Labor Day laptop sales 2025: best early deals and what to expect next month

Collage of laptops on a white background including Apple MacBooks, HP Chromebooks, Lenovo laptops, Dell laptops and more
(Image credit: Future)

This year's Labor Day laptop sales are quickly approaching now and we're already starting to see excellent deals at major retailers. Best Buy, Dell, and a few others have excellent 'back-to-school' sales that are absolutely worth checking out if you're looking to get a cheap laptop ahead of September.

Both the back-to-school sales and Labor Day sales are great for laptop deals. They sit half-way between Amazon Prime Day in July and Black Friday in November, so we usually see plenty of options at major retailers.

This week, you can get record-low prices on Apple MacBooks, plenty of excellent cheap Windows machines at Dell, and some superb gaming laptop deals at Best Buy. We've laid out this week's best early deals just down below - and we'll have plenty more as we head through to September, so don't hesitate to bookmark and revisit.

If you're planning to do more shopping over the holiday then do check out our main Labor Day sales page. This comprehensive hub page covers deals on everything from TVs and headphones to appliances and mattresses. Consider it your one-stop shop for all of this event's top bargains.

Today's best laptop sales ahead of Labor Day

Dell 15 laptop
Dell 15 laptop: was $379.99 now $299.49 at Dell

Processor: AMD Ryzen 3-7320U
RAM: 8GB DDR5
Storage: 512GB SSD

If you're looking for a cheap machine to handle the basics, then this Dell 15 laptop is almost unbelievably affordable thanks to the Dell Back to School sale this week. Although it's only got a combination of a Ryzen 3 chipset and 8GB of RAM, these should suffice if you're just looking to do simple tasks like browsing, answering emails, or streaming content.

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Dell Inspiron 14
Dell Inspiron 14: was $849.99 now $599.99 at Dell

Processor: Intel Core 7-150U
RAM: 16GB DDR5
Storage: 1TB SSD

If you want a relatively small laptop on a budget, the Dell Inspiron 14 is a fantastic choice. While it's a little pricier than some options, the combination of an Intel Core 7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB SSD makes this one great for even relatively demanding applications. At 14-inches, it's also much more portable than some 16-inch and bigger options.

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Dell XPS 13
Dell XPS 13: was $1,199.99 now $749.99 at Dell

Processor: Snapdragon X Elite
RAM: 16GB DDR5
Storage: 512GB SSD

Dell's XPS 13 laptops are always worth keeping an eye out for during official sales for deals just like this fantastic clearance deal on the entry-level Snapdragon model. At just $749, this one is an absolute steal considering you get great performance, a 512GB SSD, and almost unbeatable battery life out of this model. Note, however, it does lack the Thunderbolt 4 ports that are exclusive to Intel versions.

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Dell 14 Plus
Dell 14 Plus: was $1,249.99 now $849.99 at Dell

Processor: Intel Core Ultra 7-258V
RAM: 32GB DDR5
Storage: 1TB SSD

The Dell 14 Plus is one of our favorite mid-range Windows laptops thanks to its excellent design and competitive specs. This particular configuration is a bit on the pricey end, but you do get an Ultra 7 chipset, 32GB of RAM, and a 2.5K display, meaning it's absolutely stacked with features. If I were looking for a decent everyday laptop for everything from work to demanding productivity applications, then I'd be very tempted by this deal.

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Apple MacBook Air M1
Apple MacBook Air M1: was $999 now $599 at Walmart

Display - 13.3 inches
Processor - Apple M1
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB

The cheapest MacBook you can buy is exclusively available at Walmart. You can get the Apple MacBook Air M1 for just $599. Not only is this an outstanding price for such a powerful laptop that still holds up great for 2025, but this could be the last chance to pick one up now that it's officially discontinued. Don't miss this incredible deal if you're looking for a great bang for the buck MacBook.

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Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022)
Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022): was $799 now $699 at Best Buy

Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

Newer M3 and M4 models are now available, but this is an incredible price for the 13-inch MacBook Air with an M2 chip. While it's an older version, this is still an incredibly powerful laptop for those who need a premium powerhouse for school, productivity, coding, or creative work. We highly rated it in our MacBook Air M2 review, thanks to its stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long 18-hour battery life.

