If you often find yourself working during nighttime hours or in dimly lit rooms, getting a keyboard that has good backlighting is crucial. This feature lights up your keycaps as you type, allowing you to easily see where specific keys are. Thankfully, keyboard backlighting has become an incredibly common feature over the last several years, and nearly every device — including many entry-level budget laptops — has it. But which laptops with backlit keyboards are the best of the bunch? Here are all of our favorites.
Best overall
The Dell XPS 13 is our favorite overall laptop with backlighting due to its excellent specs, killer display options, all-day battery life, and premium design. It may be pricey, but folks who need a top-notch Ultrabook that performs just as good as it looks will find the Dell XPS 13 more than worth it.
Premium convertible
If you'd prefer a convertible over a traditional clamshell, the HP Spectre x360 14 will be perfect for you. Between its cutting-edge specs, superb touch display, and attractive gem-cut design, the HP Spectre x360 is the best convertible Ultrabook available today.
Stylish Ultrabook
The Razer Book 13 is a stellar alternative to the Dell XPS 13 that's a bit thicker and heavier and has slightly worse battery life, but also comes with better speakers and more ports. The style of this laptop is also impeccable; its silver chassis with Razer branding is stunning, while the RGB backlighting is both effective and fun.
Excellent 2-in-1
Looking for a tablet/laptop hybrid? The Surface Pro 8 is a fantastic option that offers top-notch performance and a great design, and the Alcantara Surface Pro Type Cover you can configure it with is incredibly comfortable to use and comes with bright, clear backlighting.
ARM-powered productivity
The Surface Pro X is essentially a variant of Microsoft's regular Surface Pro devices that is less powerful, but also longer lasting thanks to its ARM CPU. It's ideal for folks who need a 2-in-1 for simple productivity and want something with tons of battery life.
Surface clamshell
Folks who want a clamshell laptop and enjoy Microsoft's Surface products will love the Surface Pro 4. It features excellent specs and a quality display for a great price, and while it lacks Thunderbolt, it's nevertheless a superb laptop we highly recommend.
Versatile powerhouse
The Surface Laptop Studio is the ultimate Surface device for creators, featuring powerful NVIDIA RTX graphics, beefy H-series 11th Gen Intel CPUs, and a hinged display that can be tilted into three separate positions. Without a doubt, it's the most flexible workstation device on the market.
A clamshell for creators
Looking for lots of power but prefer a traditional design? The Dell XPS 15 will suit you well with its numerous high-end hardware options, brilliant display, and stunning design. Like its smaller Dell XPS 13 brother, the Dell XPS 15 has solidified itself as one of the best laptops ever made.
All business
The Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano was designed from the ground up with business in mind. It's thinner and lighter than many other Ultrabooks, making it incredibly easy to travel with and use while on the go. It's also very performant and has superb battery life, so you'll rarely have to worry about keeping it juiced up.
Gaming powerhouse
Gamers who need a backlit laptop will love the Razer Blade 15, a beastly device that features the most powerful NVIDIA RTX 30-series GPUs and Intel 11th Gen CPUs available. It has a wide array of display options and plenty of ports as well, and its RGB keyboard backlighting is vibrant and colorful.
Affordable convertible
The HP Envy x360 15 is an excellent convertible Ultrabook with a surprisingly affordable price tag, making it perfect for mid-range buyers. It may lack features like options for a 4K display and Thunderbolt connectivity, but if you're looking to get a powerful laptop for less than what other premium options cost, the compromise is worth it.
Ultra portable
The Surface Go 3 represents the pinnacle of Microsoft's Surface Go line. Its low cost and solid performance make it a stellar budget productivity device, and its tiny 10-inch profile makes taking it with you a breeze. Also, like a Surface Pro, the Surface Go's Alcantara Type Cover can be removed so that you can use the device as a tablet.
If we had to choose just one ...
All of the laptops in this list are incredible, but if we had to choose just one, it would be the Dell XPS 13. This laptop has consistently been rated one of the best (if not the best) laptops ever made, and for good reason; the combination of cutting-edge specs, a brilliant display, supreme battery life, and a killer design all make the Dell XPS 13 an absolute delight to daily drive. If you're in need of a laptop with backlighting and you don't want any compromises, the Dell XPS 13 is simply the best option.
With that said, don't overlook the alternatives we listed here if a premium clamshell isn't a good fit for your needs. The HP Spectre x360 14 will be the better choice for you if you want a high-end convertible, while the Surface Laptop Studio is ideal for folks who need a flexible and powerful workstation.
If you're a gamer and need something with industry-leading hardware, the Razer Blade 15 will serve you excellently with its NVIDIA RTX 30-series GPUs, Intel 11th Gen H-series CPUs, and blazing fast memory. Meanwhile, folks who need something more affordable, but still performant will love the HP Envy x360 15.
If none of the laptops in this list appeals to you, though, make sure you check out our roundup of the best Windows laptops.
