Best Laptops in 2021

Introduction

If you’re looking for a new laptop, be it for reading emails, editing video or just to snoop on social media, then you’re in the right place. We’ve assembled a top ten list of the very best laptop options currently available.

We’re including as much variety as possible, with Windows 10 laptops, Chromebooks and MacBooks all making an appearance. And if you can’t find a laptop to your liking right now, keep this page bookmarked and check back soon for future updates.

And if you’re looking for a laptop for a specific use case, you can also check out our Best Gaming Laptop, Best Student Laptop and Best Budget Laptop lists instead.

So without further ado, here are the best laptops you can buy in 2021.



How we test

Learn more about how we test laptops Every laptop we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including build quality, performance, screen quality and battery life. These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real world checks, such as how well it runs the most frequently used apps. We also make sure to use every laptop we review as our primary device for at least a week to ensure our review is as accurate as possible.









Acer Chromebook Spin 513


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Pros


Super-light and portable design
Sharp display with decent colours
Outstanding battery life
Whisper-quiet performance




Cons


Flat speakers
Mediocre performance
No keyboard backlight





£399$399








Acer Swift 5 (Late 2020)


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Pros


Lightweight design
Superb battery life
Competitive performance
Plenty of ports onboard




Cons


Concerning build quality
Reflective screen could be an issue outdoors
Lack of Caps Lock indicator





£999.99$949.99








Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch


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Pros


Incredibly powerful
Bigger display still looks stunning
Scissor keyboard a huge improvement
More stylish with smaller bezel




Cons


Very expensive
Stingy port offering
Lack of Wi-Fi 6





£2399.00$2399.00








Honor MagicBook 14 (2020)


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Pros


Student-friendly premium style
Superb value
Pleasant typing experience
More than capable productivity performance




Cons


Webcam positioned on keyboard
Below average display






£549.99








HP Spectre x360 13 (2021)


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Pros


Great keyboard
Excellent build quality
Bright, high-contrast screen
Sturdy 360-degree hinge




Cons


Max speaker volume is just OK
Not as powerful as a MacBook Air






£1399.99$1049.99








Lenovo Yoga Slim 7


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Pros


Great value price
Fantastic battery life
Speedy performance
Nice Full HD screen




Cons


Basic design
No Thunderbolt
No fingerprint scanner on select models





£849.99








LG Gram 16 (2021)


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Pros


Incredibly light design
Big and detailed display
Speedy productivity performance
Generous port selection




Cons


Questionable build quality
Glossy screen
Not as powerful as rivals





£1249








MacBook Air (M1)


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Pros


It’s so fast thanks to M1
Exceptional battery life
Strong app support
Great keyboard




Cons


Poor webcam
Same design as before
Poorly positioned (and only two) USB ports





£999$999








Surface Laptop Go


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Pros


Incredible value
Small and classy design
Excellent performance
Comfortable keyboard




Cons


Low-resolution display
No keyboard backlight
No fingerprint scanner on base configuration





£549$549.99








Dell XPS 13 OLED


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Pros


The absolute best laptop screen for the price
Speedy productivity performance
Class-leading laptop design
Lots of configuration options




Cons


Short battery life
Stingy port offering






£1348.99$1549.99













Dell XPS 13 OLED

The best overall Windows laptop



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Pros

The absolute best laptop screen for the priceSpeedy productivity performance Class-leading laptop designLots of configuration options

Cons

Short battery life Stingy port offering

The Dell XPS 13 OLED is the absolute best Windows laptop you can buy right now, especially if you want a portable 13-inch design.

The XPS 13 has been the king of laptops for a while now, and the introduction of the OLED screen has made it even better for 2021, making it an excellent choice if you want to watch the likes of Netflix on the go. Although that gorgeous 3.5K display does push down the battery life.

By sporting Intel’s latest chips, it also offers a high-speed productivity performance. Only those craving a discrete GPU will need more power. Although the MacBook Air M1 is very good alternative if performance is your priority. The older Dell XPS 13 (Late 2020) is also still available if you’re not fussed about OLED technology.

