Buying a new laptop is always hard, but it's not for lack of choice. There are lots of fantastic laptops out there, and even a lot of great deals you'll see on Surface devices, so choosing one can be tricky. There are different form factors, sizes, processors, and many other factors to consider. But one factor that tends to be pretty important when choosing a laptop is its weight. Laptops are meant to be portable, and carrying a heavy device in your backpack gets uncomfortable very quickly.

Some of us want something truly portable, and we're here to help you find it. We've rounded up some of the best lightweight laptops you can buy right now. For this list, we're aiming for laptops that weigh around 2.5 pounds or less, though, so we're looking at some of the lightest laptops money can buy.

Our top lightweight laptops in 2023

The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro was one of the first laptops to launch in 2023, but it's still one of the best, packing a lot of good into a relatively light package.

First off, it's powered by 13th-generation Intel Core processors, up to an Intel Core i7-1360P, which has 12 cores, 16 threads, promising fantastic performance for all kinds of day-to-day tasks. On top of that, you get 16GB of RAM by default and either a 512GB or 1TB SSD.

One of the best parts of this laptop is the display. This is a 14-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it's a stunning Dynamic AMOLED 2X panel. That means you get true blacks and more vivid colors, all with a super-sharp 2880x1800 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. Above that display, there's a 1080p webcam for video calls and meetings, but it doesn't support WIndows Hello facial recognition (it does have a fingerprint reader, though).

The Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro is quite a bit heavier than its predecessors due to being made of aluminum instead of magnesium, but it still comes in at just 2.58 pounds, so it deserves to be on this list. The aluminum chassis helps the laptop feel much more premium, which is a fine compromise. Despite its thinness, the laptop has a great selection of ports. There are two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI 1.4, and a headphone jack, which covers all the basics. The HDMI port doesn't support 4K display at 60Hz, which is a bummer, but you can rely on the USB-C ports and an adapter if you have a high-resolution display.

If that downside doesn't bother you, the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro is an absolutely fantastic laptop in almost every way, and an easy recommendation for anyone.

Convertible laptops aren't known for being particularly light, but the LG Gram 14 is one of the lightest you can find today, especially if you want the latest and greatest hardware.

On that note, the LG Gram 14 2-in-1 is powered by 13th-generation Intel Core P-series processors (up to a Core i7-1360P), with 12 cores and 16 threads delivering fantastic performance for day-to-day tasks. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, so it's quite a high-end laptop.

In addition to great performance, the Gram 14 2-in-1 also has a great display, that being a 14-inch panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. It's more than sharp enough for the size, and it covers 99% of DCI-P3, which means colors will look great on this screen, making it great for watching movies or doing some photo editing. LG also packs in a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support, which is always great to see. It has a decent supply of ports considering the size, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, and a microSD card reader, so you have a way to import photos from another device, for example. It does lack HDMI, but that's typical for laptops of this size.

Unfortunately, it's hard for convertibles to be as light as we'd like, and the LG Gram 14 2-in-1 comes in at 2.75 pounds. That's still the lightest convertible around, though, and it's thanks to the magnesium chassis. It does result in a chassis that feels a little less premium, but it's still durable. While we'd like to see an even lighter convertible on the market, the LG Gram 14 2-in-1 is your best option right now, and it's by no means a heavy laptop.

Lenovo's ThinkPad lineup contains some of the most iconic business laptops out there, and out of those, none is more iconic than the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, which is now up to the Gen 11 model.

The latest iteration of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 mostly focuses on improved performance, with 13th-generation Intel Core processors from the U or P series. The U series — up to a 10-core, 12-thread Core i7-1365U — is better for battery life, but the P series — going up to a Core i7-1370P with 14 cores and 20 threads — offers better performance. You can also configure the laptop with up to a massive 64GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD for storage.

Lenovo offers a lot of configurations for the 14-inch display, which has a 16:10 aspect ratio, just like previous models. The base model comes in Full HD+ resolution, and there are options to add touch support or a privacy screen, but you can also opt for a sharper 2.2K IPS panel or a stunning 2.8K AMOLED display that looks absolutely fantastic. Above that display is a 1080p webcam, with options for Windows Hello and Computer Vision support.

All of this comes wrapped in the iconic Lenovo ThinkPad design, featuring a black chassis highlighted by red accents. It's pretty much what you've come to know and love in a ThinkPad, but it's still modern where it matters, coming in at a very light 2.48 pounds. Despite how thin and light it is, the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon isn't lacking in ports. You get two Thunderbolt 4 connections, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI 2.0b, and a headphone jack. An optional nano-SIM slot is also available if you choose to add LTE or 5G support.

We reviewed the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11, and it was one of the best laptops of 2022. The Gen 11 model is essentially the same but with better performance, so it's easy to recommend.

