Ultrabooks have come a long way from when they were first introduced. They’re lightweight, able to handle most the task you can throw at it, and have long battery life. They’re the laptops that you’ll want to carry around without hurting your back or sacrificing a lot of features. But above all, they’re bleeding edge laptops with some of the newest standards like SSDs, USB Type-C, and Intel Core M processors.
Every manufacturer is trying to make the thinnest, lightest, and most powerful ultrabook they can. As such, we are excited that there are so many great ultrabooks to choose from. If you’re looking for the best ultrabook around, you’ve come to the right place.
Dell XPS 13
The Dell XPS is one of the best ultrabooks around and the one to beat since it launched in early 2015. It comes with a 13.3-inch screen but has a body that’s the same size as an 11-inch notebook. The bezel-less screen makes the screen look so much bigger, and is something you’d gawk at for hours, especially if you upgrade to the QHD+ display.
The ultrabook has USB Type-C, Thunderbolt, a 2-in-1 card reader, and others. While there isn’t an HDMI port, you can use a USB Type-C dongle to plug into a monitor or other screen. The USB Type-C ports also can double as a way to charge the laptop if you decide to leave behind the provided power brick.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
4 GB of RAM
128 GB SSD Storage
13.3 Inch FHD display with 1920 x 1080 pixels or 13.3-inch QHD+ display with 3200×1800
2.8 pounds
11 hours of battery life with the QHD+ display
Related reading: Dell XPS 13 review
Buy the Dell XPS 13 now
Dell XPS 15
The Dell XPS 15 can be summed up as a bigger more powerful version of the beloved Dell XPS 13. The screen is a 15-inch display, but it’s jammed into a 14-inch laptop body. The more powerful ultrabook includes the Nvidia Geforce GTX 960 M video card, letting you play games with higher quality and better performance.
The ultrabook also has USB Type-C, Thunderbolt, a 2-in-1 card reader, and others. While there isn’t an HDMI port, you can use a USB Type-C dongle to plug into a monitor or other screen. The USB Type-C ports also can double as a way to charge the laptop if you decide to leave behind the provided power brick.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
8GB of RAM
1TB HDD and a 32GB SSD
15 inch QHD+ display with 3200×1800
3.9 pounds
17 hours battery life
Nvidia Geforce GTX 960 M
Buy the Dell XPS 15 now
Asus Zenbook 3
The Asus Zenbook 3 is an entirely metal body ultrabook; that’s thin, light and the sub $700 price makes it more attractive. The Intel Core M is more than capable of browsing the web or another light task, but anything heavier like video or photo editing won’t be a good fit on this ultrabook. The processor allows for longer battery life, but also lets the ultrabook go without a fan.
There are a lot of ports on the laptop with 3 USB 3.0 ports, an SD card reader, and a micro HDMI port to connect external monitors or displays. While the Zenbook 3 isn’t a powerhouse for performance, it is one of the most affordable ultrabooks with Windows 10.
Specs:
Intel Core M
8 GB of Ram
256GB SSD
13.3-inch screen with 1,920 x 1,080 IPS display
2.6 pounds
7 hours of battery life
Related reading: Asus announces new laptops, tablets and more at Computex 2016
Buy the Asus Zenbook 3 now
Asus Zenbook Flip
The Asus Zenbook Flip takes the Asus Zenbook 3 and adds a 360-degree hinge. This hinge allows the screen to flip around and use the ultrabook like a tablet. The Flip has the same metal body as the Zenbook 3, and similar specs overall. The Flip does have 10 hours of battery life which is longer than the Zenbook 3. The Flip is a great middle point between the hybrid and ultrabook.
There are still the same number of ports which let you do any amount of work you need to do without dongles. The Core M processor allows for the extended battery, also allows for a fanless hybrid in a price point that doesn’t hurt the wallet.
