In 2021, technology has made its way into practically every field of our lives. And with the spread of the pandemic, we’ve actually realized how amazing and helpful online teaching can be.
So whether you’re looking for a laptop that helps you reach your students more easily and provide a more efficient learning experience online or a device on which you can gather all your material instead of carrying around lots of books, the best laptops for online teaching are merely a few clicks away!
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What’s more a highly rated & reliable laptop for teaching is bound to make your life a lot easier.
And if between all the lessons and preparation, you don’t have the time to browse the internet to pick your next purchase, we’ve done all the homework necessary when it comes to researching and gathering the best laptops for teachers right here!
A laptop is a very important tool for all teachers. It can help you with your lesson planning, grading papers, communicating with parents about their child’s progress and more.
We know a teacher’s salary can make it difficult to afford the premium high end laptops so we’ve included a mixture of premium and very capable laptops that are more affordable.
If you are a teacher, then you know how important it is to have the best tools for your students. In this article we will cover the best laptops for teachers in 2021.
To keep up with a teacher’s hectic work schedule, you’re going to want a laptop that has a generous amount of RAM, we recommend at least 8GB.
As far as processors go we think you’re better off with a recent CPU from Intel or Ryzen. We’re talking 10th or 11th gen processors.
Read on to see our favorite laptops, as well as a breakdown of pros and cons for each and an in-depth buying guide…
Top Rated Teachers Laptops
Editor’s Choice
HP 15.6″ HD Touchscreen Premium Laptop – 10th Gen
Fast processor 10th generation intel(r) core(tm) i5-1035g1 processor quad-core
Display 15.6″ diagonal hd sva bright view micro-edge wled-backlit touchscreen
At 3.75 pounds and with a 9.53 x 14.1 x 0.71-inch footprint, the HP i5 Touch is quite easy to pack and move around with, so if you jump from one class to another, it would be a viable choice.
A lot of teachers prefer a device with a touch screen because it simply makes things easier. You can access files and programs more quickly as well as enjoy modern technology’s merits with the old-school traditional feel of drawing on a whiteboard.
It isn’t the cheapest option, but it’s definitely the one that gives you the most value for your money. With a Core i5 processor, 16 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage, this laptop doesn’t fall short of any requirements that a teacher would need.
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Everybody loves a good investment, and that’s why it’s hard to find someone who doesn’t find the HP i5 Touch an incredible pick!
It’s equipped with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 that works at 1 GHz but can be overclocked to 3.6 GHz with HP’s turbo boost technology, which is a pretty impressive jump.
It has a 15.6-inch screen with an HD resolution (1366 x 768p), which isn’t that impressive at its price tag, but still, you have to factor in the fact that it’s a touchscreen, so you can’t expect everything from a single screen.
In terms of connectivity, the HP i5 Touch is quite versatile. It comes with one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, a USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port, an HDMI 1.4, a DisplayPort, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
However, it’s worth mentioning that it has one of the poorest battery lives on the list. With a 4-hour span, you really won’t be able to get much work done before you need to plug it into an outlet, so make sure you’re always prepared for that.
Although it may seem that many laptops offer a similar battery life, the Apple MacBook Air MWTL2LL/A actually provides you with robust performance throughout a full 11-hour span.
The 78-Key Laptop backlit keyboard with scissor keys is an amazing improvement over the old Butterfly switches keyboard. This robust and durable keyboard enhances your typing experience, which is why I think it claims the “Magic Keyboard” title rightfully.
This MacBook Air comes with a vivid IPS display that boasts a 2560 x 1600p resolution, one of the highest on the list. With a 13.3-inch screen, you’ll truly enjoy any visual content, which makes lesson preparation a lot more fruitful. However, the glossy finish may not be the most comfortable for the eyes, especially in sunlight.
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If you want the macOS experience at a relatively affordable price, I’d highly recommend the Apple MacBook Air MWTL2LL/A.
It does an incredible job combining both an ergonomic and sleek design with powerful specs and reliable performance. Its full-metal chassis gives it a stylish look, while the 10th Gen Intel Core i3 processor and 8 GB RAM capacity enable you to tackle any task seamlessly.
The Apple MacBook Air MWTL2LL/A is also equipped with built-in speakers and a mic, making online classes a breeze, especially with how crisp the sound and the mic are.
As for connectivity, it comes with two USB Type-C ports, and it’s worth mentioning that the Thunderbolt 3 ports support Power Delivery and DisplayPort.
