Having a best laptops for writers guide might seem a little odd at first, because surely any device with a keyboard will do, right? Well, there’s a little more to it than that. No matter if you’re planning on writing a novel, working on essays, or typing up a blog posy, modern laptops are an essential tool for writers.

Because you’ll be mainly using a word processor, a laptop for writing on doesn’t need to be especially powerful. However, there are certain things that are essential when considering a laptop for writing on. The most important thing is a comfortable keyboard. If you’re looking for a laptop to type away on for long periods of time, you’re going to want to invest in a device that comes with a keyboard that feels great to work on.

A bright, clear and large screen is also important to help avoid the risk of straining your eyes. Some writers may also prefer laptops with the taller 3:2 aspect ratio, rather than the standard widescreen 16:9. This allows you to see more of a page at once, minimising scrolling. Excellent battery life is always welcome as well, allowing you to write almost anywhere and at any time. 

If you’re in need of a device that can handle a number of creative tasks, don’t miss our round up of the best laptops for graphic design. Now let’s take a look at the best laptops for writers in 2022.

The best laptops for writers available now

The MacBook Air is our pick for the best laptop for writing on. Why? Well, it’s incredibly thin and light, with a brilliant battery life that makes it ideal for taking it out and about with you.

It also comes with a great keyboard. If you haven’t liked the keyboards included in older MacBooks, you’ll be pleased to know that Apple has drastically improved it with the MacBook Air, giving it a more tactile and comfortable keyboard to write on. It also comes with a great looking screen that is easy on the eye, making it a great choice for writers who will be working for long periods of time on this thing.

If you’re looking for a budget laptop to write with, then a Chromebook is an ideal choice. The Asus Chromebook Flip is a great example, going for a lot less than Windows laptops cost, yet offering a brilliant keyboard and long battery life.

It runs Chrome OS rather than Windows, but that won’t stop writers, as there are plenty of apps available to work with, including Google Docs. Microsoft also offers an online version of Microsoft Word.

Unlike in the past, you don’t need to be connected to the internet to use a Chromebook either, so you can work pretty much where ever you want.

If you want to treat yourself to a luxury laptop for writing on, then the Surface Laptop 4 is definitely worth considering. It’s got a brilliant keyboard and gorgeous screen, and it’s also well built and designed, making it a joy to work on.

It’s thin and light with great battery life, so you can take it out and about with you, and Windows 11 runs incredibly well. While it’s more expensive than other laptops on this list, if you’re after a laptop that looks great and performs brilliantly, while making writing as enjoyable as possible, then this is the laptop to get.

The Acer Swift 3 is a fantastic laptop for writers who want a solid and dependable laptop for writing on without spending a fortune. With an aluminium body, it certainly doesn’t feel cheap, and it means you can carry it around with you without worrying about damaging the laptop.

It also performs well considering the price, especially if you stick to word processing tools. Best of all, it has a comfortable keyboard that you can happily type away on for hours at a time, and it’s also backlit, making it easier to use at night. 

Overall, the Acer Swift 3 is a great affordable laptop for writers on a budget who are looking for a laptop that will let them work out and about with ease.

The HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is one of the best premium laptops out there. It’s got a gorgeous 2-in-1 design, brilliant battery life and it’s also incredibly powerful. For writers who want a laptop that starts up in seconds, and has well over a work day’s battery life, then this is well work the investment.

Its 4K screen is a joy to look at, and the keyboard is one of the best we’ve used on a laptop. It’s a seriously impressive bit of kit, but it does come with a premium price tag as well. For many people who want a stylish and powerful laptop that will last them for years, this is a worthy investment, but if you just want to fire up Word and write, then the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 might be overkill.

The best thing about writing is that you can do it almost anywhere, but in the past, if you wanted something extremely lightweight to carry around with you, you had to make do with a small screen. However, the LG Gram 17 isn’t just one of the lightest laptops in the world (so light, you can hardly notice it when you carry it in a bag), but it also offers a large 17-inch screen, which is ideal for writers.

Inside, it’s also packed with some great tech, including 11th generation Intel processors, and a long battery life. The keyboard is also comfortable to use. If you do a lot of travelling while you write, then this is a great investment. Sure, there are cheaper laptops out there, but none offer such a large screen while keeping the overall weight of the laptop down.

If you want a really cheap laptop for jotting down notes on, no matter where you are, then the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet is a great choice. It comes with a detachable keyboard, so it’s incredibly easy to carry around, and as it’s a Chromebook, it’s also very cheap.

It also boasts almost 22 hours of battery life, so you could comfortably take this away with you and write somewhere remote for a few days, and still have battery life left.

There are some downsides though. The keyboard is small and not as comfortable as other laptops in this list. This is why we’d suggest using the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet for quickly jotting down notes, rather than typing up pages and pages of text in one go. But, with the portability and long battery life, the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet lets you note down your thoughts whenever inspiration strikes.

If you want a dependable laptop for writing on while keeping your costs as low as possible, the HP Chromebook 14 is a great choice. It’s extremely affordable, but offers good performance when using word processing apps. As it’s a Chromebook, that means Google Docs and Microsoft’s online Word app are particularly well served.

Its keyboard is excellent, so you can tap away for hours on end, and the screen is bright and vibrant, so you won’t get eye strain or fatigue when using this laptop to write on. While it’s not the most powerful laptop, and doesn’t come with any glamorous bells and whistles, for a straightforward no-nonsense budget laptop for writing on, you won’t go wrong with this.

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