Best Laptops (2026): My Top Recommendations

I've been reviewing laptops for well over a decade, sometimes testing over 30 devices per year. As you can probably guess, they aren't all winners, and many should be avoided, no matter how cheap the discount is. Good news: It's my job to recommend laptops that fit your budget and won't make you regret your purchase six months later. So, don't fall for the marketing, fake sales, or knockoff brands on Amazon. 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 June 2026: I've tested a number of new laptops that I've added or considered for this update, including the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x, HP OmniBook Ultra, HP OmniBook 3, Asus Zenbook A16, Acer Swift 16 Ai, and Asus TUF Gaming A14. I've also included mention of announcements from Computex. The Laptops I Recommend Most 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. With the new 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 work day away from the wall and perform 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.) If you prefer Windows or need it for specific applications, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is the strongest alternative to the MacBook Air. It might just be the best laptop HP has ever made. The device is beautifully built and incredibly sturdy, with a thin chassis (though the height of the feet makes it taller on the table next to the MacBook Air), 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 and 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. My only real complaint is that the glossy OLED screen is quite reflective and lacks an anti-glare coating. The displays of the two configurations of the OmniBook Ultra are quite different though. Hopefully there will be more configuration options in the near future, as I'd love to see something with the higher-end OLED panel available in a cheaper configuration. The base configuration sold directly from HP is lower resolution and dimmer. My other favorite alternative to the 15-inch MacBook Air is the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x. I was impressed by the overall package for this laptop, which retails for $900 before any discounts. It's not as refined as the OmniBook Ultra or MacBook Air, but it makes up for it in other areas. For example, while it lacks a haptic trackpad, it boasts a fantastic 2560 x 1600 OLED display with a 165-Hz refresh rate. I highly recommend the $30 upgrade from the base panel to get this screen. Additionally, while it is slightly thicker than the MacBook Air, that extra space allows for a great selection of ports, including HDMI, USB-A, and an SD card slot. But the smart thing about the IdeaPad Slim 5x is that it undercuts the MacBook Air and competitive Windows laptops in terms of price. When it comes down to it, it's currently the best Windows laptops under $1,000. I used to recommend the Surface Laptop 13.8 (also known as the 7th Edition) as one of my top picks. While I still love this laptop, it's risen in price dramatically and no longer feels like a good value, especially since it's two years old at this point. I've been waiting for Microsoft to refresh the Surface Laptop to Qualcomm's Snapdragon X2 chips for improved performance, which still hasn't happened. In the meantime, I'll just keep waiting for the Surface Laptop Ultra that comes out later this year. 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 deal I've tested is the HP OmniBook 5. It features 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 find it directly from HP deal for $660, which is an incredible value. I also tested the new HP OmniBook 3 recently, which uses the same chip as the OmniBook 5. It frequently sells for less than the OmniBook 5, occasionally dropping as low as $500. While the OmniBook 3 is a good alternative, the OmniBook 5 is much thinner and looks more modern. Neither laptop has a particularly strong touchpad, but as long as the price difference remains small, the OmniBook 5 is the better choice. Starting at $599, the MacBook Neo is Apple's new entry-level device, and it truly 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. Apple clearly prioritized the front-of-screen experience, delivering a premium feel across the display, build quality, and keyboard. While the 8 GB of RAM, slower 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 other budget laptops are, it's a bit harder to find a place for Chromebooks. The standout option is still the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14. As the most premium Chromebook available, it features an OLED screen, 16 GB of RAM, and battery life that rivals the MacBook Neo. While $699 is probably more than what most people want to spend on a Chromebook, that has more to do with the perception of Chromebooks and less to do with the quality of this particular laptop. There are certainly much cheaper Chromebooks, but once you get under $500, they usually come with considerable drawbacks to screen and touchpad quality. The one exception is the Acer Chromebook Plus 516. 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. 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. Powerful Laptops for Those Who Need It 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, featuring 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. There are a number of Windows alternatives to the MacBook Pro, such as the Asus ProArt P16 and Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i. And while these are both powerful, they both use hot-and-heavy discrete graphics cards that significantly reduce the battery life to achieve that level of performance. That's why the Dell XPS 14 takes a different approach, ditching the discrete GPU for Intel's new X9 chip (also known as B390). 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 really only seen on MacBooks—and I might even say it surpasses it in some areas. If you plan on gaming more than a couple of times a week, you will want a dedicated gaming laptop. After testing dozens over the past year, the Lenovo LOQ 15 really stands out. While it is thick and fairly plain-looking, it delivers where it counts. While many budget gaming laptops only feature an entry-level Nvidia RTX 5050 GPU, the LOQ 15 pushes the performance further, delivering well over 60 fps in almost any game at Medium settings—and up to 113 fps in Cyberpunk 2077. That is incredibly impressive for the price. While the current-gen RTX 5050 model is out of stock at the moment, you can still buy last year's model. 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 the current discounts. 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. MacBook Pro M5 for $1,549: 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. 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. You can still buy the 2025 model as well, which can save you a few hundred bucks. Lenovo Yoga 9i for $1,550: This high-end 2-in-1 laptop is one of the most premium-feeling Windows laptops you can buy, but it's priced too high to be competitive. Lenovo Legion 7i for $1,800: This all-white, high-end gaming laptop is one of my favorites aesthetically, and it performs just as well. But you pay extra for all those bells and whistles. Asus CX14 Chromebook for $200: A $200 Chromebook is never going to be compromise-free, but if your budget really is this low, this is as good as you'll find. Alienware 16X Aurora for $1,730: Another great gaming laptop, this one with the typical Alienware flair. It has a higher-resolution display, but if price is your concern, the Lenovo LOQ 15 is still the way to go. Laptops To Avoid 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, the lack of a discrete graphics card doesn't end up providing enough gaming performance to justify its very high price. 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 they can range up to $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 over $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 see 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 under $1,000. If you're buying a gaming laptop, plan to spend at least $1,500. What Are the Best Laptop Brands? Unlike the smartphone world, the biggest laptop brands have been around in the tech industry for over 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, too, 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 in even 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 having an influence on the direction things head. 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 it. 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 over 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 have 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 option. And for gaming laptops, I'd recommend something from AMD like the Ryzen AI 9 365. All three companies have announced next-gen chips for 2026, though, 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. Qualcomm recently unveiled its Snapdragon X2 platform—including the X2 Elite Enhanced, X2 Elite, and X2 Plus—with the first laptops slowly rolling out now. 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. How We Test Laptops I have been reviewing laptops for 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, real-world use cases, and 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 use 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. [Image text:] 100000000000000000