5 Best Travel Laptop under 500 Dollars in August 2022
The best travel laptop under 500 dollars in 2021. Apart from your usual gear, the laptop could be one of the most important companions for the average traveler. Whether you’re traveling for business, leisure or both, the laptop would have a purpose.
If you are an aspiring blogger, vlogger, or a businessman needing to manage your business while traveling, the laptop would certainly be a necessary travel buddy for you.
There are certainly many things you could do on your smartphones which could replace laptop function. But there are definitely functions that only a laptop would give you, such as editing, and business management. If you are someone that would need these functions while traveling all over the world, then you are, straight up, in need of a laptop for travel.
The 5 Best Travel Laptops under 500 Dollars
The good thing about selecting a laptop companion for traveling is that you don’t really have to spend so much. For a budget not exceeding $500, you could already get something decent enough to fire up your business, or even do a little editing. For students, you would be able to do researches on-the-go, and maybe even papers when you are required to.
The only thing that would make this quest slightly difficult is the right choice. There are so many options that would offer their shenanigans at this price point. That is why we are here to narrow that down to the 5 best laptops under 500.
Recommended Best Travel Laptop under $500
The first thing that we will be looking for is something that is lightweight. Something that will not add bulk and won’t break your back as you carry it around. It should have a decent battery life that would allow you to work your laptop out while on-the-go. Since you will be traveling a lot, you can never expect every place to have a conveniently situated outlet just for you to plug your laptop in.
We will be subdividing these into categories in the Best Overall, the Runner Up, the Best Budget, the Best Chromebook and the Best for Portability.
1. Lenovo IdeaPad S340 – The Best Travel Laptop under 500 Dollars
The Lenovo 15.6″ S340 is truly the best travel laptop under 500 dollars. With 15 inches of screen estate and only weighing at 3.96lbs, the IdeaPad could appeal to all types of travelers.
Equipped with a Whiskey lake Intel Core i5-8265U, the Lenovo IdeaPad sports a newer and faster CPU that offers a higher clock speed for superior processing. Pair that with an 8GB of DDR4 Rams and 128GB SSD, this laptop could power through any productivity applications you through at it. Multitasking could even be a breeze if you really have to while traveling.
You might think that for blogging, 128GB SSD might not just be enough. Well, if you are looking at the number of storage options available outside your 128GB SSD, you could find a lot of ways to extend that without upgrading. With the multitude of cloud drives, lightweight portable hard drives, you could allocate the entire 128GB SSD for operating system use without worrying about additional storage.
PROS:
- Great Battery Life
- Quality aluminum build
- Intel Core i5-8265U with 8GB RAM
CONS:
- 128GB SSD
- TN display has poor viewing angles
- Only HD 1080 resolution
Where to buy it:
2. HP Pavillion – The Best Travel Laptops under $500
The Newest HP 15.6″ Touchscreen Laptop would truly be appealing to travelers needing the full set of keys which includes the Numpad and a large-sized screen estate for handling multiple applications at the same time. This could also be appealing to bloggers as well because of the ergonomics that are key for sharing the best stories of your travels.
With pretty much the same configuration as the Lenovo IdeaPad, the HP Pavilion is heavily considered as the Runner Up in this best travel laptop under 500 dollars list. Capable in handling any type of productivity applications, the HP Pavilion is equipped with the same Intel Core i5-8250U, though just a generation behind, 8GB of DDR4 Rams and the same storage setup which is a 128GB SSD.
What makes the HP Pavilion magnificent is the inclusion of the touch function which could make everything easier and faster while on the go. You just can’t have to pull it out on a table or a lap while you are moving about.
PROS:
- Touch Functionality
- Intel Core i5 and 8GB Ram
- Solid Battery Life
- Decent connectivity options
CONS:
- Only 128GB SSD
- Optical Drive adds bulk
- HD 1080 resolution screen only
Where to buy it:
3. Acer Aspire 5 Ryzen 3 – The Budget Pick
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop line has certainly made waves in the budget category. They have been making laptops that are very difficult to beat at the price they are being offered. One of those in the Aspire line has brought us amazing key specs that are ideal for travel and productivity works at a very tempting price. The Acer Aspire 5 Ryzen 3.
The same 15-inch screen estate only this time with a Full HD IPS panel that has a superior texture and viewing angles. If you are planning to share a video you took exploring the beauty of Santorini to the people around you, the Aspire 5 will make that viewing comfortable for everyone.
Equipped with the Ryzen 3 3200U, along with its integrated Vega 3 graphics and 4GB of DDR4 Rams, you are sure to be able to work and maybe do a little bit of play while moving around. And if you plan on having to fill up your blog site at night, the backlit keyboard might just be the reason why you don’t have to disturb your roommate while doing so.
PROS:
- AMD Ryzen 3 with Vega 3
- FullHD IPS Panel
- 128GB SSD is great for its price range
- Exceptionally thin
- Budget-friendly
CONS:
- 4GB RAM
- Average Battery Life
Where to buy it:
4. Dell Inspiron Chromebook – The Best Chromebook
Why not a Dell Inspiron Chromebook 2-in-1? For the purpose of productivity and business management needs, the Chrome OS has the functionality to perform all of these tasks without really needing too much power. What makes the Chromebook ideal for travel is that the applications available for the Chrome OS are dedicated to mobility. You have full control over your google cloud setup with the Chromebook.
