While a laptop is a great tool for every remote worker or businessperson on the move, it's not always the best idea to carry such a heavy load on their shoulders everywhere they go. For those worried about breaking their backs carrying their laptops to every business trip they embark on, a tablet may be their best option.
Tablets are just as powerful as regular laptops in crunching numbers, creating spreadsheets, assembling PowerPoints for presentations, and participating in Zoom meetings with the built-in webcam. They even work with a keyboard, which makes the tablet a better option than a laptop if you so choose to work on a smaller device. However, depending on which tablet you choose, the keyboard either comes with it or is sold separately.
We created a list of tablets that we believe will be an incredible asset for your business, whether you're an owner or employee. Here are the best tablets that will help you meet your business goals in 2025.
Best overall tablet for business
Apple iPad Pro 13-inch (2024)
- Sublime OLED screen
- Lovely design and build
- Top-notch speakers
- Surprisingly good battery life
- Blistering performance
- Excellent keyboard and stylus
- iPadOS is achingly lacking
- It's extremely expensive
- Pricey accessories
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 281.6 x 215.5 x 5.1 mm (11.09 x 8.48 x 0.2 inches) 581 grams (1.28 lbs.) |
| Battery life | 10 hours |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB |
| Keyboard | Yes, bought separately |
For a highest quality tablet in the business, look no further than the iPad Pro (2024). It's light as a feather and surprisingly thin at just 5.1 millimeters, but still big and powerful. It's packed with the mighty M4 chip that enables a 120Hz refresh rate all across the 13-inch OLED display, helping you access important business files at the drop of a dime.
The battery inside the iPad Pro (2024) runs for 10 hours on a single charge, giving you enough time to perform even the heaviest tasks for your job, such as social media graphic design on Canva, editing videos on Da Vinci Resolve, word processing on Google Docs, or managing payroll on Google Spreadsheets. That's assuming you won't be playing games or streaming movies in between breaks, as they tend to drain battery faster.
The Magic Keyboard will be your best friend in helping you work more efficiently, as it will turn the iPad Pro (2024) into a mini MacBook (or a mini Mac, since the tablet will be floating above the keyboard). However, the tablet is prohibitively expensive for some people at $900, and the Magic Keyboard, which costs about $300 if you buy it separately, will make the purchase equal that of a regular MacBook Pro. Thankfully, the iPad Pro (2024) works well with iPhones and other iPads, so it's worth the price if you already have other Apple products.
Best budget tablet for business
Amazon Fire Max 11
- Great screen for video
- Keyboard feels good to type on
- 10-hour-plus battery life
- Useful kickstand case
- Sparse app store
- Slow charging
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 259.1 x 163.7 x 7.5 mm (10.20 x 6.44 x 0.30 in) 490 grams (1.08 lbs.) |
| Battery life | 14 hours |
| Storage | 64GB, 128GB, (Both can be expanded to 1TB) |
| Keyboard | Yes, included |
If you're on a tight budget, whether for business or personal reasons, the Amazon Fire Max 11 is the best tablet for you. It's not exactly the greatest tablet for app support, especially when the screen has a 60Hz refresh rate, but it won't fail you on word processing regardless of whether you're writing on Microsoft Word, Google Docs, or any CMS your company may be using (depending on your job).
The Amazon Fire Max 11 comes with a beautiful keyboard that works remarkably well for the low price it's being sold at. It also comes with a stylus, which is helpful if you're an artist that draws up fantastic designs for your products or a graphic designer in general.
This tablet is an excellent pick for your business at a great price. It usually goes for $230 at Best Buy, but as of this writing it has a $45 discount. It's a pretty good bargain.
Best Android tablet for business
OnePlus Pad 2
- Beautiful build and light form factor
- Reliable stylus and keyboard
- Great six-speaker setup
- 67W fast charging
- Plenty of silicon firepower
- Beautiful 144Hz display
- Feature-rich OxygenOS experience
- Lack of dust and water resistance
- No cellular connectivity support
- OxygenOS could use some refinement
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 268.7 x 195.1 x 6.5 mm (10.57 x 7.68 x 0.25 inches) 584 grams (1.28 lbs.) |
| Battery life | 15 hours |
| Storage | 256GB |
| Keyboard | Yes, included |
For the Android lovers, the OnePlus Pad 2 has everything you need to perform your work tasks as efficiently as possible, even the keyboard. It runs on OxygenOS 14 based out of the box (although we're not sure if it can be upgraded to the latest update similar to Android 15), but that doesn't impede the 144Hz refresh rate across the gorgeous 12.1-inch display and the 67W fast charging.