Specs:
Intel Core M
8GB of RAM
512 GB SSD
13.3-Inch Touchscreen displays with 1920 by 1080 resolution
6.3 pounds
8 hours of battery life
Related reading: Asus announces new laptops, tablets and more at Computex 2016
Buy the Asus Zenbook Flip now
HP Spectre 13 2016
The HP Spectre is the world’s thinnest laptop coming in at 10.04mm thick. Not only is it the world’s thinnest laptop it’s also the first Ultrabook to pack 3 USB Type-C ports. The overall design of the laptop is slick, and sports HP’s new premium logo. This is something you’d be proud to pull out during a conference or at a coffee shop. However, the high price is preventing the laptop from selling thousands of units like the Macbook or Macbook Air could and will do.
The Spectre is a higher end ultrabook that can not only browse the web but also do some photo and video editing with ease. Everything from the keyboard to the screen feels premium, with HP not skimping on any part of this ultrabook. The only significant downside to the ultrabook is poor battery performance, but compared to other ultrabooks it isn’t doing that bad.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
13.3-Inch display with 1920 by 1080 resolution
2.45 pounds
6 hours of battery life
Related reading: HP Spectre X2 hands on impressions
Buy the HP Spectre 13 now
Razer Blade Stealth
The Razer Blade Stealth is one of the world’s best gaming ultrabook. The Razer ultrabook has the same feel and design as other Razer laptops, except the Stealth is thin and light. The chroma branded keyboard is a standout feature, you usually need to purchase a high-end gaming laptop to get this feature rich of a backlit keyboard. The keyboard is a level of personalization other ultrabooks cannot match.
The Blade Stealth is not a standalone gaming laptop. When paired with the Razor Core, an external housing for a single graphics card like the Nvidia Geforce 980, the ultrabook can play graphics intensive games or edit photos and videos with ease. The only problem is your ultrabook is then tethered to a desk for high performance needs, luckily, it is very portable otherwise. The Razer Blade Stealth starts at $999, but when you think about adding in the Razer Core for $499 it becomes a more expensive setup than others.
Specs:
Intel Core i7
8GB of RAM
128GB SSD
13.3-inch QHD display 2560 x 1440
2.75 pounds
Buy the Razer Blade Stealth now
Acer Aspire Switch
The Acer Aspire Switch is a 2-in-1 that won’t break the bank, but may not be powerful enough to do much beyond browsing the web or checking email. The snap hinge lets you take the screen completely off and use it as a tablet, or with the keyboard base you’re able to move it around into a handful of different options. The keyboard and touchpad are one of the better ones on an ultrabook of this size.
In the world of high performance ultrabooks, the Aspire Switch is a bit of a budget device, particularly when you consider it is comes with just 32GB of internal storage. The price will make the Switch an easy purchase, netting you a decent device for your basic computing needs. It doesn’t feel cheap like other budget 2-in-1 Windows laptops.
Specs:
Intel Atom Quad Core
2GB of RAM
32GB SSD
10.1 inch 1,280 x 800
2.5 pounds
Related reading: Acer Chromebook 14 with metal chassis
Buy the Acer Aspire Switch now
Acer Aspire S7
The Acer Aspire S7 is a sturdy and attractive ultrabook with a battery that’ll last almost all day. The Intel Core i7 will breeze through any task, and for the price, the ultrabook is one of the best options for your money. As long as you don’t mind the white color or keyboard that is a little sensitive with shallow key travel.
Overall the Aspire S7 is stunning and accomplishes most anything you throw at it. We’re looking forward to an update to this laptop, but for now the last gen processor is well priced, grab your new Aspire S7 for under $1000.
Specs:
Intel Core i7
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
13.3 inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen
2.9 pounds
Related reading: Acer Chromebook 11 and Chromebook 14 land in the Google Store
Buy the Aspire S7 now
Lenovo Yoga 900
The Lenovo Yoga is a perfect match between power and design. It’s more powerful thanks to trading in the Core M processor for the Core i5 or Core i7 processors that’ll allow for video and photo editing on the go. The bigger battery will get you through the whole day, and the QHD+ display will keep your attention.
