I’ve been reviewing laptops for well over a decade, sometimes testing more than 30 devices per year. They aren’t all winners, and many should be avoided, no matter how slick the marketing or cheap the discount. Good news: It’s my job to recommend laptops that fit your budget and won’t make you regret your purchase six months later. These are my favorite laptops that I’ve tested myself and would highly recommend you buy.
For more guidance, also see my recommendations in specific categories, such as the Best MacBooks, Best Gaming Laptops, Best Chromebooks, Best Budget Laptops, Best Windows Laptops, and Best 2-in-1 Laptops. My guide on How to Choose a Laptop may also help if you’re undecided.
Updated August 2026: I’ve updated my recommendations after testing the Dell XPS 13, Alienware 15 Gaming Laptop, and Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential.
The Laptops I Recommend Most
Apple
MacBook Air (M5, 2026)
When friends or family ask what laptop to buy, I always start with the MacBook Air. It is far more powerful than its compact size suggests. It’s a shame about the recent $200 price increase from $1,099 to $1,299, but even at that new price, it remains my top pick because it nails the big picture. Everything from the trackpad to the speakers is of the highest quality, and it delivers all the performance and battery life the average person needs.
With the latest M5 chip, its GPU matches the M3 Pro MacBook Pro, easily handling everything from gaming to video editing. That’s not at all what the MacBook Air is designed for, but the performance is there when you want to dabble. It’s what makes it feel like a do-it-all machine, all contained in a fanless chassis that’s still one of the thinnest laptops you can buy. Oh, and did I mention it’ll last well over a full workday away from the wall socket and perform just as well on battery as when plugged in? In almost every aspect, it’s the gold standard.
While the lower price of the new MacBook Neo might be tempting, the MacBook Air is the better choice for anyone working at a computer all day. With its superior performance, extra memory, faster storage, and Thunderbolt ports, you will never have to question if you have the right tool for the job. (And unless you already know you need a MacBook Pro, you probably don’t.)
Speaking of price, I have to mention the new Dell XPS 13 next. It’s primarily being talked about as a budget laptop, thanks to its $699 starting configuration. But that model only comes with 8 GB of RAM, which presented some performance limitations when I tested it. Dell, fortunately, sells an upgrade model with 16 GB of RAM for $899, which is otherwise identical. Both models have the same gorgeous screen, which is not only sharp, bright, and color-accurate, but also includes a 120-Hz refresh rate, which makes animation and motion on the device look super smooth. The XPS 13 is filled with features like that, which don’t normally end up in a laptop at this price.
While it doesn’t have what I’d call powerhouse performance, the Intel Wildcat Lake chip inside gets the job done. Don’t try to play games on it, though. That translates to great, all-day battery life, competitive with the MacBook Air. The XPS 13 is especially good for those who want a compact laptop. Because of the tiny bezels, it’s still one of the best laptops to work on a plane with. But even beyond that, it’s just the best laptops you can buy under $1,000 right now. You’ll probably just want to avoid that 8 GB model. Beyond the memory situation, the only real caveat is the lack of a headphone jack.
If you want a Windows laptop that looks and feels high-end, I would point you to the OmniBook Ultra 14. It might be the prettiest Windows laptop you can buy right now. The device is beautifully built and incredibly sturdy, with a thin chassis, an oversized haptic trackpad, and polished metal edges. I also appreciate the three Thunderbolt 4 ports split between both sides for convenient charging, as well as the surprisingly good speakers. I tested the high-end model, which features a fast Snapdragon X2 Elite, 32 GB of RAM, and a gorgeous 2880 x 1800 OLED display. The screen offers near-perfect colors, excellent brightness, and astounding HDR performance. It doesn’t get much better than this. It’s usually quite expensive, but we’re finally starting to seem discounts that drop it to a more reasonable price. There’s also an Intel model with a very efficient and powerful chip that would also be a good choice. I’d go with whichever is cheaper at the current moment.
