Some laptops are designed to be left at residence, the place they act like desktop computer systems that you may lug from room to room. Different laptops place a precedence on portability, the place they’re mild sufficient to be tossed in your bag for every day commutes and common journey, permitting you to return residence on the finish of the day with out sore shoulders. The picks you see right here fall into the latter class, however this isn’t merely a choice of the smallest laptops we’ve reviewed. These are our favourite light-weight laptops we’ve examined prior to now 12 months, and so they span a wide range of display sizes, from 13 to 16 inches.
What’s the finest light-weight laptop computer?
We now have a favourite light-weight MacBook and plenty of suggestions for one of the best and lightest Home windows laptops, together with new Copilot Plus PCs based mostly on Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X processor. Most are lower than 3 kilos, with the heaviest being a 16-inch mannequin that weighs an inexpensive 3.5 kilos.
Our specialists have a long time of expertise testing laptops underneath managed circumstances within the CNET Labs. Along with benchmark testing to evaluate a laptop computer’s efficiency, we additionally carry out in depth hands-on exams to evaluate a laptop computer’s design and options, together with getting an official weight for every one that we evaluate.
Greatest light-weight laptops for 2025
Like
- Massive efficiency positive aspects from M1, Intel MacBook Airs
- Nice design, options
- Assist for 2 exterior shows concurrently with MacBook show
- 12-megapixel Heart Stage digicam
Do not like
- 256GB SSD would possibly refill quick
- Costly upgrades
For Apple’s newest MacBook Air, the larger information than transferring from Apple’s M3 silicon to M4 chips is the drop in value.
Why we prefer it
Beginning at $999, the MacBook M4 Air is $100 cheaper than the entry level for the earlier M3 fashions. Along with a slight bump in efficiency over the earlier technology, the M4 Air provides a Heart Stage webcam, higher assist for exterior shows and a brand new ice blue colour possibility.
M4 MacBook Air Review (13-Inch, 2025) review.
Like
- Stunning, sturdy design
- Class-leading battery life
- Sturdy efficiency
- Superior and correct haptic touchpad
Do not like
- No OLED possibility
- Upgrades get pricey and do not embrace devoted GPU
- Your Arm-on-Home windows compatibility mileage might range
The Floor Laptop computer 7 reverses earlier Arm-on-Home windows efforts that had been stricken by lackluster efficiency and restricted compatibility, with many x86 apps unable to run on an Arm-based system. This time round, efficiency has improved, and so has compatibility. Plus, its battery life is bonkers. The Floor Laptop computer 7 is the longest-running 13- or 14-inch laptop computer to ever cross by way of CNET Labs.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 review.
Like
- Extremely skinny and light-weight with out feeling flimsy
- All-day-and-all-night battery life
- OLED show at this value is a pleasant shock
- Ample RAM and storage for the value too
Do not like
- Meh efficiency from Snapdragon X CPU
- Meh mechanical touchpad
- Meh audio system
Constructed round an Arm-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X processor, the Zenbook A14 is the lightest and second-longest operating Copilot Plus PC we have examined. It weighs lower than 2.2 kilos and provides a battery lifetime of greater than 24 hours. Its Ceraluminum shell permits the Zenbook A14 to be extremely mild but inflexible, and its 14-inch OLED show is great. It additionally serves up ample RAM and storage for the value. If portability is paramount, then the Zenbook A14 is the decide.
Like
- Inexpensive value for its total efficiency and all-metal design
- Lower than 2.2 kilos
- Excessive-resolution 2.5K show
- Excessive-resolution 1440p webcam
Do not like
- Battery life is beneath common
- 13.3-inch show can really feel cramped
- Plastic show bezels look low cost
- No USB4 ports
HP packed loads of worth into the Aero 13: eye-pleasing magnesium-aluminum chassis, sturdy processing efficiency, a high-res 13.3-inch show and a weight of simply 2.16 kilos (0.98 kilogram). Amazingly, you will get all of this for simply $630. That’s a fantastic value for such a well-built and moveable laptop computer, even when its battery life is shorter than that of as we speak’s long-running laptops. You’ll be able to throw its energy wire in your bag and nonetheless have an extremely mild journey weight. It is a fantastic match for college kids and different buyers with tight budgets.
