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Discounts on the new machine range between $50 off for the low-end 13-inch model without a Touch Bar and up to $200 off a high-end 15-inch MacBook Pro.
The Rundown
Best Overall:Acer Aspire E 15 at Amazon, “The ideal mix of value and performance that's built to last.”
Best Rugged:ASUS Chromebook at Amazon, “A rugged computer that’s capable of being repeatedly thrown in your backpack.”
Best 2-in-1:Acer Chromebook R 11 at Amazon, “A laptop that can handle both homework and extra-curricular internet use.”
Best Lightweight:ASUS ZenBook S at Amazon, “A 2.2-pound, 0.5-inch thick design made from aerospace-grade aluminum.”
Best Apple: MacBook Air at Amazon, 'It's portable, offers great battery life, boasts a gorgeous display, and packs more than enough power to spare.'
Best Value:Dell XPS 13 at Dell.com, 'Has the performance and memory to handle a last-minute essay and a stream of your favorite Netflix series at the same time.'
Best Budget:HP 15 at Amazon, “The trade-off in power and ability is well worth the extra heft.”
Our Top Picks
Best Overall: Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H
4.5
The latest Acer Aspire model is the ideal mix of value and performance that's built to last through all your college years. It’s also significantly cheaper than most high-end laptops, which college students can truly appreciate. First off, it contains an 8th-Generation Intel Core i3 processor, 6GB dual-channel memory, and a 1TB hard drive. It also features Intel Turbo Boost Technology for smooth video streaming and high-speed performance, along with a long-lasting 13.5-hour battery. The hardware should satisfy the needs of most college students, but if your workload is particularly demanding, then upgrading the memory or hard drive is a simple process — just open the easy-access compartment in the bottom of the laptop to replace the parts.
The Acer Aspire is built for both work and entertainment. The 15.6-inch screen features full HD resolution, although the color isn't as vibrant as some of its competitors. This model is also on the heavier side at 5.27 pounds. However, it comes with a DVD drive, SD slot, and has port space for USB 3.0, 2.0, Type-C, as well as Ethernet and HDMI inputs. As an added bonus, you can even charge your USB-connected devices when the laptop is powered down.
Want to take a look at some other options? See our guide to the best Acer laptops.
Best for Durability: ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02
3.7
The ASUS Chromebook C202 is a rugged computer that’s capable of being repeatedly thrown in your backpack. It has a spill-resistant keyboard, a reinforced rubber bumper to protect it from minor drops and scratches, and nano-molding technology on its edges and corners to reduce the impact of falls. In a drop test, the Chromebook C202 was capable of withstanding a fall from as high as 3.9 feet — and that's particularly impressive given it only weighs 2.65 pounds.
The C202’s 11.6-inch 1366 x 768 display even comes equipped with anti-glare technology, so you can work while you catch some rays on the quad. With a 180-degree hinge, you can also manipulate the laptop into whatever angle you like. On the inside, it packs an Intel Celeron N3060 Processor ( 2M cache up to 2.48 GHz) and 16GB of flash storage. The Chromebook runs on, you guessed it, Chrome OS, so you can download and edit files via Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides. Like other Chromebook models, the C202 also employs automatically-updating anti-virus protection so you don't have to worry about accidentally downloading any malicious software when you're surfing the web.
Interested in reading more reviews? Take a look at our selection of the best ASUS laptops.
Best 2-in-1: Acer Chromebook R 11
4.4
Every college student needs a laptop that can handle both homework and extra-curricular internet use — like those early morning hours when you’re five hours deep into a Netflix original series. The Acer Chromebook R 11 gets an A+ for both. The convertible, 360-degree laptop/tablet runs on Chrome OS, so you can download apps — both productive and just for fun — from the Google Play Store and use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides to complete your classwork.