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Apple MacBook Air M4, 13-inch
Apple MacBook Air M4, 13-inch: was $999 now $799 at Amazon

Processor: Apple M4
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 256GB

Amazon has a $200 discount on the latest MacBook Air - a fantastic deal if you're looking for an everyday laptop. While this particular model is a relatively iterative upgrade over the previous 2024 M3 version, it remains more powerful and more power-efficient, and features 16GB of RAM right out of the box. Overall, it's an excellent purchase for students looking to upgrade to a MacBook laptop.

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Apple MacBook Air M4, 15-inch
Apple MacBook Air M4, 15-inch: was $1,199 now $999 at Amazon

Processor - Apple M4
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 256GB

It may essentially be just a larger version of the MacBook Air 13-inch, but if that's what you want, then that's what you get – and it's now reduced to its lowest-ever price on Amazon. Our MacBook Air 15-inch review praised the display, performance, design and speaker array, although we did think the jump in size hurt one of the MacBook Air's key selling points – its portability. Nevertheless, this is still an impressive and powerful laptop.

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Asus TUF Gaming A16
Asus TUF Gaming A16: was $1,699.99 now $1,349.99 at Best Buy

Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9
RAM: 32GB DDR5 RAM
Storage: 1TB SSD

This Asus TUF is one of the cheapest gaming laptops I've ever seen to carry the latest RTX 5070 graphics card. That alone should get you superb performance, but this machine also features an AMD Ryzen 9 chipset and 32GB of RAM. That means no glaring upgrades are needed to get great gaming and productivity performance right out of the box.

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Gigabyte Aero X16
Gigabyte Aero X16: was $1,649.99 now $1,499.99 at Best Buy

Graphics card: RTX 5070
Processor: AMD Ryzen Al 7 350
RAM: 32GB DDR5 RAM
Storage: 1TB SSD

The Gigabyte Aero X16 is a new model that we haven't tested, but it looks to be a fantastic premium RTX 5070 gaming laptop. Specs-wise, it's not quite as strong as the Asus above, but you get a thin, lightweight design with premium build quality and an excellent 1600p display.

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Asus ROG Strix G16
Asus ROG Strix G16: was $1,999.99 now $1,549.99 at Best Buy

Graphics card: RTX 5070 Ti
Processor: AMD Ryzen 9 HX
RAM: 16GB DDR5 RAM
Storage: 1TB SSD

The Asus G16 is one of our favorite higher-end gaming laptops, and Best Buy has a great price on this RTX 5070 Ti configuration right now. With a Ryzen 9 chipset, this machine melds superb performance with a beautiful premium design. The only downside? This machine only comes with 16GB of RAM, which is a relatively easy DIY upgrade, to be fair – especially with this machine's new toolless design.

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Labor Day laptop sales 2025: FAQ

When do Labor Day laptop sales start?

Labor Day falls on Monday, September 1st for 2025 but we expect plenty of laptop sales to be available before that date. Not only do retailers generally start their retail events a few days early, but we're also in prime 'back-to-school' sales season right now.

A lot of retailers will be looking to cash-in before college and school students head back in September so there should be plenty to check out in the run-up to the big day itself. We'll be sure to include any decent early deals right here on this page.

Is Labor Day a good time to buy a laptop?

Laptop sales tend to be best around Black Friday in late-November and Amazon Prime Day in mid-July but Labor Day is an important mid-point between those two events. You can definitely expect good laptop deals at the major retailers like Best Buy, Dell, and HP, as well as sales on other categories like appliances, TVs, headphones, and much more. If you're interested in seeing last year's best sales, then we've preserved a number of them just down below.

