What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office – Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio

Working from home has become increasingly popular over the last few years, and more and more people are doing their work from the comfort of their home office. Of course, working from home requires some kind of computer or laptop. 

In this article, we’re going to take a look at some of the best notebook computers for your home office. Each of these notebooks comes with all of the features you need to be as productive as possible when working in your pajamas. 

  • Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14
  • Lenovo Chromebook Duet
  • Acer Nitro 5 (2020)
  • Acer Swift 3 (2020)
  • Acer Aspire 5 (2020, Ryzen 7)
  • Asus VivoBook S14 (S433)
  • Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3505)
  • HP Pavilion x360 15 (2021)
  • Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook
  • Lenovo Yoga C640
What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: Pexels

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14

The first notebook on our list is the IdeaPad Flex 5 14 from Lenovo, a brand that is known for creating fantastic quality computers and hardware.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: Digital Trends

Thanks to its new AMD Ryzen processor, this notebook offers a fantastic balance of value for money and performance. 

The IdeaPad Flex 5 14 also happens to be one of the most popular notebooks on the market at the moment, and we’re not surprised, considering just how affordable it is. 

It features some fantastic computing performance and a durable chassis that allows it to withstand abuse. 

About This Laptop

The great thing about this notebook from Lenovo is that its screen supports touch input, so if you prefer to touch the screen rather than navigate using the soft-touchpad, you can do just that. 

The IdeaPad Flex 5 14 also features a webcam shutter to protect your privacy, as well as 2 USB Type-A ports. 

Lenovo Chromebook Duet

Next is the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, which is super budget-friendly for both consumers and students.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: TechAdvisor

It has light computing speeds as well as a detachable 2 in 1 display that supports touch screen compatibility.

If you’re looking for a light computer that can move around with you, the Chromebook Duet is a great option. 

The keyboard is included with the Chromebook Duet in its low price, and it also features some useful tablet gestures, as well as Android phone integration

About This Laptop

The cameras on this Chromebook are quite decent, so if you even need to take images, you’ll be able to with confidence. 

The battery life of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is also very decent, so you’ll have several hours of non-stop working time before you need to recharge it. 

Unfortunately, there is only 1 USB port and no headphone jack, so don’t expect to be able to listen to music through this notebook. 

Acer Nitro 5

While the Acer Nitro 5 is a little short on storage, it is otherwise the best in Acer’s range of economy gaming laptops yet.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: Pocket Lint

It delivers an impressive 1080p gaming performance for a super affordable price, making it a great option for anyone who wants to be able to work and game on the same laptop. 

The Acer Nitro 5 features an impressive CPU and gaming performance that provides a smooth working and gaming experience. 

It’s a great option for students, and its expandable storage provides plenty of space to install more games.

About This Laptop

The battery life is also great, providing hours of use before a recharge is needed. 

Unfortunately, the onboard storage that this notebook comes with is a little lackluster, having only 256GB of space on its SSD. 

The keyboard can also be a little difficult to read, and there’s no SD or microSD slot. Other than that, this is a fantastic, affordable gaming laptop.

Acer Swift 3 (2020)

The square display on the Acer Swift 3 allows it to stand out from the crowd of ultraportable notebooks that have saturated the market over the last few years. 

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: The Verge

It’s a great option for students and entrepreneurs who need to be able to take their work with them, thanks to its lightweight and compact form factor.

The display on the Acer Swift 3 is super colorful and bright, making for a very pleasant and satisfactory viewing experience. 

Though the computer is quite compact, it is still more than big enough to make viewing easy, and the keys are easy to read as well. 

About This Laptop

The battery life on this laptop is well above average, providing hours upon hours of use before it needs to be recharged. 

The recharge time is not very long at all, allowing you to get back into the swing of things in no time. The Swift 3 comes with HDMI and Thunderbolt 3 ports to boot. 

Acer Aspire 5 (2020 Ryzen 7)

The Acer Aspire 5 is a general-use, no-fuss laptop that boasts a generous selection of ports, a simplistic design, and a Ryzen 7 processor.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: The Verge

While it might not have any outstanding features or aspects, it does the job well and does it for a very affordable price, making it great for home offices

For the money you pay for the Acer Aspire 5, it boasts some super snappy CPU performance, allowing you to get your tasks done in no time without spending any time waiting for programs to load up. 

