The best laptop deals you can get right now

If you want a great laptop, you’re going to have to spend a lot of money, right? Not necessary. There are dozens of good laptops on the market in different price ranges. While it can be overwhelming to find the right one for your needs (some are better suited to students, say, while others are ideal for gamers), we’ve put together this list of some of the best laptop deals available right now.

In addition to the latest deals, we share the best features (and drawbacks) of each discounted model to give you more clarity on your shopping journey. And if you need to do more research, you can also check out our guides to the best laptops on the market and the best cheap laptops.

Photo by Vjeran Pavic / The Verge

We consider the latest MacBook Air with Apple’s M2 processor to be the best laptop for most people, one that offers all-day battery life and a combination of features that should be more than adequate for the average user. Plus, Apple’s new MacBook is powerful enough to handle even light gaming and even demanding photo and video editing apps like Photoshop and Adobe Premiere. It’s also faster than its predecessor thanks to Apple’s new M2 chip and offers a 1080p webcam, which is a welcome improvement given the disappointing camera on the 2020 M1 model. It’s much lighter and thus more portable, but it retains features like MagSafe charging and Touch ID, as well as a nice screen.

While it’s a great laptop overall, there’s one key area where Apple’s M1 model is better: storage. The base M2 MacBook Air with 256GB of storage is actually slower than its predecessor because it’s stored in a single NAND chip. Also keep in mind that the port selection isn’t great, and the included display notch — also found on both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros — can make using the menu bar more of a challenge.

If that doesn’t bother you though, we’re currently seeing the first ever discount on the new MacBook, which launched just a month ago. At present, you can buy the “starlight” model at Amazon and B&H Photo with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, an eight-core CPU, and a 30W power brick for $1,099, a $100 discount.

MacBook Air with M2

The redesigned MacBook Air is a thin and lightweight device powered by Apple’s latest processor. The M2 model also has a 1080p webcam and a better display than its predecessor, while retaining features such as long battery life and MagSafe charging.

For a cheaper alternative to our favorite laptop for most, check out the basic MacBook Air with the M1 chip, the best cheap laptop. Like its successor, it offers everything you need. It’s also faster than most Windows laptops at this price point, handling demanding photo and video editing apps like Photoshop and Adobe Premiere with finesse, especially when compared to its Intel-powered predecessors. Fortunately, all that power doesn’t come at the expense of battery life either. While not as good as the M2 model, we found it lasted between eight and 10 hours even when we played the game Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Not only does the laptop offer excellent performance, but it also has other useful features, including a comfortable keyboard and an excellent trackpad. Keep in mind that the 720p webcam isn’t particularly good, so if a high-resolution webcam is important to you, you may want to buy one separately. Also keep in mind that due to the limitations of the M1 chip you can only use one external display at a time and the port selection is also limited.

Right now you can buy the M1-powered MacBook Air with 8 GB RAM and 256 GB storage at Best Buy for $849.99 instead of $999. You can also pick up at Costco for the same priceif you are a Costco member, or in store at Micro Center for $829.

Right now, the MacBook Pro lineup consists of the newer 14- and 16-inch models released in late 2021 and the 13-inch MacBook Pro that just got an overhaul with the M2 processor in mid-2022.

The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is similar to the M2 MacBook Air, but is aimed at more demanding use. It is equipped with an M2 processor, unlike its predecessor, but still offers a fan and excellent performance that slightly exceeds the M2 Air. The battery – which we struggled to drain – remains one of the more impressive features, one that allows up to 18 hours of use on a single charge. Unfortunately, the laptop still suffers from the same outdated design (and Touch Bar) from 2016, as well as a mediocre 720p webcam. Plus, there’s no MagSafe charging and you only get a few USB-C ports.

Regularly $1,499.99, the M2-equipped MacBook Pro is currently on sale in the 512GB configuration at Best Buy for $1,299.99, the lowest price to date. If you need additional storage space, the 256GB model also dropped to just $1,149 ($150 off) at Best Buy.