The 2-in-1 capabilities will let you use the Ultrabook as a tablet or laptop whenever you need, but you won’t have to worry about the usual problems of 2-in-1 like being top heavy, or flexing of the screen. The Yoga 900 is a large improvement from the Yoga Pro 3.
Specs:
Intel Core i7
16GB of RAM
512GB SSD
13.3 inch QHD+ 3,200 x 1,800 display
2.84 pounds
Related reading: Lenovo Yoga Tab 3 Pro review
Buy the Lenovo Yoga 900
Macbook 12
The Macbook is a beautiful Apple ultrabook, but it’s not without its flaws. The single USB Type-C port makes it hard to charge devices and plug in more than one device at a time, but it’s nothing a dongle can’t solve. The Macbook comes in 4 different colors, but the starting price of $1,300 might put some folks off.
The entry level Intel Core M processor will get daily web browsing, email, and messaging done, but you’ll want to bump up to the Core m5 or Core m7 chipsets if you want to do any photo or video editing with your new Macbook. The area the Macbook excels is battery life, lasting all day and being able to charge from the single USB Type-C port. Overall it’s a beautiful ultrabook, adhering to Apple’s typical level of craftsmanship, which also means it runs a tad more expensive than similarly spec’d ultrabooks out there.
Specs:
Intel Core M
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
12 inch 3,304 x 1,440
2.03 pounds
Related reading:
MacBook 12 – first impressions after 48 hours
Macbook 2016 (12-inch) review
Buy the MacBook 12 now
Microsoft Surface Book
The Surface Book is Microsoft’s best professional 2-in-1 ultrabook. The drop dead gorgeous screen offers great color accuracy, and if you want you can flip the laptop to act more like a tablet. Then you can use the pen to draw, which is a unique feature that you won’t find on other ultrabooks. Of course, this is the same Surface Pen smart stylus as on your Surface Pro 4 windows tablet.
The powerful ultrabook is heavier than others, and the larger 13.5-inch screen makes the device a bit bulkier. As a tradeoff for the size, this powerful device has specifications that will make it a daily driver that can do anything you throw at it.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
13.5-inch 3,000 x 2,000 PixelSense Display
Nvidia Geforce GPU
3.48 pounds
Related reading:
Microsoft announces Surface Book
Surface Pro 4 review
Buy the Surface Book now
Samsung Notebook 9
The Samsung Notebook 9 is slim and lightweight, but also budget conscious, unlike other Samsung laptops. The Notebook 9 weighs less than most tablets and ultrabooks and feels paper thin.
The downside to being so thin is bad battery life, which can be a drag when you’re traveling or out and about. The Full HD screen is sharp, beautiful but colors are almost too saturated. The ultrabook also doesn’t come with a lot of bloatware, which is nice on a Windows laptop.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
13.3 inch 1,920 x 1080 display
1.85 pounds
Related reading: Samsung announces Galaxy TabPro S Windows tablet to compete with Surface Pro
Buy the Notebook 9 now
HP EliteBook Folio G1
The HP EliteBook is a business machine in disguise. Under the thin frame and fanless chassis, is a slew of enterprise features including a fingerprint scanner, enterprise security, and military build. It’s not something you’d notice at first glance, but it’s something you could use when you’re traveling for business.
The beautiful screen, easy to use keyboard and overall premium build makes this laptop feel like a consumer laptop rather than something you’d use for business.
Specs:
Intel Dual Core M
8GB of RAM
256GB SSD
12.5 inch 1920 x 1080 screen
2.68 pounds
Related reading: HP Chromebook 13, a high-end Chrome OS offering
Buy the EliteBook Folio G1 now
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon is another business ultrabook that’s just a little bit better looking than you might expect. The X1 Carbon keeps the same ThinkPad design we’ve come to know, but with a smaller and lighter chassis that makes carrying it around a breeze.
