HP makes some of our favorite laptops, but with so many models in its portfolio, it’s difficult to determine which one to choose. From the premium Spectre line to the Omen gaming rigs, we’ve reviewed countless HP laptops. Below is a list of the best HP laptops in each category.
If you’ve settled on a business laptop, be sure to read our best HP EliteBook guide or our more general best business laptops rankings. Some of HP’s best laptops are portable devices. For a broader selection, see our best 13-inch laptops page.
HP entered 2021 having recently released the excellent Spectre x360 14 and showcased several compelling new products at CES 2021, including the Envy 14 and Elite Folio. The company is also releasing a fleet of Chromebooks highlighted by the Elite c1030 Chromebook Enterprise. We’re currently in the process of reviewing the Elite Dragonfly Max, a gorgeous but pricy business model.
Thanks to CES 2022, HP has introduced a slew of new laptops set to ring in 2022, including ProBooks and a 2-in-1 laptop with a new AMD R7 Pro CPU. Stay tuned for an update if these laptops turn out to be the best HP laptops of the year.
What are the Best HP Laptops?
HP makes a lot of great laptops, but we really like the Envy x360 and Envy 13. They might not be the best laptop in the lineup, but they offer the best value. For $799, you get a premium aluminum design and fast performance in a portable package. The 13.3-inch, 1080p display is plenty bright and vivid and the keyboard is among the best out there.
If you can spend a bit more, the Spectre x360 13 and Spectre x360 14 are better laptops. The Spectre x360 13 and 14 have an even fancier design and their flexible chassis converts into a tablet. Best of all, the battery life is epic. Similarly, the Elite Dragonfly, built for business users, is a sexy laptop with a razor-thin design and a gorgeous display.
Business users who need more power than the Elite Dragonfly should opt for the ZBook Create G7, a slim workstation with epic specs. Gamers should consider the Omen 15, a powerful gaming rig with tons of performance at a good price
At a Glance:
- What are the Best HP Laptops?
- Our Recommendations For Best HP laptops
- HP Spectre x360 14
- HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications
- HP Envy 13
- HP Envy 13 Specifications
- HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7
- HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 Specifications
- HP Pavilion Aero 13
- HP Pavilion Aero 13 Specifications
- Choosing the Right HP Laptop
- Specter:
- Envy:
- Elite Dragonfly:
- EliteBook:
- ProBook:
- ZBook:
- Notebook:
- Pavilion:
- Omen:
- Stream:
- Chromebooks:
- Summary For Best HP laptops
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
Our Recommendations For Best HP laptops
Design | Laptops | Retailer |
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Staff Pick | Check Price | |
Budget Pick | Check Price |
HP Spectre x360 14
Best PickThe Spectre x360 14 is the best 2-in-1 laptop ever. Newly released for 2021, the 13.5-inch model builds upon its predecessors but adds useful new features including a 3:2 aspect ratio display and 11th Gen Intel CPUs with Iris Xe graphics. Highlights of this laptop include a stunning design, bright and vivid 1920 x 1280-pixel IPS and 3K2K OLED display options, epic 12+ hour battery life, and fast overall performance.
Add to that a generously sized touchpad that is silky to the touch as well as a comfortable (albeit shallow) keyboard, excellent security options (fingerprint sensor and facial recognition), and a good selection of ports, and well, it’s easy to see why we like this laptop so much.
We recommend buying the Spectre x360 14 over the Envy 13 if you have the money, especially if you need the flexible design. In fact, the Spectre x360 14 is the best HP laptop if you want a convertible notebook. Sure, it has a few faults, but those are easily forgotten once you get this beauty in your hands.
