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5 Best Laptop for Travel Blogging

February 6, 2019 By .Fad 37 Comments

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two people planning with a map, laptop and a camera

Be it using the laptop for a heavy workload like video/photo editing, web development or simply binge-watching on our beloved Netflix service, let’s face it it’s cool to travel with a laptop! Especially if travel blogging is your thing.

Often times when we travel and being on the road, we’re forced to disconnect to connect. After all, with poor and inconsistent Wifi, we couldn’t do much, can we?
However, most of the time, there’s no desire (or need) to disconnect completely (I’m guilty).

For short travels like 3 days 2 night etc, a simple pack on the electronics is not a big deal. Maybe just an iPad or simply your mobile phones and you’re good to go. For long travels like more than a few days or weeks, however, a great laptop can be a game changer to the trip itself.

You wouldn’t want to drag around a heavy and bulky laptop at the airport and hold back the line, would you?

So what is the best laptop for travel blogging?

With this specially crafted guide, you’ll be able to identify the best travel laptop for your needs.



Dell XPS 13

Portability: 1.20 kg
Battery Life: 7 hours
Storage Space: 128 GB SSD
Processing Power: Intel Core i7-8550U
Ram : 8GB
Operating System: Windows 10







Microsoft Surface Book

Microsoft Surface Book

Portability: 0.3kg
Battery Life: 5-6 hours
Storage Space: 512GB SSD
Processing Power: 2.4 GHz Intel Core i7
Ram: 16GB
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro







Asus Zenbook

Asus Zenbook UX305

Portability: 1.18kg
Battery Life: 6 hours and 30 minutes
Storage Space: 256GB SSD
Processing Power:
900MHz Intel Core M3-6Y30 (dual-core, 4MB cache, 2.2GHz with Turbo Boost)
Ram: 8GB
Operating System: Windows 10 Pro





Macbook Air

MacBook Air 2018

Portability: 1.24kg
Battery Life: 12 hours
Storage Space: 256GB SSD
Processing Power: 8th Gen Y-Series Core i5
Ram: 8GB
Operating System: mac OSX



Macbook Pro

MacBook Pro 2018

Portability: 1.36kg
Battery Life: 9 hours and 50 minutes
Storage Space: 128GB SSD
Processing Power: 2.3-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5
Ram: 8GB
Operating System: mac OSX



As there are so many types of travelers, the “best” laptop can be on a very large spectrum of factors and considerations. So I’m here to help you identify which kind of traveler you are.

From streaming Game of Thrones wherever you are to heavy editing or web developments, there’s always a laptop for your needs.

Do you have deadlines to meet?

Truth is, laptops above US$1500 are the best kind to work with. High performance and strong reliability, these laptops won’t fail you. However, if you do not have any work or deadline to complete, it’s better to keep it simple.
Recommended for digital nomads/travel bloggers : MacBook Pro.

What will the travel laptop be used for?

This is one of the important factors to get the best out of your travels, so carefully consider your purpose of the laptop. A casual traveler’s laptop will be different for a full-time travel blogger.

Are you traveling light or heavy?

Light traveler is a happier traveler. You don’t want to strain your back lugging around a heavy laptop, do you? It can make or break your vacation. Imagine you holding up the line at the airport.

best laptop for travel blogging

Things to consider – best laptop for travel blogging

Now that you have identified which type of traveler you are, it’s time to look out for these factors.

Portability

This refers to the weight of the laptop too. Which also affects how light you are traveling. Most travelers want to keep their bag as light as possible. Small laptops take up lesser space but usually have limited capabilities.

Price

The most important factor to look out for. It’s pointless to cash out $1500 on a laptop when you only going to use it for a short travel and minimal use afterwards. I mean there are better and cheaper options out there that will fulfill most traveler’s needs.

Battery Life

Imagine watching Khaleesi and her dragons about to wipe out the army of the dead or even typing out a blog and your battery decided to die on you. Not cool. It’s alright if you’re in the town or hotel and there are switches everywhere, it’s easy for you to juice them up. However, i don’t think there’s any up in the mountains like Adam’s Peak nor Mt Rinjani.
If you spending most of your time off the grid or in secluded areas, consider picking up a portable battery for your laptop.

Quick tips on saving battery life

  • Disable wifi & bluetooth (when you’re not using them)
  • Keep the brightness down
  • Adjust the ‘Power Options’ to power saver mode (duh)

Storage Space

Most laptops don’t have enough space to store all your travel pictures, videos. Hence, it’s always good to invest in a external hard drive or SSD. Take note: External hard drive is always a cheaper option, while SSD tops the performance and the price.
Another option is to have cloud services like Dropbox or Google Drive.

