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Best Laptops 2026 — Expert Buying Guide & Recommendations

Find the perfect laptop for your needs. AI-powered recommendations for programming, gaming, creative work, students, and more.

AI Top Pick

Our Recommendation: MacBook Pro 14 M4

Professional powerhouse with M4 Pro chip, Liquid Retina XDR display, and up to 24 hours of battery.

★★★★★4.8/5 (9,870 reviews)
  • Incredible performance
  • Best laptop display
  • 24-hour battery
from£1,999
View Full ReviewCheck Price on Amazon

What are the best laptops to buy right now?

Our top-rated laptops right now are the MacBook Air M3 (£1099) and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 (£1449). These are our editor's picks based on value, performance, and user reviews.

AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-5%Prime Deal
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Air M3

★★★★½4.7(12,840 reviews)
from£1,049RRP £1,0993 retailers
cpuApple M3 (8-core)
ram16GB Unified
storage256GB SSD
Exceptional battery lifeSilent fanless design
Only one external display
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-6%
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

★★★★½4.6(5,230 reviews)
from£1,449RRP £1,5493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Best-in-class keyboardGorgeous OLED display
Expensive
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-6%
ASUSAI VerifiedAI Verified

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

★★★★½4.5(6,780 reviews)
from£1,599RRP £1,6992 retailers
cpuAMD Ryzen 9 8945HS
ram16GB DDR5
storage1TB SSD
Incredible performance for its sizeBeautiful OLED display
Expensive
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI Recommended-7%
AcerAI VerifiedAI Verified

Acer Swift Go 14

★★★★4.3(1,890 reviews)
from£699RRP £7493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 5 125H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
OLED at this price is incredibleLightweight
Plastic build feels cheaper
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Pro 14 M4

★★★★½4.8(9,870 reviews)
from£1,999$1,999
cpuApple M4 Pro (12-core)
ram24GB Unified
storage512GB SSD
Incredible performanceBest laptop display
Very expensive
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What is the best laptop under £800 in 2026?

For under £800, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (£399) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (£449) offers the best value. It features excellent value and is ideal for students and budget.

ASUSAI VerifiedAI Verified

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

★★★★4.2(2,340 reviews)
from£399$449
cpuIntel Core i5-1335U
ram8GB LPDDR5
storage256GB SSD
Excellent valueChrome OS is fast and secure
Chrome OS has app limitations
Affiliate link
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

★★★★4.1(5,670 reviews)
from£449$499
cpuAMD Ryzen 5 7530U
ram8GB DDR4
storage256GB SSD
Very affordableSolid AMD performance
Plastic build
Affiliate link
HPAI VerifiedAI Verified

HP Pavilion 15

★★★★4.2(7,890 reviews)
from£549$599
cpuIntel Core i5-1335U
ram16GB DDR4
storage512GB SSD
Good value for specs16GB RAM at this price
Average display brightness
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI Recommended-7%
AcerAI VerifiedAI Verified

Acer Swift Go 14

★★★★4.3(1,890 reviews)
from£699RRP £7493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 5 125H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
OLED at this price is incredibleLightweight
Plastic build feels cheaper
Affiliate link

What is the best laptop for programming?

For programming, we recommend the MacBook Air M3 (£1099) and the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12 (£1449). Key features to look for: a great keyboard, 16GB+ RAM, fast SSD, and a high-resolution display for code readability.

AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-5%Prime Deal
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Air M3

★★★★½4.7(12,840 reviews)
from£1,049RRP £1,0993 retailers
cpuApple M3 (8-core)
ram16GB Unified
storage256GB SSD
Exceptional battery lifeSilent fanless design
Only one external display
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-6%
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

★★★★½4.6(5,230 reviews)
from£1,449RRP £1,5493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Best-in-class keyboardGorgeous OLED display
Expensive
Affiliate link
-8%Price Drop
DellAI VerifiedAI Verified

Dell XPS 15

★★★★4.4(8,920 reviews)
from£1,479RRP £1,5993 retailers
cpuIntel Core i7-14700H
ram16GB DDR5
storage512GB SSD
Stunning OLED displayCompact for a 15"
Gets warm under load
Affiliate link

What is the best gaming laptop under £1,500?

The best gaming laptop under £1,500 is the Framework Laptop 16 (£1299). Look for a dedicated GPU (RTX 4060 or better), high refresh rate display (120Hz+), and good cooling.

