Best Laptops (2026): My Top Recommendations

I have been checking laptops for more than a decade, sometimes testing more than 30 devices a year. As you can imagine, not all are successful, and most should be avoided, no matter how cheap the discount is. The good news: It’s my job to design laptops that fit your budget and won’t make you regret your purchase six months later. So, don’t fall for the sales, fake products, or knockoff brands on Amazon. These are my favorite laptops that I have personally tested and recommend for you to buy.

For more information, see my comments in specific categories, such as The best MacBooks, Best Gaming Laptops, The best Chromebooks, Best Budget Laptops, Best Windows laptopsand Best 2-in-1 Laptops. My guide How to Choose a Laptop It can also help you if you don’t know.

Updated June 2026: I’ve tested several 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 the Computex announcements.

My Favorite Laptops

When friends or family ask what laptop to buy, I always start with MacBook Air. It is much stronger than its size suggests. With the new M5 chip, its GPU is compatible with the M3 Pro MacBook Pro, it easily handles everything from gaming to video editing. That’s not what the MacBook Air was designed for, but the functionality is there when you want to do it. That’s what makes it feel like an all-in-one, all-in-one chassis that’s still one of the thinnest laptops you can buy. Oh, and did I mention that it will be good for a full day of work away from the wall and perform well on the battery if it is plugged in? In almost every aspect, it is the gold standard.

When the price of new products MacBook Neo may be tempting, the MacBook Air is the better choice for anyone who works on a computer all day. With its high performance, extra memory, fast storage, and Thunderbolt ports, you’ll never doubt whether you have the right tool for the job. (And unless you already know you want a MacBook Pro, you probably don’t.)

If you like Windows or want to use it, the HP OmniBook Ultra 14 is a more powerful option than the MacBook Air. It might be the best laptop HP has ever made. The device is beautifully built and surprisingly sturdy, with a slim chassis (though the tall footprint makes it sit tall on a table next to a MacBook Air), a large haptic trackpad, and polished metal edges. I also appreciate the three Thunderbolt 4 ports split between both sides for efficient charging, and the surprisingly good speakers.

I tried the advanced model, which involves fasting Snapdragon X2 Elite and 32 GB of RAM, and a beautiful 2880 x 1800 OLED display. The screen has vivid colors, high brightness, and HDR functionality. It doesn’t get any better than this. My only complaint is that the glossy OLED screen looks good and doesn’t have an anti-glare coating. The displays of the two OmniBook Ultra configurations are very different. Hopefully there will be some replacement options soon, because I’d love to see something with a high-end OLED panel available in a cheaper configuration. The basic switch sold directly from HP is cheaper and less expensive.

Another option I really like is the 15-inch MacBook Air Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5x. I was impressed with the overall package of this laptop, which retails for $900 before removing everything. It’s not as refined as the OmniBook Ultra or the MacBook Air, but it does improve in some areas. For example, although it doesn’t have a haptic trackpad, it has a 2560 x 1600 OLED display with a 165-Hz refresh rate. I recommend a $30 upgrade from the base unit to get this screen. In addition, although it is slightly larger than the MacBook Air, the extra space allows for more 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 competing Windows laptops in terms of price. When it comes down to it, here are the best Windows laptops under $1,000.

I advised about Advanced Laptop 13.8 (also known as the 7th Edition) as one of my top picks. While I still love this laptop, it has gotten a lot more expensive and doesn’t seem like a great deal anymore, especially since it’s two years old at this point. I’ve been waiting for Microsoft to update the High-end Laptop to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 chips for better performance, which hasn’t happened yet. For now, I just wait Surface Laptop Ultra which is coming out later this year.

Cheap Laptops That Are Really Good

While “affordable” means something to everyone, the best laptops are usually under $750. This is where Windows really 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 option I’ve tested is the HP OmniBook 5. It has a Snapdragon X processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and a 14-inch OLED screen. Discounts change frequently, but right now you can get them directly HP bought $660which is an incredible price.