HP Spectre x360 14 Specifications
- CPU: 11th Gen Intel Core i5/Core i7
- GPU: Intel Iris Xe
- RAM: 8GB/16GBStorage: 256GB/512GB/1TB
- Display: 13.5-inch, 1920 x 1280-pixels IPS or 3K2K OLED
- Size: 11.8 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 3 pounds
Pros
- Striking, luxurious design
- Gorgeous OLED and FHD display options
- Long battery life
- Comfortable keyboard
Cons
- Pricey
- Unwieldy as a tablet
HP Envy 13
The HP Envy 13 is the best laptop for under $1,000 and one of the best 13-inch laptops on the market. While it still has a plastic touchpad, the Envy 13 is a fantastic value if you want the best laptop for less than four figures. What makes this such a great deal is its entirely aluminum design and the excellent 11th Gen Intel Core CPUs.
In our testing, we found that an Envy 13 with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 delivers fast performance for almost any task. This specific Envy costs just $900 and can outmuscle laptops that cost well over $1,000. Moreover, the Envy 13 has a bright, vivid 13.3-inch display and a comfortable keyboard.
It is very little we don’t like about Envy 13. If you can get over the lack of an IR camera (there is a fingerprint sensor), then it is the ultimate money-saving laptop.
HP Envy 13 Specifications
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4500U
- GPU: AMD Radeon Graphics
- RAM: 8GBStorage: 256GB
- Display: 13.3-inch, 1080p
- Size: 12.1 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 2.9 pounds
Pros
- Outstanding performance
- 1080p display is bright and vivid
- Stylish and compact aluminum design
- Long battery life
Cons
- No IR camera
- Plastic touchpad
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7
Staff PickHP’s EliteBook x360 1030 G7 is among the best business laptops money can buy. This stunning laptop has a gorgeous chassis that flaunts a flexible hinge, allowing the x360 1030 G7 to convert from a laptop into a tablet.
It’s one of a few rare notebooks that seemingly has no downsides. Along with that stylus chassis, you get a bright and vivid 14-inch display. But the EliteBook x360 1030 G7’s greatness doesn’t stop there. The laptop also has a surprisingly comfortable keyboard, fast performance and a host of security features, including an IR camera, a fingerprint sensor, and MIL-SPEC-810 rated durability. The 10th Gen Intel CPUs, while lacking graphical oomph, is powerful, and the battery lasts for longer than 11 hours on a charge.
For these reasons, the EliteBook x360 1030 is the best HP laptop for business users.
HP EliteBook x360 1030 G7 Specifications
- CPU: Intel Core i7-10810U
- GPU: Intel UHD
- RAM: 16GBStorage: 512GB
- Display: 14-inch, 1080p
- Size: 12.6 x 8 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 2.9 pounds
Pros
- Epic battery life
- Attractive, slim design
- Good 1080p display
- Fast CPU performance
Cons
- Expensive
HP Pavilion Aero 13
Budget PickIt may not feel as premium as its pricier relatives, but the Pavilion Aero 13 is every bit as capable. Armed with AMD Ryzen chips, the Aero can compete in a performance battle against notebooks costing twice as much. But it isn’t just about the raw power. Accompanying its capable engine is a bright and vivid 13.3-inch display, strong battery life, and a selection of ports you don’t typically see nowadays.
There are compromises, as is the case with any mainstream laptop, but they hardly seem worth mentioning given everything the Aero 13 brings at this price.
Highlights of this notebook include a fast performance from AMD Ryzen chips, a featherweight magnesium alloy chassis, and a bright and vivid 13.3-inch display. You even get a generous selection of ports and a fingerprint sensor for fast login. It hardly seems worth voicing my gripes, but a larger glass touchpad, an IR camera, and quad speakers top my list of “wants” for the next model.
This makes the Aero 13 something of a coming of age for a long-running but overlooked laptop line. We can only hope future Pavilion laptops grow up to fulfill the potential shown by this standout notebook.
