Skip to main content
An open and powered on laptop displaying a website on its screen Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

The Best Laptops of 2025

Products are chosen independently by our editors. Purchases made through our links may earn us a commission.

An open and powered on laptop displaying a website on its screen Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Why trust Reviewed?

Reviewed's mission is to help you buy the best stuff and get the most out of what you already own. Our team of product experts thoroughly vet every product we recommend to help you cut through the clutter and find what you need.

Learn more about our product testing
1
Editor's Choice Product image of Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025)
Best Laptop Overall

Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025)

Check Price at Amazon

The new MacBook Air M4 boasts a lower starting price, a new color, and a deeper feature set than the M3. Read More

Pros

  • Solid performance, sleek design
  • Great battery life
  • Starts at $999 ($899 for education)

Cons

  • Base model's 256GB is not enough storage, upgrades are pricy
  • AI not yet realized, behind competitors
2
Editor's Choice Product image of Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
Best Windows Laptop

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)

$1,469.00 at eBay

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a 14-inch gaming laptop with an OLED screen and is as powerful as the Razer Blade 14 but as portable as the MacBook Air. Read More

Pros

  • Fantastic performance
  • Gorgeous OLED screen
  • 12-hour battery life

Cons

  • Soldered on memory
  • Fewer graphics card configurations than previous years
3
Editor's Choice Product image of Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max (2025)
Best Laptop Upgrade

Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max (2025)

Check Price at Walmart

This MacBook Pro provides unbeatable battery life, performance, memory, display quality, and ergonomics. If money’s no issue, this is the best laptop you can get, bar none. Read More

Pros

  • Graphics performance is what sets it apart from other MacBooks
  • Excels at graphics-heavy creative workloads
  • Best of the best

Cons

  • Heavy
  • More expensive than most
4
Editor's Choice Product image of Asus ROG Strix G18 (2024) G814
Best Gaming Laptop

Asus ROG Strix G18 (2024) G814

Check Price at Walmart

For its price, this gaming laptop from ASUS offers an excellent value with its Intel Core i9 Processor, bright display, and long battery life. Read More

Pros

  • Excellent color performance and motion clarity
  • Bright display
  • Long battery life
  • Good value

Cons

  • 18-inch display isn’t on par with OLED or mini-LED alternatives
5
Editor's Choice Product image of Acer Swift 3 (2021)
Best Laptop Under $500

Acer Swift 3 (2021)

Check Price at Amazon

The Acer Swift 3 is perfect for portable productivity but is plagued by bloatware and too few ports. Read More

Pros

  • Outstanding portability
  • Great productivity performance
  • Runs very quietly

Cons

  • Limited connectivity options
  • A ridiculous amount of bloatware
  • Performance outside of productivity is lackluster
  • Best Laptop Overall Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025)
  • Best Windows Laptop Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
  • Best Laptop Upgrade Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max (2025)
  • Best Gaming Laptop Asus ROG Strix G18 (2024) G814
  • Best Laptop Under $500 Acer Swift 3 (2021)
  • Best 2-in-1 Laptop HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023)
  • Other Laptops We Tested and Evaluated
  • What To Consider When Buying A Laptop
  • FAQ: What To Know About Laptops
  • Why You Should Trust Our Expertise
  • What Other Reviewers Are Saying About the Best Laptops
  • What Owners Are Saying About Our Best Laptops
  • Read More About Laptops on Reviewed

Reviewed's PC experts are always on the lookout for the best laptops for everyone, from gamers and students to frequent flyers and homebodies. PCs are the center of business and recreation for nearly everyone, so we work hard to make sure you find a laptop you'll love on this list.

Most people need to look no further than the Apple MacBook Air (M4) (available at Amazon for $983.57) . Sure, it's not the best laptop for gamers, but its huge battery life, slim and premium build, and the fact that Apple is known for supporting its laptops for many years, make it a go-to for both work and play.


An Apple Macbook Air m4 sits on a wooden desk
Credit: Reviewed / Marc Saltzman
Best Laptop Overall
Apple MacBook Air 13 M4 (2025)
  • Processor: Apple M4 (10-core, 6 performance, 4 efficient)
  • Graphics: Apple M4 8-core (integrated)
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x, unified
  • Storage size: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 13.6-inch, 2560 x 1644 resolution, 500 nits max, 100% DCI-P3, LED display
  • Battery life: 10+ hours

Apple's MacBook Air 13 M4 can pretty much do it all. It's very fast, highly portable, and offers an ultra-premium display in a very slim profile. This is not to mention the fact that it can reach over 10 hours of battery life and is Apple's cheapest laptop available.