If you have to move from one class to another, it won’t be much of a hassle since it only weighs 2.8 pounds and has an 11.9 x 8.3 x 0.63-inch footprint, which makes it quite lightweight and easily portable.
Since this is a convertible device, you can detach the keyboard and get a laptop that weighs 1.71 pounds, which is incredibly lightweight and portable. Even with the keyboard, the Surface Pro 6 weighs 2.4 pounds, which is still one of the smaller numbers on the list!
I wouldn’t say that the keyboard and touchpad on this laptop are its best suite, but the typing experience is still excellent for a 2-in-1. What’s more, it comes with a surface pen that offers 4,096 levels of sensitivity and a rubber eraser on the back, and that allows you to use tilt for shading in various apps.
The audio capabilities on the Surface Pro 6 are quite stunning. You can totally ditch your speakers and go with the volume and quality of audio this 2-in-1 produces. It’s pretty loud and clear, so whether you’re viewing content or presenting it, you wouldn’t need any external source.
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The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 LGP-00001 is a real teacher’s pet. It’s super functional as it incorporates some solid specs, and still, it has a sleek design and is one of the most portable options you’ll find on the market.
Its design allows you to use it in three modes: tablet, laptop, and studio. The latter is made possible with the kickstand extending 165 degrees.
The matte-black finish makes it look even slimmer than it already is, while the black exterior doesn’t leave any marks of your fingerprints to keep it looking sharp. What’s more, the exterior also has a bit of a gritty feel, enabling you to have a solid grip on the casing.
In terms of connectivity, it might not be the richest, but it’s still good enough. It comes with a USB 3.0 port and a Mini DisplayPort on the right side, and a headphone jack on the left. Beneath the kickstand, there’s a microSD card slot that enables you to expand the storage, but that’s about it.
Since the Microsoft Surface Pro 6 LGP-00001 focuses on portability, it comes with a pretty narrow screen that measures 12.3 inches. It’s one of the best you’ll find on a 2-in-1 device as it boasts a 2736 x 1820p resolution with a bright and vivid display.
What’s more, the 408-nit brightness also gives its images more life-like qualities and helps you create engaging presentations for your class.
As you can tell from the specs, the Apple MacBook Pro MVVJ2LL/A is quite hard to beat when it comes to how top-notch its specs are. With 16 GB of RAM and an Intel Core i7 processor that works at 2.6 GHz, you can count on this laptop to tackle heavy-duty work without breaking a sweat or underperforming.
Key travel of a full millimeter makes this keyboard one of the best on a laptop. While the keys aren’t very springy, they produce a nice click when pressed that acts as ideal feedback. What’s more, the backlight is a nice addition and doesn’t look distracting around the edges of the keys.
The MacBook Pro comes with a big 16-inch retina screen that has the perfect color accuracy. It flaunts a 3070 x 1920 resolution with a 226 PPI pixel density, which means that your images would be crystal clear with no pixelation. Moreover, it boasts a 500-nit brightness, which is twice as high as the average (250) and a True Tone technology that makes this laptop the best choice for teachers who integrate plenty of visuals into their courses.
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Claiming that the Apple MacBook Pro is Apple’s best product wouldn’t be an overstatement when you consider its specs.
In terms of performance, it really comes second to none, and not only in comparison to the other products on this list.
If you’re a teacher that works with videos and makes designs, this work beat would be an ideal choice for you, though it comes with a rather hefty price tag. So, if all you’re looking for is to save documents and mark assignments, I’d recommend going for a more affordable one.
The Apple MacBook Pro MVVJ2LL/A provides you with ample mobility. While it’s not the lightest model at 4.3 pounds or the most compact with its 16-inch screen, it does come with an 11-hour battery life, which means that you can just grab the laptop with no extras for a whole day out.
Perhaps the only drawback to this laptop is that its keyboard covers a very small area. It would have been a lot more convenient if Apple had placed the speakers on top of the keyboard, expanded it to cover the entire base, or made the touchpad a little smaller.
Pros
Exceptional 16-inch screen
Enhanced keyboard
Amazing speakers and audio performance
Great battery life
Cons
Pricey
Connectivity is limited to Thunderbolt 3 ports
Doesn’t have a light to show it’s charging (unlike previous model which also had a magnetic connector)
The Acer Aspire 5 comes with a good range of connectivity options, including a USB 2.0 port, Ethernet, HDMI, a USB-C port, an audio jack, and two USB 3.0 ports, one of which you can use for power charging.
