If your school requires you to provide and handle the laptop you’re going to use in your classroom – we understand that you might feel overwhelmed with the responsibility. Especially if you don’t know much about laptops.
But that’s why we’ve found best laptops for teachers, tested them & reviewed them so you can spend less time making browsing through the options and focus on more important aspects of a great laptop.
We’ve spent plenty of hours delivering the best options right to you so you don’t need to lose a lot of your valuable time.
For easier choice, we’ve categorized these great laptops in different categories since most of you will still require different needs. Therefore, we’re pretty sure we have the best laptops for teachers in this post.
The Lineup At A Glance
- Hp Spectre X360 – Versatile 2 in 1
- Acer Predator Helios 300 – For Gaming
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – High-End Configuration
- Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Lightweight Yet Powerful
- Acer Aspire 5 – Budget Teaching Laptop
- Dell Inspiron 17 – Widescreen Display
- Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga – Sleek and Durable
- Apple MacBook Pro – Well-rounded Teaching Laptop
- Lenovo Yoga 720 – 4K Display
- HP Pavilion 15 – Affordable pick
Best Laptops For Teachers In 2023
Hp Spectre X360 – Versatile 2 in 1
Even though we put this laptop in the longest battery category, it still has the perks of being a 2-in-1 laptop thanks to its 360-degree design. You can also find this feature in a budget model that comes from Lenovo’s brand- Lenovo yoga.
This way, you can rotate the screen to get the perfect viewing angle or use the laptop either as a tablet or as a laptop. It has all the connectivity you need, with USB-C, Thunderbolt 3 support, USB 3.0 ports, SD card reader and HDMI port.
It also has configuration with Turbo Boost.HP Spectre x360 features a pretty valuable high-end Intel configuration that even comes with a Turbo Boost feature, a 10th Gen Intel® Core i7-1065G7 processor which is more efficient in comparison with an Intel Core i5.
Therefore, you are able to boost already high-end configuration to achieve even better performance. For instance, you can boost up the performance of the processor f all the way up to 3.9 GHz.
An amazing brightview display.No matter in which position you set this screen, you’ll be always amazed by the crystally clear and bright display.
This 13.6” screen relies on an IPS screen which introduces micro-edge BrightView technology.
Hardware specifications for HP Spectre x360
CPU:10th Gen Intel® Core i7-1065G7 processor | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8 GB RAM | Screen: 13.3″ FHD (1920×1080) IPS BrightView WLED Multi Touch Screen | Storage: 512 GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Pro | Battery Life: 10 hours | Weight: 2.87 lbs
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon – High-End Configuration
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon features state of the art RapidCharge Technology. Even though Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon doesn’t offer the longest lasting battery life on the market (but is pretty close), it still introduces something very unique yet productive.
RapidCharge technology ensures quick charging between the charging cycles, ensuring you get about 60% of battery charged in just 20 minutes.
This way, you won’t have to worry about battery life ever again.
It has an amazing display and dazzling display. This laptop features some amazing configuration too, which works very well with the operating system, 8th-Gen Intel Core i7, but the most important aspect users will notice is the dazzling display.
It features touch full HD display with increased brightness, expanded contrast, and very accurate colors that make sure every detail is refined. You can consider Microsoft Surface Pro 6 as its alternative.
Narrow bezel design ensures the best viewing experience, and yet this display has minimal impact on battery life.
The laptop also has Amazon Alexa compatibility.When you’re busy in a classroom, you can enjoy a hands-free feature. Amazon Alexa virtual voice assistant is there to help you take action even if you aren’t close to the laptop.
This way, you can play music, videos, open presentations, find files and much more at a very quick pace so you waste no time in the class.
In addition, the HD webcam is truly convenient for teachers in online class.
Hardware specifications for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon
CPU: 10th Gen Core i7-10510U processor | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620| RAM:16 GB | Screen: 14-inch LCD 1920×1080 resolution (400 nit); 3840 x 2160 VESA400 HDR with Dolby Vision (500 nit) | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Pro | Battery Life: 10 hours | Weight: 2.6 lbs
Dell Inspiron 17 – Widescreen Display
The Dell Inspiron 17 is 17 inches of pure wonder. Most laptops on this list are visually appealing with its smaller displays. But if you think this is good – wait until you see the 17.3” full HD display featured on the Dell Inspiron 17 laptop.
The laptop also features powerful specs with its Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor that can go up to 3.6 GHz, 16 GB of RAM, and a reliable Intel UHD graphics card. Now asides from this powerful specs, what makes the The Dell Inspiron 17 a wonder is its storage space.
