a powerful processor that eats up everything you can throw at it. It has programming written all over it and is the laptop of choice for so many in the industry.

Developers can especially benefit from a second screen, and a portable laptop monitor can turn the Dell XPS 15 into a fully functional workstation, perfect for those who need to run multiple programs simultaneously.

The only downside to the XPS 15 is the large screen size. At 15.6" it’s one of the largest featured, meaning a heavier weight of 4.21 lbs. There are now smaller options available, XPS 13 and XPS 14 models are available - but lack the features of the larger 15.

5. Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition

Best 2-in-1 Laptop

Features

• Display: OLED (2880 x 1920) or LED (2880 x 1920)
• Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches
• Weight: 1.97 lbs
• Processor: Snapdragon® X Plus (10 Core), with LCD display or Snapdragon® X Elite (12 Core), with OLED display
• RAM: 16GB or 32GB
• Graphics (GPU): Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
• Storage Capacity: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
• Battery Life: Up to 14 hours

The Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition gets our vote for the best 2-in-1 laptop for digital nomads, narrowly beating the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Gen 9.

Microsoft has been on a roll as of late and the 11th Edition of the Surface Pro is a real thing of beauty. Available with a 2880 x 1920 LED or OLED screen, the Surface Pro looks absolutely incredible out of the box. A 14-hour battery life is on the fringes of enough, but at just 1.97 lbs, it’s the lightest laptop on our list.

Nomads will find huge benefits from the 5G model, allowing internet connection wherever they may find themselves, and invest in the Surface Pro Flex Keyboard for the ultimate functionality. It’s a little on the expensive side, but try and find an equivalent for less.

6. Microsoft Surface Laptop 7th Edition (13.8”)

Best Lightweight Laptop

Features

• Display: 13.8” LED (2304 x 1536)
• Dimensions: 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches
• Weight: 2.96 lbs
• Processor: Snapdragon X Plus (10 Core) or Snapdragon X Elite (12 Core)
• RAM: 16GB or 32GB
• Graphics (GPU): Qualcomm® Adreno™ GPU
• Storage Capacity: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB
• Battery Life: Up to 22 hours

Like the look of the Surface Pro but don’t require the tablet? The Microsoft Surface Laptop has to be the answer.

At just 2.96 lbs, it’s a lightweight competitor that punches well above its weight. Like the Surface Pro, it’s a real looker and with up to 22 hours of battery life, it can perform all day long. Choose between 16 GB and 32 GB of RAM, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB of internal storage and a pair of powerful Snapdragon processors.

It’s available in four fantastic colorways (Sapphire, Dune, Black, and Platinum) and two screen sizes (13.8” and 15”). Both are touchscreen and although there is no OLED option available, the 3:2 aspect ratio and 2304 x 1536 resolution offer a super crisp display with a 120Hz refresh rate.

Essential Laptop Specs for Digital Nomads and How We Picked The Best

The number of personal computers out there in the modern world is staggering. But, when you cut the fat and develop criteria for digital nomads, the list soon shrinks. Here’s what we think you should look for in a remote work-ready laptop.

Battery Life

If you’re big into working in cafes and coworking spaces, battery life is the big one. We’ve searched for devices with a minimum of 10 hours, but 15+ is ideal for digital nomads. And for days when you can’t plug in, a laptop power bank can keep you powered up, so you can work through long days without worry.

Reliability and Durability

Choosing a reliable, durable laptop is one of our top recommendations for living as a digital nomad. Thinner laptops, such as the MacBook Air, aren’t best suited to frequent travel. Their ultra-thin, lightweight construction is a fantastic design, but we’ve heard enough horror stories of smashed screens to recommend the base model Mac or similar ultrathin PCs.

Portability 

A heavy, clunky laptop that weighs down your pack isn’t good for anyone. We’ve searched for lightweight, portable devices with smaller screen sizes. A 14” laptop is large enough for most - anything larger may be unnecessary. Also, choosing the best backpack for digital nomads can make a huge difference in comfort while on the move.

Performance 

Your laptop should be able to keep pace with your day-to-day tasks. Whether you’re editing photos, programming, creating 3D designs, or copywriting - choosing a PC with enough power is paramount. We’ve chosen laptops with plenty of base model power with the option of high-performance configuration.

Display Quality 

Last up on our list is the quality of the display. Most modern laptops offer perfectly adequate displays for the majority of users. However, those who value the highest quality should opt for an OLED upgrade or the Apple Liquid Retina display.

Ready To Choose Your Next Digital Nomad Laptop?

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