Best Laptops for Blogging in 2021: Chromebook, Windows, Apple? All Inside

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March 26  

As a blogger, you really only have one essential tool in your arsenal: your laptop. So if you are due for an upgrade, it is important that you get the right tool for the job.

In this review we are going to break down the needs of different types of bloggers and provide laser focused recommendations for them.

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The Best Laptops for Bloggers

How do you pick the best laptop for blogging in 2019?

Laptops come in all shapes and sizes, so it is impossible to give a single all-purpose recommendation.

Instead, you will need to look at your individual needs as a blogger to decide which laptops will do what you need while staying within the budget.

What does a Laptop Need to run WordPress?

If you are blogging on WordPress, then you won't need a very powerful computer to get the job done.

WordPress, after all, is a cloud-based system, so your internet connection will play a much bigger role in your experience than your computer's hardware will.

As a WordPress blogger you will likely have several internet browser windows open at one time (writing, editing, researching), so you'll want to make sure you have enough RAM on your computer to handle all the tasks held in memory.

If you are going to purchase a Windows laptop, I think 8 gigs of RAM is a nice minimum (16 gigs will last you longer).

If you are going to blog on a Chromebook, you can cut that in half to a minimum of 4 gigs of RAM (more on Chromebooks later on.)

If you are blogging on a Windows Laptop,  you need at least 8gb of RAM. Chromebook? Minimum of 4GB.

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But I do more than just WordPress...??

Blogging is much more than simply typing into a WordPress browser.

Bloggers are also often:

  • Editing Photos
  • Editing Videos
  • Recording & Editing Podcast Episodes
  • Storing large amounts of photos & videos on their hard drives
  • Live stream content directly to Facebook / Youtube etc

Are Chromebooks good for blogging?

Best Chromebook for Blogging

Chromebooks can be excellent options for certain bloggers.

Chromebooks excel at:

  • Having extremely long battery life
  • Work very quickly on the internet
  • Are very quiet, lightweight, and easy to travel with

But of course, Chromebooks have certain downsides:

  • They need a good internet connection pretty much all the time
  • They are not powerful enough to run photo / video editing software
  • They have small hard drives so you won't be able to store many photos on it at once*

* Most Chromebooks give you free Google Drive storage space for a year to eliminate the hard drive concern, so long as you have internet.

I personally do about 50% of my blogging on my own Chromebook, but I also have a Windows Desktop PC for doing video work. This is an excellent combination that we will talk about later on.

Like snowflakes, all bloggers are unique, and their laptops will have different needs depending on what you need. 

Below are my top recommendations for different types of bloggers. Enjoy!

Best Cheap Laptop for Blogging

Best Cheap Laptop for Blogging

If you are just getting started and don't have much of a budget, this section is for you!

Best Cheap Chromebook: Samsung Chromebook Plus 2 in 1

This is the Chromebook that I am currently using. It's not the absolute cheapest on the market, but it will last a LONG time, has an incredible screen, and will be a perfect companion to a desktop computer once your income justifies it.

Pros

  • Bright 400 nit screen
  • All day battery life
  • Never gets too hot for your lap
  • Built in Stylus is great to annotate your images for your blog posts
  • Light weight at under 3 pounds so it's great for relaxing with after a long writing session

Cons

  • Stylus is nice to have but it's very skinny and uncomfortable over long periods
  • Like all Chromebooks, you'll be limited to lighter tasks like writing and very minor photo editing

Bottom Line

I love my Chromebook for working in WordPress. I spend hours writing comfortably on this machine and I actually feel more focused compared to a big desktop with a bigger screen. It won't work if you want to be a famous Youtuber, but for a blogger on a budget, it's a great option.

Best Laptop for Travel Blogging

Best Laptop for Travel Bloggers

Best Performance Laptop for Travel Blogging: Lenovo X1 Extreme

Most travel bloggers will need a machine that is capable of doing heavy video editing, and lasting a long time in between airports. You also want a rugged machine that isn't going to break after a fall or a spill of coffee. This lenovo has you covered.

Pros

  • Extremely bright 4K resolution screen for incredible image quality
  • 1TB solid state hard drive so you will have plenty of space and speed for your content
  • Lenovo laptops are built to withstand Armageddon. No Coffee spills or drops will phase this laptop.
  • Available in up to 32GB of RAM for all the power you can ask for.

Cons

  • Depending on your configuration, this can become a pricey laptop

Bottom Line

Lenovo has built an incredibly impressive machine in a very slim package. If you want power and durability, and are willing to open up the wallet for it. This is the laptop to buy.

Best Chromebook for Blogging

Best Chromebook for Blogging

Best Chromebook for Blogging: Google Pixel Book

The Pixelbook is the best Chromebook money can buy. It's a full 4-in-1 design so you can use it as a tablet, tent, entertainment mode... even a laptop! It packs a full 512GB of storage space to eliminate the main Chromebook complaint.

And it comes with an excellent stylus to add great illustrations to your posts!