The Full HD (1920 x 1080p) 15.6-inch display is one of the best aspects of the Aspire 5. It replaces the LCD screens for IPS to improve the viewing angles and color accuracy. It’s worth mentioning that the colors are even further enhanced with the Color Intelligence Technology that Acer incorporates in this laptop. And if you spend plenty of time in front of the screen, the BlueLightShield technology should protect your eyes from blue light emissions to reduce strain and fatigue.
This 15-inch laptop provides plenty of space for a top-notch laptop and trackpad. The backlit keyboard has tactile keys with enough spacing between them and a springy feel to the clicks. Moreover, the trackpad is responsive and smooth. There’s even a fingerprint sensor on the top left of the trackpad to facilitate quick logins with Windows Hello.
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With an AMD Ryzen 7 3700U processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 512 GB of storage space, the technical specs on this laptop are quite robust.
But it doesn’t stop there; it also comes with solid construction and decent cooling, enabling you to enjoy its 7-hour battery life with no troubles.
Its AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics card allows you to watch movies and even play some games, so if you’re a teacher that wants a multi-purpose laptop, this is the one you should go for.
Though it has plastic construction, it’s still durable enough to pack around and occasionally overclock.
If you’re looking for a laptop with great performance rather than one with attractive looks, you’d feel good about the Acer Aspire 5. Plus, its minimalistic design gives it a professional look that will definitely be useful for teachers.
The Dell Inspiron 14 3000 comes at an attractive price point, which is tough to find on laptops these days, especially that it’s equipped with a Core i5 processor and a decent 4 GB RAM.
Since it weighs only 3.7 pounds and measures 13.6 x 9.6 x 0.8 inches, the Inspiron 14 3000 is quite portable, so it won’t be an issue if you want to move it around. However, due to its fragility, I would recommend that you don’t do that often.
The versatile connectivity options include an air vent, power port for the charger, a full-size HDMI port, a USB 3.0 port, and a full-size SD card slot on the left side. On the right side, there are two USB 2.0 ports, a Kensington laptop lock slot, and an audio/microphone jack combo.
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If you’re a teacher looking for an entry-level laptop that you can abuse without feeling guilty about the money you spent on it, the budget-friendly Dell Inspiron 14 3000 is ideal for you.
Its chassis is made of plastic, which feels cheap, but that’s only normal for how affordable the device is.
Despite the temptation to milk it for all its worth, you probably would be too scared to, as the cover is prone to flex, and the screen feels a little wobbly.
Given that it’s an entry-level laptop, it doesn’t boast the best display, and it actually resembles the specs of a 2-in-1 device. The 14-inch HD display has a 1366 x 768p resolution with a LED-backlit panel. Admittedly, it has substandard viewing angles and too much reflection, but still, it’s good enough for preparing presentations and content.
The keyboard is spill-resistant, which is an incredible aspect when you think about all the times you’ve spilt your coffee on your laptop and panicked, which doesn’t help your test-grading endeavor.
However, it’s nothing luxurious, and the hard plastic keys make typing a lousy job. What’s more, it doesn’t have plenty of key travel, which might make you prone to more typos and errors. The touchpad makes up for it with how big and spacious it is, though, as it’s one of the biggest you’ll find on a laptop of this price.
Weighing only 3.75 pounds, it’s slightly less than the 4-pound average that’s considered lightweight, which is definitely a plus for teachers that are always on the move from one class to another.
This HP laptop comes with a 15.6-inch WLED-backlit TN panel with high definition SVA BrightView touch display. It has a 1366 x 768p resolution, all of which are pretty decent for its price point and the fact that it’s a touchscreen.
With an 81% screen-to-body ratio, you’ll get plenty of room to enjoy the touchscreen and make the best of it. To be able to draw and write manually is an aspect that plenty of teachers are still fond of, and this HP laptop provides you with just that.
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Looking for a more affordable HP model than the above-mentioned one? It still runs using a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor, has a 15.6-inch screen, 512 GB of storage, and a 4-hour battery life.
The only difference is that it has an 8 GB RAM, which is only half that of our top choice.
Still, the specs are decent enough to tackle all the preparations you’d need as a teacher and make your job a whole lot easier.
Moreover, its keyboard is pretty comfortable to type on, with good key travel and feedback. To live up to the traditional experience, it even comes with a num pad on the right, which many users seem to prefer over the numbers at the top.
