Shopping for one of the best laptops? Then you've come to the right place! There are lots of options to choose from, but also plenty of things to consider: are you best matched with Apple's macOS in a MacBook or Microsoft's Windows, or would a Google Chromebook better suit your needs? In this guide we select right across that range, from our concise list.
Not to mention price, which is a key purchase factor, and why we've broken down our list of best laptops to address a range of budgets – we've got budget from around £400, to mid-level workhorse at around £1,000, all the way to creative expert and high-end gaming laptops in the multiple-thousands range.
It's not just about what you spend, though, this list – quickly navigable from the side bar to jump to our top selections – caters for a whole host of different needs, whether you want a MacBook, ultralight Windows machine, or even a gaming laptop to play the latest AAA games. So whether strapped for cash or have saved up and want the best-of-best, here are the best laptops – as reviewed by T3's expert team.
T3's Top Picks
With superb battery life thanks to Apple silicon and a fanless design meaning total silence, the 2024 flagship MacBook Air is the best bet for most people. There are more powerful options in the MacBook Pro and for non-Mac users the Windows alternatives are plentiful.
With a superb screen that's just the right size, Dell offers various models that are beautifully designed and that run beautifully well too. If you want a premium slice of Windows in a small and portable footprint then the XPS 13 Plus is a real powerhouse choice.
This Chromebook is neither Mac nor Windows – but it's certainly far cheaper. It's an ideal option for students or those who have fewer demands from their workloads. With a detachable kickstand it can also be used like a tablet, so the versatility is excellent too.
The best laptops 2024
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Best Mac
Think thin and light laptops have to lack power? Or that big performance equals smaller battery life? Or that getting all that in a single machine would be expensive? Nope! The Apple MacBook Air in its 13-inch 2024 guide brings the best of all worlds for Mac users.
That's largely thanks to the M3 processor – the second-gen Apple-made silicon for Macs – which is effortlessly powerful. Combined with the speediest storage in the business, this laptop is fast. But it also runs cool enough that it doesn't need any fans at all, so it's silent. If you want a bigger model then the 15-inch Air, first introduced in 2023, is a larger and also great option.
As we said in our MacBook Air 13-inch review: "It's super powerful, has excellent battery life, and aside from some heat due to no fan cooling and the inclusion of a notch on that new 13.6-inch screen, it's a laptop that's truly hard to fault." Sure, there's the even more powerful MacBook Pro with the M3 Max chip, but that's really for power-users only and will cost you a chunk more cash.
Best Windows
The Dell XPS 13 series has consistently wowed us here at T3, and while the '9315' version of that laptop is super, it's the newer, longer-lasting and all-around better XPS Plus that takes its opportunity to shine. Sure, there are even newer 14-inch (9440) and 16-inch (9640) Dell laptops – the latter highly commended in the T3 Awards 2024 – but this Plus model is a great balance.
Featuring great Intel processors and up to 32GB of RAM, this is a portable PC that's going to be able to handle everything that you throw at it. From late-night Netflix to early-morning report writing, you'll find this Dell a highly-capable laptop, just as we said in our XPS 13 Plus review.
It's that 13.4-inch display with the super-thin bezels that really makes this laptop stand out though: you can go from Full HD through to 3.5K or greater-than-4K options – the choice is yours (as is the expense). Whichever you choose for your needs, though, you won't be disappointed by this stellar laptop.
Best budget
We called Lenovo's IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook "a vision of beauty" in our review, which is high praise indeed for a Chromebook. But this is no ordinary Chrome OS laptop, really, as its 2-in-1 construction and super OLED panel set it apart from the typically cheap and cheerful options elsewhere on the market.
Chrome OS won't suit all, though, as it's more based around Google apps and Android apps, but that's fine for lightweight working, so ideal for students and those who need to go big on word processing, browsing and streaming. It'll do all this no problems and last an age whilst doing so too.
All that makes this the best budget pick if you're looking for word processing credentials, decent battery life, and can forego major app installations for your needs. Then this will be a great buy that won't break the bank.
Best 2-in-1
The HP Spectre x360 is a beautiful, flexible, premium 2-in-1.
The HP Spectre X360's big point of difference is the presence of its 2-in-1 style, meaning the hinge can rotate through a full circle for more versatile use-case scenarios. That's what makes this a winner, as said in our Spectre X360 review.
