The best laptop for interior design is one that runs demanding design software quickly and efficiently. That said, some tools require more power than others. But while some interior design software can be run on relatively modest hardware, including Chromebooks, 3D modelling tools will demand more powerful internals.
With that in mind, we've drawn on our expertise as laptop reviewers to bring together the very best laptops for interior designers in one easy place. Whether you're a professional interior designer or working on your own home, you'll find the right laptop for your needs in our selection below.
If you want the very best laptop for interior design, then we recommend the latest MacBook Air. Coming with the new M2 chip, this is a thin and light laptop that packs some seriously impressive performance – without costing the earth. Read more below
If you want the very best laptop for interior design, then we recommend the latest MacBook Air. Coming with the new M2 chip, this is a thin and light laptop that packs some seriously impressive performance – without costing the earth. Read more below
This is a great all-around Chromebook, offering fantastic value for money, good build quality and a handy 2-in-1 design that lets you use it as both a traditional laptop as well as a tablet-like device. And its long battery life will keep it running for longer. Read more below
This is one of the best high-end laptops you can buy thanks to the powerful M2 Pro processor. These allow it to absolutely power through any interior design task, even the most complex and detailed 3D modelling challenges. Read more below
The LG Gram 17 has two big strengths for interior design: it has a large display offering plenty of workspace, and it's also incredibly light, weighing just over 1kg. If you travel a lot to meet with clients, this makes it a brilliant choice. Read more below
The Acer Aspire 5 offers a great balance between affordability and performance, and the latest model comes with an choice of either an 11th-generation Intel or AMD Ryzen 5000 processor. A solid performer that will handle most interior design tasks. Read more below
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Graphics: 8-core GPU or 10-core GPU (Apple M2 chip)
RAM: 8GB, 16GB, 24GB (unified memory)
Screen: 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display with 2560x1664 resolution
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB
Reasons to buy
+
Lightweight without losing performance
+
Completely silent during operation
+
Amazing battery life
Reasons to avoid
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No Touch Bar
If you want the very best laptop for interior design, then we recommend the latest MacBook Air. We're huge fans of this thin and light laptop that packs some seriously impressive performance – without costing the earth.
Our reviewer found that the specs of the MacBook Air means that you'll be able to run any software you want with ease. Of course, as a MacBook, it runs on Apple's macOS operating system, rather than Windows. However, almost every major piece of software will have a macOS version.
It will also make your designs and models look fantastic thanks to the gorgeous new screen, which is larger than the previous model, which makes working on the laptop a joy, and is great for showing off your designs to potential clients.
As for battery life, that’s even better than what we saw in the M1 MacBook Air. In our MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review, it lasted for over 16 hours on a single charge – five more hours than the M1 version.
Screen: 16.0-inch, glasses-free 3D OLED display, 3.2K (3200 x 2000)
Storage: Up to 8TB (2x4TB SSD)
Reasons to buy
+
Powerful components
+
Beautiful screen
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Accurate colours
Reasons to avoid
-
May be overkill for non-3D work
Want a Windows laptop that's perfect for interior design? Then this is the one we recommend above all. In our hands-on review, our tester found the OLED display to be gorgeously bright and sharp, and it's a touchscreen too.
With 100% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, you'll get super-accurate colours. And if you need to work quickly and efficiently, you'll love the built-in dial which can be customised for different software.
Best of all, this laptop features powerful components that will run even the most 3D-heavy interior design software fast, so you won't be sitting around for minutes waiting for everything to render. Our reviewer ran benchmark tests to make sure it delivered in practice, and the results were very impressive. For more details, read our full Asus ProArt Studiobook OLED review.
Screen: 11.6" HD (1366 x 768) 16:9 IPS touchscreen
Storage: 64GB Flash Memory
Reasons to buy
+
Great design and build
+
2-in-1 flexibility is great
Reasons to avoid
-
Screen could be brighter
On a tight budget? The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a great all-around Chromebook, offering fantastic value for money, good build quality and a handy 2-in-1 design that lets you use it as both a traditional laptop as well as a tablet-like device. And best of all, its long battery life will keep it running for longer than most expensive laptops.
Note, however, that a Chromebook cannot run either Windows or macOS software, and so may not be appropriate for professional interior designers. However there are interior design apps that can be run on a Chromebook such as Planner 5D, so if you're just getting started, or simply looking to do some interior design for your own home, then the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 is a great budget pick.
The MacBook Pro 14-inch (2023) is one of the best high-end laptops you can buy thanks to the powerful M2 Pro processors. This allow it to absolutely power through any interior design task, even the most complex and detailed 3D models can be rendered quickly and smoothly.
At the same time, The 14-inch size of the laptop means despite its power, this is a very portable device, so you can work on it wherever you want, and comes with a built-in SD card slot, HDMI port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports.
