The best laptops for battery life in March 2024

Three of the best laptops with battery life in mind.
(Image credit: Future)

The best laptops for battery life are increasingly sought after, as we all get used to working on the move, around the house, in cafés and libraries, meeting rooms and trains – any place there isn't a guaranteed power socket available.

Until only recently, most laptops struggled to offer more than a few hours on a single charge, especially those powerful enough to run creative software. Things have greatly improved, though, thanks to both advances in battery design but also efficiency improvements in computer processors. Now there are a lot of options. And in the article below, you'll find the best laptops for battery life, based on our reviewers' experiences. To curate our list, we've considered a range of factors, including each laptop's power, portability, features and pricing, as well as how long the battery lasts. 

Meanwhile, if you can't afford a new laptop then maybe consider buying one of the best power banks to keep your existing one juiced up. Plus for more general laptop recommendations, check out our guides to the best student laptops and the best laptops for video editing.

The best laptops for battery life in 2023

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Product shot of the MacBook Pro 16-inch 2023, one of the best laptops for battery life

(Image credit: Apple)

01. MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2, 2023)

The best laptop for battery life and high performance

Specifications

CPU: M2 Pro (10-core CPU, 16-core GPU or 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU), with optional M2 Max with up to 12-core CPU and 38-core GPU
Graphics: Integrated 16-core GPU
RAM: 16GB-96GB
Screen: 14.2-inch, 3,024 x 1,964 Liquid Retina XDR display
Storage: 512GB-8TB SSD
Claimed battery life: 22 hours video

Reasons to buy

+
Best battery life of any MacBook
+
Large screen
+
Very powerful

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

MacBooks offer a huge amount of power, which you need if you're going to run resource-intensive software such as Photoshop or Premiere Pro. But in the past, that's meant taking a hit on battery life. In recent years, though, Apple's really gone all-out to provide the best of both worlds to its laptop users. 

The latest model, MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2, 2023) boasts its best battery life yet, promising up to 22 hours of video playback based on a configuration of M2 Pro processor, 12-core CPU, 19-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD. 

Most importantly for the purposes of this guide, the new chips are extremely energy efficient. So if you're looking for a laptop with a bright, beautiful display and the power to handle demanding work like high-resolution video editing and 3D rendering, the MacBook Pro 16-inch (M2, 2023) offers battery life that will keep you going for longer than any other MacBook on the market. You'll also get an impressive 17 hours of playback from its smaller, more affordable sibling, the MacBook Pro 14-inch (M2, 2023).

MacBook Air, one of the best laptops for battery life, in an office on a black desk

(Image credit: Future)
The best MacBook for battery life and affordability

Specifications

Processor: Apple M2
Memory: 8GB, 16GB, 24GB
Display: 13.6-inch LED-backlit display with IPS technology; 2,560 x 1,664 resolution
Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB SSD
Claimed battery life: Up to 18 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Fast and powerful
+
Compact and portable 
+
Affordable price

Reasons to avoid

-
Not as powerful as a MacBook Pro

If the MacBook Pro (number one on our list) is out of your budget range, then consider the more affordable MacBook Air. The 2022 model offers excellent performance thanks to Apple's own M2 chip and promises up to 18 hours of battery life.

This laptop also boasts a beautiful 13.6-inch screen with a high resolution of 2,560 x 1,664, 500 nits of brightness, and support for the P3 colour gamut and one billion colours. In our own battery tests, we looped a 1080p video for 16 hours – five hours longer than the previous MacBook Air. The MagSafe charger also charged the battery impressively fast, and you can also use the USB-C ports to charge.

See our full MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review for more details.

Surface Laptop Studio, one of the best laptops for battery life, on an office table top

(Image credit: Future)
The best Windows laptop for battery life

Specifications

CPU: 11th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe / AMD Radeon
RAM: 8GB – 32GB
Screen: 14.4-inch QHD (2,400 x 1,600) touch
Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Reasons to buy

+
Beautiful screen and design
+
Comfortable keyboard 
+
Versatile 2-in-1 form factor with stylus support

Reasons to avoid

-
No SD card or USB-A port

Not a fan of the Apple ecosystem? No problem, because you don't need a MacBook to get a high-spec laptop with good battery life. Microsoft's brilliant Surface Laptop Studio can give many MacBooks a run for their money. This gorgeous 2-in-1 has a stunning design and a thin, light body that seamlessly transitions between a laptop and tablet format, giving you the convenience of a Windows laptop with a very comfortable keyboard, but also a touchscreen tablet with stylus support.

