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Cnet editors hand-picked these products based on our tests and reviews, Whether you’re shopping for a sub-$200 laptop, a lightweight laptop for work and play, a 2-in-1 or a powerful gaming rig, the sheer number of choices can be overwhelming. To help you choose, we’ve picked out the best Laptops in every major category, based on our extensive testing, research, and comparisons.

Looking for something a bit more specific? We’ve got guides for gaming, college and business laptops as well as Chromebooks and 2-in-1s. And if you need something that can last a really long time, check out our roundup of the laptops with the longest battery life.

Here Are The Best Laptops 2019

12. Microsoft Surface Laptop

The Surface Laptop has a slim, modern design and comes in a selection of cool colors. Battery life is very good, and the keyboard and touchpad are both excellent.

The included Windows 10 S operating system can only install preapproved apps by default (but it’s upgradable). The long-term life of the fabric covering remains a question. The cooler colors are only available in more expensive configurations, and the port selection is limited, skipping USB-C entirely.

While it doesn’t necessarily stand out in a crowded field, the Surface Laptop has a great design and is a solid, travel-friendly clamshell PC.

11. HP Spectre x360 15

Beautifully designed and with practically no missteps, the HP Spectre x360 15 has a great keyboard and trackpad, 4K display, above-average sound system with solid battery life and decent performance for the money.

It’s not particularly lightweight. It’s hard to find a match for the HP Spectre x360 15’s mix of features and performance for the money, and none of its competitors are nearly as pretty.

10. Microsoft Surface Book 2

he new Surface Book 2 adds a long list of worthy upgrades, from new CPUs and gamer-ready graphics cards to a bigger 15-inch version. Battery life and performance are both excellent.

The two-in-one design still feels awkward at times, and for some users, the detachable screen may be superfluous. The most interesting new components are only available in very expensive configurations.

Surface Book 2 is a satisfying sequel, but like many sequels, it may be trying to broadly serve too many audiences.

9. HP ZBook x2 G4

The HP ZBook x2 G4’s Adobe RGB-accurate DreamColor matte screen is far more useful than the typical glossy panel, and combined with Wacom EMR’s 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity provides brushes that feel more natural than most to work with. It’s also powerful for its size, relatively full-featured and the detachable Bluetooth keyboard is comfortable for typing.

You’re limited to the one, single-button stylus, it’s relatively heavy and while the battery life is good for its components, it won’t get you through the day.

As long as you aren’t constrained by the stylus and are comfortable with the cost, the HP ZBook x2 G4 DreamColor delivers accurate color and smooth sketching with workstation credibility.

8. Dell XPS 13

The new XPS 13 body is smaller, with better internal cooling and a sharp-looking all-white interior. The nearly bezel-free screen still looks great and there’s a fingerprint reader hidden under the power button.

The system’s biggest quirk, a below-the-screen webcam, remains. Touch isn’t standard, and most of the ports have been replaced by USB-C.

With a new design that catches up to the competition, Dell’s XPS 13 remains one of the best all-around 13-inch laptops, but everyone’s biggest gripe remains unchanged.

7. HP Chromebook x2

X2’s compelling design makes it simple to shift from laptop to tablet and back. Stylus and keyboard included. The touchscreen looks good and is responsive. It has two cameras and great speakers. There’s a sufficient array of ports and connections. Battery life is respectable.

Integrated storage is limited to a measly 32GB. The keyboard is a bit mushy. Awkward stylus holster.

HP’s Chromebook x2 raises the bar for the two-in-one category, combining effective design, peppy performance, and a fine display at a killer price.

6. Microsoft Surface Pro 6

The Surface Pro 6’s jump to new quad-core processors pays off in big performance gains. The new black color option looks cool. Still the best kickstand and keyboard for Windows tablets.

Be ready to shell out extra for the keyboard cover, stylus and even for the new matte black design. CPU and color aside, it’s a very minimal upgrade over the previous version.

The latest Surface Pro tablet doesn’t make any radical design changes, but the performance jump makes it viable as a mainstream performance laptop replacement.

5. Apple MacBook Air

The MacBook is now smaller and lighter, with a better display, faster processors and a bigger touchpad. The MacOS experience and all-day battery are still big selling points

The starting price has shot up significantly, despite sticking with dual-core CPUs. The shallow butterfly keyboard and limited ports may feel like a step back from the previous Air.

The MacBook Air’s long overdue makeover adds welcome additions like a high-res screen and Touch ID, but it includes some unwelcome trade-offs — including a much higher price.

4. Apple MacBook Pro with Touch Bar

The latest 15-inch MacBook Pro offers major internal upgrades to the CPU, RAM, storage, and display. The Core i9 version delivers a worthwhile speed boost on processor-intensive tasks.

The basic design hasn’t been updated, keeping the same advantages and flaws. Adding the new high-end options drives the cost way up.

The 2018 MacBook Pro 15-inch laptop delivers the serious computing muscle that power users and creative pros crave — but everyone else should wait for the rest of the line to be updated.

3. HP Spectre x360 13

Beautifully designed and lightweight, the HP Spectre x360 13 has a great keyboard and trackpad, a sharp HD display and an above-average sound system. Battery life with this display is great, and its performance is top notch.

The system runs a little hot and the newly added fingerprint sensor is in an awkward location.

The HP Spectre x360 13 remains a great little convertible laptop, and now it’s faster with great battery life.

2. Razer Blade

The great overall redesign, with a larger screen, smaller bezels, and bigger touchpad. Includes either an Nvidia 1060 or 1070 GPU, which is enough for almost any laptop gamer. 144Hz display option. Cool keyboard lights, if that’s your bag.

Painfully expensive considering Nvidia 1060 laptops can be found for under $1,000. The 4K touchscreen option isn’t available yet.

The redesigned Razer Blade moves the bar on slim gaming laptops, with better hardware and a bigger screen, but you’ll need a bigger budget for it, too.

1. Lenovo Yoga C930

Lenovo’s Yoga C930 puts its 360-degree hinges to work as the two-in-one speaker system. The included active pen is discreetly housed and charged in the C930’s body and its webcam has a physical slider to block it when not in use. Performance and battery life are excellent for its class.

The included pen is a little small for extended use and there’s no option for discrete graphics, but no real deal breakers unless you object to its price.

Excellent performance and a stylish and functional design make the Lenovo Yoga C930 simply one of the best two-in-one laptops available.

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