Best slim laptops for portability and performance: Top 10 picks from top brands
From streamlined ultrabooks to compact powerhouses, this curated list picks out ten of the best slim laptops worth your attention. Whether you need something for travel, remote work or everyday tasks, these models prove you do not need to trade power for portability.
The Apple MacBook Air M1 is a game-changer in the slim laptop segment, featuring Apple's M1 chip for remarkable performance and battery life. Its 13.3-inch Retina display delivers vibrant visuals, and the fanless design ensures silent operation. With 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD, it handles multitasking and everyday productivity with ease.
Touch ID, a backlit keyboard, and seamless integration with iPhone/iPad enhance the user experience. Lightweight and highly portable, it's ideal for students and professionals who value reliability and longevity.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers find the MacBook Air powerful, lightweight, with top display, silent operation, and great battery life. Apps and games run smoothly.
Why consider this product?
It offers a premium build, long battery, excellent performance, and great value, outperforming similarly priced Windows laptops.
The 2022 MacBook Air M2 stands out with a refreshed, ultra-thin design and a larger 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display. Powered by the M2 chip, it offers faster performance and improved graphics, making it suitable for creative tasks. The 1080p webcam and four-speaker audio system enhance video calls and media consumption.
Weighing just 1.24 kg, it's highly portable and features MagSafe charging, two Thunderbolt ports, and a headphone jack. The all-aluminum build ensures durability, but the price is higher than the M1 model.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers call the MacBook Air a masterpiece with vibrant display, sleek design, and smooth multitasking. Some report charger issues despite strong battery performance.
Why consider this product?
It offers a premium feel, stunning display, seamless performance, and excellent portability—ideal for users seeking style and power in one device.
The HP 15 offers a large 15.6-inch FHD display and is powered by the AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor, making it suitable for students and office users. With 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, it ensures smooth multitasking and fast boot times. The laptop includes a backlit keyboard and a robust selection of ports.
Its lightweight, eco-friendly design and Wi-Fi 6 support add to its appeal. However, the display's brightness is average, and the build is primarily plastic, which may not feel as premium.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers find the laptop fast and great for daily use, with a quality display and compact design. Some report keyboard, touchpad, and battery issues.
Why consider this product?
It's a lightweight, value-for-money choice for everyday tasks, with fast performance and a backlit keyboard—ideal if occasional hardware quirks aren't a dealbreaker.
The Acer Aspire 3 is a budget-friendly slim laptop with a 15.6-inch HD display and Intel Celeron N4500 processor. It's designed for basic tasks like browsing and office work, featuring 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD for quick boot times. The BlueLightShield technology reduces eye strain during long sessions.
Weighing 1.5 kg, it's portable and offers multiple USB ports for connectivity. However, the HD display resolution is low, and the Celeron processor limits performance for demanding applications.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers appreciate the display and pricing, but report mixed build quality, slow performance, display issues, short battery life, poor sound, and overheating.
Why consider this product?
It's budget-friendly with a good screen, making it suitable for light use, though concerns around performance and reliability may deter demanding users.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is a compact 14-inch laptop powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12450H, offering robust performance for productivity and multitasking. With 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, it's well-equipped for demanding workloads. The anti-glare FHD display and TUV Low Blue Light certification enhance comfort.
Its ultra-thin profile and lightweight build make it highly portable. The RAM is soldered and not upgradable, and the display brightness is modest at 250 nits.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers find it great for office work, with good speed and portability. However, display, battery life, and sound quality receive mixed to negative feedback.
Why consider this product?
A solid choice for basic office tasks, but limited battery life, weak audio, and display concerns may affect overall value.
The HP Pavilion x360 is a versatile 2-in-1 laptop with a 14-inch FHD touchscreen, powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1355U. It features 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, making it suitable for multitasking and creative tasks. The convertible design allows for tablet mode, enhancing flexibility.
It includes a 5MP webcam, Wi-Fi 6, and a backlit keyboard. However, it's slightly heavier than some rivals, and battery life can vary with intensive use.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers praise the build quality, performance, and battery life. However, they criticise the audio quality and note heating issues during use.
Why consider this product?
A good-value laptop with solid performance, but be mindful of poor sound output and potential heating during extended usage.
The ASUS Vivobook 15 is a slim 15.6-inch laptop powered by a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13420H, offering solid performance for everyday tasks. It comes with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, ensuring smooth multitasking and fast storage. The FHD anti-glare display and backlit keyboard add to its usability.
With a weight of 1.7 kg, it's portable for its size and includes a good selection of ports. However, the display brightness is average, and the build is mostly plastic.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers appreciate the notebook's solid build and reliable performance, with one noting it performs exactly as advertised.