With an Intel Celeron N3150 Quad-Core Processor 1.6GHz with Intel Burst Technology up to 2.08GHz combined with 4GB of onboard memory and 32GB of internal storage, the Chromebook R 11 multitasks with ease. Built-in virus protection — which updates itself automatically — also safeguards your files, so you don't have to worry about crashes or data loss. And once you’ve submitted your report or finished your online quiz, you can flip the screen all the way back to enjoy your favorite games and shows in tablet mode on its 11.6-inch HD IPS touch display with 1366 x 768 resolution. The battery life is rated at about 10 hours, so it’ll last you a full day of classes and then some. You also get 100GB of free storage on Google Drive for two years, so you won't have to worry about storing important documents or photos.
Want to take a look at some other options? See our guide to the best 2-in-1 laptops.
Best Lightweight: ASUS ZenBook S
4.5
The ASUS ZenBook S is one of the most rugged and portable laptops out there, with a 2.2-pound, 0.5-inch thick design made from aerospace-grade aluminum. It’s got a neat backlit, tilting keyboard, too, that can angle your typing surface by 5.5 inches. This function also allows for additional airflow which helps keep the machine cool — in tandem with a copper-alloy heat pipe and liquid-crystal-polymer fan — so it won't sound like a rocket ship when it's working hard. Add in a headphone jack and three USB-C ports (with two that can handle Thunderbolt 3 cables) and you’ve got some serious connectivity in this highly portable device.
The ZenBook S also comes with Alexa integration for voice commands and a lithium polymer battery that can last up to 9 hours without a charge. You can gear it up with either an i5 or i7 Intel CPU for some serious power in exceptionally small form, and you can outfit your ZenBook S with either 8GB or 16GB of RAM for a smooth, multi-app running experience. If you’re looking for something a little different, you can opt for the laptop in Deep Dive Blue or Burgundy Red. Media-types will dig being able to add a 4K glossy touchscreen as an option, with HD glossy non-touch or HD anti-glare screens as the other two.
Best Apple: MacBook Air
Since their conception, MacBooks have been extremely popular laptops among college students and, for most, Apple’s MacBook Air is the one to buy. It’s slim, it’s portable, offers great battery life, boasts a gorgeous display, and packs more than enough power to spare for the needs of most college programs. In short, Apple has taken a formidable MacBook for college students and made it even better, with a screen that is, rest assured, easy on the eyes.
Best mac for gaming 2016. Under the hood, you’re still getting a 1.6GHz 8th-generation Intel Core i5 CPU that can burst up to 3.6GHz when you need it, plus 8 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. If all you’re doing is writing essays, this base model will likely be more than enough, but you can bump both the RAM and the SSD up to 16GB or 1TB, respectively, if you have a few extra bucks to spend. Of course, it goes without saying that your course load will help determine this as well, but remember that there are also a pair of Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports, so keeping some high-speed external storage on hand back in your dorm room is always an option, too.
At only 2.75 pounds and 0.61 inches thick, it’s portable enough that it won’t weigh you down, and its 12- to 13-hour battery life means it will easily keep you going all day long without needing to worry about toting a charger around. Apple has also built-in its T2 security chip, along with Touch ID, which will keep your work encrypted and also help protect your MacBook should it ever get lost.
Or you could step up the processing power with one of the best MacBook Pro models of 2019. Your choice.
Best Value: Dell XPS 13
Packed with power, the Dell XPS 13 is a lightweight, portable laptop with the performance and memory to handle a last-minute essay and a stream of your favorite Netflix series — at the same time. Weighing just 2.7 pounds, the laptop can be outfitted with the new 8th Gen Intel Quad Core processors, meaning performance isn’t impacted when multiple applications are running. The screen has a 4K Ultra HD resolution with 8 million pixels and 1500:1 contrast ratio for a stunning visual experience. The 400-nit brightness and anti-reflective screen let students use it either inside or out, while the 21-hour battery life allows it to last between long days of classes and late-night study sessions.
Best Macbook Deals
A new HD webcam located at the front and center of the top of the frame delivers crystal-clear images, temporal noise reduction, and better video quality for calls back home or with friends across the country. Sleek and sophisticated, the laptop is available in frost, rose gold, or platinum silver colors.
