The work environment has changed and now, as many as 59% of workers prefer to have a hybrid work solution. This means that part of the work is done at home or at the coffee shop down the street, and only a portion gets done at the company's brick-and-mortar location. That said, a good hybrid solution involves having the right gear, and more specifically, the right laptop.
The work environment has changed and now, as many as 59% of workers prefer to have a hybrid work solution. This means that part of the work is done at home or at the coffee shop down the street, and only a portion gets done at the company's brick-and-mortar location. That said, a good hybrid solution involves having the right gear, and more specifically, the right laptop.
The 6 Best Laptops for a Hybrid Work Solution
Deciding on a great hybrid model will rely on a few factors, including its transportabilities such as size and weight, performance, and battery life. The laptops that get our nod of approval are:
1. ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen1 by Lenovo
Think home office ergonomics with Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen1 that opens up 180º for optimal comfort. The 13" screen offers a narrow bezel for maximum screen visibility, and the 16:10 Dolby Vision 2K display won't disappoint with visuals. Despite weighing just under two pounds, it packs peak performance with the Intel® Evo™ platform powered by Intel's Core™ i7 processor. That means cafe trips are made easier as you're not lugging around a heavy laptop just for its performance capabilities. While you're hybrid working, it's also worth noting that you have a good 13+ hours to finish the deck you're perfecting before looking for a power outlet thanks to the ThinkPad's excellent battery life. Depending on the configuration, the cost can range from $1,500 to just over $2,000. As one of the best laptops for remote work, this is a small price to pay for performance you can trust.
2. HP ProBook 440 G8 by HP
HP delivers a well-priced notebook at just under $1,000. The ProBook 440 G8 offers a quad-core 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 processor, with Intel® Iris® Xe graphics. However, the screen response time might be the only thing that lets this model down. At 28 milliseconds, it's considered a bit slow and if you're a developer or content creator that uses video, this might be a touch frustrating. It comes standard with Windows 10 Pro with the option of a free Windows 11 upgrade and offers just under eight hours of battery life. It also has a sleek, yet durable, aluminum chassis that weighs in at just over three pounds, making it ideal to lug around between home, office, and shared workspaces.
3. EliteBook 840 Aero G8 by HP
When you're looking for a laptop that easily adjusts to a hybrid working setup, HPs EliteBook 840 Aero G8 might be a good fit. With a starting price of around $1,500, the setup is fully customizable—if you're going with the best of everything, you're looking at around $2,300. You choose the display type, memory, operating system, processor, and more.The base model offers Windows 11 Pro, EliteBook 840 Aero G8 with Intel® Core™ i5-1135G7 processor, and Intel® Iris® Xᵉ Graphics. For those who need a better processor, there is the option to upgrade to the i7. What sets this model apart, however, is its stellar battery life of over 11 hours.
4. MacBook Pro 14-inch by Apple
It's hard to beat a Mac when it comes to performance, thanks to the MacBook M1 Pro and M1 Max chips. If you're a hybrid developer, sound engineer, or designer you're spoiled for choice. If you opt for the M1 Pro chip, you can expect 32GB of unified memory and support for up to two external displays. It can also accommodate up to 20 streams of 4K pro-resolution video playback. Whether this is the best laptop for work will depend on the specs you need. If you up your game to the M1 Max, the unified memory jumps to 64GB which means optimal data processing. The M1 Max can support up to seven streams of 8K pro-resolution video playback and offers 400GB/s memory bandwidth. Expect to pay around $2,249 for the M1 Pro and over $3,000 for the M1 Max.
5. Pixelbook Go by Google
The Pixelbook Go's claim to fame is that it's lightweight—only two pounds—and ultra-thin at 13mm, making it a great contender for the ideal hybrid laptop. It features 12-hours+ battery life and an 8th Gen Intel® Core™ m3, i5, or i7 processor. The screen is only 13.3" which makes it on the small side but makes up for it with its touch-screen capabilities. Google offers a range of storage and memory options and if you go with the base model, you're looking at 8GB RAM and 64GD SSD. The base model starts from around $650.
6. ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6 by Lenovo
Once you're used to the 360-degree hinge on the Thinkpad X1 Yoga Gen 6, it will be hard to revert back to anything less. In terms of versatility and adapting to any workspace, Lenovo has perfected it with this model thanks to the addition of touch-screen capability making it a strong contender as the best laptop for remote work.Performance isn't sacrificed and this model offers up to 11th Gen Intel® Core™ i7 vPro® as the processor. When you're working from a space other than the office, the 15-hour+ battery life will keep you on track without having to worry about finding an outlet. The battery also has rapid charge capabilities! The price starts from around $1,500 for the base model.
Finding the Best Laptops for Hybrid Working Starts Here
A hybrid working solution depends on good communication with your home office, an accessible cloud-based data system, and reliable hardware.At Integr8, we offer a streamlined solution for the hybrid office with our digital document management solution and hardware solutions such as laptops, tablets, printers, and copiers. Check out our office automation services and products for a tailored solution to your business needs.
