8 best lightweight laptops

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective and does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Light laptops and ultrabooks are a special category of portable computers. Everything here is done for the sake of this very portability, in order to minimize the weight and thickness of the device. In this regard, almost 100% of such devices are not equipped with optical drives. But that's 'not a big loss' when you consider how dramatically consumer interest in DVDs has plummeted in recent years. Experts have studied the modern market and offered their own rating of lightweight notebooks with the best characteristics.

Ranking of the best light laptops

Nomination	a place	Name of product	price
Best lightweight laptops up to 13.3 inches	1	Apple MacBook Mid 2017	RUB 91,990
	2	ASUS ZenBook 13 UX331UN	RUB 80 894
	3	HP Specter 13-af000	RUB 76,790
	4	Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3 “2017	RUB 53,900
Best lightweight laptops up to 14 inches	1	Acer SWIFT 5 (SF514-52T)	RUB 69,950
	2	Apple MacBook Pro 13	RUB 75 900
	3	HP EliteBook 840 G5	RUB 132,500
	4	DELL XPS 13 9360	RUB 78 880

Best lightweight laptops up to 13.3 inches

The first group of lightweight notebooks in the review are devices with the smallest screen diagonal, which still fit into the category of full-fledged laptops, rather than super-compact netbooks. Four light laptops came into view of our experts.

Apple MacBook Mid 2017

Rating: 4.9

The group opens with a 2017 novelty from a manufacturer that does not need any introduction with a 12-inch screen. Linear dimensions – 281 × 197 × 13 mm, weight – only 920 g.

Let's say right away that this laptop is available in two versions: one based on the Core m3 processor from Intel, the other – Core i5 from the same manufacturer. They also differ in hard disk volumes (only SSD is used): the first has a volume of 256 GB, the second has 512 GB. The 'older' model adds up to a very noticeable price – up to 30%.

The design of the case has practically not changed in relation to the same series of 2016, but there was nothing special to change – in this regard, the products Apple are almost all flawless. There is the same full-size island-style backlit keyboard and the same large touchpad.

Wired communications are collected in a single USB-C (Thunderbolt 3) connector. This means that connection to a network or any peripheral (HDMI 1.4, standard VGA, twisted pair with RJ-45 connector) is possible only through adapters from third-party manufacturers. A combined microphone input and headphone output are present.

The other important points in the electronic 'stuffing' of the device are as follows: graphics subsystem – HD Graphics 615, 850 MHz from Intel; screen resolution – 2304 × 1440, 226 ppi, matrix type – IPS. Built-in Wi-Fi 802.11a and Bluetooth 4.0 modules.

Advantages

• image brand # 1 in the world – Apple;

• speed of work, reliability and stability inherent in the product Apple;

• weighs less than a kilogram;

• flawless image with deep 'true' blacks;

disadvantages

• are only possible within the framework of individual preferences (brand, operating system, etc.).

ASUS ZenBook 13 UX331UN

Rating: 4.8

Now in the rating from we present a laptop that is not very much inferior in terms of 'elitism' Apple. We are talking about the true masterpiece of ASUS – the ZenBook 13 UX331UN business model.

The heart of this handsome man is a central processing unit with a Kaby Lake-R core, the eighth generation Intel Core. Two main basic modifications are based on Core i5 and i7 (4 cores, frequency from 1.6 to 1.8 GHz). In total, there are eight modifications within this series, differing in the type of processor, hard disk size, screen resolution and some other parameters.

The linear dimensions of the device are 310x216x13.9 mm, weight – 1.12 kg. Screen diagonal – 13.3. The screen resolution is offered in two variants: 1920×1080 or 3840×2160. Graphics module – NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2 GB memory, memory type – GDDR5. Equipped with RAM from 8 to 16 GB. Hard drive – SSD only with capacities from 128GB to 1TB.

The possibilities for interacting with the periphery are as follows. There is a slot for external flash cards (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC standards are supported). Wireless communication is represented by Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1 or 4.2 modules. There are USB 3.0 and HDMI interfaces. There are microphone in and headphone out Combo.

The battery capacity of this laptop is 50 Wh, which allows the ultrabook to work up to 14 hours, depending on the mode and specific modification.

Advantages

• premium class;

• long battery life;

• a wide range of modifications;

• pleasant keyboard stroke;

disadvantages

• no pronounced shortcomings were noted.

HP Specter 13-af000

Rating: 4.7

Continuing this rating group is a compact ultrabook from Hewlett-Packard – an American manufacturer of electronics and peripherals with the deepest and richest history. In terms of the number of modifications, the HP Specter 13-af000 model is even more expanded – there are more than ten of them, so that everyone can choose the configuration they need.

