HP had a solid second place in this year's ranking, jumping from fourth place last year. A combination of very good overall review scores, great design and a wide variety of laptop options for each price range helped HP shine. While we recommend all the HP laptops we tested, the company received fewer Editors & # 39; Choice awards than Lenovo in the first place.
HP phone support also needs work, since representatives gave some incorrect answers and pushed us towards paid support.
HP Key Strengths
- Beautiful design: HP knows how to make a pretty laptop, and sees it from the company's entry-level Pavilion line to its ZBook and EliteBook business lines. Almost all the machines are amazing.
- Lots of options: We reviewed laptops in all price ranges, and HP had attractive options in each of them. Whether you want a entry-level notebook just to stream movies or a high-powered notebook for several thousand dollars, there's an HP for you.
- Excellent support: HP has first class support on the web and the company pays for shipping when it needs a warranty repair.
HP's main weaknesses
- Caro does not mean incredible: While we recommend all the HP laptops we tested, some of the company's flagships, such as the HP Specter 13, did not get high-ranking scores or a recommendation of Editor's Choice.
- Missing phone support: In our phone calls, HP representatives offered incorrect suggestions and pressured us to pick up their paid subscription service for answers.
HP best-qualified laptops
Best for students: HP Envy 13t
Best for business: HP EliteBook x360 G2
Best for games: HP Omen 15
Reviews (35/40 )
HP has an impressive and diverse lineup of attractive consumer products such as the Specter line, powerful ZBook and EliteBook workstations, and colorful budget systems such as Stream 14. The company's laptops scored Strong average of 3.7 out of 5 stars during our evaluation period, with a total of seven of 22 products that received our coveted Editors & # 39; Choice award. Not even an HP laptop got less than 3 stars. (Less than 3 means "Do not buy this")
Some outstanding products include the HP Envy 13t, a lightweight consumer notebook that delivers an amazing typing experience and a long-lasting battery for less than $ 900; the powerful and attractive HP Omen 17; and the stylish HP EliteBook x360 2 in 1 for business users. HP also had some major disappointments, such as the HP Specter 13 high-end, which is superthin but has a weak battery life, and the HP Omen 15t, which suffers from a dim screen, a shallow keyboard and slow transfer speeds. [19659005] Design (14/15)
We commend the Envy x360, EliteBook x360 1020 G2 and Specter x360 for their elegant silver aluminum chassis and robust 360 degree hinges that allow each system to transform with Grace. And when it comes to workstations, it will be difficult to find something prettier than the ZBook 14u G4 or the ZBook 15 G4, which offer elegance mixed with the robustness tested by MIL-SPEC.
In our tests, HP technical support was useful, but not on all channels. While the company's web and social agents provided the correct information, their telephone representatives were less useful, delivering multiple incorrect answers and repeatedly pushing us towards their paid subscription service for answers.
HP warranties offer different shipping and support terms depending on which model you choose Most models come with a one-year warranty, and some come with free shipping for laptops that receive service, but cheaper models from HP do not offer such shipping protection.
Innovation (7/10)
One of HP's biggest achievements in 2017 was a review of the Omen line of games, with beautiful screens and updatable specifications.
Most recently, the ZBook x2 reinvented 2-in-1 devices for creative types by adding a Wacom pen and a 4K matte screen. HP also launched the Envy x2, one of the first machines to include Windows in Snapdragon
Value and Selection (14/15)
The range of HP laptops for different prices and purposes is impressive. If you need something really economical, you can always buy $ 220 HP Stream or something in the $ 400 range, like a Pavilion x360 2-in-1.
Perhaps our favorite HP value is the Envy 13t, which drops to an ideal $ 850 point with an amazing design, an amazing keyboard, long-life battery and a Core i7 CPU.
MORE: The best HP laptops
The premium Specter line includes a beautiful and powerful 2-in-1s like the Specter x360 and an incredibly designed case in the same Specter, with the latest Intel Core CPU.
HP business laptops, such as the EliteBook x360 G2, incorporate features such as the Sure View privacy screen and are also well designed. The company also took its Omen line of games to the next level, adding impressive new designs and some compelling models under $ 1,000.
- Winners and Results Card
- Acer
- Apple
- Asus
- Dell
- HP
- Lenovo
- Microsoft
- MSI
- Razer
- Samsung