If you're not a fan of the classic ThinkPad language (which is completely understandable), then you can get a more modern-feeling option with the Dell Latitude 7440 Ultralight. There are various configurations of the Latitude 7440, but only the Ultralight model really belongs on this list.

Powering this laptop are 13th-generation Intel Core U-series processors, up to a Core i7-1365U with 10 cores and 12 threads, complete with vPro Enterprise support. Additionally, the laptop can be configured with up to 64GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. The RAM is soldered onto the motherboard, which may affect serviceability, but that's a common trade-off in lightweight laptops.

If you choose the Ultralight configuration for the Latitude 7440, your display options are a bit limited, but you can upgrade to a model with a QHD+ 2560x1600 resolution for a bit more. On the base model, you get a 13.3-inch panel with Full HD+ resolution and a 16:10 aspect ratio. That said, this is a solid display at this price, and above it is a 5MP MIPI webcam with Windows Hello support, one of the better webcams you can get on a laptop these days.

The Dell Latitude 7440 Ultralight comes with a magnesium chassis, but it looks like what you'd expect. It's a silver laptop with a plain, subdued design that's fit for work environments while being a little less old-school than a ThinkPad. This configuration weighs a mere 2.33 pounds, and it's one of the lightest laptops around. It still has a solid supply of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and an optional nano-SIM slot if you choose to add LTE or 5G support.

For those looking for something a little more modern, the Dell Latitude 7440 Ultralight is a fantastic alternative to the ThinkPad X1 Carbon, and it still nails everything you need for a great business laptop.

LG has long been known for making incredibly light laptops, but with the new Gram Style, it's also making them beautiful, and this one is very easy to recommend.

Performance-wise, it's about what you might expect. It has 13th-generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i7-1360P with 12 cores, 16 threads, and boost speeds up to 5GHz, and that should get you more than enough performance for all kinds of tasks. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.

Where things start to get interesting is with the display. There's a 14-inch and a 16-inch model, but only the former can be considered truly light, so we're focusing on that one. This panel has a 16:10 aspect ratio, and it's a stunning 2.8K OLED panel, which can produce vibrant colors and deep blacks, making for a phenomenal viewing experience. It also has a 90Hz refresh rate, so motion looks a bit smoother on the screen. And above that display, of course, is a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello facial recognition support.

LG went all-out to make this laptop look beautiful, using an iridescent glass cover for the lid and the keyboard base, which shines in different colors depending on the angle you from which look at it. This also means the touchpad is seamless, but at least there are lights on the sides so you can tell where it's positioned. Despite using glass panels, the Gram Style still weighs just 2.2 pounds, or roughly one kilogram. And it has a solid supply of ports, too, including two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader.

Though we had some gripes, you can check out our LG Gram Style review for more on why we liked the laptop, but why we are also slightly let down by it.

While we've mentioned the LG Gram Style before, another lightweight laptop with an OLED screen that you'd want to consider is the Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023). It's a unique laptop since it sports the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U CPU under the hood. It also is plenty portable and compact, though it edges closer to 3 pounds in weight.

Like a lot of laptops on this list, the Acer Swift Edge 16 is made of magnesium. That's what gives it its sleek weight and look. It measures in at about 2.73 pounds and has a 0.57-0.60 inch thickness. Even with that so, in our Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) review, we pointed out that this means it feels a bit like plastic. Still, the most important parts of the device are strong, and the device has plenty of ports despite being thin. There's USB-A, USB-C with USB4 speeds, HDMI, and a headphone jack.

Under the hood of this laptop, meanwhile, is a special CPU. It has the AMD Ryzen 7 7840U paired with up to 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. This CPU isn't in a lot of laptops, and we found that the integrated Radeon 780M graphics are crazy fast for things like light gaming when compared to CPUs that have Intel Iris Xe graphics.

The icing on the cake, though, is the display. Acer packed a 3200x2000 resolution panel OLED panel into this laptop and it is gorgeous, with incredible levels of color accuracy, and contrast. If you need a laptop with an OLED display, this will be the one to buy.

Budget laptops don't usually prioritize being lightweight, but the HP Pavilion Aero is an exception we're happy to see. The latest model is a bit too expensive to be considered budget-friendly, but we still recommend the last-gen model, which is very similar.

For starters, the laptop comes with an AMD Ryzen 5 5625U processor in the base model, with 6 cores and 12 threads to give you solid performance overall in day-to-day use. It also includes 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for storage. There are upgrade options you may be able to afford depending on sales, but the base model is the most affordable, and it's already quite good for most people

The HP Pavilion Aero also comes with a 1920x1200 resolution display at the base level, meaning it comes in a 16:10 aspect ratio, which isn't all that common for laptops at this price. It's decently bright, too, so you have a surprisingly good experience here. Again, there's an upgrade option to 2560x1600 resolution if you can afford it. The first big sacrifice with this laptop is the webcam, which is a 720p sensor without Windows Hello facial recognition. It does have a fingerprint reader for that, though.