Despite being Apple's cheapest laptop, it's still an incredibly powerful machine. The M4 chip allows the MacBook Air to outperform most Windows laptops in this price range. While it doesn't have an OLED display, its 2K screen is still very crisp and stunningly vibrant. Here we're recommending the 13-inch model—but the laptop also comes in a 15-inch variant for those who want a little extra screen real estate.

So what's the downside to this laptop? Well, for the vast majority of people, there isn't one. But if you're looking for something that can handle gaming, the MacBook Air probably isn't it. Gamers will still want to go for a Windows machine thanks to the software support, even though higher-end MacBook Pro laptops have the graphics prowess to handle most modern games.

Anyone who isn't a gamer, however, will love what's on offer by the MacBook Air. Again, it's incredibly powerful for a laptop in its price range. Plus, it will likely benefit from Apple's legendary software support that will keep it receiving modern features many years down the line.

Read our full MacBook Air 13 M4 review .

Pros

  • Solid performance, sleek design

  • Great battery life

  • Starts at $999 ($899 for education)

Cons

  • Base model's 256GB is not enough storage, upgrades are pricy

  • AI not yet realized, behind competitors

$983.57 from Amazon


$1,079.99 from eBay


$909.00 from Walmart


$929.00 from Abt

The laptop sits on a blue table.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is technically a gaming laptop, but it's a spectacular laptop for anyone.

Best Windows Laptop
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024)
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS processor (8 cores, 16 threads at 4GHz (up to 5.2 GHz))
  • Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4060 mobile (discrete), AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics
  • Memory: 16GB DDR5 at 6400MHz (non-replaceable)
  • Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe M.2 SSD
  • Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800 at 120Hz OLED panel, 500 nits (rated), 410 nits (measured), 100% DCI-P3, 0.2ms response time, Nvidia G-Sync compatible, supports Dolby Vision HDR
  • Battery life: 12 hours

We never thought we’d see the day a gaming laptop is the best Windows laptop most people should get, but here we are. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is a spectacular PC with a gorgeous aesthetic, a bright 2K OLED display, one of the most powerful processors available, and a 12-hour battery life, all contained in a light, portable all-metal body.

With an MSRP of $1,600, the ROG Zephyrus G14 is a much better value than its competitors like the Dell XPS 14, Razer Blade 14, and the MacBook Pro 14. This laptop is just as luxurious, efficient, and straight-up fun to use as the rest.

The ROG Zephyrus G14 does make one compromise: graphics performance. Compared to most productivity laptops, the Zephyrus G14’s Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card is fantastic—using 3D modeling programs like Blender or booting up games like Cyberpunk 2077 with ray tracing isn’t a problem. But if you need more than a 120Hz refresh rate or you’re looking for the beefiest graphics card you can get, you’ll have to look at an alternative.

If a discrete graphics card is more than you need, cheaper productivity laptops like the HP Pavilion Plus 16 or the LG Gram 17 might be a better choice. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the laptop you want when you spend as much time writing history theses as you do playing grand strategy games. You won’t need to worry about poor performance or poor battery life, and the Zephyrus G14 does it at a much lower price than the alternatives.

Read our full Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024) review.

Pros

  • Fantastic performance

  • Gorgeous OLED screen

  • 12-hour battery life

Cons

  • Soldered on memory

  • Fewer graphics card configurations than previous years

$1,469.00 from eBay


$1,459.00 from Walmart

A MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max sits on a dual tone blue background
Credit: Reviewed / Apple
Best Laptop Upgrade
Apple MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max (2025)
  • Processor: Apple M4 Max (16-core, 12 performance, 4 efficient)
  • Graphics: Apple M4 Max 40-core (integrated) with hardware-accelerated ray tracing
  • Memory: 48GB unified
  • Storage: 1TB SSD
  • Display: 16.2-inch, 3456 x 2234, 1,000 nits (SDR), 1,000 nits (HDR sustained), 1,600 nits (HDR peak), up to 120Hz Liquid Retina XDR
  • Battery life: 17.5+ hours

While this beast of a laptop costs $4,000, in return, the MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max provides unbeatable battery life, performance, memory, display quality, and ergonomics. If money’s not an issue, this is the best laptop you can get, bar none.

The MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max’s core processing performance is stellar, but its graphics performance is what sets it apart from other MacBooks and pushes it ahead of most laptops. Its 40-core graphics processor beats out many discrete graphics options on Windows laptops, like the Nvidia RTX 4070, and its dedicated media engines give it an edge for video editing, graphic design, rendering, and other graphics-heavy creative workloads. Coupled with an HDR-compatible display, this laptop is a powerhouse for content.

The power does come with a portability trade-off, and the machine weighs almost 5 pounds. If you want something a little lighter, you might want to consider the 14-inch model, which can also be configured to offer the M4 Max, but won't have quite the massive battery.

For some, it's also worth remembering the fact that the MacBook Pro comes with macOS. Plenty of users love macOS, but not all professional software works on the operating system. That's true of gaming too—you can't get a better macOS gaming laptop, but plenty of games still don't run on it.

If macOS won’t be a problem, then you’ll adore the MacBook Pro 16 M4 Max. Few Windows PCs can match its performance, and fewer still can match its battery life and aesthetics.

Pros

  • Graphics performance is what sets it apart from other MacBooks

  • Excels at graphics-heavy creative workloads

  • Best of the best

Cons

  • Heavy

  • More expensive than most

$3,179.00 from Walmart


$3,499.00 from Abt

An Asus ROG Strix G18 sits on a dual-tone purple background
Credit: Reviewed / Asus
Best Gaming Laptop
Asus ROG Strix G18 (2024) G814
  • Processor: Intel Core i9-14900HX
  • Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4070
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
  • Storage: 1TB SSD
  • Display: 18-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240Hz, IPS LCD
  • Battery life: 9.5+ hours

The Asus ROG Strix G18 is a great gaming and productivity laptop. Its 18-inch display isn’t on par with OLED or mini-LED alternatives, but it delivers excellent color performance and motion clarity without the added cost of a fancy panel. It’s a bright display, too, which makes the laptop comfortable to use in a brightly lit room.

This laptop features Nvidia Optimus switchable graphics, which turn off the Nvidia GPU when it’s not required, switching to less power-hungry Intel-integrated graphics. This helps the laptop exceed nine hours of battery life in less demanding tasks, such as web browsing and streaming video.

The build quality is adequate and reflected in the laptop’s price; Asus opted for inexpensive plastics that look and feel unimpressive compared to alternatives like the Razer Blade 16, but honestly, that’s a small compromise for all that performance you get for the price.

Pros

  • Excellent color performance and motion clarity

  • Bright display

  • Long battery life

  • Good value

Cons

  • 18-inch display isn’t on par with OLED or mini-LED alternatives

$2,216.97 from Walmart

A person holds their fingers over a laptop's keyboard and trackpad while working on a project.
Credit: Reviewed / Jackson Ruckar

Weighing 2.65 pounds with a 14-inch screen, Acer's Swift 3 is a super portable laptop that also doesn't feel too compact.

Best Laptop Under $500
Acer Swift 3 (2021)
  • Processor: Intel Core i7-1165G7
  • Graphics: Intel Iris Xe (integrated)
  • Memory: 8GB
  • Storage: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 14-inch, 1920 x 1080
  • Battery life: About 9.5 hours

The Asus Swift 3 might not compare with the higher-end and more expensive options on this list, but if you're looking for a laptop around $500, it's hard to beat. A quick note up front, though, technically the laptop isn't less than $500, though it sometimes hits the sub-$500 price point during sales. At the time of this writing, it was $514, but we think it's easily worth stretching the budget for this over the other sub-$500 options.

Why? Well, it's much more powerful than most comparably priced laptops, has a solid amount of RAM, and comes with a 512GB SSD, which isn't necessarily all that common in this price range. It also has a decently large display, and while its performance isn't necessarily as impressive as more recent releases, it still easily beats other options at the price.

The main downside is the fact that the laptop is a few years old now, so it may at times be tricky to find online. If you can find one for around this price point, it's the budget laptop to go for.

Read our full Acer Swift 3 review.

