I'm Matt Smith, and I live breath and sleep tech, especially the latest devices such as tablets and laptops. Here are my tips and tricks about what to look for when buying your next tablet or laptop.
Backlit keyboards are such a blessing. Since most of us aren’t really bound by fixed working hours or tend to work and play on the go, the popularity of laptops with backlit keyboards has risen tremendously.
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And because they’re so convenient and comfortable, manufacturers haven’t missed this opportunity. Most laptops on the market today offer laptops with backlit keyboards that have fantastic colors and look amazing. But which one to choose?
To save you the hassle, I’ve done all the research already (I totally got my geek on, don’t judge me) and found the 10 best laptops with a backlit keyboard!
Top-Rated Backlit Keyboard Laptops
1st Choice
Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD Storage)
The Apple MacBook Air 13 is an excellent choice all around. It has a powerful processor, 8 GB of RAM, and ample storage capacity. What’s more, it’s also small in size and lightweight, so you can easily carry it around. This makes it our number one choice.
Just looking at the specs of a laptop will not give you the full picture, you need way more info than that! Here’s an in-depth review of each and every backlit keyboard laptop in more detail.
1. Apple MacBook Air 13 — Best Laptop with Backlit Keyboard
The fact that the laptop is quite small in size means it doesn’t need the highest display resolution possible.
With a resolution of 1440 x 900 pixels, it’s more than enough to cover the small screen space.
The MacBook Air 13 comes with a storage capacity of 128 GB. It’s also an SSD, so all your data is stored safely on a reliable disk.
The MacBook Air 13 can last up to 12 hours on a single charge, providing you with a day’s worth of productivity.
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If you used an Apple product in the past, you’d know how high-quality their products are, and the MacBook Air 13 is no exception. In addition to the backlit keyboard, you get unmatchable performance, extended battery life, and a high-quality display.
There’s nothing to complain about regarding the laptop’s keyboard. The black keys with the white letters and the white light are a pleasure to look at. Being a laptop with light up keyboard, you can also control how bright the light is, according to your surroundings.
The laptop comes with an Intel Dual-Core i5 processor known for being powerful without costing an arm and a leg. Additionally, it has 8 GB of RAM capacity, so it can handle multitasking without any hiccups.
Being 13.3 inches in size and less than 3 lbs in weight, the laptop is quite portable. What’s more, as an Apple product, it runs on the user-friendly, versatile macOS.
With IPS technology and a pixel resolution of 1920 x 1080, you’ll enjoy its wide-viewing angles and vivid colors.
Also, the laptop offers a touchscreen display that’s incredibly convenient and easy to use.
The Chromebook Flip comes in two storage capacities: 32 and 64 GB. Much like the RAM, I recommend going for the larger capacity whenever possible.
With a battery life of up to 10 hours, this laptop is a powerhouse.
It’ll last through an entire day of usage without running out of power.
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Chrome OS laptops are often overlooked, but the ASUS Chromebook Flip is here to make a statement about its high-quality build and excellent performance. As far as laptops with lit keyboard go, this one’s a steal!
About this Asus laptop with backlit keyboard – The keyboard is white with silver letters, which might be a little challenging to see in certain lights. However, it makes up for that by allowing you to adjust its backlight to make it a little easier to see.
The 14-inch, 2-in-1 laptop has a NanoEdge design, so the bezels are as small as can be. Combine that with the white and silver aesthetics and you end up with a premium-looking laptop.
To guarantee excellent performance, the laptop boasts an Intel Core m3 processor and two RAM configurations: 4 or 8 GB. The former configuration might be enough for some people, but I always recommend going for the largest RAM capacity possible.
The laptop integrates IPS and ComfyView technologies, providing you with an incredibly immersive display.
It has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, more than enough on a 15.6-inch screen.
With a storage capacity of 128 GB, the Aspire 5 can store as many apps, photos, and games as you’d like.
Besides, the storage is an SSD known for its reliability and high transfer rate.
The Aspire 5 has a battery life of up to 7.5 hours, a little below average.
You’ll likely need to recharge it multiple times throughout the day.
