While 15 inch laptops are generally the standard middle of the road for consumer based models, that doesn’t mean it’s the option available to you. A 14 inch laptop is one of the best choices if you want something you can carry with you everywhere, and the fact that a 14 inch laptop tends to cost less than its larger counterparts is just icing on the cake.
Our guide will help you understand the most important specs and features to pay attention to when you’re shopping for a 14 inch screen size laptop. We also provide dedicated reviews for 10 of the best 14 inch laptop models, so you don’t have to go hunting through standalone reviews or outdated analysis to get the results you deserve. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know.
- The Best 14 Inch Laptop
- Acer Swift 3 Laptop
- Dell Inspiron 14 5481, 2 in 1 convertible Laptop
- Lenovo IdeaPad 14″ Laptop
- ASUS VivoBook S Thin & Light 14″ Laptop
- HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 Laptop
- LG gram 14″ Laptop
- Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition 13.9″
- HP Stream 14-inch Laptop
- ASUS 14″ Premium High Performance Laptop
- Lenovo Yoga C930 2-in-1 13.9″ Laptop
- 14 Inch Laptop Buyer’s Guide
- Central Processor
- Graphics Processor
- Display
- Memory
- Storage
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Is a 14 Inch Laptop Good?
- What is the Most Reliable Laptop Brand?
- What is the Best 12 Inch Laptop?
The Best 14 Inch Laptop
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Acer Swift 3 Laptop
A discrete GPU is one of the most expensive additions for a new laptop, which is what makes the Acer Swift 3 such a special 14 inch screen size laptop. The GeForce MX150 packed into this laptop won’t have you playing the latest games at the highest settings, but it offers you entry level gaming at an appealing price point of under $700.
But if you’re looking for a 14 inch laptop that’s focused more on productivity than having fun, you’ll find it with this laptop too. The eighth generation i7 processor provides more than enough muscle for the average professional, and there are a full 8 GB of RAM for assisting with more complex operations and especially multitasking. This laptop may not be the most attractive around, but the sleek aluminum frame and practically bezel free screen reveal a laptop that’s professional, to the point, and highly portable.
| Screen | Full HD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8565U |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Memory | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Pros
- A best deal for discrete graphics
- Battery life of half a day
- Acer Color Intelligence for vivid color
- Powerful and consistent Gigabit Wi-Fi
Cons
- Not the most exciting design around
Dell Inspiron 14 5481, 2 in 1 convertible Laptop
The small but not too small sensibilities of a laptop with a 14 inch screen size make it a great choice for a two in one design.The Acer Spin 3 fulfills that niche with aplomb. With the ability to swap between a touch display and a full sized keyboard seamlessly, this laptop excels at offering you the best of both worlds, and it promises one of the best prices for the value around.
This 14 inch laptop doesn’t include the most powerful specs, but the amount of efficiency it offers is frankly pretty surprising. The keyboard is light and responsive – making it one of the best choices for faster typists. And those meager specs manage to offer pretty decent performance without running too hot, even if you regularly find yourself at your laptop all day long. And with a 12 hour battery life, you’re well within reason to use this laptop all day.
| Screen | Full HD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i3-8130U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 128 GB SSD |
Pros
- Nimble two in one design
- Half day battery life
- Runs cool during long sessions
- Decently powerful speaker system
Cons
- Runs on a meager Intel Core i3
Lenovo IdeaPad 14″ Laptop
Hardware innovations have allowed manufacturers to market laptop models at low prices that would have once been unheard of, but the best of the best in budget laptop design may just be the 2022 IdeaPad from Lenovo. It’s far from the most powerful laptop, but that $150 price tag is practically unheard of. And Lenovo has taken some clever choices to maximize your performance. The most notable is the inclusion of a dual AMD processor for a nice balance between central and graphical processing.