Reviewer: Ryan JonesFull review: Dell XPS 13 OLED review













MacBook Air (M1)

The most powerful ultra-portable laptop



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Pros

It’s so fast thanks to M1Exceptional battery lifeStrong app supportGreat keyboard

Cons

Poor webcamSame design as beforePoorly positioned (and only two) USB ports

The MacBook Air has arguably been lagging behind the rest of the laptop pack over the past few years, but that changes with the introduction of Apple Silicon and the revolutionary Apple M1 chip.The MacBook Air M1 offers better CPU speeds than the majority of laptops on this list, and by quite a distance. Its integrated GPU is even powerful enough for 4K video editing and animation, despite the laptop’s lightweight design.We’re still disappointed that Apple hasn’t introduced a more cutting-edge design to compete with the Dell XPS, but this is still a decent-looking laptop. If you do care about the looks, you may want to wait it out for the rumoured MacBook Air 2021 that could arrive before the end of the year.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: MacBook Air M1 Review













Surface Laptop Go

Best value laptop



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Pros

Incredible valueSmall and classy designExcellent performanceComfortable keyboard

Cons

Low-resolution displayNo keyboard backlightNo fingerprint scanner on base configuration

The Surface Laptop Go is one of the smallest laptops on this list with a 12.4in display, and lags behind the rest when performance is concerned, but it’s also far more affordable than its rivals.With a starting price of just £549, the Surface Laptop Go is almost half the price of competitors from the likes of Apple and Dell. And while it’s not the most powerful machine here, it can still breeze through day-to-day productivity tasks without a hitch. The keyboard is also very comfortable to type on, making it a good option for student and office workers.There are of course compromises here. The screen resolution falls below the standard 1920 x 1080 mark, and you don’t get a fingerprint scanner with the entry model, but these are small issues considering the incredible value on offer. Reviewer: Ryan JonesFull review: Surface Laptop Go Review













Lenovo Yoga Slim 7

Best mid-range laptop



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Pros

Great value priceFantastic battery lifeSpeedy performanceNice Full HD screen

Cons

Basic designNo ThunderboltNo fingerprint scanner on select models

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 isn’t quite as flashy as Dell XPS 13 and is a few hundred quid more expensive than the Surface Laptop Go, but we think it’s a fantastic middle-ground option that perfectly balances performance with price.Packing a Ryzen 4000 chip, the Yoga Slim 7 doesn’t just have a solid productivity performance but also has a stellar battery life, lasting over 14 hours on a single charge during our benchmark tests. A lovely Full HD display also makes it a good laptop for video streaming.However, its bland design may convince some to pay extra for an Apple or Dell machine, while the omission of Thunderbolt and a fingerprint scanner on select models can be irksome too. But if you’re not looking for a high-end laptop with all of the trimmings, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 has every right to be on your shortlist.Reviewer: Ryan JonesFull review: Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 Review













LG Gram 16 (2021)

Best lightweight 16-inch laptop



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Pros

Incredibly light designBig and detailed displaySpeedy productivity performanceGenerous port selection

Cons

Questionable build qualityGlossy screenNot as powerful as rivals

The LG Gram 16 (2021) standouts on this list as a large 16-inch laptop that only weighs a dainty 1199g, which is even lighter than most of the 13-inch laptops here.This makes the Gram the best option for those who crave a giant display for either Netflix or productivity purposes, but also want a laptop that’s light enough to sling in a bag and work on the go. There are a couple of compromises for having such a lightweight design, as there’s a bit of flex to the chassis when you press down hard. But such flaws are easy to forgive when you’re getting a 16-inch laptop that hardly weighs a thing. Reviewer: Ryan JonesFull review: LG Gram 16 (2021) Review













Acer Chromebook Spin 513

Best budget Chromebook



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Pros

Super-light and portable designSharp display with decent coloursOutstanding battery lifeWhisper-quiet performance

Cons

Flat speakersMediocre performanceNo keyboard backlight

The Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is arguably the finest example to show how far Chromebooks have come in recent years. It’s not the most powerful laptop on this list, but it’s perfectly good enough to coast through casual computing tasks.