It features a 512 GB SSD + coupled with a 1 TB HDD which gives you a total of 1.512 TB of storage space in total. This is perfect for the teacher who needs a large storage for keeping their student’s records as well as projects inside their own personal laptop.
Asides from that, the laptop also is very durable. But this doesn’t stop there since it also features a durable and good battery life that will last up to 6 hours of battery life on a single charge, but you will also be able to charge up to 60% of the battery in just 49 minutes – which is quite impressive.
We find this is one of the best laptops for teachers who can recharge this laptop during their break and get back to work without having to worry about the charging ever again.
Hardware specifications for Dell Inspiron 17
CPU: Intel Core i5-1035G1 1.0 GHz, Turbo to 3.60 GHz | Graphics:Intel UHD Graphics| RAM: 16 GB RAM | Screen: 17.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) Anti-Glare LED-Backlit Non-touch WVA Display | Storage: 512 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD| Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 6.5 hours | Weight: 5.79 lbs
HP Pavilion 15 – Affordable pick
HP Pavilion 15 is an amazing laptop that comes at an affordable price. And even though this is a budget option for teachers, this laptop comes with a very good looking HD display that even comes with a touch capability. No doubt this is the best laptop for teachers with a tight budget since it offers a lot of value for the price it costs.
Its BrightView technology ensures a glossy screen which doesn’t reflect light as this increases the eye comfort level.
You’ll also have to experience the lack of ports or ways to connect other devices since HP Pavilion 15 features plenty of ports you could use.It includes 3 USB ports, HDMi port, ethernet port, audio jack, and even safety lock where you can attach your security cable – which is ideal for leaving a laptop in a classroom unattended.
The laptop has a really decent configuration despite its affordable price. For the price this laptop costs, we were surprised with a decent configuration it offers. You will find the configuration to be based on Intel processor, Intel UHD Graphics with an amazing 16 GB RAM, and plenty of space on a 512 GB SSD.
Hardware specifications for Hp Pavilion 15
CPU: 10th Generation intel(r) core(tm) i5-1035g1 Processor, quad-core, 1.0 GHz Base frequency, up to 3.6 GHz | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 16 GB RAM| Screen: 15.6-Inch diagonal HD SVA bright View micro-edge WLED-backlit touchscreen display (1366 x 768) | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 | Battery Life: 6 hours| Weight: 3.74 lbs
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga – Sleek and Durable
If your plan is to get a 2-in-1 laptop, there is no better choice than the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga because of its sleek and durable construction. This laptop can take some damage , and even though it has a 360-degree rotatable screen – it’s hard to damage it or even break it.
Being a 2-in-1 laptop comes with versatility. With a screen that can rotate 360-degrees, you will be able to use this laptop in two different modes. As the best laptop for teachers uses, or as a tablet for any other use – whether it’s while you’re commuting or while you’re reading something from the laptop.
This laptop features a very brilliant IPS display, and even though this is one of the smallest laptops on this list along with the Hp Spectre x360 (being 14”) we still believe the image is amazing.
Being able to take full advantage of the screen thanks to the touch screen capability is even better. Microsoft Surface Pro 4 or 6 can also be an option.
However, we should mention that the anti-reflective feature isn’t really working on this display and we were able to get a lot of glare when using this laptop. However, for in-door use, we think it’s perfect.
Hardware specifications for Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga
CPU: Intel Core i7-10510U | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620| RAM: 16 GB RAM | Screen: 14.0”, WQHD (2560 x 1440), IPS | Storage: 512 GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Pro | Battery Life: 8 hours | Weight: 2.99 lbs
Apple MacBook Pro – Well-rounded Teaching Laptop
The Apple MacBook Pro combines the 9th generation Intel Core i9 processor with Turbo Boost processor that can run up to 4.8GHz which can deal with any school task from preparing lectures to running code.
The laptop has plenty of connectivity options that come with a smooth Touch Bar and TouchPad, you will find slideshows have never been easier.
It features a retina display with True Tone Technology. When True Tone is turned on, the images and graphics become pleasant to look at. The reason is in the system leveraging in the True Tone to change the display’s white point in order to match the environmental brightness. Working in front of the computer for hours is no longer a worry for teachers from now on.
Tha laptop also has a long-lasting battery life which normally lasts about 8 hours and up to 10 hours of battery life. Being lightweight so It’s definitely a travel-friendly laptop, the best laptop for teachers, students, or any situation you will be unplugged for considerable amounts of time. If you still prefer a cheaper option, Apple Macbook Air can be more affordable.