Where HP didn't compromise was the lightness of this laptop, which comes in at just 2.2 pounds, a very impressive number for laptops in this price range. The laptop has a magnesium chassis, and it even comes in four color options, so you can get something that suits your taste. There's a solid supply of ports, too, with USB Type-C, two USB Type-A ports, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. These ports aren't particularly fast, but it's good to have such a wide variety anyway.

Like any laptop, the HP Pavilion Aero isn't perfect, but for its price, this is one of the best lightweight laptops and it offers great value for your money. It goes on sale frequently, so it's worth keeping an eye out to get an even better deal.

Gaming laptops are probably not the first kind of PC you think of when your goal is to get something light, but the Asus ROG Flow X13 is a very impressive machine in that regard. It's packing some powerful processors, but it's still sleek and surprisingly light for what it offers.

For starters, the Asus ROG Flow X13 is packing powerful 35W processors, specifically up to an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HS, with 8 cores and 16 threads. You can also get up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti graphics with up to 45W of power, so you can definitely run modern games on this small and light laptop. Plus, you get up to 32GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. If you want more power, you can also buy the ROG Xg Mobile, an external GPU that uses a proprietary PCIe connector on the laptop.

The display on the Asus ROG Flow X13 is a 13.4-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, and the most common version comes with a Full HD+ panel that has a 120Hz refresh rate. There is a 4K model, but it doesn't make sense for this laptop. Since it's a convertible, it also supports touch and pen input. The webcam is unfortunately just a 720p sensor without Windows Hello support.

Despite its powerful specs, the Asus ROG Flow X13 still comes in at just 2.87 pounds. That's still a good chunk over what we'd prefer, but for the hardware packed inside, this is a featherweight, and there's nothing quite like it. It even has a solid supply of ports, including the aforementioned proprietary connector for the ROG Xg Mobile, two USB-C ports, USB Type-A, HDMI, and a headphone jack.

This is a laptop I've bought and own myself (I have an older model, specifically) and I can safely say I would probably do it again. We've also reviewed a previous iteration of the ROG Flow X13 if you'd like to learn more. However, it's worth noting the 2023 version has been announced with more powerful specs, so you may want to wait for that.

Microsoft's Surface Pro line has consistently been one of the best Windows tablets you can buy, and the Surface Pro 9 is no exception. While it may look similar on the outside compared to its predecessor, a few things make this new model worthwhile.

For starters, it comes with new processors, as you might expect. The Wi-Fi comes with Intel's 12th-generation Intel Core U-series processors up to a Core i7-1255U, while the 5G version has a Microsoft SQ3 chipset with eight Arm-based cores. Both models should offer great overall performance for day-to-day tasks, though the Intel variant will be better for raw speed. Rounding things out, you get up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, though the Arm-based version is limited to 16GB and 512GB, respectively.

The display is the same on both models, and it's fantastic. It's a 13-inch panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and it comes with 2880x1920 resolution, on top of having a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which adjust dynamically based on what you're doing. The screen supports touch input and tactile signals with the Surface Slim Pen 2, creating small vibrations to simulate the feel of a pen on paper.

You also get two great webcams here: a 5MP Windows Hello front-facing camera with 1080p video for calls and meetings, and there's also a rear camera with a 10MP sensor and support for 4K video.

By itself, the Surface Pro 9 comes in at around 1.9 pounds. If you add the Surface Pro Signature Keyboard, it gets a bit heavier, but it's still a very portable machine, plus not everyone will need the keyboard. The tablet also comes in four colors to choose from, but only in the Wi-Fi model, while the 5G version is limited to Platinum. There are only two USB-C ports here, though, with Thunderbolt 4 support on the Wi-Fi model, as well as Surface Connect. You may need some adapters at some point.

We'd argue the Intel variant of the Surface Pro 9 is a bit better in some ways, but the 5G model does give you cellular connectivity and potentially better battery life. Both models are great, though.

Best lightweight laptops in 2023: Bottom line

These are all some of the very best laptops you can buy today, so if you want something lightweight, you can't go wrong with any of them. While all of these are light, they do come in various sizes, so you can definitely find something that still suits your tastes. We chose the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Pro as our top pick because it's a fast laptop with an absolutely fantastic screen, a solid webcam, and a premium aluminum design that's still incredibly thin. It's just a fantastic package.

If you want to save some money, though, there are other options, like the Dell Latitude 7440, It has good performance and a solid display, all packed into a super-light chassis, and it's very easy to recommend if you want to save some money.