The best laptop 2024: top portable picks for all budgets

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VERDICT
REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
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REASONS TO BUY
REASONS TO AVOID
Surface Laptop with screen open on purple background
(Image credit: Microsoft / Future)

Looking for the best laptops you can buy in 2024? Then we're here to help, as on this page you'll find a wide variety of laptops, MacBooks, Chromebooks and more that are ideal purchases for a wide range of needs and budgets - and every single one has been tested by our laptop experts here at TechRadar.

As well as using the laptops as our day-to-day devices, we also put them through a wide range of benchmark tests, and only the very best performing laptops make it onto this page. You can read more on how we test laptops, which lists all the ways we put laptops through their paces during our reviews.

Since joining TechRadar in 2014 I've reviewed hundreds of laptops, and for the past few years this buying guide has been dominated by MacBooks. However, I'm excited to say that for the first time ever, the best laptop of 2024 is a device from Apple's arch nemesis Microsoft. That's right, the best laptop you can buy today is the brilliant Surface Laptop 7, a truly excellent all-rounder with a gorgeous design and all-day battery life. With the stunning new Dell XPS 13 (2024), which has also been added to this guide, this could be the start of a renaissance for Windows 11 laptops. 

However, if you don't fancy a Windows laptop, I've included a huge range of other options, including MacBooks, budget Chromebooks, powerful gaming laptops and everything in between. With a new generation of artificial intelligence-enabled laptops hitting the market (including the Surface Laptop 7), there has never been a more exciting time to buy, so read on for our top picks.

Recent updates

This page has been updated as of 20/08/2024 with the new Dell XPS 13 (2024) added as the best Windows 11 laptop money can buy right now.

The best laptop overall

Microsoft's refreshed Surface Laptop is the best laptop you can buy in 2024

Specifications

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
Screen size: 14-inch / 15-inch
RAM: Up to 64GB
Storage: Up to 1TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 10 hours and 10 minutes
Size: 11.85 x 8.67 x 0.69 inches (301mm x 220 x 17.5mm) / 12.96 x 9.42 x 0.72 ins (329 x 239.3 x 18.3mm)
Weight: 2.7 lbs (1.24kg) / 3.67lbs (1.66kg)

After years of this year being dominated by various MacBook Air models, Microsoft has surprised us all with the release of the Surface Laptop - a device that's stylish, powerful and with a long lasting battery, and has earned its place as the best laptop for most people in 2024.

Microsoft is calling the 2024 edition simply the Surface Laptop, in a bid to highlight that despite this actually being the seventh version, it's a major reinvention - and for once, this isn't just marketing bluff. Thanks to the revolutionary Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip that powers the new Surface Laptop, not only does Windows 11 feel fast and responsive, but thanks to how efficient it is, battery life is seriously impressive - and the fans rarely kick in, so you're not distracted by their whirring.

As a flagship entry in a new range of 'Copilot+ PCs', the Surface Laptop also has deeply integrated AI (Artificial Intelligence) features included, such as the Copilot assistant and Cocreator tool that turns your scribbles in Paint into AI-generated art. Most of this is all done on-device thanks to the Snapdragon X chip, which means you don't need an internet connection, and your data is kept safe and secure. The AI features are currently in their infancy and far from essential, but the potential is huge - and even without them, the Surface Laptop is a brilliant device that will the ideal laptop for most people. Microsoft has finally come up with a MacBook killer.

Get the best deal on your next Microsoft product with our Microsoft coupon codes.

Reasons to buy

You want the best laptop in the world: The new Surface Laptop is a stunning reinvention, offering build quality, performance and battery life that puts most competitors to shame.

You want a long-lasting portable laptop: The Surface Laptop comes in 14-inch and 15-inch configurations, and even the larger model is thin and light enough to carry around - and its battery life means you won't need to look for a plug socket.

You want a great productivity machine: The Surface Laptop offers excellent performance thanks to the new Qualcomm chip that powers it. Designed for AI tasks, it works particularly well with Windows 11's Copilot features.