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Framework Laptop 16

★★★★4.3(2,150 reviews)
from£1,299$1,399
cpuAMD Ryzen 7 7840HS
ram16GB DDR5 (upgradeable)
storage512GB SSD (upgradeable)
Fully modular & upgradeableSwappable GPU module
Heavier than competitors
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MacBook or Windows laptop — which is better?

It depends on your needs. MacBooks excel at battery life, build quality, and creative apps (Final Cut, Logic Pro). Windows laptops offer more variety, better gaming, and more repair options. For programming, both are excellent — MacBooks are preferred for iOS/web dev, Windows for .NET/gaming.

AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-5%Prime Deal
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Air M3

★★★★½4.7(12,840 reviews)
from£1,049RRP £1,0993 retailers
cpuApple M3 (8-core)
ram16GB Unified
storage256GB SSD
Exceptional battery lifeSilent fanless design
Only one external display
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-6%
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

★★★★½4.6(5,230 reviews)
from£1,449RRP £1,5493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Best-in-class keyboardGorgeous OLED display
Expensive
Affiliate link

What laptop specs do I need for university?

For university, prioritise: 16GB RAM (minimum), 256GB+ SSD, lightweight design (under 1.4kg), and 10+ hours battery life. The MacBook Air M3 (£1099) and the HP Spectre x360 14 (£1349) are our top student picks.

AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-5%Prime Deal
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Air M3

★★★★½4.7(12,840 reviews)
from£1,049RRP £1,0993 retailers
cpuApple M3 (8-core)
ram16GB Unified
storage256GB SSD
Exceptional battery lifeSilent fanless design
Only one external display
Affiliate link
HPAI VerifiedAI Verified

HP Spectre x360 14

★★★★4.4(4,120 reviews)
from£1,349$1,449
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Gorgeous design2-in-1 versatility
Pricey for specs
Affiliate link
MicrosoftAI VerifiedAI Verified

Surface Laptop 6

★★★★4.3(3,540 reviews)
from£999$999
cpuSnapdragon X Elite
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage256GB SSD
Outstanding battery lifeBeautiful touchscreen
ARM compatibility issues with some apps
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI Recommended-7%
AcerAI VerifiedAI Verified

Acer Swift Go 14

★★★★4.3(1,890 reviews)
from£699RRP £7493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 5 125H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
OLED at this price is incredibleLightweight
Plastic build feels cheaper
Affiliate link
Top Rated
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

Lenovo Yoga 9i

★★★★½4.5(3,210 reviews)
from£1,399$1,499
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Amazing 4K OLEDBest laptop speakers
Heavy for a 14"
Affiliate link
ASUSAI VerifiedAI Verified

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

★★★★4.2(2,340 reviews)
from£399$449
cpuIntel Core i5-1335U
ram8GB LPDDR5
storage256GB SSD
Excellent valueChrome OS is fast and secure
Chrome OS has app limitations
Affiliate link
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3

★★★★4.1(5,670 reviews)
from£449$499
cpuAMD Ryzen 5 7530U
ram8GB DDR4
storage256GB SSD
Very affordableSolid AMD performance
Plastic build
Affiliate link
HPAI VerifiedAI Verified

HP Pavilion 15

★★★★4.2(7,890 reviews)
from£549$599
cpuIntel Core i5-1335U
ram16GB DDR4
storage512GB SSD
Good value for specs16GB RAM at this price
Average display brightness
Affiliate link

What is the lightest laptop available?

The lightest laptops in our catalog are the ThinkPad X1 Carbon at 1.09kg and the MacBook Air M3 at 1.24kg. Both offer excellent performance despite their ultra-portable weight.

AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-6%
LenovoAI VerifiedAI Verified

ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12

★★★★½4.6(5,230 reviews)
from£1,449RRP £1,5493 retailers
cpuIntel Core Ultra 7 155H
ram16GB LPDDR5X
storage512GB SSD
Best-in-class keyboardGorgeous OLED display
Expensive
Affiliate link
AI Pick
AI RecommendedTop Rated-5%Prime Deal
AppleAI VerifiedAI Verified

MacBook Air M3

★★★★½4.7(12,840 reviews)
from£1,049RRP £1,0993 retailers
cpuApple M3 (8-core)
ram16GB Unified
storage256GB SSD
Exceptional battery lifeSilent fanless design
Only one external display
Affiliate link

Have a more specific question? Ask our AI for a personalised recommendation.

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