Last year's best Labor Day laptop sales

  • Amazon: cheap laptops starting at $169.99
  • Apple: students get a $150 gift card with MacBooks
  • Best Buy: save up to $500
  • Dell: up to $700 off Inspiron and XPS
  • HP: up to 75% off latest laptops
  • Walmart: Apple MacBook from $649
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Acer Chromebook 315: was $199 now $149 at Best Buy
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel Celeron N4020
RAM - 4GB
Storage - 64GB
OS - ChromeOS

This Acer Chromebook 315 is a basic device but it's ridiculously cheap, making it a great buy for light use such as general browsing and schoolwork. It also boasts full-day battery life thanks to the lean but perfectly functional Chrome OS from Google, meaning it's best suited for students or those always on the move. If you have around $150 to spend and need a cheap laptop then you won't find a better option right now.

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Acer Chromebook Plus 515: was $499 now $279 at Best Buy
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel i3
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 128GB
OS - ChromeOS

This Acer Chromebook Plus is great value for money if you need a basic everyday device but don't want to compromise too heavily on performance like you would with a sub-$200 laptop. An Intel i3 processor and 8GB of RAM is a decent pairing with the lightweight ChromeOS, so it's capable of general tasks and light use, such as web browsing, sending emails, word processing and watching videos. Just be aware it's missing some advanced features of a Windows machine and has limited storage, but benefits include better performance with cheaper components and excellent battery life.

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Dell Inspiron 15: was $379.99 now $329.99 at Dell
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel i5
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

If you want a cheaper Windows option then this configuration of the Dell Inspiron 15 is an excellent buy and terrific value for money. You get an Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and a large 512GB SSD to ensure good overall performance and lots of speedy storage for the price. It's a top buy right now if you're on a budget and need a laptop for general everyday use, admin tasks and light work or schoolwork.

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Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5: $499$369 at Best BuyDisplayProcessorRAMStorageOS

Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5: was $499 now $369 at Best Buy
Display - 13.3 inches
Processor - Snapdragon 7c Gen 2
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - ChromeOS

We're big fans of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet at TechRadar so definitely want to share this significant $130 reduction on the flexible 13.3-inch laptop. In our very positive Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 review, we thought it offered an excellent balance between tablet portability and Chromebook flexibility. This version boasts a crisp OLED touchscreen display, 8GB of RAM for good performance and a healthy 256GB of storage. Plus, the day-long battery life, slim form factor and handy keyboard cover case are a huge boost for those who are always on the go, making it one of the best Chromebooks for students.

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Dell Inspiron 15: was $699.99 now $499.99 at Dell
Display - 15.6 inches
Processor - Intel i7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 1TB
OS - Windows 11

Dell's latest set of laptop deals feature this slightly older but excellent value all-around device. With an Intel i7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a large 1TB, it's a terrific buy if you have a reasonable budget and need a device that will comfortably handle your day-to-day computing jobs and general work. Expect solid performance, good multitasking capabilities, and speedy load times, but be aware of the bulky 15.6-inch size and battery life of around 6-8 hours that hamper its portability. Altogether, though, this is an impressive laptop for the price.

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HP Victus 15: was $879.99 now $529.99 at Best Buy
Display: 15.6 inches
Processor: Intel Core i5-12450H
Graphic card: Nvidia Geforce RTX 3050
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

If you're looking for a budget gaming laptop to cover the basics, then you'll find plenty of value with this super-cheap HP Victus at Best Buy. As the price suggests, this one is appropriate for basic 1080p gaming only but you might just be surprised at how many titles this HP will be able to play as long as you're willing to tweak a few graphical settings here and there. Don't expect to run all the latest games at Ultra settings, however.

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HP Envy 2-in-1: was $1,049.99 now $599.99 at Best Buy
Display: 14 inches
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-8840HS
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB
OS: Windows 11

This HP has the distinct advantage of being a 2-in-1 laptop, meaning you can fold it into a tablet if you want to make use of its handy touchscreen. Specs-wise, this machine is also extremely strong for the money, featuring one of the latest Ryzen 7 chips, 16GB of RAM, and an expansive 1TB SSD. When it comes to versatility and power, this one is a strong option if you're looking for a mid-range Windows machine.