Hardware specifications for Apple MacBook Pro
CPU: Intel Core i9 processor with Turbo Boost up to 4.8GHz | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5500M with 4GB of GDDR6 memory and automatic graphics switching, Intel UHD Graphics 630 | RAM: 16 GB | Screen: 16.0-inch (diagonal) LED-back display with IPS technology; 3072×1920 native resolution at 226 pixels per inch with support for millions of colors| Storage: 1TB SSD| Operating System: MAC OS | Battery Life: 11 hours | Weight: 4.3 pounds
Lenovo Yoga 720 – 4K Display
The latest Lenovo Yoga 720 laptop comes with Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core Processor processor. Also, it relies on 16 GB RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Graphics Card graphics card which makes it a powerhouse of a laptop. It has 256GB SSD provides plenty of storage space for teacher’s documents,
It received lots of positive feedback on Amazon about its great performance for any use, even school tasks.
The 7th generation of the Intel Core i7-7700HQ processor uses low-voltage performance to provide a great battery life – 8 hours which is really brilliant for such a laptop.
You don’t need to bring the adapter, it’s convenient for the teachers to work in unchargeable conditions
This laptop also comes with a 2-in-1 design, large screen size with touch screen, and backlit keyboard, you will get versatile modes of use which include laptop mode, tablet mode, or even a studio mode.
Lenovo Yoga 720 is lightweight which is truly travel-friendly for people who work on the go. With an affordable price, Lenovo Yoga 720 is a bargain for all teachers.
Lastyl it comes with a 4K screen which makes it easy to use especially if you’re teaching something like graphic design to your students.
Hardware Specifications for Lenovo Yoga 720
CPU: 7th Generation Kaby Lake Intel Core i7-7700HQ Quad-Core Processor (2.8 GHz up to 3.8GHz, 6 MB Cache) | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Graphics Card | RAM: 16 GB RAM | Screen: 15.6″ UHD 4K (3840 x 2160) Touchscreen IPS Technology LED Backlight Display | Storage: 256GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 8 hours| Weight: 4.41 lbs
Acer Predator Helios 300 – For Gaming
The Acer Predator Helios 300 is a powerful 15 inch laptop with a display of 1920 x 1080 pixels. The laptop is ideal for people who put performance before weight. The laptop is very powerful but it comes with the tradeoff which is it’s ridiculously heavy weight of 6.39 lbs.
This weight is understandable since it features a powerful Intel Core i7-9750H processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660 GPU. You can play a lot of high-end games on ultra with these and you won’t feel the lag.
On top of that, the computer has a unique and eye catching look which gives you the “cool teacher” vibe to your students. It also helps you students relate to you since gaming is both an activity that connects people of different generations.
The Acer Predator Helios 300 has 4 USB ports allowing you to easily use and connect to tons of teaching resources and its 144 Hz screen is useful in gaming if you want to play it competitively.
Hardware Specifications for Acer Predator Helios 300
CPU: Intel Core i7-9750H| Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1660| RAM: 16GB RAM | Screen: 17.3-Inch 1920×1080 display| Storage: 512GB SSD| Operating System: Windows 10 Pro| Battery Life: 6 hours | Weight: 6.39 lbs
Microsoft Surface Pro 7 – Lightweight Yet Powerful
Being a teacher means going from classes to classes over the course of their day. It can be tiring to do this especially if you’re carrying a heavy laptop.
Thankfully, the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 is exactly what someone needs if they’re looking for something light and portable. Weighting only about 1.74 pounds, this laptop is ideal for travel or if you’re the type who carries it around the whole day like teachers.
Aside from the weight, the laptop has fairly powerful specs despite its featherweight weight. It features a Core i7-1065G7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and a Iris Plus 940 graphics card which allows you to run most school programs easily.
It also has a 1 TB SSD storage to keep all your important files as well as records of your students’ works. Lastly, it has 10.5 hours of battery life which allows you to use it for the entire day without dying out.
Hardware Specifications for Microsoft Surface Pro 7
CPU: Core i7-1065G7 processor | Graphics: Iris Plus 940 graphics card | RAM: 16 GB| Screen: 12.3-inch, 2736 x 1824 (267 PPI) touchscreen | Storage: 1 TB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 10.5 hours | Weight: 1.74 pounds
Hardware specifications for HP Spectre x360
Acer Aspire 5 – Budget Teaching Laptop
The Acer Aspire 5 is the cheapest laptop on this list which makes it very sought after by teachers who are on a budget. It has all the necessary specs with its 10th Gen i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM to run most programs.
Don’t expect it to run mid to high-end games though so if you’re planning to game or run extremely resource intensive program,then this laptop might not be for you.
