Laptop Battle: 2021’s Best 15-inch PC Laptops

The 15-inch laptop sits in somewhat of a sweet spot in the market, at least for certain types of users. 12- and 13-inch ultraportables are great for some, but just not enough screen real estate for others. Fonts can be too small for some eyes, and windows have to be too small to be usable if you want to get more than one on screen.

On the other end of the spectrum, 17-inch behemoths are simply too big to be truly portable. So, for many casual and power users alike, 15 inches is just about the perfect size for a laptop.

If you’re looking for the best 15-inch PC laptop in 2021, there are plenty of options out there. Of course, not every model has the same level of quality nor the same internal specs. If you’re unsure where to start when shopping for a new 15-incher, use the list below. There are a couple great all-arounders, plus the best 15-inch laptop in several specialty categories.

When you make your choice, don’t forget to get a quality extended laptop warranty including accident protection so your new laptop is protected from whatever comes your way.

The Dell XPS 15 is a fantastic laptop no matter how you slice it. In fact, it recently made Upsie’s list of top Ultrabooks, too. Ultrabook or not, the Dell XPS 15 is one of the best 15-inch laptops you can buy today.

The InfinityEdge display is gorgeous, with nearly no bezel on any side. With this innovation, Dell has created a smaller laptop that still maintains a full 15-inch display. The internals here are on point as well, with solid Intel processors, SSDs, and discrete Nvidia GPUs (though the latter isn’t in the cheapest models, of course).

The keyboard and trackpad are better than average, the sound is great, and the gorgeous display outpaces other premium machines like the MacBook Pro.

Curious to learn more? Check out a full Laptop Mag review.

The ZenBook 15 does a lot, including some unique things that you may or may not find useful. Whether you like or use the unusual features or not, this is still a great all-around laptop.

The finish is a gorgeous blue with a bit of a pattern to it, a refreshing change from the endless barrage of gray metal laptops. As soon as you open the ZenBook 15, you’ll see some elements you won’t find anywhere else. Take ScreenPad, for one. The trackpad on this machine is also a second screen, one that you can display actual content on. Honestly, it’s a bit strange. But some users will find huge productivity-enhancing ways to use it, certainly. And there are prebuilt interactions for popular software, including Microsoft Office.

Asus has included a proprietary hinge here called ErgoLift, which gently angles the keyboard deck toward you. It’s subtle, but you’ll probably enjoy the typing experience a bit more because of it.

The ZenBook 15 is MIL-SPEC tested for drops, shocks, humidity and more. Yet it’s also lighter than the competition, shaving almost a pound off the weight of the XPS 15.

You can read more about performance and battery life in the full review over at Laptop Mag.

While the Dell XPS 15 (with discrete graphics) is a wholly decent machine for gaming, there are better dedicated gaming laptops available. The best one in 15 inches this year is the Alienware m15 R4. It’s a gorgeous and powerful machine, starting with that 15-inch OLED display that produces a 4K picture that’s crisp and beautiful.

The m15 R4 rocks an Intel Core i7 CPU with a powerful Nvidia GeForce RTX 3000 series graphics card with its own dedicated 8GB of VRAM. The keyboard is responsive, just like you want in a gaming laptop. The only drawback is, of course, the battery. But if you’re shopping for gaming laptops, you knew that one already.

Convertible 15-inches can be a lot to hold, so get your hands on one before you purchase if at all possible. That said, the best convertible laptop in the 15-inch category is the Lenovo Yoga 9i. Available with up to Core i7 processors (and the newer 11th gen, too!) and an Nvidia GTX 1650 graphics card, the Yoga 9i can be powerful if you need it to be. Or you can scale it down and save some cash on a more casual device.

The standout feature here is, of course, that it’s a convertible. You can use it in flat tablet mode, tent mode, kiosk mode, or conventional laptop mode.

The touchscreen experience is well executed, especially if you use the included Active Pen. Build quality is respectable, battery life is great, and performance is stellar — if you pay for the upgrades, at least.

One thing all these 15-inch laptops have in common: a four-figure price tag. Good laptops don’t come cheap in 2021, so it’s a great idea to protect your new laptop purchase with an extended laptop warranty from Upsie. You get industry-leading coverage that won’t break the bank. Whatever goes wrong—even if it’s an accident — you’ll be protected up to the purchase price of the device.

Getting a new laptop? Get Upsie now!