The 10 Best Business Laptops

Finding a great laptop for work is serious business. After all, you need something that's durable, secure, powerful, light, and can last through an intercontinental flight. With the countless options available, it can be a daunting task to find the perfect one. Fortunately for you, we have already found the 10 best business laptops on the market today.
What constitutes a business laptop these days? The lines get blurrier every time a laptop so classified launches with multiple color options, a metallic finish, different screen option, and all sort of wireless and port acronyms. And with prices for laptops reaching all-time lows, businesses would rather save money buying a whole fleet of cheap consumer laptops than spend three or four times as much on an enterprise model .
Lines are even blurring between tablets and laptops. Once they were separated by operating systems, but tablets running "real" versions of Windows are the hot new products aimed at businesses. Some of these tablets have removable keyboards, some don't. But make no mistake, business laptops have their place in the commercial world, and choosing the right one can determine whether you run a company that's successful or one that suffers from too much downtime.
Look for at least 4GB of RAM. Anything less is not worth the few bucks you save. Graphics-based users will welcome 8GB of memory to help speed project work, but 4GB is plenty for the rank-and file worker. The right amount of memory allows you to do multiple things: Open up more programs and windows at once and perform multimedia processes (like editing photos) faster. If your business laptop is running integrated graphics (this type of graphics eat up system memory) or if you're the type who keeps 25 tabs open in your browser, you'll absolutely need to have more than 2GB of memory.
Battery life is another consideration. A big battery can be your best friend on a lengthy flight or a long commute. Business laptops usually come with multiple battery options. Some enterprise-class laptops have two to three different kinds of batteries (4-, 6-, and a 9-cell). The more "cells" you buy, the longer the battery life. A big battery adds some heft, but being able to run the system unplugged from dawn 'til dusk is worth the weight gain.
We test hundreds of systems in our Labs to help winnow down the choices. Check out our 10 favorite business laptops on the market today.

FEATURED IN THIS ROUNDUP

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (Mid 2013)

$1,099 list
$1,048.99 at Amazon Equipped with a fourth-generation Intel Core i5 processor, the latest MacBook Air 13-inch shows decent performance gains. But it's the ultraportable's over 15 hours of battery life that blows away the competition. Read the full review ››

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Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch (Retina Display)

$2,199 list
$1,998.00 at Amazon With a higher-resolution display, thin chassis, and up-to-date components, the Apple MacBook Pro 15-inch with Retina Display is the new king of high-end desktop replacement laptops. Read the full review ››

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Dell Latitude E6430 ATG

$3,402 list
$1,852.75 at Dell Small Business The Dell Latitude E6430 ATG is the latest in a long line of rugged and semi-rugged laptops from Dell. Sturdy construction is joined by a long-lasting battery, speedy solid-state drive, and Intel Core i7 processor, delivering solid performance in a wide range of circumstances. For professional computing out in the field, it's the laptop to beat. Read the full review ››

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Dell Latitude 6430u

$1,328 list
$1,299.88 at Amazon With its slick design, excellent keyboard, and great battery life, the Dell Latitude 6430u is an easy choice for those who want productivity for work without having to settle for a drab, utilitarian business ultrabook. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431

$584.10 list
$599.00 at Lenovo We recommend small business owners buy a true business PC like the Lenovo ThinkPad Edge E431 rather than trying to repurpose a consumer budget laptop. It will pay off in comfort, performance, and peace of mind. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkPad X230t

$1,349 list
$1,227.31 at Lenovo The Lenovo ThinkPad X230t plucks the best features from business ultraportables and adds multitouch and quality convertible tablet design. Read the full review ››

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Fujitsu Lifebook U772

$1,679 list
£800.00 at Amazon The Fujitsu Lifebook U772 boasts all the features you would expect from a premium business ultrabook, along with a sharp-looking design and all-day battery life. Read the full review ››

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HP Elitebook Revolve 810

$1,449 list
$1,381.80 at Amazon The HP Elitebook Revolve 810 combines industrial-strength construction with portability and convenience, making it a solid convertible laptop for the business user on the go. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkPad Helix

$1,679 list
$1,343.20 at Lenovo One of the better detachable hybrid tablets on the market, the Lenovo ThinkPad Helix gives the corporate IT buyer a prime option for their highly mobile workforce. This could be the best choice if you need both laptop and tablet functionality. Read the full review ››

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch

$1,684 list
$1,468.00 at Lenovo The Lenovo ThinkPad X Carbon Touch is the ultrabook your executive users will want. Read the full review ›