Tanmoy As much as smartphones have become the central tool for many aspects of our lives, there are some things you can only do on a PC. Even if smartphones have the power to do almost anything, some things are just more convenient on a laptop. To me, buying a new laptop is always an incredibly exciting experience (keep in mind, though, I’m a tech writer), and choosing the right one is incredibly important. It’s always hard to find the right balance of everything you want or need in a laptop. That’s why we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up the best laptops you can buy today, just in time for you to get your holiday shopping done.
There are a lot of factors that go into choosing the right laptop for you. Screen size, form factor, performance, and the overall design can all play a huge role in choosing the right fit for you. The choices we’ve rounded up cover a good range of use cases, and you’re sure to find something you like on this list. Let’s get right into it. Keep in mind, we’re mostly focused on Windows laptops on this list, but we also have a list of the best Macs if that’s what you’re looking for. Also, all the Windows laptops on this list either come with Windows 11 or support the upgrade, so you’ll be supported for the next few years.
Best overall: Lenovo Yoga 9i
flashier and premium-feeling look. The way these edges reflect light is a stark contrast to previous models, plus it makes it more comfortable to hold in your hand if you plan to carry it around. However, this new design does lose the space to carry the pen, which would have been nice for a convertible like this.
As for ports, it’s about what you might expect for a premium 14-inch laptop nowadays. You get three USB Type-C ports – two of which support Thunderbolt 4 – plus one USB Type-A port and a headphone jack. Sure, some might have wanted HDMI or more USB Type-A ports, but frankly, you won’t find that on a lot of premium laptops these days, unless they’re meant for business.
Al in all, the Lenovo Yoga 9i is easily one of the best laptops you can buy in 2022, even if it’s not perfect. You can buy it below.
Also great: MacBook Air
iffy. The new MacBook Air brings back MagSafe charging, and it now even supports fast charging at 67W, which is great. Plus, it keeps the two Thunderbolt ports and it has a headphone jack, which has also been upgraded to support high-impedance headphones, which is great news for audio enthusiasts. That’s still not a huge setup of ports, though, and what’s more, even if you use Thunderbolt, the MacBook Air doesn’t support more than one external display at a time. There are ways to do it with certain docks that use something called DisplayLink, but those are uncommon in comparison to Thunderbolt docks.
Still, we would guess that not everyone interested in the MacBook Air really plans to use more than one external display at the same time, and for everything else, this is a phenomenal laptop. It’s got great performance without sacrificing battery life, a sharp and bright display, a beautiful new design, and an upgraded webcam. There really isn’t a ton more you could ask for.
Best 13-inch laptop: Dell XPS 13 Plus (9320)
All of these modern elements culminate in one potential major downside, though – the port selection. The Dell XPS 13 Plus has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, and that’s it. If you want anything else, Dell does include a USB Type-C to Type-A adapter in the box, along with an optional Type-C to 3.5mm adapter if you want to use wired headphones. However, that’s not super convenient, and the number of ports just isn’t that good. More than any other laptop, this one probably calls for a Thunderbolt dock.
Despite a couple of downsides, though, the Dell XPS 13 Plus is one of the best laptops anyone can buy, particularly if you don’t want a convertible. You can buy it below if you’re interested.
Best 15/16-inch laptop: HP Spectre x360 16
Spectre x360 16 starts at 4.45lbs of weight, which is about what you’d expect for a convertible of this size.
Finally, in terms of ports, the Spectre x360 16 comes with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, one USB Type-A port, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. This is a solid setup that covers just about all basic needs you’ll have, so there isn’t much more you can ask for here.
All in all, the Spectre x360 16 is a fantastic convertible laptop in almost every way, and while its starting price may seem high, it’s definitely priced fairly considering everything you get in this package.
Best 17-inch laptop: Dell XPS 17 (9720)
last year’s model, which was pretty bad.
For connectivity, you have four Thunderbolt ports, with an adapter for USB Type-A and HDMI included in the box so you can still easily connect legacy peripherals and non-Thunderbolt monitors. It’s not amazing for a 17-inch laptop, but concessions have to be expected to get this compact design with this much performance.
The only downsides are that, once again, the minimal bezels make for a below-average webcam (though you do get facial recognition on this one), and even though it’s compact for a 17-inch laptop, it’s still a bit heavy. But this is still a phenomenal laptop, and one of the best ones out there.