Best of all, battery life is fantastic, and it's impressively quiet, even when working under extreme loads. It's expensive, however, and for many people it may offer more power than you really need, but if you want to invest in a brilliant laptop for interior design, this is the one to get. See our MacBook Pro 14-inch review for more details.
The LG Gram 17 has two big strengths for interior design: it offers a large 17-inch display offering plenty of workspace, and it's also incredibly light, weighing just over 1kg. For a 17-inch laptop, this is pretty remarkable, and it means despite its large size, it's still pretty comfortable to carry around with you. For professional interior designers who travel a lot to meet with clients, this makes it a brilliant choice, as you're not having to sacrifice screen size for portability (or vice versa).
Its also helps that it's packing some of the best mobile tech with 11th generation Intel processors and Iris Xe graphics. We found battery life to be extremely impressive, easily lasting around 12 hours on a single charge. We don't think it's the most exciting-looking laptop when it comes to design, but the powerful components, light weight and large screen make it great for interior design work. See our full LG Gram 17 review for more details.
Display: 14” Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9 – 15.6" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 16:9
Reasons to buy
+
Cheap
+
Runs Windows 11
Reasons to avoid
-
720p webcam
-
Not very powerful
The Acer Aspire 5 offers a great balance between affordability and performance, and the latest model comes with an choice of either an 11th-generation Intel or AMD Ryzen 5000 processor, and if you kit it out with extra RAM, you'll get a very competent laptop for the price.
It's not the most powerful laptop in the world, nor is it the most stylish, but it's a solid performer that will handle most interior design tasks and tools, and as it runs Windows 11, it's more versatile than a Chromebook, while still being relatively affordable. The battery life is solid at up to 10 hours, so you can use this while you're out and about without worrying about it running out of charge.
The solid build quality means this affordable laptop doesn't feel cheap, and makes it a great choice if you're often travelling, as you won't have to worry too much about it getting damaged – though don't go throwing it about, as it doesn't boast the kind of rugged design and protection more expensive laptops come with. Find out more with ourAcer Aspire 5 review.
The most important factors to consider when choosing a laptop for interior design are the processor, memory (RAM), storage, display and graphics card.
For interior design, you'll need a laptop with a powerful processor that can handle running multiple software applications simultaneously. That's especially the case if you're using 3D modelling software to create your designs. For similar reasons, RAM is important for ensuring that your laptop can run multiple applications smoothly without crashing.
Interior design software can be demanding on graphics resources, so a dedicated graphics card is a good idea. If you're planning on using 3D modeling or rendering software, look for a Windows laptop with a graphics card from NVIDIA or AMD, or a MacBook with an M1 or M2 processor (which features integrated graphics).
If you're making a lot of designs, particularly if they're 3D models, you'll end up with some pretty large files, so you'll need a laptop with plenty of storage space.
Also think about the quality of display in the laptop. You'll need to be able to see your work accurately, so a good display is essential, particularly for 3D visualisations. Look for a laptop with a high-resolution display (at least 1920x1080 pixels) and wide viewing angles. If you're planning on doing professional interior design work, you may also want to consider a laptop with a colour-accurate display.
To compile this list of the best laptops for interior design, we've looked back through our expert, hands-on reviews of laptops for Creative Bloq, as well as other devices reviewed by our stablemates at Future Publishing. When we review laptops, we put through their paces rigorously, performing everyday tasks that the average person would want to use them for, and assessing how quickly and smoothly they run in practice. We also perform standard benchmark test to make sure that our perceptions are matched by the data. We are totally independent and never accept payment for our reviews, so our opinions are always honest and unbiassed.
When looking for a laptop for interior design, it's important to consider the specs. A good processor for interior design should be powerful enough to handle running multiple software applications simultaneously, such as 3D modeling, rendering, and photo editing software. It should also be able to handle large files. For Windows laptops, we recommend an Intel Core i5 or above, or an AMD Ryzen 5 or above. If you're looking for a MacBook, then Apple's own M1 or newer M2 chips should offer more than enough power.
How much memory does a laptop need for interior design?
RAM (random-access memory) is important for ensuring that your laptop can run multiple applications smoothly without crashing. For interior design, we recommend at least 16GB of RAM. If you're planning on using 3D modeling or rendering software, you may want to consider even more RAM.
Also consider how much storage memory your laptop has. Interior design software can create large files, so you'll need a laptop with plenty of storage space. We'd recommend at least 512GB of SSD storage, but if you can afford it, 1TB or more is even better.
Do I need a Mac or Windows laptop for interior design?
In general, both Mac and Windows laptops are suitable for interior design work. However, some interior design software is only available for Windows, so if you're planning on using a specific tool, be sure to check its system requirements first.
Matt has been a technology journalist for over 15 years, writing for publications such as T3, MacFormat and Creative Bloq. He's a managing editor of TechRadar, Creative Bloq's sister site, where he can be found writing about and reviewing laptops, computers, monitors and more. He often writes for Creative Bloq, helping creatives find their perfect laptop or PC.
