There are plenty of moments in your adult life when small things matter more than luxurious bulk. Such is the case for laptops because who could endure lugging around an 18-inch monster in the urban jungle? That’s why we’re recommending the best 13-inch laptops for 2023.
The added benefit of picking such a small and compact form factor for a laptop for work is that 13-inch laptops also come cheaper compared to others. That is unless you prefer the 13-inch MacBook. In any case, check out these small but capable 13-inch laptops for Windows.
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Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Business 2-in-1 Laptop
PROS
- 360 degree hinge
- Touchscreen
- 2-in-1, also a tablet
- Long warranty
- Standard RAM capacity
CONS
- A bit thick in the middle
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 13.3″ FHD Touchscreen
For a little bit of everything, you can’t go wrong with the Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga. It’s a 2-in-1 so the hinge is 360 degrees and you can use it as a tablet or draw on it if you have a digital stylus.
It goes without saying that this is not for gaming since the integrated GPU is really weak for modern games but for work that doesn’t involve heavy processing power, it does its job well enough. The price is also reasonable.
Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga Business 2-in-1 Laptop
Apple MacBook Air M2
PROS
- Beautiful Retina display
- Sleek and minimalist
- It's thin
- User-friendly OS
CONS
- Expensive
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Apple M2 8-Core Chip
- GPU / Graphics Card: 8-Core GPU | 16-Core Neural Engine
- RAM / Memory: 16GB Unified
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Display: 13.6″ 2560 x 1664 Liquid Retina
It’s not the most budget-oriented option, but it’s the prettiest and also has better security (Windows doesn’t exactly set a high bar). Of course, it also has the best display and the most user-friendly operation.
The cost? Well, you can buy a high-end PC or a good mid-range gaming PC with its price tag. But of course, you’re here for portability, and the MacBook Air won’t disappoint on that department.
Apple MacBook Air M2
Asus ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet
PROS
- Comes with an external RTX 3080 Ti
- Compact and light
- Thin, detachable keyboard is handy
- Has a kickstand
- i9 processor
- 4K resolution
CONS
- Expensive
- Compact size means smaller screen
- RAM could be more generous
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i9-12900H
- GPU / Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 Ti / RTX 3080 Ti
- RAM / Memory: 16GB
- Storage: 1TB PCIe SSD
- Display: 13.4” 4K UHD+ (3840 x 2400) 16:10 IPS Type Pantone Validated Touchscreen
Judge not by size is the motto here, because despite being a 13-inch laptop/tablet combo, the Asus ROG Flow Z13 comes with an RTX 3050 Ti which makes it still viable for gaming, as long as you’re fine with low-medium settings.
If that’s not enough, know that this bundle comes with an external RTX 3080 Ti that you can plug into the small 2-in-1 laptop and then turn it into a high-end gaming machine. Of course, the bulk of the price was due to the RTX 3080 Ti. There are versions of this bundle without the RTX 3080 Ti if you prefer.
Asus ROG Flow Z13 Gaming Tablet
Dell Inspiron 13.3" Intel Evo
PROS
- Affordable price
- Fewer moving parts
- Thin and light
- FHD+
- Hinge design adds additional cooling
CONS
- Outdated CPU
Specs:
- CPU / Processor: Intel Core i5-11400
- GPU / Graphics Card: Integrated
- RAM / Memory: 16 GB
- Storage: 512 GB
- Display: 13.3″ FHD+ 1920 x 1200
But a 13-inch laptop needn’t be expensive or fancy. The Dell Inspiron thus has something for people who prefer the simplicity of netbooks. It’s a basic device for basic tasks, mostly writing and surfing the web.
It comes at a reasonable price point for that matter and has a light chassis with a minimalist design. You can opt for this one as an alternative to our best pick since laptops with a 360-degree hinge has more moving parts and will be more prone to wear and tear.
Dell Inspiron 13.3" Intel Evo
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Are 13-inch laptops not for gaming?
Usually, no. The smaller chassis means larger and more powerful components for gaming and cooling are out of the question. -
Are 13-inch laptops less durable?
Not necessarily. Some of them simply have thinner shells and are less resistant to shock and impact damage. But those tend to be thin and light models.