It can be configured to offer some powerful specs, including cutting-edge integrated graphics from either Intel or AMD, depending on the configuration you choose. The reason it's in this guide, though, is that it also offers great battery life for these specs. We managed to keep it running for over 13 hours in our own tests, but Microsoft claims that you can stretch that up to 19 hours on the AMD-powered model.

If you're interested in this laptop, check out our full Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio review for more details.

MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020), one of the best laptops for battery life, on a table

(Image credit: Future)
Another battery-boosting laptop from Apple

Specifications

CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU
Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU
RAM: 8GB – 16GB unified memory
Screen: 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display
Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD
Claimed max battery life: 20 hours video / 17 hours wireless web

Reasons to buy

+
Good battery life
+
Great performance
+
More compact than the newer MacBook Pros

Reasons to avoid

-
Lack of ports

If the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops are too large for you, the 13-inch MacBook Pro (2022) should be on your radar. This new 13-inch MacBook Pro has the new M2 processor, which not only offers an upgrade on the M1 chip's performance but also its efficiency. It can handle 4K and even 8K content and run demanding apps, making it perfect for creative professionals. And while the 2020 model managed 13 hours in our battery tests (already an impressive number), this new model lasted a whopping 15 and a half hours without a plug socket in sight during our testing.

For more details, see our MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) review.

Huawei MateBook X Pro, one of the best laptops for battery life, on a desk

(Image credit: Ian Evenden)
One of the best Windows laptops for battery life.

Specifications

OS: Windows 11
CPU: Intel Core i7 1260P
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
RAM: 16GB LPDDR5
Screen: 14.2in, 3120 x 2080, 10-point touch
Storage: 1TB NVMe SSD
Ports: 2x Thunderbolt 4, 2x USB-C
Size: 310 mm x 221 mm x 15.6 mm
Weight: 1.26 kg

Reasons to buy

+
Thin and light
+
Nice and powerful

Reasons to avoid

-
Steep price point
-
Webcam only 720p

The Huawei MateBook X Pro is the complete package. You get a processor with plenty of grunt that still offers good battery life. You get 16GB of RAM, so your creative projects have plenty of space to expand into. And there's 1TB of fast storage to dump your memory cards into. Couple this with a bright, colourful touchscreen, plus Thunderbolt 4 to connect to external storage and monitors, and you’re looking at a tempting laptop that you can take out and about without constantly hunting down power outlets. 

It costs a fair bit, true, but it's a serious proposition for serious creatives, whether they need a powerful laptop with good battery life for graphic design, photo-editing or power-intensive studying. 

Read the full Huawei MateBook X Pro review for the full lowdown.

Acer Chromebook 314, one of the best laptops for battery life

(Image credit: Future)
The best Chromebook for battery life

Specifications

CPU: Intel Celeron N4000
Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 600
RAM: 4GB
Screen: 14-inch LED (1366 x 768) high definition
Storage: 32GB eMMC
Claimed max battery life: 10 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent battery life and performance
+
Bright, crisp screen

Reasons to avoid

-
No touchscreen
-
No fingerprint reader

The Acer Chromebook 314 is a fantastic Chromebook for anyone on a tight budget. Despite its affordability, it still offers great features including a bright and vibrant 14-inch display and a whopping 10-hour battery life to keep you going through an entire day's work or study without needing to charge.

Of course, this is largely because Chrome OS is less demanding than Windows 10 or Windows 11. It does present some issues for software compatibility, but if you only need a device for online-only services and communications, this is a great choice that doesn't require you to splash too much cash.

See our full Acer Chromebook 314 review for more details.

Dell XPS 13, one of the best laptops for battery life

(Image credit: Michelle Rae Uy)
One of the best smaller Windows laptops for battery life

Specifications

CPU: Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7
Graphics: Up to Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: Up to 32GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x
Screen: 13.4" FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 13.4" UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display
Storage: Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe
Claimed max battery life: 14 hours steaming on Full HD+ model / 8 hours on 4K+ model

Reasons to buy

+
Stunning design
+
Wonderful 16:10 display

Reasons to avoid

-
Sound quality isn't fantastic

Dell offers some of the best non-Apple laptops going in the world, and the Dell XPS 13 is no exception. Offering a thin and light design alongside a gorgeous display and some of the most powerful components you'll find in a laptop, this is a stunning device that's easy to carry around while being powerful enough to handle graphic design tasks without breaking a sweat.