HP Pavilion Aero 13 Specifications
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 5800U
- GPU: AMD Radeon
- RAM: 16GB
- Storage: 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
- Display: 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel (16:10)
- Size: 11.7 x 8.2 x 0.67 inches
- Weight: 2.2 pounds
Pros
- Speedy AMD Ryzen chips
- Bright, vivid 13.3-inch display
- Ultra-lightweight chassis
- Exceptional value
Cons
- Bloatware everywhere
- Plastic touchpad
- Poor webcam
Choosing the Right HP Laptop
As one of the top laptop brands, HP has a laptop for every occasion, from premium business laptops to budget-friendly Chromebooks. That extensive selection might make it tough to decide which laptop is right for you, so here’s a handy guide to the various model lines offered by HP.
Specter:
Premium, lightweight designs that offer portable power and beautiful displays are hallmarks of HP’s best model line.
Envy:
If attractive design, vibrant displays, and premium audio are your focus, HP’s line of Envy laptops has style to spare.
Elite Dragonfly:
HP’s new premium business laptop, the Elite Dragonfly series sports a stunning, premium design that’s both durable and lightweight. Expect the latest, top-of-the-line features and components, along with a sky-high price to match.
EliteBook:
HP’s business laptops, with IT, support, strong performance, and premium designs. For better portability, the thin-and-light EliteBook Folio is the name to look for. If you go with this line, be sure to check out our 5 essential accessories for EliteBooks.
ProBook:
For business-capable laptops without the premium price tag, the ProBook line delivers no-nonsense designs and performance for everyday office productivity.
ZBook:
For professionals needing workstation-class performance, HP’s ZBooks offer all the power you need, along with robust security and rugged designs.
Notebook:
If HP’s “Notebook” line sounds generic, that’s because it is, but these simple designs offer everyday performance that won’t break the bank.
Pavilion:
For a happy medium between the bland, budget-friendly “Notebook” line and HP’s premium Envy laptops, look no further than the affordably-priced Pavilion. These mid-range laptops come in all shapes and sizes, but all offer decent performance with solid feature sets.
Omen:
HP’s gaming brand, Omen laptops has a bit more pizazz and a lot more graphics power, delivering a decent gaming experience for (relatively) reasonable prices.
Stream:
For a Chromebook-style laptop that still offers WIndows, check out HP’s brightly colored, ultra-budget Stream laptops.
Chromebooks:
Ranging from $200 to-500, the HP Chromebook line offers Google’s Chrome OS in several well-made laptops.
Summary For Best HP laptops
Design | Laptops | Retailer |
---|---|---|
Best Pick | Check Price | |
Check Price | ||
Staff Pick | Check Price | |
Budget Pick | Check Price |
Conclusion
We put HP laptops through extensive benchmark testing — both synthetic and real-world — before they end up in the hands of our reviewers. We evaluate everything from speed and battery life to display brightness, speaker volume, and system heat.
We use a Klein K10 colorimeter to detect the brightness and sRGB color gamut of a laptop’s display. For performance benchmarking, we run the laptop through a gauntlet of benchmarks, including Geekbench 4.3 and 5.0 and 3DMark professional graphics tests.
To determine real-world performance, we task the laptop to convert a 4K video to 1080p resolution and duplicate a 4.97GB multimedia file. Our real-world graphics test is the Dirt 3 benchmark with medium settings and 1080p resolution.
Laptops Reviewes also run heat tests by playing a 15-minute full-screen video and our battery test consists of continuous web surfing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits of brightness. We consider everything over the category average (8 hours and 36 minutes) to be a good result. Of course, these tests are complemented with hands-on testing from our reviewers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dell or HP Better?
Is HP better than Dell? Dell offers a higher amount of features and is known to outperform HP even in its low-end series. On the other hand, HP laptops often have a longer battery life than Dell laptops but are far more expensive
Is HP a Chinese company?
Hewlett-Packard or HP is another popular brand for laptops that are based in the USA. The company was founded in the year 1939 by Bill Hewlett and David Packard. The company’s headquarters are in California, the US, and the company has over 66,000 employees.
What is the difference between HP Envy and Pavilion?
The main difference between HP Envy and HP Pavillion is that HP Envy has a better build quality. On the other hand, HP Pavillion computers are made using affordable parts, thus making it a bit cheaper, but not too much. Both the computers have their pros and cons.