Best laptop: top picks for work and home

The best laptops you can buy in 2022 come from classic names – Apple, Microsoft and Dell – all of which have been in the computing game for decades

and

Feb 8

Acer Aspire 3, the best budget laptop (Credit: Jackie Thomas / The Shortcut)

Anyone looking to buy one of the best laptops is going to want to pull their hair out at some point. These are expensive and complicated machines that are growing more necessary every single day. Luckily, I’m here to help.

With so many laptops out there, finding the best one is hard, especially after CES 2023 where Intel launched a bunch of new CPUs – and same with AMD. Then, of course there’s the best gaming laptops, which have also been updated with fresh Nvidia GPUs at the same trade show. But I’ve used every single laptop here, and I assure you that they’re all worth your time and money.

What is a graphics card?

So, whether you’re looking to play the best PC games or just get some work done as efficiently as possible I’ve got your back. And, as always if you have any other questions about the best laptops, feel free to leave a comment and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. All I want to do is help you get the right device for your own specific needs.

How to buy the best laptop

🥰 The most important thing is what you want
💽 Go for at least 16GB of RAM
📺 You don’t need a 4K display on a laptop
🎮 Gaming laptops are good for more than just gaming (hello video editors, I see you)
🎒 Get something you can comfortably commute with if you need that

HP Spectre x360 on a table — (Credit: Jackie Thomas / The Shortcut)

1. HP Spectre x360 13.5 (2022)

An elegant 2-in-1 laptop

✅ Gorgeous
✅ 2-in-1 functionality is genuinely useful
❌ A little expensive

While you might not think of the best laptops when you need something that can both watch Netflix in bed and get all your work done in a snap, the HP Spectre x360 does exactly that. This is a gorgeous little laptop that is packed with one of the most beautiful displays in its class – especially if you opt for the OLED model – and the fact it can collapse down into a portable tablet makes it one of the best media devices around.

But it’s around for more than just your entertainment. The 12th-generation Intel processor on offer easily powers you through any and all workload you can throw at it, and it doesn’t even get that loud. At least unless you really try to make it sweat.

It’s also extremely thin and lightweight, which makes the tablet mode something you’ll actually want to use. In my time with this version of the HP Spectre x360 I’ve fallen freshly in love with HP’s flagship device. Every year it seems like Dell and HP battle it out for the top slot on this list, and this time goes to the HP. I love this laptop, and if you have the cash for it, you will too.

2. Acer Aspire 3

The best laptop on a budget

✅ Very affordable
✅ Includes a numpad
❌ Feels a little cheap

Acer Aspire 3 laptop specs:

For years, the Acer Aspire 3 has been one of the best laptops under $500, which is definitely high praise. Laptops in this price range have a tendency to be cheap little machines with too little power to actually run their operating system – especially when it comes to Windows 11 machines. However, the Acer Aspire 3 is actually an excellent deal for what you’re getting.

To be clear, this is definitely not something that’s going to go up against the MacBook Air in a head-to-head benchmarking match, but it doesn’t need to be. The AMD Ryzen 3 7320U in the model I got in for review is more than able to keep up with most of my daily workload, especially when I’m doing a lot of writing that day. Even the super-cheap $399 model comes packed with 8GB of RAM and an SSD, which means you won’t run into slowdowns just from trying to boot up Chrome.

The SSD in that model is limited to 128GB, but you can upgrade that to 256GB pretty easily, especially when you consider that the SSD is user-upgradeable.

Anyone looking for a super powerful workstation should likely look elsewhere, though, because even the most powerful model is limited to a Ryzen 5 7520U and 8GB of RAM. That’s still plenty for most everyday tasks, but it’s going to flounder in heavy photoshop or excel work.

But if you’re just looking for a super-affordable laptop to keep around the home office, you really can’t go wrong with the Acer Aspire 3. It’s hard to imagine a better laptop under $500.

3. MacBook Air (2022, M2)

The best laptop for most people

✅ Lots of power for the price
✅ Slim design
❌ Base storage isn’t worth it

Walmart's deal for MacBook Air

Amazon's deal for MacBook Air

Laptop specs:

The real pleasure of using any of the Apple silicon Macs, the supremely thin and light M2 MacBook Air included, stems from the chip’s efficiency. The 52.6wH battery, paltry by ordinary standards, seems to last forever, and I frequently leave my charger behind if I’m working at a coffee shop, even if I’m down to 50% remaining, because I know that no matter what I do, it’ll last the two or three hours I plan to spend there. The laptop also stays cool unless you push it to the extreme.