Like
- OLED show is massive, vibrant, vivid and crisp
- Skinny and light-weight for its measurement
- Good steadiness of efficiency and battery life
Do not like
- Horrible audio output
- Slender quantity pad most likely not all that helpful
- AI brand on touchpad is gimmicky
With a roomy OLED show powered by the most recent Intel silicon, the Acer Swift 16 AI is a superb midprice 16-inch Copilot Plus PC laptop computer. It weighs lower than 3.5 kilos, and is barely greater than half an inch thick, making it very moveable for its measurement. It is one of many few 16-inch laptops I would not thoughts commuting with each day. The Intel Lunar Lake CPU provides a pleasant steadiness of fine total efficiency and lengthy battery life, giving this machine even better attraction as a big-screen laptop computer that does not want to remain anchored to a desk or close to an influence outlet. And also you get all this for the affordable value of $989.
Like
- Unprecedented battery life
- Sturdy CPU and NPU efficiency from Snapdragon X Elite
- Weighs lower than 3 kilos
- Excessive-res webcam
Do not like
- Dim show amongst Copilot Plus PCs
- Wobbly show hinge
- Mechanical touchpad is meh
One other Copilot Plus PC, one other battery file set. The primary Qualcomm Snapdragon X-powered mannequin we reviewed, the Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 7, ran for almost 20 hours in testing. The following Copilot Plus PC we checked out, the Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441, lasted greater than 23 hours. Now we now have the most recent HP’s OmniBook X 14, which raised the battery-life bar previous 25 hours.Â
Like
- Compact and light-weight
- Excellent AV output
- Cosmic Blue colour possibility is beautiful
Do not like
- Costly
- Battery life is not nice
- Touchpad lacks haptics
Lenovo’s premium two-in-one convertible is extraordinarily skinny, mild and compact. It does not look drastically completely different than Lenovo’s midrange Yoga 7 convertible however is considerably lighter at lower than 3 kilos. The lighter weight has the apparent benefit of easing your burden when touring with the machine, but it surely additionally makes the two-in-one extra manageable in pill mode.Â
Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 Gen 9 review.
Like
- Glorious, colour correct OLED show
- Very properly designed
Do not like
- Backside will get scorching when plugged in
- No Adobe RGB profiling
Regardless of being a member of Asus’ gaming-focused ROG household of laptops, the G14 has a extra inventive bent; it is technically thought-about an Nvidia Studio mannequin and ships with Nvidia’s Studio driver fairly than the extra frequent Recreation Prepared model (you possibly can swap them if you need). The compact 14-inch laptop computer weighs an inexpensive 3.3 kilos and has the efficiency and the show high quality you will want for inventive work, a business-quality 1080p webcam and a full choice of ports and connections (though, attributable to its AMD processor, its USB-C port is USB4 and never Thunderbolt 4).
Greatest light-weight enterprise laptop computer
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (2.5 kilos)
Like
- Stellar construct high quality
- Nice compromise between display measurement and portability
- Constructed with recycled supplies
- Superior keyboard
- Aggressive utility efficiency and lengthy battery life
Do not like
- RAM soldered on so cannot develop post-purchase
- Touchpad is undersized
It delivers no surprises or revolutionary upgrades from previous iterations, however the ThinkPad X1 Carbon’s security measures, construct high quality and efficiency stay wonderful. Its 14-inch show and a couple of.5-pound weight are the candy spot of sufficient display house to work lengthy stretches with no need to hook up with an exterior show, whereas additionally being mild sufficient for every day journey. With an industry-best keyboard, lengthy battery life and greener development, the X1 Carbon Gen 11 is a near-perfect enterprise laptop computer.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 review.
Different laptops we have examined
M4 MacBook Air (15-Inch, 2025): The smaller Air is the proper scholar laptop computer, however when you’re out of college you need to graduate to the bigger, however nonetheless extremely moveable, 15-inch mannequin.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 5i 16 Gen 9: For a 16-inch laptop computer, it is skinny, mild and lengthy operating too. However, it is arduous to look previous the price range show.
Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i: It is skinny and light-weight for its measurement, however a brief runtime and some design miscues make this a low-cost laptop computer to skip.
Acer Swift Go 14 AI: This Snapdragon X-powered laptop computer can run all day, however its total look would possibly put you to sleep.
Acer Swift 14 AI: It’s a long-lasting if fundamental Copilot Plus PC, however do we actually want an AI indicator mild on the touchpad?