Battery life isn't the best on the 3.5K version (3456 x 2160 touch OLED) – we got slightly less than the 8 hours 12 minutes that Dell quotes when we tested it, but the FHD version of this sleek laptop can go for up to 14 hours.

See our full Dell XPS 13 review for more details.

A product shot of the LG Gram 17 (2021), one of the best laptops for battery life

(Image credit: LG)

08. LG Gram 17 (2021)

The best laptop for battery life with Windows and a larger screen

Specifications

CPU: 11th-generation Intel Core i7
Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics
RAM: 16GB LPDDR4X
Screen: 17-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) IPS LCD
Storage: up to 2TB NVMe SSD
Claimed max battery life: 19.5 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent battery life
+
Large, high-quality display

Reasons to avoid

-
The screen is very reflective

The LG Gram 17 has a beautiful 17-inch display that will offer you plenty of workspace, and It's also incredibly light, weighing just over 1kg. It packs in Intel's new 11th generation processors and Iris Xe graphics, suitable for running most everyday applications. Battery life is also extremely impressive. LG claims up to 19.5 hours, but we've found 12 hours on a single charge to be very doable. It doesn't have the premium style of a MacBook, but if you need a large display and long battery life on a Windows-based laptop, the LG Gram 17 is ideal.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 against a white background

(Image credit: Asus)

09. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

The gaming laptop with best battery life

Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060
RAM: up to 32GB
Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz
Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0
Claimed max battery life: 11 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Excellent performance
+
Thin and light

Reasons to avoid

-
No webcam
-
Fans can get loud

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a fantastic gaming laptop, which may feel out of place on this list as gaming portables are hardly known for offering the best laptop battery life. But this powerful device equipped with AMD Ryzen 4000 processors and Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card can last for a whopping 11 hours on a single charge. For a gaming laptop, that's impressive.

As far as gaming laptops go, this is among the best laptop battery life around, and those powerful components can also come in handy for creatives who use demanding software. The display is excellent for video and photography editors, featuring a 120Hz refresh rate, while the GeForce RTX 2060 graphics card can boost some features across various applications thanks to Nvidia Studio.

Asus TUF A15 against a white background

(Image credit: Asus)

10. Asus TUF A15

The best budget laptop for battery life

Specifications

CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4600H – 7 4800H
Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660TI – RTX 2060
RAM: up to 32 GB SDRAM
Screen: 15.6" (16:9) FHD (1920x1080) 60Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel – 15.6" (16:9) FHD (1920x1080) 144Hz Anti-Glare IPS-level Panel
Storage: 1TB 5400 rpm SATA HDD – 256GB/512GB/1TB PCIe Gen3 SSD
Claimed max battery life: 12.3 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Great 1080p performance
+
New AMD processors

Reasons to avoid

-
Noisy fans
-
Not the most powerful gaming laptop

The Asus TUF A15 is a great value gaming rig that offers incredible durability and impressively long battery life, capable of lasting up to 12 hours under the right conditions (as tested in a looped video benchmark). These are no small numbers for a gaming laptop, with many of the popular offerings typically achieving under 5 hours of real-world usage.

The great laptop battery life is largely thanks to the energy-efficient AMD Ryzen 7 4800H, which helps the device run for longer than those powered by power-hungry Intel CPUs. Meanwhile, the powerful internal components are ideal for 3D applications like Blender, so while this was intended to run demanding AAA games, you can also use its capabilities to run creative software.

Product shot of MacBook Air (M1, 2020), one of the best laptops for battery life

(Image credit: Apple)
The best value MacBook for battery life

Specifications

CPU: Apple M1
Graphics: Integrated 7-core /8-core GPU
RAM: 8GB – 16GB
Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology
Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD
Claimed max battery life: 18 hours video / 15 hours wireless web

Reasons to buy

+
Silent to use
+
Amazing battery life

Reasons to avoid

-
No new design
-
Fanless design could impact performance

Despite it being a few years old now, Apple's standard M1 chip isn't to be sniffed at in terms of power and efficiency. Despite the fact that it's now a little old, the 2020 MacBook Air is still a great choice for battery life and power on a budget. It comes with the same ARM-based Apple M1 chip as the more expensive MacBook Pro 13-inch, while its fanless design makes it lighter.

