Not too big, not too small: The best 14-inch laptops of 2024

In our in-depth review of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED, we found a perfect blend of slim design with powerful functionality, making it an excellent choice for entertainment and creative projects. The OLED display impressed us with its rich blacks and vibrant HDR colour, which made 4K movie watching a real visual feast. The Harman Kardon speakers (enhanced by Dolby Atmos) provided a superb audio experience, too. That makes it ideal for music lovers and fans of all visual media. The included ASUS Pen added significant value for our reviewer, transforming the Zenbook into a portable studio for designers and photographers.

While the Zenbook 14 excels in portability and performance, it’s not built for high-end gaming due to its graphics capabilities. That said, we found it durable, with a lightweight yet sturdy design and some advanced hardware. However, the limited port options were a minor inconvenience. The battery life held up well, exceeding five hours under demanding conditions, and the cooling system remained impressively quiet. Overall, it's a versatile and premium option for work, entertainment, and creativity.

Chris Duffill had this to say when he reviewed the laptop: "If you love those deep blacks and vibrant HDR colours, this laptop with its OLED display is perfect for you. Plus, it's got the power you need under the hood, and with extras like the ASUS Pen, it’s a great pick if you want to take your creative projects on the go. And when you’re ready to kick back, your music and movies will sound amazing too – those Harmon Kardon speakers paired with Dolby Atmos create a level of immersion you wouldn’t expect from a small laptop."

Despite having a specification you’d normally find in the average Chromebook, we were surprised to find that this HP Laptop PC 14s-dq0033sa is actually running Windows 11. That said, as with most light-use laptops, it’s running Windows in S mode. Think of S mode as ‘Windows Lite’ – it’ll give you a streamlined experience that uses fewer resources than normal. But, if you do want all of the usual Windows 11 bells and whistles, you can do this by changing a simple setting. This model comes with 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD – so while it’s nice and fast it’s not a powerhouse for advanced applications like design, video editing or games.

But, we think that the simplified spec makes it absolutely ideal as a budget buy for someone who needs a quick, easy and reliable laptop for note-taking and internet browsing. This one also comes with a free 12-month subscription to Microsoft 365. That means online access to all of the usual MS Office applications like Word, Excel and more. The blue case adds some interest to the typically solid HP build too.

Dell has a well-deserved reputation for some of the best-built and reliable laptops on the market – and that makes them a top choice for many businesses. We find that this Dell Inspiron 14 5425 laptop is far from a typical below-average office machine too. Inside that sleek platinum silver case lies a specification to beat some desktop PCs. Leading the charge is the AMD Ryzen 7 CPU – a really capable processor that can handle even the most active multitasker. And then there’s the 16GB of RAM – that’s double the norm for this size of laptop.

Storage is healthy too, at 512 GB – more than enough for your files, projects and apps. But we really like the addition of the camera plus for video calls and there’s even a fingerprint scanner here. At a time when security is more important than ever, this enables an extra layer of it thanks to biometrics. It’ll also mean faster and easier logins and more. Lastly, you can work into the evening or on the evening commute with this, as it has a backlit keyboard too.

Not everyone who goes for a compact 14-inch laptop is looking for a glorified notepad or office machine. Some will want to do all of that - and more. But, despite its 14-inch panel, this Acer Swift Go laptop has a hardware specification to rival much larger PCs. Looking for a rich, vibrant screen with amazing contrast and inky blacks for your movies and streaming shows? This laptop has an OLED display. That’s right, OLED on a 14-inch laptop. So, no matter whether you’re editing photos during the day and watching Disney+ at night, we find this laptop to be a beast for media.

Plus, it has the rest of the specs to match, with a scorchingly fast AMD Ryzen 7 CPU and a staggering 16GB of RAM. Storage is better than most too, at 512 GB – plenty for plenty of professional apps. Build-wise, this is a thing of beauty too, with a good-sized keyboard and a fingerprint reader for good measure.

Like our pick of the best budget laptop, this one comes in at a very affordable price – but this is a genuine Chromebook. That means a trimmed-down and optimised Google operating system and a slim and lightweight machine to match. Even better, in a sea of other Chromebooks on offer, this one is solidly made by HP. The HP Chromebook 14" Laptop PC isn’t as light as some others, but we prefer the robust build on a portable device this compact. It has a very minimal specification with 4GB of RAM and a small 32GB SSD – but remember, the point of a Chromebook is to support simple tasks at lightning speed. And that means keeping everything running efficiently. 

