When shopping for your next laptop, consider carefully how you plan to use it the most. Larger laptops typically pack a more powerful processor and often a sharper display. However, they aren't as comfortable to carry around as their more compact siblings.
Design, specs, performance, and battery life are the most important things to consider when shopping for a new laptop. The design is important, because your new notebook will likely be among the most commonly used objects in your daily life — it simply has to look good.
Specs and performance are closely related, so depending on your needs, keep a close eye on the processor, the graphics card, the available memory options, and the display resolution. Regarding the latter, it's important to keep in mind that on many occasions, a high-resolution display will typically affect the battery life of your notebook.
Here are the best laptops to consider buying in 2022!
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Best Windows 11 Laptop
Key Specs:
• Eleventh-generation quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU
• Intel Iris Xe graphics
• 8 GB of RAM
• 15-inch display with True Vision HD video resolution
• 256 GB of SSD storage
• 3 USB-3 ports
• Up to 8 hours of battery life, fast charging capabilities
By offering a combination of attractive design, great craftsmanship, and excellent performance, the HP 15 is the best Windows 11 laptop for most buyers out there. Lightweight and elegant, it has powerful 11th-generation Intel processors, a HP Imagepad touchpad, thin bezels, and solid battery life (up to 8 hours).
The sleek, eye-catching design is paired with excellent tactility. The notebook's connectivity options include three USB-3 ports, WiFi, and Bluetooth.
Best MacBook
Key Specs:
• CPU: Apple M1 chip
• Display: 13.3-inch Retina display (2,560 by 1,600 pixels)
• Memory: 8GB of RAM, up to 512 GB SSD
• Battery Life: Up to 18 hours
The MacBook Air with with an Apple M1 chip is hands down our favorite laptop for college students or professionals. It is lightweight (it weighs less than 3 pounds), timelessly elegant, effortlessly powerful, and, starting below $1,000, reasonably priced. It has a fantastic keyboard and trackpad, a superb Retina display, and insane battery life of up 18 hours between charges.
Like all things Apple, the notebook comes with an outstanding selection of original and third-party accessories. If you plan to use the notebook for demanding tasks like graphic design projects, consider the slightly pricier 13-inch MacBook Pro with an M1 chip. It has more graphics power and even longer battery life.
More: Our Review of the MacBook Pro With an M1 Chip
Best Budget Buy
Key Specs:
• AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Mobile Processor
• Radeon Vega 8 graphics
• 8 GB of RAM (upgradeable)
• 15.6-inch IPS display with 1,920 by 1,080 pixels
• 256 GB of SSD storage
• One USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 port, one HDMI port with HDCP support
• Windows 10 Home
• Up to 7.5 hours of battery life
The Acer Aspire 5 Slim laptop offers great value, excellent performance and battery life, and top-tier hardware for its near-$600 price tag. With an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U Mobile Processor, Radeon Vega 8 graphics, and a speedy 256 GB solid-state drive on board, the laptop can keep pace with much pricier offerings. Unlike most of them, the Aspire 5 also gives you the option to upgrade some of its key components.
In order to make the Aspire 5 attractively priced, Acer has settled for an all-plastic body. A touchscreen panel would have been welcome, too, though, in this price point, it's not exactly mandatory.
If you're looking for a more affordable option, consider this Acer Aspire 15" configuration instead. It has a less powerful processor, less RAM, and less dynamic graphics for about $400.
Best for Travel
Key Specs:
• 10th Generation Intel Core i7 processor and graphics
• Up to 16 GB of RAM
• 12.3-inch Platinum Color touchscreen with 2736 x 1824 resolution
• 256 GB of SSD storage
• Surface Pen and Gizpro included
• USB-C and USB-A ports
• Average of 11 hours of battery life
The Microsoft Surface Go 3 is still the gold standard for 2-in-1 PCs. It has all of the qualities that make the tech giant's Surface products a hit with consumers: looks, craftsmanship, power, and versatility. You can instantly transform the Pro 7 from a tablet to a laptop by attaching the Signature Type Cover.
Microsoft offers the Surface Go 3 in a plethora of hardware configurations, ensuring that buyers can find one that fits their budget. All of the variants feature Intel’s 10th-generation processors, as well as up-to-date Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi 6.
In case you are shopping for a 2-in-1 PC on a tighter budget, consider the compact Microsoft Surface Go 2 instead. It packs a smaller, 10.5-inch display, an entry-level Intel processor (there are two options to choose from). Best of all, it has a starting price tag under $400.
