The best business laptops, according to hackers
3 business laptops were recommended on Hacker News between November 2025 and November 2026. We rank them by how many separate people recommend each one, and 2 earn the Hacker Approved badge.
Top picks
The two most recommended business laptops with the badge. Each figure is 25 people. RecommendsCriticizes One comment
Repairable with available parts, manuals
Durable, easily repaired laptops with excellent Linux support, often bought cheaply used, though critics say build quality, keyboards and trackpoints have declined from the classic models.
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Runs Linux well out of the box
Recommended for running Linux reliably, with upgradable RAM and storage, solid build and good repairability. Common caveat: the cheaper screen options are weak and prone to ghosting.
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We may earn a commission. It never changes the order.
All 3 business laptops, ranked
Select a column heading to sort. Approval share is recommenders out of everyone who gave an opinion; the tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs. Months counts the months, out of 13, in which someone recommended it.
| Rank | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lenovo ThinkPad | 332 | 113 | 75% | 12 | 10 yrs44 owners | Approved |
| 2 | HP EliteBook | 26 | 5 | 84% | 8 | 5 yrs7 owners | Approved |
| 3 | Dell Latitude 7490 | 5 | 2 | 71% | 3 | — | — |
How we rank
Rank is the number of separate people who recommend a product in a Hacker News comment over the past year. Someone who praises the same business laptop in five threads counts once.
The badge goes to business laptops that at least 10 people recommend, with recommenders outnumbering critics at least 2 to 1, recommended in at least 4 of the 13 months.
Rankings are never for sale. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links. It never changes the order.