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The Acer Aspire 5 is one of the most popular light up keyboard laptops on the market, and I can’t help but agree with the public voice. It retails at an incredibly affordable price, yet offers high-quality components.
Firstly,, the Aspire 5 looks and feels premium. It has a silver build with a black keyboard and white letters, making it easy to see. Also, the backlight gives the laptop a boost, so you can easily type in dimly-lit rooms.
Even though this laptop only has 4 GB of RAM, the powerful AMD Ryzen 3 processor makes up for it. Additionally, it boasts an AMD Radeon Vega 3 GPU to run some light games and designing apps.
For an average user, you’ll love how speedy the laptop is, and you won’t run into any issues. However, if you’re a designer, gamer, or programmer, this might not be the best option for you.
With a display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, you’re guaranteed a high-quality display.
Besides, the screen has small bezels that make for an immersive display.
The ROG Strix G comes with 1 TB of SSD storage, so you can store everything you can think of.
This laptop’s battery life heavily depends on your usage. For example, if you’ll be using it for gaming, you can expect it to last a couple of hours or less.
However, it can last much longer on average usage, like just web surfing.
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If you’re looking for a laptop that offers excellent performance, you’re in luck because ASUS ROG Strix G is second to none, while the ROG Strix III is a wise choice too.. Thanks to the fact that it’s a gaming laptop under $1500, it offers unmatchable specs that you can’t go wrong with.
This is one of those laptops with lit up keyboards that pack a punch! With the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, the laptop can handle gaming, designing, and 3D modeling like no other.
The ROG Strix G boasts an Intel Core i7 processor and an incredible RAM capacity of 16 GB. Whether you’re running demanding apps or you’ll be multitasking using multiple windows simultaneously, this laptop can take a beating.
However, being 15.6 inches in size and weighing 5.29 lbs significantly take away from the laptop’s portability.
This laptop is superior to any other option when it comes to display because it offers two possible panel configurations: TN and IPS.
Generally, TN panels are better for gaming, while IPS panels are preferred for day-to-day usage.
Either way, it offers a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels.
The laptop boasts a 1 TB SSHD storage, which is a hybrid of SSD and HDD disks.
It’s not the best option out there because of the HDD part, so if that’s a bother for you, you can opt for the 256 GB SSD configuration.
The laptop’s battery life is quite average. It can last around 6 hours on average use and much less than that when gaming.
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Gaming laptops are on a level of their own when it comes to performance; that’s why I decided to add the ASUS Tuf FX504 to this list. This laptop is worth every penny for how incredible it looks, feels, and performs.
The FX504’s all-black design with the red-backlit keyboard is a pleasure to look at. Its design is so modern and has some red elements and patterns to match the keyboard and tie it all together.
The FX504 comes with an Intel Core i5 processor and 8 GB of RAM. It also comes with the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 GPU to handle any graphics-intensive task.
Weighing just over 5 lbs, this isn’t a laptop that you can carry around easily. However, that’s justifiable, considering its large 15.6-inch screen and high-quality components.
With a NanoEdge display, your laptop’s screen has thin bezels, providing it with a modern, sleek look and ridding you of unnecessary bulkiness.
Besides, it has a display resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is incredibly high, considering how small the screen is.
The ZenBook 13 offers 512 GB of SSD storage, guaranteeing reliability, and a high transfer rate.
The ZenBook 13’s battery life is advertised to last up to 14 hours, which is outstandingly long.
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Laptops with light up keyboards are very popular. If you like working on the go, having a small portable laptop is life-changing— specifically, having the ASUS ZenBook 13. Its small size and 2.5 lbs of weight make for an easy-to-carry laptop without sacrificing speed or the ability to multitask.
The 13.3-inch screen with small bezels is so easy on the eye; you’ll actually start enjoying spending time in front of your laptop.
It comes in processor configurations: i5 and i7, so you can choose whichever best fits your needs. The i7 laptops are definitely more powerful, but it’s also more expensive. However, both configurations have 8 GB of RAM, which is more than enough.
The backlit keyboard is incredibly comfortable and easy to get used to; it’ll even encourage you to type more.