Lenovo ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 4: I want you possibly can improve the show, however this low-cost two-in-one enterprise laptop computer allows you to add extra RAM and a second SSD after buy to increase your funding.
Lenovo Yoga 7 16 Gen 9: Lenovo’s 16-inch convertible is an effective price range purchase, but it surely’s higher as a secondary machine than your every day driver.
Lenovo Yoga 7 14 Gen 9: With stable construct high quality, sturdy efficiency and prolonged battery life, Lenovo’s midrange convertible is properly rounded and a fantastic worth.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7441: This Copilot Plus PC provides an unprecedented runtime inside all-metal design at an reasonably priced value.
Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9I: It is tremendous low cost, with a devoted Intel Arc GPU that lends it a wee little bit of 3D muscle for informal 1080p play.
HP Envy x360 16: This midrange convertible impresses with a premium OLED show. Its AMD Ryzen 8040 collection CPU makes it fairly quick, too.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16: It’s a high gaming laptop computer for creators.
Dell Inspiron 2-in-1 7445: A dim show dulls Dell’s in any other case well-rounded, AI-equipped and reasonably priced 14-inch convertible laptop computer.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 7: Powered by Qualcomm’s Arm-based Snapdragon X processor, the Home windows-based laptop computer is exceptionally well-made and long-running.
Microsoft Surface Pro 11: We have been ready for first rate Arm-on-Home windows efficiency and for a display improve, and collectively they’ve made the brand new Floor really feel like a brand new pill.
Acer Swift X 14 (2024): The design will not wow you, however the 14.5-inch OLED show powered by RTX 4070 graphics is a superb combo for on-the-go content material creation.
Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640: Content material creators might bemoan the show decisions, however this midtier, 16-inch laptop computer provides well-rounded efficiency from its Core Extremely chip and RTX graphics.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Fold 16: Lenovo makes strides with its second foldable-display laptop computer, however additional refinements are nonetheless wanted earlier than it is prepared for the lots.
Acer Aspire Go 14: You would do worse for $300.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED Q425: It is a boon to get an OLED show in such a conveyable bundle with nice battery life for roughly $1,000, however the match and end really feel decidedly midrange.
Lenovo Slim 7i: With an OLED show and a stable construct, this can be a rugged possibility for mainstream buyers, however different touches are midrange.
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 12: The newest X1 Carbon has many charms, however they’ll stay out of attain for a lot of enterprise patrons constrained by budgets.
Dell XPS 16 9640: Dell’s new 16-inch XPS mannequin provides a novel design backed by sturdy efficiency and surprisingly lengthy battery life. Simply be ready to pay for its many configurable charms.
Alienware M18 R2 Gaming Laptop: If you’re this massive, the sky is the restrict.
Dell XPS 14 9440: The novel look is bound to show heads, however a number of the daring design components could possibly be turn-offs.Â
HP Omen Transcend 14: Neither a featureless slab nor a carnival of lights, HP’s newest 14-inch Omen has its personal distinctive aptitude. It does not scrimp on substance, both.
Dell Inspiron 14 Plus 7440: For an inexpensive $1,000, this 14-inch Dell mannequin based mostly on an Intel Core Extremely CPU allows you to be productive and stay moveable
How we check laptops
The evaluate course of for laptops consists of two components: efficiency testing underneath managed circumstances within the CNET Labs and in depth hands-on use by our reviewers. This contains evaluating a tool’s aesthetics, ergonomics and options with respect to cost. A remaining evaluate verdict is a mixture of each goal and subjective judgments.Â
We check all laptops with a core set of benchmarks, together with Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a wide range of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the laptop computer), UL Procyon Photograph and Video (the place supported), and our personal battery life check. If a laptop computer is meant for gaming, we’ll additionally run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
For the hands-on, the reviewer makes use of it for his or her work through the evaluate interval, evaluating how properly the design, options (such because the display, digicam and audio system) and manufacturer-supplied software program function as a cohesive complete. We additionally place significance on how properly they work given their value and the place the producer has probably made upgrades or tradeoffs for its value.
The listing of benchmarking software program and comparability standards we use adjustments over time because the gadgets we check evolve. You’ll find a extra detailed description of our check methodology on our How We Test Computers web page.Â
Components to think about
There are a ton of laptops in the marketplace at any given second, and nearly all of these fashions can be found in a number of configurations to match your efficiency and price range wants. In case you’re feeling overwhelmed with choices when in search of a brand new laptop computer, it is comprehensible. To assist simplify issues for you, listed below are the principle issues you need to contemplate while you begin trying.