Best Budget: HP 15-BS013DX
3.6
If you have a $500 budget to play with, you'll have no trouble finding a value laptop suitable for college students. Right now, our favorite is the HP 15-BS013DX which delivers a 15.6-inch touchscreen, an Intel i3-7100U processor, a 1 TB hard drive (AKA tons of storage), and a full 8 G of RAM to keep things responsive and smooth. The Intel HD Graphics 620 card will run some decent games when you need to take a break from your studies, too. Add Bluetooth, two USB 3.1 plugs, and an HDMI port, and you’ve got a killer machine that will feel equally at home in the coffee shop as in the class (or dorm) room.
While it might be a bit unwieldy at 15' x 10' x 0.9' and 4.5 pounds, the trade-off in power and ability is well worth the extra heft. Reviewers on Best Buy really like the features included (touch screen, more RAM, etc.) for the price — especially if you'll be doing little more than surfing the web, streaming videos, and typing up Word documents.
Tested by
How We Tested
We bought five top-rated laptops for college students that our reviewers tested for more than 100 hours. We asked our testers to consider the most important features when using these laptops, from their operating system to their durability. We’ve outlined the key takeaways here so that you, too, know what to look for when shopping.
What to Look for in a College Laptop
Operating system -Apple’s Macs are known for having an intuitive interface that’s sleek and ideal for designers, while Windows PCs are capable of more customization and are often better suited for productivity.
Portability -If you need something that’s easy to toss into your backpack, you might prefer a smaller and lighter model like a two-in-one. However, if you’re mostly working in your dorm, a larger laptop might not be so cumbersome. For creative or design students, a larger screen is likely necessary.
Budget -Between buying textbooks and planning spring break, college doesn’t come cheap. If you’re looking to save a few dollars on a laptop, you can still get plenty of premium features, like a cutting-edge processor or advanced security features. If you’ve got some cash to spare, you might be more comfortable splurging on a MacBook, which has unrivaled displays.
Test Results: Acer Aspire E 15 E5-576-392H (Best Overall)
4.5
What We Like
High-quality display
Extensive battery life
Good speed
What We Don't Like
Heavy
Internet connectivity issues
Lots of pre-installed software
This laptop came highly recommended by our testers as an overall good value. “It offers a great-quality display, relatively high speeds, an easy setup, and a great operating system (Windows 10),” remarked one of our reviewers. Our testers also enjoyed the long battery life. In terms of negatives, one of our reviewers reported “frequent issues with internet connectivity,” which didn’t happen with another laptop, and also didn’t like all of the pre-installed software. But while one of our testers wished the laptop were more lightweight, she declared, “For an everyday budget laptop, this is a great choice.”
Test Results: ASUS Chromebook C202SA-YS02 11.6-Inch (Best for Durability)
3.7
What We Like
Very portable
Great value
Impressive battery life
What We Don't Like
Limited features
Screen on the smaller side
One of our testers liked the “no frills” approach this Chromebook takes to give students exactly what they need for class. She said, “For the price, this has everything you need for school or home — docs and sheets, a camera, Internet access, and durability.” This laptop’s battery life also gets an A+ from our testers: “For school, I'm positive this computer would last a full day,” said one, “and likely have time for homework back at home.”
Test Results: Acer Chromebook R 11 Convertible, 11.6-Inch HD Touch Screen (Best 2-in-1)
4.4
What We Like
Stylish design
Intuitive touchscreen
Google integration
Our testers loved the fact that this laptop was integrated with Google, reporting that it made it easier for them to power through daily tasks. One of our reviewers also raved about its speed and responsiveness, saying it was “intuitive” and a “joy” to use. However, one of our testers did experience some ghost clicking, which caused the cursor to click on things when the user didn’t mean to. (This can usually be remedied by restarting the computer.)
Test Results: ASUS ZenBook S (Best Lightweight)
4.5
What We Like
Very portable
Crisp screen display
Comes with case
Our testers loved that the ZenBook S was slim and portable: “You can easily hold it in one hand or carry in a small bag. I liked how it felt compact,” one wrote. Our reviewers also reported that the laptop has a crisp screen display, great-quality sound, and impressive battery life. One of our testers summed it up: “I felt the computer met and exceeded expectations for working quickly and being easy to use.”
