If you’re a teacher, you know what a difference it makes to be prepared with the right tools and supplies. While pencils and sanitizer are no doubt important, a proper laptop is an essential tool for today’s educators. Of course, you’re going to want value for your purchase, with a focus on the right specs. You’ll need something that delivers powerful processing performance. Ample storage is important as well, so there’s no concern about storing a multitude of documents and media files. If you’re not sure where to begin your search, don’t worry. The team at PCWorld has done most of the heavy lifting for you.
Why you should trust us: We’re PCWorld. We know PC hardware and have tested every manner of laptop, for decades. Our reviewers evaluate each device with a regimen of performance and battery tests, as well as rigorous real-world usage. Our list reflects the very best of the bunch for teachers.
Since it’s back-to-school season, it’s a good time to take advantage of sales and score a killer deal on your next laptop. See our roundup of the best back-to-school deals for recommendations. And for even more laptop choices, see our roundup of the best laptops.
Updated 08/29/2023: To include the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano as our pick for best keyboard. Read more about this excellent laptop for business professionals in our summary below.
Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra – Best laptop for teachers overall
Pros
Cons
With its superb battery life, lightweight form factor, and powerful CPU performance, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra has a lot to offer. The 1080p webcam is a nice addition for remote learning, too. As for the battery life, our tests showed that it trounced the competition with 13.1 continuous hours of use, which means you can kiss those outlet-hunting days goodbye.
The Galaxy Book3 Ultra features a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. With that kind of power this machine should have no problem handling productivity tasks as well as day-to-day use. It also comes with a 16-inch OLED display that boasts a resolution of 2880×1800 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Visuals should be both vivid and detailed. If you’re looking for a laptop that ticks all of the productivity boxes and more, then the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is well worth consideration.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra review
Acer Aspire 3 – Best affordable laptop for teachers
Pros
Cons
The Acer Aspire 3 is a great option for budget-conscious teachers out there. It’s reasonably priced and performance is fast enough for everyday tasks like writing e-mails, online research, and grading homework. The full-size keyboard provides loads of room, which is perfect for longer typing sessions. While that’s all well and good, the internal bits are really what makes this laptop a good value buy.
This laptop has an Ryzen 3 7320U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe SSD storage. The 15.8-inch display has a resolution of 1080p and decent color quality. Also, in our tests we found that the battery should hold a charge for up to eight hours of continuous use—enough for the average full workday. The design, while a little utilitarian, is one of the sturdiest builds we’ve seen on a budget laptop. All in all, the Acer Aspire 3 gives you plenty of bang for relatively few bucks.
Read our full Acer Aspire 3 (2022) review
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen – Best 2-in-1 laptop for teachers
Pros
Cons
Lenovo’s flagship line of Yoga laptops have always been top-tier 2-in-1s, but the latest Gen 8 version has taken it a step further. Lenovo’s new Yoga 9i upgrades previous versions with a new 13th-gen Intel processor and a beautiful OLED screen. Thanks to the aforementioned Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, there is plenty of performance for everyday productivity tasks. It’s also a sleekly designed svelte laptop that’s just over half an inch thick and weighs a mere 3 pounds. There are some great extras for teachers with this laptop as well. These include the 1080p webcam, which helps you look nice for online lessons and meetings, an OLED touchscreen display, and an included stylus pen for when you want to flip the screen back and use the device in tablet mode.
Admittedly, it’s a bit pricey, but all of the great performance and features you get with the Yoga 9i make it good value for the money. 2-in-1s in general make great tools for teachers as they are flexible enough to fit into any setting and they can fulfill multiple roles. For anyone looking to purchase a 2-in-1, the Yoga 9i should be at the top of your list.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 review
Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip – Best battery life
Pros
Cons
When going to and from classes and teaching, you might not always have a convenient way to charge your laptop, so you need something that will last all day. The Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip does just that. The fantastic battery on this Chromebook just doesn’t seem stop. In fact, it lasted an unbelievable 19 hours on a single charge during our testing—we even had to run the benchmark twice just to make sure. For most laptops, if you can eek out 10 hours on a single charge it’s considered long-lasting—the CM34 Flip almost doubles that number.
This Chromebook is no slouch when it comes to performance either. It features AMD’s Ryzen 3 7320C CPU and 16GB of RAM. This 2-in-1 also comes with a colorful touchscreen display, comfortable touchpad, and high-quality 1080p webcam. It’s not the most portable though, weighing in at just over 4 pounds. But if you’re on the hunt for a long-lasting everyday machine that won’t break the bank, you can’t get much better than the CM34 Flip.
