Best Overall$1,099-$1,299
Apple MacBook Air 13-Inch (M4, 2025)
The M4 chip delivers class-leading performance and battery life in a thin, fanless design. Tops best laptop lists at Tom's Guide, RTINGS, PCMag, and Reddit simultaneously — no other laptop matches this level of consensus.
If you're not locked into Windows, just buy this. It wins every benchmark that matters for everyday use and nothing else at this price comes close.
Pros
- Top of Tom's Guide and PCMag best laptops buying guides
- M4 chip performance rivals far more expensive machines
- Fanless design runs silently under typical workloads
- Exceptional battery life outperforming most x86 competitors
Cons
- Requires iPhone for full ecosystem benefits like iMessage and AirDrop
- No touchscreen — a dealbreaker for some workflows
- Base storage (256GB) considered tight for the price by many reviewers
“The 13-inch MacBook Air M4 might seem like an obvious one, but there's a reason it's at the top of our best MacBook and best laptops buying guides.”
— Tom's Guide