Test Results: HP 15-BS013DX (Best Under $500)
3.6
What We Like
Attractive design with some premium touches
Includes a touchscreen
Good battery life
Big hard drive
What We Don't Like
Bloatware
Touchscreen could be easier to use
Display resolution is only 1366 x 768
Our tester felt that this laptop’s battery life was good compared to similar models. He also liked its design but wished that its touchscreen was more pleasant to use: “Something about the glossy screen causes the finger to stick and skid across instead of sliding smoothly,” he said. Other negatives were that it comes with too much bloatware and that it doesn’t have a full HD display. Overall, he thought that “you can get better overall specifications and performance for less money, but this is a budget-priced laptop that performs well enough.”
Your guide
Justin Krajeski
Whether you need a laptop to take notes in class or to gossip with friends, the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA is the best laptop for college students because it offers the most value for an affordable price. It has solid performance and all-day battery life, and it’s compact and light. Our picks are best for college or graduate students, but they’ll work for high schoolers, too—they should last five years, to carry you from your first day through graduation.
Our pick
Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA
The ZenBook 13 UX333FA has more than enough battery life for a full day of classes, and it’s thin and light, making it an excellent value.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $810.
The ZenBook is also amazingly well made for the price, with a powerful processor, a 1920×1080-pixel display, and a decent webcam—we recommend the UX333FA-DH51 configuration with an Intel Core i5-8265U processor, 8 GB of memory, and a 256 GB solid-state drive. It had more than 10 hours of battery life in our test, about as long as the more expensive Dell XPS 13. But compared with the XPS 13, its keyboard is less enjoyable to type on, and it doesn’t offer a fingerprint reader, which is a bummer in 2019. It also lacks a fast, versatile Thunderbolt 3 port, but it does have one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port for connecting more modern peripherals. Even so, for around $850, the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA is the best option for college students.
If the UX333FA were to disappear in the middle of the night without leaving a note (or if it’s just, like, out of stock), we’d recommend the Asus ZenBook 13 UX331FA instead.
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Upgrade pick
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 has one of the longest battery-life results of any Windows ultrabook we’ve tested. It also offers a great screen, keyboard, and trackpad, plus a thin, light chassis.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,050.
Apple MacBook Air (2019)
You get good-enough performance and a full workday of battery life in a thin, light laptop with a fantastic display and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,100.
If you’re willing to pay more for the best combination of battery life, screen, and keyboard, get the Dell XPS 13 (9380) or the 2019 MacBook Air, depending on which operating system you prefer. The 2019 Dell XPS 13 is the best Windows ultrabook we’ve found. Not only is its battery life among the longest we’ve seen, but the XPS 13 also offers a compact design without sacrificing space, and it’s better to type on than the Asus ZenBook.
The 2019 MacBook Air is more expensive than the ZenBook, but it’s the least-expensive Mac laptop we recommend for college students. It has all-day battery life, a lightweight aluminum body, and one of the best trackpads around, along with good performance and a fantastic display. However, it has only two Thunderbolt 3 ports and a headphone/mic jack—that lack of legacy ports may be an inconvenience for students who already own USB-A printers or hard drives. If you’re a college student, we recommend buying a MacBook Air through Apple’s store for education for a discount on the laptop and AppleCare. Often, doing so will also get you extras, such as free Beats headphones.
We usually recommend that college students look for laptops with 256 GB of storage, but they may be better off getting 128 GB to save some money and relying on cloud storage to store files (or getting an external hard drive if they really run out of room).
Budget pick
Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA
With solid performance, a great keyboard and trackpad, excellent battery life, and a 14-inch screen squeezed into a compact laptop, the C434 is one of the best Chromebooks ever made.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $550. Best word document for mac free.
If you can complete all of your work in a Web browser—from Android apps to browser-based alternatives—we recommend the Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA. The touchscreen Flip is fast, it provides enough battery life to last through your classes, and it has a compact body and a comfortable keyboard. But Chromebooks may have trouble connecting to campus printers, and they’re not good for people who need access to Mac or Windows apps for photo, video, or audio editing, or other specialized software like MatLab.
Budget pick
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412FA-OS31T
Sleek for a cheap Windows laptop, the VivoBook Flip 14 has a vibrant screen and a comfortable backlit keyboard, but its trackpad is slippery and it chugs if you try to multitask.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $480.