In addition to a notable design, the keyboard is superb, the OLED screen is bright and clear, and it’s a genuinely good-looking machine with great ergonomics and strong security to boot. The only real criticism we can think of is that the fans can get a bit noisy when you drive it hard – there's got to be some compromise to the 2-in-1 folding factor.
But that noise is no surprise: although this isn’t a gaming laptop, it’s perfectly powerful for other kinds of work. All while being capable of 13 hours from a single charge. So if Windows is your preference and you want a folding laptop that's super versatile whether in laptop, presentation or tablet-like modes, this is the one.
Best for creatives
Apple updated its top-tier 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops with its M3 Pro and M3 Max processors. The result? Top-level performance yet hugely impressive battery life. If you want the very best laptop that Apple has to offer and the Air won't cut it then this is the powerhouse you want.
While this 2023 model doesn't change anything visually speaking compared to its predecessors, it's still a great laptop with superb battery life, plus small new additions such as HDMI 2.1 (for 4K/240Hz output) and Wi-Fi 6E speeds. Gone is the Touch Bar (which signed out with the 13-inch 2022 Pro model), and while the display still has a notch (just like the MacBook Air M2), we think it's hard not to fall in love with its bright Mini LED charms.
Oh, and that's before mentioning just how insanely capable M2 Pro or M2 Max is. The latter can feature up to 128GB of unified memory (think: RAM), which is untouchable in this space. Perfect for content creators and those with huge demands in modelling, data or creative editing. It doesn't come cheap though, obviously, as said in our MacBook Pro 16-inch review, but there is a 14-inch model that may suit some better.
Best for gamers
The T3 Awards 2024 winner of the best gaming laptop was this beast by MSI. It's a monster of a machine – and while it certainly won't be a budget pick, if you favour gaming power over all else then this is a very savvy pick indeed.
Combining a gorgeous gamer aesthetic with a great functional design, this super-powerful MSI packs in some top-tier specs that make for gaming greatness. Just as we said in our Raider GE78 HX review: it's "a great among gaming laptops".
Any downsides? Like with any gaming laptop you won't get much battery life if you're not plugged in, and there's some noise from the fans when pushing things – but nowhere nearly as much as some of the best gaming laptops, which can give your ears a battering.
How to choose
The laptop market continues to evolve, with new components and price pressure from low-end Chromebooks meaning you can now get more bang for your buck than ever before: it really is a great time to be choosing a laptop. If you're not familiar with the jargon you're coming across, we'd recommend first heading to our laptop terms and specs explainer first.
Picking the best laptop for 2024 for you is all about compromise. If you want something as powerful as possible, then it's going to be bigger and less easy to lug around on your travels. If you want something slim and ultra-light, then you simply can't pack in as many components.
Another important consideration is which operating system you're going to go with: you may already have a favourite, but Windows is best for gaming, MacOS is great for creatives, while Chrome OS is brilliant as a lightweight computing platform. Look at the strengths and weaknesses of each before committing.
Make sure you've weighed up exactly what you need to do with your laptop and the features that it needs to have before parting with any cash – otherwise you could be looking for an upgrade sooner rather than later.
Of course price is going to play a big part in your decision-making as well, and with that in mind we've included links to all the latest and greatest deals on the web for easy reference.
Reviewer panel
I've been using MacBooks for over a decade and that's where my specialism in laptops sits. Every current MacBook in Apple's range I've seen and tested, so can compare and contrast them all. As T3's Tech Editor, it's also my job to commission and curate other laptop reviews from expert contributors, which also factor into this best-of laptops list.
Tom is a freelance writer and author, but also a dab hand when it comes to testing the best new laptops. Especially Chromebooks, which have become his forte. In another life he was Editor of Professional Photography magazine, Associate Editor at Creative Bloq, and Deputy Editor at Net magazine.
Richard has been writing about technology since the 1990s, when he began working at Amiga Format magazine. Since he's written for PC World, Wired and many more, with the latest laptops always on his doorstep.
Andrew was T3's resident gaming expert when he was on the team (before venturing off to another part of Future Publishing), which meant testing all the latest and greatest gaming laptops. That meant a lot of gaming and a lot of GPU heat, but all in the name of finding the best machines for you to buy.