Worth
The seek for a brand new laptop computer for most individuals begins with value. If the statistics chipmaker Intel and PC producers hurl at us are appropriate, you will be holding onto your subsequent laptop computer for not less than three years. In case you can afford to stretch your price range slightly to get higher specs, do it. That stands whether or not you are spending $500 or greater than $1,000. Previously, you possibly can get away with spending much less upfront and look to improve reminiscence and storage sooner or later. Laptop computer makers are more and more transferring away from making parts simply upgradable, so it is best to get nearly as good a laptop computer as you possibly can afford from the beginning.Â
Usually talking, the extra you spend, the higher the laptop computer. That would imply higher parts for quicker efficiency, a nicer show, sturdier construct high quality, a smaller or lighter design from higher-end supplies or perhaps a extra comfy keyboard. All of this stuff add to the price of a laptop computer. I might like to say $500 will get you a strong gaming laptop computer, for instance, however that is not the case. Proper now, the candy spot for a dependable laptop computer that may deal with common work, residence workplace or college duties is between $700 and $800 and an inexpensive mannequin for inventive work or gaming is upward of about $1,000. The bottom line is to search for reductions on fashions in all value ranges so you will get extra laptop computer options for much less.Â
Working system
Selecting an working system is a component private choice and half price range. For essentially the most half, Microsoft Home windows and Apple’s MacOS do the identical issues (apart from gaming, the place Home windows is the winner), however they do them otherwise. Until there’s an OS-specific utility you want, go together with the one you’re feeling most comfy utilizing. In case you’re unsure which that’s, head to an Apple retailer or an area electronics retailer and check them out. Or you possibly can ask buddies or household to allow you to check theirs for a bit. If in case you have an iPhone or iPad and prefer it, likelihood is you will like MacOS too.Â
In terms of value and selection (and, once more, PC gaming), Home windows laptops win. If you would like MacOS, you are getting a MacBook. Apple’s MacBooks usually high our greatest lists, however the least costly one is the M1 MacBook Air for $999. It’s usually discounted to $750 or $800, however if you need a less expensive MacBook, you will have to think about older refurbished ones.Â
Home windows laptops will be discovered for as little as a few hundred {dollars} and are available in all method of sizes and designs. Granted, we might be hard-pressed to discover a $200 laptop computer we might give a full-throated suggestion to, however if you happen to want a laptop computer for on-line procuring, e-mail and phrase processing, they exist.Â
In case you are on a decent price range, contemplate a Chromebook. ChromeOS is a unique expertise than Home windows; make sure that the purposes you want have a Chrome, Android or Linux app earlier than making the leap. In case you spend most of your time roaming the online, writing, streaming video or utilizing cloud-gaming companies, they are a good match.Â
Measurement
Bear in mind to think about whether or not having a lighter, thinner laptop computer or a touchscreen laptop computer with a very good battery life might be essential to you sooner or later. Measurement is primarily decided by the display — hey, legal guidelines of physics — which in flip elements into battery measurement, laptop computer thickness, weight and value. Have in mind different physics-related traits, resembling an ultrathin laptop computer is not essentially lighter than a thick one, you possibly can’t anticipate a wide selection of connections on a small or ultrathin mannequin and so forth.Â
Display screen
In terms of deciding on a display, there are a number of concerns: how a lot you could show (which is surprisingly extra about decision than display measurement), what sorts of content material you will be and whether or not you will be utilizing it for gaming or inventive work.
You wish to optimize pixel density; that is the variety of pixels per inch the display can show. Though different elements contribute to sharpness, a better pixel density often means sharper rendering of textual content and interface components. (You’ll be able to simply calculate the pixel density of any display at DPI Calculator if you happen to do not feel like doing the mathematics, and you may as well discover out what math you could do there.) We advocate a dot pitch of not less than 100 pixels per inch (ppi) as a rule of thumb.
Due to the best way Home windows and MacOS scale for the show, you are regularly higher off with a better decision than you’d assume. You’ll be able to at all times make issues larger on a high-resolution display, however you possibly can by no means make them smaller — to suit extra content material within the view — on a low-resolution display. For this reason a 4K, 14-inch display might sound like pointless overkill, however might not be if you could view a large spreadsheet, for instance.
