No matter if you’re an avid gamer or looking to do serious photo or text processing, having a long battery life is of the utmost importance. The ideal laptops combine outstanding performance and a fantastic screen in an ergonomic and portable package – look out for ones that offer both!
Battery life can be hard to estimate because its use and demands affect its runtime. We’ve identified some excellent choices with great specs at competitive prices below that will extend their lifespan for years.
Lenovo Yoga 7i 16
This Lenovo Yoga is an excellent choice for people who require a plus-sized convertible with a fantastic screen, long battery life and great sound. Though heavy for my taste, and the trackpad feels cheap compared to prior generations of Yogas in terms of build quality, its rounded corners and light-coloured keyboard add nice touches. In contrast, it may feel less sturdy overall than earlier models of this series.
This Yoga features a 13th-generation Intel Core i7 U-series processor for optimal battery life, not the more powerful P-series version. This processor can manage typical PC tasks such as web browsing, Microsoft Office apps, media consumption like music and videos and light photo editing with no problems at all. Furthermore, light gaming (without going wild with settings) should also be possible on this laptop.
However, if your workload involves serious video editing or coding tasks, something other than this laptop might be suitable. Something with a higher-wattage CPU or AMD chip should better accommodate your demands.
Lenovo doesn’t skimp when it comes to connectivity either – this Yoga 7i comes equipped with two USB-C Thunderbolt ports, two USB 3 Type-A ports, an HDMI port, and a headphone jack – while also featuring stable reception with Bluetooth 5.1 support for seamless wireless connections.
The Yoga 7i features a fingerprint reader on its right side and supports Windows Hello facial recognition technology. If desired, this Yoga can also come equipped with a stylus pen for use with its display.
HP Spectre x360 14
The Spectre x360 14 sets a new benchmark in premium convertible 2-in-1s, earning another Editors’ Choice nod from us as our go-to recommendation. Boasting impressive specs, including fast performance both on and off charge for photo and video editing, as well as light gaming applications, its slim profile is easy to balance on a lap or arm for comfortable usage. It features an OLED display panel boasting vivid colours – it was easy for us to recommend it as our favourite 2-in-1 device!
HP stands out from its competition with its superior build quality. Their chassis does not flex at all and snaps shut without much resistance – an impressive feat when considering it is one of the thinnest laptops you can buy with two Thunderbolt 4 ports for data, video, and docking (one tucked away behind its rear side), an audio jack, headphone jack and compact 65-watt power adapter tucked inside its shell.
One thing that sets this Spectre apart from others is its advanced use of AI features enabled by Intel’s Meteor Lake processor’s NPU. Using its infrared camera to detect user presence and can automatically lock and sleep it when someone walks away or looks away from the screen, as well as adjust CPU performance, fan noise management and battery life management depending on what you’re doing and where the Spectre is physically situated.
Display: It features an exquisite display with an impressive P3 colour gamut, adequate maximum brightness for use outdoors and an exceptional contrast ratio. Multi-touch and stylus support add further appeal, and myHP allows users to modify its default colour profile according to different environments and uses. This display device accurately reproduced our calibration test images.
Dell XPS 13
If you’re searching for the ultimate battery-life laptop in 2024, Dell’s XPS 13 should be at the top of your list. While not as light and portable as some 13-inch ultrabooks we’ve tested, its high build quality and gorgeous display set this laptop apart. Plus, its Intel i7 CPU can keep pace with productivity tasks without issues or with casual use tasks without hassles.
Dell could have done better with its battery performance, which was disappointing as it has long been one of the leaders in ultralight laptops. Their latest offering, XPS 13 Plus, attempts to change that by offering more powerful processors and sleeker designs; however, it still needs to be more significant for its 13-inch form factor and lacks key features such as headphone jacks or USB-C ports found on many competitors.
Unfortunately, it still exhibits many of the same functional issues seen with previous XPS 13 models – an overcrowded keyboard and subpar trackpad performance relative to competitors’ offerings are just two such issues.
If you can look past these issues, however, the XPS 13 is an ideal option for anyone who needs to remain productive throughout their day. Equipped with an efficient Meteor Lake CPU and 55Wh battery for long runtimes of 11 hours with light use – such as web browsing, video streaming and writing documents – ExpressCharge allows an 80% battery charge in 60 minutes for instant power in such a compact package; see our full review to learn more of its strengths and weaknesses.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon laptop is one of the most dependable models available, boasting an expansive screen, durable build and minimalist design characteristic of business machines combined with the slim and light form factor of premium clamshell laptops – ideal for working at the office, on-the-road work and entertainment purposes alike.
The Lenovo X1 Carbon provides you with up to 10th generation Intel Core i7 processors and plenty of power for any task imaginable, lasting 14 hours on one charge. When power runs low, Lenovo Rapid Charge technology lets you get up to 80% charged up in just an hour!
Lenovo’s X1 Carbon offers an outstanding display, covering 81% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut and boasting 432 nits brightness for vibrant images and texts. Furthermore, dual-array microphones coupled with Dolby Voice technology ensure clear audio during conference calls or video chats.
OLED technology also contributes to the X1 Carbon’s stellar battery life tests, as it does away with backlighting requirements and, therefore, draws less power than traditional LCDs. This explains why it achieved almost the same score as Acer Swift Go 14’s efficient Core i7 U-series CPU and Apple MacBook Air 15 in our tests.
As with other ThinkPads, the X1 Carbon makes an excellent business choice due to its sturdy build, impressive performance, and robust security features – which include enterprise-grade cybersecurity software like ThinkPad Password Manager and ThinkPad Updater to manage and update your laptop.
Apple MacBook Air 13
If you need a laptop that will last through an entire workday without needing an outlet, the MacBook Air 13 may be your perfect solution. Our tests showed it has impressive battery life thanks to the installed Intel M3 processors.
The Air offers an exceptional display, an expansive haptic Touchbar and a helpful selection of ports. While its chassis may be heavier than others, it is still thin and light. Furthermore, Apple has added its breakthrough anodization process that protects against fingerprints and scratches to provide even further resistance to fingerprints and scratches.
Similar to its MacBook Pro 13 counterpart, this MacBook Air is an excellent option for individuals needing to run demanding applications. It excels at general productivity tasks while handling more intensive gaming sessions without slowing down. Plus, its gorgeous 2.8K OLED display and long battery life keep things running smoothly!
No matter if you’re working from home or traveling, having a reliable laptop with long battery life will help you get more done. Our Battery Test showed these models all lasted 9+ hours of juice to last through any typical workday – perfect for travellers and people using their laptops away from the home and office and giving them the freedom to bring both work and play wherever they go! To see our complete list of recommended laptops, please view our full list.