And it’s that efficiency that will see you using this for up to 10 hours between charges. Being able to surf the web, use the webcam, work on documents or presentations and do light computing tasks for that long without worrying about power is what a Chromebook is all about. On those terms alone, we think HP has nailed this one as it’s well-regarded by users too.

Dell makes it back onto our list with this eye-catching Dell Inspiron 5410 14-inch 2-in-1 laptop. It’s one of the few laptops on the market from a respected brand that can actually fold into a tablet form. And the touchscreen is what helps that magic happen, as the Full-HD screen folds back completely – allowing you to hold and use this just like any tablet.

Although it’s a two-in-one machine, we think it’s definitely more laptop than tablet when it comes to the hardware on offer. Inside we have an Intel Core i5 processor for typical mid-range laptop power when it comes to pure number-crunching ability. And that’s supported by the 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. Finished in platinum silver, this really does look the part too. The screen may only be 14 inches, but the super-thin bezels in the case design make for an uncluttered and premium look –particularly in tablet mode.

Although this isn’t the only 14-inch laptop on our list with a large amount of storage, this one caught our eye because the massive 1TB SSD doesn’t come with the usual collection of expensive laptop components. And that means it’s more affordable for someone looking for a reasonably capable machine with big storage at the top of the wish list. This Lenovo 14-inch IdeaPad 1 ticks all of those boxes. 

Firstly, as mentioned, this isn’t a speed and performance powerhouse. With 4GB of RAM and an Intel Celeron N4020 CPU, it’s no surprise that this runs Windows 11 in S mode out of the box. It’s meant for light computing duties, except for the SSD. Here, we have a surprising 1TB of storage – so if you’re looking to take a lot of work with you or need a large collection of simple apps for things like presentations, spreadsheets and documents, this is ideal. But it’s not just about office data. It could even store a large collection of media like photos or videos. A photographer who wants to be able to download and check their shots at the end of the day could find this laptop very handy out in the field, too.

Heading off to uni? You’ll be needing something small, light and super-portable – but with enough power to support your studies. You may even want to watch some Netflix and browse Amazon after you leave the lecture hall. And, most importantly, you’ll need it to be sturdy yet affordable. Well, for us, this Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Gen 8 laptop is a perfect solution. 

The CPU is the AMD Athlon Gold 7220U is a little less powerful than an Intel Core i3, making it less useful for sheer productivity with more advanced apps. But, in terms of supporting all your studies with typical office applications, we think it’s perfect. The laptop comes with Windows 11 64-bit with 8GB of RAM, keeping everything running smoothly. There’s a built-in camera for calling your friends and family, and the battery is reasonable at around 7 hours – ideal for a typical day on campus.

In his review of the ASUS Vivobook S 14 OLED laptop, Harvey Isitt highlights it as a great option for students or anyone in need of a portable, high-performing laptop. Its standout feature is the vibrant OLED display, delivering vibrant colour and deep blacks, making it perfect for both work and entertainment. The sleek metal body adds a touch of style and durability, although it is a little prone to fingerprint smudges. On the plus side, the battery life impresses, offering up to 15.5 hours – ideal for extended study sessions, travel, or work on the go.

All in all, we think the Vivobook S 14 OLED's combination of portability, port options, and reliable performance make it particularly suited for students. Whether you're multitasking across browser tabs or streaming videos, it handles it smoothly, covering both academic and entertainment or casual browsing needs. While the glossy screen can create glare and the AI-powered Copilot key doesn’t quite revolutionise productivity, these are minor downsides for what is a highly versatile study and entertainment tool.

Harvey shared his thoughts with us: "This is a fantastic choice for those wanting a high-performance laptop at a sensible price. Its vibrant OLED display offers deep blacks and stunning colours, making it perfect for at-home entertainment. I found it really nice to work on too, with that screen being nice on the eyes and the battery running throughout the day."

Are you worried about all of the e-waste that ends up in our seas and landfill sites? Acer is leading the war against waste with its line of Acer Green PCs. This Acer Vero 14-inch Chromebook Plus sets out to deliver a speedy and slim machine that has enough punch to suit most everyday uses. Inside, there’s an Intel Core i5 processor, which is a real step-up in terms of Chromebook laptops. The same goes for RAM and storage – with 8GB and 256GB respectively.

But it’s the Acer build that impresses us the most. Firstly, it’s been made to be disassembled easily for repairs and upgrades (are you reading this, Apple..?), and the touchpad itself is entirely made from plastic that would have been ocean-bound. The case is partly made from recycled plastic, and the whole thing arrives in sustainable packaging. But surely, all that recycled material means a slightly flimsier build? Not at all – its rugged chassis is made to US military standards. We think there’s no better laptop choice for the environmentally-minded.