These are our (Wired.Com) favorite Windows Notebooks, MacBooks, and Chromebooks.
Buying any laptop is a big decision: You may end up using it for years before buying another, and there are many makes, models, and chip configurations to choose from. Lucky for you, we’ve tried out many of the new models in the past year. These are some of the very best laptops you can buy right now.
Be sure to check out our other guides to finding the Best MacBooks, Best Gaming Laptops, Best Gaming Desktops, Best Tablets, and Best Laptop Backpacks.
Updated November 2019: We’ve updated our picks with Microsoft’s latest Surface devices, and added some buying advice.
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Photograph: AppleLight as Air
Apple MacBook Air (2019)The MacBook Air remains the Mac to get. Apple upgraded the MacBook Air in July of 2019, adding the company’s True Tone tech to the Retina display and dropping the price to $1,099. It offers much of what you’ll find in the MacBook line: a sharp, 13-inch Retina display, a responsive trackpad, an improved butterfly keyboard (with a dust shield), surprisingly potent speakers, and up to 16 gigabytes of RAM. Since it only has two USB-C ports, you may want to buy a multi-port adapter (we like this one).
If you can afford it, it’s the sushi knife of laptops: well honed and precise. It’s usually $100 cheaper at Amazon.
$1,099Apple -
A Formidable Competitor
Microsoft Surface Laptop 3The third-generation Surface Laptop boasts a faster processor and, finally, support for USB-C (although not Thunderbolt). The second-generation model was our top pick for Windows laptops and version 3 retains that title. If you’re looking for a full Windows 10 machine with the same clean lines and portability as a MacBook Air, it should top your list.
The 2019 refresh also see a 15-inch model, which we like (7/10 WIRED review) if you want some extra screen real estate. It uses an AMD processor specially tailored to the Surface line. Battery life remains impressive, clocking over 10 hours in our test, which involved nonstop video playback. It starts at $999—and, unlike the MacBook Air, the Surface Laptop has a touchscreen.
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Photograph: HPCutting-Edge Convertible
HP Spectre x360 (2019)We had the 2018 Spectre x360 in an earlier version of this guide. Now the 2019 model (9/10, WIRED Recommends) has taken its spot.
This 2.9-pound, 13-inch laptop has a 360-degree hinge that allows it to be used as a laptop, slate tablet, or as “tented” computer. It has a sharp HD display that’s brighter than the previous model and an eighth-generation Intel Core processor. Plus, it now can get up to 14 hours of battery life on a charge, up from eight hours for the previous model. Our reviewer called it a “machine with universal appeal.”
$1,480HP
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Photograph: AcerTotal Lightweight
Acer Swift 5Acer boasts that the Swift 5 is, at 2.2 pounds, the “world’s lightest notebook with a 15-inch display.” It’s impressively thin and light, given its specs, which include a full HD screen, 8 gigabytes of RAM, and 256 gigs of SSD file storage. With USB-C, full-size USB-A ports, and even an HDMI port, it also won’t require as many dongles as some of its Mac-like competitors. The battery lasted about nine hours in our tests, which is pretty good given the low weight.
On the downside, its screen does wobble. If you want a bigger display without the heft, this is a good choice.
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Photograph: Dell Inc.Ultimate Ultrabook
Dell XPS 13 (2019)Dell’s XPS 13 has been kicking around since 2012 and remains one of the most popular thin and light laptops out there. Dell released an update in 2019, moving the webcam up to the top of the screen, which eliminates the dreaded “Nose cam,” which was our main complaint about this otherwise speedy, lightweight XPS 13. Battery life was improved as well. We managed 12.5 hours during normal use (web browsing, watching videos, editing documents). Other small changes like better cooling and a 4K screen that supports HDR video make it a compelling machine.
The XPS 13 starts at $899, but if you want better performance, upgrade to a configuration that runs $1,200 or more.
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Photograph: LenovoFlex Spending
Lenovo Yoga C930Like several lighter options on the market, Lenovo’s Yoga line of laptops can be used in different modes: as a laptop, a tablet, a propped-up touch display. What’s different about the Yoga C930 is that Lenovo has put a speaker inside the signature hinge, ensuring the audio experience is good no matter which way you use the thing. It also ships with a stylus pen and has a physical privacy shutter that covers the webcam.
Overall, this bendy laptop comes with all the things we’ve come to expect from laptops—updated internals, excellent battery life—making this a solid choice if you’re willing (or able) to spend more than $1,000 on a Windows laptop.