And lastly, for something with a larger screen, I’d recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x. It serves as a particularly good alternative to the 15-inch MacBook Air, coming in at a much lower cost. These days, you can buy the upgraded model with the 2560 x 1600 OLED display (and 165-Hz refresh rate) for $1,000, on sale at Amazon. While it’s slightly thicker than the MacBook Air, it leaves more room for extra ports including HDMI, UBS-A, and an SD card slot. And while the Snapdragon X2 Plus isn’t quite an M5 killer, I was happy with the performance and battery life provided.
Cheap Laptops That Are Actually Good
While “cheap” means something different to everyone, the best budget laptops generally fall under $750. This is where Windows truly shines, offering great specs for less money. Thanks to the latest processors from Qualcomm and Intel, these laptops now offer battery life that rivals Apple. The best affordable laptop I’ve checked out is the HP OmniBook 5. The model I tested has a Snapdragon X processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and a 14-inch OLED screen. Discounts fluctuate frequently, but right now you can buy that configuration directly from HP for $650. That’s a killer deal.
I also recently tested the new HP OmniBook 3, which uses the same chip as the OmniBook 5. It frequently sells for less than the OmniBook 5 by at least a $100 or so. HP is selling this configuration of the 14-inch model for just $543. While the OmniBook 3 is a good alternative, the OmniBook 5 is much thinner and looks more modern. Neither laptop has a particularly great touchpad, though, which is easily the biggest flaw in both laptops. Between the two, the OmniBook 5 is the better buy if you can afford it.
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s new entry-level laptop. It initially started at an aggressive $599, but that price has recently been raised to $699. Even at that price, the laptop shines when it comes to the display. It offers the best screen you can find at this price, bringing the macOS experience to an unprecedented value, even at $699 (or $799 for the 512 GB model). Apple clearly gave priority to the front-of-screen experience, delivering a premium feel across the display, build quality, and keyboard. While the 8 GB of RAM, outdated ports, and slower SSD are notable drawbacks—making the MacBook Air a better choice for remote workers—the Neo is the most premium-feeling laptop available for students, travelers, and casual users.
Given how good some of these budget laptops are, it’s a bit harder to find a place for Chromebooks. The standout option is still the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. It’s the most premium Chromebook available, with an OLED screen, 16 GB of RAM, and battery life that rivals the MacBook Neo. Its price just keeps going up, though, now up to $849. That’s far too expensive for what you get.
Instead, I recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus 516, which is the best of the cheaper Chromebooks. While it’s a bit thick and the screen isn’t the sharpest (especially for a 16-inch laptop), it’s the best laptop you can buy for under $500, and it occasionally dips down to $349. Acer didn’t skimp on the quality of the touchpad, either, which I appreciate. Windows laptops are about to get much stronger in this category, however, just as higher-priced Chromebooks will be seemingly phased out over time and replaced by the upcoming Googlebooks. Personally, I wouldn’t spend more than $500 for a Chromebook and would instead opt for one of the cheaper HP OmniBooks mentioned above if you’re already spending close to this price.
Powerful Laptops for Those Who Need It
Apple
MacBook Pro (M5 Max)
While the laptops above are great for the average person, content creators and gamers need extra performance. For the former, the 16-inch M5 Max MacBook Pro is the ultimate choice. It combines immense power with surprising portability and fantastic battery life—a rare feat. The M5 generation is the most impressive yet, with a greatly expanded GPU and significantly boosted on-device AI processing thanks to a more efficient Neural Engine and faster memory bandwidth. While it is one of the most powerful AI laptops available, the MacBook Pro isn’t for everyone; it is built specifically for professional creatives and engineers running heavy, demanding applications. It’s become more expensive in 2026, but there’s still nothing quite like it on the market.
There are a number of Windows alternatives to the MacBook Pro, including the Asus ProArt P16 and Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i. And while these are both powerful, they take an old-school approach to performance, using hot-and-heavy discrete graphics cards that significantly reduce the battery life to achieve that level of performance. We’ll probably need to wait for Nvidia’s anticipated RTX Spark laptops for a true MacBook Pro competitor later this year. The Dell XPS 14 takes a different approach, ditching the discrete GPU for Intel’s new X7 or X9 chip (also known as B390 or Intel Arc graphics). The results are seriously impressive, replicating the performance of an RTX 4050 without the downsides of using a discrete GPU. Moreover, the Dell XPS 14 has a level of polish in its design really seen only on MacBooks—even surpassing them in some areas. The more affordable configurations with the Core Ultra 5 or 7 don’t have as strong of graphics, but you still get the premium design and excellent battery life.
