The 5 Best Laptops For Seniors Reviewed
Nowadays with devices becoming more and more prevalent in our lives, more and more seniors are joining the digital revolution, either with smart phones, tablets or laptop devices.
As mobility becomes a significant issue when you get older, Skyping and video messaging services are a much more effective way to keep in touch with family and friends.
When it comes to buying the ideal laptop for seniors, the specifications will be a lot more minimal than those you might need for a gaming or video editing laptop.
Seniors generally need a machine that is easy to navigate and enables them to complete a broad range of simple tasks.
Finding the right laptop can be a time-consuming process, not made easier by the increased amount of jargon that comes with a lot of manufacturer descriptions.
RAM, CPU power, interfacing… how is any of this relevant to opening a Word document of enabling a video call?
A lot of seniors just want a laptop that can complete basic tasks that include:
Writing an email or Word document, browsing the internet, reading articles or ebooks, watching movies, listening to podcasts or communicating with family and friends on Skype or a similar video chatting application.
But what laptops are the best for seniors?
What features and specifications will you want to look for that will allow you to access emails or video calling software in a way that is easy to understand?
How much will a standard laptop be looking to set you back in terms of price?
Well, seniors need not worry themselves with these questions, as we’ve compiled a list of some of the best laptops for seniors currently available on the market.
We’ve also written up a buyer’s guide that will help you to find some of the best features and capabilities of a decent laptop as well as some frequently asked questions from senior laptop users.
Best Laptops For Seniors
1. Microsoft Surface Pro 7
Our first laptop is one that is crammed full of all the hardware needed for senior users to flourish, making it the perfect machine for a beginner and intermediate laptop users.
It is fast running and very responsive, it won’t freeze or lag, with a 10th Gen Core i7 processor, it can easily process live video and will ensure that your picture isn’t grainy or pixelated – Introducing Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
The Microsoft Surface comes with 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD storage that means this laptop will power on and be up and running within 10 seconds. Google Chrome and Microsoft Word open up with one click and absolutely no delay.
For those senior members who are sight impaired, this laptop comes with a generous 12.3-inch display monitor, with a resolution of 2736 x 1824, rendering movies and live streams with crystal clarity.
The screen is also touch display, so seniors can easily play touch-sensitive games or type on it without using the keyboard.
The laptop is also very lightweight, so seniors with arthritis or other joint and muscle ailments won’t have any difficulty carrying this from one side of the room to the other.
Seniors can also count on the 10.5-hour battery life of this laptop, which will inevitably cut down on energy bills. This is one of the best battery capacities on this list of laptops.
This comes with the very recognizable operating system of Windows, which has an interface system made up of larger thumbnails, which can be magnified for seniors who are sight-impaired.
- Next-gen, best-in-class laptop with the versatility of a studio and tablet, so you can type, touch, draw, write, work, and play more naturally
- Faster than Surface Pro 6, with a 10th Gen Intel Core Processor – redefining what’s possible in a thin and light computer. Wireless : Wi-Fi 6: 802.11ax compatible. Bluetooth Wireless 5.0 technology
- More ways to connect, with both USB-C and USB-A ports for connecting to displays, docking stations and more, as well as accessory charging
- Standout design that won’t weigh you down — ultra-slim and light Surface Pro 7 starts at just 1.70 pounds.Aspect ratio: 3:2
- All-day battery life upto 10.5 hours, plus the ability to go from empty to full faster — about 80% in just over an hour
2. Lenovo Flex 5 14-Inch 2-in-1 Laptop
This next laptop also has a very easy-to-use touch screen function, perfectly balancing pricing, performance and design features.
The compact body supports a 14-inch screen that can play decent quality images in full HD at 1920 x 1080, which is ideal for any senior with eyesight issues – introducing Lenovo Flex 14-Inch 2-in-1 Laptop.
The 8th Gen Intel Core is a quad-core processor, which might not mean much to the average senior, but basically, this ensures that your computer will run super smooth.
Because this machine is more than capable of handling any task that a senior sets for it.
You can access emails easily with the built-in tab on the Windows operating system, allowing you to store millions of family pictures, the 512GB SSD storage system will preclude the need for an external hard drive.
The overall weight of the laptop is just over 3-pounds, meaning that this is a very portable unit that seniors can take with them to the local coffee shop if you fancy doing some writing or browsing.
