12 Laptops We’ve Tested and Love

It might not be as flashy as the hybrid tablet-laptop design that made Microsoft's Surface brand famous, but the new Surface Laptop 4 is everything a laptop should be: slim and lightweight with an excellent screen and keyboard.

Ports are one place where Surfaces skimp (like MacBooks), but you now get a USB-C port, along with a good old-fashioned USB-A port. It also has a magnetic charging port; if you're a klutz who trips over the power cord all the time, this can be a lifesaver. It severs the connection between the wall plug and the computer before the laptop goes flying across the room like a Frisbee.

The Surface Laptop 4 comes in 13- and 15-inch sizes. There are also AMD Ryzen chip and Intel chipsets available. If you're hoping to do some light gaming or video editing, I suggest the Ryzen. Either will be plenty powerful enough for working on documents, browsing the web, and checking email. One great change from its predecessor is the much-improved battery life. Microsoft is claiming upwards of 17 hours. My testing so far has been closer to 16, but that's still way more than enough for a full day of work.

Specs to look for: AMD Ryzen 5 or Intel Core i5, 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD

A cheaper Surface: If you don't need as much power and want something cheaper and lighter, I really like the Surface Laptop Go (7/10, WIRED Recommends). The small form factor is great for travel, and performance is good for the price. The downside is the low-resolution screen.