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Photograph: RazerGame On
Razer BladeRazer’s Blade laptops changed the game for gaming PCs a few years ago, packing lots of power into relatively svelte machines. This year, Razer did it again. The Razer Blade has an aluminum enclosure, a full 15.6-inch display with minimal bezels, a precise keyboard, a lovely glass trackpad, and a revamped vapor chamber cooling system.
More noteworthy are its internals: Its base model runs on a hexacore Intel i7 chip, 16 GB of RAM, Nvidia 1060 Max-Q graphics, and a hybrid SSD/HDD storage solution. That configuration, which starts at $1,600, also comes with a 1080p HD display; but if you want to live a little, you can splurge on upgraded internals and a UHD touchscreen display.
If you want a smaller screen (and are OK with weaker performance), the 13-inch Razer Blade Stealth is a good option.
$1,600Amazon
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Photograph: GoogleGoing Chrome
Google Pixelbook GoThe Pixelbook Go is Google’s latest vision of what a Chromebook should be. Unlike Google’s previous efforts, the Go is not aiming for the skies, and its price reflects that, starting a full $350 less than its predecessor. If, however, you like the Pixelbook’s high-end specs you can pre-order a high-end Go with an i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, 256 GB storage, and a 4K display.
The Go has a very function-over-form design with an interesting ridged underside being the only thing that sets it apart from your standard black laptop. Inside the base model gets an Intel Core M3 chip, but we recommend going for the i5 model. In either case you’ll get 8 GB of RAM, which is plenty for average Chromebook use.
ChromeOS has progressed significantly in the last year and feels very mature overall. Support for Linux makes the Chromebook workable for light development work, but running Android apps is still an exercise in frustration.
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Photograph: AppleBig Mac
Apple MacBook Pro (2019)The MacBook Pro has caused such angst. Over the past couple of years, it has lost the ports we’d all grown to love, been graced with a superfluous Touch Bar, and had some not-so-minor keyboard issues. But it’s also still the thing that every creative MacOS professional must have.
The 2019 line up gives you two options: the six-core, ninth-generation Intel Core i9 processor with 16 GB RAM or the more powerful version with an eight-core, ninth-generation Intel Core i9 processor, up to 32 GB RAM, and AMD Radeon graphics. The latter is the top of line—boasting the fastest internals and biggest, highest-resolution display of all the MacBooks. It’s a 4K video editing powerhouse, but it’ll cost you.
It starts at a cool $2,799. At times, it is $200 or so cheaper on Amazon.
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Photograph: Joseph ShinNot Quite a Laptop
Microsoft Surface Go (with Type Cover)Microsoft’s Surface Go stands out on this list for its diminutive size and its unique form factor: It’s a Surface tablet with a detachable keyboard and stylus pen (both often sold separately)—not your standard laptop. It has the same premium build as its more expensive Surface brethren, a colorful, sharp display, and even Windows Hello facial recognition.
For those with less intense computing needs, the Surface Go might just be the only “laptop” they’ll need. The only downside is its short battery life—about four or five hours.
When ordering, get a model with 8 GB of RAM, and the price we’ve listed includes a Type Cover, but you have to add that separately (a popup will offer it as you check out).
$629MicrosoftLaptop Buying Tips
How to Choose the Right Laptop for YouIf none of these laptops quite ring your bell, that’s okay! No worries. There are far more laptops out there than we have time to test.
To make sure you buy something that will serve you well for years to come, we stick to these guidelines.
- RAM: Make sure you get at least 8 GB of RAM—16 GB would be even better.
- 8th Gen. or Higher: There are dozens of chips in the market, but we prefer eighth generation or higher Intel chips.
- Core i5 or Higher: We suggest going with at least an Intel Core i5, though an i7 will give you more power, which you’ll be glad you have if you’re doing anything taxing, like editing video or even processing large batches of photos.
- Screen Resolution: The display depends on the size of the laptop. A 1080p (HD) screen on a 12-inch laptop looks good enough. A 1080p screen on a 15-inch laptop does not. If you spend all day staring at your screen, a higher resolution screen, like a 4K screen can ease eyestrain.
- 10 Hours of Battery: Finally, make sure it gets at least 10 hours of battery life.
Author: Dennis Hickey
There are no limits to success to those who never stop learning. Learning will also nourish your personal growth. I hope you enjoy this website and visit often so you keep learning and growing too! View all posts by Dennis Hickey