Best Gaming Laptop
Key Specs:
• 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10300H Processor
• NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti 4GB GDDR6 Graphics
• 8GB DDR4 2933MHz RAM
• 15.6” Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-Type display
• 512GB NVMe SSD
• Ports: USB-3, 2x USB-3.2 , HDMI 2.0, Ethernet 2600
• Cool Boost technology with 4 exhaust ports
• Weight: 2.6 pounds
The Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop is a lightweight, high-performing machine, all at a sub-$1,000 price point. With upgradeable hardware, the 15.6-inch gaming notebook can easily power through today’s most popular games thanks to its GeForce GTX Ti graphics and 144Hz refresh rate.
As unlike other laptops at this price point, the Acer Nitro 5 has impressive set of features that make it a great value. It has all the ports you need for things like quickly charging your phone, connecting to a 4K monitor, or transferring data with WiFi 6. Its Nitro Sense key gives you quick access to the machine's performance diagnostics and allows you to adjust cooling fan speeds and more. The dual, 2W speakers are powered by DTS:X Ultra, an upgrade from previous models.
More: The Best Gaming Laptops Worth Your Attention
More Great Options Worth Your Attention
Looking for more laptop picks? Here are some addition ones worth checking into as well.
Best Chromebook
Key Specs:
• Eighth-generation Intel Core m3 or Core m5 CPU (dual-core)
• Intel graphics
• 4/8 GB of RAM
• 14-inch 360-degree touch screen with 1,920 by 1,080 pixels
• 64 GB of built-in storage
• Two USB-C ports, one full USB port, microSD card reader
• Up to 10 hours of battery life
The ASUS Chromebook Flip C434 is the best Chrome OS laptop worth your attention today. It has elegant and versatile design, excellent build quality, top-notch performance, and an excellent keyboard.
The notebook looks incredible in the metal. Thanks to its ultra thin display bezels, it has the footprint of a 13-inch laptop despite packing a larger 14-inch touch screen. The latter has a 360-degree hinge, which makes the sleek notebook incredibly versatile.
The notebook is available with an Intel Core m3 or Core m5 processor. I highly recommend that you spend a bit extra for a Chromebook Flip C434 variant with the latter — it comes with more RAM, so it's better at multitasking.
Thanks to its sleek design and excellent performance, the Chromebook Flip C434 has earned high review scores from Engadget and Laptop Mag.
Best for Style-Conscious Buyers
Key Specs:
• Seventh-generation Intel Core i5 or Core i7 CPU (dual-core)
• Intel graphics
• Up to 16 GB of RAM
• 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with 2,256 by 1,504 pixels
• Up to 1 TB of SSD storage
• Windows Hello sign-in with facial recognition
• One full USB 3.0 port and one Mini DisplayPort
• Up to 14.5 hours of battery life
With a sleek body crafted from metal and Alcantara, the Microsoft Surface Laptop is handily one of the best-looking notebooks money can buy. Its design and tactility are a true celebration of the traditional laptop form factor.
The hardware options for the notebook are also excellent, ranging from well-priced configurations for casual users all the way to seriously specced variants suitable for more demanding users.
Compared to the Microsoft Surface Book 2, the Surface Laptop has considerably less power and versatility. With only one USB 3.0 port and one Mini DisplayPort on board, it won't wow you with wired connectivity options either. However, if you're not planning on using peripheral accessories often, this notebook is totally worth it.
More: Here's Our Review of the Microsoft Surface Laptop
Best Affordable Chromebook
Key Specs:
• Seventh-generation Intel Core m3 or Core m5 processor
• Intel graphics
• 4 GB of RAM
• 12.5-inch Full HD display with 360-degree hinge
• 64 GB of built-in storage
• Two USB-C 3.1 ports, microSD card slot
• Up to 10 hours of battery life
The ASUS Chromebook Flip C302 is a good alternative to the pricey Google Pixelbook, (this option will cost you well below $500). The Flip C302 can't match the sheer hardware capabilities or display resolution of its range-topping sibling, but it'll still deliver a fast and fluid touchscreen performance, as well as access to Android apps via the Google Play store.
Read More:
Our Favorite Touchscreen Laptops to Buy in 2018
The Best Laptop Bag for Carrying Your Tech in Style
The Best Portable Speakers for Every Activity
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