On the other hand, the new 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros are equipped with faster M1 Pro processors, and you can go up to an M1 Max CPU if you want to spend more money for even faster performance. They also offer a nice selection of ports, including multiple Thunderbolt 4 ports and a MagSafe power connector. Whatever you get, these laptops offer incredible performance with some of the longest-lasting batteries we’ve tested yet.

Currently, the 14-inch, silver model is equipped with: 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage is $1,799 ($200 off) on Amazon. You can also save $300 when you buy the 14-inch model with 16 GB of RAM and a 1 TB SSD for $2,199 on Amazon. If you prefer the 16-inch model, you can: get it with 16GB RAM and a 512GB SSD for the same price ($300 off) at Amazon and Best Buy.

16-inch MacBook Pro with M1 Pro (2021, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

The new 16-inch MacBook Pro is a creative powerhouse equipped with Apple’s latest silicone. The 16-inch screen can be configured with the M1 Pro or the M1 Max and can be simultaneously loaned to up to three external screens and a 4K TV thanks to the sheer number of ports.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano is the lightest ThinkPad you can currently buy from Lenovo, yet offers great performance in a lightweight package. With its exceptional build quality, along with business security and management features, we think it’s particularly ideal for business travel. Other features we liked are the 16:10 display and physical privacy shutter for the webcam, although we wish there were more ports and less than average battery life. Right now Lenovo is selling the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano for $1,363.45 instead of $2,479 when you use promo code THINKCTODEAL1 and buy the model with 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of storage and an Intel Core i5 processor.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

Lenovo’s 14-inch Yoga 9i is our favorite laptop for multimedia entertainment. The convertible is equipped with fantastic speakers that deliver the best sound we’ve ever heard for a laptop of this size. It also comes with an excellent 1080p touchscreen and other perks, including a built-in stylus and an all-day battery. Keep in mind, though, that it comes with bloatware that can be a challenge to remove, and we found the 16:9 screen to be relatively cramped and dim.

Lenovo is currently purchasing hundreds of different configurations of the Yoga 9i. For example, right now you can buy the model equipped with 8GB RAM, 512GB storage and an Intel Core i5 processor for $1059.99 ($420 off) from Lenovo when you use promo code YOGA OFFER.

Photo by Monica Chin / The Verge

Need a Windows laptop that’s budget-friendly? HP’s Pavilion Aero 13 is an excellent choice. Weighing in at just 2.1 pounds, it’s lighter, thinner, and thus more portable than HP’s Envy x360 13, but still offers fast performance. Plus, unlike HP’s Envy x360 13, it offers a more vertically spacious 16:10 display that’s surprisingly bright for a laptop in this price range. The battery life is much better than HP’s Envy x360 13, although it unfortunately comes with bloatware, doesn’t feel quite as sturdy in design and the sound quality of the speakers isn’t very good.

You can currently buy the laptop equipped with 16 GB RAM and 512 GB storage for $679.99 instead of $889.99 from HP. Keep in mind that this model comes with AMD’s Ryzen 5 processor, which is less powerful than the model we tested.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

The Acer Aspire 5 is another budget-friendly laptop to consider. The 15.6-inch laptop doesn’t offer Thunderbolt support, but it does have a wide port selection, including one USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1, two USB 3.1 Gen 1, one USB 2.0, one HDMI 2.0, one Ethernet, and a power port . The affordable laptop also has a great backlit keyboard that’s comfortable to use and has sound quality that’s above its weight class.

There are of course compromises. Battery life is pretty poor — the Intel model we tested only lasted about five hours — and it’s packed with some bloatware. The touchpad can also be difficult to use, and the sheer width of the laptop means it can be a challenge to pack in a backpack. But if you just need a laptop that can get the job done, the Aspire 5 is the one now on sale at Amazon with 8GB RAM, 256GB storage and an AMD Ryzen 5 5500U processor for $448.50 instead of $495.23.