These are the best business laptops you can buy in 2022

With the breadth of modern laptops you can find on the market today, there’s something for just every type of use case. Business laptops are naturally popular because at the end of the day, laptops are productivity machines. There are a lot of options when it comes to business laptops, and to help you find the right one, we’ve rounded up the best options you can find today.

But what makes a good business laptop? They’re usually known for their exceptionally comfortable keyboards, classic designs, durability, and security features such as those built into Intel vPro and AMD Ryzen PRO processors. They also tend to be easy to repair – and most importantly, service – and offer various connectivity options, often including cellular network support so you can work from anywhere. Those are the reasons you’d usually buy a business laptop for, and the options below check most or all of these boxes. If this all sounds like more than you need, check out our list of the best laptops overall to see some more interesting options.

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Best overall: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10

Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup is one of the most iconic lines of business laptops ever, and the X1 Carbon is the longest-running series within that brand. Lenovo has had time to perfect the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and the latest generation is naturally the best one yet.

Starting with performance, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 comes with Intel’s 12th-generation Core processors and you can go up to a Core i7-1280P with vPro support. This is a top-tier 28W processor with 14 cores (6P + 8E) and 20 threads, capable of boosting all the way up to 4.7GHz on its P-cores. You can also configure it with up to 32GB of LPDDR5 RAM – something else that’s new with this year’s model – which might come in handy for working with large databases and multitasking. For storage, you get up to a 2TB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, enough for plenty of documents and files.

The 14-inch display is another highlight for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10, which has a 16:10 aspect ratio. This is great for productivity as it gives you more surface area compared to a typical 16:9 display. It can fit more lines of text or rows in Excel, so you don’t have to scroll as much to find information you may need. At the base level, you get a Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) display, but from there, there are multiple upgrade options, including an OLED panel for the first time. The options include a privacy screen and touch support for the base model, a 2.2K IPS panel, a 2.8K OLED display, and an Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) panel with HDR support if that’s more suited to your needs.

A big upgrade for the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 is the webcam, even if it’s optional. The lowest configuration is a 720p webcam, but the default is really a 1080p camera and you can add Windows Hello facial recognition support. There’s even a new MIPI camera that includes smart features, such as the ability to recognize humans moving in front of it, so the laptop can wake up or lock itself as needed. Of course, you also get a privacy shutter for the webcam if you’re worried about being spied on, and there’s a fingerprint reader if you prefer logging in that way.

Design-wise, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon truly carries the lineage of the ThinkPad family, and it looks as classic and iconic as you may remember. It uses an all-black design with red accents on the ThinkPad logo and the pointing stick in the middle of the keyboard. And yes, you do get a pointing stick as well as mouse buttons below the keyboard if you prefer working that way. It’s fairly light, too, weighing just under 2.5lbs, and it’s around 15mm thick (depending on the model), so it will easily fit in any bag and it won’t strain you too much after carrying it around for a while.

Despite being thin and light, the ThinkPad X1 Carbon has a great supply of ports. You get two Thunderbolt 4 connections, which is useful for multi-monitor setups and docking, and you also get two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and an optional nano SIM slot. That does mean you can add cellular network support, and you can choose between an LTE modem with Cat 16 speeds or get a Snapdragon X55 5G modem if you want to be ready for the new network as it becomes more widely available.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon has almost everything you could want in a business laptop, from the security features to the professional design. Just like its predecessors, it’s one of the best business laptops you can buy.

Best premium laptop: HP Elite Dragonfly G3

HP is another strong competitor when it comes to business laptops and the Elite Dragonfly family is fantastic if you want a premium device. The latest iteration, the Elite Dragonfly G3, ditches the convertible form factor of its predecessors, but it’s still a phenomenal business laptop with a very lightweight design and a new and improved display.

For performance, you can get the Elite Dragonfly G3 with Intel’s 12th-generation Core processors, up to a Core i7-1265U, which has 10 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.8GHz, plus support for Intel vPro. This is INtel’s top-tier 15W processor, and while it might not be as fast as 28W models, it’s much more efficient. You can pair that with either 16GB or 32GB of RAM, meaning you’ll always get great multitasking performance regardless of your choice. Plus, you can add up to 2TB of SSD storage for your files, and that will probably last you a long time.

