6 Best Mini Laptops of 2023, According to Tech Experts

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Take these portable laptops with you wherever you go.

A spacious laptop screen is a nice feature to have, but it’s not convenient when you’re on-the-go or tight on space. Say hello to the mini laptop. Unlike a standard laptop, a mini laptop features a smaller screen size that’s typically around 11 to 12 inches. These petite devices are an excellent choice for frequent travelers, commuters and students thanks to their lightweight, compact design that makes them both highly portable and versatile. Some mini laptops are so slim that they’re easy to squeeze into the smallest of backpacks, while others double up as a tablet thanks to a detachable keyboard.

At the Good Housekeeping Institute, our engineers and tech analysts test electronics from the best tablets to buy to tablets for kids, computer monitors and more. To narrow down the best mini laptops, our pros reviewed each model for specs such as screen size (eliminating any laptops over 14 inches), ease of portability, battery life, connectivity options and more. Our engineers got hands-on with many of the brands below in our most recent test, assessing each computer’s power, speed and performance. Below you’ll find the best mini laptops of 2023, according to our Lab evaluations and rave consumer reviews. After you’ve checked out our suggestions for mini laptops, keep reading to learn what to look for when shopping for one. If you decide you want a larger device, don’t forget to consider these expert-approved laptops that impressed our analysts.

This Microsoft Laptop that runs on Windows 11 is a great choice for professionals and students in need of a zippy, compact device for team meetings, jotting down notes and tackling everyday tasks. What we love most about it is that it’s a tablet and laptop in one, so you can switch between using the 10.5-inch touchscreen along with the compatible stylus pen, or you can set it up as a traditional laptop when you want to type quickly via the detachable keyboard.

Our Lab engineers have tested similar Surface Go models and love their portability. At 1.2 pounds, this mini laptop is super lightweight yet comes with a high resolution, responsive screen as well as 1080p cameras for sharp video quality. With 128GB of storage you should have plenty of space to save documents and photos on your laptop, and 8GB of RAM is adequate for casual use like internet browsing and running a few applications (though you could benefit from more if you plan on editing photos or juggling multiple heavy files).

While our pros haven't tested this exact model, we've been hands-on with multiple Chromebooks and think they're a great choice for a mini laptop. Our pros love that this Chromebook features a unique 360° hinge so you can rotate the display to the angle that suits you best. Whether you want to use it as a laptop or tablet, or you prefer to prop up the screen when streaming shows, it does it all and does so with a long battery life of up to 15 hours, according to Acer.

The 11.6-inch screen is an ideal size for a smaller laptop, and those who are looking for a portable pick will be pleased that the dimensions are actually smaller than a standard A4 piece of paper. Just keep in mind that though this 2-in-1 laptop is affordable, you are sacrificing some power and storage space in comparison to more premium mini laptops.

Featuring a full-sized keyboard and a super slim design, we recommend this mini laptop if you’re looking for one that’s portable enough to bring to the office and back. We've tested a similar laptop from HP, and like the 11.6-inch screen size that should provide ample room for being productive. Plus, over 13 hours of battery life, according to HP, should suffice for a full day of work. While this model could feature additional RAM for more speed and power, we like that it offers tons of connectivity options, including HDMI and at least three USB ports.

Can’t decide between a mini laptop or a tablet? With this Lenovo mini laptop, you don’t have to thanks to its 2-in-1 design that lets you switch freely between using it as either a laptop or a tablet. Our pros have reviewed several Chromebooks and appreciate their highly portable design and this one is no exception. Its 10.1-inch screen is smaller than most picks on this list so it may not be ideal for those that need a few extra inches of display, but that’s what helps it maintain such a light weight at just under a pound!

Our pros like that the keyboard is detachable so you can leave it behind on car road trips when you’re streaming shows, and the touchscreen is compatible with a pen for drawing sketches and scribbling. Though this Chromebook comes with 64GB of storage for saving data, you’ll also get a free membership to Google One with 100GB of extra storage for one year. We do wish, however, that it featured more than one USB-C port for better connectivity options.

Boost your productivity with the 11.6-inch Asus Vivobook. Our product analysts tested a similar (but larger) Vivobook and recommend this slender, mini laptop for students thanks to a few unique features like a 180° hinge so the laptop can lay completely flat when it’s time to create a presentation or collaborate with other peers. Calculations are also made easy thanks to an integrated number pad that can be activated with a quick tap.

For those that need extra space for storage of Word docs, Excel files and more, you can opt for 128GB of memory. Your Vivobook should survive through several lectures and study sessions thanks to up to 12 hours of battery life.

Apple fans looking for a mini laptop that’s easy to use should look no further than this super sleek MacBook Air that’s available in four metallic shades. Our pros recommend it for anyone that wants quick performance, whether you’re online shopping, researching for an assignment or editing videos. Though this Air isn’t quite as powerful as some of the other MacBooks our engineers tested, it features the M2 chip that guarantees faster performance — 1.4 times faster than the M1 chip, according to Apple.