Processor
The processor, aka the CPU, is the brains of a laptop computer. Intel and AMD are the principle CPU makers for Home windows laptops, with Qualcomm as a brand new third possibility with its Arm-based Snapdragon X processors. Each Intel and AMD supply a staggering choice of cellular processors. Making issues trickier, each producers have chips designed for various laptop computer types, like power-saving chips for ultraportables or quicker processors for gaming laptops. Their naming conventions will let you already know what kind is used. You’ll be able to head to Intel’s or AMD’s websites for explanations so that you get the efficiency you need. Usually talking, the quicker the processor pace and the extra cores it has, the higher the efficiency might be.
Apple makes its personal chips for MacBooks, which makes issues barely extra easy. However, like Intel and AMD, you will nonetheless wish to take note of the naming conventions to know what sort of efficiency to anticipate. Apple makes use of its M-series chipsets in Macs. The entry-level MacBook Air makes use of an M1 chip with an eight-core CPU and seven-core GPU. The present fashions have M2-series silicon that begins with an eight-core CPU and 10-core GPU and goes as much as the M2 Max with a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU. Once more, usually talking, the extra cores it has, the higher the efficiency.Â
Battery life has much less to do with the variety of cores and extra to do with CPU structure, Arm versus x86. Apple’s Arm-based MacBooks and the primary Arm-based Copilot Plus PCs we’ve examined supply higher battery life than laptops based mostly on x86 processors from Intel and AMD.
Graphics
The graphics processor (GPU) handles all of the work of driving the display and producing what will get displayed, in addition to rushing up loads of graphics-related (and more and more, AI-related) operations. For Home windows laptops, there are two sorts of GPUs: built-in (iGPU) or discrete (dGPU). Because the names indicate, an iGPU is a part of the CPU bundle, whereas a dGPU is a separate chip with devoted reminiscence (VRAM) that it communicates with immediately, making it quicker than sharing reminiscence with the CPU.
As a result of the iGPU splits house, reminiscence and energy with the CPU, it is constrained by the boundaries of these. It permits for smaller, lighter laptops, however does not carry out almost in addition to a dGPU. There are some video games and artistic software program that will not run until they detect a dGPU or enough VRAM. Most productiveness software program, video streaming, internet looking and different nonspecialized apps will run high quality on an iGPU, although.
For extra power-hungry graphics wants, like video enhancing, gaming and streaming, design and so forth, you will want a dGPU; there are solely two actual firms that make them, Nvidia and AMD, with Intel providing some based mostly on the Xe-branded (or the older UHD Graphics branding) iGPU expertise in its CPUs.
Reminiscence
For reminiscence, we extremely advocate 16GB of RAM (8GB absolute minimal). RAM is the place the working system shops all the info for at the moment operating purposes, and it will probably refill quick. After that, it begins swapping between RAM and SSD, which is slower. Plenty of sub-$500 laptops have 4GB or 8GB, which together with a slower disk could make for a frustratingly sluggish Home windows laptop computer expertise. Additionally, many laptops now have the reminiscence soldered onto the motherboard. Most producers disclose this, but when the RAM kind is LPDDR, assume it is soldered and cannot be upgraded.Â
Some PC makers will solder reminiscence on and likewise go away an empty inner slot for including a stick of RAM. You might have to contact the laptop computer producer or discover the laptop computer’s full specs on-line to verify. Examine the online for consumer experiences, as a result of the slot should still be arduous to get to, it might require nonstandard or hard-to-get reminiscence or different pitfalls.
Storage
You may nonetheless discover cheaper arduous drives in price range laptops and bigger arduous drives in gaming laptops, however quicker solid-state drives (SSDs) have all however changed arduous drives in laptops. They’ll make an enormous distinction in efficiency. Not all SSDs are equally speedy, and cheaper laptops usually have slower drives. If the laptop computer has solely 4GB or 8GB of RAM, it might find yourself swapping to that drive and the system might decelerate shortly when you’re working.Â
Get what you possibly can afford, and if you could go together with a smaller drive, you possibly can at all times add an exterior drive or two down the street or use cloud storage to bolster a small inner drive. The one exception is gaming laptops: We do not advocate going with lower than a 512GB SSD until you actually like uninstalling video games each time you wish to play a brand new sport.
