The 10 best laptops in the world right now
From the latest MacBooks to the hottest Windows devices, here's our pick of the best laptops you can buy
MACBOOK PRO 13IN (2017)
With massive amounts of power, a gorgeous display and one of the best keyboard/touchpad combinations in the business, the MacBook Pro is an absolute joy to use. Even more so than last year, thanks to that new CPU (which doesn’t cost any more cash). The fancier Touch Bar-equipped model might look cooler than LL Cool J encased in a block of ice, but this standard version feels like the ideal combination of price, portability and performance.
MICROSOFT SURFACE LAPTOP
The Surface Laptop might sound like a mess on paper but in the cold light of day it’s a unique joy to behold. From its classy carpeted aesthetic to its new Windows 10 S operating system, there’s a lot that’s different about this Surface – but this is all to its credit. Want to get your work done? You’ve got both the apps for that and ample battery life to be getting on with. Want to unwind? For a simple spot of Netflix, the Laptop’s screen is a beaut. Whether you need to spend such so much to flit between those two uses is worth considering, but few other premium laptops hit this sweet spot quite so well.
ASUS ZENBOOK UX310UA
OK, it might be a basic clamshell laptop, a decidedly retro concept nowadays, but Asus has made sure to add enough bells and whistles to help the UX310UA stand out. That high resolution makes it a joy to work on, and there’s enough power for serious number-crunching as well as day-to-day writing or web browsing. A better graphics chip would have made it a serious road warrior, but it can still handle the odd bit of photo and video editing when it needs to. Battery life could be better too, but you’ll get a whole lot more done on one of these than you will on a tablet. It loses out to Dell’s phenomenal XPS 13 in the style stakes, but costs a fair bit less. Asus has hit that price sweet spot, undercutting the competition and making potential MacBook Air buyers think twice before hitching their wagon to Apple and macOS.
DELL XPS 13 (2018)
The Dell XPS 13 is one of the best, most consistent portable Windows laptops in the world. There are no gimmicks, no flimsy parts. Every element is top-quality. Owners of an XPS 13 from the last year or two probably don’t need to upgrade, unless the idea of shaving off a few millimetres or adding a couple of cores gets you really excited. Everyone else, though? This should be your go-to Windows ultra-portable. If you can afford it.
APPLE MACBOOK (2017)
This isn’t a perfect notebook, then, nor probably even a perfect MacBook. But this laptop is nonetheless ridiculously lovely to use. Yes, I’d like a webcam beyond 480p, and for the keyboard to be a bit quieter, but the unit feels solid, the screen is great, and the battery lasts for ages. Last year, Stuff suggested perhaps trawling for refurbs, but that advice no longer holds up, given the improvements Apple’s made to performance and usability. It might be time to stop second-guessing the MacBook and take the plunge.
HUAWEI MATEBOOK X PRO
The MateBook X Pro feels like the Windows-powered Apple alternative people have been waiting for. It has a higher resolution screen and skinnier bezels than the MacBook Pro, superior graphics, and there’s an honest-to-goodness USB port, because there’s plenty of tech that hasn’t upgraded to USB-C just yet. The MateBook’s touchpad isn’t quite as slick, though, and while the cat’s eye-esque camera is a smart way of getting more screen for your money, it doesn’t create the most flattering angle for video calls. Windows will still be a dealbreaker for some, too. But if those minor quibbles don’t bother you, this is a fantastic ultraportable with enough power for just about all your desktop duties.
LENOVO IDEAPAD 320S
The IdeaPad 320S is one of your best options if you need a portable Windows 10 laptop on a very, very tight budget.It’s a solid 6/10 when it comes to looks, and works much better than other Pentium-powered laptops have in the past. The screen is unmistakably that of a cheap laptop, but then you can’t have everything. Not at this price, anyway.
RAZER BLADE 15 (2018)
If you’re dead set on a laptop to fulfill your PC gaming needs, then the Razer Blade 15 is one of the best buys available. It’s an absolute powerhouse, has a beautiful display and is a portable marvel. Plus, it looks the real deal and could easily infiltrate the office without attracting a glare from your boss.
MICROSOFT SURFACE BOOK 2
Let’s be honest: the Surface Book Pro absolutely isn’t for everyone. It’s crazy expensive, and overkill if you spend most of your tech time staring at Facebook or your email. For developers, designers and geeks that like to live on the cutting edge, though? Microsoft’s MacBook Pro alternative is a tantalising prospect. The Surface Pen and Surface Dial accessories make it much more practical for digital artists and graphics pros, and the souped-up hardware can easily cope with CAD. It’ll even manage a bit of gaming in your lunch break. Throw in the gorgeous design and fantastic build quality, and this could very well be the device that gets people switching from macOS.
APPLE MACBOOK PRO 15IN WITH TOUCH BAR (2016)
There’s no denying that the 15in MacBook Pro is a flawed device. Its battery life is much weaker than expected, its choice of connections means you need to buy adapters, and its headline-grabbing new Touch Bar just isn’t that useful right now. Yet despite all that, I absolutely love it. It’s a total joy to work on thanks to that keyboard and trackpad, everything you do looks amazing thanks to that gorgeous display, and there’s enough power for almost any application – all in a chassis that’s very portable considering the screen size.
