This guide has been updated in 2026 to highlight the award winners that are still available, still worth buying, or have been replaced by newer models we recommend today.
Our 2024 Award Winners
| Category | Winner |
|---|
| Best Budget Laptop | HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13 |
| Best Budget Runner-Up | MacBook Air 13 with M5 |
| Best Gaming Laptop | ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 |
| Best for Office, Home & School | Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition |
| Best 2-in-1 Laptop | ASUS ProArt PX13 |
| Best 2-in-1 Runner-Up | HP OmniBook Ultra Flip |
| Best Creator Laptop | MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Pro / Max |
| Best Windows Creator Laptop | ASUS ProArt P16 |
| Best Laptop for Programmers | MacBook Pro 14 and 16 with M4 Pro |
| Best Windows Laptop for Programmers | Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Aura Edition |
| Best Overall Laptop | MacBook Pro 14 with M4 |
Best Budget Laptop
HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13 (2025)
Pros
- Very light and portable
- Good display options
- Comfortable keyboard
- Affordable pricing when on sale
- Looks stylish
Cons
- Battery life is nothing special
- Laptop gets warm
- Keyboard backlight is white with white keycaps, making it harder to read on occasion
- Not suitable for performance applications
Why it won:
The HP OmniBook 7 Aero 13 is one of the few budget laptops we tested that does not feel like a compromise in every direction.
Many cheap laptops are slow, dim, poorly built, or simply not worth buying. The Aero 13 stands out because it delivers good everyday performance, a lightweight design, and enough memory and storage for most basic users.
It is also extremely portable, which makes it a strong option for students, office users, and anyone who wants a simple laptop that is easy to carry.
Best for:
- Students on a budget
- Everyday office work
- Web browsing, documents, email, and streaming
- Buyers who want a lightweight Windows laptop
Watch out for:
Only buy it on sale. Around $500 to $600, it can be a very strong value. At full price, better options may be available.
Runner-Up: Apple MacBook Air 13 with M5 (2026)
Pros
- Excellent value and one of the laptops we would recommend to most people that are ok with Apple’s operating system.
- Very strong performance for light use, with a snappy everyday experience.
- Excellent real-world battery life for typical office and writing use.
- Completely silent because there is no fan.
- Both 13-inch and 15-inch versions are highly portable for their size.
- Trackpad remains best-in-class with excellent palm rejection.
Cons
- M5 is only a modest upgrade over M4 in many workloads.
- Sustained heavy performance is limited by the fanless design.
- The display is still just a 60Hz IPS panel, which feels disappointing in a premium laptop in 2026.
- The keyboard feels a bit low travel, especially on the 15-inch model.
- Ports are still limited to two USB-C ports, both on the left side.
Why it stood out:
The MacBook Air 13 with M5 is one of the best premium-feeling laptops you can buy near the budget category, especially when the 16GB RAM model drops to around $800 or less.
It has a better trackpad, speakers, webcam, and overall build than most Windows laptops at this price. The M5 chip also delivers snappy performance, strong battery life, and surprisingly capable integrated graphics for casual creative work or light gaming.
Best for:
- Students
- Home and office users
- Mac users who want a premium laptop without buying a MacBook Pro
- Buyers who care about build quality and battery life
Watch out for:
The 256GB storage configuration may feel limiting. If you need more storage or plan to keep the laptop for several years, look carefully at upgrade pricing.
Newer Alternative: Apple MacBook Neo (2026)
Pros
- Looks great
- Fantastic value
- Built very well, feels premium
- Very good display for the price
- Good speakers
- Excellent trackpad
- No fan noise, as it is fanless
- The chassis stays cool even under load.
Cons
- Very basic performance only. A18 Pro chip and 8GB
- No keyboard backlight
- Fingerprint sensor only available in more expensive model
- Ports are lacking, only 2 USB C and a headphone jack. One port is very slow
- Battery life is not that long due to its small battery
- Storage is limited and slow for a modern laptop
Why it stood out:
The MacBook Neo is one of the most interesting budget laptops Apple has released in years. For basic everyday tasks like web browsing, email, office applications, and video calls, it delivers a far more premium experience than most Windows laptops near its price point.
It looks and feels significantly more expensive than it is, with strong battery life, a premium chassis, and the polished experience people expect from a MacBook.
Best for:
- Basic home and office use
- Web browsing and streaming
- Buyers who want a premium-feeling laptop at a lower price
- Users who primarily use lightweight applications
Watch out for:
Performance is extremely limited compared to a MacBook Air. Students in particular should think carefully before buying one, especially if they may explore programming, creative work, engineering, or heavier applications later on. For most students, an older MacBook Air is still the safer long-term buy.
