The best 13-inch laptop 2021

The best 13-inch laptop 2021

The best 13-inch laptop 2021

 

The best 13-inch laptops offer more than portability. These days, these small laptops are just as powerful as some of their 15-inch counterparts, touting more than enough power to see you through demanding workloads. That’s while keeping things small, light, and travel-friendly.

Led by the new MacBook Air (M1, 2020), which is proof that a laptop this small can deliver a top-notch performance worthy of light video editing and some gaming, you can’t beat the best 13-inch laptops, especially if a thinner and more portable form factor is your top priority.

There’s a reason many of the best 13-inch laptops are also on our best business laptops, best Ultrabooks, or best laptops lists. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a specific brand like the best Acer laptops, want a particular form factor like a 2-in-1 laptop, or trying to choose between the best Windows laptops or the best Macs. Whether you’re a professional who needs a little more power or a student looking for the most affordable portables, you’ll find one here to match your needs.

MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

(Image credit: Apple)

1. MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

Best laptop for students with a flexible budget

CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU | Graphics: Integrated 7-core – 8-core GPU | RAM: 8GB – 16GB unified memory | Screen: 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 Retina display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD

macOS Big Sur is fast and responsive
Battery life is great
Silent in use
The fanless design could impact performance

Apple finally put their much-talked-about M1 silicon chip that’s so far been a real game-changer. And, the first laptop to receive it is the company’s thinnest and lightest, putting it on the list of the most exciting Apple laptops of recent years. With this new chip, the MacBook Air is better than ever, touting excellent performance alongside its brilliant battery life – without raising the price to keep it (fairly) affordable still. It’s not going to be the cheapest option for students, but for those who have a slightly bigger budget, this is the best student laptop to get.

Read the full review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

HP Elite Dragonfly G2

(Image credit: HP)

2. HP Elite Dragonfly G2

One of the best laptops we’ve tested

CPU: 11th-generation Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 13.3-inch diagonal BrightView LED FHD, 400 nits – 13.3-inch diagonal BrightView LED 4K UHD HDR-400 550 nits | Storage: up to 2TB SSD

Great design
Comfortable keyboard
Excellent screen
Expensive
USB-C ports on only one side

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

Surface Laptop 4 15-inch and 13-inch

(Image credit: Microsoft )

3. Surface Laptop 4

An excellent 13-inch laptop from Microsoft

CPU: 11th-generation Intel Core i5 – i7 / AMD Ryzen 5 – 7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Xe / AMD Radeon | RAM: 8GB – 32GB | Screen: 13.5-inch PixelSense (2,256 x 1,504) touch | Storage: 256GB – 1TB SSD

Comfortable keyboard
Beautiful screen
Not enough ports
Alcantara fabric might get gross over time

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

HP Spectre x360 (2021)

(Image credit: HP)

4. HP Spectre x360 (2021)

A brilliant update

CPU: 11th-gen Intel Core i5 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 620 – Iris Xe | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch diagonal, FHD (1920 x 1080) OLED touch – 13.3-inch diagonal, 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) OLED touch | Storage: 256 GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD – 2 TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD

Gorgeous design
Excellent battery life
Great performance for day-to-day work
Fans can get noisy
Pricey

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)

Google Pixelbook Go

Google Pixelbook Go boasts many of its high-quality features, but without that steep price tag. (Image credit: Google)

5. Google Pixelbook Go

The best mainstream Chromebook

CPU: Intel Core m3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 615 | RAM: 8GB – 16GB | Screen: 13.3-inch Full HD – 13.3-inch 4K Ultra HD Molecular Display | Storage: 64GB – 256GB

Amazing ‘Hush’ keyboard
Rare 1080p webcam
No biometric login

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, 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

MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)

(Image credit: Apple)

6. MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020)

Apple’s little MacBook Pro gets a big refresh

CPU: Apple M1 chip with 8‑core CPU | Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU | RAM: 8GB – 16GB unified memory | Screen: 13.3-inch 2560 x 1600 LED-backlit Retina display | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD | Dimensions (H x W x D): 30.41 x 21.24 x 1.56 cm

Huge battery life
Great performance
Can run iOS apps
Still lacks ports

The MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1, 2020) may not have gotten a massive design overhaul, but what it lacks in that department, it makes up for big-time in performance and battery life. Thanks to Apple’s groundbreaking M1 chip, the new MacBook Pro 13-inch delivers excellent performance and exceptional battery life. Its performance is so impressive, in fact, that it can easily handle 4K – and even 8K – videos. If you’re looking for a powerful laptop that keeps things small and lightweight, this is the best 13-inch laptop money can buy.

