After testing 10+ laptops, narrowing it down to the final five, and then testing it in actual home environments, we came to the conclusion that the Dell XPS 13 is the best laptop for home use. The Dell XPS 13 is a fantastic all-rounder and represents great value for money.
It’s easy to type on, has a nice display, and it’s thin and lightweight all in one package. Finding the right computer for home use can be a tricky task that depends on a number of factors. There’s a lot you can do to make sure your laptop is built to last and doesn’t break down.
Top Best Laptop for Home Use
Need a backlit keyboard because you often work at night? The perfect laptop should have the following characteristics, and the HP Spectre x360 ticks every one of them.
Dell Chromebook 13 7310
Best Overall The Dell Chromebook 13 7310 is an excellent choice for budget-minded shoppers. This laptop will give you the best battery life, a backlit keyboard, and a great display. It’s not the ideal device for using at home, so you may want to consider getting a Windows 10 or macOS machine instead. Lenovo ThinkPad T460 is a great laptop, but it is not as well suited for business as the other top laptops that we’ve reviewed. Runner Up The HP Spectre x360 2-in-1 is an excellent choice if you want a laptop that can work as both a notebook and a tablet. The operating system, which is currently in beta, needs some serious improvements. But for the time being, it’s a decent alternative to Apple’s iOS. Operating systems can be re-installed, but it’s not ideal to have to configure a new system out of the box in order to get it working as it should. Powerful Chip An Apple MacBook Air is surely a contender for all laptop use cases, even in the corporate world. If you have an iPhone, Apple TV, iPad, Time Machine, and the rest of the products in the Apple ecosystem, then the MacBook Air is a great choice. However, for those who don’t, I just can’t recommend it as I don’t believe you can use it to its full potential. We considered the most common features that people would look for in a laptop: screen size, speed, weight, and battery life. We analyzed this product through our own testing, reviewing hundreds of online reviews, and just by asking people. If your objective is to get the best deal for your money, it’s important to determine what features are essential to you before making a purchase. We don’t want to write a biased or informative review so we weighted the attributes most commonly spoken about in online reviews and asked people higher than our own opinion. You should actually choose the laptop that’s best for you and your environment. The laptop you choose should suit both your needs and your preferences. If you have kids who throw things around, a laptop with well-built hinges and built tough would make sense. If you are someone who works at night and you have trouble seeing things clearly in the early morning hours, then you should consider a laptop with a backlit keyboard. Rent is a struggle for most of us. It’s time to take control of your finances and find ways to improve your income. That’s right, you should be buying a cheap laptop! I can’t stand using a desktop computer. I need a laptop to fit in my backpack all the time. If you’re looking for the best all-around laptop for home use, we recommend you consider the Dell XPS 13. It’s a great machine and has many great features. Whilst you need to make sure the laptop you choose is right for your home environment, you should also take other factors into account. Chromebooks are the cheapest laptops around and often start at around $200. Ideally, for home use, the best price is in the range of $100-$1000. This is a good value laptop, especially for under $1000. Laptop durability is one of the most important factors to consider when buying a new laptop. If you use the laptop as a desktop replacement and it doesn’t move, then a durable laptop is irrelevant. If you’re someone who uses the laptop up and down the stairs, in the backyard, and in the lounge, then you may want to consider it. The best book for an outdoor enthusiast is a good quality piece of clothing that can stand up to a bit of punishment. Typing on a keyboard with clunky keys and poor tactile feedback feels awful. The best keyboards have smooth surfaces, are quiet, and give good tactile feedback. If you need to use your home laptop to respond to emails out of work hours, run your side business, or simply surf the Internet, then you need a laptop that has a nice keyboard. You definitely want a backlit keyboard so you can see what you’re typing. You’ll find all kinds of uses for a backlit keyboard. Display and portability are about how easy it is to take your computer with you. A smaller display means a lighter laptop; likewise, a portable, foldable laptop will be lighter. I also find that screen size is very much a personal preference. Everyone prefers a different type of display. If you often multi-task and have multiple windows open side by side, then I would definitely recommend a 14” laptop or bigger for home use. It’s frustrating to sit there waiting for your document to load when you’re in the middle of editing it. You need to figure out what computer usage will be like. If you are often multi-task, then I would recommend a minimum of 8GB of RAM, whereas if you do some light gaming on the side you might want a dedicated graphics card for higher FPS. At the end of the day, you are the one who has to look at your laptop daily. Good looks are something that some people value very highly. Other people also love the black color, this is fine, just make sure you look at the photos before you buy! We have a few other top picks. You can learn more at our full review page. It’s a great value and has a number of great features. The XPS 13 features a carbon fiber base that contrasts elegantly with the brushed metal lid and underside. On the bottom of the laptop there is a flap that hides the stickers you are required to put on your computer, and it is also where you find the USB port. The keyboard on the XPS is great. It has a shallow travel time (depth), but it has a nice spring at the bottom to give you a bit of a tactile sensation. This touchpad is very easy to use, and is responsive to every touch I make. The 13.3” Full HD touchscreen display makes for a great viewing experience, with bright, crisp images. If you’re considering a Dell ‘infinity-edge’ laptop, know that it can extend past the screen and make the screen look bigger than it really is. An incredible feature of the XPS 13 is its battery life. With one charge, you’ll have more than 13 hours of battery life. When you’re on the road, your computer needs to have enough battery life to get through the entire day. With this power bank, you can recharge your laptop multiple times. You can survive the first few weeks of college without having your laptop, thanks to a variety of technology tools and apps. At just 3 pounds, this laptop is a serious lightweight. It’s heavy like a book, and you’ll never have a problem carrying it around. The 13-inch Retina iMac is 0.6 inches thin and looks great, too. It’s an awesome computer. The Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 has an Intel i5 processor and 8GB of RAM which will enable you to multitask easily. With a 128GB SSD hard drive, you can have a fast boot speed, and snappy product launches, but the integrated graphics are enough to play some non-graphics intensive games like League of Legends. The XPS 13 ships with Windows 10, which is a big improvement over Windows 8. With it comes a one-year standard warranty, and you can upgrade that to a four-year limited warranty. If you have any questions, please let me know. The awkward aspect of the Dell XPS 13 is that the webcam placement is a little off-kilter. Due to the “infinity-edge” bezel, there is no space at the top of the laptop for a webcam. A result is that the video is taken from below you, rather than from eye level which is slightly annoying but can be overlooked. The Dell XPS 13 is a great laptop that’s great for everyday use. It has a large display and runs quietly under full load. Typing on the Dell XPS 13 feels really good and the touchpad is responsive. Additionally, it’s also got a lot of grunts under the hood to easily multi-task whatever applications you throw at it. The all-in-all, the XPS 13 is the best laptop for home use. Hello, My name is Shari & I am a writer for the ‘Outlook AppIns’ blog. I’m a CSIT graduate & I’ve been working in the IT industry for 3 years.HP Spectre x360 2-in-1
Apple Mac Book Air 13.3
How we chose the best laptop for home use
The most important consideration when choosing the best laptop for home use
Other considerations when choosing the best laptop for home use
Price
Durability
Keyboard
Display
Speed
Aesthetics
The best laptop for home use overall
Conclusion