The X1 Carbon has more than enough ports to ensure you won’t run out when you’re presenting a project or charging all your devices. The device will also handle almost anything you need to get done, and the 14-inch Full HD display will make working just a little easier.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
4GB of RAM
512GB SSD
14 inch 1920 x 1080 display
2.87 pounds
Buy the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon now
Honorable mentions:
Apple Macbook Pro 13 with Retina Display
The Macbook Pro 13 with Retina display is one of the go-to professional laptops on the market. Popular with folks who like to edit video and photos, this is as powerful of a machine as you’ll find in the Apple mobile device offerings. While the Macbook Pro isn’t the lightest or thinnest laptop around, it is still within the range of the larger ultrabooks out there.
The Macbook Pro begins its specification options in the ballpark of some high-end Ultrabooks, around $1300, you can then apply upgrade after upgrade until you are at a nearly $3000 price tag. It sound like a lot of money, but this really is a powerhouse of a device – it’s the video editing laptop of choice for half of our YouTube team over at Android Authority.
Specs:
Intel Core i5
8GB of RAM
128GB SSD
13.3 inch 2560 x 1600 Retina display
3.48 pounds
Buy the MacBook Pro now
Microsoft Surface Pro 4
The Surface Pro 4 is a unique 2-in-1 that is less of a laptop, more of a tablet with a keyboard. Despite officially being a tablet, the available specifications are identical to most of the ultrabook offerings above. At the high-end, the Intel Core i7 chipset with 16GB of RAM packs a wallop of computing power, but is still not as capable as the full graphics card enabled Surface Book you looked at above. The Surface Pro 4 Type Cover is a pleasant feeling magnetically connected smart cover when closed, and a full functioning soft touch keyboard with trackpad when opened.
The Surface Pro 4 has a built-in kickstand that offers great flexibility on a desktop, but which can feel a little awkward when it’s on your lap. The Surface Pro 4 also comes with the Surface Pen, a smart stylus made for those that want to write or draw on their tablet.
Specs:
Intel Core m3, Core i5 or Core i7
4GB, 8GB or 16GB of RAM
128GB, 256GB, 512GB or 1TB SSD
12.3 inch 2736 x 1824 display
1.73 pounds
Related reading:
Surface Pro 4 review
Surface Pro 4 vs iPad Pro 9.7
Buy the Surface Pro 4 now
Huawei MateBook
The Huawei Matebook is another 2-in-1 tablet with a thin keyboard cover like the Surface Pro 4. This time around the keyboard is built into a full leather cover for the tablet, and the cover folds in tp act as tablet stand. As far as the tablet experience goes, this is the nicer feeling device compared to the Surface Pro 4, but the MateBook Portfolio Keyboard case lacks a little in versatility when acting as a stand.
The Matebook is a decent device to house a single USB Type-C port, but enhances this with the optional MateDock. There is also a fingerprint reader built into the tablet and the artistic type can take advantage of the MatePen smart stylus. The starting price for the MateBook is lower than the Surface Pro 4, which is another huge plus.
Specs:
Intel Core m
4GB of RAM
128GB SSD
12 inch 2160 x 1440 display
1.41 pounds
Related reading: Huawei MateBook – the first 48 hours
Buy the Huawei MateBook now
Wrap up
The world of laptops, even if only focusing on these slim form-factor, lightweight and powerful devices we call ultrabooks, is vast. Rest assured, we’re going to be navigating these waters together. In the end, if our favorite tablets are attaching themselves to keyboards to pretend to be laptops, and doing a mighty fine job at it, we best see how they stand up when compared to this old computer form-factor made sleek in the ultrabook format.
What do you say, are these the top contenders in the ultrabook segment, or do you have another favorite that belongs on the list?
What’s next?
Best Windows tablets
Which MacBook should I buy?
Which iPad should I buy?
Best Android tablets
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