The mediocre performance is forgiven considering the bargain price, undercutting even the Surface Laptop Go. With ChromeOS, you are of course limited to the app store for downloads, but this shouldn’t be an issue for the majority.

It’s worth knowing that the speakers are poor and there’s no keyboard backlight, but if you want the cheapest laptop possible for day-to-day tasks, then this is a fantastic option. Reviewer: Reece BithreyFull review: Acer Chromebook Spin 513













Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch

Best high-end laptop for creative tasks



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Pros

Incredibly powerfulBigger display still looks stunningScissor keyboard a huge improvementMore stylish with smaller bezel

Cons

Very expensiveStingy port offeringLack of Wi-Fi 6

The performance of the 16-inch MacBook Pro is as you’d expect, offering processing speeds and GPU grunt that far exceeds the other laptops on this list. To be fair, Apple’s laptop is far more expensive than the other portable PCs here – but that’s the price you have to pay to blast through media tasks.The 13-inch MacBook Pro M1 is available now, too, but since that lacks a dedicated GPU, the smaller Pro can’t realistically be seen as a genuine alternative to this powerhouse portable. The 16-inch MacBook Pro is the best choice for animation and editing 4K video.However, there’s a big issue with recommending Intel-powered Apple laptops right now, especially with the MacBook Pro 2021 launching this year. Apple has confirmed Intel MacBooks will still be supported via software updates for the foreseeable future, but the upcoming Apple-powered MacBook laptops are clearly the better option going forward.Reviewer: Max ParkerFull review: 16-inch MacBook Pro Review













HP Spectre x360 13 (2021)

Best 2-in-1 laptop



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Pros

Great keyboardExcellent build qualityBright, high-contrast screenSturdy 360-degree hinge

Cons

Max speaker volume is just OKNot as powerful as a MacBook Air

The HP Spectre x360 13 (2021) is the best convertible laptop we’ve reviewed, as it excels at the basics like no other. It hit 12 hours in our battery benchmark test, flaunts an incredibly comfortable keyboard and offers the option of jaw-dropping 4K OLED touchscreen which is perfect for artwork.It admittedly lacks Galaxy Book Flex2 5G features such as 5G and a slot-in stylus, but that’s forgivable when HP nails the fundamentals so well. Build quality is top-notch, despite the 2-in-1 laptop weighing a dainty 1.22kg.The biggest issue with the Spectre x360 13 is arguably its performance, as it’s not quite as powerful as more conventional clamshell laptops. But if you’ve craving a convertible a laptop that can double up as a tablet, then this is our top recommendation.Reviewer: Andrew WilliamsFull review: HP Spectre x360 13 (2021) Review













Honor MagicBook 14 (2020)

Best budget 14-inch laptop



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Pros

Student-friendly premium styleSuperb valuePleasant typing experience More than capable productivity performance

Cons

Webcam positioned on keyboardBelow average display

Most decent Windows laptops cost upwards of a grand these days, which is a serious lump of cash if you only want a system for web browsing and streaming video. The Honor MagicBook 14 is a fantastic exception to the rule, since its all-round performance is astonishingly good considering its bargain price. Being half the price of some of other laptops inevitably means there are compromises; the MagicBook 14’s matte display is below average and the webcam is bizarrely located underneath the screen. However, we think the MagicBook more than makes up for its adequate screen with decent productivity performance, ultraportable design and fantastic battery life.If you’re a student, or someone on a tight budget, then we reckon the Honor MagicBook 14 is one of the best laptops for you. Better quality can be had by spending more, but few other laptops offer better value.Reviewer: Adam SpeightFull review: Honor MagicBook 14 Review