Thinnest, Slimmest & Lightest Ultra Portable Laptops – 15 best in-class super desirable ultrabooks

Samuel J Tan Laptops, Personal Technology, Technology 0

You won’t be here if you are not after the thinnest and the lightest ultra book there is. We take you through each these and cover the features that matter.

Let’s start with the height (or thinnest) of these devices from the order of thinnest to the thickest. Except for the MacBook, MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 with its tapered dimensions, the rest of the laptops in our line-up have standard height measurements throughout. The only odd one out is the Surface Book from Microsoft, with its detachable 2-in-1 profile and bendy hinge, it does not help with the overall height measurement but as a tablet, it’s ultra thin.

Ultra-slim Laptops Comparison

The title of the thinnest laptop in the world belongs to HP Spectre 13 and they have every right to boast this on their website. This is followed closely by two entries from ASUS followed by Lenovo, Samsung and Apple. However, if you take into consideration the tapered design of the MacBook, MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13, these of course would come up first with a slimmer starting height of 0.35 cm, 0.3 cm and 0.9 cm respectively.

1. HP Spectre 13 or HP Spectre Pro 13 G1 Laptop – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) – SLIMMEST

Height: 1.04 cm x Width: 32.5 cm x Depth: 22.94 cm.Weight: from 1.11kg

2. ASUS ZenBook 3 UX390UA – 12.5-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.19 cm x Width: 29.6 cm x Depth: 19.12 cm. Weight: 910grams

3. ASUS ZenBook UX305 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.23 cm x Width: 32.4 cm x Depth: 22.6 cm. Weight: 1.2kg

4. Lenovo Yoga 900s 12.5-inch WHD (2560 x 1440)

Height: 1.28 cm x Width: 30.5 cm x Depth: 20.8 cm | 12.01″ x 8.19″ x 0.5″. Weight: Starting at 2.2 lbs (999g)

5. Samsung Notebook 9 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.29 cm x Width: 31.37 cm x Depth: 21.8 cm (12.35″ x 8.6″ x 0.53″) Weight: 2.5lbs (1.16kg)

6. Apple MacBook 12 – 12-inch LED with IPS (2304 x 1440) – TAPERED

Height: 0.35–1.31 cm (0.14–0.52 inches) x Width: 28.05 cm (11.04 inches) x Depth: 19.65 cm (7.74 inches). Weight: 0.92 kg (2.03 pounds)

7. Dell Latitude 13 7000 series – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge

Height: 1.432 cm (0.56″) x Width: 30.48 cm (12″) x Depth: 21.05 mm (8.3″). Weight: 1.12 kg (2.47 lbs)

8. Acer Aspire S 13 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.458 cm (0.57″) x Width: 32.7cm x Depth: 28.8cm. Weight: 1.3kg

9. Samsung Notebook 9 – 15-inch (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.49 cm x Width: 34.65 cm x Depth: 23.67 cm (13.64″ x 9.32″ x 0.58″). Weight: 1.59kg (3.5lbs)

10. Lenovo Yoga 900 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1800)

Height: 1.49 cm x Width: 32.4 cm x Depth: 22.5 cm | 12.75″ x 8.86″ x 0.59″. Weight: Starting at 2.8 lbs (1.3 kg)

11. Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016 – 13.3-inch LED with IPS (2560 x 1600)

Height: 1.49 cm (0.59 inches) x Width: 30.41 cm (11.97 inches) x Depth: 21.24 cm (8.36 inches) Weight: 1.37kg (3.02 pounds)

12. Dell XPS 13 – 13.3 inch QHD+ (3200 x 1800) – TAPER

Height: 0.9-1.5 cm (0.33 – 0.6″) x Width: 30.4cm (11.98″) x Depth: 20.0cm (7.88″). Weight: 1.2 kg (2.7lbs) non-touch, 1.29kg (2.9lbs) touch

13. HP Spectre x360 13 – 13.3-inch (2560 x 1440)

Height: 1.54 cm x Width: 32.5 cm x Depth: 21.8 cm. Weight: from 1.45kg

14. Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 – 15.4-inch LED with IPS (2880 x 1800)

Height: 1.55 cm (0.61 inches) x Width: 34.93 cm (13.75 inches) x Depth: 24.07 cm (9.48 inches). Weight: 1.83 kg (4.02 pounds)³

15. Apple MacBook Air – 13.3-inch LED (1440 x 900) – TAPERED

Height: 0.3–1.7 cm (0.11–0.68 inches) x Width: 32.5 cm (12.8 inches) x Depth: 22.7 cm (8.94 inches). Weight: 1.35kg (2.96 pounds)

BONUS: Microsoft Surface Book – 13.5-inch PixelSense (3000 x 2000)

As a tablet: Height: 0.76 cm x Width: 31.24 cm × Depth: 22.02 cm (12.3 by 8.67 by 0.3 inches) As a laptop: Height: 2.3 cm x Width: 31.2 cm × Depth: 23.2 cm (12.3 by 9.14 by 0.9 inches)
Weight: As a tablet: 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) As a laptop: 3.34 pounds (1.51 kg) As a laptop with Performance Base: 3.68 pounds (1.67 kg)

Here is a quick comparison chart looking at the thinnest laptops in our list starting with the thinnest at 1.04cm. We take the highest measurement on tapered laptops such as Apple MacBook 12, Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Air 13. You may decide that these ought to be ‘thinner’ but we have to start somewhere and taking the smallest measurement makes this comparison a skewered one.

