Best Laptops to Buy in 2025: Top Picks for Speed, Portability, and Value
Our editorial team reviews the latest 2025 laptop models for work, creative use, and gaming based on expert tests and user feedback.
Looking for a new laptop? We’ve rounded up the best models of 2025 in the electronics category, drawing on recent expert testing and reviews. From ultralight workhorses to high-power gaming rigs, our picks balance performance, battery life, and price. All selections below are up-to-datetomsguide.com+1 and available now.
Our Top Picks at a Glance
Apple MacBook Air (M4, 2025)
The 2025 MacBook Air M4 earns high marks for its balance of performance and value. It features the new M4 chip (about 20% faster than the previous M3) and a sharp 13.6" Liquid Retina display. Tom’s Guide notes that a $100 price cut makes this model “the best laptop overall,tomsguide.com” highlighting its strong M4 performance and long battery life . The fanless design runs quiet, and the webcam and speakers are improved. (Its chassis and port count are unchanged from last year.)
Pricing
Key Features
- Apple M4 chip – ~21% faster than M3tomsguide.com(Tom’s Guide)
- 13.6" Liquid Retina P-OLED display (warm color, True Tone)
- Up to 18 hours battery lifetomsguide.com(fanless, energy-efficient design)
- 16GB unified memory and 256GB SSD (base config), sleek aluminum build
- 1080p FaceTime HD camera and improved speakers
Pros
- Excellent performance for everyday taskstomsguide.com(Tom’s Guide)
- Very long battery lifetomsguide.com(Tom’s Guide)
- Lightweight and ultra-portable design
- Runs completely silent (fanless)
Cons
- Only two Thunderbolt/USB-C ports (no USB-A)techradar.com
- Charging via USB-C (no built-in MagSafe)
- No OLED display option (max is LCD)
- Limited storage expansion (no microSD or extra slots)
Dell XPS 13 (2025)
Dell’s XPS 13 remains a top Windows ultrabook. The 2025 model offers a gorgeous 13.4" 3K OLED touch screen and the latest Intel “Ultra” CPU. TechRadar praises its “gorgeous 3K OLED screen” and calls out its “best-in-class battery life”.techradar.com With a CNC-machined aluminum and carbon-fiber chassis, it’s extremely thin and light. Performance is strong for productivity and streaming, and it even supports local AI tasks. On the downside, the XPS 13 has very few ports (just two Thunderbolt USB-C) and no 3.5mm jack. Key features below include its high-res OLED display and robust Intel processing.
Pricing
Key Features
- 13.4" 2880×1800 (3K) OLED touch display (vibrant colors)techradar.com
- Intel 2nd-Gen Core Ultra processor (12th/13th Gen architecture)
- Exceptional battery lifetechradar.com(TechRadar notes “best-in-class” longevity)
- Ultra-thin machined aluminum frame (around 1 kg weight)
- Up to 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD (configurable)
Pros
- Spectacular OLED display with rich colortechradar.com(TechRadar)
- Outstanding battery lifetechradar.com(TechRadar)
- Solid overall performance (smooth multitasking)
- Ultra-premium build quality
Cons
- Very limited ports – only two Thunderbolt/USB-C (no USB-A or HDMI)
- Touchpad-touchbar design can be finickytechradar.com(per TechRadar)
- No headphone jack (requires adapter)
ASUS Zenbook S 16 (2024)
The Asus Zenbook S 16 is a high-end ultrabook for creators and power users. It features a 16" 3K OLED touch screen (120Hz) and a 10-core AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 processor. LaptopMag notes this model is “an excellent choice for college students, remote workers, and creatorslaptopmag.com” thanks to its sleek design, 16″ 120Hz AMOLED display, and robust specs (Ryzen AI 9, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) . The extremely thin (0.43") ceraluminum chassis looks elegant, and there’s a full-size backlit keyboard (with numpad). According to Best Buy, the Zenbook delivers “breathtaking” visuals and “incredible all-day endurance” from its 78Wh battery.bestbuy.com Just be aware the keyboard layout is compact.
Pricing
Key Features
- 16-inch 2880×1800 120Hz OLED (Lumina) touch displaybestbuy.com
- AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 10-core processorlaptopmag.com(with Radeon 880M graphics)
- 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD (ample multitasking power)
- Ultra-thin 0.43" Ceraluminum chassis (premium build)bestbuy.com
- 78Wh battery for all-day usebestbuy.com(Best Buy highlights “incredible endurance”)
Pros
- Stunning 16" OLED displaylaptopmag.com(LaptopMag,bestbuy.com Best Buy)
- Slim, lightweight designlaptopmag.com(Best Buy)
- Long battery lifebestbuy.com(customers report ~10+ hours)
- High performance for multi-tab work and light creative tasks
Cons
- Limited port selection (mostly USB-C)
- Keyboard is compact (no dedicated function row)
- Integrated Radeon graphics (not a gaming GPU)
Razer Blade 16 (2025)
The Razer Blade 16 is a premium gaming laptop with a sleek chassis and top-tier hardware. It packs dual 16" Mini-LED screens (4K + 1080p, dual-mode) and runs on an Intel HX-series i9 plus an NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU. PCWorld notes its “impressively svelte” build for a 16-inch gaming rig and “surprising battery life,” along with a “gorgeous displaypcworld.com” . This means strong graphics performance in games, while still being thinner and quieter than many rivals. On the downside, the large precision touchpad can ghost inputs with palms, and performance drops when unplugged. Overall, it’s ideal for gamers who also value portability and display quality.
Pricing
Key Features
- Dual Mini-LED 16" displayspcworld.com– 4K+FHD (HDR-capable, 120Hz)
- Intel Core i9 HX-series CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4080 GPU
- 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD (high-end gaming specs)
- Metal unibody designpcworld.com– among slimmest 16" gaming laptops
- Battery life around 5–6 hourspcworld.com(surprisingly long for its class)
Pros
- Remarkably thin & light for a 16" gaming laptoppcworld.com(PCWorld)
- Vibrant dual Mini-LED displays (HDR, high refresh rate)
- Good battery life for gaming laptoppcworld.com(PCWorld)
- Powerful RTX 4080 graphics for top-quality gaming
Cons
- Large touchpad can suffer palm-rejection issuespcworld.com(PCWorld)
- Performance is lower on battery (more power-hungry)
- Very expensive (premium gaming config)
Conclusion
Each of these laptops excels in its category, but the best choice depends on your needs. For everyday use and portability, the MacBook Air M4 leads with outstanding value and battery life.tomsguide.com If you need a Windows powerhouse or prefer touch, the Dell XPS 13’s miniaturized design and OLED display score top marks.techradar.com The Asus Zenbook S 16 packs a massive OLED panel and all-day endurance for creators,laptopmag.com whereas the Razer Blade 16 blends desktop-class gaming cholaptop-mags-recommended-asus-zenbook-s16-copilot-pc-gets-usd300-price-cut-for-memorial-day,bestbuy.com ensuring you get a fast, reliable laptop in 2025. Be sure to check current pricing and deals since all models are widely available now.