If you need to save some cash but still run Windows, get the Asus VivoBook Flip 14, which has a solid processor, 128 GB of solid-state storage, 4 GB of RAM, and a bright, 14-inch screen. It’s by far the best Windows laptop you’ll find for the price. But we strongly recommend saving up for the ZenBook 13 UX333FA, which is better in nearly every way.
If you’re a film or photography student who needs a laptop for photo and video editing, or if you want a laptop that can also play games, we have picks for you, too.
Everything we recommend
Our pick
Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA
The ZenBook 13 UX333FA has more than enough battery life for a full day of classes, and it’s thin and light, making it an excellent value.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $810.
Upgrade pick
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 has one of the longest battery-life results of any Windows ultrabook we’ve tested. It also offers a great screen, keyboard, and trackpad, plus a thin, light chassis.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,050.
Apple MacBook Air (2019)
You get good-enough performance and a full workday of battery life in a thin, light laptop with a fantastic display and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,100.
Budget pick
Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA
With solid performance, a great keyboard and trackpad, excellent battery life, and a 14-inch screen squeezed into a compact laptop, the C434 is one of the best Chromebooks ever made.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.
Budget pick
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412FA-OS31T
Sleek for a cheap Windows laptop, the VivoBook Flip 14 has a vibrant screen and a comfortable backlit keyboard, but its trackpad is slippery and it chugs if you try to multitask.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $480.
The research
Why you should trust us
We’ve researched and tested hundreds of laptops like the Asus ZenBook.Photo: Michael Murtaugh
Wirecutter’s team of computer reviewers has been researching and testing laptops since 2013, and the members of that team have more than 20 years of collective experience reviewing all kinds of laptops. We’ve spent more than 500 hours researching and testing hundreds of laptops—everything from portable ultrabooks to Chromebooks to gaming laptops to laptops for creative professionals and beyond—in the past few years.
How we picked the best laptops for students
Students need a great laptop that’ll last for years of taking notes, writing papers at 3 in the morning, editing photos for a group project, or playing Overwatch. But choosing the best laptop for you can be more challenging than writing a thousand good words on Proust.
The most important features in a laptop for college students are value, battery life, size and weight, keyboard and trackpad, performance, storage, screen, and ports. Not all college students will have the same priorities, though. For example, a film student may need a more expensive laptop that can handle editing video on a high-quality screen; a student who enjoys playing video games might be willing to put up with a larger, heavier laptop to get a decent graphics card.
These are the features that you should look for in a laptop for college, but your priorities may vary depending on the work you do:
Price and value: College is expensive—students have to pay for tuition, housing, textbooks, and other miscellaneous fees and costs—so a laptop’s price-to-performance ratio is the most important factor. Students should get the least expensive laptop that will handle their coursework and last through all of college.
Battery life: Because students rarely work in a single location, the longer the laptop’s battery life, the better. A laptop for college should last a full day of classes so students can concentrate on taking notes and doing homework instead of worrying about finding an outlet.
Size and weight: You don’t want a massive laptop weighing down your backpack as you sprint across campus to class. A 13-inch laptop that weighs around three pounds or less provides the best balance of screen real estate and portability for most college students. A 15-inch laptop isn’t necessary unless you plan on using your laptop to play games or edit video or photos.
Keyboard and trackpad: Your laptop’s keyboard and touchpad should be accurate and responsive to your touch and comfortable to use for long periods of time.
Performance:
Processor: An eighth-generation Intel Core ultra-low-power processor, meaning an Intel Core i5-8250U or i5-8265U processor or better, will be powerful enough for most coursework. If you plan to use your laptop for gaming or film and photo assignments, we recommend a more powerful quad-core processor.
Memory: We recommend 8 GB of RAM as a minimum for browsing the Web, sending emails, and writing research papers, and 16 GB for students who have a more demanding workload.
Graphics card: You need a dedicated graphics card only if you’re a gamer or a film or photography student.