Pros

  • Outstanding portability

  • Great productivity performance

  • Runs very quietly

Cons

  • Limited connectivity options

  • A ridiculous amount of bloatware

  • Performance outside of productivity is lackluster

Buy now at Amazon


$553.00 from Walmart

The laptop is on a dark desk against a black background.
Credit: Reviewed / Tim Renzi

The HP Pavilion 16 is a phenomenal laptop for the unexpected.

Best 2-in-1 Laptop
HP Pavilion Plus 16 (2023)
  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
  • Graphics: Intel Arc (integrated)
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR5x 5200MHz
  • Storage: 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 with TLC
  • Display: 14-inch, 2880 x 1800, 400 nits max (rated), 120Hz refresh rate
  • Battery life: 16+ hours

The Lenovo Yoga line has long offered some of the best 2-in-1 models out there, and the Yoga 9i is a perfect example of why. The laptop is well-designed and built with premium materials, plus it has a decent port selection. It has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a USB-C 4.0 port, and more. Of course, perhaps the best thing about it is that it's a two-in-one, so the display can flip around the laptop for use in a kind of tablet mode.

Under the hood, it's a powerful machine, too. The laptop comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H processor, which is one of Intel's newer chips that delivers excellent power efficiency and, in turn, a long battery life. Not only that, but it has a stunning screen, which is crisp and detailed with a high refresh rate.

It isn't the best option for gaming, as its graphics are limited to integrated Intel Arc graphics instead of options for a discrete graphics card. Just something to keep in mind.

Pros

  • Great performance and battery life

  • Bright and clear display

  • Slim design

Cons

  • So-so keyboard

  • No simple GPU toggle

Buy now at Amazon

Other Laptops We Tested and Evaluated

Product image of Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (2024)
Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (2024)
  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155U
  • Graphics: Intel Inetgrated
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X
  • Storage: 1TB SSD
  • Display: Dual 13.3-inch, 2880 x 1800, 60Hz OLED touchscreens with stylus support
  • Battery life: 12.5 hours

We were impressed by the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i’s versatility, unique design, and stellar performance. Its dual-screen OLED display can change form for typing, drawing, research, gaming, dual-screen browsing, and note-taking—and all it needs are a few simple, included accessories and pre-programmed custom touch gestures.

The physical keyboard cover doubles as a laptop stand to support the Yoga Book 9i in dual-screen mode, both horizontally and vertically. The vertical orientation lets you use both displays as one big one, too, which is especially useful if you connect a desktop monitor to the Yoga Book 9i. If you don’t want to use the virtual trackpad, Lenovo includes a physical one, along with a stylus, but the touch display’s responsiveness is always prompt and accurate.

Other features include a sound bar built into the laptop’s center hinge, so no matter the display’s orientation or form, the audio always sounds clear and loud. OLED color accuracy and gamut coverage are precise enough for professional photo and video work, albeit nothing too processor-intensive.

Also, it's worth noting that a 2025 model of the Yoga Book 9i has been announced, but it's not widely available just yet.

Pros

  • OLED color accuracy and gamut coverage are precise

  • Excellent performance

  • Keyboard cover doubles as a laptop stand

Cons

  • None that we can find

$1,600 $2,000 at eBay


$1,844.00 from Walmart

Product image of Asus Zenbook Duo UX8406 (2024)
Asus Zenbook Duo UX8406 (2024)
  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16 cores, 22 threads, boost clock up to 4.8GHz
  • Graphics: Intel Arc integrated graphics
  • Memory: 16GB LPDDR5X 7467 MHz
  • Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe PCIe 4.0 solid state drive
  • Display: Dual displays, 2x 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 OLED 60Hz, both support touch
  • Battery life: 14.5 hours

The Asus Zenbook Duo is a great laptop with a dual-screen 17-inch display, an included standalone keyboard, and all the functionality of a normal laptop. Best of all, the Zenbook Duo only costs $1,500, hundreds cheaper than other dual-screen laptops that have been released.

The dual-OLED touch-enabled displays are joined together with a hinge mechanism, so the laptop feels like a dual-display PC. The detachable keyboard and active stylus expand its functionality so you don’t have to rely on the touchscreen, and if you layer the keyboard on the lower display, the Zenbook Duo turns into a traditional 14-inch laptop.

