Best laptop 2021: top picks for every user and every budget

Welcome to our pick of the best laptops 2021 has to offer. On this page you'll find hand-picked laptops that have been rigorously tests by us.

We're constantly updating this guide, so you can be sure you're getting the most recent recommendations and most up-to-date buying advice possible. We've just updated this guide to include the brand-new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, which we think is the best 2-in-1 laptop we've ever used.

But if you're after the best laptop overall, then our pick remains MacBook Air (M1, 2020), as it's yet to be beaten when it comes to design, performance, value and battery life.

Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 3 is our choice for the best budget laptop you can buy right now, offering a perfect balance of affordability and performance. If that doesn't take your fancy then we have a rundown of the best cheap laptop deals to help you pick a device that won't hurt your wallet.

Not sure what to look for when buying the best laptop for your needs? Check out our guide on what you should look for when buying a new laptop at the end of this page for in-depth advice on buying a laptop.

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2

Microsoft

Surface Laptop 4

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3

Dell

XPS 15 (2020)

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4

HP

Spectre x360 (2021)

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5

Dell

XPS 13 (Late 2020)

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6

Razer

Blade 14

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7

LG

Gram 17 (2021)

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8

Acer

Swift 3

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9

Asus

ZenBook 13 (2021)

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10

Asus

TUF Dash F15

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11

Lenovo

ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6

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12

HP

Envy x360 13 (2020)

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13

Google

Pixelbook Go

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14

Lenovo

IdeaPad Duet Chromebook

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15

Asus

VivoBook S15

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Apple MacBook Air against red background saying 'best laptop'

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Welcome to our pick of the best laptops 2021 has to offer. On this page you'll find hand-picked laptops that have been rigorously tests by us.

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We're constantly updating this guide, so you can be sure you're getting the most recent recommendations and most up-to-date buying advice possible. We've just updated this guide to include the brand-new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, which we think is the best 2-in-1 laptop we've ever used.

But if you're after the best laptop overall, then our pick remains MacBook Air (M1, 2020), as it's yet to be beaten when it comes to design, performance, value and battery life.

Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 3 is our choice for the best budget laptop you can buy right now, offering a perfect balance of affordability and performance. If that doesn't take your fancy then we have a rundown of the best cheap laptop deals to help you pick a device that won't hurt your wallet.

Not sure what to look for when buying the best laptop for your needs? Check out our guide on what you should look for when buying a new laptop at the end of this page for in-depth advice on buying a laptop

How to pick the best laptop

So, what makes a laptop worth buying? First, it needs to offer excellent value for money. That means budget laptops below the $400/£400 price point need to still offer good performance and build quality.

Meanwhile, ultra-expensive devices need to justify their high price tags with best-in-class performance, premium build quality and lengthy battery lives.

If you want something to work on, a laptop with a modern processor, at least 8GB of RAM and a large screen (and comfortable keyboard) are worth considering.

For gaming, you'll want a gaming laptop with a dedicated graphics card and fast and responsive screen.

Check out our guide on what you should look for when buying a new laptop at the end of this page for more in-depth advice on buying a laptop.