There’s no shortage of great laptops on the market, and each has its strengths. Some laptops are equipped with the latest software, others offer high resolutions and performance for gaming, and some are especially light and easily portable. But which laptops are best for an older adult?
Great laptops for older adults include the Apple MacBook Air, the ASUS Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook, the Dell Inspiron, the Huawei Matebook 13, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro, the HP Pavilion, and the Toshiba Tecra. Consider portability, budget, and accessibility to find the best option.
Let’s take a closer look at how to select the best laptop for an older adult and some of the best options out there.
Factors to Consider When Buying a Laptop for an Older Adult
If you’re looking for a laptop for an older adult in your life — or you’re shopping as an older adult yourself — there are a few important factors to keep in mind:
Accessibility
The first and perhaps most important thing to consider is accessibility. Older adults may not be used to all of the latest technologies, and some may not have owned a laptop before. There’s nothing wrong with that, of course, but it means that a device that’s relatively easy to use might be best.
For this reason, you should try out the laptop and get a feel for it, or read reviews online about how easy it is to get a hang of. Any laptop you choose should have a clean interface, and you can consider other controls that may be particularly useful, like voice control.
These type of accessibility settings can make a huge difference in someone’s life. Apple, for example, is very good at considering this, which is why the MacBook Air is a good choice for an older adult. More on the MacBook Air later.
Size and Weight
Size and weight are also important considerations when it comes to a laptop for an older adult. If they plan on moving around with the laptop or even traveling with it, they likely don’t want to be lugging a large, bulky machine around with them (and may not even be able to do so).
Make sure to check the weight of a laptop online. If you’re buying in store, you can ask a sales person if you can pick the laptop up and feel it, as sometimes weight doesn’t say much on paper.
Budget
If you’re paying for the laptop, you’ll have an idea of how much you can spend on it. If you’re shopping for an older person who will be paying for the computer themselves, however, considering their budget is even more important.
Many older adults don’t have the money to spend on a highly powerful machine. Fortunately, there are some pretty cheap laptops available.
Chromebooks especially tend to be on the lower end of the financial spectrum, costing as little as $200 or so. You could also consider refurbished machines, which are often as good as newer laptops but at a significantly lower price.
Lifespan
The last thing you should consider when getting a laptop for an older adult is the lifespan.
This is important for anyone to consider, but it may be especially important for an older adult who doesn’t want to have to buy and learn a new laptop a few years down the line or spend a lot of time, energy, and money on repairs.
You can research this factor online. Some laptops have a notoriously short lifespan of 2-3 years, whereas others have been reported to last for 7 years or more (such as Apple laptops, which tend to be the longest running).
What Are the Best Laptops for Older Adults?
Now that you’ve got an idea of the most important factors to keep in mind while shopping, let’s take a closer look at some of the top options on the market.
Apple MacBook Air
Apple has been producing great laptops for many years, with different models that are suitable for various needs. The MacBook Air (available on Amazon) is constantly improving with every new release, and it’s a superb laptop for many reasons.
It’s Apple’s lightest and most portable laptop, meaning it’s easy to carry around if someone takes their laptop from place to place.
Furthermore, it’s Apple’s cheapest option too. It’s cheaper than the MacBook Pro and also more affordable than their desktop computers.
Perhaps most importantly, the MacBook Air is accessible. Apple has always provided clean displays that are very easy to navigate, and it offers great options like keyboard shortcuts and voice control that can make the operation of their laptop even easier.
Apple even has a program where you can book a free appointment in one of their stores to be taught one-on-one how to get the best out of your new laptop.
ASUS Chromebook
The ASUS Chromebook (on Amazon) is another excellent choice when it comes to accessibility. With automatic updates and built-in security, you don’t have to worry much about getting a virus if you open a suspicious email or click on a link (though you should still be careful). It also has some added layers of protection, which means if you aren’t a technology whizz, it doesn’t matter.