Storage: Solid-state drives are much faster than hard drives, and they’re affordable in all our picks. We recommend that most college students get at least 128 GB of storage, relying on cloud storage or an external hard drive if you need more room. Gamers, as well as students enrolled in photo and film programs, are probably better off spending more for at least 256 GB of built-in storage.
Display: You should get a laptop with at least a 1920×1080 IPS display, since you’ll be staring at your computer screen every day. Photo and film students should invest in a higher-quality, higher-resolution IPS screen.
Ports: While a lack of ports didn’t disqualify any of our contenders, we prefer to see at least a couple USB 3.0 Type-A ports, as well as a Thunderbolt 3 port for future-proofing. An SD card slot is useful if you’re in a photo or film program.
The best laptop for students: Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA
Photo: Michael Murtaugh
Our pick
Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA
The ZenBook 13 UX333FA has more than enough battery life for a full day of classes, and it’s thin and light, making it an excellent value.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $810.
The Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA is the best laptop for most students heading to campus because it offers the best performance and features at an affordable price. The ZenBook 13 costs around $850 at this writing, has more than enough battery life to get you through a day of classes, is slim and light, and has a responsive trackpad. It also performs well enough for schoolwork while providing a nice screen and a variety of new and old ports. We recommend the UX333FA-DH51 configuration with an Intel Core i5-8265U processor, 8 GB of memory, and a 256 GB solid-state drive. Although the ZenBook’s keyboard wasn’t our favorite—it felt more cramped than others we tested—and the machine lacks a fingerprint reader and a Thunderbolt 3 port, it still meets most college students’ needs.
If the UX333FA were to disappear in the middle of the night without leaving a note (or if it’s just, like, out of stock), we’d recommend the Asus ZenBook 13 UX331FA. Although it lasted about an hour less than the UX333FA in battery life tests, and it’s an inch wider, the $800 UX331FA still has about nine hours of battery life, it’s just as comfortable to use as the UX333FA, and it has the same specs—but double the storage—for $50 less. It adds a handy fingerprint reader, too, but it lacks Thunderbolt 3 ports.
The ZenBook 13 can easily survive a full day of lectures and seminars, even if you can’t find an outlet to plug into during or between classes. In our battery test, the ZenBook lasted 10 hours, 13 minutes. Its score is exceptional—the only other ultrabook we tested in 2019 that lasted as long is the Dell XPS 13 (9380), which gave us 10 hours, 26 minutes of battery life. This means the ZenBook 13 UX333FA is an especially good choice if you regularly find yourself tucked away inside library aisles to complete your work before it’s due. (Hello to all my fellow nervous procrastinators.)
The ZenBook is about a half-inch wider and 0.2 inch thicker than the Dell XPS 13, measuring 11.9 by 7.4 by 0.7 inches. It’s about the same size as the MacBook Air (13-inch, 2018), although it’s about an inch narrower. And at 2.6 pounds, it’s a little lighter than both the XPS 13 and the MacBook Air. All good backpacks for college students have enough room to fit the ZenBook, and the ZenBook’s light weight is a real asset for a college student on the move.
The ZenBook’s keyboard is comfortable enough to slog through that paper on Cartesian dualism, even if its keys feel a little mushier than we’d like.Photo: Michael Murtaugh
The ZenBook 13 has a comfortable enough, backlit keyboard, but its keys felt mushier than we would have liked, and its layout was a little more cramped for us than that of the XPS 13 or the MacBook Air. The trackpad had a satisfying travel and clicking noise when we pressed it, though. It was responsive and accurate, and we had no problems using it for two- and three-finger gestures, or zooming in and out on items. You can press the upper-right corner of the trackpad to turn it into a number pad (as shown above). The function doesn’t cause any problems—and more surprisingly, it’s useful—but it may take some time to get used to.
The ZenBook 13 has a mix of new and old ports, so it should be compatible with any of your existing peripherals as well as new ones you accrue throughout the next few years. The machine has one USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C port, but the laptop cannot charge via this port. It also has one USB 3.1 Type-A port, one USB 2.0 port, an HDMI port, and a microSD card slot, as well as a combo headphone/microphone jack. It comes with a proprietary charging port too, and it supports current-generation 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5.0.