Yet it never feels hampered by its form factor – I’ve edited video, recorded music, played games, and opened countless tabs in multiple browsers on this machine and never, ever experienced slowdown. That’s thanks to the 24GB RAM it has, but generally (and to a lesser extent), that was also my experience with the old M1 MacBook Air with 8GB RAM.

The only shame about this laptop comes from the base 256GB SSD. It’s not just because of the slower, single-NAND SSD the company uses in those laptops – it’s because 256GB is simply too little for a laptop these days, and it’s pricey to upgrade. Still, the M2 MacBook Air has already seen some nice discounts and undoubtedly will again (Matt’s keeping you updated right here), taking the sting out. On the whole, if you want thin and light without compromising on power, and you’re a fan of Mac OS (or just Mac-curious), the M2 MacBook Air is the best computer you can buy.

Surface Laptop Studio on a table next to the greatest movie ever made — (Credit: Jackie Thomas / The Shortcut)

4. Surface Laptop Studio

The go-to laptop for creatives everywhere

✅ Gorgeous and innovative design
✅ Powerful
❌ Expensive

Amazon's deal for Surface Laptop Studio

Walmart's deal for Surface Laptop Studio

Laptop specs:

I have been using the Surface Laptop Studio as my main laptop for more than a year now, and even after all this time, it does not disappoint. Beyond being one of the most beautiful laptops I have ever had the pleasure to use, it has the most comfortable keyboard this side of a desktop PC.

But even if you don’t like using the keyboard, the spiffy easel-like screen design makes it a dream to use in whichever configuration is most natural for the work you’re trying to do. Artists especially will love that this laptop lets them create at a multitude of angles, although you’ll have to shell out for the $129 Surface Slim Pen 2 to fully take advantage of the Surface Laptop Studio’s creative chops.

A laptop is more than just a spiffy design, though, and while the 11th-generation Intel Core H-series processors are decidedly last-gen, I have never felt held back by the laptop, even when I’m at an event editing 20 photos at the same time. Microsoft has been on a roll with its laptops in the last few years, and the Surface Laptop Studio is a perfect example of that. Now, if only it didn’t cost an arm and a leg.

Dell XPS 13 backwards on a table. It's next to Cats (2019), the greatest movie ever made. — (Credit: Jackie Thomas / The Shortcut)

5. Dell XPS 13

An oldie but a goodie

✅ Thin and light
✅ Best screen in the game
❌ Expensive

Amazon's deal for Dell XPS 13

Best Buy's deal for Dell XPS 13

Laptop specs:

I’ve only had the latest Dell XPS 13 in my hands for a couple of days, but I’ve reviewed so many of them over the years, and let me tell you: they never change that much. This is still pretty much the Dell XPS we know and love, just with updated internals.

That’s not a bad thing, though. This is still the de facto choice for anyone who wants a thin and light laptop they can commute with, that still has enough horsepower to kick the shit out of some Excel spreadsheets. What’s more, the 1920 x 1200 “InfinityEdge” display is incredibly vibrant, with the smallest bezels you can find in a mainstream laptop.

And now that I’ve spent a few weeks with the Dell XPS 13, I can tell you straight up that it’s one of the best laptops I’ve used in a long time. It’s not quite the laptop I’d recommend everyone – especially if you’re on a budget – but if you’re after a premium gaming laptop, you can’t do much better.

Why you can trust my laptop recommendations

I’ve been reviewing the best laptops for years now, to the point where I have a new laptop in my bag pretty much every week. Because I’ve used so many, I know exactly how to spot the flaws that separate a decent laptop from one of the best. I also think some laptops out there are simply overpriced for what they offer, and I know how to look past the shiny gimmicks to make sure I only recommend laptops that will actually impact your daily life.

Let me help you pick out the best laptop

Buying a laptop is a pain, with a million different numbers and technical names to remember. I can help with all of that, so please leave a comment or reach out to us on Twitter and we’ll help you pick something out.

The Shortcut