Dimensions of the device – 308.2×224.2×10.4 mm, weight – 1.11 kg. The screen diagonal is 13.3 inches. Exactly like the previous model, there are two screen resolutions available – 1920×1080 or 3840×2160. Matrix type – IPS. An important feature is the multi-touch screen.

As for the graphics module, here the Specter 13-af000 is already a little weaker – the video card is only integrated UHD Graphics 620 from Intel. But the laptop is not gaming either, so this can hardly be considered a serious drawback.

The key parameters of electronics are as follows. The central processor is a 4-core Core i5 or i7, depending on the modification, with a frequency of 1.6 to 1.8 GHz. Equipped with RAM type LPDDR3 from 8 to 16 GB. Hard Drive – SSD from 256GB to 1TB.

In terms of communication and periphery, the situation is as follows. Wireless modules Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are present (where without them), but this laptop does not have a slot for reading external flash cards, and many people note this as a minus. But at least there is a USB 3.1 interface and two Thunderbolt 3 connectors.

The battery capacity is 43.7 Wh, which corresponds to a nominal 10 hours of operation.

Advantages

• a wide range of modifications;

• nice design;

• tactile comfort;

• good in terms of screen viewing angles and color reproduction;

disadvantages

• not the most outstanding autonomy;

• no slot for reading flash cards.

Xiaomi Mi Notebook Air 13.3 “2017

Rating: 4.6

And this group of ratings is completed by the 'heaviest' model, if this term is generally applicable to super-light ultrabooks. But, nevertheless, the device weighs 1.3 kg – this is the largest weight in this group. The linear dimensions are 309.6×210.9×14.8 mm. Screen size – 13.3 inches, resolution – 1920×1080 pixels.

The manufacturer offers only a few modifications of the laptop, which differ in the type of processor (dual-core Core i5 or i7 with a Kaby Lake core and a frequency of 2500 or 2700 MHz) and the volume of the hard disk (from 128 to 256 GB, SSD).

The video card in this ultrabook is discrete (this is a noticeable plus compared to the previous laptop) – NVIDIA GeForce MX150 with 2 GB of RAM. RAM – 8 GB DDR4. The set of wireless communication modules is standard – Wi-Fi 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.1.

For communication with peripherals, there are two USB 3.0 Type A and one Type-C connectors, there is an HDMI output. There is a microphone input and a Combo headphone output. Fingerprint scanner installed.

The battery capacity of this laptop is 40W / h and corresponds to the conditional nominal 8 hours of battery life.

Advantages

• juicy, saturated colors;

• relatively affordable price;

• keyboard with a pleasant stroke and backlight;

• high quality sound;

• high-quality assembly (as for the 'Chinese');

disadvantages

• relatively weak autonomy;

• does not read external flash cards.

Best lightweight laptops up to 14 inches

The second group in our rating – mixed – is thin, light laptops with a slightly larger screen – up to 14 inches. Our specialists also included four light notebooks from different manufacturers in this group. The increased diagonal, as a rule, automatically implies slightly larger dimensions of the device, but does not necessarily affect its weight. There is no direct correlation here, and everything depends on the manufacturer's technological solutions.

Acer SWIFT 5 (SF514-52T)

Rating: 4.9

The first item in this group is the super-light ultrabook from Acer. Its linear dimensions are 329x228x14.9 mm, and its weight is less than a kilogram, to be exact – 970 g. The screen diagonal is 14 inches. The manufacturer offers very few ready-made modifications of this model and they differ minimally – in the amount of RAM and hard disk, the shade of the case.

The screen resolution of SWIFT 5 is 1920×1080, the matrix is ​​IPS. The coating is glossy, and, as always, users regard it as a polarity – both as a plus and as a minus. But last but not least, glossiness is the other side of an important advantage – a touchscreen with multi-touch support.

The central processor of the laptop is a 4-core Core i7 with a frequency of 1.8 GHz. Integrated graphics module – HD Graphics 620 from Intel. Equipped with RAM type LPDDR3 from 8 to 16 GB. Hard disk – SSD, volume – from 256 to 512 GB.

For communication with peripheral devices, there are two USB 3.0 outputs and an HDMI video output. Standard Mic In & Headphone Combo Out.

The capacity of a standard battery in this laptop is 4670 mAh – corresponds to the nominal conditional 8 hours of battery life.

Advantages

• super lightweight;

• powerful processor;

• multi-touch touch screen;

• widescreen 14 inches;

disadvantages

• no slot for reading flash cards.