Read our full Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip review
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano – Best keyboard
Pros
Cons
Lenovo laptops are always great options for business professionals, and the latest ThinkPad X1 Nano is no exception. The aim with the X1 Nano is to cram an enjoyable laptop with great performance into the smallest footprint possible, and Lenovo did a great job meeting this goal. It comes with the latest 13th-gen Core i7-1360P processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. But the real kicker is the excellent keyboard. The layout is surprisingly spacious with easy-to-find keys that have good travel and a clicky, satisfying bottoming action.
All of this is somehow fit into a pint-sized footprint of 11.54×8.19 inches with a thickness of just 0.58 inches. Plus it weighs a mere 2.18 pounds. It is an easily portable laptop to haul between classes or fit into your bag for a trip to the coffee shop for some paper grading. The only issue we found was the battery life, which in real-world tests needed to be recharged in the middle of a workday with heavy use. Regardless, if you want a compact laptop that provides a satisfying typing experience for when you’re grading assignments and writing rubrics look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano review
Acer Aspire Vero 14 – Best eco-friendly option
Pros
Cons
For the eco-conscious teacher, the Acer Aspire Vero 14, made from 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastics, is a great option. Acer should be commended for its design of the Vero 14, which is not only eco-friendly, but attractive and includes a few unique touches that help it stand out. It’s no slouch in the performance department either, sporting a Core i7 processor, Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a fast 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. The Vero 14 is an attractive ultraportable for the eco-conscious educator.
Read our full Acer Aspire Vero 14 review
HP Dragonfly Pro – Best MacBook alternative for teachers
Pros
Cons
Apple’s line of MacBook Pro laptops are known for their attractive design, incredible efficiency, and great performance. But they are also extremely expensive. Now HP has created a worthy competitor with the Dragonfly Pro. They partnered with AMD to create a svelte laptop that packs the latest Ryzen 7 processor with 8 high-performance cores and a powerful Radeon 680M graphic card. The design of the laptop is spot on—it’s thin and attractive with a high quality feel made from aluminum and polycarbonate. The main drawback is that, just like the MacBook Pro models, this laptop takes a minimalist approach to ports, meaning that those who rely on plug-in accessories will need to find work arounds. Also, while the display is good enough, it just doesn’t quite live up to Apple’s best. Still, for a laptop that is significantly cheaper than any of the MacBook Pro models, this Dragonfly Pro laptop from HP is an excellent option.
Read our full HP Dragonfly Pro review
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 – Best Chromebook for teachers
Pros
Cons
If you prefer using ChromeOS over Windows, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a fantastic option. It has great battery life and a spectacular keyboard and touchpad. According to our reviewer, the Spin 514 features a “wide keyboard layout with large, easily located keys.” In addition to the dual USB-C ports with power delivery and a sophisticated-looking design, CPU performance is also quite peppy.
The Spin 514 comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 5625C CPU, AMD Radeon graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. The display, which folds back 360 degrees thanks to the 2-in-1 form factor, features a resolution of 1920×1080 and is touch-enabled. The picture should be clear enough for day-to-day use like checking e-mail and social media feeds. The $699.99 price tag is a little high for a Chromebook, but if you’re working with a flexible budget, then this machine won’t disappoint.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 514 review
Read our round-up of the best laptop chargers.
How we tested
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop beyond its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test.
Windows laptops
1.
What CPU does a laptop for teachers need?
You won’t need a ton of processing power when it comes to lightweight tasks like grading homework, researching topics, answering student e-mail’s, and so on. That’s why we recommend aiming for something with an Intel Core i5 processor. It’s zippy enough for everyday use while still being reasonably priced. If you need more power, shoot for an Intel Core i7.
2.
How much RAM does a laptop for teachers need?
To get the best performance out of your laptop, we recommend at least 8GB of DDR4 RAM. This will help your machine run smoother, especially if you’re using multiple programs at once. 16GB of RAM is obviously better, but it might be a little overkill depending on what you’re doing.
3.
How much storage does a laptop for teachers need?
If you’re saving homework and other important files to your laptop, you’re going to want at least 512GB of SSD storage. Solid state drives are faster and quieter than hard disk drives. They’re also more durable and power efficient. If you’re using a Chromebook, you don’t need to worry much about storage, as you can save everything to the cloud.