Processing Power

For high end, heavy editing workload, you should also prioritize the processing power.
Currently, Intel Core i9 is the latest in the family of CPUs. However, there are Intel Core i7 and i5 which are almost as good as the latest CPU, only cheaper and 10% slower. Mind you my laptop is running on Intel Core i3 and it’s still rocking for close to 9 years. Thus, i5 is more than good enough for a travel laptop.

In a nutshell, different people have different needs and traveling styles. Travel bloggers and digital nomads may require heavy-performance and high endurance laptops. While light and leisure travelers will be going for a basic laptop that can handle minimal tasks.

My top pick(s) for Travel Blogging:

1. 13-inch MacBook Pro 

Weighing only 1.37kg and with 13’3 inch screen, it virtually takes up no space in any of your bags. It’s well-known for its portability as well as its unbelievable performance. Thus, it fits in anyone’s bag for those constantly on the road or even running a business while traveling.

2. Dell XPS 13

The MacBook for the devoted-Windows enthusiast. Besides the lighter weight (1.20kg vs MacBook Pro’s 1.37kg), it carries similar specs and screen size. Need a high-performance non-macbook laptops? Dell XPS 13 is the best option out there.

My top pick for light travel: 13-inch MacBook Air

This laptop is NOT for you if you are

  • Travel Blogging
  • A Digital Nomad
  • Having an online business especially while traveling
  • Hating on Apple products, iOS

However, if you find yourself not on that list, THIS IS THE BEST OPTION FOR YOU. REALLY. You will be amazed at the things this small laptop can do for you, swiftly.
If you are looking for a light travel laptop that can cover all your basic internet needs (browsing, Netflix, Word Document, transferring of pictures/videos) – the MacBook Air is my recommended choice.

So

There you have it!
With this guide and choices listed above, I don’t think you can go wrong in choosing the best laptop for travel blogging. Be it for dropshipping and web development, or travel blogging, or even simply watching movies, a laptop is essential in the digital world we are progressing towards.

Personally, I’ve always adored a MacBook and when i finally got the chance to use one, I got sucked into the ecosystem (but not a fan of iPhone sorry not sorry). Hence, if this guide is tilted towards MacBooks or there are better laptops out there, let me know!

Now you can finally watch Daenerys and her dragons conquer the world without any hindrances to your laptop or your trip.

 
Transparency is key. 
The links in the post above are affiliate links. 
Meaning I'll receive a small commission on every time
a purchase is made at no extra nor hidden charges to you. 
Regardless, I only recommend products/services 
that I believe will add value to my beloved readers. 

Filed Under: Advice, Travel Tagged With: Best Travel Laptop, Laptop, Travel

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Comments

  1. Cristina Petrini says

    April 1, 2019 at 18:00

    Considering that I really have to do it as a gift a laptop falls to your guide!

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 1, 2019 at 21:32

      Hello Cristina!
      Yesssss laptops as a gift are sentimental to the hearts and the wallets too hahaha!
      Glad you enjoyed it though πŸ˜€

      Reply
  2. Joanna says

    April 1, 2019 at 21:05

    I travel very light and as much as I love my Dell Inspiron, it became too heavy for me to carry it around. It weights almost 6 kilos together with the charger, because it’s a very powerful laptop. So for my blogging on the go I chose a Samsung Book, which is similar to a Surface.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 1, 2019 at 21:43

      Hey there Joanna!
      Wow Samsung book, the Samsung book is another contender for its weight and performance.
      Good choice there!

      Reply
  3. Joan says

    April 2, 2019 at 02:19

    I don’t even need a new laptop but seeing these choices makes me want to make an excuse the Dell XPS looks like something I would like.

    Reply
  4. What Corinne Did says

    April 2, 2019 at 02:33

    I heard ASUS are great laptops! That’s what my brother has! I have a MacBook and it is so light it is perfect to travel

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 12:43

      Hi Corinne!
      Yes I’m using Asus and this is the 10th year running. It is still as robust as ever only the weight is the issue hahaha.
      I love MacBook badly!!

      Reply
  5. Amber Myers says

    April 2, 2019 at 02:35

    Good to know! I’ll be needing a new laptop soon. Mine is rather old. I’ll probably upgrade my mac. I’ve really loved it.

    My son loves the gaming laptops!

    Reply
  6. Tara Pittman says

    April 2, 2019 at 02:51

    A lightweight laptop with storage always works best for me. I also prefer the smaller laptops.

    Reply
  7. Sarah Bailey says

    April 2, 2019 at 03:14

    These sound like some wonderful ideas, it is great that it is so easy to travel these days and do something like blogger, but you need a light and easy to use.

    Reply
  8. Tracy Lee says

    April 2, 2019 at 03:30

    I travel a lot for business. I think you just gave me a list to show my boss for my new laptop. Thank You!