Apple MacBook Pro 13

Rating: 4.8

Continues the rating from – 'king' of the laptop market. In this case, the Cupertinos offer only a couple of modifications that differ minimally. The linear dimensions of the ultrabook are 304.1×212.4×14.9 mm, weight – 1.37 kg. Screen diagonal – 13.3, resolution – 2560×1600 pixels. The body is metal.

A laptop based on a 2-core Intel CPU Core i5 with a frequency of 2.3 GHz was created. Integrated graphics module – Iris Plus Graphics 640 from Intel. Equipped with 8 GB LPDDR3 RAM. Hard disk – SSD, in terms of volume, you can choose from two options – 128 or 256 GB.

As for the connection with the peripherals, this laptop has the following situation. As for the slots for reading flash cards, no surprises – there are no slots. There are two Thunderbolt 3 interfaces and a standard combo microphone / headphone in / out. Wireless communication is represented by standard Wi-Fi 802.11ac modules and Bluetooth 4.2.

The laptop's battery capacity is 54.5 Wh, which means a nominal 10 hours of autonomy.

Advantages

• brand;

• stability, reliability and aesthetics inherent in the product Apple;

• flawless image;

• metal case;

disadvantages

• small amount of hard disk;

• individual preferences.

HP EliteBook 840 G5

Rating: 4.8

The next item in this rating group is an interesting model from Hewlett-Packard. The nomenclature of the name hints at the fact that the device can be considered a 'automatic' as belonging to the premium class with the corresponding price. But in fact, the manufacturer offers such an impressive range of modifications for so many characteristics that it is quite possible to choose a relatively inexpensive option. Let's look at the issue in more detail.

The length and width of the device are strictly regulated – 326 and 234 mm, respectively. But with the thickness, variations are already possible, depending on the modification – from 17.9 to 18.1. Weight, respectively, also varies from 1.48 to 1.61 kg.

The screen diagonal is 14 inches, the resolution of the matrix is ​​offered in two variations – 1920×1080 or 3840×2160 pixels. Matrix type – IPS, coating – matte. The 'touch' display is also an option, and depends on the specific modification.

The electronic filling of the laptop is built on the basis of two variants of 4-core processors from Intel – Core i5 or i7 with a frequency of 1.6 or 1.8 GHz, respectively. RAM can be completed from a minimum of 4 GB to a maximum of as much as 32 GB. What is definitely pleasing – the variability of the model also includes the ability to select the type of graphics module – it can be an integrated UHD Graphics 620 card from Intel or in addition to it there can be a discrete AMD Radeon RX 540 with a capacity of 4 GB. By analogy with RAM, the volume of an SSD hard disk can be very tiny – 128 GB, or a maximum of 1 TB.

As for the interfaces, it's worth saying right away that this is almost the only light laptop in the ranking, where there is a built-in wired network card. To many users this is seen as an important advantage. There is also an HDMI video output, one Thunderbolt 3 interface, the ability to connect to a docking station. As for reading flash cards, the developers were a little upset – there are no slots.

The standard battery has a capacity of 50 Wh and provides nominally up to 14 hours of autonomy.

Advantages

• wide range of modifications;

• premium class;

• touch screen (optional);

• discrete graphics card (optional);

• very decent autonomy;

• built-in wired network card;

disadvantages

• no slot for reading flash cards.

DELL XPS 13 9360

Rating: 4.7

And the review ends with an extremely interesting model of a light laptop, which in terms of modifications and range of possibilities even easily gives odds to the previous laptop from Hewlett-Packard.

The dimensions of the device do not depend on the modification – 304x200x15 mm. Weight – 1.2 kg. The screen has a diagonal of 13.3 inches, the resolution of the matrix is ​​offered in two versions – 1920×1080 and 3200×1800 pixels. The graphics module is built-in, but depending on the modification, it can be any of three options – GMA HD, HD Graphics 620 or Iris Plus Graphics 640 – all three from Intel.

The variability of modifications is impressive even at the level of the most important thing – the central processor. There is a choice of Core i3, i5 or i7 (2 or 4 cores, frequency – from 1.6 to 2.7 GHz), and this choice has the most significant impact on the final cost. This is a definite plus for DELL XPS 13 9360. Equipped with 4 to 16 GB of RAM. The SSD hard drive, like the previous laptop, is offered in a wide range of sizes – from 128 GB to 1 TB.

As for the interfaces, the situation is as follows. There are two USB 3.0 ports, one Thunderbolt 3. The developers were pleased with the presence of a slot for reading flash cards, but disappointed by the lack of HDMI output.

The capacity of a standard battery is a whopping 60 Wh.

Advantages

• very capacious battery;

• exceptional variability of modifications;

• backlit keyboard;

• there is a slot for flash cards;

disadvantages

• no HDMI output.

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Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.