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If you’re looking for one of the best laptops in 2026, the MacBook Air M5 is our overall pick, but it isn’t automatically the right laptop for everyone. Windows users, creators, gamers, and people who simply want a bigger screen all have good reasons to choose something else.
Our Quick Picks
- Best overall: Apple MacBook Air M5
- Best Windows productivity laptop: Dell 14S
- Best for creators and power users: 14-inch MacBook Pro M5
- Best thin-and-light Windows alternative: Microsoft Surface Laptop 13-inch
- Best large-screen Windows pick: Acer Swift 16 AI
A PC Guy Picking a MacBook First?
I’ve always been a PC guy myself. I’ve used Macs off and on over the years, and they’re brilliant machines, but there’s definitely a culture difference between Mac owners and PC owners. You really notice it when gaming, upgrading hardware, or building a machine yourself.
I grew up loving Pentium processors, followed Intel products for years, and I’ve always liked building my own PCs. That’s part of the appeal for me: opening the case, changing components, upgrading things, and making the computer mine.
Macs are almost the opposite philosophy. Apple gives you a tightly controlled system that works extremely well, but you aren’t buying it because you want to open it up and start swapping components.
Even with that PC bias, for laptops I have to give the MacBook Air M5 its due. I’m a desktop person first, but laptops offer so much versatility now that a good lightweight machine can handle an enormous amount of everyday work without feeling like a compromise.
How We Chose These Laptops
Important: We have not personally benchmarked all five laptops in this guide.
Our recommendations combine manufacturer specifications, current configurations and pricing, independent testing from established laptop reviewers, and our own judgment about which type of buyer each machine makes sense for.
When we discuss someone else’s benchmark or battery test, we treat it as their test rather than pretending it happened in our office.
Best Laptops in 2026 at a Glance
| Laptop | Our Pick | Best For | Main Trade-Off |
|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air M5 | Best Overall | Most everyday users | Limited upgrades; not gaming-first |
| Dell 14S | Best Windows Productivity | Work and battery life | Weak gaming on lower configs |
| MacBook Pro 14 M5 | Best for Creators | Video, photo, demanding work | Expensive |
| Surface Laptop 13 | Best Thin Windows Alternative | Mobility and office work | New model launches Oct. 13 |
| Acer Swift 16 AI | Best Large-Screen Windows | Multitasking, media, light gaming | 16-inch size isn’t ultra-portable |
The 5 Best Laptops We’re Recommending in 2026
Apple MacBook Air M5
The MacBook Air M5 is the laptop we’d recommend first to the broadest group of buyers in 2026. It’s light, fast, quiet, and powerful enough for far more than email and web browsing.
The 13-inch model weighs about 2.7 pounds and starts with 16GB of unified memory and a 512GB SSD. Apple also added Wi-Fi 7, while the fanless Air design remains one of its biggest everyday advantages.
This isn’t just our call. Major independent laptop reviewers continue to rank the M5 Air at or near the top of their current recommendations.
Who should buy it?
Students, writers, business users, travelers, creators doing moderate photo or video work, and anyone who wants a premium laptop without moving into MacBook Pro pricing.
Who should skip it?
Skip it if PC gaming is a major priority, you need Windows-only software, or you want hardware you can upgrade and modify later.
Check MacBook Air M5 on AmazonDell 14S
If you’d rather stay in Windows, the Dell 14S is one of the more interesting productivity laptops this year.
What really separates it is battery life. In PCWorld’s testing, one Core Ultra 7 configuration lasted nearly 36 hours in an offline video playback test. That’s a test result from PCWorld, not ours, and real-world runtime will change with brightness, Wi-Fi use, applications, and configuration.
Dell offers several 14S configurations, including OLED displays and newer Intel Core Ultra processors. That flexibility is useful, but it also means you need to pay attention to the exact machine you’re buying.
Who should buy it?
Windows users who spend most of their day in browsers, office applications, meetings, email, spreadsheets, and general business software.
Who should skip it?
Gamers should be careful. Some lower-end 14S configurations rely on relatively modest integrated graphics, and this isn’t the machine we’d buy primarily for AAA games.
Check Dell Laptop Options on AmazonApple MacBook Pro 14-inch M5
The MacBook Air is enough computer for most people. The MacBook Pro is what I’d look at when the workload starts becoming the reason you’re buying the laptop.
Video editing, large photo libraries, development work, audio production, 3D workloads, and other sustained tasks are where the Pro line makes more sense.
The current 14-inch family can be configured with M5, M5 Pro, or M5 Max silicon and includes the Liquid Retina XDR display, more ports, and considerably higher performance ceilings than the Air.
Who should buy it?
Creators and professionals who can actually use the additional performance. If rendering or exporting faster saves you time every week, paying more can make sense.
Who should skip it?
If most of your day is Chrome, email, documents, streaming, and light editing, you’re probably paying for performance you won’t use. Get the Air instead.
Check MacBook Pro Options on AmazonMicrosoft Surface Laptop 13-inch
Microsoft’s refreshed 13-inch Surface Laptop is one of the newest machines on this list. The second-generation model uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Plus processor and is scheduled for release on October 13, 2026.