4.
How much should a laptop for teachers weigh?
A portable laptop should weigh about three pounds or less. In terms of portability and value, we suggest getting a laptop with a 13- or 14-inch display.
5.
What kind of display does a laptop for teachers need?
Teachers spend a great deal of time in front of a screen. If you suffer from eye strain or tension headaches, don’t settle for anything less than 1080p resolution. If you can stretch your budget a bit more, 4K should provide a very sharp picture, and OLED tends to be more color accurate.
Laptops
Why you should trust us: We’re PCWorld. We know PC hardware and have tested every manner of laptop, for decades. Our reviewers evaluate each device with a regimen of performance and battery tests, as well as rigorous real-world usage. Our list reflects the very best of the bunch for teachers.
Since it’s back-to-school season, it’s a good time to take advantage of sales and score a killer deal on your next laptop. See our roundup of the best back-to-school deals for recommendations. And for even more laptop choices, see our roundup of the best laptops.
Updated 08/29/2023: To include the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano as our pick for best keyboard. Read more about this excellent laptop for business professionals in our summary below.
Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra – Best laptop for teachers overall
Pros
- Solid performance and great battery life
- Gorgeous, powerful OLED screen
- A 1080p webcam with Windows Studio Effects
- Good interaction with Galaxy device ecosystem and apps
Cons
- Average keyboard, trackpad
- Audio needs some tweaking
With its superb battery life, lightweight form factor, and powerful CPU performance, the Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra has a lot to offer. The 1080p webcam is a nice addition for remote learning, too. As for the battery life, our tests showed that it trounced the competition with 13.1 continuous hours of use, which means you can kiss those outlet-hunting days goodbye.
The Galaxy Book3 Ultra features a 13th-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. With that kind of power this machine should have no problem handling productivity tasks as well as day-to-day use. It also comes with a 16-inch OLED display that boasts a resolution of 2880×1800 and a refresh rate of 120Hz. Visuals should be both vivid and detailed. If you’re looking for a laptop that ticks all of the productivity boxes and more, then the Galaxy Book3 Ultra is well worth consideration.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra review
Acer Aspire 3 – Best affordable laptop for teachers
Pros
- Spacious keyboard with number pad
- HD webcam
- Solid video playback performance
- Decent business app performance
- Workday-long battery life
Cons
- Poor gaming graphics performance
- Basic 1080p display
- Small 128GB storage drive
The Acer Aspire 3 is a great option for budget-conscious teachers out there. It’s reasonably priced and performance is fast enough for everyday tasks like writing e-mails, online research, and grading homework. The full-size keyboard provides loads of room, which is perfect for longer typing sessions. While that’s all well and good, the internal bits are really what makes this laptop a good value buy.
This laptop has an Ryzen 3 7320U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of PCIe SSD storage. The 15.8-inch display has a resolution of 1080p and decent color quality. Also, in our tests we found that the battery should hold a charge for up to eight hours of continuous use—enough for the average full workday. The design, while a little utilitarian, is one of the sturdiest builds we’ve seen on a budget laptop. All in all, the Acer Aspire 3 gives you plenty of bang for relatively few bucks.
Read our full Acer Aspire 3 (2022) review
Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen – Best 2-in-1 laptop for teachers
Pros
- Attractive, thin design
- Excellent OLED display
- All USB-C ports support display, power
- Touchscreen with bundled active pen
Cons
- Underwhelming graphics performance
- Only one USB-A port
- More expensive than 2022 model
Lenovo’s flagship line of Yoga laptops have always been top-tier 2-in-1s, but the latest Gen 8 version has taken it a step further. Lenovo’s new Yoga 9i upgrades previous versions with a new 13th-gen Intel processor and a beautiful OLED screen. Thanks to the aforementioned Core i7 processor, Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 512GB SSD, there is plenty of performance for everyday productivity tasks. It’s also a sleekly designed svelte laptop that’s just over half an inch thick and weighs a mere 3 pounds. There are some great extras for teachers with this laptop as well. These include the 1080p webcam, which helps you look nice for online lessons and meetings, an OLED touchscreen display, and an included stylus pen for when you want to flip the screen back and use the device in tablet mode.
