Forget leather – HP is making laptops out of wood

Image credit: HP

HP is no stranger to making laptops out of unusual materials – such as the leather-bound HP Spectre Folio – and at Computex 2019, the company has revealed its releasing its Envy range of laptops with bodies that are partially made out of wood.

The HP Envy Wood line up will come with a thin layer of wood over their metal bodies, with the palm rest, trackpad and even fingerprint reader having wood designs.

The laptops will come in a choice of wood and color options, including walnut, pale birch and ceramic white birch. HP also promises that the wood will come from sustainable sources.

New accessories are coming, too

To round out your set up, these new HP Envy laptops may be paired with accessories that the HP is also rolling out at Computex 2019.

In keeping with the millennial chic motif, the manufacturer has released a new line of bags named the HP Envy Uptown. On offer in this line are the HP Envy Uptown Convertible Pack, HP Envy Uptown Tote and HP Envy Uptown Backpack, all of which come with an RFID pocket and a tech pocket for charging.

All three bags come in black, but HP has yet to reveal the prices on these and whether or not they will come in other colors down the line. Additionally, HP is also releasing a new version of its HP Thunderbolt Dock G2, which will now come with its own HDMI Adapter.

Can't see the wood for the HPs

According to HP, there will be wooden variants of the 2019 models of the HP Envy 13, HP Envy 17, HP Envy x360 13 and HP Envy x360 15. Essentially, every 2019 Envy laptop will feature wood accents.

Like its accessories, HP hasn’t yet revealed the price or specs for the wood-clad laptops – which will release later this year – but they will come with a choice of Intel or AMD processors, will benefit from long battery life, and will offer a choice of OLED screens for the high-end Envy x360 models.

Some people may think that a wood-covered laptop will simply be an expensive novelty. However, we were very impressed with the Spectre Folio, which gives us confidence that HP has the ability to make an attractive and desirable laptop out of organic material.

Check out all of TechRadar's Computex 2019 coverage. We're live in Taipei to bring you all the breaking computing news and launches, plus hands-on reviews of everything from fresh laptops and desktops to powerful new components and wild overclocking demonstrations.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. Ever since he got an Amiga A500+ for Christmas in 1991, he's loved using (and playing on) computers, and will talk endlessly about how The Secret of Monkey Island is the best game ever made.