Zoom teaching has become the new standard and maybe it stays a valuable way of teaching since it is super convenient.
Just the way teachers prepare for their regular classes, they should prepare for Zoom teaching too.
One of the most important aspects of a successful Zoom teaching is a good laptop. And if you’re looking for the best laptop for Zoom teaching, you’re in the right place.
Below, you can find what to look for in a laptop for Zoom teaching, but also check out 15 of the best picks!
Laptop Requirements For Zoom Teaching
Zoom is compatible with Windows, Mac OS, and even Linux operating systems, and its system requirements are easy to meet. You can even run it on a Chromebook.
Almost any laptop can run Zoom, so the biggest requirements you have to look out for include:
- Speakers
- Microphone
- Camera
- At least a dual-core 2 GHz or higher CPU
- At least 4 GB RAM
Even though Zoom might not require a lot, it’s always better to go above and beyond to meet the requirements.
For example, not many teachers know that sharing a screen while Zoom teaching can add a five-second delay to the students when using a laptop with a 2 GHz or slower CPU.
Therefore, Zoom recommends a quad-core processor if you plan to share the screen often so the students can catch up with no delay.
Also, it’s always better to have a more powerful laptop, so Zoom doesn’t use all of its resources and make your application crash during your classes.
Best Laptops For Zoom Teaching
Not everyone understands laptops and computers, so we chose these 15 laptops below as the best laptops for Zoom teaching so you don’t have a single thing to worry about and yet you can efficiently do your job.
1. Apple MacBook Pro
One of the most known laptops for work, college, and education is the MacBook Pro, along with the MacBook Air.
This is the latest version with Apple’s unique M1 chip that replaced the previous Intel chipset and has doubled, if not tripled, the laptop’s performance.
On a single charge, you can get up to 20 hours of battery life. This means that you can teach throughout the day without having to worry about the battery or charging.
With an 8-core CPU and 8-core GPU, you will be able to smoothly use Zoom and even share your screen with your students without any delay.
On top of that, MacBook Pro is equipped with 8 GB of RAM, so such a combination provides fluid and fast performance, which is much needed as a teacher.
Mac OS laptops and computers aren’t cheap. Still, you won’t ever have to worry about another system update when you’re teaching since Apple is good at managing its proprietary operating system.
Also Read: Best Gaming Laptops
2. Dell XPS 9310
Dell XPS 9310 is Dell’s flagship since it’s the best laptop they can offer customers. This laptop is ideal for all teachers who are getting ready to teach Zoom classes for a couple of reasons.
The main reason is the ultimate performance that’s provided by the newest 10th generation Intel i7-1185G7 processor. On top of that, this laptop is equipped with 16 GB of RAM, which is more than enough for Zoom and Iris Xe graphics.
Therefore, you can consider Dell XPS 7390 one of the best Windows laptops you can get your hands on, making it a direct competitor to Apple’s laptops.
A fingerprint reader will ensure all your data and information stays secure, while an HD camera with a built-in microphone that can cancel out surrounding noise will ensure you are seen and heard by your students at all times.
If you happen to work longer shifts, a backlit keyboard is super useful to keep the ambient light easy on your eyes.
With the IPS InfinityEdge screen, you will feel like you’re among your students as if you were teaching in the actual classroom.
Check Out: Best Gaming Laptops For Kids
3. Acer Aspire 5
When it’s time for a laptop upgrade, and yet you don’t want to spend a fortune, Acer Aspire 5 makes a great laptop.
Aspire 5 is a 15.6” laptop equipped with a full HD IPS display that will go easy on your eyes and provide a great view of your students from any angle.
It’s equipped with an AMD Ryzen 3 3350U processor, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of an SSD storage drive.
On top of that, Acer Aspire 5 is equipped with the WiFi 6, known as the next-generation WiFi interface that allows laptops to have a much faster internet speed.
The laptop includes three fans that will keep all components cool at all times, even when you’re performing the most demanding tasks while sharing the screen on Zoom for your students.
Also, long battery life and a great feature in combination with an HD camera with an integrated microphone.
Explore: Best Laptops For 10-year Old Son or Daughter
4. Microsoft Surface Book 3
If you’d like to have control over your laptop or if you’re always working from a different room/office in your home, Microsoft Surface Book 3 is a laptop that will give you a great level of flexibility.
Surface Book 3 is a quad-core-powered laptop that offers 30% more speed and performance than previous versions.
Microsoft relied on the NVIDIA GTX GeForce graphics for the fastest graphics, which is ideal for teachers who have to run visually demanding apps and programs when teaching on Zoom, and perhaps even sharing the screen.
Surface Book 3 will operate for about 17.5 hours on a single charge before you have to put it back on the charger, which is great battery life.
But what’s most interesting about this laptop is its design versatility. You get to detach the 15” IPS screen from the keyboard. This allows you to set your laptop anywhere, use it however you want, and ensure that your students get the best view.
Also Read: Best Quietest Gaming Laptops
5. Lenovo IdeaPad 3
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is a pretty powerful laptop that’s affordably priced by a well-known tech giant Lenovo.