And despite the cut rate budget price, this laptop comes with the latest version of Windows 10 Pro as well as offering a full 12 month subscription to Microsoft Office 365. And those lightweight specs actually come with an advantage too. You can expect a quick startup and peppy performance, just so long as you keep your processing demands fairly low.
| Screen | HD 1366 x 768 |
| CPU | AMD A6-9220e |
| GPU | AMD Radeon R4 |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 64 GB eMMC |
Pros
- A best choice for lightweight use
- Incredibly low asking price
- LED backlight is energy efficient
- Comes with a free year of Office 365
Cons
- Weak specs for the average consumer
ASUS VivoBook S Thin & Light 14″ Laptop
A 14 inch laptop doesn’t have to be fundamentally stripped down, and the ASUS Vivobook S15 is proof of that. ASUS has managed to squeeze an Intel i7 core into this laptop while still maintaining a form factor that’s incredibly sleek and portable. And the inclusion of a discrete NVIDIA GPU supports modern gaming, albeit not on the scale you’d find from a laptop fully dedicated to gaming.
But the screen is probably the star of the show here. It may not have as much real estate as some of its laptop contemporaries, but the color reproduction is incredibly vivid, and the ultra thin bezel helps immerse you in your favorite movies or games. Further expanding that immersion is a top of the line ASUS SonicMaster sound system. When looking to connect accessories to your laptop (or your laptop to a larger screen), all the key ports are here.
| Screen | FHD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8550U |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Memory | 8 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Pros
- Stylish, thin aluminum build
- Backlit keyboard with fingerprint sensor
- Wide range of ports
- Offered with ASUS accidental damage protection
Cons
- Comes packed with bloatware from ASUS
HP Pavilion x360 2-in-1 Laptop
The fact that the HP Pavilion uses an x360 uses a Core i5 rather than i7 processor might raise some eyebrows given the $800 price point, but there’s a method to the choice. By opting for a less powerful processor model, HP has managed to take advantage of the latest 10th generation Intel technology. And while it doesn’t come with a discrete graphics card, this is a laptop that clearly puts work productivity over gaming.
In that respect, this laptop really sings. The solid state drive offers a full half terabyte of storage, and the Intel processor offers speedy performance even when running multiple tabs or applications. And we haven’t even discussed the two in one design that allows you to shift in a second between the keyboard and the touch screen display. You may use the former more than you’d expect, given how responsive it feels under your fingers.
| Screen | FHD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-10210U |
| GPU | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 512 GB SSD |
Pros
- Built on Intel 10th gen architecture
- Very natural feeling keyboard
- Above average storage for the price
- Attractive two in one design
Cons
- Below average battery life
LG gram 14″ Laptop
The LG Gram is one of the most talked about laptop models of the past few years, but the 14 inch model may just well offer you the best bang for your buck. Portability is one of the biggest talking points of this laptop, which is ultra thin in design and weighs barely over two pounds. But that smaller size doesn’t mean this laptop in uncomfortable to work on. The fleet and responsive keyboard goes beyond what you might expect for a 14 inch laptop.
This laptop comes with some of the best battery life around. And while that’s a great achievement in its own right, it’s especially surprising in the context of how good the screen looks. Ultra thin bezels highlight a panel that looks bright and offers some awesome color reproduction. The keyboard is fully backlit and offers a dedicated fingerprint reader for the best security around.
| Screen | FHD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8565U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Pros
- Battery life of 19.5 hours
- Includes Thunderbolt 3 ports
- Incredibly svelte and lightweight
- Great sound that’s fully customizable
Cons
- Costs well over a thousand dollars
Huawei MateBook X Pro Signature Edition 13.9″
The premium 14 inch laptop may be a relatively small market, but it’s still alive. The Huawei MateBook X Pro is easily among the best laptops if you can afford to drop over a grand on a 14 inch model. The internal specs here aren’t at the absolute top of the line, but the inclusion of a Core i5 means that Huawei has space to fit in a discrete GPU, meaning this can double as a decent gaming laptop.