Expert Verdict
Allisa James
Expert Verdict
Allisa James

💻 The Surface Laptop is truly an incredible portable machine, all thanks to the Qualcomm Snapdragon chip it's equipped with. Performance, battery life, light and thin, price, sound quality, and more are all top-notch, making it an easy pick for best laptop of 2024. Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

The best budget laptop

The best affordable laptop around

Specifications

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen2
Screen size: 13.3-inch
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 16 hours 20 minutes
Size: 12.04 x 7.35 x 0.28 inches (305.86 x 186.74 x 7.23mm)
Weight: 2.24lbs (1.02kg)

The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is the best ultra-low price laptop you can buy, and it's a brilliant follow-up to the original IdeaPad Duet. While it’s been out for a while, Chromebooks don’t date as quickly as Windows laptops, and it's still one of the best Chromebooks we've used. If you're a Chromebook skeptic, the IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook just might convert you. It can be used as both a laptop and a tablet thanks to its detachable keyboard, while also boasting an impressively long battery life. You're simply not going to find a Windows 11 laptop that can outlast the over 16-hour battery life the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook offers – especially at this price. It’s a particularly good choice for students who want something reliable, flexible and affordable.

Reasons to buy

You want an OLED Chromebook: An OLED display on a Chromebook is uncommon, so if that's what you're looking for, this is the best choice. 

You need long battery life: It's possible to squeeze over 16 hours of battery life out of this Chromebook if you make the right adjustments in settings.  

You want a more robust system than Android or iOS can offer: As powerful as Android and iOS have become, mobile operating systems are still far more restricted than Windows, macOS, or Linux OS.

Expert Verdict
John Loeffler
Expert Verdict
John Loeffler

💻 The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook packs a punch with outstanding battery life, a gorgeous display, and a new form factor that improves on last year's model – as long as you're looking for a laptop more than a tablet. Read the full review: Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook

The best MacBook

Apple's latest MacBook Air is the best MacBook money can buy right now

Specifications

Processor: Apple M3
Screen size: 13.6-inch
RAM: 8GB - 24GB
Storage: 256GB - 2TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 14 hours and 19 minutes
Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304 x 215 x 11.3mm)
Weight: 2.7 lbs (1.24kg)

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) is the best MacBook you can buy right now. The design remains thin, light and stylish, and it's packed with Apple's latest M3 chip, giving this slimline laptop excellent performance for day-to-day tasks - and it even does a great job of handling more intensive workloads like editing videos. A new lower price for the entry-level model means this is an easy recommendation for people looking for a brilliant all-rounder of a laptop, but be warned: the base model’s specs - especially the 8GB of memory and 256GB SSD storage - feel a bit outdated in 2024.

Reasons to buy

You want the best MacBook for your money: The new MacBook Air 13-inch is now the MacBook we'd recommend to pretty much anyone thanks to a great design, excellent performance and relatively affordable price. 

You want a laptop for traveling with: The stylish thin and light design, plus the long battery life, makes this an excellent laptop for going out and about with. 

You want power - but not too much: The new M3 chip powering the MacBook Air is great at day-to-day tasks, as well as video editing and AI.

Expert Verdict
Managing editor Matt Hanson
Expert Verdict
Matt Hanson

💻 The MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) is easily the best MacBook (and one of the best laptops overall) that money can buy for most people, though we recommend boosting the memory and storage space when ordering. That makes it more expensive, but far more future-proof. Read the full review: Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M3)

The best for Windows 11

The best Windows 11 laptop in 2024

Specifications

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
Screen size: 13.4-inch
RAM: 16GB - 64GB
Storage: 512GB - 2TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 17 hours 24 minutes
Size: 11.62 x 7.84 x 0.58 ins (295.3 x 199.1 x 14.8 mm)
Weight: 2.6lbs (1.19kg)

When it comes to making the best Windows laptops, Dell is the company to beat, so it's little surprise to find the brand-new Dell XPS 13 (2024) in our best laptops list. Coming with a stylish thin and light design that we've come to expect from Dell's XPS range of laptops, the new XPS 13 features the cutting-edge Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip - the same one found in the Surface Laptop 7, which is also in this list. As well as providing excellent performance, this highly-efficient chip means the new XPS 13 has a phenomenal battery life - it managed almost 17 and a half hours in our battery benchmark test. If you're looking for the slickest Windows 11 laptop that can handle day-to-day tasks with ease, and with a battery life that means you can go several workdays on a single charge, then the Dell XPS 13 (2024) is the laptop to get.

Reasons to buy

You want a powerful Windows 11 laptop: The Dell XPS 13 features cutting-edge mobile tech, a stunning screen and up to 64GB of RAM.

