CNET reviews: The best laptops

CNET's roster of 2025's best laptops includes well over a dozen machines that fit different needs and budgets, but here we're just including three of the highest-rated models we tested in various categories. .

WHAT M4 MacBook Air (15-Inch, 2025)

THE COST $1,199

AVAILABLE FROM apple.com

The 15-inch MacBook Air is proof that you don't need a Pro to get a larger display. It supplies a larger screen that you once found only on the pricier Pro models. The roomy, 15.3-inch display is powered by Apple's M4 chip and 16 gigabytes of RAM. The M4 update adds incremental improvements — and a new sky blue color — to an already fantastic laptop that sits in the Goldilocks Zone of Apple's MacBook lineup.

With its roomy display, trim design and new lower starting price, the 15-inch M4 MacBook Air should be viewed as the default Air, with its cheaper and smaller 13-inch sibling a good alternative for students and others with tighter budgets and busy, on-the-go lifestyles.

WHAT Microsoft Surface Laptop 7

THE COST $1,478.99

AVAILABLE FROM amazon.com

The Surface Laptop 7 boasts a polished design and class-leading battery life — it ran for nearly 20 hours in testing. The Surface Laptop 7 competes with the MacBook Air in performance and battery life and supplies a similarly sleek and solid build.

People who love the look and long run time of the MacBook Air but want a Windows laptop will find a good match in the Surface Laptop 7. It would be nice if there was an OLED display option, and you’ll need to do a compatibility check for your mission-critical applications before embracing the Arm-based Surface Laptop 7, but if you can get past those hurdles then you’ll get a well-built, good-looking and long-running Windows ultraportable.

WHAT Lenovo Yoga 7 14 

THE COST $749.99

AVAILABLE FROM lenovo.com

With its excellent build quality, adequate display, strong performance and lengthy run time, the Lenovo Yoga 7 14 provides a ton of value and is a great fit as a versatile machine for home use or students.

 The Lenovo is designed with a solid, all-metal chassis and it has the power and efficiency you get from its AMD Ryzen 7 8000 series CPU. It lacks some of the refinement and extras you get with Lenovo’s flagship Yoga 9i 14, but the midrange Yoga 7 14 is much more affordable and the better pick for most people.