Hardware specifications for Acer Aspire 5
CPU: 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10210U Processor | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620| RAM: 8GB | Screen: 15 6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED-backlit IPS Display | Storage: 512 GB SSD | Operating System: Windows 10 Home | Battery Life: 9 hours | Weight: 5.74 pounds
Picking The Best Laptops For Teachers In 2023
Performance
As a teacher, you always want to be able to execute any ideas and projects you have in a timely manner so you don’t lose a lot of time on setting up the laptop or opening certain software. Therefore, performance is one of the most important parts of best laptops for teachers, no matter the subject you teach or the software you use.
A decent processor which provides optimum processing speed, plenty of RAM and a lot of storage space are some minimum requirements you should be looking for. In most cases, a dedicated graphics card isn’t very necessary, but in case it is for you, you should be looking out for one.
Other than performance level, you should make sure to find and use an operating system which will be able to efficiently handle all your requirements.
Battery Life
You’ll be using your laptop in school most of the time, and if you have your own dedicated classroom – that’s great, but you still might not have the outlets free or near the desk so finding a laptop which won’t rely on the charging cable throughout the day is the most ideal option.
With most modern technology, you are able to find a laptop that offers an all-day battery life span which can provide up to 20 hours on a single charge (even though 5 hours or 10 hours is also acceptable).
This way, you will save time, energy, and have to worry less about one thing when it comes to charging, finding the perfect outlet, and even carrying a charging cable with you everywhere you go.
Storage
Since you’ll be using a laptop for school use, you’ll have to save loads of documents, files, presentations, and even install software quite often.
Finding a laptop that comes with decent storage space is very important since you never want to find yourself in a position where you would run out of storage – especially in the middle of a school day.
If you’re going to use the laptop for both school and personal use/entertainment use in your free time – you should double the amount of storage you think would be enough. This will help you stay on the safe side and never have to sacrifice your personal files or documents.
Other than the amount of storage, you should pay attention to storage type. We highly recommend SSD storage type since it offers the highest speeds and will be able to start up your laptop in seconds. Installing and opening software will be quick and efficient.
Connectivity
We can’t stress how important it is to get a laptop that offers plenty of universal ports for increased connectivity levels. You will most of the time have to connect your laptop with other devices such as a projector, and you never want to find yourself in a position where you won’t be able to make the connection.
Also, it’s most likely that your students will bring their own gadgets and devices when they have to transfer projects or presentations – so you want to cover almost any possible connection out there.
A few USB ports, HDMI port, micro SD card slot, and even ethernet port are a must. And if you have a chance to get a laptop with DVD/RW drive, we highly recommend you to go for it.
Size & Resolution
For most teachers who won’t be able to have an external TV or projector to project their screen, sometimes – you’ll have to work only with a laptop you have.
If you find yourself in such situation very often, going for a laptop that comes with a widescreen display that can offer a great aspect ratio and brilliant resolution – it’s going to be a lot better even though you might have to sacrifice a bit of versatility.
On the other hand, this will help you still keep the class educated and project anything you have in the plan on your laptop. There are laptops that still can keep their weight low even though they’re pretty large in size – so if you’re taking your laptop everywhere you go – you won’t have a single thing to worry about.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a touchscreen necessary for a school laptop?
Touch screen definitely isn’t important but you’ll see that quite a few of the best laptops for teachers come with a touch screen capability (even the budget option). It’s very useful to have one, especially when you want to speed up some regular tasks you do on a daily basis, but it isn’t mandatory to have this feature.
How to increase the speed and performance levels?
To never be slowed down, we recommend combining SSD (solid-state drive) storage with at least 6 GB of RAM that will provide a quick start-up and quick loading speeds of most common software.
Is SSD storage required for teacher’s laptop?
SSD (solid-state drive) storage isn’t recommended but you’ll find that most of our picks come with one (except the budget option in this case). You can still have a quick and speed performance even with a 7200 RPM HDD drive. If you aren’t on a tight budget, we highly recommend SSD over HDD storage – but that’s just a recommendation.
Can I use chromebook for teaching?
Yes you can. However using a chromebook may not be ideal if you’re really serious about teaching. Chromebook uses Chrome OS which may not be compatible with a lot of school software systems.
Asides from software, hardware is an issue as well since some classroom hardware may not support Chrome OS and it may require customer drivers. If you want a laptop that works well in a classroom setting, pick one with a Windows, Linux, and MAC OS since these OSs are supported by a lot of programs and hardware.
Resources
- Computer Requirements – InterHigh School
- The Best Value Teacher Laptop for Basic Needs – Anseo.net
This is a good summary of great laptops, but some of the Amazon affiliate links are outdated/expired. Please review and update them.