Like with any newer tech, it does come with some downsides. The Zenbook Duo’s performance is fine for average productivity tasks, but it’s not exceptional for the price you pay. Similarly priced traditional laptops like the Apple MacBook Air M3 or Acer Swift X 14 are much more powerful.

The only laptop like the Zenbook Duo is the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i (2023). Compared to the Lenovo Yoga Book 9i, the Asus Zenbook Duo has a lower-resolution display, but it’s slightly more powerful. On the other hand, if you’re itching for an uninterrupted canvas, the Asus Zenbook Fold 17 OLED and the Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad X1 Fold are worth considering.

If the idea of always having two displays at your fingertips excites you, the Zenbook Duo is a reasonable choice despite its flaws. It may not excel in performance or ergonomics, but it does well enough to hold its own against more conventional alternatives.

Read our full Asus Zenbook Duo review.

Pros

  • Dual-screen concept works well

  • Can also pass as a “normal” laptop

  • Good value

Cons

  • Touchscreens don’t make it a tablet

  • Performance is modest for the price

  • Bluetooth keyboard can be finicky

$1,499.99 from Amazon


$1,597.99 from Walmart

Product image of Dell XPS 16 (2024)
Dell XPS 16 (2024)
  • Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16 cores and 22 threads (six performance cores, eight efficient cores, two low-power efficient cores), max clock speed 5.1GHz
  • Graphics: Nvidia RTX 4070 8GB GDDR6X (discrete, max 60 watts), Intel Arc integrated graphics
  • Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X at 7467MHz (soldered)
  • Storage: 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD
  • Display: 16.3-inch, 3840 x 2400, 90Hz OLED touchscreen
  • Battery life: 12.5+ hours

Although the Dell XPS 16 looks and feels like a simple productivity laptop, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Its powerful processor and mighty discrete graphics card give it the performance to breeze through physics simulations, complicated code, demanding games, or 8K video footage.

It’s also pleasing to look at, with a gorgeous 4K OLED display encased in an all-metal chassis that’s sure to turn heads. So, with so many praises to sing about the Dell XPS 16, what holds it back from being the best laptop overall? The price. Expect to drop at least $1,900, but a configuration with discrete graphics and an OLED display will run you $3,000 or more.

If you’re okay giving up some of the Dell XPS 16’s refinement, you’ll probably love the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16, which is over $1,000 less. On the other hand, if you’re between the XPS 16 and a MacBook Pro 16 M3 Max, the MacBook Pro 16 costs more, but you’ll also get more battery life and a performance that only a bulkier gaming or workstation laptop could match.

Read our full Dell XPS 16 review.

Pros

  • Attractive and sturdy design

  • Strong performance and battery life

  • Top-tier display and audio

Cons

  • Heavy and thick

  • Controversial keyboard function row

  • Not the best value

Buy now at Best Buy

Product image of Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023)
Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023)
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS
  • Graphics: Nvidia RTX 3050
  • Memory: 16GB DDR5 6400MHz
  • Storage size: 512GB SSD
  • Display: 14.5-inch, 2560 x 1600, 90Hz IPS touchscreen
  • Battery life: 9.5+ hours

The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 is a jack-of-all-trades that’s ideal for the challenges of school or work, especially for those looking to keep their spending to a minimum without sacrificing quality.

It won’t beat out a great gaming laptop when it comes to performance, but it’s powerful enough for everyday life. Its CPU has enough multicore power for light creative tasks like editing photos, videos, and audio, and the entry-level discrete GPU will render images much faster than AMD’s integrated graphics chip.

Additionally, it comes with a variety of ports that are useful for any computing situation—work or personal. It’s under an inch thick and weighs roughly 3.5 pounds, and to top it off, the battery lasts close to 10 hours. It has everything you’d expect a laptop to have, and does everything you’d expect a laptop to do.

Read our full Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 review.

Pros

  • Solid performance

  • Sturdy, tactile keyboard feel

  • Minimalist, professional look

Cons

  • Just okay screen brightness

  • Loaded with bloatware

$1,199.00 from Walmart

Product image of Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 (14", 2023)
Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 (14", 2023)
  • Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
  • Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 8GB (Discrete); AMD Radeon 780M (integrated)
  • Memory: 32GB LPDDR5X 6400MHz
  • Storage: 512GB PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 NVMe SSD; 1 empty M.2 2280 slot
  • Display: 14.5-inch, 2880 x 1800, 120Hz OLED, glossy
  • Battery life: 8+ hours

The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14APH8 is a spicy little machine. Packed inside a compact chassis with a 14.5-inch screen is a potent CPU and GPU combo that can muscle through heavier workloads and games equally well, making it one of the best laptops for gaming or productivity alike.

