There are a few metrics to consider when choosing the best laptops for teachers. After all, it falls mostly on them to educate young minds, so they certainly deserve the best tools for the job, especially if they’re working with a teacher’s salary, part of which they already spend on school supplies.

Naturally, the best laptops for teachers must have a decently powerful CPU and fast RAM so they can run their favorite educational apps without hassle, as well as more than enough storage space for all those documents, student data and presentations they use for class. But, those are just the bare minimum requirements. A great display, preferably with a blue light filter to prevent eye fatigue, excellent keyboard and trackpad, decent selection of ports, and a thin and light design are things to check off the list as well.

Finding a portable more than good enough for educators isn’t as easy as it sounds. To that end, we gathered the best laptops for teachers in 2020, those that tick everything on our list and more.

Make sure you check out our pick of the best student laptops and best laptops for kids if your child is going back to school.

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: HP)

1. HP Spectre x360 (2020)

Best value laptop for teachers

CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: up to 16GB | Screen: 13.3″ FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS BrightView micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch – 13.3″ diagonal 4K (3840 x 2160) UWVA BrightView micro-edge AMOLED multitouch | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD

Stylish and high-quality finish

Great all-around performance

Built-in security features are useful

Battery life takes a hit

Can run hot at times

The HP Spectre x360 (2020) isn’t just among the best-looking laptops out there. It also boasts plenty of power under the hood while staying lightweight and compact. Of course, it’s also a pleasure to use. Thanks to its incredible keyboard and trackpad, as well as glorious display, this is the best laptop for teachers who value a seamless and comfortable experience above other things. And, the storage options, selection of ports (two Thunderbolt 3 ports and one USB-A port) and 2-in-1 design should offer a lot of flexibility as well. The best part here, however, is the price – the HP Spectre x360 remains one of the best laptops out there that doesn’t compromise on affordability, which is why we’re giving it our best value pick.

Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 (2020) 

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Dell)

2. Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019)

Best premium laptop for teachers

CPU: 10th generation Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) – 4k (3840 x 2160) | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD

Gorgeous design

Excellent battery life

Lackluster audio

Expensive

Sadly, our beloved Dell XPS laptops have gotten pricier over the years, almost to the level of Apple’s MacBook Pros. Not that these don’t deserve the price rise – these are among the best performing and most beautifully designed laptops today. Take the Dell XPS 13, for example. It boasts a lot of heft in terms of power and a plethora of premium features that make your experience with it a divine one. Its display is gorgeous, its keyboard and trackpad a pleasure to use, its 2-in-1 design a nifty extra – so you can switch from productivity to entertainment without ever switching devices. Bring it to class, and your students will know you’ve got great taste. Of course, there is the matter of price – all that doesn’t come cheap.

Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 (2019) 

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Acer)

3. Acer Swift 3

Best budget laptop for teachers

CPU: up to Intel Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: up to Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) ComfyView IPS – 15.6″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) | Storage: 256GB – 512GB SSD

Superb keyboard and trackpad

Excellent performance

Very reasonably priced

Looks a little plain

If looks aren’t a main concern, but budget is, then go for the Acer Swift 3. This is the best laptop for teachers on a budget, packing in excellent performance as well as great features like a comfortable keyboard, accurate trackpad and decent battery life in a thin and lightweight chassis. All without setting you back much. The display isn’t anything to write home about, but it isn’t bad either at 1080p resolution on an IPS panel. As far as ports, it’s got everything you need – USB 2.0, USB 3.0, Thunderbolt 3 and HDMI. Really, the only thing that’s holding this back is its subpar speakers and plain overall design. But hey, if you’re saving money, those barely matter.

Read the full review: Acer Swift 3

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Google)

4. Google Pixelbook Go

Best mid-range Chromebook for teachers

CPU: Intel Core m3 – Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) or 4K LCD touchscreen | Storage: 128GB – 256GB eMMC

Incredible battery life

Amazing ‘Hush’ keyboard

Iffy pricing at mid- to- high-end

No biometric login

It’s widely known that Chromebooks are excellent for education. They’re not only straightforward and easy to use, as well as very secure, but also designed and streamlined for collaboration thanks to how its ChromeOS works. So what could be better for educators? For a mid-range choice, there’s the Google Pixelbook Go, one of the best Chromebooks 2020 has on offer. Much like most Chromebooks, this has an astounding battery life so you can work through the whole school day, do your after class work and unwind with Netflix all on a single charge. It’s also got an amazing quiet keyboard, a rare 1080p webcam and a gorgeous design. The display and availability of ports could be better, but then again, if you’re looking for a laptop with a more lightweight structure, this isn’t surprising.

Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Acer)

Now, if a budget Chromebook is more your (or your budget’s) speed, then you cannot go wrong with the Acer Chromebook 314. It has all the makings of the ultimate, albeit budget, Chromebook. It’ll last you up to 13 hours on a single charge. It delivers impressive performance that’s great for multitasking. And, it’s simple to use. But, Acer also takes all that and tosses in a few features teachers will appreciate – a bright and crisp screen, terrific trackpad, satisfying keyboard, a laptop-esque design, and a port selection that rivals that of many laptops which includes two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports and a MicroSD card slot. The storage could be better here, but then again, you’re supposed to be saving all your work on the cloud, so it hardly matters.

Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 314

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Asus)

6. Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

Best laptop for engineering professors

CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 4800HS – 9 4900HS | Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 | RAM: 16GB – 32GB | Screen: 14-inch Non-glare Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS-level panel, 120Hz – 14-inch Non-glare WQHD (2560 x 1440) IPS-level panel, 60Hz | Storage: 512GB / 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 3.0

Best battery life in a gaming laptop

Excellent performance

Thin and light

No webcam

Loud fans

Engineering professors need a powerful laptop themselves. So, while the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is originally intended as a staggering gaming laptop, it does have that heft inside that people in the engineering field will certainly find useful, making it among the best laptops for those learning and teaching engineering. It owes that to its graphics card, which delivers impressive graphics performance, and its AMD processor. What’s more is that it’s thin and light, making it ideal for carrying around campus, has best-in-class battery life so you can last up to 9 hours without charging, and boasts a keyboard that’s comfortable to type on. As for the display, you have the option to get the 1080p one with a blazing-fast 120Hz refresh rate.

Read the full review: Asus Zephyrus G14 

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Apple)

7. MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

Best laptop for teachers of design and video editing

CPU: 9th-generation Intel Core i7 – i9 | Graphics: AMD Radeon Pro 5300M – Radeon Pro 5500M | RAM: 16GB – 64GB | Screen: 16-inch Retina display with True Tone | Storage: 512GB – 8TB SSD

Stunning 16-inch screen

New and improved keyboard

Expensive

Limited to four Thunderbolt 3 ports

Is the MacBook Pro 16-inch the best MacBook Apple’s ever made? Yes. Yes, it is. This premium piece of kit is just as stunning as it is powerful and feature-rich, making it the ultimate portable tool for photo editing, video editing and design. Of course, it isn’t just for creators themselves. It’s also great for those who actually teach the craft, with plenty of CPU and GPU power, a few RAM and storage options, and a gorgeous display that now offers even more real estate. That’s not all; it’s also got a large trackpad, a brand new keyboard that’s among the best out there, and that signature thin and light design with which Apple revolutionized the laptop world. As if those aren’t enough, it’s also got the famous Touch Bar, which offers shortcuts for applications like Photoshop and Lightroom for a more seamless workflow.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: LG)

8. LG Gram 17

Best 17-inch laptop for teachers

CPU: Intel Core i7-1065G7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 16GB DDR4 | Screen: 17-inch (2560 x 1600) IPS Display | Storage: 1TB SSD

Incredibly slim and light for a 17-inch

Lots of power for productivity

Affordable price

Sound distorts slightly at highest volume

Portability takes center stage on the LG Gram 17, which has been lauded for its innovative thin and light design. For a 17-inch laptop, it’s breathtakingly light, certainly rivalring even the 13-inch portable out there. So, if your work calls for a 17-inch display, this one’s a shoo-in with its beautiful 17-inch 1600p IPS LCD display. Especially with its great processor and GPU, which LG has recently updated to the latest, plenty of memory, and more than enough storage. There’s definitely a lot of power here for productivity, as well as a number of ports that include an HDMI port, microSD, three USB 3.1s, USB-C and a USB 3.1 adapter for RJ45 Ethernet. It does fetch a price. However, with a reliable fingerprint sensor and a rugged body, you’re definitely getting a lot of value.

Read the full review: LG Gram 17

Best laptops for teachers | TechRadar

(Image credit: Apple)

9. Apple MacBook Air (2020)

Best Apple laptop for teachers on the budget

CPU: 10th generation Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch (diagonal) 2,560 x 1,600 LED-backlit display with IPS technology | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD

Lovely design

New lower price

Screen colors a little muted

Battery life only OK

If you’re invested in the Apple environment, but feel like the MacBook Pros are just a bit over your budget, you should look at the MacBook Air. Having been updated this 2020, Apple’s thinnest and lightest laptop is more powerful than ever. It’s also got an improved keyboard and that glorious Apple trackpad, as well as an ultra-thin design so you can carry this alongside all your books, and it wouldn’t make that much of a difference. It isn’t as powerful as the MacBook Pros, of course, but it’s still got plenty of power if you’re not looking into doing graphics design or heavy photo editing. Just bear in mind that you’re only getting two Thunderbolt 3 ports here and a sc
reen whose colors are a little muted. 

Read the full review: MacBook Air (2020)

10. Microsoft Surface Go 2

CPU: 8th Gen Intel Core m3 – Intel Pentium Gold Processor 4425Y | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | RAM: 4GB – 8GB | Screen: 10.5” 1920 x 1280 (220 PPI) PixelSense Display | Storage: 64GB eMMC – 128GB SSD

Premium design

Affordable

Can run full Windows 10

No Touch Cover or stylus included

Base model’s specs are weak

The best Windows tablets make for excellent laptop alternatives, and the Microsoft Surface Go 2 is perhaps the most ideal example. If your work only calls for a laptop that’s lightweight inside and out, then this tablet is certainly worth considering. It’s not only extremely affordable at less than $500 at its base configuration, but it can run the full Windows 10 operating system as well. That means that you can download PC applications on it without fuss. Of course, its great battery life of up to 8 hours on a single charge is also worth mentioning here; as is its beautiful, premium design and good enough port selection. Sadly, you have to shell a bit more out if you want the cover or the stylus (or both), and that bumps up the price considerably. However, it’s still cheaper than most laptops out there.

Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Go

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