The most common use for laptop performance, however, is for playing games. If you plan on booting up any graphically intensive games more than a couple of times a week, you will want a dedicated gaming laptop. After testing dozens over the past year, the Alienware 15 Gaming Laptop is my current recommendation. At $1,200 for the RTX 5050 model or $1,350 for the upgrade RTX 5060, this is the best deal in gaming laptops right now.
Alienware
15 Gaming Laptop
It performs well, though its strongest quality compared to the competition is how robust and beautiful the exterior chassis is. Most gaming laptops around this price are eyesores. The main downside to the Alienware 15 is the screen, which has some noticeably bad color reproduction. The visuals have a desaturated look that annoys me, which is common on these budget gaming laptops.
The Lenovo LOQ 15 with the RTX 5060 has been my top pick for affordable gaming laptops throughout most of the year, as it has been the cheapest way to get decent gaming performance without any major compromises to the laptop. It has a much better display than the Alienware 15, for example. However, it’s recently gone up by hundreds of dollars in price, which is frustrating. Its high-quality display still makes it stand out, though, and it’s worth the couple hundred extra dollars in my book.
There’s a whole world of gaming laptops outside the budget tier, though. I’ve tested an assortment of options, and I always come back to the Razer Blade 14 and Razer Blade 16. Portable, minimalist, and extremely well-made, they have rightfully earned their reputation as the MacBooks of PC gaming—along with the MacBook Pro–like price tag. Their sleek design means they work just as well for school or work as they do for gaming, without the bulk of a traditional gaming laptop. While there are more powerful options out there, nothing quite matches the Razer Blade.
Other Good Laptops I’ve Tested
If you choose one of the laptops above, you will be very happy with your purchase. However, if you are looking for a specific feature or a different price point, I have included a few other options below. While each of these recently tested laptops has at least one minor drawback, they could still be the perfect choice depending on your needs and currently available discounts.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8 for $988: The Surface Laptop 13.8 (also known as the 7th Edition) was one of my favorite laptops throughout the 2024 and 2025, primarily because of its premium build quality, great battery life, and 3:2 aspect ratio screen. And while I still love this laptop, it’s risen in price dramatically and no longer feels like as good of a value, especially since it’s two years old at this point. The 2024 model now starts at $1,200, though I’ve occasionally seen it dip under $1,000. The next-generation model with the Snapdragon X2 chips costs $1,700. I’m seeing that price now come down to $1,350 on discount.
Dell 14 Plus for $1,000: There was a time in 2025 when the Dell 14 Plus was as affordable as $600. It was easily the best deal in the world of Windows laptops, primarily because the Dell 14 Plus has a 2560 x 1600 display and a smooth touchpad, two things laptops at that price typically lack. These days, it’s up to $1,000, though for a 1 TB configuration, that is still a fabulous price. The XPS 13 is the better overall laptop, but the Dell 14 Plus has more ports and comes with more storage for the money.
Dell 14S.
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Dell 14S for $1,270: This is the 2026 successor to the Dell 14 Plus, which I recommended above. This is a solid laptop, sporting a premium design and a very reflective OLED display. It performs well too, thanks to the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip. The Dell 14 Plus is a better deal right now, though, so I would point you to the Dell 14 Plus or Dell XPS 13 instead.
Framework Laptop 13 for $849: This unique laptop is fully repairable and the internals are accessible, including the CPU and motherboard. There’s nothing else like it out there. The Framework Laptop 16 gets you better performance, while the Framework Laptop 12 is the budget option. Then, there’s the Framework Laptop 13 Pro, which comes with some more premium features like a touchscreen and a haptic feedback touchpad.
Asus Zenbook A16 for $2,200: This second edition of the Zenbook A16 is still incredibly light, and now it comes with the second-generation Snapdragon X2 chips. It’s unique for its portability, and the Qualcomm chips deliver great battery life and performance. However, given the dramatic price increase, I’d suggest buying the 2025 model instead, which is under $1,000.
Alienware 16X Aurora.
