Best: Overall

Rating: 10/10

• CPU: 11th gen Intel Core i7-11800H
• Graphics: Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti 4GB
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Screen: 15.6in 1920 x 1200p touchscreen
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Pros: Incredibly fast, stylish design
• Cons: Expensive, not so portable

This is Dell’s flagship laptop, a showcase of everything the manufacturer can reasonably pack into a single machine without the entire thing melting into a hot puddle of silicon and plastic. The Dell XPS 15 is one of the best Windows laptops you can buy and pairs a minimalist, no-fuss design with top-level functionality and performance.

In our review of the OLED model (£1,849, Currys.co.uk), we were left thoroughly impressed. “If you’re in the market for a high-performance and productivity-focused Windows laptop with a spectacular next-generation display, the new Dell XPS 15 is the best you’ll find. This is about as close to perfect as laptops get,” our reviewer wrote.

The bright, crisp touchscreen is one of the best displays on any laptop, while under the hood, the 11th generation Intel processor packs more performance than the average desktop computer. Those looking for a more portable laptop might want to look elsewhere – at 15in, the Dell XPS 15 is hefty, and battery life is middling, lasting about a full working day if you don’t tax it too much.

Read the full Dell XPS 15 2021 review

Best: For gaming

Rating: 10/10

• CPU: 11th gen Intel Core i7 to 12th gen Intel Core i9
• Graphics: GeForce 3070 to 3080 Ti
• RAM: 16GB / 32GB
• Screen: 15in, Full HD to 4K
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Pros: Subtle design, excellent cooling, unmatched performance
• Cons: Runs hot, expensive

A blisteringly fast gaming laptop that delivers desktop-grade performance, the Razer blade 15 is the best gaming laptop we’ve tested. Highly configurable, our test model ran the latest 12th generation Core i7 processor with 32GB of memory, Nvidia’s 3080 Ti GPU and a ridiculously fast 360Hz display (£3,899.99, Razer.com).

The configuration we’ve linked to here is a little more modest and backs away from the bleeding-edge specs, but splits the difference nicely with an 11th gen CPU and the marginally less powerful 3070 Ti.

Both configuations will happily run every new PC game with the graphics settings dialled way up and – unlike so many gaming laptops that resemble Fisher Price toys – the Razer blade 15 has a subtle, minimalist design you could take into important business meetings without raising too many eyebrows.

Best: For students and writers

Rating: 8/10

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 4680U through to Intel Core i7 1185G7
• Graphics: Radeon/ Intel iris xe
• RAM: 8GB through to 32GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.5in, 2256p x 1504p
• Storage: 256GB through to 1TB SSD
• Pros: Streamlined Windows experience, thin design
• Cons: Thick bezels

The Surface range showcases Windows 11 at its absolute best, allowing Microsoft to take control of both the hardware and software to create tablets and laptops that feel unified, streamlined and uncompromised. Whereas most other Windows laptops come preloaded with sketchy third-party apps and anti-virus bloatware, Microsoft’s Surface laptops are much closer to the Apple-style user experience. Clean, tidy, and simple to use.

In this analogy, the surface laptop 4 is the MacBook air of Windows machines. This is a fast and thin touchscreen laptop, with even the slowest and cheapest configuration running on a decently powerful AMD Ryzen 5 processor. The laptop is unlocked with facial recognition, the keyboard is a delight to type on for hours, and it’s finished in a fine faux-suede alcantara material.

Read the full Microsoft Surface laptop 4 review

Best: For creatives

Rating: 9/10

• CPU: Apple M1 pro
• Graphics: Integrated
• RAM: 16GB unified memory
• Screen: 14.2in, 3024 x 1694p
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Pros: Top performance, great screen
• Cons: Expensive

The performance gap between the MacBook air (£1,209, Amazon.co.uk) and the smaller MacBook pro has been shrinking lately. But Apple’s premium laptop is still the go-to machine for specialist users and editors who need every last bit of processing power. Though both are powered by Apple’s new proprietary M1 chip, the MacBook pro can handle tasks that would have its slimmer cousin wheezing into a brown paper bag. Like the MacBook air, the power button has a built-in fingerprint sensor, the keyboard is comfortable and the trackpad is big and responsive.