The ZenBook 13’s webcam is in the top-middle of its screen, ideal for calling home or video-chatting with classmates for a group project.Photo: Michael Murtaugh
The UX333FA’s 13.3-inch 1920×1080 IPS screen looks accurate, and its colors are vibrant, but not overly dramatic. The ZenBook 13’s webcam is in the top-middle of the screen, and although its video quality can’t match that of an external webcam, it’s fine for calling home or for videoconferencing with classmates to discuss a group project. The one major flaw of this laptop is that it lacks a fingerprint reader for secure, Windows Hello login support.
A step up for students: Dell XPS 13 (9380) or MacBook Air (2019)
Photo: Michael Hession
Upgrade pick
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS 13 has one of the longest battery-life results of any Windows ultrabook we’ve tested. It also offers a great screen, keyboard, and trackpad, plus a thin, light chassis.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,050.
If you’re willing to pay around $350 more for a better battery life, screen, and keyboard in a more compact laptop, the non-touchscreen Dell XPS 13 (9380) is a great choice. Its battery life is among the longest we’ve seen, it’s thin and light, it has a great keyboard and trackpad, and it offers fast performance, a healthy selection of ports, and a good screen. We recommend getting the configuration with an Intel Core i7-8265U processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB solid-state drive, and a fingerprint reader.
The non-touch XPS 13’s battery-life results rank among the best we’ve seen from a Windows ultrabook, at 10 hours, 26 minutes in our Web-browsing battery tests. Best note taking app for mac os. Many of the models we’ve tested have lagged behind the XPS 13 by at least an hour, but the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA had a comparable battery life in tests, lasting 10 hours, 13 minutes.
The Dell XPS 13 and the Asus ZenBook are similarly sized, with minor trade-offs in physical dimensions and weight: The Dell is more compact than the Asus by almost a half-inch in width, while the the Asus is imperceptibly lighter than the Dell. Both laptops weigh less than 3 pounds and are small enough to fit into a backpack.
The XPS 13’s keyboard is comfortable and responsive, and it offers a better typing experience than the ZenBook 13 UX333FA’s keyboard, though its backlit keys are a little shallow. The XPS 13 has a better trackpad than the ZenBook, too—it was accurate and reactive to our touch, with precise tap-to-click and a satisfying physical click (though it can’t turn into a number pad). The trackpad never dropped swipes in our testing, and it worked well for two- and three-finger gestures.
The XPS 13’s 13.3-inch IPS screen offers good color reproduction and fantastic viewing angles, as well as a matte coating that prevents glare. This makes it better than the ZenBook for watching movies after you’ve finished your work. The 1080p screen is particularly immersive because of its small bezel, which—thankfully—doesn’t push the webcam to the bottom of the screen yet again as in earlier models. (Dell has finally moved the webcam above its screen, exactly where you need it to be.)
The Dell has two Thunderbolt 3 ports—which the ZenBook lacks—that you can use to transfer data, connect an external display, or charge mobile devices or the laptop itself. It has one USB 3.1 Type-C port with power delivery and DisplayPort capabilities, a headset jack, a microSD card reader, and a Noble Lock slot. Although we wish the Dell had a USB-A port, that’s easy enough to resolve with a USB-C hub or dock.
Photo: Andrew Cunningham
Upgrade pick
Apple MacBook Air (2019)
You get good-enough performance and a full workday of battery life in a thin, light laptop with a fantastic display and two Thunderbolt 3 ports.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $1,100.
If you need a Mac, either because of personal preference or school requirements, we recommend the 2019 MacBook Air. It has all-day battery life, a lightweight aluminum body, and a fantastic trackpad and display. But its keyboard is shallow, and it has only two Thunderbolt 3 ports, with no legacy ports. We recommend getting the configuration with a 1.6 GHz dual-core 8th-generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and a 128 GB (or 256 GB, if you can afford it) solid-state drive. If you buy it through Apple’s Education storefront, you can get a student discount and (often) other perks such as free Beats headphones. You can also check out refurbished models to see if you can get a good deal.