You get 15 hours of battery life, which is basically more than your entire workday. That means using Asana, Slack, Teams, Trello, Airtable, WordPress, Google Drive, and every other tool you use for your business won't leave the OnePlus Pad 2 totally drained by the time you clock out. However, if you're a video editor, you can see a 15% to 20% decrease in battery life every hour.
The OnePlus Smart Keyboard feels nice to type away on while not being as noisy nor mushy as other keyboards because of the springy feedback giving the keys a nice cushion between strokes. The faux leather finish feels great to work with as well, especially if you're the type that likes your computer to have a certain aesthetic.
If you have a OnePlus phone already, you can pair it with the tablet with One-Touch Transmission to see all the important work files you saved on your phone and transfer them to the tablet and take care of everything you need to do from there. This works with other phones as well, but we're not sure if it plays nice with iOS.
Best value tablet for business
Apple iPad (2022)
- Updated, modern design
- Wonderfully vibrant colors
- Larger display is fantastic
- A14 chip is plenty powerful
- Strong battery life
- USB-C is finally here
- The headphone jack is gone
- Non-laminated screen
- Apple Pencil situation is a mess
- Huge price increase
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 248.7 x 179.6 x 7.1 mm (9.79 x 7.07 x 0.28 inches) 476 grams (1.05 lbs.) |
| Battery life | 10 hours |
| Storage | 64GB 256GB |
| Keyboard | Yes, bought separately |
The 10th-gen Apple iPad (2022) gives you all the features the iPad Pro has but pared down and quieter, which comes in handy if the premium iPad is out of your price range at the moment. It comes in four beautiful colors -- Silver, Blue, Pink, and Yellow -- has a 10.1-inch OLED display, runs on the powerful A14 chip, and has the Touch ID fingerprint sensor embedded on the power button, which saves you time to punch in your PIN code to log in.
The Magic Keyboard Folio works great, but it's not as fancy as the iPad Pro's version. It's a two-piece keyboard that connects magnetically to the iPad and comes with a stand that you can adjust to any position that feels the most comfortable to you. This keyboard is a recommended accessory but not required, as there are other keyboards you can pair with the iPad (2022) at more affordable prices. For reference, the Magic Keyboard Folio costs $200.
You get 10 hours of battery life, but the usage depends on your workflow. You'll have a generous amount of juice left over if the majority of your work involves your choice of internet browser, Asana, Teams, Slack, Trello, Airtable, WordPress, Google Drive, and other business-related apps running in the background. And if you happen to listen to music on Spotify while you work, that won't have any significant impact on the battery, so you can keep jamming to Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter all day long. Isn't that sweet? We guess so.
Best e-ink tablet for business
Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C
- Color e-ink screen is unique
- Easy-to-read display
- Plenty of customization tricks
- Extremely good battery life
- Storage expansion facility
- Terrific build and great keyboard
- Runs dated Android 11 experience
- E-ink holds back performance
- Not suited for multimedia consumption
- Awkward fingerprint button placement
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 225 × 184.5 × 6.7 mm (8.9 x 7.3 x 0.26 inches) 480 grams (1.1 lb.) |
| Battery life | 2 to 5 days, depending on usage |
| Storage | 128GB |
| Keyboard | Yes, bought separately |
Working on an e-ink tablet seems like a fever dream, but it's not entirely impossible. Enter the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C, the tablet that provides all the work capacities of a regular tablet without all the internet-based distractions.
Most of the time, people would get an e-ink tablet to catch up on their reading lists without dealing with the bright blue light shining from the screen of other tablets. This one is good for both reading and working, and the 10.3-inch display is perfect for that because the screen is coated in a layer of Onyx Glass, which helps reduce glare, especially if you have a tendency work outside in the sun. You can work with the screen in color mode or black-and-white mode, although that may vary depending on your tasks. You may have to deal with the low e-ink refresh rate, though.