The best laptop for productivity and creative tasks – and the only laptop that can reasonably claim to have fashion credibility – the MacBook pro 14in is a masterpiece of design.

Read the full MacBook pro 2021 review

Best: Budget laptop

Rating: 8/10

• CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7 through to Intel Core i7 1165G7
• Graphics: Intel iris xe
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Screen: 14in, 1920p x 1080p
• Storage: 256GB through to 512GB SSD
• Pros: Powerful laptop for this price
• Cons: 1080p display is a little dated

A premium ultrabook without the premium price tag, right now, the Lenovo yoga slim 7 is the best laptop you can buy for under £800. For the last few years, Lenovo has been quietly turning out laptops and tablets that offer smart design and decent specs without costing the earth, and this model is the culmination of the Chinese manufacturer’s best work.

This super-thin laptop is powered by a Core i5 processor tuned for laptops, giving you enough grunt to handle CPU-intensive tasks like photo and video editing and even some lower-end games. To bring costs down, Lenovo has plumped for a standard HD, 1080p display, but it’s a good quality panel with excellent colour reproduction and contrast.

Read the full Lenovo yoga slim 7 review

Best: Apple laptop

Rating: 9/10

• CPU: Apple M1 chip
• Graphics: Integrated M1 GPU
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.3in, 2560p x 1600p
• Storage: 512GB through to 1TB SSD
• Pros: Thin, light, very fast performance
• Cons: Only two ports, new model launching soon

Apple’s thinnest, lightest MacBook transcended the tech world to become an instantly recognisable design icon, the profile of which many rival laptops have since followed. If you’ve ever held one, you’ll understand why it’s such an alluring device: the MacBook air is an elegant piece of engineering, weighing just 1.29kg and measuring 4.1mm at its thinnest point.

The newest 2020 model is powered by Apple’s new M1 processor, an ARM-based chip that unlocks notable performance boosts and better battery efficiency over the older Intel CPU seen in previous generations. There is a 2022 model soon to be announced, so bear that in mind when you shop.

Read our review to help you choose between the MacBook air and the MacBook pro

Best: Two-in-one laptop

Rating: 8/10

• CPU: Intel Core i5 10135G7 through to Intel Core i7 1165G7
• Graphics: Intel iris xe
• RAM: 8GB through to 32GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.4in, 1920px x 1200px/3840px x 2400px
• Storage: 256GB through to 1TB SSD
• Pros: Long battery life, can handle gaming
• Cons: Shallow keyboard

When it comes to Windows machines, the boundary between laptops, tablets and hybrid two-in-one devices is looking increasingly blurred. There are tablets you can attach a keyboard to, touchscreen laptops with detachable displays, and then there are devices like the Dell XPS 13 2-in-1, a seemingly ordinary laptop that can be folded back on itself to become a portable tablet.

But where many other hybrids offer tablet-grade performance in a laptop chassis, this Dell model is a powerful device by any measure. The 11th generation Core i7 processor, supported by up to 32GB of memory, has enough power and graphics performance to handle video rendering and gaming.

Keep in mind that a newer Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 is due to launch later this year, featuring a breakaway tablet design similar to the Microsoft Surface pro line of hybrids.

Best: Windows laptop

Rating: 9/10

• CPU: Intel Core i5 / Intel Core i7
• Graphics: Intel iris X / Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 Ti
• RAM: 16GB / 32GB
• Screen: 14.4in, 2400 x 1600, 120Hz
• Storage: 256GB to 2TB SSD
• Pros: Beautiful screen, clever design, powerful performance
• Cons: Only has USB C ports, battery life could be better

Microsoft’s range of Surface devices have always been exceptionally good-looking. Whereas most Windows laptops are built by third-party manufacturers and littered with holographic Intel stickers and various bits of corporate branding, the Surface range stands alone as Microsoft’s shining example of what the ideal Windows 11 laptop could look like.

