The 5 Best Laptops for Seniors for Everyday Use in 2024

Since computer technology has become more accessible to older adults, it’s easier than ever to find modern laptops that are great for your older loved ones!

However, I strongly recommend getting something they’re familiar with. For instance, if they’ve used a Windows laptop before, don’t get them a Mac.

I’ve listed a few options for tech-savvy and inexperienced seniors, so read on!

The 5 Best Laptops for Seniors

Here are some of the best laptops for seniors!

1) Best Overall – Asus Chromebook Flip CX5

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FEATURES:

• 11th-gen Intel Core i3 chip
• 128GB of storage
• 8GB of RAM

I recommend this Asus laptop for seniors who are used to using touchscreens or who don’t mind smaller screens.

Because it’s a 2-in-1 laptop, the Flip CX5 is a touchscreen, so it’s intuitive to use. Whether you use it in laptop, tent, or tablet mode, it’ll deliver good performance!

Even if your elderly loved one doesn’t use tablet mode, this laptop for seniors still has a comfortable and responsive keyboard with satisfying clicks.

Your loved one may not be used to ChromeOS. Take the time to help them get used to this new operating system.

Coming in at 1.4Kg, this lightweight laptop is a breeze to use and offers lots of input options. You can get it here.

PROS

• Good selection of USB ports
• Sturdy aluminum chassis
• Great battery life

CONS

• It doesn’t have a NanoEdge bezel display
• The display can be dim

2) Best Value – Toshiba Tecra Dynabook

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FEATURES:

• 11th-gen Intel Core i7 chip
• 512GB of storage
• 16GB of RAM

The Dynabook A50-J is designed for power users. If you’re shopping for a senior who used to be an executive, they’ll like this one!

Seniors who use disks will like the A50-J because it features an optical drive for burning disks and backing up old photos. It’s also sturdy, to boot!

This laptop doesn’t fear heavy hands because it’s solidly built and designed to be tough. However, there’s one thing I need to mention.

Unfortunately, you don’t get a Full HD display with this laptop. Its screen resolution is 1366×768, which is not the industry standard. You can get a Toshiba Tecra here.

PROS

• Sturdy and built to last
• Large screen size
• Bright and clear display

CONS

• Speakers are tinny
• Fairly heavy for a laptop

3) Best Budget – Acer Aspire 5 Slim

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FEATURES:

• 11th-gen Intel Core i3 chip
• Intel UHD graphics
• 4GB RAM

This 15.6-inch laptop is a little large and heavy, but that’s because Acer has managed to house this laptop in an attractive aluminum chassis.

I recommend this laptop for seniors because it’s filled with only the essentials, like Intel’s UHD graphics and 4GB of RAM. I’d normally advise going for 8GB, but it’s fine.

That’s because the Aspire 5 Slim runs Windows 11 in S mode, designed to require less memory and power.

I got 9 hours of battery life from this laptop, which is impressive considering its Full HD screen. You can get an Aspire 5 Slim here.

PROS

• Stunning Full HD display
• Comfortable full-size keyboard with number pad
• Very good battery life

CONS

• Stock RAM is low
• It comes preloaded with bloatware

4) Apple Macbook Air

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FEATURES:

• Apple M1 chip
• 265GB SSD storage space
• 16GB of RAM

Apple’s Macbook Air is a modern laptop, perfect for seniors who are used to macOS!

This laptop’s sleek, slim, fast, and powerful. Your loved one won’t have issues with processing power, thanks to Apple’s M1 chip.

I also love this laptop because of its classic Apple speakers, which remain the best speakers I’ve ever heard on a laptop. No need for headphones here!

You can get a Macbook Air here.

PROS

• True Tone technology gives clearer images
• Stays cool under load
• Incredible speakers

CONS

• Smaller screen size
• Only has USB-C ports

5) Apple Macbook Pro (16-inch)

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FEATURES:

• Apple M1 Pro chip
• 16GB of RAM memory
• 512GB SSD

Continuing the trend of Apple devices is the Apple Macbook Pro! This is the largest laptop for seniors on the list and also the most expensive.

This laptop’s large display is great for seniors with vision problems, and Apple’s clear Retina display will make all colors pop.

As versatile as it is large, the Macbook Pro’s screen is complemented by a 1080p webcam in the center of the display. Your loved one won’t worry about looking grainy during video calls!

You won’t have to worry about this laptop’s battery life. I was able to get up to ten hours of use before having to reach for the charger.

It’s a bit heavy and expensive, but the Macbook Pro is an incredible laptop for seniors. You can get one here.

PROS

• Tons of storage space
• Large and visible print on keys
• Beautiful Retina display

CONS

• Extremely expensive
• A little heavy

What Do Seniors Need in a Good Laptop?

I’ve written this section with accessibility in mind and have stuck to general quality-of-life features that will benefit everyone, but it’s still mostly tailored for senior citizens.

To ensure this section’s more approachable to the average user, I’ve refrained from going too in-depth with specs and numbers.

Get Their Opinion

Before looking for a great laptop for seniors, ask your loved one what they want. If they’re used to laptops, they’ll already know what they want in their devices.

Have you ever heard of Shirley Curry? She’s a senior citizen known for playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Your loved one may be like her and enjoy online gaming.

If so, ensure their laptop has a dedicated graphics card for their games. However, if your loved one only needs the basics, stick with a Chromebook.

Good Quality Webcam

It’s common for senior citizens to use their laptops for video chatting to keep in touch with their families even when they’re stuck at home.

To make their video chatting experience smoother, ensure that their laptop has at least a 720p webcam. I’d recommend getting one with a 1080p webcam for even better image quality.

A good webcam should also have a built-in microphone so your loved one can be heard and seen clearly.