The VivoBook 15’s display is more on the average size. It has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is just enough for a 15.6-inch laptop.
However, the colors look a little washed out, which can be disappointing.
The Intel i3 models come with 128 GB of storage capacity, large enough for an average user.
It’s also worth noting the Intel i5 model comes with 512 GB.
Upon purchasing this laptop, prepare yourself to keep it near a power outlet at all times.
Its battery life is below average, and you’ll need to recharge it multiple times throughout the day.
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To get the best bang for your buck, you won’t find better than the ASUS VivoBook 15. It offers high-quality components that make for a speedy performance without breaking the bank.
Even though this laptop comes in a variety of models with different specs, I’ll be focusing on the Intel i3 model, but keep in mind that if you want high specs, this laptop offers them.
One of the cheapest laptops with backlit keyboards
The laptop’s Intel i3 is the most popular budget-friendly processor on the market that offers good performance and reliability. Additionally, it comes with 8 GB of RAM capacity, which is incredible at such a price point.
In addition to the smooth backlit keyboard, this laptop offers an ergonomic design. When you flip it open, the keyboard is raised by 2 degrees off the surface, providing you with a comfortable typing position.
With a display resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels and InfinityEdge, you’ll be getting an unmatchable display.
It looks premium, and it’ll truly immerse you into your task without straining your eyes. Offers a quality touchscreen laptop with backlit keyboard.
Continuing with the premium components theme, this laptop comes in three storage configurations: 512 GB, 1 TB, and 2 TB.
There’s nothing to complain about when it comes to the XPS7390’s battery life; it can last up to 17 hours.
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The Dell XPS7390 is the best 2-in-1 laptop with a backlit keyboard because not only does it offer a beautiful touchscreen display, but it also offers high-quality components and excellent performance.
The XPS7390 weighs around 4.5 lbs, which is a little heavy for a 13.4-inch laptop. However, its design is sleek with small bezels and an edge-to-edge keyboard to prevent unnecessary bulkiness.
The Intel Core i7 processor is one you can’t go wrong with. It’s truly powerful, so you can say goodbye to freezes and glitches.
Additionally, if you like multitasking, you’ll love this laptop’s RAM capacity. It comes with two possible configurations: 16 and 32 GB. The former is more than enough for anyone, while the latter is overkill.
The laptop comes in two display resolution configurations: 1080p or 4K, so you can pick whichever you like best.
The Razer Blade 15 has an ample storage capacity of 512 GB SSD that’s upgradable.
Also, there’s a model with 256 GB of storage if you’re looking to save some money.
This laptop’s battery is actually below average. I strongly recommend lowering some display settings to extend the battery.
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The Razer Blade 15 is a high-end laptop with equally high-end components and specifications, and the fact that it’s a gaming laptop ensures excellent performance without any hiccups.
Keyboard-wise, it comes with a customizable backlight color through Razer Chroma which is one of the slickest illuminated laptop keyboards. Besides, it’s incredibly comfortable to type on.
Combining an Intel Core i7 processor with 16 GB of RAM makes for next-level performance. What’s more, the 15.6-inch laptop comes with a refresh rate of 144 Hz and NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPU. If you’re a hard-core gamer or you just appreciate powerful laptops, the Razer Blade 15 is for you.
The edge-to-edge display is so easy on the eye; you’ll love using this laptop. Besides, the fact that it’s a 2-in-1 laptop is incredible, considering its price point.
With the 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, you’ll get a sharp, crisp image.
Not only does this laptop offer 512GB of SSD storage, but it also offers 16 GB of Optane storage, taking reliability to a whole new level.
Sadly, its battery life is a little short-lived. You’ll probably have to recharge it multiple times throughout the day.
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If you want the best storage capacity possible, but you don’t want to deal with HDDs’ low transfer rate, the HP Envy X360 is here to save the day. This laptop with keyboard light has it all…
Finding a 15.6-inch laptop that weighs less than 5lbs is a nice surprise; you can easily carry this laptop around.
By now, you should know how powerful the Intel Core i7 processor is. Well, the laptop offers even more than an excellent processor with its 12 GB of RAM.