That also means that Huawei has been able to splurge on the display. Pushing past the standard limitations of Full HD, this 14 inch laptop instead offers a crisp and vivid 3K resolution. That only bolsters its value as a gaming laptop. And this is one of the best laptops we’ve found in terms of size too. It’s slim, sleek, and modern in a way that fuses functionality with form.
| Screen | 3K 2000p |
| CPU | Intel Core i5-8250U |
| GPU | NVIDIA GeForce MX150 |
| Memory | 8 GB DDR3 |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Pros
- Crisp and immersive 3K screen
- Battery life of up to 12 hours
- Incredibly lean and stylish size
- One of the best touchscreens around
Cons
- Incredibly high asking price
HP Stream 14-inch Laptop
If you’re wondering which is the best laptop for students and older (and less tech savvy) customers on a budget, HP might just have the best answer. The Stream might be lightweight in terms of performance, but HP has done a good job maximizing the potential where possible. The storage has mostly been shuttled off to cloud storage (in the form of OneDrive), and the battery life of 8 hours is more than reasonable.
A number of decisions have been made to make this one of the most user friendly laptops around. In addition to a free year of OneDrive, users also get a full year long subscription to the full Microsoft Office 365 suite. And since this laptop is designed to run in Windows 10 S mode, less tech savvy users don’t need to worry about relying on external antivirus software for security.
| Screen | HD 768p |
| CPU | AMD A4-9120E |
| GPU | Integrated |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 64 GB SDRAM |
Pros
- Available for under $250
- Runs in Windows 10 S mode
- Battery life of up to 8 hours
- Very comfortable feeling keyboard
Cons
- Severely lacking in internal storage
ASUS 14″ Premium High Performance Laptop
Joining the crowded field of budget level 14 inch laptops is this 2019 model from ASUS. The specs here are clearly budget, but they’re going to be more than enough for less power intensive users. An AMD Radeon R4 GPU is coupled with an eighth generation AMD CPU, so it’s not too behind the curve, and it’s well matched with a memory size of 4 GB.
In an unusual choice for a laptop (but an arguably smart choice for shaving down the cost), this makes use of a traditional hard drive. For people with a lot of files to store, you’ll get a storage capacity that’s mostly only achieved by significantly more premium 14 inch laptop models. All of the modern ports you could expect – including an HDMI for connecting to an external display – are included, And ASUS has pulled out all the stops to make sure that this budget model is stylish.
| Screen | HD 768p |
| CPU | AMD A6-9225 |
| GPU | AMD Radeon R4 |
| Memory | 4 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 500 GB HDD |
Pros
- Retails for around $200
- Half a gig of storage
- Tons of modern ports
- Built-in 3 watt speakers
Cons
- Incredibly low battery life
Lenovo Yoga C930 2-in-1 13.9″ Laptop
Like the name would suggest, the Lenovo Yoga is a very flexible laptop. This 2-in-1 laptop can transition between tablet and laptop mode with ease, but the specs reveal a device that’s a lot more than just a toy. The i7 processor draws from Intel’s eighth generation, and while the Intel UHD graphics card isn’t all that great for gaming, it’s counterbalanced by a whopping 12 GB of memory. For business productivity, this laptop truly excels.
And if you want to use it to listen to music or watch movies after a full work day, the Yoga has you covered. The sound system is top of the line for laptops in this price range, and the backlit display offers supremely high color clarity without draining the battery life too much. Speaking of battery life, this laptop can run for 12 hours on a full charge.
| Screen | FHD 1080p |
| CPU | Intel Core i7-8550U |
| GPU | Intel HD Graphics 620 |
| Memory | 12 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 256 GB SSD |
Pros
- Above average memory
- Battery life of 12 hors
- Sound system offers volume and clarity
- Easy to use 2-in-1 design
Cons
- Pen might be small for some users
14 Inch Laptop Buyer’s Guide
Central Processor
What it is: The central processor, or CPU, is like the brain of your computer. The more powerful the processor, the more easily it can run more technically demanding software, and it can even have an impact on your performance if you’re not working with a single intensive application. Multitasking in your browser can dramatically slow down your computer, and a better processor means better performance at everything from internet research to watching videos.
Who it should matter to: Since the central processor is the brains of the operation, it’s going to be the most important component for practically everyone. A top of the line processor from Intel is a necessity for playing the latest games at higher settings, but it can also be crucial for video and photo editing. But the central processor is also important to professionals who needs a laptop that responds quickly to their needs.
What to look for: Central processors are most readily identified by the model number and the generation. Model numbers will generally tell you what segment of the population the laptop is designed for. Intel – the biggest manufacturer of CPUs around – for instance, offers a Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, and Core i9 with the i3 representing the best budget option, the i5 serving as the middle of the road productivity option, the Intel Core i7 as the peak of consumer performance and the i9 extending into the needs of enterprise level business.