Accessibility

Physical disabilities are common in the elderly, so you’ll need to find a laptop that’s easy to use regardless of their conditions.

For example, touch screens are intuitive but may register unwanted key presses for seniors with joint problems.

If your loved one has poor eyesight, ensure that their laptop has a large and bright display. A more vibrant display will be easier on the eyes.

Check the operating system of their laptop, too. Windows 10 and macOS have virtual assistants that can help your loved one operate the laptop via voice commands.

Comfortable Keyboard

Seniors with impaired vision will do well with a full-sized keyboard. They may also enjoy the tactile feel of external keyboards, so get one with 4mm of travel distance for comfort.

A spill-resistant keyboard may give your senior relative more peace of mind, especially if they keep drinks near their laptop.

Strong Speakers

Watching movies is one of the best things you can do on a laptop, whether you’re a senior or not.

Help your elderly parents skip the hassle of needing earphones or extra speakers by ensuring their laptop has good sound quality.

Be Prepared to Troubleshoot

Be prepared to tweak the settings on your loved one’s laptop to give them an easier time.

This can include setting up an external mouse for them or changing the font size in their laptops to be larger.

If their new laptop has a new operating system than what they’re used to, you’ll need to walk them through how to use it. Remember to be patient.

CPU and Storage

Your older loved one’s laptop will need a lot of processing power, especially if they plan to do multiple tasks simultaneously.

When looking at laptop CPUs, please pay close attention to their stated minimum processor speed. CPUs typically don’t stay at their full clock speed, so don’t get lost in the big numbers.

Look for laptop CPUs that run at 2.1GHz and higher. Anything over 3GHz is more suited for power users, so if you have a senior loved one who’s still working, they’ll likely need the speed.

Next, I’ll discuss storage. Your elderly loved one likely keeps digital copies of photos and important documents.

All the files they have likely won’t take up too much space, but what’s more important is the speed of their storage, not the capacity.

I recommend getting a laptop with at least 128GB of SSD storage. The difference between loading speeds with an HDD and SSD is like night and day!

GPU and RAM

Unless your older loved one is an avid gamer, they wouldn’t need anything stronger than Intel Iris XE graphics or AMD’s Radeon Vega integrated graphics.

However, if they are into gaming, look for a laptop with a 20- or 30-series NVidia Geforce RTX graphics card. Next is the RAM memory.

The 64-bit version of Windows 10 needs 2GB of RAM, but that’s unfeasible for modern applications [R]. The bare minimum I’d recommend is 8GB of DDR4 RAM.

Display Size and Resolution

Now it’s time to discuss screen space. No one likes squinting at small screens, least of all seniors. I recommend a laptop with a screen size of 13-14 or 15.6 inches.

These three sizes are the sweet spot between portability and comfort. Next is resolution.

1920×1080 is the industry standard, but it may be too sharp for your elderly parents. Work with them to find their ideal resolution.

Portability

I mentioned display size above, which directly impacts a laptop’s weight. A light computer is easier to carry around, especially for older adults.

I recommend getting a laptop between 1-2Kg, at most 2Kg. If your chosen laptop weighs greater than 2Kg, it’s time to choose a different model.

Fortunately, most laptops for seniors fit in this weight range, so you’ll have many options.

Battery Life

The ideal laptop for seniors should have a long battery life, especially if your loved one consistently forgets to charge their laptop.

My idea of a good battery life would be roughly 6-8 hours on a full charge. That assumes a full day of usage and light tasks like web browsing or movie streaming.

You can help your loved one extend their laptop’s battery life by lowering the brightness of their laptop, but that may be unreasonable, especially if they have impaired vision.

Price to Performance

Because most seniors are typically fully or partially retired, they don’t have access to the same amount of income as working adults. Any laptop you get for them should strike a balance between price and performance.

Keep in mind whether your loved one will use all the features your chosen laptop offers. Some things, like a backlit keyboard, are likely irrelevant to them.

If your elderly loved one cannot afford a brand-new laptop, that’s okay. It’s common to find refurbished models of other laptops being sold at lower prices.

Why Should Seniors Use a Good Laptop?

Here are some reasons why seniors need an ideal laptop!

Greater Interaction

If your loved one is living unassisted, it can be hard for them to communicate with their relatives and friends. But with a laptop, their friends are just one video chat away!

They can make video calls on a laptop and stay connected no matter the distance.

Stay Updated

Before the age of social media, computers were mainly used for either productivity or web browsing. Even with social media, seniors can stay in touch with their family and friends.

Senior citizens can look up just about anything on their laptops, which is great if they love reading and being updated with news in their area.

Help With Organization

Some tech-savvy seniors use their laptops to stay on top of everyday tasks. After all, you can handle your finances and answer emails with a laptop!

They can also use it for basic tasks like keeping a daily journal or writing down recipes if they’re avid cooks.

Summary

Here’s a quick recap of my top laptop picks for seniors!

Best Budget – Acer Aspire 5 Slim

The Aspire 5 Slim is a budget-conscious laptop that punches above its weight class and has a great display for the price!

Best Value – Toshiba Tecra Dynabook

The Dynabook Tecra is a powerful laptop for seniors that’s built like a brick and should last your loved one a long time.

Best Overall – Asus Chromebook Flip CX5

The best laptop for seniors is the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5. It’s a flexible touchscreen that’s light enough to carry everywhere!

Conclusion

The best laptop computers for seniors should handle everything they need easily and offer fantastic performance at an equally-fantastic price.

Ask your loved one about their preferred specs to help speed up the process. They have a better idea of their needs than you do!

Focus on screen size, resolution, and comfort to get the best laptop for your elderly loved one!