Therefore, with the quality guaranteed, you can rely on the 10th generation Intel Core i3 dual-core processor, 8 GB of RAM, and SSD for the quickest operation.
When it comes down to the screen, IdeaPad 3 comes with a touchscreen IPS display that can provide great visuals from any angle in combination with UHD graphics.
For the best audio experience, IdeaPad 3 features Dolby Audio with 2 speakers where each speaker is 1.5W.
With plenty of ports and connectivity options, you can connect everything you might need to efficiently teach your students, even if it has to be remote.
What is surprising the most is this laptop’s weight which is only 1 lb. Therefore, you can quickly take it anywhere around your home and set it up for your Zoom teaching sessions relatively quickly.
Explore: Best Chromebooks For Roblox
6. Asus ZenBook Flip
When you want to combine high performance, flexibility, versatility, and relatively decent price, you get a ZenBook Flip laptop.
ZenBook Flip is a 13.3” laptop that’s equipped with an OLED full HD NanoEdge bezel display that will provide great contrast, vivid colors, but most importantly, visibility from any angle.
Equipped with the latest Intel i7 quad-core processor and 16 GB of RAM, this laptop provides perfect performance for every Zoom user, no matter how light or heavy your average teaching use is.
Even though the laptop is very sleek and slim, it features plenty of ports, so you will be able to connect all your needed gadgets via HDMI, Thunderbolt 4, USB Type C, and USB Type-A ports.
For quick internet speed, this laptop comes equipped with a WiFi 6, which is the latest and the fastest internet connectivity you can have on a laptop.
With the ultimate professional-grade colors, this laptop will still be easy on your eyes, thanks to the 70% blue-light reduction.
The most interesting feature is the body which can be flipped and rotated to adjust your needs. Still, you won’t have to worry about the durability since, on the outside, this laptop is covered with aluminum alloy material.
Also Read: Best Chromebooks For Zoom Meetings
7. HP Flagship Pavilion 15
HP is one of the world’s leading laptops when it comes down to school, office, or even personal use, and Flagship Pavilion 15 is one of the best HP laptops for remote teaching.
Flagship Pavilion comes with a very impressive display. It’s a WLED screen that comes with bright and impressive colors and yet is anti-glare coated so you can work even under the brightest sun and still have a great view of your students.
You have a full HD camera that integrates a microphone on the screen’s top bezel, so you won’t need any external accessories to run your classes.
The quality display is followed by a great performance set with the dual-core Intel Pentium processor, 8 GB of RAM, and Intel UHD graphics.
Combined with a light yet durable body that includes all ports you might need down the road, you will love teaching your classes on the Flagship Pavilion.
Explore: Best Learning & Educational Laptops For 4-10 Year Olds
8. Lenovo Flex 5
If you are a huge fan of 2-in-1 laptops and believe a touchscreen and flexible laptop screen/body design will help, Flex 5 is a great laptop from Lenovo.
Flex 5 is a thin, sleek, minimalistic, yet stylish laptop that features a 14” IPS touchscreen that supports up to 10 point touches simultaneously. Drawing, writing, and explaining anything is much easier with such a feature, so at times, you might feel like you’re back in the class drawing on your standard board.
The biggest feature of this laptop is the 360-degree hinge that allows you to fully rotate the screen and set the laptop in any position you like to improve your workflow and productivity.
Even though this laptop is super thin and light, it still packs some high-end components that provide optimal user performance. These components include AMD Ryzen 5 processor, Radeon graphics, and a battery that can offer at least 10 hours on a single charge.
The smooth and narrow-bezel screen still includes a front-facing HD camera with an integrated microphone, so this laptop might be everything you need to teach your remote students easily.
Also Read: Best Budget Latops For Music Production
9. Asus VivoBook 15
Asus VivoBook is known for its great performance, durability, and lightness, but many potential buyers know that VivoBook 15 is built for remote workers, businesses, and students.
With Asus VivoBook, you get an ultra-wide viewing display, but you also get an effortless way to combine this laptop with a multi-monitor set-up. The display in question is the full HD LED micro-edge that’s also coated with an anti-glare display.
On top of that, this display comes with touchscreen functionality, so you will be able to multi-task easily and even use your screen as a drawing board for your class.
This means that nothing will stand between you and your Zoom teaching. You’ll also be backed up by powerful components such as the Intel i3 dual-core processor, SSD, and 8 GB of RAM.
The laptop is only 0.8” thin, and yet it barely weighs 3.7 lbs.
Also Read: Best Laptops For College Students
10. Apple MacBook Air
MacBook Air is one of the best choices if you plan on relying on the Mac OS. It’s a very light and thin laptop that is durable thanks to the aluminum casing and thin build.
However, one of the biggest advantages is Apple’s well-known Retina display with True Tone settings. Such a display offers visuals of up to four million pixels so you can have a precise and clear view of everything you do.
Performance-wise, MacBook Air is light and super powerful thanks to the Intel Core i5 process, 8 GB of RAM, and 256 GB of SSD storage.