And the best one at this price range is none other than the Dell Inspiron Chromebook. Despite running only on Chrome OS, this Inspiron is loaded with an Intel Core i3-8130 which is more than enough to fire up your Chrome OS and more. Along with 4GB of RAM and 128GB eMMC, you are able to fill that blog of yours or even upload your latest VLOG on Youtube while on-the-go.
What makes the Dell Inspiron amazing in this category is its TrueLife Led Backlight Touch IPS display for those that would want a 2-in-1 functionality. With a 360 degree flip and fold design, you could turn this laptop into a tablet that could appeal to every traveler out there, you included.
PROS:
- Intel Core i3 – 8130U.
- Chrome OS
- Full HD IPS Display
- Full Rotation for 2-in-1 functionality
- Excellent Battery Life
CONS:
- 4GB RAM
- Speakers might need a little more work.
- Expensive versus power
Where to buy it:
5. Acer Aspire 5 – The Premium Pick
This Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop variant is the A515-54-51DJ model that features a Whiskey Lake Intel Core i5-8265U which has an upgraded clock speed that aids in the overall processing. This comes with the same 15-inch screen estate that dons a Full HD IPS panel for wide viewing angles. Pair all of that with 8GB of DDR4 RAMs and slap a 256GB SSD, then you have all systems go for the best laptop there is for travel and business needs.
I wasn’t kidding when I said that Acer has been producing incredible laptop variants at this price range. Sadly this couldn’t make the cut as the best because this one slightly exceeded our budget. But if you are willing to spend ten bucks more, you are going to have the best of the best on the list.
What makes this Aspire better than the rest is its fingerprint reader for extra security. You would never know what you will encounter abroad, added security feature is definitely always welcome.
PROS:
- Fingerprint Scanner
- Full HD IPS Panel
- 256GB SSD
- Whiskey Lake Intel Core i5
- Solid battery Life
CONS:
- Dim Display
- No MMC Reader
Where to buy it:
Why do you need the best travel laptop under $500
You need the best travel laptop under 500 dollars because of the functionality it offers while you are on-the-go. Need to communicate with your loved ones? Want to share a video you took in the countryside? Want to fill up your blog site with amazing stories from your cruise? Or if you want to check on your sales for the day, you can do all of that with a laptop under 500. So if you are that type of travel, you need the best travel laptop under 500.
Who needs the best travel laptop under $500
If you are a blogger that loves to write stories about the places you’ve been to and the activities you’ve been doing in these places. Or if you simply want to share your itineraries, then you need the best travel laptop under 500. If you are a businessman that needs to travel often because of business needs but still needs to manage your business remotely, then you need the best travel laptop under 500.
If you are a regular traveler and you want to share your experiences to the rest of the world through social media, how best for you to edit your videos and photos than with a full-blown laptop you could conveniently use. Yes if you are a regular traveler, you need the best laptop under 500.
Who the best travel laptop under $500 is NOT for?
The best travel laptop under 500 is not for the people looking for a gaming laptop. These laptops would not be able to cater to games, most especially AAA titles. If you are looking for those types of laptops, then you’d have to look elsewhere like our list for the best laptops for gaming.
If you are looking for full-blown editing laptops where you are required to edit mini videos for weddings, parties and the like. These might just not cut-it because of the power you require to edit and render those at a limited time.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best travel laptop under 500?
In this list, the Lenovo IdeaPad S340 takes the crown as the best travel laptop under 500. Its performance and functionality are ideal for the average traveler and bloggers to document their stories and share them with the rest of the world.
If you are looking for something that would have so much more and does not mind spending a couple more over the budget then the Acer Aspire 5 might just be for you. Equipped with a Fingerprint Scanner, Full HD IPS Panel, a Whiskey lake processor and a 256GB SSD, you are getting heaps of upgraded stuff for only $10 more.
How much do I need to buy the best travel laptop under 500?
The Lenovo IdeaPad S340 and the HP Pavilion are basically the same in price at exactly $500 or just right under that. Both are very decent for travel near or far, ideal for people on-the-go.
For just about $10 more, you can also already get the Acer Aspire 5 A515-54-51DJ, which has far more bells and whistles than the first 2 in the list. Extremely capable to handle pretty much anything you throw at it, except games, this could be your next travel companion, and might just be the very best at it.
What is the cheapest best travel laptop under 500?
The cheapest best travel laptop under 500 dollars is also another Acer Aspire 5 only this time carrying the Ryzen 3 processor. For $314.99 you already have a 15-inch lappie with the same Full HD IPS Panel. You’d just have to expect a little delay on your usual stuff though, given the hardware configuration in this lappie, the Ryzen 3 and 4GB of RAM, isn’t really designed for the ultimate processing and multitasking.
Conclusion
There are many different functions that you could use from a laptop as a traveler. Yes, you might have a smartphone you could use for general communication and travel searches, but you could never compare the smartphone to a laptop for running full-blown applications dedicated for business management or editing.
You could not rely on smartphones to create blogs and maybe even VLOGS. That is why if you are traveling, you need to have a laptop companion. Your travels might just be more meaningful with a laptop than without one.
