HP makes some great laptops, but with so many great models to choose from, it could be hard to know which one is going to be the best for you. In this video, we’ll break down the top 5 HP laptops on the market this year based on price versus performance and the situations they’ll be used in. So whether you’re looking for something for school, work, casual use, or anything in between, stay tuned; we’ll have the perfect option for you.
First up is the HP Spectre X360 14, our pick for the best HP 2-in-1. From its excellent battery life to its rechargeable pen to its high performance, the HP Spectre X360 ticks all the right boxes. This laptop features an aluminum chassis with sturdy 180-degree hinges that let you switch into tablet mode and back again with no side-to-side play. The 13.5-inch 1920 x 1280 touchscreen display is configured with a 3×2 aspect ratio, giving you extra height for better web browsing, spreadsheet editing, and countless other productivity tasks. The full-size island-style backlit keyboard feels great to type on and has two levels of backlighting. Both the touchscreen and the trackpad support intuitive gesture controls, including pinch-to-zoom and swipe, and the trackpad also allows quick scrolling. The included rechargeable HP Zenvo Tilt Pen is perfect for digital artists or anyone who prefers to take handwritten notes during class or meetings, and it attaches to the laptop magnetically when not in use. Computing power comes from an Intel i7 processor with integrated Intel Xe graphics. 16GB of system RAM is in place, and for internal storage, there’s a 512GB SSD. Connectivity options include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI 2.0, a SuperSpeed USB Type-A port, a headphone mic combo jack, and a microSD card reader. You’ll get up to 10 hours of battery life, and fast charging is also supported, providing about 50% of a full charge in just 45 minutes. A Bang and Olufsen four-speaker array delivers audio in both laptop and tablet mode, and while laptop speakers usually sound tinny, everything from dialogue in movies to aggressive music comes through crisp and clear. If you’re looking for a powerful 2-in-1 with all-day battery life, the HP Spectre X360 would be an excellent choice for you. The included pen also gives you a different way to interact with the laptop, especially in tablet mode.
Next up is the HP Envy 13, our pick for the best HP laptop for the money. The HP Envy 13 offers features and specs that raise it up to near-premium status, but with a mid-range price tag to give you the most for your money. The NV13 features a compact, lightweight build that feels rigid but looks contemporary thanks to its anodized finish. The fully touch-enabled 13-inch display isn’t 4K or OLED, and it doesn’t have a 3×2 aspect ratio like the HP Spectre X360, but the 1080p IPS screen nails the basics. It’s sharp, bright, and vivid. The backlit keyboard is on the softer side, and that means the buttons are comfortable and quiet, which is ideal for long typing sessions or for using the laptop in quiet areas like libraries or in the classroom. The keys have relatively deep travel and a pleasant tactile bump when you hit the actuation spot without bottoming out. The keys are also impressively large, with a clear font and a bright, crisp two-stage backlight. In addition, there’s a trackpad that may not have the same premium feel as some of the glass alternatives out there, but it does the job. Internals include an Intel i7 processor and Intel Iris Plus graphics that support high resolutions, accelerated speed, and support for 4K streaming. 8GB of RAM is in place, and for file and app storage, there’s a 256GB SSD. The NV-13 cleverly uses a drop-jaw hinge mechanism to fit USB Type-A ports on each side of the laptop, so you could charge your accessories or connect peripherals. Ports include two USB-A ports, a headphone mic combo jack, a microSD card slot, and a Thunderbolt 4 port for fast transfer speeds or connecting to 4K monitors. Battery life is above average, giving you around 11 hours on a full charge. If you want to get the most for your money, the HP Envy 13 definitely delivers. It covers the essentials well, has good specs and battery life, and is a solid choice for an HP laptop.