Best Laptop for Gamers
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 (2025)
Pros
- Fan noise is minimal for a gaming laptop
- Very light and portable for a powerful laptop with a 16 inch screen
- Display is great - OLED, Fast Refresh Rate, High Resolution, G Sync, Advanced Optimus
- Great speakers
- Battery life is good for a gaming laptop
Cons
- GPU does not run at full wattage. The RTX 5080 and 5090 models perform poorly. Get the 5070 Ti
- Keyboard doesn't feel as comfortable as the Razer Blade 16
- Webcam is grainy
Why it won:
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 is one of the best portable gaming laptops we tested. The 2025 version improved meaningfully over the prior model, with better CPU and GPU performance, improved thermals, quieter operation, and stronger battery life.
It hits a rare balance: powerful enough for serious gaming, but still thin and portable enough to use as an everyday laptop.
Best for:
- Gamers who want power without a huge chassis
- Students who game and also need a portable laptop
- Creators who want a laptop that can handle gaming and performance work
- Buyers choosing between performance and portability
Watch out for:
The GPU is capped at 130 watts, so higher-end configurations like the RTX 5080 and 5090 will not perform like full-wattage versions in larger laptops. If you are choosing between the RTX 5070 and RTX 5070 Ti, pay close attention to VRAM. The RTX 5070 Ti’s 12GB of VRAM is better suited to the laptop’s native 2560 x 1600 display.
Updated Gaming Alternatives Worth Considering (2025-2026)
Lenovo LOQ (2025)
The Lenovo LOQ is one of the better entry-level gaming laptops we tested. It delivers surprisingly solid gaming performance for the price and avoids many of the quality issues common in cheaper gaming machines.
Best for:
- Budget-conscious gamers
- Students
- Buyers looking for an affordable gaming laptop
Watch out for:
Display quality, build quality, and battery life are more basic than premium gaming laptops.
ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025)
Pros
- AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D processor is fantastic
- Excellent GPU performance due to high wattage
- While gaming doesn't get overly warm or hot
- Upgradeable memory
Cons
- Thick laptop
- Slippery palm rest material
- Expensive when not on sale
- Blows warm air on the back left and right of the laptop
A more performance-focused alternative to the Zephyrus G16. The Strix G16 offers higher wattage GPUs, stronger gaming performance, and better sustained thermals, making it a better fit for buyers prioritizing maximum FPS over portability.
Best for:
- Competitive gamers
- AAA gaming at high settings
- Buyers who prioritize raw performance
Watch out for:
It is noticeably larger and less portable than the Zephyrus G16.
Lenovo Legion 5i (2026)
The Legion 5i remains one of the safest gaming laptop recommendations for most people. It balances strong gaming performance, good thermals, solid keyboards, and competitive pricing better than almost anything else in its class.
Best for:
- Mainstream gamers
- Students who also game
- Buyers looking for strong value
Watch out for:
Battery life and portability are only average compared to thinner gaming laptops.
Best Laptops for Office, Home & School
Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura edition: (2024)
Pros
- 30W Power draw makes it a more powerful Lunar Lake laptop
- Intel's new Lunar Lake processor
- No heat or fan noise
- Solid battery life
- Good port selection
- Very large display for its weight
Cons
- Processor underperforms in Multi-core
- Not all models have an OLED display
- Laptop looks dated and feels cheap compared to the Slim 7x
- Trackpad is cheap for a laptop at this price point
Why it won:
The Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition is one of the best all-around laptops for everyday use. It improves on many of the issues we saw in earlier thin-and-light laptops by offering excellent battery life, broad app compatibility, better ports, and a much better trackpad experience.
Its large 15.3-inch display gives you more room for work, school, and multitasking, while the laptop still feels slim and portable enough for regular use. The keyboard is also excellent, which matters more than people think if you type all day.
Best for:
- Students
- Office and remote work
- Everyday users who want long battery life
- Buyers who want a Windows alternative to the MacBook Air
Watch out for:
It is a larger 15.3-inch laptop, so it may not be ideal if you want the smallest possible device. It also looks more understated than some premium OLED laptops, though the display itself is still very good.
Apple MacBook Air 15 – M5 Series (2026)
Pros
- Excellent value and one of the laptops we would recommend to most people that are ok with Apple’s operating system.
- Very strong performance for light use, with a snappy everyday experience.
- Excellent real-world battery life for typical office and writing use.
- Completely silent because there is no fan.
- Both 13-inch and 15-inch versions are highly portable for their size.
- Trackpad remains best-in-class with excellent palm rejection.
Cons
- M5 is only a modest upgrade over M4 in many workloads.
- Sustained heavy performance is limited by the fanless design.
- The display is still just a 60Hz IPS panel, which feels disappointing in a premium laptop in 2026.
- The keyboard feels a bit low travel, especially on the 15-inch model.
- Ports are still limited to two USB-C ports, both on the left side.