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Asus CX14 Chromebook for $189: A Chromebook under $300 is never going to be compromise-free, as is true with the CX14. Keep your expectations in check (especially regarding the screen and the touchpad), but for a laptop that frequently sells under $200, this will serve you well enough.
Alienware 16X Aurora for $2,480: Another solid gaming laptop, this one comes with the typical Alienware flair. Its standout features are its higher-resolution display and great build quality. The price fluctuates frequently though, and in most cases, the LOQ 15 is the better option (unless you really want that higher-resolution screen).
Laptops to Avoid
Photograph: Luke Larsen
Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential: This is a “new” model that came out this year, despite the fact that it’s using a CPU from 2023. But honestly, this is just too expensive. There’s no reason to get this model over the standard LOQ 15, which has a far superior display. Or if you’re just after something cheaper, save a few hundred bucks and get the Alienware 15.
MacBook Pro M5: It’s not a significant step up from the MacBook Air in performance, and it’s quite a bit thicker. The Mini-LED screen and extra ports are what you’re paying for. And unfortunately, it received the most substantial price increase, bumping it up by $300 to $1,999. It’s not a bad laptop, but you’re better off with the MacBook Air or one of the more powerful M5 Pro/Max configurations.
Acer Swift 16 AI: This is one of the few laptops you can buy that have the powerful and efficient new Intel Core Ultra X9 chips. Unfortunately, the Acer Swift 16 AI took an experimental approach with its oversized trackpad, making it very difficult to use.
Asus TUF Gaming A14: There’s a lot I like about this gaming laptop. The design is portable yet modern, and the display is sharp. And while the TUF Gaming A14 is impressive technically (using the interesting AMD Strix Point chip), the lack of a discrete graphics card doesn’t end up providing enough gaming performance to justify its very high price. I haven’t tested the options with dedicated graphics cards, but they tend to be more expensive than counterparts from Lenovo, Acer, or Alienware.
Asus Vivobook 14: I recommended this laptop a lot throughout 2025, but these days, it doesn’t hold up as well. While the Vivobook 14 has great battery life, the HP OmniBook 5 14 offers a much better display and similar specs, making it a better laptop.
How Much Should You Spend on a Laptop?
If you’re shopping for a laptop, you probably already have a budget. But some context might help put things in perspective. The cheapest laptops cost around $200, but laptop prices can range as high as $5,000. Meanwhile, the average amount people spend, according to the best data we have, is around $750. That lands decidedly in the midrange, splitting between the more expensive devices that are more than $1,000 and the budget-tier machines you find below $700.
When we talk about pricing, it’s often the “starting” price of the laptop, meaning the lowest-priced configuration. This is really important to consider, as you want to compare devices apples to apples as much as possible. For example, a cheaper laptop might start at $750 with 256 GB of storage, while a more premium laptop might start at this same price but come with 512 GB or even 1 TB of storage. Increasingly, you can find some really decent laptops around this price, some of which we’ve listed.
If your budget needs to be under $750, though, there are still good options. Laptops below this price tend to come with compromises. Most commonly, it’s the quality of the display and touchpad that suffers, as these are things you can’t gauge from a spec sheet or reference photo. Or it might be a performance-related issue, such as the 8 GB of memory in the MacBook Neo. If you’re shopping for something under $500, Chromebooks often give you the best bang for your buck.
So, why spend more? Well, there are two primary reasons. First, you might want a more premium design, perhaps one that has a more daring aesthetic or high-end components. Take the MacBook Pro, for example. It starts at $600 more than the MacBook Air but comes with a brighter mini-LED screen, significantly better speakers, and more ports. The second primary reason to spend more than $750 or so is to get more performance. Whether for gaming or for content creation, laptops with discrete GPUs are more expensive, which is why it’s hard to find a worthwhile gaming laptop for less than $1,000. If you’re buying a gaming laptop, plan to spend a few hundred bucks more (outside of the Lenovo LOQ 15).
What Are the Best Laptop Brands?
Unlike the smartphone world, the biggest laptop brands have been around in the tech industry for more than 40 years now. Taking Apple out of the picture, four laptop brands stand out for their ability to adopt the latest technology and trends while providing reliable support and service.