The display on the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is a 13.5-inch panel, and it comes with a tall 3:2 aspect ratio. This is one of the biggest upgrades over its predecessors, which still had 16:9 panels. Taller displays are great for productivity, and 3:2 is even taller than 16:10, so you might prefer this if you appreciate taller screens. The laptop only comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) resolution, but it offers some configuration options, like the ability to add a touchscreen, an anti-glare coating, and HP Sure View Reflect, a privacy screen that blocks others from seeing what’s on your screen.

The webcam on the HP Elite Dragonfly uses a 5MP sensor, something we truly don’t see enough of considering the times we live in. This high-resolution camera will help you look your best in virtual meetings, not only because it supports 1080p video, but also thanks to some built-in smart features like auto framing and lighting correction powered by HP Presence. This is simply one of the best webcams on a laptop, and it also supports Windows Hello facial recognition, in addition to having a fingerprint sensor.

The design of the Elite Dragonfly G3 is as business-like as you can get. It’s an all-silver laptop, which is actually a big departure from previous models, which had a black chassis with a subtle sparkle effect that was actually somewhat unique. HP has announced a black version of the laptop, but it’s not yet available at writing time, and it’s not clear when it might be. However, ditching the convertible form factor means that while this laptop has a taller screen and some improved specs like the webcam, it still weighs just 2.2lbs, so it’s super easy to carry around anywhere. It’s also 16.26mm thin.

The Elite Dragonfly G3 doesn’t have a ton of ports, but it covers all the basics. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, which you can use for docking and connect anything else you might want, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, and a 3,5mm headphone jack. Of course, being a business laptop, it also has optional support for cellular networks, and so you can also get it with a SIM card slot. The Elite Dragonfly G3 is available with either 4G LTE (Cat16) or 5G connectivity, depending on your needs.

The HP Elite Dragonfly G3 is easily one of the best business laptops, with great performance, a classy look, and a webcam that’s more welcome than ever in the age of remote and hybrid work. We do miss the convertible form factor of its predecessors, but if you don’t care about that, this is a fantastic choice.

Best AMD business laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad Z13

Lenovo strikes again in the world of fantastic business laptops, and this time, it’s with one of the most interesting AMD laptops of the year. The ThinkPad Z13 is Lenovo’s first premium business laptop with an AMD processor, and it’s also a major breath of fresh air for the ThinkPad family in terms of design.

Powering the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are AMD Ryzen Pro 6000 series processors, up to a custom AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 6860Z. This is a slightly boosted version of the Ryzen 7 Pro 6850U, and it has 8 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.73GHz. These processors also come with the new integrated AMD Radeon Graphics 680M based on the RDNA2 architecture, and it’s pretty much the fastest integrated GPU right now. You can also configure the laptop with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, so this is a premium laptop in just about every way, and you can count on it to serve you well for years to come.

The display on the ThinkPad Z13 is a 13.3-inch panel, and it comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio which gives you more room for text and other content. It comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1200) resolution by default, and you can optionally add touchscreen support. There’s also a more compelling upgrade option, a 2.8K (2880 x 1800), which is very sharp for a screen of this size, on top of having the usual benefits of an OLED panel, like high contrast ratios and true blacks. It doesn’t have the option for a privacy screen, something many business laptops tend to have, but this is still a fantastic display.

In line with other laptops on this list, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 comes with a 1080p webcam, and Lenovo is even confident enough to boast about the aperture, which is f/2.0. The webcam also includes Windows Hello facial recognition, and you can choose between a hybrid RGB/IR sensor (which is cheaper) or discrete sensors for video and facial recognition, which results in better image quality.

As we mentioned above, and as you can probably tell from the picture, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is also very different in terms of design compared to just about every other ThinkPad. For one thing, it comes in two color options, one that’s mostly grey on the outside (albeit with a black keyboard base and bottom panel), and one that also has a black vegan leather lid and copper accents around the edges. Both of these look beautiful, though I’m more partial to the black vegan leather model. It looks classy without looking old-school, which I can’t say for other ThinkPads. Plus, legacy features like the duplicate mouse buttons above the touchpad have made way for a larger touchpad, but you can still use the TrackPoint and click the top of the touchpad for the same effect. It’s a really interesting take on the ThinkPad design, and a much-needed makeover. Plus, it’s super thin at just 13.99mm, and it weighs 2.63lbs.

One downside of this thin design is the ports, with the ThinkPad Z13 only fitting two USB Type-C ports and a headphone jack, which isn’t the best for a business laptop. But here’s the thing, this is one of the first AMD-powered laptops to fully support USB4. Each of these ports has 40Gbps of bandwidth, so you can connect high-speed peripherals just as you would with a Thunderbolt port, without needing an Intel processor. Lenovo went above and beyond to make sure this laptop didn’t feel compromised by the AMD processors, and it’s fantastic to see.