- Thin, light, and stylish – This 2-in-1 laptop weighs just 3.64 pounds and is only 0.82" thick. It's soft and comfortable to the touch, with a durable paint that creates a better user experience. Digital pen included
- The 10-point, 14-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS touchscreen allows the Lenovo Flex 5 14" 2-in-1 laptop to be comfortable, fun, and easy to use. It's also great to look at, with 4-side narrow bezels
- The 360⁰ hinge lets you use your 2-in-1 touchscreen laptop in whatever mode works best for you; Use it in 'Laptop' mode for everyday computing, 'Tent' mode for sharing things, 'Stand' mode for binge-watching, or 'Tablet' mode for more intuitive interaction
- Enjoy up to 10 hours of battery life, plus quick charge to 80% in just 1 hour
- Powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 4500U mobile processor with Radeon graphics, you have the performance to do more, from anywhere. With more cores, you'll experience responsiveness that leaps into action for productivity, gaming, and content creation
3. New Apple MacBook Pro
Next up, we have a very popular brand that will no doubt be recognized by seniors, made world-famous for their simple yet stylish designs, with an interface that will be perfect for beginners to get to grips with.
With helpful prompts on the screen, you’ll be able to learn a host of built-in software very quickly, allowing you to become proficient in emailing, video calling and even editing family photos and videos if you feel ambitious – introducing the New Apple MacBook Pro.
This model has garnered thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, and it’s easy to see why. Powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, this Apple product comes with a Touch ID and touch bar that prohibits any unwanted visitors from accessing your laptop, keeping your information private.
The laptop itself weighs in at around 3-pounds, making it a very portable device. It’s a small unit that also enables you to store it on bookshelves, cabinets and under coffee tables.
It has an impressive storage capacity of 256GB SSD and 8GB RAM, this laptop can easily cope with most computer games on minimum specifications, so it will be able to handle emails, video calls and store upward of a million family pictures.
You won’t find yourself splashing out on an external hard drive any time soon.
The 13-inch screen offers you the utmost when it comes to resolution quality, you’ll be able to view DVDs of your favorite films with that high definition clarity or stream Zoom videos with distant daily members and friends like they’re in the room with you.
You can also hook this laptop up to a 4K screen using the additional Thunderbolt ports.
When it comes to battery life, the New Apple MacBook Pro supports 61W fast charging through the USB port, which means you won’t have to worry about losing your charger.
The charge itself lasts up to 10 hours, which means you can spend most of the day browsing leisurely or chatting with friends and not have to worry about the juice running out.
You can also charge your phone directly from this USB port, which is perfect if you want to reduce the number of cables on your workspace and save money on electricity.
- Ninth-generation 6-Core Intel Core i7 Processor
- Stunning 16-inch Retina Display with True Tone technology
- Touch Bar and Touch ID
- AMD Radeon Pro 5300M Graphics with GDDR6 memory
- Ultrafast SSD
4. ASUS ZenBook Flip 2-in-1 Laptop
Next up we have a very interesting design of laptop, with a 13.3-inch HD touch screen body that is energy efficient with an Intel Core M3 6Y30 dual-core processor that can run up to 0.9GHz.
This laptop has a fanless design that means a very quiet running that will not heat up even when running multiple apps – introducing the ASUS ZenBook Flip 2-in-1 Laptop.
You can connect this laptop to an external monitor or even a projector, which will be useful if you want those small thumbnails to be much more visible or you want to play Youtube videos straight onto a plain wall to create your own home cinema.
The processor possesses 8GB RAM and has 512GB SSD storage, which means that it will be able to easily play all the movies, videos, pictures, websites and any other data-heavy activity you happen to throw at it.
With a Windows 10 OS, you can be sure to find all your favorite software programs at the touch of a button.
The 2.9-pound weight of this laptop makes it incredibly easy to carry, which will come in handy for those seniors who struggle with muscular or autoimmune diseases in the joints. It also has a very impressive battery life, lasting up to 7 hours on one single charge.
- 13.3 inch Full HD (1920X1080) Anti-Glare NanoEdge bezel display
- Latest 10th generation Intel Core i5-1035G1 Processor (6M Cache, up to 3.6 GHz)
- Fast storage and memory featuring 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD and 8GB LPDDR4 RAM
- Extensive connectivity with HDMI, Thunderbolt 3 via USB-C, USB Type A, Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), and Bluetooth 5.0
- Sleek and lightweight 2.87lbs and 0.55” aluminum body for comfortable portability with backlit keyboard
5. Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop
Our final choice of laptop is the most affordable option, perfect for seniors with a modest pension who want something cheap that does not compromise on functionality.
It has a generous 15.6-inch display that gives the user 1920 x 1080p FHD resolution, so you can play Blu-Rays or stream video with the utmost picture quality. Throw your old television away, because now you’ve got the Acer Aspire 5 Slim Laptop.
The DVD drive in the body means that you can play your favorite films or music without the need for wifi.
The laptop itself features a robust 8th Gen Intel Core i3 CPU with an integrated HD 620 graphics card, which is premium standard hardware for seniors who might want to dabble in the world of gaming.
On top of that, you have a colossal storage system of 1TB, which basically means you can store thousands and thousands of your favorite family videos or pictures. You can even download Photoshop and start cleaning up your older, damaged polaroid and film pictures.