Multitasking? Highly-demanding apps? Gaming? HP Laptops have it all. You name it, and the Envy X360 can handle it.
Guide to Choosing & Buying a Laptop with a Backlit Keyboard
Picking the best laptop that suits your needs is nowhere near a stroll in the park. There are so many factors you need to consider, and each plays its own role in your laptop’s performance. Here’s everything you need to know before making a buying decision on a backlit keyboard for a laptop.
Size
The laptop’s size is a huge sign of whether it’s portable or not. If you like working on the go and want a laptop that you can carry around easily, opt for one with a screen size of around 13 inches. That’s essentially the ideal size that most people choose to go for, just in case they need to carry the laptop around wherever they go.
However, if portability isn’t your priority, having a 15.6-inch laptop is an incredible experience. The large display can really immerse you in work or games.
Storage
Whenever possible, opt for SSD storage. Compared to HDD, laptops with SSD storage is a lot more reliable and offers higher transfer rates, eliminating freezes or slowness.
Additionally, try to opt for a capacity of at least 128 GB. Keep in mind that your OS and installed apps take up a large portion of the capacity. Even better, opting for a capacity of 512 GB is a dream come true! It’s always better to have extra storage than to have to delete files by force.
Display and Resolution
Generally, try going for a display resolution that’s at least 1920 x 1080 pixels, which is the optimum for most screen sizes. If your laptop of choice has a smaller size, you can afford to go for a lower resolution without too much loss in quality.
Additionally, try going for an IPS display because it offers vivid colors and wide viewing angles. On the contrary, if you’re looking for a gaming laptop under 600, you might enjoy a TN panel.
RAM
The larger your RAM is, the better your laptop will perform. A capacity of 8 GB or higher is more than enough for an average everyday user. However, if you’ll be running demanding designing or coding software, I recommend going for a 16 MB capacity. Anything higher than 16 is just overkill.
Operating System
The most popular OS among laptops is Windows 10 Home. We’re all familiar with it; it’s versatile, user-friendly, and reliable.
However, if you go for an Apple product, you’ll end up with macOS, which is also reliable and user-friendly.
Lastly, if you’ll be using your laptop for Google’s apps and tools, you might enjoy a Chrome OS laptop.
Battery Life
Nobody likes recharging their laptop multiple times a day. Always try going for a laptop with an extended battery life of around 10 hours or higher. Additionally, I recommend lowering display settings and turning off any features that you don’t need to save energy.
Even though backlit keyboards can drain your laptop’s battery, it’s not that big of a deal. They won’t absorb that much power, so you can leave your keyboard backlight on for as long as you’d like. It’s possible that laptops with led keyboard setup may not deplete the battery as quickly.
I hope this buyers guide to laptop backlit keyboard features & benefits proved helpful – if you have any questions please do let me know!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Laptops Have Backlit Keyboards?
Most laptops on the market today have backlit keyboards. However, it’s safer to double-check with the seller or the manufacturer.
What’s the Benefit of Having a Backlit Keyboard Laptop?
A backlit keyboard makes it much easier to work at night. You’ll no longer have to squint your eyes to see the letters.
Does a Backlit Keyboard Drain Laptop Battery?
Definitely! The light used to backlight the keyboard gets power from the laptop’s battery, using up some of its charge.
What is a backlit keyboard?
A backlit keyboard is a keyboard on a laptop that displays the letters on the keys when the backlight is on. Most backlit keyboards are illuminated by a light-emitting diode (LED).
Conclusion
By now, you should have a clear idea of what to look for in a laptop with a backlit keyboard, and maybe even settled on one! Here’s a quick recap of the best laptops with backlit keyboards.
My favorite laptop is the Apple MacBook Air 13 for its incredible battery life, a comfortable keyboard, and portability.
The ASUS Chromebook Flip follows as the best Chrome laptop. It’s perfect for those who only use Google apps.
Lastly, the Acer Aspire 5 is a laptop you can’t go wrong with. Not only does it come at a very affordable price but it also offers high-quality components and excellent performance. For laptops with backlit keyboard and touchscreen, the Asus Chromebook Flip and Dell XPS7390 are our top recommendations.
