Best Overall$1,099-$1,299at Amazon
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M4, 2025)
The unanimous community and expert pick for best ultrabook. Unmatched battery life, fanless silent operation, and M4 performance in a sub-3-pound chassis.
Helpful?
If you don't need Windows, this is the no-brainer answer. Reddit threads consistently call it foolish to overlook, and rtings.com backs that up with a top testing score.
Pros
- M4 chip delivers class-leading performance for productivity and creative tasks
- All-day and beyond battery life — consistently praised across all sources
- Fanless design means completely silent operation under most workloads
- More starting memory at a lower price than previous generations
- Exceptionally sturdy and sleek build quality
Cons
- macOS ecosystem lock-in — not suitable for Windows-only software users
- No touchscreen
- Limited to two Thunderbolt ports on base model
- No significant design redesign from previous Air generations
“The best ultrabook right now is the M4 MBA. Non-gamers would be foolish not to at least consider it.”
— Reddit user (r/laptops)