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.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: wired.com
