The best 13-inch laptops offer the perfect balance between power and portability. With a compact form factor but not compromising on capabilities, these laptops leverage the latest internal components to provide better performance, longer battery life, and top-notch build quality.
We've tested hundreds of 13-inch laptops over the years here at TechRadar, with our computing experts putting them through their paces to really see what they can do. And now, we're here to help you find the right one for you by gathering the best of them in one spot - featuring excellent laptops like the M3 MacBook Air 13-inch, which is not only among the best laptops on the market but can also give the best 15-inch laptops a run for their money.
Whether it is a student laptop you need or the best business notebook, you'll find the best 13-inch laptop for you here. Don’t forget to take a look at our included price comparison tool to find the best laptop deals right now.
The MacBook Air was already one of the best laptops in the world, and its recent specs bump thanks to Apple's new M3 chip only made it better. Not only that, but it does away with the price hike seen with the M2 model, and offers a greater generational performance leap from M2 compared to the M1-M2 transition.
The base specifications are a little lackluster (256GB of storage doesn't cut it these days, Apple), but if you're willing to shell out a little more to upgrade to the 16GB RAM/512GB SSD model or better, you're getting an incredible laptop with a stylish and lightweight chassis.
Of course, the signature fanless design of the MacBook Air returns, meaning this laptop chewed through our review testing process in total silence, and thanks to the M3's excellent thermal efficiency the Air didn't even get that warm when we tried playing games on it - something this MacBook can actually do now! The trademark Liquid Retina display looks fantastic too, whether you're gaming, watching videos, or even just browsing the web. This is basically the best 13-inch laptop money can buy right now - so unless you're a strict Windows user, snap this MacBook up.
Read our full MacBook Air 13-inch (M3) review
The second-generation HP Elite Dragonfly ups the ante in the best 13-inch laptops game. HP’s impressive business laptop is back with its smart design, great battery life, and 2-in-1 prowess. Of course, it’s more powerful now than it’s ever been, touting 11th-gen Intel Core chips, Intel Iris Xe graphics, and now a 4K display, upgrading from its previous Full HD models. There’s a lot to love here, and it might just be as close to being the perfect business laptop as any manufacturer can get. If you can afford it. However, as it is meant for professionals, it’s definitely worth the investment.
Read the full review: HP Elite Dragonfly G2
While Apple blew us away with the new MacBook Air (above), arch rival Microsoft has also impressed us with its new Surface Laptop 4. As with previous Surface devices, build quality and design is absolutely top-notch here, and its gorgeous PixelSense touchscreen really sets it apart from the competition (a touchscreen is something we've yet to see on an Apple laptop, as Microsoft likes to remind us). It also comes with a brilliant keyboard that's a joy to type on, and some pretty great specs as well, which ensures that Windows 10, and all your favorite apps, run extremely well. Battery life is also very impressive – lasting over 13 hours in our tests – and the price is impressively competitive as well.
Read the full review: Microsoft Surface Laptop 4
Since the launch of its M3 sibling (seen in the current top spot of this guide!), the 2022 MacBook Air has become a bit cheaper - but it's still a fantastic choice for anyone who wants a macOS device that won't break the bank. In fact, it's still plenty powerful, even delivering on par single-core performance with the MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) during our benchmark tests.
We found its performance was exceptional throughout testing, tackling 4K video editing and music production workflows fast and in silence (thanks to its fanless design). Meanwhile, its battery life received a 5-hour uptick, giving it 16 hours of use on a single charge, while its screen is bigger and its design is better.
We may not have gotten those full colors that the iMac 24-inch is sporting, but you’re getting a far more modern design here. It’s even thinner and smaller while offering a bigger screen size.
Read our full MacBook Air (M2, 2022) review
The Samsung Galaxy Book Pro may not be reinventing the wheel but that’s okay. It’s a great, if somewhat unexciting, 13-inch portable that rivals the MacBook in a lot of ways. It’s not only very light and provides great day-to-day performance, but has the kind of battery life most other laptops aspire to, making this the ideal kind of laptop to take on the road. On top of that, it’s a fully featured machine that integrates well with Samsung devices, such as the company’s smartphones for an Apple-like ecosystem.
Read the full review: Samsung Galaxy Book Pro
The flagship HP Spectre x360 (2021) is the newest in the flagship product line and continues the tradition of pairing elegance and premium design with the newest in specs for a 2-in-1 laptop that’s as much substance as it is style. This gorgeous Windows laptop comes with the new 11th-gen Intel CPU and enough battery life to get you through a long day at work. While it does come with a price tag to match and its 2-in-1 factor can be bulky for those making use of its tablet mode, not to mention that it can get loud, it’s a stunning laptop with excellent performance.
Read the full review: HP Spectre x360 (2021)
If you’ve long been admiring Google’s premium Chromebook but the price is holding you back, then you might want to consider the new Google Pixelbook Go instead. Freshly-baked by Google, this alternative to the manufacturer’s pricey Pixelbook boasts many of its high-quality features, but without that steep price tag – namely, an incredible battery life and that coveted keyboard. If your computing use is limited to sending and responding to emails, creating documents and excel sheets on Google Docs and Sheets, and streaming movies and videos after work, then this one’s a winner.
Read the full review: Google Pixelbook Go
It's hard to fault the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) despite the fact it hasn't arrived with any new design updates. After all, the M1 version was already pretty impressive, and this M2-powered model kicks things up a notch with more power and longer battery life.
So, while this model looks pretty much like its predecessor, it's a much better choice if you want the most powerful 13-inch MacBook. Our testing shows that it's achieved better performance in both single and multi-core CPU tests, making it a much more capable multitasking machine than the M1 and and Surface Laptop 4. It also lasted almost two hours longer than the M1 MacBook Pro 13-inch in our battery life test. This is right for you if you're looking for the best 13-inch laptop that lasts longer and juggles different apps without breaking a sweat.
Read our in-depth MacBook Pro 13-inch (M2, 2022) review
At this point, we doubt that the Dell XPS line can do anything wrong. Its yearly updates have consistently made it to our best laptops list, and they’re only getting better. The Dell XPS 13 (2020) is not only a gorgeous piece of kit. It also comes, as expected, with excellent performance, a stunning display and long battery life, alongside a few others. Much like its predecessor, it’s a pricey investment – but that is barely reason enough for us to discourage Ultrabook fans. This is among the best 13-inch laptops, and it’s worth every penny.
Read the full review: Dell XPS 13 (2020)
With the Lenovo Yoga C940, the company continues with its tradition of making elegant and stunning Ultrabooks. And, don't be thrown off by its looks, there's plenty of power hiding inside. With a comfortable keyboard, stylus, TrueBlock Privacy Shutter and rotating soundbar, it's quite a feature rich machine as well. It's not perfect - that soundbar is a work in progress and the battery life could be better - but it's a great portable that can stand up to the competition.
Read the full review: Lenovo Yoga C940
