For creatives, a laptop that runs out of charge mid-project is worse than useless. Whether you're editing on location, presenting to clients or just working away from your desk, you need a machine that can keep up, from dawn till dusk.
Until recently, power and battery life were largely things you had to choose between: laptops capable of running demanding creative software tended to drain quickly. Thankfully that's changed in recent years, thanks to advances in both processor efficiency and battery design. Today's best options can run Photoshop and Illustrator for a full working day and then some.
Best laptop for battery life overall
If you want to be sure of running a laptop for a full working day, then take it from us: the Apple MacBook Pro M5 lives up to that promise. More impressively, it achieves this without throttling. Many laptops quietly reduce processing speed when unplugged, but Apple's M5 chip will run demanding tasks, video editing and complex Photoshop work, at the same speed on battery as on mains power. For creatives working on location, that matters enormously.
And let's be clear: the M5 chip is an outstanding creative performer, providing snappy, responsive work in Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign Premiere Pro is a different story, where Windows laptops with discrete GPUs pull ahead, but for most graphic design and photography work the M5 is more than capable. The 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display is excellent for colour work, too, and the optional nano-texture coating ($150/£150) is well worth considering for anyone working under bright overhead lighting.
Pricing starts at $1,699/£1,699, with 16GB RAM and a 1TB SSD. Note, however, that UK buyers must purchase a charger separately (£59 or £79 depending on wattage). Also, because memory is unified and can't be added later, 24GB RAM is worth budgeting for from the outset. Meanwhile the M5 Pro (from $2,199/£2,199) and M5 Max (from $3,599/£3,599) add more GPU power, Thunderbolt 5 and Wi-Fi 7 for those who need them.
Read more: Apple MacBook Pro M5 review
Best Windows laptop for battery life
The HP OmniBook 5 14 lasted an incredible 16 hours and 2 minutes in our sister site Tech Radar's battery test, which is two hours longer than the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air. That kind of stamina is a genuine asset for creatives who work on set, at events or travelling between clients.
This storming performance is thanks to Qualcomm's efficient Snapdragon X Plus architecture, paired with a 1920x1200 OLED display that draws less power than higher-resolution panels while still delivering HP-rated 95% DCI-P3 colour coverage. That makes it a capable display for photo editing and design review, at a price that would typically buy you something far less impressive.
The key caveat is Arm compatibility. Core Adobe tools including Photoshop and Illustrator run well, but some Creative Suite applications, including Substance 3D and Captivate, are not yet natively supported on Snapdragon. It's worth checking your specific workflow before buying. For 3D rendering or complex video editing, the integrated GPU will also show its limits.
Otherwise, starting at $679/£850, or around $899/£1,000 for the 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD configuration, the OmniBook 5 14 is exceptional value for its combination of battery life, display quality and build.
Best 2-in-1 laptop for battery life
Want a laptop that also works in tablet mode? Then good news: you can still get exceptional battery life. The MSI Prestige 14 Flip AI+ ran for over 30 hours in looped video testing by our sister site Tech Radar, exceeding MSI's own claims and placing it among the very best Windows laptops for endurance.
It works well as a hybrid device, too. The Flip AI+ folds into tablet mode for freehand sketching and annotation, and the included Nano Pen, which charges wirelessly in a discreet magnetic slot in the base, offers precise, responsive input across the OLED touchscreen. Oh, and unlike the Snapdragon-based OmniBook 5 above, it runs on Intel, meaning full native compatibility with every Adobe Creative Suite application.
The build quality is excellent: slim, light at 1.37kg, and premium in feel. Performance is solid for general design work, with 32GB of RAM keeping multitasking smooth. However, the absent dedicated GPU is a real constraint, so 3D artists and video editors with heavy workflows should look elsewhere. It also runs louder and warmer than expected under moderate loads, and the display, while colour-accurate, is dimmer and more reflective than rivals.
On the whole though, for designers and illustrators who want a well-built, pen-enabled 2-in-1 with all-day battery life, the Flip AI+ offers great value at $1,699.99/£1,349.99.