But generation should pay just as important a role in what CPU you should look for when seeking out the best laptop. Generational changes can constitute pretty big jumps in power, and that’s why it’s important to make sure that your CPU is fairly recent. As a general rule of thumb, you want to look for a CPU within the latest three generations. For that reason, we generally suggest an 8th generation or higher processor, but there are still some great laptop models out there that rely on the seventh generation architecture.
What the options are: There are two big names on the market when it comes to CPU design: Intel and AMD. Intel is still the dominant force in the market, and most business or gaming laptop models will come with an Intel Core. But just because AMD is a smaller player doesn’t mean that their CPUs aren’t worth your time. They tend to be comparably priced for the power, but AMD offers more cores and better onboard graphical performance. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop but can’t invest in a discrete GPU, AMD may be your best choice for a central processor.
Graphics Processor
What it is: As you might guess from the name, the graphics processor (or GPU) is used for graphical rendering. And while a CPU can be used to process graphics in lieu of a GPU, it can’t do it as well. The more specialized design of a GPU means that it will always outperform a CPU at rendering. The CPU is designed with low latency in mind, making it better at accomplishing a wide variety of tasks, while a GPU is about pumping as much throughput as possible.
Who it should matter to: A good graphics processor is most obviously going to be of value when shopping for a gaming laptop, but not all gamers even need a discrete GPU. While it’s a necessity for the latest AAA games, most indie and older games won’t require a hefty GPU to work. Laptops with a good GPU can also be a huge asset for photo editing, video editing, and graphical rendering, though these laptops will only really be a necessity if you’re doing high end professional level creative work.
What to look for: The big question you need to ask yourself is whether you need a discrete GPU or if you’re fine with an integrated GPU. For everything short of professional creative laptops and gaming laptops, an integrated GPU should be just fine. But the downside is that an integrated GPU needs to share memory with the CPU. When trying to play newer games with complex 3D rendering, laptops with an integrated GPU can be a huge liability.
Once you know whether you’re looking for laptops with discrete GPUs or laptops with integrated GPUs, you can start looking at models. Since most laptops use an Intel processor, the integrated Intel UHD graphics card is going to be the most common GPU packed into a 14 inch laptop. In terms of power, you’ll want to look for something that matches rather than outperforms your CPU. Finding a good balance between conventional and graphical processing is key to finding the best gaming laptops.
What the options are: All GPUs are going to be produced by one of two manufacturers: AMD or NVIDIA. Both have their own necessary niche within the market. Laptops with NVIDIA processors are the best around in terms of sheer performance, but AMD tends to excel with laptops in the entry and mid-level market. If you want the best laptops for graphics, go with NVIDIA. But if you want something more budget friendly, AMD laptops offer incredible bang for the buck.
Display
What it is: The display is, obviously, the screen that displays everything from games to movies to more traditional applications like Chrome. That’s probably apparent to most consumers, but there are a few things to consider when trying to identify the best laptops displays.
Who it should matter to: The obvious beneficiary of laptops with high-quality displays is going to be gamers, thanks to the impact on graphics. Better looking graphics means better looking games. But this spec is going to be arguably the most important factor for creatives working in photo or video editing. If you like to use laptops to watch movies or TV shows, finding laptops with the best display might also be a priority.
What to look for: The first thing to pay attention to when shopping for a quality display is the resolution. Measured in megapixels by megapixels, a higher resolution means crisper and more vivid imagery, and it’s easily the most important factor when looking for improved graphics. That said, you should also pay attention to the quality of color reproduction and the maximum brightness these laptops offer.
What the options are: The vast majority of laptops are going to offer a Full HD (1080p) display. This is the general standard for middle of the road laptops. Lesser laptops may offer a 720p display or a less standard resolution. Proceeding beyond Full HD are 2K, 3K, and 4K resolutions. While the latter may be the standard for modern TVs, it’s far rarer in laptops, especially laptops 14 inches in size.