Read the full review: MacBook Pro 16-inch (M1, 2020)

Dell XPS 13 (Late 2020)

(Image credit: Dell)

7. Dell XPS 13 (Late 2020)

Dell does it again

CPU: Up to 11th Generation Intel Core i7-1165G7 | Graphics: Up to Intel Iris Xe Graphics | RAM: Up to 32GB 4267MHz LPDDR4x | Screen: 13.4″ FHD+ (1920 x 1200) InfinityEdge Non-Touch Anti-Glare 500-Nit – 13.4″ UHD+ (3840 x 2400) InfinityEdge Touch Anti-Reflective 500-Nit Display | Storage: Up to 2TB M.2 PCIe NVMe

Stunning design
Gorgeous 16:10 display
Excellent battery life
Sound quality is just OK
Pricey

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)

Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019)

Razer has spruced up its Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook with the latest internal components without affecting its super-quiet operation. (Image credit: Razer)

8. Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019)

Lightweight Razer style, now in white

CPU: 10th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics – GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q | RAM: 16GB | Screen: 13.3″ FHD Matte w/ 4.9mm slim side bezel – 13.3″ 4K Touch w/ 4.9mm slim side bezel | Storage: 512GB SSD

Top-notch build quality
Runs quietly
Battery life is solid
Decidedly expensive
Limited storage space
Lacks a discrete GPU

The “world’s first gaming ultrabook” doesn’t just talk the talk; it also walks the walk. Razer has spruced up its Blade Stealth 13 Ultrabook with the latest internal components without affecting its super-quiet operation. Packed with a 10th-generation Intel Core i7 processor and better graphic options, a 13-inch laptop delivers and much better than its predecessor. In fact, it might just be the best gaming experience we’ve ever had on integrated graphics with the Iris Plus configuration. Round that out with extremely quiet fans, low thermal power, extended battery life, and that delightful Mercury White color, and we are sold. You will be too if you can afford the price.

Read the full review: Razer Blade Stealth 13 (2019)

Lenovo Yoga C940

Lenovo Yoga C930 has a few aces up its sleeve. (Image credit: Lenovo)

9. Lenovo Yoga C940

The Lenovo Yoga is back and it means business

CPU: up to 10th-generation Intel Core i7 | Graphics: Intel Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: up to 16GB | Screen: 14” FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS, touchscreen, glossy, 400 nits –14″ UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS, touchscreen, glossy, HDR 400, 500 nits | Storage: up to 2TB SSD PCIe

Excellent design
Great performance
Comfy keyboard
Expensive
Battery life

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

ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325

(Image credit: Asus)

10. ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325

Light, durable and affordable workhorse

CPU: 10th-gen Intel Core i3 – i7 | Graphics: Intel UHD – Iris Plus Graphics | RAM: up to 32GB | Screen: 13.3-inch, LCD, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, IPS-level Panel, Anti-glare display, LED Backlit, 300nits – 13.3-inch, LCD, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, IPS-level Panel, Anti-glare display, LED Backlit, 450nits | Storage: 256GB – 2TB SSD | Camera: HD camera with IR function to support Windows Hello

MIL-STD-810G durability
Outstanding external speakers
Great battery
Underpowered
Wired headphone usage requires included dongle

If you want a workhorse of a laptop that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, look no further than the ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325. Its thin and light form as well as exceptional battery life puts it in the same league as the best Ultrabooks out there. Its MIL-STD-810G takes it a step further, making it a robust candidate for your in-the-field needs. Its affordable price tag does come with a few surprises – the biggest one being it’s a bit underpowered. However, you’re not doing anything intensive, it should have enough to see you through your daily demands.

Read the full review: ASUS ZenBook 13 UX325

Bill Thomas has also contributed to this article