You want exceptional battery life: The Dell XPS 13 (2024) offers one of the longest-lasting batteries we've seen with a Windows 11 laptop, hitting almost 17 and a half hours on a single charge.

You want the best Windows 11 laptop: The solid, stylish and lightweight design, excellent performance and stunning screen makes the Dell XPS 13 (2024) the best Windows 11 laptop out there.

Expert Verdict
Allisa James
Expert Verdict
Allisa James

💻 The Dell XPS 13 (2024), is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip, and is the best Windows 11 laptop you can currently buy thanks to its excellent performance and battery life. Much improved ventilation doesn't throttle the CPU, the display is phenomenal, and the build quality is leagues better than previous models. Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 (2024)

The best value laptop

The best value laptop in the world

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5
Screen size: 14-inch
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 6 hours 37 minutes
Size: 0.71 x 12.9 x 8.8 inches (18 x 327.7 x 223.5mm)
Weight: 3.75lb (1.7kg)

As long as you keep your expectations in check, the Acer Aspire 5 remains the best cheap laptop you can buy in 2024. Its design is lightweight yet doesn't feel cheap, its large screen size is comfortable to work on, and you can even configure it to come with an Nvidia GPU. Don't mistake this for a gaming laptop however. But, the GPU can help make the Aspire 5 punch above its weight when it comes to video editing. For the price, you'll pleasantly surprised.

Reasons to buy

You want a cheap laptop: The Acer Aspire 5 is a no-frills laptop that does the job well for a lot less than other Windows 11 laptops.

You want a very portable laptop: This budget laptop is impressively light without feeling cheep and tacky, and that means it's comfortable to carry around with you throughout the day. 

You don't want a Chromebook: There are cheaper Chromebooks out there, but due to the limitations of ChromeOS, they aren't for everyone. The Acer Aspire 5 is cheap, but also runs Windows 11.

Expert Verdict
Expert Verdict
Cliff Joseph

💻 Acer’s hype pitches the Aspire 5 almost as mobile workstation for video-editing work - in fact, this 14-inch model is an affordable entry-level laptop that provides respectable performance and battery life for the price. Read the full review: Acer Aspire 5 (2022)

The best student laptop

The M2 MacBook Air has a new lower price that makes it ideal for students

Specifications

Processor: Apple M2
Screen size: 13.6-inch
RAM: 8GB - 24GB
Storage: 256GB - 2TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 16 hours 6 minutes
Size: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches (304.1 x 215 x 11.3mm)
Weight: 2.7lbs (1.24kg)

The Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2) is in our opinion the best laptop for students you can buy right now. Thanks to a stylish design that makes this thin and light laptop feel more modern than previous models, this is a MacBook you can take almost anywhere. Not only is it portable, in my review I found that it offers a very decent 16-hour battery life, and the screen is a joy to work on. One of my biggest complaints about the M2 MacBook Air was the bump in price for the base model compared to the previous M1 version. The good news is that now that a newer model has been released, the M2 MacBook Air has had a big price cut - and you can get a further $100/£100 knocked off if you are a student. This makes it a brilliant laptop for school and university use - it'll easily last your entire course.

Reasons to buy

You need a laptop that's thin and light: Thanks to a redesign, the MacBook Air 13-inch (M2) is one of the thinnest and lightest laptops you can buy.

You want a powerful laptop for school or university: With the launch of the M3 MacBook Air (also in this list), the M2 model has had a major price cut - and students can get a further cut, making it a brilliant laptop for school.

You're thinking about getting the 13-inch MacBook Pro: Because it's thinner, lighter, and cheaper, the MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is a better choice. Factor in its similar performance, and you've got a winner.

Expert Verdict
Managing editor Matt Hanson
Expert Verdict
Matt Hanson

💻 The MacBook Air (M2, 2022) is now Apple's cheapest MacBook thanks to an official price cut. With a fantastic new design, bigger screen and incredibly long battery life, the M2 MacBook Air is a great upgrade from the MacBooks that came before, and it's ideal for students. Read the full review: MacBook Air  13-inch (M2)

The best laptop for working from home

The best laptop for working from home

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i3
Screen size: 15.6-inch
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128GB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 5 hours and 13 minutes
Size: 14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches (360.6 x 238.5 x 19.99 mm)
Weight: 3.7 lbs (1.68 kg)

If you've found yourself working from home more and need a new laptop, then don't think you have to spend a fortune. While a new MacBook will do everything you need, a great Chromebook like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 can cope with most day-to-day workloads for a fraction of the price. You get a large screen and comfortable keyboard to work on, and performance is snappy - especially when you boot up into Chrome OS, the operating system Chromebooks use (rather than Windows 11 or macOS).