Our pros were impressed by the laptop’s long battery life and its crisp Liquid Retina display. Plus, it comes with extras like touch ID, a 1080p HD camera for FaceTime chats and more. You can also opt for the 13.3-inch 2020 MacBook Air (M1 Chip) if you don’t mind sacrificing some performance for a few extra bucks.

When the test engineers and product analysts at the Good Housekeeping Institute evaluate laptops and mini laptops, we consider everything from their ease of use to performance, appearance and ergonomics. Over the past six months, our pros have tested around 15 various laptops, and our picks include a combination of top-performing brands, road tests and rave consumer reviews.

To determine how easy a mini laptop is to use, we consider key factors such as the device’s weight, screen size, screen angle range, keyboard or touchpad areas (if applicable), ease of charging, the number of ports and more. To assess performance, our experts run a variety of speed tests including file transfer speeds as well as how long the device takes to boot up or shut down. We also consider the laptops’ screen resolution and display, battery life and other vital specs such as hard drive size, memory, RAM and sound quality.

✔️ Size: A mini laptop should be smaller and more compact than an average laptop, with a screen size under 13 inches. Thanks to a diminished design, mini laptops are lightweight and oftentimes slim so they’re easily transportable.

✔️ Battery life: Some mini laptops have 10 hours of battery life, while others reach up to 18. Decide how much battery power you think you’ll need before making a purchase, and whether a charger will be easily accessible.

✔️ Operating system: While you cannot go wrong with any OS, those already in the Apple ecosystem may prefer sticking with Apple’s OS for easy integration across apps like FaceTime, Photos and more. Windows is a great choice for students and professionals who rely on the Microsoft Office suite, while Chrome OS is ideal for everyday use like browsing the web, streaming, accessing Google Docs and the like.

✔️ Storage space: The amount of storage in your mini laptop determines how many files, photos, videos and other data it can store. Our pros recommend choosing a mini laptop with at least 64 GB, if possible. If the laptop you choose doesn’t offer as much memory as you’d like, consider using it alongside an external SSD in which you can store extra files.

✔️ RAM: RAM is temporary storage that enables your mini laptop to have both power and speed. It helps prevent your computer from freezing up or slowing down. The more RAM, the easier it will be to open up multiple tabs at once and switch among applications, browsers and documents.

✔️ Connectivity: Double-check how many ports are available on your mini laptop as most of the time there won’t be quite as many options as you’d get with a standard laptop. Some users may be satisfied with one or two USB-C ports for plugging in a cellphone or a hard drive, but our experts always recommend opting for a device with several connectivity options so you’re not limited.

✔️ Versatility: Some mini laptops look more like tablets than laptops (or vice versa) and may feature detachable keyboards or other accessories that make them extremely versatile. Decide what you plan on using your mini laptop for and purchase one that works best in those scenarios. For instance, students may prefer a mini laptop with a keyboard for quick typing or a stylus for notetaking, while casual users may prefer a mini laptop with an adjustable stand so you can modify the angle while streaming videos or tutorials on YouTube.

A mini laptop is similar to a traditional laptop except it features a smaller screen size that ranges anywhere from 10 to 13 inches, on average. What sets mini laptops apart from larger models is their portable nature and lightweight design, making them easy to bring along with you whether you want to set it up at the office or use it on a flight. Some mini laptops have a 2-in-1 design so they can be used either as a laptop or a tablet.

On the downside, mini laptops likely come with shorter battery life than their larger counterparts, as well as less power, memory and ports. “In terms of power and storage capacity, it stands to reason that the smaller the laptop, the less of everything there will be,” says Alec Scherma, the Good Housekeeping Institute’s test engineer. Before purchasing a mini laptop, it’s imperative that you decide how you plan on using it so you can choose one that supports your needs.

Our most recent round of laptop testing was led by test engineer, Alec Scherma, who brings all his mechanical engineering knowledge to help rigorously test new products like laptops as well as Nikolas Greenwald, a Lab assistant in the Good Housekeeping Institute who works to develop our testing protocols and manage data collection and analysis.

GH Institute analyst and writer Olivia Lipski wrote this guide based on the Media & Tech Lab’s extensive testing data. She regularly covers consumer electronics like audio equipment, smart home devices and more for GH.

Olivia (she/her) is a media and tech product reviews analyst at the Good Housekeeping Institute, covering tech, home, auto, health and more. She has more than five years of experience writing about tech trends and innovation and, prior to joining GH in 2021, was a writer for Android Central, Lifewire and other media outlets. Olivia is a graduate of George Washington University, with a bachelor's degree in journalism, political science and French, and she holds a master’s degree in communications from Sciences Po Paris.

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