The Best 13-14 Inch Laptop for Use in 2022
Apple MacBook Air (M1)
This is the most practical version of the MacBook. It combines the legendary fluidity of MacOS with a more than adequate autonomy, improved by its optimized standby.
With this reworked version of the Air, Apple manages to overtake Windows computers in our comparison by coupling the excellent fluidity of its system to a brand new in-house processor, the M1, based on the A14 Bionic chip of the iPhone. This catapults it to the top of the rankings in terms of computing power while boosting the energy efficiency of the whole. The result is a durable and efficient solution, encased in a premium case and underlined by a neat screen. the 13 inch Pro model can also take advantage of this improvement, with a slight additional boost in power.
Best cheap
Acer Chromebook Spin 713
The most robust and affordable model of this selection, it takes advantage of the advantages of Chrome OS to become the ideal tool for people limited to office automation or multimedia.
€ 749.00 on Gowizyou
The Spin 713 is the perfect example of a high-end Chromebook. It takes all the advantages of these computers with exemplary fluidity and excellent portability in addition to having an interesting connection. It stands out above all other computers of this type by its performance, favored by a 10th generation Intel Core i5 and 8 GB of RAM. It is the perfect solution for anyone looking for a practical computer for everyday use.
HP Elite Dragonfly G2
This model arises as a solution intended for professionals. It is a convenient 2-in-1 PC to carry while being powerful. It also has some very practical advantages.
This hybrid computer is a high-end solution designed for productivity enthusiasts. It therefore embeds generous power in all its versions, which makes it efficient for a majority of tasks. However, it skips a dedicated graphics card, limiting its possibilities at this level. It adds to that a very compact size so it won’t stand out in your bag, a spill-resistant backlit keyboard and a stylus (only one pressure level). The only real fault that we can formulate is related to its autonomy, just average.
Mid-range alternative
Dell XPS 13
Reference for the mid-range Windows side, this computer is undoubtedly the most interesting on the market on this system. It takes all that can be expected from a model of this price.
When we talk about a mid-range laptop, it is common to think of the Dell XPS 13. For several years, this model has been a benchmark in this price range. It brings together everything one can expect from a computer at this price with generous power, quality materials and a neat screen. As a bonus, it leaves nothing to chance and has an autonomy of nearly 10 hours, which allows it to follow you easily for a day. A hybrid version is also available for touch enthusiasts.
our selection
| Our Pick, Best Mid-Range | Best cheap | Best high end | Mid-range alternative |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Apple MacBook Air (M1) | Acer Chromebook Spin 713 | HP Elite Dragonfly G2 | Dell XPS 13 |
| This is the most practical version of the MacBook. It combines the legendary fluidity of MacOS with a more than adequate autonomy, improved by its optimized standby. | This 14-inch Chromebook, despite its price, has everything of the premium model, between its flawless material quality, its well-calibrated screen, its lightness, its endurance and its advanced performance for office automation. | This model arises as a solution intended for professionals. It is a convenient 2-in-1 PC to carry while being powerful. It also has some very practical advantages. | Reference for the mid-range Windows side, this computer is undoubtedly the most interesting on the market on this system. It takes all that can be expected from a model of this price. |
Honorable mentions
Acer Swift 5 (SF514-55T) (€ 1,491.02 at time of publication): A classic but versatile laptop. Asus’ Swift line has long been recognized as a good solution for anyone looking for an efficient and relatively affordable Windows computer. The Swift 5 is placed in the middle of this line of products by being a rather powerful laptop capable of shining as much by its generous computing power as by the possibility of approaching light gaming. It is also equipped with a slab with careful calibration and an interesting portability.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (€ 1,699.00 at the time of publication): The ultraportable gaming under AMD. This model combines the advantages of a gaming laptop, with its high power, and an ultraportable, with its compactness. As a result, the Zephyrus G14 offers one of the best volume-to-performance ratios on the market. The whole is wrapped in a neat design with premium finishes and underlined by a qualitative 120 Hz screen. On the other hand, we can blame him for the absence of a webcam and a fairly limited autonomy.
