Our experts used the PerfectRec decision engine to comb through our laptop database and find the best small laptops available in 2024. Here are our top picks.
Our criteria for the best small laptops:
Screen Size: We limited the screen size to 13-14" to balance portability and size.
Portability: We placed some emphasis on weight because lighter laptops tend to be smaller.
To consider others factors, try the PerfectRec decision engine to get your personalized laptop recommendation
The ASUS Zenbook S 13 is a premium, lightweight laptop, making it highly portable and suitable for on-the-go use, especially with its long battery life. With a midrange price, you're getting solid build quality, a vivid OLED touchscreen, and excellent heat management. It has an Intel i7-1355U processor paired with 32GB RAM, which will handle general use very efficiently. Its Intel Iris Xe graphics are fine for casual gaming and moderate creative tasks, but might fall short for intensive 3D rendering or engineering software. The laptop offers a good selection of ports, including Thunderbolt 4, and a comfortable backlit keyboard, although it lacks an Ethernet port and an option for hardware upgrades due to having no available RAM or storage slots.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is priced in the upper midrange category and features a 13.6-inch IPS display, 512GB of storage, and 24GB of RAM, powered by the Apple M2 chip with a 10-core GPU. Its battery life is robust, allowing up to 15 hours of typical usage. The sleek design at just 0.44 inches thick and a weight of 2.7 pounds makes it highly portable. It runs MacOS and has a fanless design which ensures silent operation. The laptop does not cater to intensive gaming, but its high-quality build and strong performance are well-suited for general use and some creative tasks. The backlit keyboard adds comfort and the inclusion of a fingerprint reader ensures security. It does not feature a touchscreen, hardware ray tracing, or DLSS technology, but it supports USB-C charging and Thunderbolt connectivity.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is an excellent selection for general use with its silent operation, high-quality keyboard, and robust build. It is highly portable due to its lightweight design and has a long battery life. The display produces sharp and accurate colors but lacks touchscreen capabilities. This machine is equipped with an M2 chip and is superb for daily tasks, though it won't be ideal for intensive gaming or the most demanding engineering applications. It doesn't come cheap, but it offers a premium experience suitable for professionals seeking a balance between performance and mobility.
Pros
Excellent portability, light and thin
Silent operation with no fan noise
Great screen quality with high resolution
Very good battery life for typical use
High-quality webcam and speakers
Cons
Moderate performance for 3D and engineering tasks
Lacks compatibility with some professional software
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) is priced in the midrange and features 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM, ensuring smooth operation for general purposes. It has an Apple M2 main processor and GPU, offering balanced performance for everyday tasks and lighter creative work. With a 13.6-inch IPS display, it provides good color accuracy and viewing angles, but it doesn't have touch capability. Its battery capacity allows for up to 15 hours of typical usage, and at 2.7 pounds and 0.44 inches thick, it is highly portable. The MacBook Air has two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt support and charges via USB-C, but it lacks HDMI and Ethernet ports, meaning you might need adapters for certain connections. It comes with macOS pre-installed and has a high-quality backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader but no number pad. It's engineered for silent operation, with no fan noise. Its build and speaker quality are rated best, while 3D and machine learning performance is fair, indicating it's not ideal for intensive gaming or heavy engineering software.
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has a premium build quality and is priced in the upper midrange. It features 1TB storage, 16GB RAM, and utilizes the Apple M2 processor, providing very good general-use performance and silent operation due to its fanless design. The integrated M2 GPU accommodates some engineering tasks but might not be ideal for intensive 3D or machine learning workloads. The 13.6-inch IPS display has a resolution higher than Full HD but is not touch-enabled. It offers excellent portability at 2.7 pounds and has a lengthy battery life suitable for all-day use. It runs on MacOS and connectivity includes two USB-C/Thunderbolt ports and USB-C charging, but no support for traditional USB or HDMI without adapters. Suitable for general use, everyday multitasking, and light engineering work, but not aimed at intensive gaming or the most demanding engineering software.
The Acer Swift 14 is a mid-range laptop with good performance for everyday tasks and some more demanding applications, thanks to its Intel i7 processor and 16 GB of RAM. It has a high-resolution display, making it suitable for those who appreciate sharp visuals. The laptop is reasonably light and thin, enhancing portability, but this can mean shorter battery life compared to others, which might be a concern if you need to work for long periods away from a power source. It doesn't have a dedicated graphics card, so while okay for casual gaming, it's not ideal for high-end gaming or intensive 3D work. The Acer Swift 14 runs on Windows 11 Home, offering the latest features and security updates.
The Acer Swift Go 14 is a midrange-priced laptop with a 14-inch OLED screen featuring a resolution higher than Full HD and a 90Hz refresh rate which is good for smoother visuals. It has an Intel i7 processor with integrated graphics good for everyday tasks and light gaming but may not handle intensive 3D rendering or engineering simulations as well as devices with dedicated graphics cards. The laptop includes 512GB of storage and 16GB of RAM which is ample for general use and multitasking. It's also fairly lightweight and portable with a decent battery life for typical use. With its backlit keyboard and fingerprint reader, it offers convenience and security, making it suitable for general use and on-the-go productivity. However, it might not be the best option for gamers or professionals in need of more powerful performance for demanding applications.