Reasons to buy

You want a laptop for working on at home: This is a great Chromebook for productivity with a large screen, comfortable keyboard and excellent performance.

You want an eco-friendly laptop: This is an eco-friendly Chromebook made of recycled materials where possible.

You want a portable 15-inch laptop: It's impressively thin for a laptop, and its battery life means you won't need to worry about plugging it in too often.

Expert Verdict
Allisa James
Expert Verdict
Allisa James

💻 The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is both a solid productivity machine in its own right, with specs tailor-made for work, and a surprisingly balanced laptop that can handle light editing and even native gaming. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook Plus 515

The best laptop for creatives

The best laptop for creative applications

Specifications

Processor: Apple M3 Pro - M3 Max
Screen size: 16-inch
RAM: 18GB - 128GB
Storage: 512GB - 8TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 24 hours and 35 minutes
Size: 14.01 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches (356 x 248 x 17mm)
Weight: 4.7 lbs (2.2kg)

The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Pro/M3 Max) is hands-down the best laptop for creative professionals we’ve ever tested – even though it comes just nine months after the last model. It's powered by the M3 Pro and M3 Max SoCs, Apple's most powerful chips - for now, at least. There wasn’t a task it couldn’t handle during our testing. It did an impressive job of handling 4K video editing, even with multiple 4K and 8K video files, as well as running the latest and most demanding games. Along with the MacBook Pro 14-inch, this may be the very first MacBook for gaming.

Reasons to buy

You need the most powerful MacBook: You’re guaranteed incredible performance that’ll crush the more demanding workloads, whether it's the M3 Pro or M3 Max model you go for.

You’re a traveling creative pro: If you're a creative who needs power, a gorgeous display, great-sounding speakers and lots of ports, this is the perfect travel companion.

You want to game on a MacBook: The MacBook Pro 16-inch M3 Max boasts seriously impressive gaming prowess.

Expert Verdict
Managing editor Matt Hanson
Expert Verdict
Matt Hanson

💻 The MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3) is the latest and greatest version of Apple’s powerful prosumer laptop. With a choice of the new M3 Pro or M3 Max chips, and support for up to 128GB unified memory, this is an incredibly powerful laptop that’s ideal for heavy workloads, especially graphically intensive ones. Read the full review: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M3 Max)

The best laptop for gaming

The top laptop for gaming

Specifications

Processor: AMD Ryzen 9
Screen size: 14-inch
RAM: 16GB - 32GB
Storage: 1TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 3 hours and 54 minutes
Size: 12.23 x 8.97 x 0.70 inches (310.7 x 228 x 17.99mm)
Weight: 4.05lbs (1.84kg)

This year’s Razer Blade 14 refresh has been outfitted with the latest specs, including the AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, which sports a 5.2 GHz max clock speed and eight cores/16 threads, and up to the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU. Despite coming with high-end components, it's a stunningly thin and light laptop - something most gaming laptops just cannot offer.

Reasons to buy

You want a lightweight gaming laptop: We're not talking about performance, but the actual build and design of the Razer Blade 14 is seriously svelte.

You want epic performance: As for performance, Razer has kitted this out with some of the best mobile tech around - and it shows.

Audio quality is important: The dual speaker setup leads to some of the best audio we've heard from built-in speakers.

Expert Verdict
Allisa James
Expert Verdict
Allisa James

💻 The 2023 model of the Razer Blade 14 remains one of the best laptops you can buy today, thanks to its powerful eight-core AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS CPU, which sports a 5.2 GHz max clock speed, and can come with Nvidia's latest 4000 series laptop graphics cards, topping out with the RTX 4070, which will handle modern games at high settings with ease. Read the full review: Razer Blade 14 (2023)

The best 17-inch laptop

The best large-screen laptop

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i5 - i9
Screen size: 17-inch
RAM: 16GB - 64GB
Storage: 512GB - 8TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 9 hours 5 minutes
Size: 0.77 x 14.74 x 9.76 inches (19.50 x 374.45 x 248.05mm)
Weight: 5.37lbs (2.44kg)