If your job involves word processing, you might be working in black-and-white mode most of the time. The keys on the keyboard are evenly spaced and have an amazing tactile response that matches the leather finish on the keypad. The keyboard folio case complements the tablet as a stand and giving it an old-school journal aesthetic.
The battery life in the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C lasts between two and five days, so you never have to worry about it running out of juice by the end of the day since there's a lack of social media apps to distract you from your work. So, if you're wishing for a tablet that doesn't overwhelm you so much while working, consider your wish granted with the Onyx Boox Tab Ultra C.
Best Windows tablet for business
Microsoft Surface Pro 11
- Gorgeous OLED screen
- Keyboard now works disconnected
- Upgradable storage
- Excellent trackpad and keyboard
- Spectacular webcam
- Great performance and battery life
- Not a great tablet without the keyboard
- Lacks a headphone jack
| Specification: | |
| Dimensions & weight | 287 x 208 x 9.3 mm (11.3 x 8.2 x 0.37 inches) 893 grams (1.97 lbs.) |
| Battery life | 14 hours |
| Storage | 256GB SSD 512GB SSD 1TB SSD |
| Keyboard | Yes, included |
We saved the best for last with the Microsoft Surface Pro 11, as it redeemed the Surface Pro series of tablets with a refined processor and a high-quality webcam. The latest model is run by the Snapdragon X chip, which makes the response time on the touchscreen and the keyboard run as smooth as silk.
There are two versions of the Snapdragon X chip, depending on how much you're willing to pay for the Surface Pro. The Snapdragon X Plus model comes with the IPS panel, 256GB of storage and 16GB of RAM will run you $999, while the Snapdragon X Elite version, packed with the OLED display, 512GB of storage and 32GB of RAM, costs $1,499. Whichever one fits your budget, you're going to get a good work experience out of it, especially if you work from home.
Webcams on computers are always hit or miss in terms of resolution, but the webcam on the Surface Pro 11 gives you the highest resolution you've ever seen on any other webcam, whether you're using the 12-megapixel front camera, which shows 1440p, or the 10MP rear camera, which displays a resolution of up to 4K. The front camera will give your colleagues a crystal clear picture of you during web conferences.
Another great thing about the Surface Pro 11 is you can either attach the keyboard to the tablet or leave it detached and type away from there. Typing on the keyboard without attaching it the tablet might be an interesting work style for you to adopt.
What to consider
Working on a tablet instead of/in conjunction with a laptop is an exciting prospect if you're looking to change the way you run your business -- or work for said business, for that matter. Now that you looked at this list of tablets to get and put your finances into consideration, first and foremost, here are some other factors to keep in mind before you make your decision.
How big should my tablet be?
Tablets may be smaller and lighter than laptops, but they still vary in size. The size of the tablet depends on your how mobile your job requires you to be. If you travel at least twice a year for your job, opt for a tablet with a screen that is 10 to 12 inches in length. If you travel more than three times a year or move around frequently as a digital nomad, then it's best to use a tablet that is less than 10 inches.
Is more powerful better?
The amount of power your tablet draws on for your tasks depends on your usage. If the majority of your job involves the use of word processing tools like Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you might get away with a tablet that doesn't possess as much processing power, as it is much more affordable. If you produce videos on video editing software like DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Premiere, then you might want to get the tablet that contains a Snapdragon X or other equally powerful processor.
Do I need a keyboard?
A keyboard is an optional tool, but depending on your job or business, it's recommended you keep one handy in case you need to write things out. For example, if you work in marketing and design advertising materials on Canva using a stylus, using a keyboard may help make the message of your company's campaign clearer than it would if you freehand it with your stylus.
How we tested
We reviewed the tablets sent to us by reputable companies such as Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and OnePlus. Most of the electronics we use come from those companies, as well as a few others mentioned in this list, and that informs our decision on which tablets are best to use in any context. In fact, some of the reviews were written on the very tablets mentioned here.
Why trust us
Digital Trends has been reporting on tech products since its founding in 2006. Our writers and editors share a love for innovative products like tablets, and we use them ourselves for our work.
