Need a featherweight laptop that lasts all day on a single battery charge? Thin, light, and power-efficient, these ultraportables are our top performers in testing.
The evolution of laptops has always been driven by the push for thinner, lighter, and more power-efficient designs, and whatever the year, these demands coalesce into the perfect expressions of leading-edge laptop design: ultraportables. What exactly defines this category? In general, ultraportables weigh 3 pounds or less, have screens 14 inches or smaller, and offer enough battery life to survive most of a workday off-plug. These systems are now faster than ever, are well suited to travel, and come with a variety of features and display resolutions wide enough to fit anyone’s needs. You may have seen laptops of this breed referred to over the years as “ultrabooks” or “streambooks,” but those were primarily attempts to attach some branding to the same basic template of “ultralight laptop.” The design always comes back to the same foundational elements: thin, light, and long-running. How Much Should You Spend on an Ultraportable? Though ultraportable laptops as a class may look sleek, quite a few key differentiators distinguish models from one another. The first to consider is price. There’s a huge difference between a system that costs $400 and one that costs $1,300, even if they boast the same brand name and similar looks and features. At the low end are entry-level systems that generally run $500 or less. For many casual users, this is the only price range worth looking at, but there are some caveats to keep in mind. The processing power, display resolution, and storage capacities are usually lower on inexpensive ultraportables, and the construction can be on the flimsy side. The weight for these models also ranges up to 4 pounds. Entry-level ultraportables make solid systems for younger family members to use for homework or watching movies around the house, since they are both highly portable and relatively inexpensive. Value is a big factor in this category, as plenty of budget ultraportables can entice you with a low price. If you’re not careful, you may find yourself let down by a system that’s only a bargain because its manufacturer cut too many corners. That said, the spec floor has risen in this category. As faster base parts become less expensive and more common, cheaper systems with decent build quality have become more capable. Your average $500 laptop has become quite adequate for simple tasks such as web browsing, word processing, and media viewing on the go. Midrange systems are better, but by definition they also cost more, ranging from about $500 to $1,250. Materials and specs that were once exclusive to high-end ultraportables are now the norm in midrange systems, including features such as full HD (1,920-by-1,080-pixel) or even QHD (2,560-by-1,440-pixel) resolutions, touch displays, and metal chassis. Battery life and storage have improved as well, making it easier to get better bang for your buck in this price range. You’ll still have to compromise in one or two areas (such as storage capacity, port options, and resolution) compared with the high-end systems, but for most shoppers, this price range represents the best mix of price and performance. At the top of the price ladder are premium systems, which we categorize as anything costing $1,250 or more. With these high-end systems come choice materials, cutting-edge components and features, and top performance that will speed up photo editing and other productivity tasks. Here, you’ll also see 3K- or 4K-resolution displays, quality sound hardware (often from familiar brands like Bang & Olufsen), spacious and speedy storage, and other exciting features, all while the system’s form factor remains slim and compact. Many premium business laptops also fall into this class, due to specialized remote-management and corporate features. This pricing tier yields the best overall user experience, the most features and port options, and the fastest internal hardware, but not every premium system is created equal. And when you’re spending this much money, do you really want second best? If you have the budget, and will be spending a lot of time on your laptop, it may very well pay to invest in quality. Choose Your Power Wisely: Processors in Ultraportables For smooth performance and a good user experience, you’ll want to be choosy about your processor. Even in a less-expensive system, the average processor is more capable than ever of handling routine tasks, but if you need speed, select carefully. At the top of the heap are Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors, which can be found in midrange and premium models. Most ultraportables from early 2020 use Intel’s 10th Generation Core CPUs, divided into “Ice Lake” and “Comet Lake” varieties, while the releases in late 2020 moved to Intel’s new “Tiger Lake” 11th Generation Core processors. Some 9th Generation ultraportables are still out there, but almost all have shifted to 10th or 11th Generation chips in 2021. The CPU is typically paired with 8GB of memory, though some premium systems boast 16GB of RAM. The processors in ultraportables will usually be classified as U-series CPUs, which are designed for lean laptop builds. This is still the case with Tiger Lake, though the “U” suffix is not present in the names of these chips to denote it. (Instead, you’ll see names like Core i7-1165G7, where the number after the “G” indicates the potency of the built-in graphics.) All released Tiger Lake chips relevant to ultraportables are U-series; Tiger Lake H-series chips, debuted in mid-2021, are designed for thicker power laptops. The new 2021 VAIO Z is one of the rare ultraportables with an H-series power CPU. In previous generations, a few middle-of-the-pack models would opt for processors in Intel’s power-saving Y series. These chips, from the Core families, are identified by the “Y” in their model number and are capable for basic tasks but ultra-low-powered. In Tiger Lake, some U-series chips will be offered with lower wattage for less expensive and especially thin laptops, but they aren’t denoted separately. With 9th Generation Core, you’ll find Core i5 and i7 Y-series chips, as well as some Core i3 chips in the least powerful (and generally inexpensive) laptops. The design of a Y-series CPU allows for processing power that approaches that of Core i5 chips, but with lower power consumption and often no need for cooling fans. This results in slimmer laptop designs, quieter operation (because no fan means no fan noise), and longer battery life. In the past, Y-series systems were a good choice if you wanted the most portable ultraportable, but they are fading out as 10th and 11th Gen processors dominate. Many of the faster, higher-end ultraportables will opt for the U-series chips regardless, since they also focus on power saving.