Battery life came in behind at around 11 hours in our own tests, though Apple claims the laptop can run up to 15 hours of web browsing and 18 hours of video playback. Read our full MacBook Air (M1, 2020) review for more details.

An ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED laptop sitting in a nature scene

(Image credit: Future / Ian Evenden)
An M2 MacBook rival with great battery life

Specifications

CPU: Intel Core i9-13900H
Graphics: GeForce RTX 3050 (4GB)
RAM: 32GB
Screen: 14.5in OLED
Storage: 1TB SSD
Max battery life: 8.5-9 hours

Reasons to buy

+
Powerful processor with great battery life
+
Thunderbolt 4
+
OLED screen

Reasons to avoid

-
A touch on the heavy side
-
Screen is reflective
-
Attracts fingerprints

Anyone looking for a performance laptop that’s actually useful as a portable should give the Zenbook 14X a thorough appraisal. It offers about as much power as you’re going to find in a portable computer right now without getting yourself an RGB-festooned gaming PC. Taking on the MacBook Pro in terms of sheer brute computing power, the Zenbook is cheaper, has a touchscreen and runs Windows 11. And although the battery life isn't quite as impressive as the MacBook Air or Pro as our thorough ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED review shows, it will easily survive an entire workday away from a power outlet.

How do I choose the best laptop for battery life for my needs?

When you're looking for the best laptop for battery life, there are several factors to consider apart from the pure battery-life specs in a review. Here's a step-by-step guide to help you choose the best laptop for battery life:

  1. Determine your needs: Define your usage requirements. Consider the tasks you'll be performing on your laptop, such as web browsing, office work, multimedia editing, or gaming. This will help you determine the ideal battery life for your specific needs. Remember, creative applications tend to be demanding software that can quickly drain a laptop's battery.
  2. Check the battery capacity: The battery capacity is measured in watt-hours (Wh) and indicates the amount of energy the battery can store. Generally, higher watt-hour ratings result in longer battery life. Look for laptops with larger battery capacities, preferably above 60 Wh.
  3. Consider the processor: Processors have a significant impact on battery life. Choose a laptop with a processor known for energy efficiency. Intel's Core i5 and i7 processors, as well as AMD's Ryzen processors, are known for their power efficiency. Intel's Core i9 processors are more powerful, but can drain your laptop's batter faster.
  4. Look for energy-efficient displays: The display contributes to battery drain. Look for laptops with LED-backlit displays or OLED screens, as these tend to be more power-efficient compared to traditional LCD screens.
  5. Consider the screen size and resolution: Smaller screens and lower resolutions typically consume less power. If portability and battery life are your priorities, consider laptops with screen sizes around 13 to 14 inches and lower-resolution displays, such as Full HD (1920x1080) rather than QHD (2560x1440) or 4K (3840x2160).
  6. Evaluate storage options: Solid-state drives (SSDs) are generally more power-efficient than traditional hard disk drives (HDDs) since they have no moving parts. Consider laptops with SSDs instead of HDDs to maximise battery life.
  7. Check for power-saving features: Some laptops offer power-saving features, such as adaptive brightness control, which adjusts the display brightness based on ambient lighting conditions, or power management settings that optimise battery usage. These features can help extend battery life.
  8. Research user reviews: Look for user reviews and battery life tests conducted by reputable technology websites. Real-world experiences and benchmarks can provide insights into a laptop's actual battery performance. We always do our own battery-life testing in our reviews on Creative Bloq, so you can rely on our expert reviews for real-world battery-usage stats.
  9. Compare battery life across models: Once you have shortlisted a few laptops that meet your requirements, compare their battery life specifications and user reviews to identify the best option.

Remember that battery life can vary depending on various factors, including usage intensity, screen brightness, wireless connectivity, and which applications are running. However, by considering the factors mentioned above and doing thorough research, you'll be able to choose a laptop with excellent battery life that suits your needs.

Jess Weatherbed
Freelancer

Jess is TechRadar's computing writer, covering hardware, PC gaming and peripherals, though she can be found freelancing for creative tech like 3D printers and graphics drawing tablets. She also likes to dabble in digital art and can often be found playing games of both the PC and Tabletop variety, occasionally streaming on Twitch to the disappointment of everyone.

With contributions from