Despite being a potent gaming laptop, it weighs under 4 pounds and is only 0.82 inches thick. It has plenty of venting and manages performance that often exceeds other thin and light laptops packing the same hardware. It even boasts respectable battery life, measuring about eight and a half hours during our standard battery test.

The Lenovo Legion Slim 5 also includes a sharp OLED panel offering 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 color space for excellent visuals in games. The display has a 120Hz refresh rate and fast pixel response times that make it a joy to play on.

Should you want to use the laptop with an external monitor in a desktop setup, it has plenty of ports to accommodate you, including a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port. As much as the 2023 Legion Slim 5 14APH8 offers, it’s all the more impressive considering the price, which hovers around $1,000.

Read our full review of the Lenovo Legion Slim 5 14APH8.

Pros

  • Excellent design

  • Performance and efficiency

  • Gorgeous display

Cons

  • The CPU can run hot

  • No upgradeable memory

$1,295.00 from Walmart

What To Consider When Buying A Laptop

Who would use this?

The first thing you want to consider when buying a laptop is who is going to use it. Is it a college student who might want something thin and light more than they want power? Or is it a hardcore gamer who wants to be able to play their AAA games on the go?

All of the laptops on this list can easily handle web apps, emails, and productivity use cases, but if you need a laptop for more demanding things like gaming or graphic design, then you'll need something with some graphics prowess.

Key features

  • Performance: The CPU, graphics chip, RAM, and storage inside your PC determine how well your computer can multitask, handle intensive tasks like gaming, and store all your files. The better the specs, the snappier the laptop will feel as you work. Most people will be more than happy with a current-generation Intel Core 5, Apple M3, or AMD Ryzen 5, which are mid-range processors. 8GB of RAM will give you enough room to lightly multitask, but we recommend 16GB or more of RAM for power users and 32GB for content creation. Graphics chip and storage size needs will vary the most depending on what you plan to run on the laptop. While Chromebooks can get away with 64GB of storage with additional cloud storage, Windows laptops need 256GB or more of storage to run optimally. 512GB hits the sweet spot for many users. For most people, there is no need for a dedicated graphics card. Modern integrated graphics are more than capable of running things like esports games or small 3D modeling files. However, if you plan to play the latest AAA games or need to run a lot of vector calculations, you should consider a discrete graphics card.

  • Build quality: Not only do you want a laptop that can take a beating (since you’ll probably be lugging it around with you), but you want one with a well-built keyboard and trackpad since they’re your primary form of interaction with the machine. A poor trackpad or finicky keyboard can ruin the experience. Generally, durable laptops are stiff and hard to deform, so metal is usually more rugged than plastic. A good keyboard should be quick to type on, and your fingers should easily reach all the keys without any missed hits. Check that the Shift, Control, and Fn keys aren’t awkward to reach with your thumb and pinky fingers. Whether you prefer stiff or soft keys is up to you: stiff keys are harder to accidentally press but will tire you out faster, while soft keys are easier to type on for long periods but can be prone to poor feedback and typos. See what’s most comfortable for you. Trackpads are a little easier to judge. A good trackpad reads all your finger movements accurately, so the mouse won’t feel jumpy or unresponsive. A larger trackpad gives you better control of your cursor, and the trackpad should have little friction so you don’t “skip” with your cursor.

  • Operating systems: Consider which operating system you need. Windows is still the dominant OS these days, and if you’re going to play games, edit photos and videos, or need certain software for work, you’ll probably stick with Microsoft’s offering in a business laptop. MacOS has exclusive software and great integration with the Apple ecosystem, so it’s the preferred option for those with iPhones, iPads, or other Apple products. If you spend all your time on the web and want to save some money, though, a Chromebook may serve you well. Between Netflix, Gmail, and Google Docs, you can do almost anything in a browser. Many of those web apps even work offline for those rare occasions when you don’t have Wi-Fi. Chromebooks have the advantage of being cheaper (since they don’t need as much processing power) and virtually bloatware-free (since they run Linux under the hood).