Pros

  • Bright HD screen with a great 2:1 aspect ratio (great for writing)
  • All day battery life
  • Never gets too hot for your lap
  • Nicely designed ergonomic stylus
  • Receives the best support from Google with newest features
  • Up to 16 GB of Ram and 512GB of storage for an incredibly powerful machine

Cons

  • Top specced version competes in price with premium Dell laptops

Bottom Line

While I love my Samsung, I have to admit that the best Chromebook on the Market for bloggers is the Pixelbook. It has an incredible keyboard and more power than most full laptops. It's a great experience working in Chrome with one.


Best Laptop for Vlogging 2019

Best Laptop for Vlogging

Best Vlogging Windows Laptop: Dell XPS 9570 Laptop, 15.6"

Dell has done a fantastic job with their XPS series of laptops. The XPS 15 is a great blend of portability and power that will be able to do great video editing for any Vlogger.

The specs on the XPS is similar to the Lenovo X1 Extreme (recommended for travel bloggers), but the XPS is a bit less rugged. The X1 Extreme would also be a great option for vloggers who want fast video editing.

Pros

  • 4K UHD display with Infinity Edge (also a touch display!)
  • Up to 32GB Ram with 1TB of solid state storage

Cons

  • Webcam is at the bottom of the laptop. You will definitely want to buy an external webcam to vlog on your computer.

Bottom Line

The Dell XPS 15" laptop is a beautiful package that can handle any task you throw at it. If you are frequently doing web conferences with your laptop, I'd advise you check out the X1 Extreme (see above) for its better positioned webcam, but this is an overall excellent option.

Best for Vloggers

As a Vlogger, you will definitely be wanting a webcam and microphone to plug in to your laptop. Here's what I use and recommend:

Microphone: Blue Yeti

This is a premium USB microphone that will make your voice sound extremely clear without any additional hardware

Webcam: Logitech HD Pro C920

This webcam can live stream at 1080p and provides extremely clear picture for making quality Youtube Videos

Which Laptop is best for video and photo editing?

When it comes to photo and video editing - there is much more than just hardware to consider.

I am not the biggest fan of Apple computers, but some people swear by some of the video editing software available only for Apple computers. So I will include a recommendation for the Apple fans out there.

Best Windows Laptop for editing: Lenovo X1 Extreme

This laptop wins my recommendation for both travel blogging and pure video editing. This machine has an awesome balance of power and portability that is unmatched in the Windows space.

It fits a full-powered processor into a mobile form, and does it without excessive heat or power drain. Well done Lenovo!

Pros

  • Extremely bright 4K resolution screen for incredible image quality
  • 1TB solid state hard drive so you will have plenty of space and speed for your content
  • Lenovo laptops are built to withstand Armageddon. No Coffee spills or drops will phase this laptop.
  • Available in up to 32GB of RAM for all the power you can ask for.

Cons

  • Depending on your configuration, this can become a pricey laptop

Bottom Line

If you have the budget, you're not going to get a more powerful laptop in Windows in the form factor of the X1 Extreme.

Best Apple Laptop for Video Editing: Macbook Pro 15"

The Apple Macbook Pro is one of the most iconic laptops in the blog-osphere. it's beautiful, it's powerful, and it "just works" according to the Apple crowd.

If you do video, you'll want to make sure you pick up the 15" Macbook pro and not the 13" version. You get a discrete graphics card which is the most important factor when editing high resolution content.

Final Cut Pro X is the signature Apple video editing suite that will make you proud to be an Apple user.

Pros

  • Bright, beautiful screen
  • Strong performance for video and any other task
  • Gesture control and Siri access with OSX

Cons

  • You pay a premium for Apple products - we all know it, just had to list it out.
  • While Apple has a great selection of software, there are more apps made for Windows that you may encounter an issue with.
  • Their touchbar has mixed reviews. I'd recommend you test it out in store before making a purchase.

Bottom Line

While I am not an Apple user myself (couldn't you tell from my tone?) I give them credit for building an incredible video editing machine with the latest Macbook Pro 15.

What do I use and recommend personally?

This post has been focused solely on laptops for bloggers, but I think the best set up is to have a powerful desktop computer like this that you can have stationed at home (with multiple monitors for comfort), and pair it up with a nice Chromebook from my recommendations above.

This provides a few benefits:

  1. You can get much higher performance per dollar with a desktop computer
  2. With a Chromebook you can do 80% of what you need without all the power or cost of some of the laptops above
  3. And when you NEED the power on the go, you can use a free program like Chrome Remote Desktop to control your home computer from your little chromebook on the go! It's saved me many times in the past.

Your Turn

So what do you think? Are you going to become a Chromebook blogger? Will you pick up a desktop and chromebook? Or will you try to have one device to rule them all and pick up a professional grade laptop? Let me know in the comments below!

About the Author

John Whitford is an entrepreneur who has built over 12 profitable online blogs and businesses. He's also the founder of Unbeatable Tech, a data-driven digital marketing company that specializes in sales funnel implementation for both his own businesses and clients alike. John loves to be a beach bum while brainstorming new ideas for marketing strategies, but he's always excited to take on another project!

John

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