It may not be perfect – and if you really love the classic ThinkPad design, you may not like this – but the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is one of the most unique ThinkPads in years. It’s certainly the best AMD-powered business laptop you can buy today.

Best mainstream business laptop: Dell Latitude 7430

Dell also makes some fantastic business laptops, and the Latitude 7430 is a great choice if you want a capable laptop without a ton of bells and whistles. It still covers all the needs you might have, but it’s not as business-like as some other laptops on this list.

Performance-wise, the Dell Latitude 7430 is about the same as most other business laptops, as it comes with Intel’s 12th-generation Core processors, both from the P series and U15 series. You can go up to a Core i7-1255U or a Core i5-1250P, with the latter giving you 12 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.4GHz. All models have Intel Iris Xe graphics, too.  Similarly, you can configure it with up to 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, so you can get great multi-tasking performance and plenty of space for your files. This is a solid laptop for all kinds of day-to-day tasks, even if it’s not up there with the most premium offerings.

The display is a 14-inch panel, and it comes in a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is part of what makes this a more mainstream laptop. It would have been nice to see a taller screen, but this is to be expected. The base configuration is a Full HD panel with 250 nits of brightness, but there are multiple upgrade options such as increased brightness (up to 400 nits=, better viewing angles, touch support, and even an option for a 4K display. You can also buy the Latitude 7430 as a convertible if you prefer. Some of these options are tied to specific processors, though, and they also change what webcam you get.

That webcam is a 720p sensor in the lowest configuration, but the vast majority of configurations come with a Full HD 1080p camera plus Windows Hello facial recognition, which is great to see. You can also get a fingerprint sensor if you prefer going that route.

The Dell Latitude 7430 also gives you options when it comes to the design. You can choose between a black carbon fiber design – which uses a woven pattern on the lid – or opt for an aluminum chassis that comes in a silver color. Both of these are subdued enough to fit in an office environment, but the aluminum is a bit more “standard” and it won’t stick out at all. The carbon fiber model starts at 2.69lbs and measures 17.27mm in thickness (at its thinnest point), while the aluminum variant weighs 2.82lbs and is 16.9mm thick. That’s for the base model, and the 2-in-1 version is heavier, albeit slightly thinner.

The Dell Latitude 7430 also includes a solid supply of connectivity options, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, and a headphone jack. You also have the option to add a Smart Card reader or NFC support, plus, as you’d expect, cellular connectivity. You get a few options, including 4G LTE (Cat9 or Cat16) or 5G, so you can choose whatever fits your needs the best.

Overall, the Dell Latitude 7430 nails the basics of a business laptop with a bunch of configurations and optional upgrades. You can check them all out below.

Best business convertible: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7

Lenovo’s ThinkPad lineup is back, and this time, we have the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7, the company’s most popular business convertible. In fact, it’s probably the best business convertible in general, taking everything that’s great about the X1 Carbon and putting it in a more versatile form factor.

That starts with the performance, where the ThinkPad X1 Yoga comes parking up to an Intel Core i7-1280P, a powerful processor with 14 cores, 20 threads, and speeds up to 4.8GHz. This is one of the fastest ultrabook processors around, and it also includes Intel Iris Xe graphics. Beyond that, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga can be configured with up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD, so it’s every bit a top-tier laptop as its clamshell sibling.

Display options are a bit different on the X1 Yoga, especially because this is a convertible, which means touch and pen support are included in every configuration (on that note, the pen is included inside the laptop itself). It’s still a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, though, and it also comes in Full HD+ resolution to start with. You can add an anti-smudge coating or a privacy screen to prevent the people around from peeking at what you’re working on if you’re in public. But the coolest upgrade option is the Ultra HD+ (3840 x 2400) OLED panel, which is incredibly sharp and offers the benefits OLED panels are known for. This is a stunning screen, albeit an expensive upgrade.

Keeping in line with most laptops so far, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga includes a 1080p webcam, and that’s the default configuration. It’s really great to see that most laptops on these lists now have 1080p cameras, when a year ago we would have been complaining that the majority of them didn’t. You can also add Windows Hello facial recognition to this setup, or opt for the MIPI camera that adds Computer Vision support, so the laptop knows when you approach it or walk away from it.

