With so many options to choose from, picking the best laptop for your needs is more important than ever. Those who crave fast boot up times and a lightweight machine to carry might drool over an Ultrabook. Serious gamers will gravitate towards gaming laptops tailored to their graphical and processing needs, while those after flexibility might fancy a convertible laptop-tablet hybrid.
It might seem overwhelming at first – what with all of the available choices – but we're here to help you find the best laptop for you. Believe us when we say that there is a perfect laptop out there for you. With this guide, you'll find the absolutely best machines.
1. Dell XPS 13
Dell's latest laptop is a masterpiece ahead of the curve
CPU: 2.2Ghz Intel Core i5-5200 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch 3,200 x 1,800 UltraSharp QHD+ touch display | Storage: 256GB SSD
Gorgeous display
Super lightweight
No Ethernet port
Off-center webcam
The
Dell XPS 13 isn't just an astonishingly thin and light laptop, it's a
revolution in design. Fitting a 13.3-inch screen into a 11-inch laptop
frame is no small feat, but Dell has pulled off a miracle creating a
nearly borderless infinity display. This is also one powerful and long
lasting machine that only gets better with the new Skylake processors, all while coming in at a very affordable starting price. For these reasons, it easily takes the top slot as the best Ultrabook, the best Windows laptop and the best overall laptop.Read the full review: Dell XPS 13
2. Asus ZenBook UX305
Better than the MacBook and at a fraction of the price
CPU: 800MHz Intel Core M 5Y10| Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch FHD 1,920 x 1,080 (matte) | Storage: 256GB SSD
Thin and light
Vibrant matte screen
Tinny speakers
Troublesome video driver
The Asus ZenBook UX305 might look like a MacBook Air
from every angle, but it's a better machine in almost every way. It's
thinner, lighter and even more attractive in some ways with its purple
tinged aluminum body. With a sharp display, a good helping of storage
space and a fanless design to keep things thin and silent, this machine
is one hot ticket. Most importantly, though, you can get this whole
great package at a very affordable price.3. Asus Chromebook Flip
A premium Chromebook that backflips on command
CPU: 1.8GHz Rockchip 3288-C | Graphics: ARM Mali T624 | RAM: 2GB LPDDR3 SDRAM | Screen: 10.1-inch, WXGA (1,280 x 800) IPS multi-touch display | Storage: 16GB eMMC
Fully metal construction
Excessive battery life
Large screen bezels
When
most people think of Chromebooks they might expect some cheap, plastic
device that's only just good enough to get them by through a day of
computing. Asus on the other hand offers the fully metal Chromebook Flip
that doubles as a tablet just for the heck of it. The 10.1-inch, 2-in-1
Chromebook is an exceedingly light laptop that feels premium to the
touch. Thanks to a little known Rockchip processor, it can also outrun
most other Chrome OS machines both in performance and with its eight
hour battery life.Read the full review: Asus Chromebook Flip
4. 13-inch MacBook Air (early 2015)
Light and faster than ever
CPU: 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 6000 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, LED-backlit glossy display (1440 x 900) | Storage: 256GB SSD
Excellent battery life
Nippy storage
Dated design
Low-res display
While
the latest MacBook Air sticks to its guns with a dated design and
low-resolution screen, it's not showing any signs of slowing down on the
performance front. Thanks to a capable CPU, this thin and light machine
can handle everything from simple web browsing to serious number
crunching and even some light gaming. Sure the New MacBook is lighter
and thinner, but it does not come with the Air's spread of full-sized
ports nor a 13 hour battery life to last you though an entire day.Read the full review: 13-inch MacBook Air (early 2015)
5. Surface Pro 4
The best iteration in Windows 10 tablets
CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-6300U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 520 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12.3-inch, 2,736 x 1,824 PixelSense display | Storage: 256GB | Connectivity: 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 | Camera: 8MP rear-facing; 5MP front-facing | Weight: 1.73 pounds | Dimensions: 11.5 x 7.93 x 0.36 inches
Larger, sharper screen
Vastly improved Type Cover
Type Cover still sold separately
Battery life hasn't improved much
There's
a new reigning king of Windows tablets and its name is the Surface Pro
4. Building on everything the last iteration got right, this new Surface
slate introduces a larger screen more sensitive touchscreen perfected
for everything from penning documents to painting images. Thanks to a
newly redesigned island keyboard, tapping away on the Type Cover feels
almost as good as a real laptop and the glass trackpad feels simply
superb. Internally the Microsoft's latest also features a faster
processor all in a shell that's actually lighter and thinner than the
Surface Pro 3. Overall, these improvements make the Surface Pro 4 the
tablet that really can replace your laptop.Read the full review: Surface Pro 4
6. Toshiba Chromebook 2
One of the best full HD Chromebooks
CPU: 2.16GHz Intel Celeron N2840 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1090 TruBrite TFT display | Storage: 16GB SSD
Gorgeous 1080p screen
Thin and light
Blinding screen glare
Mismatched casing parts
Of
course, if a long lasting machine is what you seek, you should invest
in a Chromebook. The Toshiba Chromebook 2 lasts for six and a half hours
and packs a wonderfully colorful full HD screen to boot. It's a better
package compared to most Windows laptops you can pickup at this low, low