Razer Blade Stealth 13 (€ 2,913.81 at publication): Another ultraportable gaming. A hybrid between an ultraportable and a gaming machine, this model demonstrates that it is perfectly possible to combine generous power with an easy to carry format. This allows it to be an excellent work companion while leaving room for entertainment, whether video game or purely multimedia. However, it will be necessary to deal with a heating a little higher than on a full-size gaming laptop.
BUYING GUIDE:
How to choose your 13-14 inch laptop?
At present, the market for 13 and 14 inch laptops tends to explode, as they are seen as a fair compromise between the transportability of an 11 inch model and the comfort of an 11 inch model. 15 inch.
However, suddenly, it is sometimes difficult to find your way around to find a truly qualitative model. For this, six main points must be taken into account:
- Display : A 13-inch screen has a diagonal of approximately 33 cm, while a 14-inch screen has a diagonal of 35.6 cm. Despite this fairly small difference, we highly recommend a Full HD screen for 14 inches, where HD will remain sufficient for 13 inches to comfortably watch videos. Also check the maximum screen brightness and its anti-glare management (essential for good visibility in all circumstances), as well as the fidelity of the colorimetry.
- Mobility : 13 or 14 inch laptops are often used as primary work tools and preferred over stationary PCs due to their mobility. Suddenly, the questions of the weight and autonomy of your computer are important. If you have to transport it on a daily basis, choose models weighing less than 2 kg and with a minimum battery life of 8 hours. Also pay attention to the quality of the materials in order to benefit from a good resistance during transport. Note also that, for more mobility, some prefer the solution of Hybrid PCs.
- Ergonomics : You will probably spend many hours using your computer. It must therefore be sufficiently comfortable. To be of good quality, a keyboard must have well-spaced keys of reasonable size, and good responsiveness, without exaggeration. Backlighting is also highly recommended for ease of use. The same goes for the touchpad which must combine a good size with good responsiveness.
- Performances : in general, with this screen size, you are heading for office use, for which there is no need to have too powerful components. But if you have to use it for heavier tasks (graphics work, or even games), this is something to pay attention to. However, for these uses, we recommend that you consult our comparisons dedicated to Laptops for graphic designers or to Laptops for gamers.
- The components : the choice of components (CPU, GPU, RAM) must of course depend on your needs, an office configuration is not sufficient for gaming use and a gaming configuration unnecessarily increasing costs for someone who will only have one. office use. But it is important that the configuration is balanced (for example, a Core i7 processor will have difficulty running at full capacity with 4 GB of RAM).
To make our selection, we carried out an initial search for the most popular 13 and 14 inch laptops on the market, which we crossed with our own selections already made in terms of Laptops (Cheap laptops, Laptops at the best price / quality ratio, Student laptops, etc.).
Sources
- Digital Trends, The Best 13-Inch Laptops for 2020, October 14, 2021
- T3, Best lightweight laptops 2020: get the best ultraportable laptop, October 14, 2021
- TechRadar, The best 13-inch laptops 2020: the best laptops with small screens, October 14, 2021
- Windows Central, Best 14-Inch Laptop in 2020, October 14, 2021
- Wirecutter, Best Laptops 2020, October 14, 2021
Conclusion
The MacBook Pro is the clear winner. It has the best combination of performance, features, and design, and it’s also the most expensive option. If you’re looking for a Windows alternative, the Dell XPS 13 is a close second. It’s not as powerful as the MacBook Pro, but it’s still a very capable machine.
If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, the Asus ZenBook 14 is a great option. It’s not as powerful as either of the above laptops, but it’s significantly cheaper. It’s also one of the lightest laptops on this list, so it’s ideal if you need to carry your laptop around with you often.