In terms of design, the ThinkPad X1 Yoga is very much in line with other ThinkPads, but instead of black, it comes in a Storm Grey color. It’s a welcome change of pace, but all the ThinkPad elements you’d expect like the red TrackPoint with duplicate mouse buttons, plus other red accents, are all here. It’s still a very thin laptop at 15.53mm, and it weighs 3.04lbs, so it’s pretty easy to take this with you anywhere.

As for ports, this is exactly the same as the ThinkPad X1 Carbon. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and an optional SIM slot. That’s right, cellular connectivity is also offered, and you get options for 4G LTE (Cat16) or 5G to suit your needs and budget.

Simply put, this is one of the best business laptops around, and if you want a convertible laptop, there really isn’t another device that offers everything this one offers. It definitely earns our recommendation.

Best workstation: Dell Precision 7770

Not all businesses are the same, so not all business laptops need the same level of power. Workstations aren’t meant for everyone, but if what you need is an incredibly powerful machine that’s just kind of portable, then a a mobile workstation is for you, and the Dell Precision 7770 is the best one you can get.

Workstations are all about performance, and it shows in the Precision 7770. It’s powered by Intel’s new HX series processors, which have a 55W default TDP, dangerously close to desktop processor levels. The top configuration, a Core i9-12900HX gives you a whopping 16 cores and 24 threads, complete with boost speeds up to 5GHz, so you’ll never lack performance for, well, anything. On top of that, you can configure this machine with up to Nvidia RTX A5500 graphics with 16GB of video memory – Nvidia’s most powerful professional GPU for laptops. And if all of that somehow isn’t impressive yet, you can go up to 128GB of DDR5 RAM and a ridiculous 16TB of SSD storage (across four SSDs in total). Yes, that will cost you a small fortune, but it’s there if you need it and can afford it.

The display is a 17.3-inch panel in the 16:9 aspect ratio, and while it would be nice to see a taller screen, the kind of work you’re doing on a workstation might not benefit that much from a taller display. What some might disappointing is that the base configuration comes in Full HD (1920 x 1080) resolution, but that panel does reach 500 nits of brightness and covers 99% of DCI-P3, so it’s not a bad screen at all. You also have the option to upgrade to a 4K panel, and that includes a 120Hz refresh rate, making this a huge upgrade, albeit an expensive one.

By default, the Precision 7770 comes with a Full HD webcam, but no Windows Hello facial recognition. However, you have the option to add an IR sensor for that purpose, just as with most laptops on this list. You can also add a fingerprint reader if you want to.

Unsurprisingly, this kind of power comes in a huge package, and portability is secondary. The Dell Precision 7770 is between 25.95mm and 26.7mm thick, and it starts at a whopping 6.66lbs of weight, so while it is a laptop, you really don’t want to take this with you wherever you go. It’s just meant to be moved from one desk to another. In terms of looks, the Precision 7770 comes in a nearly black shade of grey for most surfaces, but the edges are silver, so it has a subtle dual-tone look that’s actually pretty nice.

That large size also makes space for a lot of ports, though. On the left side, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, RJ45 Ethernet, and the proprietary charging port. Plus, an optional Smart Card reader if you want it. On the right, there’s a standard USB Type-C port, another USB Type-A port, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader. That’s pretty much all you could ask for, and then there’s also cellular connectivity. Even though this isn’t a very portable machine, you can configure it with 5G support, so you can connect to the internet from almost anywhere.

As we said before, workstations aren’t for everyone, but the Dell Precision 7770 is simply an incredible machine if you need that kind of power. It’s powerful and highly configurable to your needs and budget, and it’s an easy recommendation.

Best Chromebook: HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook

Not every business needs or wants a Windows laptop, and Chrome OS is an increasingly popular choice. Companies are starting to realize that, and HP has made one of the most premium Chromebooks out there, bringing everything that makes the Elite Dragonfly G3 great into an even more versatile form factor. Here’s the thing: The Elite Dragonfly G3 did away with the convertible form factor of its predecessors, but this Chromebook model didn’t, and it still packs all the other improvements of its Windows counterpart.

Performance-wise, it’s powered by 12th-generation Intel Core processors, up to a Core i7-1265U with vPro support, which gives you 10 cores, 12 threads, and boost speeds up to 4.8GHz. It’s a very fast processor from Intel’s U15 series, and it also includes Iris Xe graphics. You can also configure this laptop with up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, and while that may not sound quite on par with other premium laptops, remember that Chrome OS is a very lightweight operating system and it relies a lot more on the cloud, so this is more than enough for a fantastic experience.