The Dell XPS 17 (9730) remains the best large-screen laptop you can buy. If you find that working on a 13-inch or even 15-inch laptop isn't comfortable, then this is a laptop that's well worth considering. One of the best things about the Dell XPS 17 is that as well as offering an excellent large screen to work on, it maintains the thin, light and stylish design of the smaller XPS 13 and XPS 15 models, so you're not making too many compromises to portability for the bigger display. As a flagship laptop, the Dell XPS 17 comes with some of the most powerful mobile components around, including a discrete graphics card from Nvidia's latest RTX 4000 series, and while it can play game, it's best used as a productivity laptop. Digital creatives will especially love its mix of large screen and powerful components.

Reasons to buy

You want a solid and attractive 17-inch laptop: The Dell XPS 17 (9730) features the premium design and build quality we've come to expect from Dell's XPS lineup, alongside a large 17-inch screen.

You want excellent performance: The XPS 17 comes with very powerful components that means it performs brilliantly no matter what you throw at it.

You want a laptop that lasts: Despite its large screen and powerful components, battery life of the Dell XPS 17 impresses, with almost 10 hours on a single charge.

Expert Verdict
Expert Verdict
James Holland

💻 The Dell XPS 17 is everything one could want out of a larger laptop. By giving up the portability of smaller laptops, it can offer a large, vibrant screen and powerful performance. Of course, it also keeps the elegant trappings set out by the XPS laptop line. Read the full review: Dell XPS 17 (9730)

The best OLED laptop

The best OLED laptop

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7
Screen size: 14-inch / 16-inch
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 13 hours and 54 minutes
Size: 12.30 x 8.81 x 0.46 inches (312.3 x 223.8 x 11.6 mm)
Weight: 2.71lbs (1.23kg)

The Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro is a truly impressive Ultrabook that proves that Samsung can make laptops as stylish and desirable as major laptop brands such as Dell, HP and Asus... and Apple, which is a clear inspiration. Offering cutting-edge components alongside an absolutely gorgeous AMOLED screen and premium design, this is a laptop that is a joy to work on. It also offers an excellent battery life of over 10 hours, so you can keep working without worrying about being near a power outlet.

Reasons to buy

You want high-end performance: This laptop handles all kinds of workloads with ease thanks to Intel's latest processor.

You want a great screen to work (and play) on: Thanks to its AMOLED screen with HDR support, this is the best display you can currently get on a Windows 11 laptop.

You want amazing battery life: Offering easily over 10 hours on a single charge, you could use this through a whole work day and still have battery left.

Expert Verdict
Expert Verdict
Jeremy Laird

💻 Physically, the new Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro looks like a dead ringer for the outgoing Galaxy Book3 Pro. Inside, however, it's running Intel's very latest Meteor Lake Core Ultra 7 CPU. That means more performance than ever and even better battery life. You also get the same stunning 14-inch OLED screen as before and great build quality that almost matches Apple, but some features including the speakers still disappoint. Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Book4 Pro

The best affordable gaming laptop

The best affordable gaming laptop

Specifications

Processor: Intel Core i7 - i9
Screen size: 15.6-inch
RAM: 16GB - 32GB
Storage: 1TB
Battery life (TechRadar test): 2 hours 39 minutes
Size: 14.13 x 10.20 x 0.98 inches (359 x 259 x 25mm)
Weight: 4.96lbs (2.25kg)

The MSI Katana 15 is in our opinion the best cheap gaming laptop you can buy right now. While it's not the cheapest gaming laptop out there, it offers fantastic value for money considering its modern specifications, including a 13th gen Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia RTX 4050 and 1TB of storage. These specs put a lot of cheap gaming laptops to shame, as they often come with older hardware. And, while you won't be playing the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 in all its visual glory with settings cranked up to the max and ray tracing on, it does do a great job of playing games at 1080p, and thanks to the lower price, it's a great first gaming laptop for many people.

Reasons to buy

You play at 1080p: While it won't manage 4K visuals, this laptop plays modern games at full HD without issue.

You want a cheap gaming laptop that doesn't suck: Despite its lower price, the MSI Katana 15 (2023) offers strong performance and good build quality.

You new to PC gaming: The mix of performance and price makes this a great first gaming laptop for people.