As for connectivity, this laptop comes with an HDMI 1.4 port, a DisplayPort, two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, and a headphone/microphone combo jack.
If you want to get the best laptop for teachers for 2021, there are a couple of aspects that you have to pay some attention to. In this buyers guide, I’ll tell you exactly what could make or break your face to face or virtual teaching experience so you can find laptops for educators you’d be proud to share with your teaching colleagues!
Laptops are a great asset for school teachers, since they allow for more freedom and better flexibility in the classroom. For example, teachers can easily move around the room and check on students from a distance, and examine material from different angles. Furthermore, teachers can also take their laptops home and use them to grade assignments and prepare lessons for the next day; we have listed 9 more ways how laptops help teachers in the classroom.
Storage Space
Normally, the first thing you’d look for in a laptop would be the CPU or RAM, but seeing that you’re going to need plenty of space to save all your material, I’d highly recommend going for high storage capacity.
Around 512 GB would be more than enough, while 256 GB would be a good average. If you’re going to opt for anything less, then you should be doing it for a good reason, like a wider display or above-average performance.
Portability
As a teacher, you’d have to walk from one classroom to another throughout the day, attend meetings, see your students after lectures, so you’d definitely need a portable laptop that doesn’t break your break or leave you with a sore shoulder.
Thankfully most laptops don’t weigh too much more than 4 pounds nowadays. Luckily, the only two devices that surpass that limit are the Apple MacBook Pro MVVJ2LL/A and the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-59W2, by 0.3 and 0.1 pounds, respectively, which won’t be noticable, especially when you consider their top-notch performance and versatility.
Random Access Memory (RAM)
This aspect is pretty important by and large, but in the case of teachers, it’s quite relative. The more demanding the programs you use are, the higher your RAM should be. This means that you can opt for lower RAM capacities to save money or focus on other aspects if you don’t use video-editing or design-related programs.
A good average would be 8 GB of RAM, but for the above-mentioned purposes, you should opt for a 16 GB RAM.
Battery Life
Since you’ll be out and about all day long, you should opt for the longest battery life your budget could get. Around 6 hours would be a good deal, but the more would definitely be the merrier in this case.
That’s unless you’ll always have a power outlet nearby, in which case you can go for less than 6 hours if your choice has incredible performance, like our top choice.
Central Processing Unit (CPU)
The operations your computer program performs are controlled by the CPU, which means it resembles the laptop’s brain. The CPUs you’ll find prevailing in the market are Intel and AMD, and the former would be a better option for teachers as its performance is smoother.
Go for an Intel Core i7 or i5 at the very least for the optimum experience, especially if you multitask with plenty of tabs and windows open.
Durability
How durable your laptop is means how much you can abuse it before it starts acting up. This includes physical durability, for which you should opt for a metal or aluminum chassis, and technical durability, for which you should get a robust cooling system and quality components.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can a Laptop Be Useful in Instruction Teaching?
Using a laptop would generally make the experience easier as it facilitates handling student information, preparing materials, doing research, as well as communicating with students, colleagues, and parents.
Do Computers Help Teachers to Teach Better?
Yes. It’s always more convenient for teachers to prepare and present their own material, which is made a lot easier with the help of a reliable computer.
What Does a 2-in-1 Laptop Mean?
A 2-in-1 laptop is a hybrid that combines thefeatures of a laptop and those of a tablet. Usually, they come with keyboards that you can rotate or even completely detach and a touchscreen that you can use independently of the device – great for teaching.
What Percentage of Educators Use Laptops for Instruction?
99% of full-time public school teachers back in 1999 reported that they used computers somewhere in their schools, and we have every reason to believe that the little percentage who didn’t back then now do.
Conclusion
Now that you’ve gone over our list of the best laptops for teachers, we hope that you’re a step closer or have even finalized your decision. If you need a quick recap to do so, here it is:
If you’re looking for top-notch performance that wastes no time at all, you should opt for the HP i5 Touch. Its quality components enable you to tackle basically any task seamlessly.
If you’re looking for something more portable and a longer battery life, I’d recommend the Apple MacBook Air.
The Microsoft Surface Pro 6 provides the ultimate portability as it can be converted into a tablet, which gives you plenty of versatility and mobility.
Finally, suppose your purposes go beyond teaching and classrooms. In that case, you could use the versatility of the Acer Aspire 5 as it enables you to perform other tasks like watching movies and maybe even playing a simple video game.