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 12:45

      Hello Tracy!
      Wow that’s nice, hope you boss get one for himself too πŸ˜€

      Reply
  9. Krysten Quiles says

    April 2, 2019 at 04:55

    My hubby has a surface and we take it with us when we travel. It’s nice because it’s small and I can still do blogging from it. Win/win!

    Reply
  10. Melissa says

    April 2, 2019 at 06:03

    My laptop is dying a slow painful death and I really need to replace it. These are great options.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 12:46

      Hello there Melissa!
      Oh no sorry to hear that. Hope this guide help you carve out the best option for you.

      Reply
  11. Jessica Joachim says

    April 2, 2019 at 07:48

    I have been wanting a new laptop! We travel a bit when blogging and a good laptop is a must for sure.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 12:50

      Hi Jessica!
      Do take weight into considerations, it can make or break your trip! Hope you can find a good laptop for your needs in this guide πŸ˜€

      Reply
  12. Julia Day says

    April 2, 2019 at 11:40

    Honestly I love my MacBook Air! I bring it everywhere. It’s so light and functionally it’s awesome. I totally agree, mac is the best.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 12:52

      Hello Julia!
      Yesssss as much as I’m hating on iPhones, Mac is on another level. It’s absolutely easy to use with plenty of functions at your fingertips!

      Reply
  13. Dalene Ekirapa says

    April 2, 2019 at 17:33

    I’m hoping to get a MacBook before the year ends because my current laptop is too heavy that I never bring it along with me; I just hate carrying a huge laptop bag.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 2, 2019 at 17:52

      Hello Dalene!
      Yesss MacBooks are always worth the investment. Same here, I used to lug around a huge Asus laptop and it sucks!

      Reply
  14. Shubh says

    April 2, 2019 at 18:59

    Ok helpful post for me at the right time. I am looking to buy a new laptop presently. Everywhere the reviews are confusing. It is tough to decide on which one to buy. I think once again will have to go for Dell.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 4, 2019 at 12:33

      Hello Shubh!
      Yea it’s cool! Glad you found it helpful to narrow down your preferences πŸ˜€

      Reply
  15. Lina says

    April 2, 2019 at 22:20

    For me it’s ASUS. It translates into trust for me.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 3, 2019 at 20:44

      Hello Lina!
      Wow that’s a nice way to put it hahahah I’m using Asus too and it’s my 10th year now with the same laptop!

      Reply
  16. Alvern @ Success Unscrambled says

    April 2, 2019 at 22:40

    Give me the MacBook Air any day when it comes to travelling light. I have tried many laptops over the years and I know that many of the others are too heavy or not as reliable as a good MacBook.

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 3, 2019 at 20:45

      Hello Alvern!
      Ohyes I love Macbook Air too! Can’t compare between macbook and feather hahahah good choice!

      Reply
  17. Alexandra Cook says

    April 3, 2019 at 00:34

    Having a laptop on a long trips is clutch. I love the one I got not too long ago. These are great options!

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 3, 2019 at 20:48

      Hi there Alexandra!
      Yea laptops and long trips are a good combination!

      Reply
  18. Aishwarya Shenolikar says

    April 3, 2019 at 03:06

    I never travel with my laptop. But I always wondered how travel bloggers or people who travel for work do it. This list of laptops seems like the answer!!

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 3, 2019 at 20:53

      Hello Aishwarya!
      Glad you liked it! You can try it too to see how it is like first hand hahaha πŸ˜€

      Reply
  19. Natalie says

    April 3, 2019 at 08:59

    I have never travelled with my laptop as it’s always time for a digital detox for me. But I know one day my Macbook will be coming on a journey with me!

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 3, 2019 at 21:10

      Hi there Natalie!
      Digital detox is nice especially if you are forced to when the resort has poor wifi.
      The macbook will be handy for you no worries!

      Reply
  20. Sundeep says

    April 4, 2019 at 17:50

    I am looking to buy new laptop for me. And this article about best travel laptop sorted my problem. Because I asked to my friends about laptop which one to buy and getting to many options and I am totally confused now I am sorted and I am going wiht Dell XPS 13

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 5, 2019 at 16:41

      Hi there Sundeep!
      Glad you found this article helpful! Dell Xps 13 is a powerhouse too, you’re in safe hands my friend. πŸ˜€

      Reply
  21. Enriqueta E Lemoine says

    April 5, 2019 at 16:54

    I need to replace my old MacBook Air and your post came in the right precise moment. Thanks for sharing…

    Reply
    • .Fad says

      April 6, 2019 at 12:37

      Hi Enriqueta!
      Glad to be of assistance! πŸ˜€

      Reply

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