Best Laptops for Crafting (2022): Top Picks For Digital Crafting

With powerful digital tools at one’s disposal, it’s no wonder digital scrapbooking or digi craft has emerged as a popular hobby. Thanks to new programs running on the latest computers, the creative craft practice has been freed from physical constraints. This has allowed for a range of new and traditional graphical elements to be recombined in composing today’s digital scrapbooks.

However, the lists of best laptops for crafting can be quite overwhelming. There are simply too many to choose from. To help you out, we’ve narrowed down our picks to just four. In this review, we take a look at the Apple MacBook Pro, Asus VivoBook S410, Microsoft Surface Book 2, and Lenovo Yoga C930.

Best Laptops for Crafting Comparison Chart

Best Overall: Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch

Stylish, powerful, and energy-efficient, it’s hard to top Apple’s new M1-powered MacBook Pro.

The latest 13-inch MacBook Pro is now powered by Apple’s own chip. Over the last few months, this decision to move away from Intel has sparked exciting conversations. Based on reviews, however, much of the discussion has been positive. While the design of the laptop remains largely unchanged, the brand-new M1 delivers excellent performance and battery life.

For designers, this means getting a computer that can handle intensive applications with ease. The M1 is great at running programs like Final Cut Pro X and Adobe’s Creative Cloud applications. Working on huge image files or editing graphics is smooth, too, with no traces of lag or thermal throttle. If you’re a crafter, you’ll be happy to know the Cricut Design Space for Mac works perfectly on the M1 as well.

There is plenty of room for all your media and projects here. The 13-inch MacBook Pro offers storage options from 256GB to 2TB.

Best Budget Laptop: ASUS VivoBook S410

The ASUS VivoBook S410 is a budget-friendly laptop that can reliably handle your favorite crafting software.

Designed with students in mind, the ASUS VivoBook S410 is a reliable and budget-friendly option for crafting. When it comes to its build, the laptop emphasizes style and portability. The S410 is only 2 cm at its thickest, making it a device you can easily slip into your backpack or laptop bag. Its 14-inch display is also framed by thin bezels and boasts a full HD resolution. On the side of the VivoBook, you get a standard array of ports, including one for USB-C.

The ASUS VivoBook S410 comes with an 8th generation Intel Core i7 processor with integrated graphics. While you don’t get a dedicated GPU, the laptop still does a great job handling editing software like Adobe Photoshop Elements or Design Space. You can even run a couple of low-end games without slowing down the laptop.

For everyday use, including multi-tasking across several programs, this is a pretty solid budget laptop. It’s compatible with most crafting machines, too, including the best Cricut for beginners.

Best All-In-One Laptop: Microsoft Surface Book 2

Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 is a laptop and powerful tablet in one versatile device.

When it comes to digital scrapbooking, you want a laptop that delivers in terms of processor, RAM, storage, and GPU. Microsoft’s Surface Book 2 has all these and more. The versatile device works both as a laptop and portable studio. Its 13-inch touch display completely detaches from the keyboard, giving users a tablet-like experience. In this mode, the Surface Book 2 works best with the Surface Pen stylus, which allows artists to sketch and edit comfortably.

Microsoft’s all-in-one laptop is equipped with either an Intel Core i5 or i7 processor. These quad-core processors offer a nice upgrade from the original Surface Book. On image processing or video editing apps, the bump in performance is noticeable, allowing for a more fluid workflow. With the Surface Book 2, you can also choose between 8GB or 16GB of RAM. There are storage options of up to 1TB SSD as well.

The Surface Book 2’s screen isn’t 4K, but you still get accurate color reproduction across different viewing angles. The only downside is that the Surface Pen is sold separately.

Best Touchscreen Laptop: Lenovo Yoga C930

With its futuristic hinge and bundled active pen, digital crafters will love working on the Lenovo Yoga C930.

If the Microsoft Surface Book 2 is all about detaching, then the Lenovo Yoga C930 is all about bending. As its name suggests, the Yoga C930 can bend flexibly up to 360-degrees so you can turn it into a tablet. Despite this clamshell form factor, it still boasts a slim and attractive profile. The C930’s 13.9-inch touchscreen display offers full HD resolution and makes use of IPS technology for the best color and viewing angles.

Where the Yoga outdoes the Surface Book 2, however, is that it comes with an active pen. When in use, the stylus has no noticeable lag, perfect for drawing and precise edits. Performance-wise, the Lenovo Yoga C930 delivers even for CPU-intensive tasks. The laptop comes with an 8th generation Intel quad-core processor and 16GB of RAM. For minor video editing or image processing, this is already pretty good.

The Lenovo Yoga C930 never feels sluggish when multi-tasking. For the digital crafter, this makes for a solid work and play laptop.

Verdict

When it comes to crafting, Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro is a clear standout, followed by the stylish and functional Lenovo Yoga C930.

While all four laptops reviewed are great for crafting, the Apple MacBook Pro and the Lenovo Yoga C930 are our top picks. Apple’s M1-powered laptop is simply too good to pass. The new MacBook Pro is fast and responsive. Apple’s flagship laptop is capable of handling design and editing software with ease. It’s also great for long workdays, thanks to the 12-hour battery life.

Meanwhile, the Lenovo Yoga C930 has a slight edge over the Microsoft Surface Book 2 when it comes to non-Apple options. The Lenovo Yoga may not have a detachable display but can bend 360-degrees for a tablet-like experience. Best of all, the laptop comes with an active pen and the pen’s built-in charging slot. If you’re someone who likes quick sketches or the precision editing of a stylus, it’s nice to know the Yoga C930 includes one out of the box.

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