price. Although the Toshiba Chromebook 2 is looking a bit old now with
its last generation processor, it can still hold its own, and even today
it remains to be one of the more attractive Chrome OS machines - better
yet, Toshiba has announced it updated the Chromebook 2 with Broadwell Celeron and Core i3 processors.Read the full review: Toshiba Chromebook 2
7. New MacBook 2015
Gorgeous, thin and light
CPU: 1.1GHz dual-core Intel Core M | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5300 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 12-inch, 2,304 x 1,440 LED-backlit IPS display | Storage: 256GB SSD
Terrific design
Surprisingly good speakers
Runs sluggish at times
Expensive
If
you want a real bombshell of a laptop, look no further than the
extremely slender MacBook. It's come a long way from the days of being
the MacBook Pro's
rounded, plastic underling. Apple reintroduced the MacBook as one of
the World's thinnest and lightest laptops featuring a razor sharp
aluminum unibody and high-resolution Retina display, which still hasn't
made its way into the MacBook Air. The nigh travel-less keyboard takes a
little getting used and forget about using ports without an adapter,
but if you can get over these humps, the MacBook is a machine that will
turn heads and make your friends jealous.Read the full review: New MacBook
8. Dell Inspiron 13 7000
A great all-around laptop-tablet hybrid for discerning students
CPU: 2.4GHz Intel Core i7-5500 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 FHD IPS touchscreen | Storage: 256GB SSD
Attractive and sturdy design
Speedy powerful performance
Lackluster battery life
A little hefty
Then
again for those who don't need the latest laptop on the block and
rather stick to their guns with something more traditional, the Dell
Inspiron 13 7000 is a lovely fit. With a metal chassis coated in
soft-touch rubber, this Special Edition 13-inch laptop hardly feels like
a budget machine. Aside from the more than serviceable computing
experience you'll get out of this notebook, the screen also flips back
giving you a 1,080p tablet experience. Read the full review: Dell Inspiron 13 7000
9. Acer Chromebook 15 C910
This 15-inch Chromebook has it all
CPU: 2.2GHz dual-core Intel Core i5-5200 | Graphics: Intel HD 5500 | RAM: 4GB | Screen: 15.6-inch full HD (1,920 x 1,080) | Storage: 32GB SSD
Speedy performance
Sleek diamond texture
Too heavy
Awkward keyboard
Who
says Chromebooks can be big too. While the mass majority of Chrome OS
machines come in the shape of low-powered 13- to 10-inch laptops, the
Acer Chromebook C910 is the 15-inch big daddy. Not only does it come
rocking a vibrant 15-inch, 1080p display, it also has a substantially
more powerful Intel Core processor for some more heavy duty Cloud
computing. You might think all this added power would take a chunk out
of the battery life, but this Chromebook colossus can last for nearly
nine hours. Read the full review: Acer Chromebook 15 C910
10. HP Spectre x360
Striking the perfect balance between a laptop and tablet
CPU: 2.2GHz Intel Core i5-5200 | Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 5500 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 FHD Radiance LED-backlit touchscreen | Storage: 256GB SSD
Superbly thin Excellent performance and battery life
Too heavy for tablet usage
Weirdly wide trackpad
The
HP Spectre x360 comes easily as one of our most recommended 2-in-1
hybrid laptops. It's one of the best looking and most powerful hybrid
notebooks out today, and the vibrantly bright display doesn't hurt
either. Although it weighs nearly as much as a 13-inch MacBook Pro
Retina, its dimensions put it more in line with a MacBook Air and the
fully metal body is a nice touch too, even if it ends up making this
convertible notebook a tad bit too heavy for prolonged tablet use. Users
who want even more power should look to the Bang & Olufsen limited edition version, which comes with newer Skylake processors.Read the full review: HP Spectre x360
11. MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina display (early 2015)
Robust and stunning, the MacBook Pro is as good as old reliable
CPU: 2.7GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 | Graphics: Intel Iris Graphics 6100 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch IPS, 2,560 x 1,600 pixels| Storage: 128GB SSD
Faster Processor
Superb battery life
Underdeveloped Force Touch
Unchanged design
The
MacBook Pro is a tried and true road warrior. Whether you're a student,
graphic designer, desk jockey, photographer, DJ or a simple everyday
user, this is one of the most versatile and best laptops ever made.
Along with delivering great performance and amazing battery life, this
latest MacBook Pro comes with Apple's new fangled Force Touch trackpad
giving you access to more gesture commands. It's an even more enticing
option when you add up all the bundled freebies including office
programs and software upgrades.Read the full review: MacBook Pro 13-inch with Retina display (early 2015)
12. Lenovo LaVie Z
This skinny kid can fight
CPU: 2.40GHz Intel Core i7-5500U | Graphics: Intel HD Graphic 5500 | RAM: 8GB | Screen: 13.3-inch WQHD (2560 x 1440) LED anti-glare | Storage: 256GB
Core i7 processor
Excellent high-res display
Mediocre battery life
Astronomical battery life
A
laptop as light as a tablet? It's not as crazy as you think with the
Lenovo LaVie Z weighing less than two pounds. Aside from its lightweight
chassis, the Lavie Z offers better performance and a higher resolution
screen than most of its 13-inch Ultrabook competitors. Still, this
machine has a few unfavorable characteristics including a soft build
quality, inferior battery life and inflated price tag; major turn offs
for what is an otherwise splendid device.
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