Even better than that, the ASUS is known for having all-day battery life which, along with its light weight, makes it ultra-portable. There’s no need to worry about carrying the charger with you and having to find an outlet when the battery runs out.
The controls and abilities are admittedly a little basic on this device, but if your aim is just to use it to browse the internet, edit documents, and stream videos, then it’ll work just fine — it just may not be able to handle heavier programs like games and photo/video editing.
Acer Chromebook
ASUS isn’t the only Chromebook on the market. Acer also makes a similar laptop (on Amazon) that’s thin and lightweight. Like the ASUS laptop, the Acer Chromebook doesn’t have every feature in the world and isn’t capable of heavy activity, but for someone who just wants to keep up with Facebook and watch Netflix, this is a great choice.
Despite the fact it doesn’t carry the power of more traditional laptops, it’s still impressive. The Intel processor and Thunderbolt 4 support means it can outrun a lot of other Chromebooks on the market, so if you like the aesthetic but are worried about slowdowns and crashing, this could be the model for you.
Much like other Chromebooks, the lightweight portability also means you won’t be straining to lug it around all day.
Dell Inspiron
If you want to move away from the Chromebook style laptops but still want something lightweight and portable, you can’t go wrong with the Dell Inspiron (on Amazon).
It’s a little pricier than the Chromebooks, but that’s due to the fact it combines its lightweight portability with a powerful core — meaning it can handle some heavier tasks, if that’s what you’re looking for.
Something special about the Dell Inspiron is its high-quality webcam with a mechanical shutter. If you want to stay connected with friends and family, you can enjoy seeing them up close and clear (and vice versa) without worrying that the webcam might be compromising your security.
It also comes in a variety of different colors, so you can pick the one that suits your personal style.
Huawei Matebook 13
The ultra-slim Huawei Matebook 13 is also dominating the market with some of its great features. It has an 88% screen-to-body ratio, so you can truly immerse yourself in video chats, streaming services, or whatever you want on this great-quality laptop.
It also claims to have breakthrough power inside, which means you don’t have to compromise on not being able to run photo and video editing software or games. If you’re looking for the best of both worlds, the Huawei Matebook 13 might just be your best option.
The newest version also runs up to 40% faster than the one that came before it, so it’s ever-advancing.
Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
If you have a Samsung phone and are used to the software and like the interface, then it’s worth getting a laptop that works in a similar fashion, like the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro (on Amazon). Samsung describes this laptop as “the perfect mix of productivity and portability” because it’s a power laptop contained in this thin shape, making it easy to carry around.
The screen also works to reduce blue light that can be harmful to your eyes. If that’s a big concern for you, the Samsung Galaxy Book Pro is a great choice.
You can also pair this laptop with your Galaxy phone, so if you already have that device, it’s worth considering this over other computers. You can sync your contacts, texts, and more between devices.
It also has excellent background noise removal, making it an excellent choice if you video chat a lot or work from home and attend many meetings.
HP Pavilion
The HP Pavilion (on Amazon) has been around for many years, and HP has had a long time to perfect it. This tried-and-tested laptop is still going strong, with new models released often.
HP Pavilion laptops now also come as convertible, so you can stand them up as a tablet. This is great if you’re multi-tasking and video chatting, or watching Netflix while cooking in the kitchen.
With this screen’s great quality and the fact it’s so light, you can move it from place to place with no strain. You can’t go wrong running all of your day-to-day activities on this.
Toshiba Tecra
The last option worth considering is the Toshiba Tecra (on Amazon). Toshiba is another tried-and-true laptop brand that’s been around for a long time, and the Tecra model is a solid choice.
It’s not as lightweight as some of the other options, so if portability is a huge factor, it’s not the most ideal. However it’s very sturdy and runs a great performance. It’s also more affordable.
If you don’t tend to travel with a laptop and need a reliable machine that won’t break down, the Toshiba Tecra could be just the thing you need.