Lenovo is the biggest PC brand in the world, at least in terms of global shipments. It’s perhaps most well-known for its familiar sub-brands like ThinkPad and Yoga, but it also isn’t afraid to take risks with more experimental designs and advanced technology. Lenovo has also made a name for itself in the gaming space, with its Legion laptops, known for balancing performance and features at the most competitive prices.
Asus has quickly become a favorite, notable for the sheer number of laptops available in the consumer market. The company takes a similar approach to Lenovo, and that’s led Asus to quickly innovate on new technology and designs, while also launching premium laptops at more affordable prices than its competitors. Gaming in particular is a space that Asus has come to dominate, with the ROG Zephyrus, Strix, and TUF brands leading the way.
Dell and HP are generally more conservative, but both have recently undergone significant rebranding. In 2024, HP replaced its Spectre and Envy lines with the OmniBook name. Meanwhile, Dell briefly retired its well-known Inspiron and XPS sub-brands in 2025, though it has since reversed course and brought the XPS line back.
Other notable laptop brands include Microsoft Surface, Samsung, Acer, LG, and MSI, though none have the same global footprint as the top four.
How Do I Choose the Right Laptop?
If none of these laptops quite rings your bell, that’s OK! There are far more laptops than we have time to test. To help you make smart choices, we put together a complete laptop buying guide. We also have the details about all the CPUs and GPUs you need to know about. We recommend sticking to these guidelines:
RAM: It’s recommended that you get 16 GB of RAM. That’s become the new standard, even in more affordable laptops. Upgrading to 32 GB is even better and means you never have to worry about running out of memory, especially if you’re a gamer or video editor. The recent memory shortage may change RAM configuration options soon (and overall laptop pricing), however, though we haven’t yet seen how exactly that will play out. Apple’s launch of the 8 GB MacBook Neo may be an indication of the direction things are headed.
CPU: In the world of Windows laptops, you have three CPU brands to choose from: Intel, AMD, or Qualcomm. Intel’s Core Ultra Series 2 launched in late 2024 delivers a huge boost to battery life. It also has the best integrated graphics of the three. Core Ultra Series 3 is just now rolling out, and based on my own testing, is extremely impressive in performance and efficiency. While AMD chips are primarily used in gaming laptops, they’ve struggled to gain ground on Intel. AMD’s next-gen Ryzen AI 400 series is also rumored to launch in 2026. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X chips, however, have challenged Intel in a serious way over the past year with its ARM architecture, offering some of the best battery life we’ve ever seen on Windows machines. The second generation of these chips, Snapdragon X2, was announced last fall and will launch in devices in 2026.
Discrete graphics: Want to play AAA PC games or edit video on your laptop? You’ll want a standalone graphics processor. At this point, Nvidia is the primary option. The RTX 5090 launched in 2025 as the most powerful new GPU available, but the 40-series remains a good option. Integrated graphics have improved significantly over the years though, especially on processors made by Apple, AMD, and Intel, such as the Apple M5 or the Intel Core Ultra X9 388H.
Screen: The display depends on the size of the laptop. A 1200-pixel resolution (HD+) screen on a 13- or 14-inch laptop looks sharp enough, but you’ll want more pixels on larger displays, such as a 2560 x 1600, 2880 x 1800, or 3840 x 2400. While IPS screens will be good enough for most people, OLED or Mini-LED are becoming more common, offering better color accuracy, deeper contrast, and excellent HDR performance.
Connectivity: While port needs vary by user, we generally recommend at least two USB-C ports, along with one USB-A and one HDMI port for legacy devices. (Remember that nearly all laptops today use one of those USB-C ports for the power adapter.) Thankfully, most laptops still have headphone jacks but always check, because a few daring machines have dropped them. Lastly, make sure there’s Wi-Fi 6E support or newer. Even if you don’t have a Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7 router yet, it’s a good bet you will in the future (see our Best Routers or Best Mesh Systems guides if you need a new one).
Battery life: Battery life is extremely competitive these days, with Apple, Qualcomm, and Intel all making highly ambitious battery life claims. Most laptops with the latest chips (and without discrete graphics) will get you more than 10 hours of battery life, or many more if your workload is lighter.