With a battery that can last a day, charging won’t come in the way when teaching, and yet you’ll be able to focus on what matters the most in your class.
Also, MacBook Air is well known for the super smooth and comfortable keyboard made from Apple’s unique Butterfly switches. Therefore, if you spend a lot of time writing, this laptop is worth consideration.
Check Out: Best Laptops For Writers On a Budget
11. Acer Swift 5
If multitasking is something you love to do and need a laptop that will combine well with your multitasking skills, Swift 5 is the right choice.
The Acer Swift 5 is a laptop that comes with an integrated Alexa assistant, so you can have a teaching assistant that will help get things done on your laptop while you focus on teaching the class.
Instead of a laptop being a barrier between you and your students, Swift 5 easily becomes a part of the classroom.
Even if you run the most demanding programs and apps as a part of your teaching job, Swift 5 can handle almost anything you throw at it, thanks to its configuration.
AMD Ryzen 7 octa-core processor in combination with Radeon Graphics is unstoppable, and yet on top of that, 8 GB of RAM is more than what an average Zoom teacher might need.
With convenient connectivity, sleek, thin, and lightweight design, and a 12.5-hour-long battery, Swift 5 is the laptop you can rely on.
12. Lenovo ThinkPad E15
Lenovo ThinkPad E15 is known as “the laptop” in the business world, and if it’s good enough for companies, businesses, and CEOs, it’s more than good for Zoom teaching.
ThinkPad E15 features a 15.6” full HD display and is equipped with AMD Ryzen 5 6-core processor. You’ll also get 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of SSD storage in combination with that.
This is a lot more than you might ever need, but even if you run the most demanding tools for teaching alongside the Zoom, ThinkPad E15 can easily support you.
A high-definition front-facing camera, WiFi 6, and even Gigabit LAN for ethernet connection will ensure that connectivity is never an issue. Still, it will also improve the focus on the work.
With plenty of other ports that include HDMI, USB-C, USB 2.0, 2x USB 3.1, and a display port, you’ll be able to easily connect additional monitors to create a comfortable teaching setup at home.
Also Read: Best Cheapest VR-ready Laptops
13. Acer Chromebook 315
If you don’t require a high-end laptop and you need a laptop that’s going to be reliable and will allow you to connect with your students via Zoom daily, Acer Chromebook makes a decent choice.
It’s probably the most affordable laptop on this list, yet it’s a laptop built for students, teachers, and even people in business.
This laptop is powered by a 2-core Intel Celeron N4000, which is more than enough since this laptop runs a Chrome operating system.
What matters the most is that Chromebook 315 comes with an HD ComfyView display and 4 GB of RAM with plenty of connectivity options. This way, you’ll have everything you need right in one place to teach from your home comfortably.
But not only does Acer Chromebook 315 perform well, but it is also well designed throughout, so you’ll get a lightweight, thin, yet durable laptop.
14. Lenovo Chromebook C340
Lenovo was always the brand that knew how to surprise everyone, and they did surprise everyone with this Chromebook.
This is one of the most affordable Chromebooks on the market, and yet it’s equipped with some high-end features you might not expect to find in a lower-budget laptop.
Lenovo Chromebook C340 is equipped with a 15.6” IPS touchscreen display that comes with a 360-degree hinge that allows you to fully rotate the display and use this laptop the way you want.
For incredible performance, Chromebook C340 is powered by the 8th generation of Intel Core i3 processors (dual-core), with four-core smart processing. This way, this processor can act as a regular quad-core processor and bring similar performance.
Four GB of RAM in combination with 64 eMMC + 64 GB microSD storage will meet the needs of the average teacher adapting to remote teaching.
What’s important is that this laptop has a quick start-up time, and it opens apps quickly, so you won’t need to spend a fortune on the high-end laptop if you don’t plan on using all of the features yet only plan on teaching over Zoom.
This laptop ticks all the boxes and probably fits everyone’s budget as it’s got everything you might need.
15. Fusion5
If you have a very high internet speed and wish to find a laptop that will support the speed instead of slowing you down, Fusion5 is the right laptop for the job.
The Fusion5 is a very affordable laptop equipped with 5GHz WiFi, allowing twice as fast uploads and downloads. Even if you don’t have a very high internet speed, you will still see the difference as internet connectivity will never be an issue.
This is something worth considering since Zoom constantly requires a quality internet connection so you can keep on teaching your students at a high standard.
Fusion5 comes with a 14.1” IPS display, Intel HD 500 graphics, 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, and an Intel Atom Z8350 processor.
With great connectivity through various ports, a light and sleek design, and improved durability, you won’t ever have to worry if Fusion5 will get you through another teaching day over Zoom.
Conclusion
Finding a quality laptop that won’t hold you back, won’t disappoint you, or slow you down, can be a challenge.
Luckily, if you don’t know what laptop you might need to teach on Zoom, any of these 15 best laptops will be a good choice.
MacBook Pro is probably the best laptop for this purpose since you will never regret the purchase, and MacBook Pro won’t ever fail you.
However, it would help if you considered all options since each laptop is different and offers different features and functionality.