Why consider this product?
A dependable choice with good build and consistent performance, ideal for everyday computing needs.
The Lenovo V15 is a thin and light 15.6-inch laptop featuring an AMD Ryzen 3 7320U processor, 8GB RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It's designed for business and student users, offering reliable performance for productivity tasks. The FHD antiglare display and Dolby Audio speakers enhance the multimedia experience.
It's lightweight at 1.63 kg and includes multiple connectivity options. The display brightness is limited to 250 nits, and the webcam is only 720p.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers like the laptop's build, speed, and overall value. However, they criticise its short 4-hour battery life and subpar display quality.
Why consider this product?
Good performance and value, but be mindful of limited battery life and an underwhelming display.
The ASUS Vivobook 16X is a creator/gaming slim laptop with a large 16-inch FHD+ display and 144Hz refresh rate. Powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5-12500H and NVIDIA RTX 2050 GPU, it handles creative workloads and light gaming. With 16GB RAM and 512GB SSD, it's ready for multitasking.
Weighing 1.67 kg, it's relatively light for a 16-inch device. The display is immersive, but battery life may be average due to the powerful hardware.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers say the laptop is good quality, ideal for students and video editing, with commendable sound quality and overall value for money.
Why consider this product?
Reliable choice for students and content work, with solid audio and good value.
The ASUS Vivobook Go 14 is a thin and light 14-inch laptop powered by AMD Ryzen 3 7320U, making it suitable for students and professionals needing portability. It features 8GB RAM and a 512GB SSD, ensuring smooth performance for daily tasks. The FHD display and anti-glare coating provide comfortable viewing.
At just 1.38 kg, it's easy to carry, and the battery life is decent for its class. However, the build is basic, and it lacks a backlit keyboard.
What are buyers saying on Amazon?
Buyers find it a good budget laptop that functions well, but many criticise the display quality as extremely poor.
Why consider this product?
Affordable and functional, but display quality may be a significant drawback.
Performance: Look for a processor and RAM combination that suits your workload, whether it is light browsing or intensive multitasking.
Battery Life: A slim laptop should offer all-day battery support, especially if you are often on the move.
Build Quality: Portability should not come at the cost of durability. Choose a laptop with a sturdy yet lightweight chassis.
Display: Opt for a sharp, bright screen with good colour accuracy, especially if you work with visuals.
Ports and Connectivity: Ensure it has the ports you need, including USB-C, audio jack and fast Wi-Fi support.
Yes, many slim laptops now come equipped with high-performance processors, ample RAM and fast SSDs. They can handle demanding tasks like photo editing, coding and multitasking, though for heavy video rendering or gaming, a larger laptop with a dedicated GPU may still be better.
Most slim laptops are designed with energy efficiency in mind, offering between 8 to 15 hours of battery life depending on usage. However, battery performance can vary by brand and model, so it's important to check real-world reviews rather than just listed estimates.
Slim laptops may sacrifice certain features like extensive port selection, dedicated graphics or upgradeable components to stay compact. While great for portability, they might not be ideal for users who require high-end gaming, large-scale data storage or hardware customisation.
Slim laptops Thickness (mm) Display Size/Type RAM/Storage Apple MacBook Air M1 16.1 13.3" Retina 8GB/256GB SSD Apple MacBook Air M2 (2022) 11.3 13.6" Liquid Retina 8GB/256GB SSD HP 15 Ryzen 3 7320U 17.9 15.6" FHD 8GB/512GB SSD Acer Aspire 3 Celeron N4500 19.9 15.6" HD 8GB/512GB SSD Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 i5-12450H 17.9 14" FHD 16GB/512GB SSD HP Pavilion x360 i5-1355U 18.6 14" FHD Touch 16GB/512GB SSD ASUS Vivobook 15 i5-13420H 19.9 15.6" FHD 16GB/512GB SSD Lenovo V15 Ryzen 3 7320U 19.9 15.6" FHD 8GB/512GB SSD ASUS Vivobook 16X i5-12500H 19.9 16" FHD+ 144Hz 16GB/512GB SSD ASUS Vivobook Go 14 Ryzen 3 17.9 14" FHD 8GB/512GB SSD
Disclaimer: Mint has an affiliate marketing partnership, which means we may get some commission on purchases you make through the retailer sites links provided. These partnerships do not influence our editorial content, which is free from any bias or marketing pitch. We strive to provide accurate and unbiased information to help you make informed decisions. We recommend verifying details with the retailer before making a purchase.
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