  • Display size: You’ll usually find laptops in one of three main sizes, measured by the diagonal length of the display. 14 inches and under: These smaller laptops are great for carrying around, and more than suitable for light work like writing papers and browsing the web. 15 to 16 inches: Mid-sized laptops are a bit less portable, and won’t necessarily work in space-constrained spaces like airplane seats. However, this display size is useful for photo editing and watching videos, and its larger chassis can house more powerful hardware. 17+ inches: This is very large, and only recommended if you are doing video editing or other intensive work that requires a lot of laptop screen real estate—and you don’t mind lugging it around. You’ll also want to consider the number of USB ports, whether you need HDMI and Ethernet, and how comfortable the keyboard and trackpad are to use—this can vary quite a bit from model to model, and it’s important to get something responsive and durable.

  • Portability: 2-in-1s have gained in popularity, but touch screens and pens cost money to include. Similarly, cramming all those powerful components into a small, easy-to-carry package can often cost more than a larger laptop with fewer design constraints. They’re not as comfortable to use as dedicated tablets like iPads, but 2-in-1s can provide extra options for those who need something versatile. Display pens are great for those who take a lot of notes or draw, such as students or artists.

Care, maintenance, and warranty

There are several ways that laptops can degrade over time or simply fail if they're not taken care of. Laptops have moving parts like a hinge, switches, and a keyboard, and when they're not cared for these components can start to break down. That's not to mention the fact that laptops and water simply don't mix, and you'll want to keep all kinds of liquids away from your laptop.

It's worth keeping warranty in mind, too; however, laptop warranties usually only cover manufacturer defects rather than any accidental damage. Some companies offer an additional warranty that you can pay for, and those will allow you to get repairs if you happen to do something to your laptop by accident.

FAQ: What To Know About Laptops

What is a good price for a laptop?

Laptops can vary dramatically in price depending on things like performance and display quality. The best laptops out there usually cost at least $1,000, and most people looking for a laptop that will last for years to come should be willing to spend around this much.

That said, there are plenty of decent models under $1,000 with mid-range performance and decent designs. Just keep in mind that it's likely the laptop will start to feel sluggish sooner than it would on a more powerful machine.

If you're looking for top performance or a machine that's able to handle high-end video games, then you'll probably need to spend a little more cash. Great gaming laptops range up to multiple thousands of dollars, though you could get a solid gaming machine that can handle most modern games for around $1,200 or so.

How long do laptops last?

Modern laptops should last at least five or six years before needing to be replaced, and in the case of more expensive machines, they should last even longer.

Apple is known for building laptops that last for many years, but high-end Windows laptops still perform great for years, too. While cheap laptops might start to feel sluggish relatively quickly, mid-range and high-end laptops should last at least four or five years before you notice any slowdown.

Do laptops have lithium batteries?

Yes, most modern laptops use a lithium-ion battery. These batteries are lightweight and rechargeable, plus they're relatively energy-dense, so they're great for laptops.

Eventually, newer laptops will start to get newer battery technologies, but for now, your laptop probably has a lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery in it.

Are refurbished laptops good?

They can be. It all depends on who is refurbishing the laptop and how old the components inside the laptop are in the first place.

Some companies refurbish their own laptops. For example, Apple is known to sell refurbished MacBooks that look and feel as good as new.

That said, you can also get refurbished models from third parties. At times, these can be a little hit and miss, so it's worth looking at customer reviews before buying a refurbished laptop from an unknown source.

What do I do with my old laptop?

There are plenty of things that you can do with an old laptop, but before you do anything, make sure to properly wipe its hard drive of any data.

On a Windows computer, this involves heading to the "Reset this PC" settings option, then hitting the "Remove everything" button and toggling on "Clean Data." On macOS, you'll follow a factory reset process that will involve wiping the laptop's drive.

You must do this before your laptop goes anywhere else, as your laptop likely stores sensitive information like passwords and banking information.

After the laptop is properly wiped, you could donate it or recycle it, or list it on a website like Craigslist or eBay to get back some of the money that you spent on it. If your laptop is in good condition and not an incredibly old model, you might get decent value from a resale site, too. However, it's worth comparing what resale sites are offering for it with what people have been able to get for it on sites like eBay.

