HP embraces natural wood look with its latest Envy laptops

By Dan Thorp-Lancaster
published

After toying around with leather, HP has turned to wood for its next experiment in merging natural materials with modern tech.

What you need to know

  • HP's latest Envy laptops now come with an optional wood palm rest.
  • The new Wood Series comes with three different options: Nightfall Black with Natural Walnut, Ceramic White with White Birch, or Natural Silver with Pale Birch.
  • The new wood options will be available this fall across HP's Envy and Envy x360 laptops (opens in new tab).

HP first dipped its toe in experimenting with natural finishes with the leather-clad Spectre Folio (opens in new tab) last year, and now it's making the jump to wood with the latest updates to its Envy laptop range. Announced at Computex 2019, the new Envy Wood Series brings natural wood palm rests in a trio of finishes to both traditional Envy laptops and the Envy x360 line.

The laptops essentially remain the same as the current crop, but with the distinct addition of the woodgrain look across the palm rests around the trackpad. What's more, the Wood Series will come in three varieties: Nightfall Black with Natural Walnut, Ceramic White with White Birch, or Natural Silver with Pale Birch. HP also says it has committed to sourcing its wood in a sustainable way – yes, you're getting real wood here, not a vinyl cover.

The updated look will be available across the HP Envy 13, x360 13, x360 15, and Envy 17. Other updates include the choice of "next-gen" Intel Core processors or AMD's second-generation Ryzen Mobile processors.

The Envy Wood Series is expected to go on sale starting this fall, but HP is mum on price details for now. We should learn much more as the launch approaches. For now, you can check out HP's current Envy lineup, which is available at some solid discounts. (opens in new tab)

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HP Spectre Folio 13

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Dan Thorp-Lancaster
Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl. 

4 Comments
  • Can't wait to see how much of an exorbitant markup they put on these products due to the wood finish.
  • I read this in a sci-fi once, people making laptops out of recycled components made of sustainable wood. I remember thinking at the time 'yeah there's a real market for that today'. I think if they wanna get the environmentalists as well as the 'premium' crowd, they should look at getting some fraction of the internals recycled. Or what do they say today 'repurposed'? If they said like 'sustianable wood and 8% repurposed internals', it would be a green thing, reducing electronic waste. Also, why not make the keys out of wood or bamboo too? For a more complete 'natural look'. Honestly I think it's a brilliant idea, I just think they haven't gone as far as they could, if they really want 'brand presence'.
  • their printers and ink cartridges are mostly made up of recycled plastic
  • I personally think this is really pretty and that wood might be a good material for a palm rest.