Admittedly, it’s a bit pricey, but all of the great performance and features you get with the Yoga 9i make it good value for the money. 2-in-1s in general make great tools for teachers as they are flexible enough to fit into any setting and they can fulfill multiple roles. For anyone looking to purchase a 2-in-1, the Yoga 9i should be at the top of your list.
Read our full Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8 review
Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip – Best battery life
Pros
- Spectacular battery life
- Spacious touchpad
- 1080p webcam
- Lovely display
Cons
- Heavier than expected
- Display is too reflective in outside environments
- Middling performance
When going to and from classes and teaching, you might not always have a convenient way to charge your laptop, so you need something that will last all day. The Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip does just that. The fantastic battery on this Chromebook just doesn’t seem stop. In fact, it lasted an unbelievable 19 hours on a single charge during our testing—we even had to run the benchmark twice just to make sure. For most laptops, if you can eek out 10 hours on a single charge it’s considered long-lasting—the CM34 Flip almost doubles that number.
This Chromebook is no slouch when it comes to performance either. It features AMD’s Ryzen 3 7320C CPU and 16GB of RAM. This 2-in-1 also comes with a colorful touchscreen display, comfortable touchpad, and high-quality 1080p webcam. It’s not the most portable though, weighing in at just over 4 pounds. But if you’re on the hunt for a long-lasting everyday machine that won’t break the bank, you can’t get much better than the CM34 Flip.
Read our full Asus Chromebook CM34 Flip review
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano – Best keyboard
Pros
- Thin, lightweight design
- Excellent keyboard
- Good processor performance
- Supports Wi-Fi 6E and optional 4G LTE
Cons
- Small touchpad
- Limited physical connectivity
- Short battery life
Lenovo laptops are always great options for business professionals, and the latest ThinkPad X1 Nano is no exception. The aim with the X1 Nano is to cram an enjoyable laptop with great performance into the smallest footprint possible, and Lenovo did a great job meeting this goal. It comes with the latest 13th-gen Core i7-1360P processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. But the real kicker is the excellent keyboard. The layout is surprisingly spacious with easy-to-find keys that have good travel and a clicky, satisfying bottoming action.
All of this is somehow fit into a pint-sized footprint of 11.54×8.19 inches with a thickness of just 0.58 inches. Plus it weighs a mere 2.18 pounds. It is an easily portable laptop to haul between classes or fit into your bag for a trip to the coffee shop for some paper grading. The only issue we found was the battery life, which in real-world tests needed to be recharged in the middle of a workday with heavy use. Regardless, if you want a compact laptop that provides a satisfying typing experience for when you’re grading assignments and writing rubrics look no further than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano.
Read our full Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano review
Acer Aspire Vero 14 – Best eco-friendly option
Pros
- Peppy performance
- Strong battery life
- Thunderbolt 4
- Eco-friendly materials
- Convenient, fast fingerprint reader
Cons
- Bloatware
- Weak speakers
- Soldered-on RAM, not upgradeable
For the eco-conscious teacher, the Acer Aspire Vero 14, made from 30 percent post-consumer recycled plastics, is a great option. Acer should be commended for its design of the Vero 14, which is not only eco-friendly, but attractive and includes a few unique touches that help it stand out. It’s no slouch in the performance department either, sporting a Core i7 processor, Iris Xe integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a fast 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD. The Vero 14 is an attractive ultraportable for the eco-conscious educator.
Read our full Acer Aspire Vero 14 review
HP Dragonfly Pro – Best MacBook alternative for teachers
Pros
- Premium materials
- Powerful AMD Ryzen chip
- Surprising four speaker setup
- Good battery life
- High degree of value for the dollar
Cons
- All myHP keyboard keys should be remappable
- No user upgradeable components
- No headphone jack
- Only 2 high-speed USB-C ports
Apple’s line of MacBook Pro laptops are known for their attractive design, incredible efficiency, and great performance. But they are also extremely expensive. Now HP has created a worthy competitor with the Dragonfly Pro. They partnered with AMD to create a svelte laptop that packs the latest Ryzen 7 processor with 8 high-performance cores and a powerful Radeon 680M graphic card. The design of the laptop is spot on—it’s thin and attractive with a high quality feel made from aluminum and polycarbonate. The main drawback is that, just like the MacBook Pro models, this laptop takes a minimalist approach to ports, meaning that those who rely on plug-in accessories will need to find work arounds. Also, while the display is good enough, it just doesn’t quite live up to Apple’s best. Still, for a laptop that is significantly cheaper than any of the MacBook Pro models, this Dragonfly Pro laptop from HP is an excellent option.
