Best Laptops (2026): My Top Recommendations After Testing Hundreds

I’ve been reviewing laptops for well over a decade, sometimes testing more than 30 devices per year. Not all are winners, and many should be avoided, no matter how slick the marketing or how 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 September 2026: I’ve updated my recommendations after testing the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Ultra and Framework Laptop 13 Pro. I've also reevaluated my picks based on the latest price changes.

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. 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. I like just about everything about this laptop, whether it’s the compact size, the excellent build quality, or the gorgeous screen. It’s not OLED, but it’s sharp, bright, and color-accurate. It 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 for basic, day-to-day computing tasks. That translates to great, all-day battery life, competitive with the MacBook Air. Just don’t try to play games, edit high-resolution video, or take it to engineering school.

The XPS 13 is especially good for those who want a compact device to travel with. With its tiny bezels, it’s still one of the best laptops to use on a plane. But even beyond that, it’s just one of the best laptops you can buy under $1,000 right now. The Dell XPS 13 is primarily being talked about as a budget laptop, thanks to its original $700 starting configuration. But that model comes with only 8 GB of RAM, which limited performance in my testing, and unfortunately, it’s now $800. You’ll probably just want to avoid that 8 GB model. Most people will want the upgraded 16 GB model, which has also been increased by $100 to $1,000. It’s still a good deal for the hardware.

If you want a Windows laptop that still feels high-end but has a bit more performance, I would point you to the HP 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 seeing discounts that bring it to a more reasonable price. There’s also an Intel model with a very efficient, powerful chip that would be a good choice. I’d go with whichever is cheaper right now.

And lastly, for something with a larger screen, I’d recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x. It’s a particularly good alternative to the 15-inch MacBook Air, 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, USB-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.

Lenovo also sells a cheaper version directly, but it has a lower-resolution IPS screen that I haven’t tested. While the other specs are good, you might want to consider one of the cheaper options that I’ve tested below, such as the HP OmniBook 5. The IdeaPad Slim 5x has stronger performance and a better touchpad, though.

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 HP always has some version of the OmniBook 5 with a Snapdragon CPU at under $700. The specific discounted configuration seems to change every few days, though, so shop carefully.

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 $100 or so. HP is selling this configuration of the 14-inch model for around $550. 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 prioritized 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 far better choice for remote workers—the Neo is an extremely premium-feeling laptop available for students, travelers, and casual users. Thanks to the lower-powered A18 Pro chip, though, performance does take a hit. So, be careful about buying this laptop if you work at a computer all day.

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 at $849. That’s far too expensive for what you get. Instead, I’d recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, which uses the same efficient (and responsive) MediaTek Kompanio Ultra that delivers excellent battery life. This one is also a 2-in-1, with a touchscreen, a 360-degree hinge, and a quality touchpad. The retail price of $749 is way too much, but it frequently drops down to $549, which is a great deal for this hardware. For a true budget Chromebook under $400, there are significant compromises, but I’d recommend the Asus Chromebook CX15. The screen isn’t the best, and neither is the touchpad. But the specs are solid for the price, and I liked the more modern look compared to other ultra-cheap Chromebooks.

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

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 both are powerful, they take an old-school approach to performance, using hot-and-heavy discrete graphics cards that significantly reduce 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 design polish you usually see only on MacBooks—and it even surpasses them in some areas. The more affordable configurations with the Core Ultra 5 or 7 don’t have as strong 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, I’ve come back to the Lenovo LOQ 15 as my top pick. There are cheaper RTX 5050 models out there, such as the Alienware 15 or MSI Cyborg A15, but prices have been increasing on these laptops over the past few months. The Alienware 15 with the RTX 5050, in particular, has seen a $600 price increase, which makes it incredibly overpriced. That’s led me back to the LOQ 15, which has stayed steady at $1,300 at Walmart and gives you an RTX 5060 for graphics and a bright, colorful screen.

You won’t find a cheaper gaming laptop that doesn’t make some significant compromises in either performance or screen quality, both of which can sour the gaming experience. And while I wish the LOQ 15 were still selling for under $1,000 like it was when it first launched, it remains the absolute best gaming laptop for the money right now. It’s really the only gaming laptop under $1,500 I’d currently buy, given where prices are.

There’s also 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. They’re expensive, but if you’ve got the money to spend, they’re as premium as gaming laptops get. I’ll soon be testing the latest version of the Blade 16, which includes Intel’s latest Panther Lake chips and should have vastly improved battery life.

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 that I’ve recently reviewed and enjoyed using. I’ve tested dozens of laptops this year already, but I’ve included some of the standouts below. Each of these recently tested laptops has at least one minor drawback, but they could still be the perfect choice depending on your needs and current discounts.

Framework Laptop 13 Pro for $1,599: We’ve always loved the Framework laptops here at WIRED, primarily because of how repairable and upgradable the internal components are. Unlike every other laptop on this list, nearly every part can be easily swapped out by the user, including the CPU. The Framework Laptop 13 Pro uses the same internal structure as the basic Framework Laptop 13, but upgraded with a haptic touchpad, an aluminum chassis, and a brighter (and sharper) display. The result is the Framework Laptop I’ve always wanted, especially with an all-black aesthetic that hints at ThinkPad inspiration. But most of all, if you’re going to try and make a laptop last for many years, it makes sense that it would be something more premium. This one actually feels like it’s worth the investment.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 13.8 for $1,130: The Surface Laptop 13.8 (also known as the 7th Edition) was one of my favorite laptops throughout 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 have seen that price come down as low as $1,350 on discount.

Dell 14 Plus for $1,030: 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 over $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.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Ultra for $2,250: I like this laptop quite a bit. The OLED screen is sharp, bright, and quite colorful—very similar to the HP OmniBook Ultra. It also has a lot of the other great features on premium Windows laptops these days, including a haptic feedback touchpad and a very slim profile. Unfortunately, it’s only available right now in a very expensive, maxed-out configuration with 32 GB of RAM and at least a terabyte of storage. I don’t think that’s a good pairing for this ultra-light laptop. Even with half the memory and storage, though, this would be too expensive compared to the competition.

Asus Zenbook A16 for $2,200: The Zenbook A14 and A16 are Asus’ ultralight laptops, weighing just 2.16 pounds, making them some of the lightest laptops you can buy right now. This second edition of the Zenbook A16 is still incredibly light, and it now comes with 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 consistently comes in under $1,000.

Alienware 16X Aurora for $1,099: 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). This Walmart deal for the RTX 5050 model, however, is really fantastic.

Laptops to Avoid

Dell 14S: 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. But it’s far too expensive right now. Until the price comes down, I prefer just about every other Dell option, including the Dell 14 Plus, Dell XPS 13, or Dell XPS 14.

Lenovo LOQ 15 Essential: This is a “new” model that came out this year, even though it uses a CPU from 2023. But honestly, this is just too expensive. I’ve seen it on sale for under $1,400, but even so, the standard LOQ 15 is a similar price and has a far superior display.

MacBook Pro M5: It’s not a significant step up from the MacBook Air in performance, and it’s much thicker. You’re paying for the Mini-LED screen and extra ports. Unfortunately, it got the biggest price bump, up $300 to $1,999. It’s not a bad laptop, but you’re better off with the MacBook Air or a more powerful M5 Pro/Max configuration.

Acer Swift 16 AI: This is one of the few laptops you can buy with the powerful, efficient new Intel Core Ultra X9 chips. However, the Acer Swift 16 AI took an experimental approach with its oversized trackpad, making it very difficult to use. Even at a discount, you’ll find it frustrating.

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 provide 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 it doesn’t hold up as well these days. 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.

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