The design is very straightforward, and there are no flaws to speak of in that regard. 

About This Laptop

The keyboard on this laptop is pleasing to use and look at, and it features some basic backlighting that is not only nice to look at but also makes using the Aspire 5 in the dark quite easy

There are plenty of ports to use, including a USB-C and Ethernet port. 

Asus VivoBook S14 (S433)

The only major flaw that the Asus VivoBook S14 suffers from is that its display is slightly bland and dim, but other than that, this is a very portable notebook.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: TechRadar

It comes with Wifi 6 and Thunderbolt support available for a very affordable price. Those working from home will appreciate the power of this Asus laptop. 

For the power and performance that the Asus VivoBook S14 offers, we think that the asking price is extremely fair. 

It’s a great option for students that are looking for something with a little more power than the many student laptops available on the market right now. 

About This Laptop

This VivoBook comes with a very spacious 512GB SSD, which is more than enough space for you to store all of your work for the rest of your life – depending on the kind of work you do, of course. 

Its performance is great, though it might not be a great option for gaming. 

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (3505)

If you need a big-screened laptop that is still within a very affordable price range, then the Dell Inspiron 15 3000 might be the perfect choice for you.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: PCMag

It offers some fantastic customization options, and if your performance demands are modest, it is a very workable laptop. 

The great thing about this laptop is that it is very inexpensive while still offering a plethora of configuration options. 

The speakers deliver some great volume, so you’ll be able to enjoy your music while you work away, and the keyboard is super comfortable to use. 

About This Laptop

There are dedicated number keys on the keyboard as well, adding a level of convenience you don’t really see from an affordable laptop. 

The Inspiron 15 3000 features both an Ethernet and HDMI port, and its battery life is quite impressive, offering many hours of continuous use. 

HP Pavilion x360 15 (2021)

Though the HP Pavilion x360 15 is a far cry from the brand’s Spectre line, it still offers big-screen basics as a capable convertible laptop, making it a top option for dedicated people working at home.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: TechAdvisor

For a Core i3 laptop, this device provides some surprisingly quick performance. 

Another great thing about the Pavilion is that it comes with a pen, so if your work involves creating digital art, or you just have an interest in digital art, this laptop has you covered. 

The keyboard is backlit, allowing you to use this laptop in the dark with ease. 

About This Laptop

Unfortunately, the display on the Pavilion notebook is pretty dim, which can make the laptop quite frustrating to use during the day. 

There are no biometric security measures, and there’s no webcam shutter, so if you’re worried about your privacy, you’ll have to buy one. 

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook

The IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook from Lenovo proves that as long as you are able to look past a dim, small display, you can have a fantastic convertible Chromebook for a very affordable price.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: TechRadar

The IdeaPad Flex 3 is very portable, making it great for traveling workers and students. 

The build quality of this notebook is excellent, and the exterior is in a unique almond color, giving the whole laptop an interesting and unusual appearance. 

About This Laptop

It comes with an SD card reader, as well as a USB-C charging port, significantly cutting down the charging time. 

The great thing about the IdeaPad Flex 3 is how affordable it is, and it’s a great option for students

Lenovo Yoga C640

Finally, we have this convertible laptop from Lenovo, which might have less than ideal performance, but is very affordable.

What Are the Best Notebook Computers for the Home Office - Choose One with the Best Cost-Benefit Ratio
Image Source: Arthur H Walker / Tumblr

What’s more, the Yoga C640 has a great build quality. 

The battery life on the Lenovo Yoga C640 is fantastic, and the webcam has a privacy cover that can help you feel safer if you are worried about cybercriminals. 

About This Laptop

There is a built-in fingerprint reader to allow for easy unlocking, and the overall form factor of this laptop is light and thin.

This makes it very easy to carry around with you in your bag if you’re on the move. 

Summary

Working from home is often much easier than trekking to and from an office each day, but it’s important that your home office has a decent laptop for you to work at. 

If you’re thinking of making the change and working from home, be sure to pick up one of the notebooks mentioned above.