Read our full HP Dragonfly Pro review
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 – Best Chromebook for teachers
Pros
- Great processor performance
- Sturdy, premium design
- Top-notch keyboard and touchpad
- Two USB-C ports with Power Delivery
- Long battery life
Cons
- A bit heavy for a 2-in-1 device
- Display could be brighter
- Android game performance is unreliable
- Expensive compared to Windows alternatives
If you prefer using ChromeOS over Windows, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is a fantastic option. It has great battery life and a spectacular keyboard and touchpad. According to our reviewer, the Spin 514 features a “wide keyboard layout with large, easily located keys.” In addition to the dual USB-C ports with power delivery and a sophisticated-looking design, CPU performance is also quite peppy.
The Spin 514 comes equipped with an AMD Ryzen 5 5625C CPU, AMD Radeon graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of SSD storage. The display, which folds back 360 degrees thanks to the 2-in-1 form factor, features a resolution of 1920×1080 and is touch-enabled. The picture should be clear enough for day-to-day use like checking e-mail and social media feeds. The $699.99 price tag is a little high for a Chromebook, but if you’re working with a flexible budget, then this machine won’t disappoint.
Read our full Acer Chromebook Spin 514 review
Read our round-up of the best laptop chargers.
How we tested
The PCWorld team puts each and every Windows laptop through a series of benchmarks that test GPU and CPU performance, battery life, and so on. The idea is to push the laptop beyond its limits and then compare it against others we’ve tested. Chromebooks, on the other hand, go through a series of web-based tests. It wouldn’t be possible to run the same kinds of tests on a Chromebook, as they’re Chrome OS-based machines. Below, you’ll find a breakdown of each test.
Windows laptops
- PCMark 10: The PCMark 10 benchmark is how we determine how well the laptop handles general use tasks like web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, streaming, and so on.
- HandBrake: HandBrake is more intensive than PCMark 10. It measures how long a laptop’s CPU takes to encode a beefy 30GB file.
- Cinebench: Cinebench is a brief stress test of the CPU cores. It renders a 2D scene over a short period of time.
- 3DMark: 3DMark checks if 3D performance remains consistent over time by running graphic-intensive clips. This is how we test a gaming laptop’s GPU.
- Video rundown test: To gauge battery life, we loop a 4K video using Windows 10’s Movies & TV app until the laptop dies.
- CrXPRT 2: The CrXPRT 2 benchmark tests a Chromebook’s battery life.
- Speedometer 2.0: This test determines a Chromebook’s web browser performance. It simulates this by adding, completing, and removing a to-do list.
- Basemark Web 3.0: This benchmark gauges how well a Chromebook can handle web-based applications.
- Kraken 1.1: Kraken 1.1 is a JavaScript performance benchmark.
- Jetstream 2: Jetstream 2 is a combination of WebAssembly and JavaScript benchmarks. This is how we gauge how well a Chromebook runs advanced workloads.
1.
What CPU does a laptop for teachers need?
You won’t need a ton of processing power when it comes to lightweight tasks like grading homework, researching topics, answering student e-mail’s, and so on. That’s why we recommend aiming for something with an Intel Core i5 processor. It’s zippy enough for everyday use while still being reasonably priced. If you need more power, shoot for an Intel Core i7.
2.
How much RAM does a laptop for teachers need?
To get the best performance out of your laptop, we recommend at least 8GB of DDR4 RAM. This will help your machine run smoother, especially if you’re using multiple programs at once. 16GB of RAM is obviously better, but it might be a little overkill depending on what you’re doing.
3.
How much storage does a laptop for teachers need?
If you’re saving homework and other important files to your laptop, you’re going to want at least 512GB of SSD storage. Solid state drives are faster and quieter than hard disk drives. They’re also more durable and power efficient. If you’re using a Chromebook, you don’t need to worry much about storage, as you can save everything to the cloud.
4.
How much should a laptop for teachers weigh?
A portable laptop should weigh about three pounds or less. In terms of portability and value, we suggest getting a laptop with a 13- or 14-inch display.
5.
What kind of display does a laptop for teachers need?
Teachers spend a great deal of time in front of a screen. If you suffer from eye strain or tension headaches, don’t settle for anything less than 1080p resolution. If you can stretch your budget a bit more, 4K should provide a very sharp picture, and OLED tends to be more color accurate.
Laptops