Expert Verdict
Expert Verdict
James Holland

💻 The MSI Katana 15 balances design and performance with a relatively affordable price to be a great option for those seeking their first or at least an affordable gaming laptop. It has solid 1080p performance and everything – except for the battery life and trackpad – is good enough. Read the full review: MSI Katana 15 (2023)

Other laptops to consider

New laptops are launched every month, and while this guide has the very best of the best, there are many alternatives which are worth checking out, even if they didn't quite manage to make it on to our main best laptops list.

Here are some honorable mentions of other laptops we've tested in 2024 that are worth checking out:

  • Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+: a new entry in the Copilot+ PC category, this is an excellent laptop that proves just how good the Snapdragon X Elite chip is - with exceptional performance and battery life, and a gorgeous OLED screen. Read the full Asus Vivobook S 15 Copilot+ review
  • Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024): this laptop proves that gaming Chromebooks aren't just a gimmick - thanks to the high-end display and powerful components, this is a premium Chromebook that makes use of Google's Gemini AI tools. Read the full Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) review
  • Huawei MateBook D 16: if you're looking for a laptop that features a premium design and performance, but doesn't come with a sky-high price tag, then this is well worth considering, especially if you have a Huawei phone. It's not available in the US, however. Read the full Huawei MateBook D 16 review
  • Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3): While we've included the 13-inch MacBook Air with M3 chip in our main list, the 15-inch model is also worth considering if you prefer a bigger screen to work on. It lacks the portability of the smaller model, but otherwise it offers the same great design and performance. Read the full Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M3) review

How to choose the best laptop for you:

What are the best laptop brands? The best brands for laptops include Apple, Dell, Lenovo and HP, and they all have their strengths. For example, Apple make brilliantly-designed slim and light laptops, while Dell does a great range of high-end ultrabooks, as well as affordable devices and Chromebooks as well. Lenovo's well known for making solidly-built business laptops (and some great 2-in-1 laptops as well), and HP’s also been making some gorgeous laptops recently that are some of the best laptops in the world.

When it comes to gaming, the best laptop brands include Alienware, Asus and Acer.

How much RAM does a laptop need? RAM (Random Access Memory) is an important specification to look for in a laptop. You’ll want 4GB at the very least for a Windows laptop – though we’d actually recommend for many people to go for 8GB. That will ensure that the laptop runs well for years to come. Budget Chromebooks can get away with less RAM, such as 1GB or 2GB.

Battery life considerations Finally there’s battery life. This is likely to be one of the most important considerations you have when choosing what laptop to buy. The best laptops need to be able to let you work - and play - for hours on end without you having to scramble for a power adapter. Modern laptops are getting ever more power-efficient, which has led to longer battery lives. For a laptop to be included in our best laptops list, it needs to offer a battery life of five hours or more.

What to look for

Battery life: The best thing about laptops is that they allow you to break free from your desk and use them almost anywhere - which is why checking the battery life is essential. For pure battery life, Chromebooks are the best laptops you can buy – but Apple’s latest MacBooks with M1, M2 and brand-new M3 chips come close, offering well over 10 hours of battery life. Meanwhile, gaming laptops usually sacrifice battery life for performance instead.

Performance: When looking to buy the best laptop for your needs, you should consider the performance a potential purchase offers. You don’t want to be stuck with a laptop that starts lagging after a few years. For Windows laptops, look to get one with a modern 14th generation (or 13th) Intel processor, or AMD Ryzen 7000 series. With a MacBook, go for an M1, M2 or new M3 model – which are Apple’s powerful chips made specially for its laptops.

You should also go for a minimum of 8GB of RAM, though 16GB is more future-proof. Recently, Microsoft suggested that 16GB of RAM would be the minimum requirement for the next generation of 'AI laptops'. For Chromebooks, however, 4GB of RAM is fine.

Which type of laptop is best for you?

General laptops: Where the best cheap laptops are found, devices that focus more on practicality than style, portability or power. That’s not to say they can’t be fast, but you’ll typically find a non-Ultrabook clamshell laptop with an HD screen and spinning drive-based storage for less than $600 or £400.

Ultrabooks: Where you’ll find thin-and-light notebooks sporting SSD storage and display resolutions that exceed 1080p. Paired with powerful, albeit mobile-centric components and especially long battery life, the best Ultrabooks will cost a pretty penny – $700 or £500 to $2,000 or £1,800.