Why You Should Trust Our Expertise

We conduct extensive research and in-depth testing on laptops in order to recommend only the best models that are currently available. We test laptops for their processing capability, graphics, battery life, and screen brightness. We use popular benchmarks like Geekbench and 3DMark to gauge how well the laptop multitasks, runs games, and more. We also test multiple platforms, from Windows laptops to Macs and Chromebooks alike.

To test battery life, we set up our laptops to continuously cycle through various websites at a brightness of 200 nits—which is around 60% for many of the mid-range models—until they run out of power, estimating how much work you can get done on a single charge. We also use each laptop for an extended period, rating each on factors like build quality, price, portability, and design.

What Other Reviewers Are Saying About the Best Laptops

There are dozens of laptop models on the market at any given time. However, many experts agree that for most people, the newest MacBook Air (2024) is the best laptop. The MacBook Air is powerful and well-designed, and previous models have been able to last for many years without needing to be replaced.

  • Wirecutter: Wirecutter doesn't award a single laptop as "the best"—it splits into best Windows laptop and best MacBook. In Wirecutter's guide, the MacBook Air is labelled as the best MacBook (though it's the previous-generation model, 2023).
  • Tom's Guide: Tom's Guide also notes the M4 MacBook Air as being the best laptop overall, thanks to its excellent performance and long battery life.
  • CNET: CNET agrees with us too—noting the MacBook Air M4 as being the top laptop. CNET specifically recommends the 15-inch model, which is excellent, and in deciding between it and the 13-inch variant, you're deciding between more portability or more screen real estate.

What Owners Are Saying About Our Best Laptops

The MacBook Air M4 isn't just loved by reviewers—users love it too.

  • Amazon: On Amazon, the M4 MacBook Air has a 4.6-star average, though considering it's new, it has a low number of reviews at the time of this writing. One user, Leigh Martin, wrote that "there is a significant difference between the M4 chip and earlier models," praising its performance.
  • Best Buy: The laptop's average score on Best Buy is even better, with a 4.8-star average. Reviewers praised the excellent performance offered by the laptop. One reviewer, Twms, noted that the laptop "is the first Mac I have ever owned, and I much prefer it over Windows, which I just switched from. The screen is great in bright light, and I love the operating system. It’s a great machine and very snappy. Glad I made the switch."

There are very few complaints when it comes to the MacBook Air, but one common one is that some of the colors pick up fingerprints more than others. That's a pretty minor issue and certainly won't impact the performance or usability of the machine.

Read More About Laptops on Reviewed

Meet the testers

Adrien Ramirez

Adrien Ramirez

Former Staff Writer

@itsaramkat

Adrien has over 4 years of experience covering laptops, desktops, software, games, and more.

See all of Adrien Ramirez's reviews
Christian de Looper

Christian de Looper

Contributor

@cdelooper

Christian de Looper is a consumer tech journalist with over a decade of experience. De Looper has covered all areas of the consumer tech industry, from smartphones to smart homes — and has attended all of the major trade shows, including CES.

De Looper has always been interested in consumer technology, but his love for gadgets and electronics blossomed into a full-blown passion when he started writing about it while completing his degree in audio production.

Since then, he has written for many of the top tech publications, including Digital Trends, Tom’s Guide, TechRadar, and many more. He loves getting his hands on all of the latest gadgets, but when he’s not reviewing tech, he can be found hanging out with his family or producing music.

See all of Christian de Looper's reviews
Matthew S. Smith

Matthew S. Smith

Contributor

@Matt_on_tech

Matthew S. Smith is a veteran tech journalist and general-purpose PC hardware nerd. Formerly the Lead Editor of Reviews at Digital Trends, he has over a decade of experience covering PC hardware. Matt often flies the virtual skies in Microsoft Flight Simulator and is on a quest to grow the perfect heirloom tomato.

See all of Matthew S. Smith's reviews
Joanna Nelius

Joanna Nelius

Former Senior Editor, Tech

@

Joanna specializes in anything and everything gaming-related and loves nerding out over graphics cards, processors, and chip architecture. Previously she was a staff writer for Gizmodo, PC Gamer, and Maximum PC.

See all of Joanna Nelius's reviews

Checking our work.

Our team is here to help you buy the best stuff and love what you own. Our writers, editors, and experts obsess over the products we cover to make sure you're confident and satisfied. Have a different opinion about something we recommend? Email us and we'll compare notes.

Shoot us an email