(Pocket-lint) – When you’re looking for a laptop nowadays, you thankfully don’t have to make a decision about whether you want power or portability – those days are over.

For too long, we were stuck with heavy machines that could actually function properly or dinky lightweight models that were underpowered.

• Top general and premium notebooks for working from home and more

Now, there are countless exceptionally portable laptops on the market that also boast impressive specs to make sure that they can crunch through whatever tasks you need them to (even, in the odd case, a little gaming).

Just for you, we’ve collected some of the very best right here, so that if you’re looking for a new ultrabook or lightweight laptop, you’ve got some great options to browse. Most are 13-inch models, but we’ve got some other sizes for you to look at, too. 

The best ultraportable laptops to buy today

Pocket-lint

HP Spectre 13 x360

• View offer on HP Store (sponsored link)

The HP Spectre 13 x360 is one of the best slim and light laptops HP has ever made.

The attention to detail in the design goes far further than all the sharp angles and machined aluminium. 

The 4K OLED display looks fantastic, while there’s around eight hours of battery life for all-day work. 

It comes with a 10th generation low voltage Intel processor, similar to other high-end laptops here. It’s the Intel Core i7-1065G7 and is teamed with a hefty 16GB RAM and fast 1TB SSD. Highly recommended. 

Pocket-lint

Dell XPS 13

squirrel_widget_176985

The XPS 13 is one of the most consistently impressive laptops out there, and Dell knows it – the machine gets constant updates and revisions to keep it on the cutting edge, and recently was updated with an even more improved model we haven’t got our hands on quite yet.

That all-new version has some subtle design changes including the one feature we most wanted, moving the camera back onto the top of the display’s bezel, getting rid of the odd perspective that its webcam used to boast. That small change is telling, but it’s the overall power and portability that makes Dell’s laptop so impressive.  

• Dell XPS 13 review: Bite-size bezel bonanza

Pocket-lint

Apple MacBook Air

squirrel_widget_193481

The MacBook Air recently had another welcome update after the long-awaited revival of 2019. It’s got a much-improved keyboard and more powerful processor to make for a seriously superb package, all in a design that’s absolutely what most people imagine when they think of a lightweight laptop.

Of course, you’ll have to accept a fairly paltry set of ports and get on board with USB-C, but that’s frankly par for the course on machines with its profile, and the screen is one of the best in the business. For our money, most people will be thrilled with the new Macbook Air.

• Apple MacBook Air (2020) review: Keyboard dreams become a reality

Pocket-lint

Google Pixelbook Go

squirrel_widget_168562

Google’s waded back into the Chromebook market with this superb little laptop, to offer a middle ground between the many, many cheap options and the previously out-on-its-own Pixelbook, and it’s won us over entirely.

It’s a beautifully made machine, with great performance and a really sleek design that’s easy to pack up and carry. Of course, the key decision facing you is whether you’re happy to go with Chrome OS, and the limitations it does entail. If that’s no problem, this is a serious contender that’s coming down in price all the time. 

• Google Pixelbook Go review: A sublime Chromebook experience

Pocket-lint

Microsoft Surface Laptop 3

squirrel_widget_168114

Microsoft is in on the portable party, too, though. Its Surface Laptop 3 is an absolute stunner, which also packs in some seriously impressive stats. It’s got a lovely metal construction with an optionally textured interior that’s great for resting your wrists on as you work. On top of that, it’s dead quiet and has really solid specs. 

The latest version has also corrected past mistakes by adding USB-C ports to the party, which is really welcome, and its larger trackpad is also noticeable and improved.

• Microsoft Surface Laptop 3 (13.5-inch) review: Sleek and sophisticated

Razer

Razer Blade Stealth 13

squirrel_widget_236487

We’re not going to pretend that it makes sense for everyone, but if you’re an avid gamer, have a massive budget and want both great gaming performance and genuine portability without compromise, there aren’t too many machines to pick from. Razer’s Blade Stealth 13, though, is an absolute stunner. 

Even if it didn’t have cracking gaming chops it would be a sleek looker, but given the specs, it can pack in (there are a few versions to choose from) it’s a serious beauty. Of course, as we mentioned it’s also not one for those on a tight budget.

• Razer’s new Blade Stealth 13 gaming ultrabook makes some telling upgrades

Pocket-lint

HP Elite Dragonfly

• View offer on HP Store (sponsored link)

Lightweight and practical, there’s a lot to love about the 2-in-1 HP Elite Dragonfly – an optional 4K display being one of them. 

The laptop weighs somewhere in the region of 1kg. It’s slim too, measuring comfortably under 20mm when shut. 

It only has an 8th generation Intel Core i5 processor, but that’s still great for most tasks. The disadvantages are the cost and trackpad which we’d like to see improved. 

• HP Elite Dragonfly review: Perfect for work and pleasure

Pocket-lint

Samsung Galaxy Book Ion 15

squirrel_widget_271357

The Galaxy Book Ion isn’t an especially conventional laptop. This model is large at 15.6-inches yet it’s really lightweight (a 13-inch version is also available).

The Ion dressed in an eggshell finish (Aura Silver) that you won’t see on other competitors.

It’s endowed with unusual features like upgradeable RAM and storage. It also pulls on Samsung’s highly successful TV prowess by utilising a QLED display.

There’s a huge battery life, too – around 14+ hours per charge

It’s good to see Samsung back in the laptop game and trying things a little differently, with positive effect.

• Samsung Galaxy Book Ion 15 review: Positively charged

Pocket-lint

LG Gram 17

squirrel_widget_176886

The Gram 17 is lighter than most 15-inch laptops. It weighs 1.3kg, which is the standard for a slim 13- or 14-inch model, not a 17-inch one, and it’s almost 500g lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

This sounds like a kind of magic, doesn’t it? The only major issues here are that it doesn’t have a true performance-led processor. 

But it still has plenty of power for most plus great battery life too.

• LG Gram 17 review: Big yet brilliantly portable

Writing by Max Freeman-Mills. Editing by Conor Allison.