2-in-1 laptops: The best 2-in-1 laptops double as tablets and are outfitted with both detachable and 360-degree rotating hinges, these hybrids are the most versatile way to experience Windows 10 (or Chrome OS) on a touchscreen.

Chromebooks: The best Chromebooks, running Chrome OS, do much of what Windows and macOS can in the browser, focused on cloud storage over local, while recently getting Android app support for touchscreen models. They generally cost less than $300 or £200 and some can even withstand a slight tussle.

Gaming laptops: Need a laptop to play games (almost) just like a shiny desktop PC can? Then you’ll want one of the best gaming laptops. These machines generally cost from $800 or £600 to upwards of $3,000 or £2,800 and they’ll likely be the ones to take advantage of AMD’s laptop-grade Ryzen processors first. If you're really on a budget, then you can check out the best cheap gaming laptop deals.

Laptop-tablet hybrids: Designed from the tablet-first approach to laptop-tablet hybrids, the best Windows tablets pack beyond-HD touchscreens, sometimes with kickstands in their frames or provided via keyboard covers. These generally shine with a stylus and range from the budget to the premium price ranges.

What I'm looking for

Every year, hundreds of laptops are released, but only the very best get to make it onto this list. So, what makes a laptop good enough for me to recommend them in our best laptops guide?

I’ve been updating TechRadar’s best laptops page for almost 10 years, and here are the things I look for when deciding what devices should be on this page – and where.

Value for money

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

This is probably the most important consideration when it comes to picking the best laptops to recommend to you. No matter if it’s a powerful gaming laptop that costs thousands of dollars, or a humble budget Chromebook, each device needs to justify its price tag by excelling in the tasks it’s designed for.

Battery life

This is another hugely important consideration for many people when looking to buy a new laptop. One of the best things about laptops is how portable they are – but if you need to always look out for a power outlet to keep using your device, then you’re going to get very annoyed very quickly.

Specifications

When reviewing laptops, I also look at the hardware within the device – often known as the hardware specifications. This can give you a good idea of how well the laptop will perform, whether or not it’s good value for money, and if the laptop will be future-proof.

Design

When picking laptops for this guide, I’m looking for products with stylish yet functional designs. Laptops should be compact enough to carry around with you easily, while also being comfortable to use for long periods.

The design should also feel solid and dependable, being able to withstand knocks, drops and scratches.

How we tested these laptops

15-inch MacBook Air on wooden table at home

(Image credit: Future)

How we test the best laptops

Why you can trust TechRadar

✅ More than 1,800 laptops, Chromebooks and MacBooks reviewed
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We understand that a new laptop is a significant investment, so each laptop on our list has been thoroughly tested by our team (read more on how we test laptops). We integrate these laptops into our daily routines to evaluate their performance comprehensively, in addition to running industry standard benchmarks like GeekBench, PCMark, 3DMark, and the latest PC gaming benchmarks. 

Our assessment includes examining a laptop’s design, with special attention paid to the aesthetics, portability, and overall comfort for everyday use. We also consider any additional accessibility and security features like haptic feedback, key backlighting, fingerprint scanning or facial recognition, and physical privacy shutters for the built-in webcam.

On the performance side, we use a combination of real-world tasks and synthetic benchmarks to determine the laptops' capabilities. We test all laptops in a given model year using the same benchmark versions to ensure consistent comparisons across reviews for the laptops you might be considering. And since benchmark scores can sometimes be difficult to interpret, we leverage our expertise to explain these scores for you to help you compare the performance of competing laptops in easy-to-understand terms.

Battery life is another critical factor we measure. We track how long we can use each laptop before needing to recharge. Additionally, we perform our own battery life test, which involves looping a 1080p movie until the battery depletes, a proprietary web surfing script, and the PC Mark 10 battery life benchmark, which simulates real-world usage such as web browsing and document creation. These tests provide us with a clear understanding of the battery longevity for each laptop.

Finally, we consolidate all our findings and compare them to the laptop’s price, determining if it offers the best value for customers.

Matt Hanson
Managing Editor, Core Tech

Matt is TechRadar's Managing Editor for Core Tech, looking after computing and mobile technology. Having written for a number of publications such as PC Plus, PC Format, T3 and Linux Format, there's no aspect of technology that Matt isn't passionate about, especially computing and PC gaming. He’s personally reviewed and used most of the laptops in our best laptops guide - and since joining TechRadar in 2014, he's reviewed over 250 laptops and computing accessories personally.