The display is also similar to the Windows counterpart, but since this is a convertible, every configuration supports touch and pen input. It comes in Full HD+ (1920 x 1280) resolution in the base model, and you can add HP Sure View Reflect, a privacy screen that prevents others from seeing what’s on your screen when you’re working in public. You can also upgrade to a sharper panel with 2256 x 1504 resolution, which is a great configuration for this size.

The webcam is the same HP is using for most of its business laptops, so it’s a 5MP sensor with support for 1080p video and smart features like auto framing. However, because Chrome OS doesn’t support IR-based facial recognition, that’s not included. You do get a fingerprint reader, though.

In terms of design, the HP Elite Chromebook Dragonfly isn’t too different from the Dragonfly G3, aside from having a different form factor. It comes in black, while the G3 is currently only available in silver, and because it’s a convertible, it’s also a little heavier, weighing 2.8lbs. It’s also fairly thin, at 16.51mm, so portability isn’t compromised in any way.

Rounding things out with ports, you get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. It’s a solid setup of ports that gives you all the options you could need, including expansion with Thunderbolt docks. There’s also cellular network support, but you can only get 4G LTE (Cat9). There’s no option for 5G, or faster LTE configurations, for that matter, but this gets the job done.

It’s not exactly on par with the best Windows laptops, but the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is the best Chrome OS laptop you’ll find anywhere, and it’s got almost everything you could want in a premium business laptop. You can check it out below.

Best rugged laptop for business: Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55

As we said above, every business and is different, and if your business needs a laptop you can toss around like it’s nothing, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK line is what you want. The latest laptop in this family, the TOUGHBOOK 55 is a modern laptop on the inside, but it’s designed to take a beating.

Performance-wise, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 comes with Intel’s 11th-generation Core processors, either a Core i5-1145G7 or a Core i7-1185G7, so across the board, you’re getting solid performance and vPro support for extra security. These aren’t the latest processors around anymore, but for a rugged laptop, it’s about what you’d expect. You can also get it with up to 64GB of RAM and up to 1TB of SSD storage, meaning multi-tasking won’t be an issue, and you have plenty of space for your files. The laptop also comes with up to two batteries, and you can hot-swap them if you have two batteries inserted. At full charge, the two batteries also promise up to 38 hours of battery life.

But of course, the focus of the TOUGHBOOK 55 isn’t performance, even though it’s modern enough to handle most workloads. It’s all about the rugged design and expandability. The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 meets the requirements for a MIL-STD-810H durability rating, and it also has an IP53 rating for water and dust resistance.  The laptop also has a modular design, so you can swap out things like ports, a Smart Card reader, a fingerprint sensor, and more on the fly. These components are sold as modules and you can exchange them as needed. IT departments in a company can also lock the modules if they don’t want end users to swap them out.

The ports included by default include two Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a microSD card reader, Gigabit Ethernet, and dual SIM slots. The modules can add VGA output, another Gigabit Ethernet port, another USB Type-A port, and more. All in all, the default configuration is already solid, and the expansion possibilities make it possible to cover most needs you might have.

The TOUGHBOOK 55 is made to be used in harsh environments, and the display reflects that, too. You can get it with up to 1000 nits of brightness so it’s easily visible under harsh sunlight. And if you get a touch-enabled version, it’s designed to work with gloves, too, so you don’t have to expose yourself to potentially dangerous elements. The resolution maxes out at Full HD, and the base configuration is just 1366 x 768, which isn’t great, so you’ll probably want to take that upgrade. Perhaps surprisingly, the webcam is actually 1080p and it even has a tetra array microphone to make calls clearer in noisy environments.

Much like workstations, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 55 isn’t for everyone, but it’s fantastic for what it’s meant to do. It’s a business laptop that will withstand harsh conditions, so you can use it on the field and still get solid performance with modern security features.

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And those are what we think are the best laptops you can buy for business today. These are all fantastic products for different kinds of users, and the last two especially are very focused devices. We chose the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 as the best overall laptop because it comes packing an iconic design that’s thin and light, traditional ThinkPad features, a taller screen, and great performance overall. Personally speaking, my favorite laptop on this list would probably be the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, simply because it’s a convertible and it looks great. But there’s something here for all kinds of business users.

You may have noticed that all of these laptops have cellular support in some capacity, but that feature isn’t exclusive to business laptops. If you want to explore other options, we have list of the best 4G laptops, as well as the best ones with 5G so you can take a closer look.