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Apple MacBook Air M1 (2020): was $999 now $649 at Walmart
Display - 13 inches
Processor - Apple M1
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - MacOS

Walmart is offering the MacBook Air M1 for a new record-low price of $649, which is a steal for the device that sat atop our best laptop guide for many months. It may be a little dated now but this is still a powerful Apple device that holds up well in 2024. It can handle the computing needs of most users: be that work, browsing, video calls and even some creative tasks such as video and photo editing. Just be aware that Apple has ceased production on this model, so while it's still being supported, it may be your last chance to snag one of the best laptop deals ever before it disappears from the digital shelves for good.

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Dell Inspiron 14 (2-in-1): was $949.99 now $649.99 at Dell
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

History shows that 2-in-1 laptops usually cost a premium so the fact that this new and high-performance model has a $300 discount is not to be ignored. Specifically, this Dell Inspiron 14 has a powerful Intel Core 7 processor and 16GB of RAM for excellent overall performance, as well as a large 512GB SSD for storage. Altogether, that's a lot of power in a flexible machine that makes it great for all your computing needs, plus the tablet mode is ideal for doodlers, watching videos, or lazily browsing.

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Acer Nitro V 15: was $779.99 now $649.99 at Amazon
Display: 15.6 inches
Processor: Intel Core i5-13420H
Graphic card: Nvidia Geforce RTX 4050
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

Though this is definitely a budget gaming laptop with 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space, it still comes with the excellent RTX 4050 GPU and a solid 13th-Gen Intel Core CPU. Its display features a snappy 144Hz refresh rate as well.

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Dell Inspiron 16: was $999.99 now $699.99 at Dell
Display: 16 inches
Processor: Intel Core 7 processor 150U
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 1TB
OS: Windows 11

Moving up in price a bit gets you this Dell Inspiron 16 with a slightly larger display and a newer chipset. Again, though, this is a solid mid-range option with plenty of power for nearly every task you could imagine, save intensive gaming applications. Overall, the Inspiron 15 above is a little bit better value than this particular listing but the 16-inch model could be a good option if you want that bigger display and a slightly flashier looking design.

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MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022): $999$799 at AmazonDisplayProcessorRAMStorageOS

MacBook Air 13-inch (M2, 2022): was $999 now $799 at Amazon
Display - 13.6 inches
Processor - Apple M2
RAM - 8GB
Storage - 256GB
OS - macOS

Amazon has the MacBook Air M2 for its lowest-ever price right now. Even though a newer M3 version is available, we concluded that this is still one of the best laptops you can buy in our MacBook Air M2 review, thanks to the stylish design, clear display, impressive performance, and long 18-hour battery life. For those needing a premium powerhouse for creative apps such as photo editing, video editing and more intense workloads, this is worth the investment.

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Lenovo LOQ gaming laptop: was $999 now $799 at Best Buy
Display: 15.6-inch
Processor: AMD Ryzen 7-7435HS
Graphics card: RTX 4060
RAM: 16GB
SSD: 512GB

$799 is a great price to pay for an RTX 4060 gaming laptop, especially one that's also featuring a decent Ryzen 7 chipset, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD like this Lenovo LOQ. For sheer bang for the buck, it's really hard to beat this one right now as long as you're happy with playing games at 1080p resolution.

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MacBook Air 13-inch (M3): $1,099$899 at AmazonDisplay:Processor:RAM:Storage:OS:

MacBook Air 13-inch (M3): was $1,099 now $899 at Amazon
Display: 13 inches
Processor: Apple M1
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 256GB
OS: MacOS

The latest MacBook Air is down to $899 at Amazon – that's just $50 more than the historic low price. The brand-new model was released earlier this year and runs on the powerful M3 chipset, making it a great buy for creatives and anyone after a high-end device. Our five-star MacBook Air 13-inch M3 review praised its excellent performance, lengthy 18 hours of battery life and slick fan-less design. We think it's the best laptop you can buy right now if you've got a decent budget for a portable and powerful machine.