Figure 1: Height Comparison Chart

Ultra-lightweight Laptops Comparison

Next we look at how these ultrabooks weigh, starting from the lightest to the heaviest based on the list above. As you would expect laptop with smaller displays will weigh less than those with bigger displays. The sub 1kg laptops are ZenBook 3, MacBook 12, Yoga 900s with ZenBook 3 being the lightest. Others are not too far off the mark, naturally 15-inch devices weighing more with MacBook Pro 15 being the heaviest ultrabook at 1.83kg.

1. ASUS ZenBook 3 UX390UA – 12.5-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) – LIGHTEST

Height: 1.19 cm x Width: 29.6 cm x Depth: 19.12 cm. Weight: 910grams

2. Apple MacBook – 12-inch LED with IPS (2304 x 1440)

Height: 0.35–1.31 cm (0.14–0.52 inches) x Width: 28.05 cm (11.04 inches) x Depth: 19.65 cm (7.74 inches). Weight: 0.92 kg (2.03 pounds)

3. Lenovo Yoga 900s – 12.5-inch WHD (2560 x 1440)

Height: 1.28 cm x Width: 30.5 cm x Depth: 20.8 cm | 12.01″ x 8.19″ x 0.5″. Weight: Starting at 2.2 lbs (999grams)

4. HP Spectre 13 or HP Spectre Pro 13 G1 Laptop – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.04 cm x Width: 32.5 cm x Depth: 22.94 cm.Weight: from 1.11kg

5. Dell Latitude 13 7000 series – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) InfinityEdge

Height: 1.432 cm (0.56″) x Width: 30.48 cm (12″) x Depth: 21.05 mm (8.3″). Weight: 1.12 kg (2.47 lbs)

6. Samsung Notebook 9 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.29 cm x Width: 31.37 cm x Depth: 21.8 cm (12.35″ x 8.6″ x 0.53″) Weight: 2.5lbs (1.16kg)

7. ASUS ZenBook UX305 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.23 cm x Width: 32.4 cm x Depth: 22.6 cm. Weight: 1.2kg

8. Dell XPS 13 – 13.3 inch QHD+ (3200 x 1800) – TAPER

Height: 0.9-1.5 cm (0.33 – 0.6″) x Width: 30.4cm (11.98″) x Depth: 20.0cm (7.88″). Weight: 1.2 kg (2.7lbs) non-touch, 1.29kg (2.9lbs) touch

9. Acer Aspire S 13 – 13.3-inch FHD (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.458 cm (0.57″) x Width: 32.7cm x Depth: 28.8cm. Weight: 1.3kg

10. Lenovo Yoga 900 13.3-inch QHD+ (3200 x 1800)

Height: 1.49 cm x Width: 32.4 cm x Depth: 22.5 cm | 12.75″ x 8.86″ x 0.59″. Weight: Starting at 2.8 lbs (1.3 kg)

11. Apple MacBook Air – 13.3-inch LED (1440 x 900) – TAPER

Height: 0.3–1.7 cm (0.11–0.68 inches) x Width: 32.5 cm (12.8 inches) x Depth: 22.7 cm (8.94 inches). Weight: 1.35kg (2.96 pounds)

12. Apple MacBook Pro 13 2016 – 13.3-inch LED with IPS (2560 x 1600)

Height: 1.49 cm (0.59 inches) x Width: 30.41 cm (11.97 inches) x Depth: 21.24 cm (8.36 inches) Weight: 1.37kg (3.02 pounds)

13. HP Spectre Pro x360 13 – 13.3-inch (2560 x 1440)

Height: 1.54 cm x Width: 32.5 cm x Depth: 21.8 cm. Weight: from 1.48kg

14. Samsung Notebook 9 – 15-inch (1920 x 1080)

Height: 1.49 cm x Width: 34.65 cm x Depth: 23.67 cm (13.64″ x 9.32″ x 0.58″). Weight: 1.59kg (3.5lbs)

15. Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 – 15.4-inch LED with IPS (2880 x 1800)

Height: 1.55 cm (0.61 inches) x Width: 34.93 cm (13.75 inches) x Depth: 24.07 cm (9.48 inches). Weight: 1.83 kg (4.02 pounds)

BONUS: Microsoft Surface Book – 13.5-inch PixelSense (3000 x 2000)

As a tablet: Height: 0.76 cm x Width: 31.24 cm × Depth: 22.02 cm (12.3 by 8.67 by 0.3 inches) As a laptop: Height: 2.3 cm x Width: 31.2 cm × Depth: 23.2 cm (12.3 by 9.14 by 0.9 inches)
Weight: As a tablet: 1.6 pounds (0.73 kg) As a laptop: 3.34 pounds (1.51 kg) As a laptop with Performance Base: 3.68 pounds (1.67 kg)

Below is a quick comparison chart looking starting with the lightest laptop, the Apple MacBook 12 weighing 0.92 kg. Only three laptops are sub 1kg, these are the Apple MacBook, ASUS ZenBook 3 and Lenovo Yoga 900s. The next three laptops weigh not much more and are below 1.2kg. These are the desirable HP Spectre 13, Dell Latitude 13 and Samsung Notebook 9 13. Majority of laptops hover around 1.3kg mark and only the 15-inch laptops, Samsung Notebook 9 15 and Apple MacBook Pro 15 that pushes the over the 1.5kg mark.