Why it stood out:
The MacBook Air 15 with M5 is one of the best laptops for users who want a larger screen, excellent battery life, and a premium feel without stepping up to a MacBook Pro.
It is great for students, home users, and office work. It also handles light photo editing, basic video editing, and casual creative tasks better than many thin-and-light Windows laptops.
The 15-inch model has a little more thermal headroom than the 13-inch Air, so it is the better choice if you occasionally run heavier tasks.
Best for:
- Students who want a larger screen
- Office and remote work
- Mac users who do not need Pro-level performance
- Buyers who want a premium laptop with very few annoyances
Watch out for:
The MacBook Air is not a MacBook Pro replacement. Under sustained workloads, the Air throttles and cannot match the performance of M4 Pro or M4 Max models. If you do serious video editing, 3D work, or heavy development, step up to a MacBook Pro.
Best 2-in-1 Laptops
Asus ProArt PX13 (2024)
Pros
- 2-in-1 Capabilities
- Minimal Fan Noise Outside of Burst Performance Tasks
- Stays Quiet and Cool in Light Use
- Super Portable & Light
- Great Performance with a Zen 5 Processor and Dedicated Graphics
- Beautiful 2.8k OLED screen
Cons
- Gets a Bit Warm During Performance Tasks
- MediaTek Wi-Fi 7 Card
- Poor Battery Life
- 60Hz Refresh Rate Screen
Why it won:
The ASUS ProArt PX13 is one of the rare 2-in-1 laptops that is not just flexible, but genuinely powerful.
It combines a compact convertible design with AMD’s Zen 5 processor and optional NVIDIA RTX 4050 or RTX 4060 graphics. That means it can handle real performance tasks, creative workloads, and even some gaming, which most 2-in-1 laptops cannot realistically do.
It also feels premium, looks stylish, and has a comfortable keyboard.
Best for:
- Creators who want a compact 2-in-1
- Students who want pen support and real performance
- Buyers who want one laptop for work, creative tasks, and light gaming
- Users who value portability but do not want weak hardware
Watch out for:
The display is high resolution, but it does not get very bright and is limited to 60Hz. That may bother some users, especially gamers.
Runner-Up: OmniBook Ultra Flip (2024)
Pros
- Good Integrated Graphics
- Haptic Trackpad
- Premium Build
- Pen Support
- 2-in-1 Tablet Convertible
- Good Battery Life
- Great single-core performance meaning your apps will be snappy and responsive
- Vibrant OLED Display
Cons
- Lid is Hard to Open
- Low Travel Keyboard
- Poor Multi-Core Performance
Why it stood out:
The HP OmniBook Ultra Flip replaced the excellent HP Spectre x360 14 and brought a few meaningful improvements. It is smaller, more portable, and much quieter in everyday use thanks to Intel’s newer Lunar Lake processor.
It still offers the key things people want in a premium 2-in-1: a nice OLED display, haptic trackpad, pen support, and a polished design.
Best for:
- Students
- Light creative work
- Note-taking and tablet-style use
- Home and office users who want a premium convertible laptop
Watch out for:
The keyboard is not as good as the older Spectre’s keyboard. It is shallower and less comfortable, which keeps it from taking the top spot.
Best Laptop for Creators
MacBook Pro 16 M4 (2024)
Pros
- Lots of Memory as Standard
- Good Webcam
- Excellent Speakers
- Minimal Fan Noise (If Any)
- Fantastic Display - High Resolution, Fast Refresh Rate, Bright
- Extremely Power Efficient
- Long Battery Life
- Extremely Powerful
- Good Keyboard and Trackpad
Why it won:
The MacBook Pro 16 with M4 Pro or M4 Max is the best laptop for many creative professionals.
It delivers outstanding performance while staying quiet, cool, and efficient. Compared with most high-performance Windows laptops, the MacBook Pro is easier to use on battery, less distracting under load, and more consistent in real-world creative workflows.
For audio work, photography, and general creative use, the M4 Pro model is usually enough. For video editing, 3D work, and GPU-heavy workflows, the M4 Max is the better choice.
Best for:
- Video editors
- Audio engineers
- Photographers
- Creative professionals
- Users who need high performance on battery
Watch out for:
It is expensive. You are paying for performance, efficiency, display quality, speakers, trackpad, and build quality all in one package.
Windows Creator Laptop: Asus ProArt P16 (2025)
Pros
- 5090 version is a standout with its Tandem OLED panel and great performance
- High resolution and high refresh rate screen options
- Excels in creator tasks
- Games decently well
- Comfortable keyboard
- Never gets too hot
Cons
- 5070 versions are not as competitive, <400 nit screens and lesser performance
- Some fan noise even in lighter use
- Less efficient than a MacBook Pro
- Average battery life
- Always a little warm
Why it stood out:
The ASUS ProArt P16 is one of the strongest Windows creator laptops available, especially in its higher-end configurations. The 2025 model improves performance and adds a beautiful Tandem OLED display on premium versions.