Intel vs. AMD vs. Qualcomm
In the world of Windows laptops, there are three primary options for CPUs: Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. All three companies offer good options, but it really depends on the type of laptop. For premium laptops, you’ll want something like the Intel Core Ultra 258V or Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite. Meanwhile, for budget laptops, Snapdragon X is the best choice. And for gaming laptops, I’d recommend something from AMD, such as the Ryzen AI 9 365. All three companies have announced next-gen chips for 2026, and there’s some exciting stuff coming soon.
Intel’s latest chips, known as either Core Ultra Series 3 or codename Panther Lake, are slowly rolling out on new laptops, such as Dell XPS 14. These chips represent a massive leap forward in both CPU and integrated graphics performance. While highly impressive, they will soon face fresh competition from upcoming AMD and Qualcomm releases.
Qualcomm made a major impact in 2024 with its Snapdragon X chips. Similar to Apple’s M-series, these ARM-based processors prioritize efficiency to drastically improve battery life. This has been a game changer for Windows laptops across different price points. The Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite is the highest-end option for performance, but the Snapdragon X Plus and base Snapdragon X still offer equally strong battery life, despite showing up in much cheaper laptops. The sequel was unveiled in late 2025, and now in 2026, we’re seeing those laptops roll out. Unfortunately, like Intel’s latest chips, laptops with this next-gen silicon tend to be significantly more expensive than their predecessors.
Over on Team Red, AMD has grown into a competitive player in the gaming laptop space. Its latest processors, including the Ryzen 9 9950X3D and 9900X3D, are the most powerful gaming chips you can find in a laptop. Unfortunately, it’s still hard to find many laptops supporting these killer chips. AMD also offers its Ryzen AI 300 H and HX chips, which are more commonly found in gaming laptops. While they have a mainstream Ryzen AI 300 Series as well, these chips aren’t found on many laptops and currently fall short of the battery life offered by Intel and Qualcomm. AMD’s new Ryzen AI 400 series will be arriving soon.
I have been reviewing laptops for well over a decade, and WIRED contributor Chris Null has been testing these machines for 25 years. We test each laptop we review in a variety of situations, including both synthetic benchmark tests and real-world use cases. We make comparisons against similar equipment. We don’t just look at the specs—our reviews evaluate performance, usability, portability, and price to help you find the right laptop for your needs.
We put every laptop through a gauntlet of tests before writing a review and assigning a rating.
Hands-on use: We evaluate the exterior of the device. We compare how thin and light it is against other laptops. We repeatedly open and close the lid to test the quality and ease of the hinge. We push on weak points like the keyboard and lid to test build quality. We also extensively test the keyboard and touchpad for comfort and precision. By using each laptop as our daily driver for days or even weeks, we can spot real-world quirks—like awkward port placement, excessive bloatware, or unexpected problems that may make the laptop difficult to use—that you won’t see on a spec sheet.
Sights and sounds: Once we boot up the device, it’s all about the sights and sounds. The screen is paramount, as it’s your window into everything the laptop has to offer. While you can tell a lot about brightness, color, and contrast just by looking, we go beyond subjective testing. We use a Spyder colorimeter to precisely measure brightness, contrast, color saturation, and accuracy. For HDR-capable screens, we also test peak brightness with HDR content. Finally, we evaluate the webcam and speakers to ensure they are ready for your video calls and streaming sessions.
Performance testing: Finally, we test performance. We always evaluate a laptop based on what it’s intended for—we don’t expect a $500 budget laptop to run like a gaming powerhouse, or a gaming rig to get 18 hours of battery life. Our testbed includes more than 20 synthetic benchmarks, which we constantly adapt based on the device’s CPU and operating system. These include tests within Geekbench, PCMark, 3DMark, Procyon, GFXBench, Pugetbench, Superposition, Cinebench, and various gaming-related tests such as 3DMark and Cyberpunk 2077. While we don’t generally report raw scores, we pay close attention to what they tell us. We also monitor fan noise, surface temperature, and overall battery life during these tests.
It’s a lot, I know. But we’re thorough, because we want to stand by our recommendations and ensure that the laptops we rate highly are worth the money.
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