CES 2026 has arrived like a whirlwind, and the Asus Zenbook A14 floats like Dorothy to Oz, practically lighter than air. It’s unclear if any evil witches were squashed on the way down, but I can say that the MacBook Air would have done it first… because it is heavier. Yes, the Zenbook A14 is just that light. But is that really a good thing?
Every time I get my hands on a new laptop I always assess the size and weight compared to the competition, but in recent years laptops have become more and more popular to small and to Light. I felt this when I tested the Dell XPS 13 9345 in 2024, where there was barely any space on the deck to comfortably type.
At what point does a laptop become too light? Well, I got my hands on the Zenbook A14 and I have some thoughts.
Is lighter really better?
The Asus Zenbook A14 weighs a shocking 2.18 pounds. For comparison, the M4 MacBook Air weighs 2.7 pounds. That’s half a pound heavier than the Zenbook. But does it really feel different? Yes, in fact, it felt like a prop: it was effortless to lift, and when it was turned off, I would have a hard time convincing myself that it was a real laptop. We’re dangerously close to getting notebooks as light as my kid’s LeapFrog 2-in-1 laptop (1.3 pounds).
One of my biggest concerns with the Zenbook A14 was durability. My kid could bump into me and send this thing flying into my TV like a paper airplane. Even though that could still happen, at least the laptop would survive. My concerns about durability were immediately put to rest with a shiny MIL-STD 810H certification badge. For those who don’t know, this badge means it has passed and survived tests against drops, shocks, dust, extreme temperatures and more. Even though it felt like a hollowed out piece of metal in my hands, it’s actually quite durable.
Yes, it Is Metal. Well, sort of. It is made of Asus’ stylish Ceraluminum, a material made from ceramic and magnesium aluminum. Asus has been using it for a while – it’s a strange texture for a laptop, but I like it.
I had some difficulty opening the lid, but that wasn’t too shocking since it’s so light. However, it maintains a good size at 12.23 x 8.42 x 0.53~0.63 inches, so my hands didn’t have to fight for deck space. I clicked the keys and they were pleasantly springy and well spaced. However, I noticed a slight bend in the deck. The touchpad, on the other hand, felt smooth and was quite wide.
Then it was time to fall in love with the display. I love a good OLED screen, and now that Asus has updated all of its OLED displays to offer more brightness than the previous generation, I was thrilled. The Zenbook A14 comes with a 14-inch OLED display with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 and HDR brightness of 600 nits.
HDR isn’t always the best, but Asus has improved brightness in SDR too. The 2025 model reached around 350 nits, so I would be happy if it reached at least 450 nits. But the best part is that it covers 100% of the DCI-P3 color space, so it’s bursting with color. I wasn’t able to change the screen in my hands-on device, but I can say that it looked bright and vibrant in the room I was in.
Now if we talk about what’s under the hood, there are some powerful claims from Asus. Of course, we have the shiny new Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite chipset, but we’re less concerned about overall performance and more concerned with the impact on battery life. Apparently the Zenbook A14 is rated for 28 hours of battery life. That’s only for video playback, which doesn’t reflect real-world usage, but that’s still a ridiculous number. If the Zenbook A14 can do that, it will become a serious competitor to the MacBook Air in more ways than one.
Long battery life comes into play long It’s suitable for any type of laptop, but I still don’t know how I feel about the weight of the Zenbook A14. It’s so light that I’m constantly afraid of dropping it, and even if it can take a hit, it’s just incredibly frustrating.
If you want something a little more powerful, you could opt for the new Zenbook A16. At 2.65 pounds, it’s still incredibly light, besting the MacBook Air yet again. But it feels more like a real laptop. It even comes with a high-quality 16-inch 3K OLED display with 1100 nits brightness. Now that is glittering.
We don’t have the price for the Zenbook A14 yet, but we know it will be available towards the end of March 2026. Stay tuned for more coverage of CES 2026 as it comes out.
