Tired of lugging around a heavy laptop? These thin and light picks make work, travel, and streaming way easier. I was getting ready for a months-long backpacking trip and knew I had to swap out my laptop. My old Dell did its job back in college, but it was bulky and annoying to carry around. Since I mostly needed something for writing and watching shows, I didn’t need anything super powerful. That’s what led me to pick the M3 MacBook Air. But if you’re on the hunt for the best thin and light laptops and don’t feel like jumping into the Apple ecosystem, don’t worry. That’s where ultrabooks come in.
Here’s the thing—even if you don’t travel much, having a lightweight laptop just makes life easier. I work remotely most days, but every Thursday I head to TCF, and my laptop makes that commute way smoother.
I’m all about portability, and ultrabooks totally deliver. They’re slim, easy to carry, have solid battery life, and pack enough speed for work, streaming, and even some light gaming. So whether you’re after a budget pick, a reliable work laptop, or the most premium one out there, I’ve rounded up some solid ultrabook choices for you.
1. Best portable Windows laptop: Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12
Lenovo’s been a go-to name in the business laptop game for a long time. Their ThinkPad and ThinkBook lines are big hits with professionals—mainly because they’re reliable, powerful, and easy to carry around. The ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 is one of their best yet. It’s got a 14-inch display, but the overall size stays nice and compact. Compared to the Zenbook UX3405, it’s about the same in dimensions (0.59″ H x 12.31″ W x 8.45″ D), only lighter at just 2.47 pounds.
Thin laptops sometimes give off a fragile vibe. Maybe that’s just in my head; however, thicker models tend to feel sturdier in hand. That’s one reason I appreciate the X1 Carbon Gen 12. The durable design meets MIL-STD 810H standards, so you know it’s built to handle everyday wear without falling apart.
2. Best budget ultrabook: Acer Swift 3 OLED
The Acer Swift 3 packs a couple of standout features that make it worth a look—the OLED screen and a powerful processor.
Running the show is the Intel Core i5-12500H, one of the stronger mobile chips from the Alder Lake lineup. It came out in early 2022, built on a 10-nanometer process, and it handles multitasking with ease. Still, I wouldn’t call the Acer Swift 3 OLED ($699.99) a full-blown workstation. It’s much sleeker and more compact than you’d expect from that category—only 0.7 inches thick and just over 3 pounds.
3. Best ultrabook for work: ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED
The ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED weighs just 2.87 pounds, so it’s super easy to carry around—whether you’re heading to a coffee shop or spending the day at a coworking space. It’s pretty compact too (12.22″ L x 8.74″ W x 0.55″ ~ 0.63″ H), so it won’t take up much room in your bag.
Battery life is solid—reviewers usually get around 10 to 12 hours with a mix of work and downtime like streaming or writing. That’s plenty for a full workday without constantly hunting for an outlet.
The HD webcam looks surprisingly clear, even in dim lighting. That’s a win, especially since most built-in webcams tend to struggle when the lights aren’t perfect.
