Ask HN: Laptop as a Thin Client?

For the last 6 months, I have been using a linux desktop to do all my web development (multiple browsers managed by i3, we pack compilations, vim, and all the silly electron apps like vscode and slack). It has been excellent, especially compared to my frustrating experience with my 2015 macbook pro (I swear every update makes it slower).

However, I have some upcoming changes in life which will dictate using some form of laptop an hour or two a day on my local network and three or so days a month from the road ( with a slow 2mbit up/down connection ).

I dread thinking of going back to the macbook for this. It's a 16" and super heavy, and the battery will hardly last 2 hours of zoom calls, much less running chrome and ff at the same time for webdev.

Do you have recommendations on hardware and software to fill these gaps? Do I have to invest in a beefy laptop with a large battery or can I get away with some sort of rdp? What do you use personally?

Thanks!