Top 10 Best Ultraportable Laptops in 2016

When choosing a laptop, obviously one of the main concerns is how portable it is. Portability is one of the features that make laptops absolutely indispensable.

There are a number of things to take into consideration such as weight, and size. And naturally, you don’t want to compromise on the technical side of things either.

Here are 10 brand-new ultraportable laptops that find are both easy to carry around, and powerful.

You can also go for a laptop/tablet hybrid if you’re really interested in a highly flexible combo and the price tag is not an issue. But before you decide, here are some of the best ultrabooks of 2016 so you know what your options are.

1. ASUS ZenBook UX305

The Asus ZenBook continues to top the charts of lightweight ultrabooks, and for good reason. It weighs just 2.85 pounds and it’s half an inch tall, which makes it even slimmer than a MacBook Air.

ASUS ZenBook Flip 13 OLED Ultra Slim Convertible -Laptop, 13.3” OLED FHD Touch Screen, Intel Evo Core i7-1165G7 CPU, Intel Iris Xe, 16GB -RAM, 1TB SSD, Windows 10 Pro, -Stylus, -Sleeve, UX363EA-AS74T
  • Touch Screen Type :Capacitive.Aspect Ratio:16:9
  • Intel Evo Platform - perfect combination of performance, responsiveness and battery life. Amazing performance with the 11th Gen Intel Core i7 processor. Vivid colors with Intel Iris Xe graphics. Fast-charging, long-lasting battery.
  • 13.3 inch OLED Full HD 4-way NanoEdge bezel display
  • Fast storage and memory featuring 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 16GB LPDDR4X RAM
  • Extensive connectivity with HDMI, Thunderbolt 4 via USB Type C, USB Type A, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0

You may be wondering how a 13.3″ laptop can be so thin and light. The secret is the materials they used to make it.

Asus Zenbook Ultraportable Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

The durable aluminum used in crafting its frame is solid and quite sturdy. This means they didn’t have to use a lot of material to ensure the laptop’s delicate components are safe. Aluminum is also quite light itself.

2. Dell XPS 13

The Dell XPS 13 was voted as the number one ultrabook of 2015 by numerous publications.

Dell XPS Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

Its prestige has gone down somewhat during the past year, but even one year later it’s still one of the best choices when it comes to ultralight laptops.

The Dell XPS 13 has a 13.3″ display but its clever design means that the overall size of the entire laptop is not larger than that of an 11″ laptop. That means you can get more out of your display without any of the hassles.

3. Lenovo ThinkPad Carbon X1

Though it is slightly larger than the average ultrabook, at 14″ the Lenovo Carbon X 1 is still one of the most portable ultrabooks out there.

Lenovo ThinkPad Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

The fourth-generation ThinkPad launched earlier this year has brought some major improvements over last year’s model.

It still retains many of the features that made the original Lenovo Carbon X1 so great, such as the large screen size, but adds more depth and precision to the display. It’s also slightly more powerful and yet even lighter than the previous models.

4. HP EliteBook Folio 9480m

This ultraportable laptop features a luscious 12.5″ screen and keyboard with an incredibly pleasant feel, among other things.

HP EliteBook Folio Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

Its lightweight frame is sturdy and can withstand some pretty hefty bumps.

It’s also surprisingly powerful for how tiny it is. It comes with 8GB of RAM and an Intel core 7m CPU.

Unfortunately, because it is so small, its battery life is somewhat below average.

5. Samsung Notebook 9

At just about 2 pounds the Samsung Notebook 9 is one the lightest ultrabooks out there.

Samsung Ultrabook 9 Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

It has all of the features you’d expect to see in a business laptop such as an Intel core i5 CPU and up to 10 hours of battery life.

One of the coolest features of this laptop is its display. It can be rotated 180 degrees which makes it one of the best laptops for meetings and brainstorming sessions.

6. HP Spectre

The HP Spectre is a real jewel. It uses both carbon fiber and aluminum in its frame, which makes it one of the sturdiest ultraportable laptops on this list. It’s also one of the most stylish since the two-tone frame is a really nice detail that doesn’t take away from its functionality.

HP Spectre Laptop
Image Source: Flickr

But this ultrabook is not all-flash. It comes fitted with either an i5 or i7 processor. It also features a cutting-edge cooling system meaning you don’t have to worry about one of the biggest challenges faced by ultrathin laptops.

7. Acer Aspire S7

The team behind the Acer Aspire S7 really knows how to take portability to the next level.

Acer Aspire S7 Ultra-Portable Laptop
Wikimedia

A lot of the work that was put into this ultrabook went into improving its data transfer capabilities. You can download large files almost instantly without having to plug in your internet cable.

It’s an ideal ultrabook for work and plays when you’re constantly on the go. And since it’s just 2.4 pounds, weight is not an issue.

8. Toshiba Satellite Radius 12

This ultraportable laptop features a 12.5″ HD display, built with Toshiba’s own TruBright technology, and touch screen capabilities. Working on this display is an immensely rewarding experience.

This ultrabook also features a surprising number of ports for its relatively small frame. It has 2 USB 3.0 ports and one of them features a Sleep-and-Charge function. It also has a USB 3.1 type C port for even greater data transfer speed.

9. Razer Blade Stealth

The Razer Blade Stealth comes from a long tradition of improving gaming equipment.

This ultrabook focuses a lot on flexibility. With a 12.5″ HD screen, it brings a whole new way of gaming into play.

Its small size might be slightly off-putting for more hardcore gamers out there who want a truly immersive experience. But if flexibility is one of your main concerns this is the ultrabook for you.

This laptop’s capabilities can be extended with the addition of the Thunderbolt Razer Core.

10. Lenovo IdeaPad 100S

The Lenovo IdeaPad 100 is the best choice for users who want to invest in an ultralight laptop while on a budget.

It’s slightly larger than the other entries on this list and somewhat bulkier. But it’s still easy enough to transport and can handle almost any task you give it, which makes a perfect budget ultrabook.

Summary

As technology becomes smaller and smaller it’s safe to assume we’re going to see some remarkable improvements when it comes to ultraportable laptops that can still handle even the most demanding workloads.

There are so many options out there it’s nearly impossible not to find the perfect combination of features to suit everyone’s needs.

Last update on 2024-03-19 / We may get a commission on clicks or purchases from this page. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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