Every single day, there are over 3 million American business travelers heading out on the road to get work done (even on family vacations sometimes), and for good reason: studies have shown that a dollar invested in business travel can generate $9.50 in revenue and $2.90 in profit.
Staying connected and productive during these trips is a key factor in generating profits. One of the ways to maintain a critical link with the home office is with the computer you carry with you.
Here are some great laptops for business travelers that can turn anywhere you are at – your hotel room, the train station, or your airplane seat – into a mobile office.
3 Great Laptops for Business Travelers
1. Bruiser: The Lenovo T450
At nearly four pounds and sporting a 14-inch screen, the Lenovo T450 is larger and heavier than many of the ultrabooks that are available these days. But the tradeoff in a heavier carry-on bag is a powerful laptop that can turn any place in the world into your office. The T450 comes standard with a powerful processor and high-resolution screen, which can lay flat to aid others in viewing a presentation.
It is also equipped with a wider array of ports than are available in most laptops. This makes it an excellent device for conference room-style presentations while on the road. The T450 also allows users to “hot swap” batteries, too, so you don’t ever have to worry about finding a power outlet. This extremely durable laptop can take the abuse that business travelers can mete out and keep working.
The standard T450 retails for around $815.
2. Traveling Light: The Dell XPS 13
If a lighter carry on bag is a priority, The Dell XPS 13 is a terrific option for business travelers. While it’s light, you still don’t have to compromise on computing power. This ultrabook weighs less than three pounds, but still features a surprisingly large 13-inch display in its tiny frame.
With an Intel Core i7 Skylake processor and a fast PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), its processing speed and power are on par with much larger (and heavier) laptops. The XPS 13 also has a wide variety of ports on its tiny frame, although you’ll need an adapter to plug it into an external monitor. This laptop also offer a surprisingly long 12 hours of battery life as well, making it a great companion for long trips on the road.
Amazon currently offers the Dell XPS 13 for $894.95.
3. Economy of Force: The Acer Chromebook 15
It’s larger, heavier, and has fewer features than the Dell XPS 13 or Lenovo T450. But at $209.99 on Amazon, the Acer Chromebook 15 offers a surprising amount of computing power and versatility at an affordable price. The Acer has a large, 15.6-inch display and features an Intel Celeron chip for speedy computing. It is also equipped with a wide array of ports, which affords business travelers multiple options for presentations and connectivity.
Like other Chromebooks, this one runs on Google’s Chrome operating system. This operating system is heavily web-based and may pose some problems when Internet connectivity is an issue. The number of Chrome apps available continues to grow, and gives Chromebook users an increasingly wider number of options. And with a battery life of over 9 hours, this laptop can keep you working comfortably while travelling too.
From keeping up on emails or to having video teleconferences, laptops are the most critical tool on business trips. Choosing one that you’re comfortable with and one that gets the job is extremely important. The three models detailed vary in terms of computing power, weight and size, and affordability. However, they all offer tools that can help a business traveler get the job done.
Check them out today, and determine which can do the best job for you the next time you are traveling. More more tips on choosing the right laptop, check out our handy guide.