The MacBook Air is around the same size as the Asus ZenBook UX333FA, though it’s about an inch wider, at 12 by 8.4 by 0.6 inches, and it’s about a quarter-pound heavier. Still, at less than 3 pounds, the MacBook Air is light enough to carry around campus without adding too much weight to your bag.
Unfortunately, the MacBook Air has a thin keyboard with shallow travel. The keyboards of the Asus ZenBook and the Dell XPS 13 are springier and more comfortable to use for long periods of time. The MacBook Air’s trackpad, however, is the best we’ve used on a laptop. Because it has no hinge, you can click anywhere on the touchpad and receive the same response, and its haptic feedback is satisfying.
The MacBook Air has a fantastic 13-inch screen; its 2560×1600 Retina display has more pixels than the Asus and Dell’s 1920×1080 screens, making everything look crisper and more detailed.
The MacBook Air has two Thunderbolt 3 ports. Because these are the only two ports—aside from a 3.5 mm headphone/mic jack—you’ll need a hub or adapter if you have any hard drives, scanners, printers, or card readers that use USB-A. Similarly, if you want to use an external display or projector, you’ll need the right adapter.
With the MacBook Air, you get the best support of any computer brand. Apple includes one year of coverage, which you can extend to three years by paying for AppleCare+. You can visit the Genius Bar in any Apple retail store for in-person support (a nice contrast to having to ship a laptop off to a Windows-computer manufacturer when you run into an issue).
Best budget laptop options for students
The Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA is fast, light, and comfortable to use. Its screen also flips all the way around for use as a (bulky) tablet.Photo: Sarah Kobos
If our picks are too expensive and you’re willing to make some sacrifices for a cheaper computer that can still handle basic work, consider these budget options. Keep in mind that they all make serious trade-offs—shorter battery life, bulkier size, or more-limited functionality—to achieve their more-affordable price tags, and they’re not likely to last as long as our picks. Despite each budget option’s particular setbacks, however, each of these budget laptops provides good-enough performance for less money than our main picks.
Budget pick
Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA
With solid performance, a great keyboard and trackpad, excellent battery life, and a 14-inch screen squeezed into a compact laptop, the C434 is one of the best Chromebooks ever made.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $550.
If you can complete all of your work in a Web browser, we recommend the Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA. The Flip provides enough battery life for a full day of classes, and it has a compact body with a touchscreen, a 360-degree hinge (though it’s too heavy to use comfortably in tablet mode), and a comfortable keyboard. It’s fast enough for tab-heavy browser work, too. However, Chromebooks may have trouble connecting to campus printers, and they're not good for people who need access to Mac or Windows apps for photo, video, or audio editing, or other specialized software like MatLab. They can run Android apps and browser-based alternatives, but that's not good enough if your coursework requires a specific app. To read more about the Flip or to check out other, even cheaper, options, see our review of the best Chromebooks.
Budget pick
Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412FA-OS31T
Sleek for a cheap Windows laptop, the VivoBook Flip 14 has a vibrant screen and a comfortable backlit keyboard, but its trackpad is slippery and it chugs if you try to multitask.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $480.
If you need to save some cash but still run Windows, get the Asus VivoBook Flip 14, which has a solid processor, 128 GB of solid-state storage, 4 GB of RAM, and a bright, 14-inch screen. It’s by far the best Windows laptop you’ll find for the price. But we strongly recommend saving up for the Asus ZenBook 13 UX333FA, which will feel faster to use, is quite a bit smaller and lighter, and has double the storage, as well as a better keyboard and trackpad. To read more about the VivoBook Flip, check out our review of the best laptops under $500.
What about an iPad?
Our pick
Apple iPad (6th generation, 32 GB)
The iPad has long battery life and a lightweight body, but it can’t run Windows- or Mac-only apps.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $250.
Can an iPad replace your laptop? Simply put: If your school requires any Mac- or Windows-only apps, you can’t use an iPad in place of an actual laptop. But if all you would need a laptop for is browsing the Web, sending emails, and using Microsoft Office, consider the 9.7-inch iPad (6th generation). Although a tablet doesn’t support desktop apps, the iPad does run longer on a charge than any of our picks and weighs less. Head over to our reviews of the best tablets and pro tablets to read more about these picks.