The Surface laptop studio has a clever articulated design that solves a problem that’s plagued the Surface range for years, by placing the laptop’s touchscreen somewhere it can be used comfortably, and all without having to completely detach it from the keyboard. It’s as powerful and capable as a MacBook pro (£1,899, Apple.com) in everything but battery life, and when coupled with the Microsoft slim pen 2 (£119.99, Microsoft.com) it can do more than the rival Apple machine. The fluid 120Hz display is also one of the best screens on any Windows laptop you can buy.

Read the full Surface laptop studio review

Best: For working from home

Rating: 9/10

• CPU: Intel Core i7 1165G7
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.9in, 3000p x 2000p
• Storage: 1TB SSD
• Pros: Impressive screen, stylish design, powerful
• Cons: Strangely positioned webcam

Huawei’s latest flagship lifts the best design elements from both the Surface laptop 4 (used but like new £748.60, Amazon.co.uk) and the MacBook air (£999, Apple.com), resulting in a device that looks so smart that it’s hard to begrudge Huawei for copying its rivals’ homework. The matebook x pro has a bright and colourful 3:2 ratio display bordered by a vanishingly small bezel. The display is also a multi-point touchscreen, so don’t forget to pack some wet wipes in your laptop bag.

This configuration of the Huawei device is powered by an Intel Core i7 processor with 16GB of memory and a generous 1TB hard drive. A fingerprint scanner rounds off a quality piece of hardware, though one notable downside is the awkward position of the webcam, which is hidden beneath one of the function keys. The angle is less-than-flattering in video calls.

Read the full Huawei matebook x pro review

Best: For business

Rating: 8/10

• CPU: Intel Core i7 1165G7
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe graphics
• RAM: 16GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.5in, 3,000 x 2,000px
• Storage: 512GB SSD
• Pros: Vivid OLED display, great battery life
• Cons: Expensive

Full credit to HP for designing a laptop that doesn’t look like yet another MacBook air (£1,123, Amazon.co.uk). The HP spectre x360 is a high-performance machine with a display that can be folded back in on itself to transform into a tablet, albeit a slightly chunky one when compared with two-in-ones that can be fully snapped in half.

Every inch of this device feels premium. The 14in high-definition display is responsive and vivid. The fingerprint sensor is fast, and the physical cut-off switch for the webcam is a nice addition for the security-conscious.

Under the bonnet you’ve got top-end components. We tested the 2021 model with its do-everything Core i7 processor and generous 16GB of memory, a version that doesn’t tinker too much with the exterior but improves on the specs with an even faster Intel CPU, Intel Evo certification and a wider range of configuration options.

Read the full HP spectre x360 14 review

Best: For travel

Rating: 8/10

• CPU: Intel Core i5 1135G7 through to Intel Core i7 1165G7
• Graphics: Intel iris xe
• RAM: 8GB DDR4
• Screen: 13.3in, 1920p x 1080p
• Storage: 512GB through to 1TB SSD
• Pros: Smart ergonomic design, sharp OLED screen
• Cons: 1080p display is a little dated

The zenbook 13 is littered with interesting little design touches that make this coffee shop ultrabook stand out from the crowd. For a start, where other laptops have whittled down their ports to one or two USB-C connections, this one proudly keeps its USB-A port alongside an HDMI out and a MicroSD card slot, all without sacrificing thinness.

When opened, the hinge is designed to lift the keyboard slightly for more ergonomic typing and better airflow. The touchpad can display a number pad or calculator app, while the infrared camera can be used to unlock Windows. An all-day battery life, vibrant edge-to-edge screen and stylish finish round off one of the best 13in laptops you can buy.

Read our review of the Asus zenbook pro duo 15