That timing makes this recommendation slightly different from the others: we’re highlighting an announced upcoming machine rather than pretending we’ve had months of real-world data on it.
On paper, it’s a compelling alternative for someone who likes the thin-and-light philosophy of the MacBook Air but wants Windows instead.
Who should buy it?
Mobile Windows users who prioritize portability, office work, web applications, meetings, and battery efficiency.
Who should wait?
Because this Snapdragon X2 Plus model hasn’t shipped yet, buyers with specialized Windows applications or gaming requirements may want to wait for broader independent compatibility testing.
Check Surface Laptop Options on AmazonAcer Swift 16 AI
The Acer Swift 16 AI is the wildcard in this group, and that’s exactly why I like having it here.
PCWorld currently ranks the Panther Lake Swift 16 AI as its best laptop overall. A tested configuration combines an Intel Core Ultra X7 358H processor, 32GB of memory, a 1TB PCIe Gen5 SSD, and a 16-inch 2880 × 1800 OLED touchscreen running at up to 120Hz.
Acer’s newer configurations also use Intel Arc B390 integrated graphics. That doesn’t turn the Swift into an RTX gaming laptop, but it makes this a much more interesting all-rounder for someone who wants a large OLED display, productivity performance, content creation, and some casual gaming.
Who should buy it?
Windows buyers who want more screen space without moving into a bulky workstation or dedicated gaming machine.
Who should skip it?
Frequent travelers may prefer a 13- or 14-inch machine, and serious gamers should still prioritize a laptop with dedicated graphics.
Check Acer Swift Options on AmazonWhat About Gaming?
This is one area where my PC bias definitely comes back.
Macs can run games, and Apple silicon has become dramatically more capable, but there’s still a real difference between being able to game on a laptop and buying a laptop specifically for gaming.
If gaming is your #1 priority
Don’t buy one of these five simply because it ranked highly as an everyday laptop. Look for a dedicated gaming system with an Nvidia GeForce or AMD Radeon discrete GPU, adequate cooling, upgradeable storage where possible, and a high-refresh-rate display.
Of our five picks, the Acer Swift 16 AI is probably the most interesting Windows compromise for productivity plus lighter gaming. The MacBook Pro also has substantial graphics performance, but game availability and platform compatibility still matter.
MacBook Air M5 vs. Windows Laptop: Which Would I Choose?
For my own desktop, I’m still a PC guy. I like the ecosystem, the gaming options, and the freedom to choose components and upgrade a machine.
A laptop changes the equation.
With a laptop, I care more about battery life, weight, heat, noise, build quality, and how well the whole package works together. That’s exactly where the MacBook Air becomes difficult to dismiss, even for somebody who grew up on PCs.
Choose MacBook Air M5 if…
- You want maximum portability
- You value silence and battery life
- You already use Apple devices
- You don’t care about internal upgrades
- Gaming isn’t your main reason for buying
Choose Windows if…
- You prefer the Windows ecosystem
- You rely on Windows-specific software
- PC gaming matters
- You want more hardware choices
- You prefer more control over your computer
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best laptop in 2026?
For most people, our pick is the MacBook Air M5 because it combines performance, portability, battery life, build quality, and a strong base configuration. Windows users should also look closely at the Acer Swift 16 AI and Dell 14S.
What is the best Windows laptop in 2026?
The answer depends on what you value. We like the Dell 14S for productivity and battery life and the Acer Swift 16 AI for buyers who want a larger OLED display and stronger all-around performance.
What is the best laptop for creators?
The 14-inch MacBook Pro M5 is our pick for creators who regularly work with demanding video, photo, audio, development, or other professional applications. Lighter creative work doesn’t necessarily justify the extra cost over a MacBook Air.
Is the MacBook Air M5 good for gaming?
It can run compatible games and its M5 graphics are substantially more capable than older thin-and-light laptops, but we would not buy the MacBook Air primarily as a gaming machine. A dedicated Windows gaming laptop remains the safer choice for a large PC game library.
Should I buy a laptop or desktop?
A desktop still wins for upgradeability, cooling, component choice, and high-end gaming value. A laptop wins on versatility. If you regularly move between rooms, work away from home, travel, or simply want one computer you can take anywhere, today’s laptops make far fewer compromises than they used to.
Which One Would We Buy?
If I had to recommend one laptop to the largest number of people, I’d start with the MacBook Air M5. That’s coming from someone who’s spent far more of his life around PCs than Macs.
But I wouldn’t automatically tell a PC owner to switch.
The Dell 14S makes more sense if battery life and Windows productivity come first. The MacBook Pro earns its price when creative work is actually demanding. The new Surface Laptop is worth watching if you want an ultra-portable Windows machine. And the Acer Swift 16 AI may be the most interesting choice for someone who wants a big OLED screen and a little bit of everything.
The best laptop isn’t the one with the longest specification sheet. It’s the one that fits the way you actually use a computer.
Compare Before You Buy
Laptop prices and configurations move quickly. Check the exact processor, memory, storage, display, and model number before ordering rather than choosing by product name alone.