Brightness is measured in nits, and it’s something you should pay attention to if you normally use laptops in brighter environments. Color reproduction is less quantifiable, so you’ll want to pay closer attention to the laptops reviews if you’re looking for the best laptops in terms of color quality.
Memory
What it is: Laptops with a good CPU are going to be fast, but they aren’t necessarily going to be fast enough for all users. That’s where memory comes in. Short for RAM (Random Access Memory), memory stores bits of information laptops may need to refer back to to provide better performance at practically any task.
Who it should matter to: Memory should be a major consideration for just about anyone since it can dramatically improve the performance of the CPU on laptops. If you’re seeking the best laptop that’s affordable, you might not have much leverage in terms of memory size, but it should be an important but secondary priority to just about everyone else.
What to look for: If you’re looking for an entry level PC, chances are that your options will mostly be 4 GB of memory. For most consumers, we recommend at least 8 GB of memory. 16 GB will probably be too much for all but the most productive professionals and the most serious gamers.
Most memory uses the DDR format, which stands for Double Data Rate. Newer versions of DDR are denoted by a number after the designation, and later versions offer faster clock rates and transfer rates. The DDR version is important, but it’s secondary when compared to the volume of RAM available.
What the options are: Memory is one of the easiest specs to upgrade further along in the life of your laptop, and that means that you don’t need to worry too much if the internal memory isn’t quite where you want it to be. Just keep an eye out for laptop models that also come with the ability to easily install new RAM cards. Fortunately, they’re pretty common.
Storage
What it is: Storage refers to how much space you have available for saving pictures, videos, music, and applications like games. Users should look for a storage capacity that can handle all of the files they might need to use.
Who it should matter to: Given the high amount of storage required for modern games, gamers should definitely keep an eye out for decent storage capacity. While storage capacity should be a consideration for everyone shopping for a laptop, you can generally estimate the amount you need by checking the storage usage of your current computer.
What to look for: You should look for the amount of storage that suits your lifestyle. If you spend most of your time just browsing the internet, you might be just fine with a measly amount of storage space. Cloud based platforms like a Chromebook that runs on Chrome OS will often use Flash storage, which is essentially the same as an internal thumb drive. It’s expected that you’ll use cloud platforms as your primary storage solution for these Chrome OS computers.
If you’re running a laptop on Windows 10 or another more fully featured operating system, the standard are solid state drives (SSDs). They’re so commonly used in laptops because they’re highly durable and incredibly fast. If you want storage that’s best for laptops you’re going to travel with, an SSD is the best way to go. A rare option is a traditional hard drive (HDD), which is less durable and slower but offers a higher storage capacity much more cheaply.
What the options are: Storage is even more flexible than memory. Most laptops allow you to upgrade the internal storage capacity, but you can also make use of cloud storage or external hard drives (or flash drives) to expand your memory. Just keep in mind that cloud storage options are great for storing photos, videos, and documents but isn’t a viable choice for software.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a 14 Inch Laptop Good?
For users who travel a lot, a 14 inch laptop is one of the best choices you can pick from. They’re highly portable without being too small, but they still offer keyboards that are easy to navigate. They especially hit the sweet spot of size if you’re looking for a 2-in-1 laptop.
What is the Most Reliable Laptop Brand?
In terms of sheer reliability, Mac devices like the Macbook Pro are regarded as the top of the pack. But that doesn’t mean that a Macbook Pro is always going to be your best choice. You pay a pretty stiff premium even for earlier versions of the Macbook Pro, and that’s one reason why the Macbook Pro didn’t earn inclusion on this list. You’re generally better off comparing laptops on a product by product basis rather than depending on brand loyalty.
What is the Best 12 Inch Laptop?
12 inch laptops are outside the purview of this article, but we’re ready to help you. Cruise on over to our guide of the best 12 inch laptops or our best 2-in-1 laptop guide if you’re seeking out something of more compact size than the options listed above.
Wrapping Up
If you’re looking for the best laptop at 14″, there should be something on our review list to scratch your itch, and we’ve included options for you regardless of what your shopping budget is. But we want your opinion too. We encourage yo to share your opinions on which of these best laptops you like the most.
If you liked our article on 14 inch laptops, please share and comment below what your favorite product is.