It can compete with the highest-end MacBook Pro 16 in many workloads and is a great option for creators who need Windows, NVIDIA graphics, or occasional gaming performance.
Best for:
- Windows-based creators
- Video editors
- Designers and 3D artists
- Users who want a powerful OLED creator laptop
Watch out for:
The lower-tier configurations are not as compelling as the high-end models. If gaming is your main priority, a gaming-focused laptop like the Legion 7i or Zephyrus G16 may be a better fit.
Best Laptop for Programmers
M4 MacBook Pro 14 & 16 (2024)
Pros
- Lots of Memory as Standard
- Good Webcam
- Excellent Speakers
- Minimal Fan Noise (If Any)
- Fantastic Display - High Resolution, Fast Refresh Rate, Bright
- Excellent Keyboard and Trackpad
- Extremely Power Efficient
- Long Battery Life
- Extremely Powerful
Pros
- Lots of Memory as Standard
- Good Webcam
- Excellent Speakers
- Minimal Fan Noise (If Any)
- Fantastic Display - High Resolution, Fast Refresh Rate, Bright
- Extremely Power Efficient
- Long Battery Life
- Extremely Powerful
- Good Keyboard and Trackpad
Why it won:
The MacBook Pro 14 and 16 are outstanding laptops for programmers. The displays are bright, sharp, and excellent for reading code. The keyboards and trackpads are best-in-class, and the M4 Pro chips deliver excellent performance without the heat and fan noise that often come with powerful Windows laptops.
For most programmers, an M4 Pro model with 24GB of RAM is the sweet spot. It gives you enough memory for development work, browser tabs, containers, and even a moderate virtual machine setup.
Best for:
- Software developers
- Computer science students
- Engineers
- Developers who value battery life
- Users who want quiet performance
Watch out for:
If your workflow depends on Windows-only tools or heavy local NVIDIA/CUDA workloads, a Windows laptop may be a better fit.
Windows Programmer Laptop: Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Aura Edition (2025)
Pros
- Tandem OLED display is absolutely stunning
- Keyboard is very comfortable
- Performs very well for a somewhat portable 16 inch laptop
- Speakers sound great
- Doesn't feel too warm to the touch
Cons
- When pushing the laptop for an extended period of time the battery drains while plugged in
- Fan noise is very audible on highest performance mode
- Trackpad is not as good as the rest of the laptop
- Shorter battery life than competitors
- SD card reader is slow
Why it stood out:
The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 Aura Edition is one of the best Windows laptops for programmers, engineers, data scientists, and creators.
It combines strong performance with a stunning Tandem OLED display, a satisfying keyboard, and a premium design. It is especially appealing if you want a large, high-quality screen for code, dashboards, documents, and creative work.
Best for:
- Programmers who want Windows
- Engineers
- Data scientists
- Creators who also code
- Users who want a large premium display
Watch out for:
Under long CPU and GPU-heavy workloads, the battery can drain even while plugged in. Because of that, we do not recommend it as a primary AAA gaming laptop.
Best Laptop of 2024
M4 MacBook Pro 14 (2024)
Pros
- Lots of Memory as Standard
- Good Webcam
- Excellent Speakers
- Minimal Fan Noise (If Any)
- Fantastic Display - High Resolution, Fast Refresh Rate, Bright
- Excellent Keyboard and Trackpad
- Extremely Power Efficient
- Long Battery Life
- Extremely Powerful
Why it won:
The MacBook Pro 14 with M4 is the laptop that best represents what a modern premium laptop should be.
It is powerful, portable, efficient, quiet, and premium in nearly every area. You get excellent performance, strong battery life, a great display, a top-tier trackpad, strong speakers, a good webcam, and a comfortable keyboard.
It is not the cheapest laptop, but it is one of the most complete laptops we tested.
Best for:
- Students who want a premium laptop
- Professionals
- Developers
- Creators
- Users who want one laptop that can last for years
Watch out for:
The biggest downside is price. macOS may also be a limitation if you rely on Windows-only software or AAA gaming.
Final Thoughts
These were the standout laptops from our 2024 awards, updated in 2026 to reflect models that are still available, still relevant, or have been replaced by newer versions we recommend.
If you are shopping today, the most important thing is not just which laptop won an award. It is whether that laptop is still available at the right price.
Before buying:
- Use our Laptop Finder Quiz
- Check our price tracker to make sure the deal is actually good
- Watch our full reviews on our YouTube channel. Subscribe for deeper dives and future buying guides
Choosing the right laptop does not have to be complicated. Start with the award winners above, then choose based on your use case, budget, and current pricing.
