5 Best Small Laptops for Global Teams in 2026

Small laptops are often used to support roles that require mobility, whether employees are traveling, working across locations, or operating as part of a globally distributed team. While they aren’t the right fit for every role, small laptops are essential for employees in sales, customer-facing account management, and field-based operations, where work happens between meetings, travel, and live collaboration rather than at a fixed desk.

For HR and IT teams, the challenge lies in choosing models that are portable enough for travel, powerful enough for daily work, affordable at scale, and available consistently across regions. When that balance isn’t right, the impact shows up quickly: employees struggle during travel days, meetings, or client-facing work due to limited battery life, sluggish performance, or impractical form factors.

Here are our top five small laptop choices for 2026.

1. Apple MacBook Air 13.6″ (M4, 16GB, 512GB)

The Apple MacBook Air 13.6″ is one of the strongest small laptop options for globally distributed teams, particularly for organizations that standardize on macOS. It offers a familiar Apple experience in a compact form factor, making it a common choice for employees who travel frequently and need a dependable, easy-to-use laptop for day-to-day work.

Why this works for small, travel-friendly setups: The MacBook Air’s lightweight design and long battery life reduce friction for employees working across time zones, flights, and shared workspaces. Its strong performance-to-weight ratio supports everyday work like video calls, document editing, and multitasking, so mobile employees don’t need to compromise on productivity.

Best for: Executives, managers, product roles, designers, and frequent travelers.

Lifecycle: 4–5 years, supported by long macOS update cycles and durable hardware

2. Dell XPS 13 (13.4”, Ultra 7, 16GB)

The Dell XPS 13 is a true small laptop designed for teams that want the smallest possible Windows device without stepping down to entry-level hardware. Its 13.4-inch form factor makes it one of the most compact options available in an enterprise-ready Windows lineup, making it a common choice when size and weight are the primary constraints.

Why this works for small, travel-friendly setups: Its tightly integrated design prioritizes a minimal footprint over expandability, which works well for employees who rely primarily on cloud tools and don’t need a wide range of ports or accessories. For organizations standardizing on Windows, it offers a way to support highly mobile work while keeping hardware choices premium and consistent.

Best for: Sales, consultants, executives, and employees who travel frequently.
Lifecycle: 4 years.

Find out more about the top IT procurement challenges faced by employers and how to solve them.

3. Acer Chromebook Vero 514 (14″, i5, 8GB, 256GB)

Although technically a 14″ device, the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 sits closer to the small-laptop category thanks to its slim build and relatively light weight. As a Chromebook, it’s designed around ChromeOS and browser-based work, making it a practical option for teams that rely mostly on cloud tools rather than local software installs or heavy processing.

Why this works for small, travel-friendly setups: The Vero 514 works well in environments where work happens almost entirely in the browser. ChromeOS keeps the device simple to use and quick to set up, while the lightweight chassis makes it easier to carry between locations. For teams using web-based productivity and collaboration tools, it offers a straightforward, low-overhead option without unnecessary hardware complexity.

Best for: Sales, marketing, content, customer support, and operations teams using primarily browser-based tools.

Lifecycle: 3–4 years, ideal for cloud-native use.

Read also: How to Create a Fair Laptop Fresh Policy.

4. Dell Latitude 5330 (13.3″, i5, 8GB, 256GB)

Another small Windows option, the Dell Latitude 5330, stands out for its compact size compared to most standard business laptops. Its 13.3-inch form factor makes it noticeably smaller than typical 14-inch Windows models, while still fitting into teams that need to stay on Windows.

Why this works for small, travel-friendly setups: The Latitude 5330 works best in environments where simplicity and standardization matter more than high-performance requirements. Its specifications are well matched to communication-heavy and document-focused work, helping teams avoid over-provisioning while still supporting everyday needs. For HR and IT teams, this makes it easier to align device capability with role requirements when defining a small-laptop option within a broader Windows fleet.

Best for: Sales, field teams, and employees who prioritize portability over maximum performance.
Lifecycle: 3–4 years, aligned with mobility-focused enterprise use.

Learn how to choose IT equipment for any role.

5. Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon (14″, Ultra 7, 16GB, 512GB)

The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon sits at the premium end of the small-laptop category, offering a full 14-inch work experience in a design that still fits mobile-first teams. It’s often chosen when employees want more screen space and keyboard comfort than a 13-inch laptop provides, without moving up to heavier, less travel-friendly models. For global teams, it represents a balance between usability and portability rather than a compromise in either direction.

Why this works for small, travel-friendly setups: Despite its 14-inch screen, the X1 Carbon weighs around 2.5 lb / 1.1 kg, making it lighter than many 13-inch laptops. This makes it easy to travel with while still offering slightly more working space. For employees who alternate between focused desk work and time on the move, it provides a balanced option without adding bulk.

Best for: Consulting, sales, customer-facing, operations, leadership, and other roles that split time between desk-based work and frequent travel.

Lifecycle: 4–5 years, supported by Lenovo’s premium business support options.

Find out what your employees expect from IT equipment today.

Simplify small-laptop management for global teams with Deel IT

Choose from any of the small laptop options recommended in this guide, and many more, through Deel IT’s global equipment catalog. Deel IT offers laptops of all sizes and operating systems, making it easier to match devices to different roles, mobility needs, and regional constraints. Through a single platform, teams can procure, deploy, and manage small laptops alongside other equipment, keeping device programs consistent as they scale globally.

Here is what that means:

• Standardized provisioning from a global catalog: Choose travel-ready laptops and accessories from a vetted global catalog, ensuring employees receive consistent, role-appropriate devices wherever they’re based
• Unified end-to-end device lifecycle management: Procure, configure, deploy, support, and recover small laptops through a single system instead of coordinating vendors, regions, and tools
• Global by default, with predictable delivery: Deliver, manage, and recover laptops in 130+ countries, with 99.5% on-time delivery to support reliable onboarding and replacements
• Lifecycle-driven automation: Workforce changes automatically trigger device actions, reducing manual coordination and delays across regions
• Centralized visibility: Track which employee has which laptop, where it’s located, and its lifecycle status from one dashboard—supporting audits, planning, and offboarding
• 24/7 global IT support: Provide always-on support for employees using small laptops across time zones, without relying on local IT coverage

Book a demo to see how Deel IT simplifies laptop procurement and onboarding for global teams.