In terms of battery charge, this laptop can last over 13.5 hours in one single charge, which is probably the longest on this list. The laptop charges quickly and efficiently through the port on the side.
It also comes with HDMI and ethernet ports that allow you to connect it with your other devices like wifi, widescreen television and mobile phones.
- Aspect Ratio:16:9
- AMD Ryzen 3 3200U Dual Core Processor (Up to 3.5GHz); 4GB DDR4 Memory; 128GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- 15.6 inches full HD (1920 x 1080) widescreen LED backlit IPS display; AMD Radeon Vega 3 Mobile Graphics
- 1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 port, 2 USB 2.0 ports & 1 HDMI port with HDCP support
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi; Backlit Keyboard; Up to 7.5 hours battery life
Laptop for Seniors Buyer’s Guide
When it comes to buying a laptop for seniors, you’ll want something that isn’t too heavy on the tech, that could be described as ‘light’, with easy to install software that can be navigated and understood simply.
Most people, not just seniors, are not familiar with the jargon that often comes with the latest developments in laptop technology.
Here are a few things that you need to bear in mind when purchasing a laptop for seniors.
It Needs To Have A Simple, Minimalist Interface
The last thing you want to do is overcomplicate things for an older laptop user.
You’ll probably require an operating system that runs on the newest and most basic Windows or Apple systems. Windows 10, Mac OS and Chrome OS are some of the easiest interfaces to navigate, without a raft of pre-installed software that might bloat your system.
Try not to get an OS that consumes all your processor power with antivirus software and other needless applications.
You also don’t want pop-ups bombarding you every hour of every day, so look for an OS that is relatively app-free. Give seniors the agency to download this stuff of their own free will.
If you decide to go with a Windows 10 laptop, this video is a great tutorial for seniors:
Look For A Laptop With A Touch Screen
A lot of seniors might have mobility issues or joint and muscle pain that will impede their overall functioning.
A laptop with lots of keys might be very difficult to use for seniors who are sight-impaired too.
Find a laptop that has a sensitive touch screen with larger keys that are easy to read.
A senior’s day will be made a lot simpler if they can drag and drop a browsing window or play a video with a press of their finger, rather than rely on a mouse and intricate hand-eye coordination.
A Laptop Should Have Premium Resolution
As mentioned above, sight issues are very common amongst older people, so your screen mustn’t let down an older user.
Brightness and vivid colors are much easier to see, along with sharpness and resolution, this will give a senior user the optimum experience with their new laptop.
Find A Lightweight Laptop
Laptops are known for their portability, but for seniors who might have conditions such as arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or just various aches and pains, the importance of having a laptop made from lighter materials is paramount.
Laptops made from plastic are generally the lightest options, although you can also get laptops made from aluminum and carbon fiber, which are both lightweight and durable.
This will all depend on how often the laptop will be used and the distance across which it is going to be carried.
Laptops that are going to be carried short distances in the house could be made from heavier materials.
Have an Ergonomic Keyboard
When using a keyboard you don’t want anything that will cause repetitive strain on the back, shoulders, fingers or neck muscles.
If a senior user is going to spend most of the day emailing or writing content, you’ll want a laptop that will encourage the best posture.
You can find stands that are either built into the laptop or bought separately.
This will keep the screen of the laptop at about eye level, which will promote a straight back and avoid the user hunching over.
Find A Laptop With A Fast Processor
You might think that processor speed will only be necessary for gamers, but it is also incredibly important for running ordinary applications such and Google or Microsoft Word.
A slow processor is often frustrating, even for younger users, and older users who might not be familiar with technology might become unduly frustrated and think their laptop has stopped working when it has only frozen for a few minutes.
A Laptop Must Have Excellent Battery Life
Often running programs such as Skype can guzzle a lot of battery life without you knowing it.
If a senior user is planning on using a laptop mainly for video calling relatives for long periods, they’ll want a machine that will stay powered for at least 5 hours off one single charge.
The last thing a senior wants to be worrying about is a laptop dying halfway during a video call.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Best Features For A Laptop Aimed At Seniors?
We would recommend an easy-to-use OS and a fast processor speed for most seniors, as this might be a source of confusion and frustration if these things start to malfunction or slow down.
The keyboard and screen resolution is very important to a senior that suffers from sight impairment and muscular, bone and tendon conditions.
Is It Better To Buy A Laptop Or A Desktop PC For A Senior?
Both laptops and static base computers come with the same basic software and hardware capabilities.
A laptop will be more useful to a senior who is mobile and might want to change the location of their laptop from time to time or use it for compiling shopping lists or collating family pictures.
Desktop units are generally more powerful and more expensive and probably would be better to use for dedicated gamers who will be playing a few times a week, rather than a senior who might simply be using it for basic tasks.