our pick for the best overall HP laptop. The HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is one of the best laptops for business users and offers an attractive design, high portability, great battery life, and very good performance. However, it does come at a high price point. The 13.3-inch touchscreen display is available as an FHD screen with either 400 or 1000 nits of brightness, or you could go 4K with 550 nits of brightness. Whichever display you go with, the Elite Dragonfly G2’s 2-in-1 ability lets it easily switch from a conventional laptop to tablet mode. The backlit keyboard has decent travel, and its trackpad is large enough to be used comfortably, especially for a laptop this size. You’ll get some reasonably good sound quality with the built-in Bang and Olufsen speakers too. Inside, you can configure the Elite Dragonfly G2 to best suit your needs. Choose an Intel i3 processor with Intel UHD graphics, an Intel i5 processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics, or an Intel i7 processor, also with Intel Iris Xe graphics. For system RAM, you can add as little as 8 GB, up to 32 GB, and for internal storage, you can select an SSD with 128 GB to 2 TB of capacity. Two of the available sizes, 256 GB and 512 GB, offer optional automatic self-encryption to protect highly sensitive data. Wireless technology includes a Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 combo in either a vPro or non-vPro configuration. WAN broadband is optional, with a choice of LTE Advanced Broadband or 5G Broadband. External ports include two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a single USB-A port, an HDMI 2.0 port, and a headphone mic combo jack. Battery life clocks in at 16 hours. If you’re a business traveler who works with sensitive or confidential data, the HP Elite Dragonfly G2 is an excellent choice. It’s fully configurable, so you can select the components to create the best build for your particular purposes, and it has some important security options to keep your information safe. Next up is the HP Pavilion Aero 13, our pick for the best budget HP laptop. The rule of thumb with HP’s consumer laptops dictates that Pavilions are cheap, NVs are mid-range, and Specters are expensive. But the Pavilion Aero 13 breaks the rules, giving you a highly capable laptop at a budget price point. Despite weighing less than 2.2 pounds, the Pavilion Aero 13 feels very well-made and reliable. Aluminum is used for the entire construction, with thick pieces that resist flexing. The silver finish is slightly rough, providing a good grip and resistance to scratches and fingerprints. The 13.3-inch 1920×1200 WUXGA IPS display features a 16 by 10 aspect ratio that reduces side-scrolling when working with large data tables or Excel sheets. The screen provides 450 nits of brightness and covers 100% of the sRGB color gamut, so it’s suitable for color-accurate work in a wide variety of lighting conditions. The backlit keyboard is full-size and offers a nice typing experience with proper spacing and feedback, as well as an extra column of keys for Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down at the right. But like the HP Envy 13, the trackpad is plastic, and while it doesn’t feel as nice to the touch as the trackpad on the HP Spectre X360, it’s still a solid and sturdy surface that responds well with smooth and quiet clicks in the bottom corners. The Pavilion Aero 13 is built on an AMD Ryzen 5 processor with AMD Radeon graphics, 8GB of system RAM, and a 512GB SSD for internal storage. Ports include a USB-C port, an HDMI 2.0 port, a headphone mic combo jack, and two USB-A ports with drop-jaw hinges, just like the NV13. Battery life is very good, at around 10 hours on a full charge. If you’re shopping for a budget HP laptop that’s portable, has a great-looking display, a good hardware loadout, and plenty of battery life, the HP Pavilion Aero 13 is a great choice for you.
Last but not least, the HP Omen 15 is our pick for the best HP gaming laptop. If you want proof that you don’t need to spend a few thousand dollars on a gaming laptop just to get an enjoyable gaming experience, take a look at the HP Omen 15. The 15.6-inch FHD display has a 144Hz refresh rate and is surrounded by slim bezels on both sides with a slightly thicker trim on the top. Typing on the Omen’s backlit keyboard is pretty enjoyable. There’s very little movement in the keys, and like the NV-13, they’re nice and quiet, so you won’t annoy anyone who’s working or trying to sleep. HP seems to have put some extra thought into the keyboard by adding small tactile bumps to the F, J, and W keys to help you find home row or the WASDE keys by feel. Gaming on chiclet-style keyboards often leads to misplaced fingers, but not with the Omen 15. When it comes to the internal hardware, the base model comes with an Intel i5 processor and an RTX 3070 GPU. But if the base CPU isn’t exactly your cup of tea, you could pay more to bump it up to an Intel Core i7. There’s 16GB of RAM in place and a 1TB SSD. For connectivity, the Omen 15 is outfitted with one USB-C port, three USB-A ports, an HDMI port, a mini display port, and a 3.5mm headphone mic combo jack. The battery will only get you through a couple of hours, but that’s typical with gaming laptops. If you’re looking for a gaming laptop with plenty of power and some wiggle room for upgrades, the HP Omen 15 is an excellent choice. The only downside is the short battery life, but for gaming laptops, it comes with the territory.