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MSI Cyborg 14: was $1,099.99 now $899.99 at Best Buy
Display: 14 inches
Processor: Intel Core i7-13620H
Graphic card: Nvidia Geforce RTX 4060
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 512GB

Looking for a lightweight gaming laptop you can take anywhere? This MSI Cyborg is a rare example of a smaller 14-inch machine that still manages to pack-in some respectable specs for the price. The combination of a Core i7 and RTX 4060 are going to set you up great for 1080p gaming, although you'll want to upgrade the RAM to 16GB if you want to get the most out of this machine.

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Dell Inspiron 16 Plus: was $1,099.99 now $899.99 at Dell
Display - 16 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 9
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

If display size is important to you, then you can upgrade to this brand-new Dell Inspiron 16 Plus, which sports a 16-inch screen and one of the latest high-end Intel Core Ultra 9 processors. You also get a generous 16GB of RAM and a decent 512GB SSD for storage, making it a powerful device that will handle anything you throw at it, though you do sacrifice portability with the larger chassis. That's likely worth it, though, if you need the extra screen real estate and high-performance components for more advanced workloads and creative tasks.

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Dell XPS 13: $1,299$999.99 at DellDisplayProcessorRAMStorageOS

Dell XPS 13: was $1,299 now $999.99 at Dell
Display - 13.4 inches
Processor - Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

This is the biggest discount yet on one of the brand-new Dell XPS 13 models. As a Copilot Plus PC, it comes with one of the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processors that boast fantastic all-around performance and exceptional battery life of around 17 hours. These are things we called out as the main positives in our Dell XPS 13 review, alongside the gorgeous OLED display and sleek overall design. It's a high-end premium device for users who need speed, performance, and responsiveness for coding, multitasking, and creative tasks.

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Dell XPS 14: $1,499$1,199 at DellDisplayProcessorRAMStorageOS

Dell XPS 14: was $1,499 now $1,199 at Dell
Display - 14 inches
Processor - Intel Core Ultra 7
RAM - 16GB
Storage - 512GB
OS - Windows 11

Here's an awesome high-end laptop deal in the Dell Labor Day sale: one of the newest and well-built XPS 14 devices is a healthy $300 off, bringing it back down to the record-low price we last saw in July. This is a great offer for a stylish and stunning 2024 machine that we awarded 4.5 out of five in our Dell XPS 14 review. This baseline configuration features a powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD that will comfortably handle the majority of your computing needs.

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Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 Gaming Laptop: was $1,599.99 now $1,199.99 at Best Buy
Display: 16-inches
Processor: Intel Core i7
Graphics card: RTX 4070
RAM: 16GB
Storage: 512GB

The Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 is the 16-inch version of Asus' slimmest gaming laptop. It comes equipped with a 13th-generation Intel core and RTX 4070, Nvidia's latest mid-range graphics card. That, plus its 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage space, make it a respectable option for anyone looking for their first gaming laptop or for those looking to trade in an older machine for something more futureproof.

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Acer Predator Helios Neo 18: was $1,999.99 now $1,699.99 at Amazon
Display: 18 inches
Processor: Intel Core i9-14900HX
Graphics card: Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070
RAM: 32GB
Storage: 1TB

This is a high-end gaming laptop with some shiny new specs ready to handle any game sent its way. It has an Intel Core i9-14900HX CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. It also features a 240Hz refresh rate and is G-Sync compatible.

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After more deals from the event? We've got a hub that will track all the best Labor Day TV sales across 4K, OLED and budget-friendly TVs. Plus, our Labor Day appliance sales guide brings you a wide range of discounts on refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, as well as low prices for lots of smaller items including coffee makers, vacuums, air fryers, and more.

Alex Whitelock
Deals Editor

Alex is TechRadar's deals editor, specializing in getting our readers the best bang for the buck on the tech that we know and love. He's a dab hand at covering retailer events like Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day having over seven years of e-commerce experience at Future PLC; including bylines at our sister sites T3 and GamesRadar. Alex's expertise touches on most areas of TechRadar but he has a particular love for phones, laptops, and cameras, being an avid photographer. Outside of work, you'll find him indulging his love for street and travel photography, at home working on music, or down at the local climbing gym.

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