The Best Laptops of 2021

Acer Nitro 5

• Budget Pick: Cheaper, Less Powerful—Wirecutter
• Best 17-Inch Gaming Value Under $1,000—CNET
• Best for Budget Buyers Seeking Storage Expandability—PCMag
• Best for Getting Into Gaming on a Big Screen—PCMag
• A Competent Laptop for Budget Gamers—Tech Radar

Dell G5 15

• Best Entry-Level Gaming Laptop for Students—CNET
• Best Cheap Gaming Laptop—CNET
• Best Gaming Value Under $1,200—CNET
• Best for Eight-Core Power, and a High-Refresh Panel—PCMag
• Dell's Mid-Range Competitor—Tech Radar

HP Pavilion Gaming 15

• Best for Configuration Flexibility—PCMag
• A More Affordable Machine From HP—Tech Radar

Acer Predator Helios 300

• Our Pick: The Best Cheap Gaming Laptop—Wirecutter
• Best for Serious Gamers Seeking the Best Value—PCMag
• Best for Gamers Seeking the Top Value at 15 Inches—PCMag

Acer Predator Triton 500

• Our Pick: Portable and Powerful—Wirecutter
• Our Pick: Our Favorite Gaming Laptop—Wirecutter
• Best for Hardcore Gamers Seeking an Extreme-Refresh Panel—PCMag

Apple MacBook Air

• Our Pick: A Well-Balanced MacBook—Wirecutter
• Best MacBook for Students—CNET
• Best MacBook Air—CNET

Apple MacBook Pro

• Best MacBook Pro—CNET
• Best for Multimedia Content Creators—PCMag

Asus ROG Zephryus G14

• Best Small Gaming Laptop—CNET
• Best for Bang-for-Your-Buck Shoppers, Frequent Travelers—PCMag

ASUS TUF A15

• High-End Specs at Mid-Range Prices—Tech Radar
• Our Pick: The Best Cheap Gaming Laptop—Wirecutter

Dell G3 15

• Budget Gaming in Style—Tech Radar

Dell XPS 13

• Our Pick: The Best Ultrabook—Wirecutter
• Best All-Purpose Windows Laptop for Students—CNET
• Best Small Laptop—CNET

HP Spectre x360 13

• Also Great: The Best Convertible Laptop—Wirecutter
• Best 2-in-1—CNET

Lenovo Legion 5/5i

• Best for Hardcore Gamers on Moderate Budgets—PCMag

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon

• Upgrade Pick: A Thinner, Lighter Option With Better Battery Life—Wirecutter
• Best for Typing Comfort—PCMag

Lenovo Yoga C740

• Budget Pick: An Excellent Laptop for the Price—Wirecutter
• Best MacBook Air Alternative—CNET

Razer Blade 15 Advanced

• Best Gaming Laptop for Impressing at Work—CNET
• Best for Max Portability at 15 Inches—PCMag

Acer Aspire 5 A515-55-378V

• Our Pick: Cheaper, but Slower—Wirecutter

Acer Aspire 7

Acer Nitro 7

• Best for Entry-Level Shoppers Who Prefer a Metal Build—PCMag

Acer Predator Triton 900

• Best for Gaming With an External Keyboard—CNET

Acer Swift 3

• Best Laptop on a Budget—CNET

Alienware Area-51m

Alienware m15 R3

• Best for Hardcore Gamers Seeking the Best Value in Top Power Tier—PCMag

Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo 15 (GX550)

• Best for Enthusiast Early Adopters With Deep Pockets—PCMag

Asus ROG Zephyrus GX701

Dell Latitude 9510

• Best Work Laptop—CNET

Dell XPS 15 9500

• Our Pick: The Best Laptop for Creative Professionals—Wirecutter

Gigabyte Aero 17 HDR XA

• Best for Gamers and Creators Seeking a Great 17-Inch Screen—PCMag

HP EliteBook 840 G7

• Our Pick: The Best Business Laptop—Wirecutter
• Our Pick: For the Corporate World—Wirecutter

HP Omen 15 (en0029nr)

• Runner-Up: Better Cooling, but More Expensive—Wirecutter

HP Omen X 2S

• Best for in-Game Multitasking—CNET

HP ProBook 445 G7

• Budget Pick: Heavier but Still Great—Wirecutter

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5

• Our Pick: The Best Chromebook—Wirecutter

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook

• Best Chromebook—CNET

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3i

• Best for an Emphasis on Chassis Quality—PCMag

Lenovo Legion Y545

• Best for GeForce GTX 1660 Ti Power, Dual Drive Support—PCMag

Lenovo ThinkPad L14

• Runner-Up: A More Upgradable ThinkPad—Wirecutter

Lenovo ThinkPad P1

• Our Pick: The Best Laptop for Creative Professionals—Wirecutter

Lenovo ThinkPad T490

• Our Pick: For the Corporate World—Wirecutter

Lenovo Yoga 7i (14")

• Budget Pick: An Excellent Laptop for the Price—Wirecutter

Lenovo Yoga C940

• Best 2-in-1 With a Pen—CNET

Lenovo Yoga Chromebook

• Best Chromebook for Students—CNET

LG Gram 17

• Best Laptop With a Large Screen and Long Battery Life—CNET

Microsoft Surface Pro 7

• Best Windows 2-in-1 for Students—CNET
• Best Surface Laptop—CNET

MSI Alpha 15

• Best for a Cheaper All-Amd Option—PCMag

MSI Bravo 15

• Best for Bang-for-Your-Buck Gamers Going All-Amd—PCMag
• Best for Budget-Conscious Gamers—PCMag

MSI GF63 Thin

• Premium Specs in a Thin Profile at an Affordable Price Point—Tech Radar

MSI Stealth Thin GS65-483

• Runner-Up: More Expensive but Not Better—Wirecutter

Origin PC Eon17-X

• Best Gaming Laptop for Customizers—CNET

Razer Blade 15 Base Model

• Also Great: Upgradable but Too Hot—Wirecutter

Razer Blade Pro 17

• Best Gaming Laptop—CNET
• Best Gaming Laptop Overall—CNET

Razer Blade Stealth 13

• Best for Gamers Seeking a Super-Portable Laptop—PCMag