Best Laptops Under $1,500

What separates the best laptops under 1500?

Battery life and price do most of the separating. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 scores 9 at $1,499 and runs 15h 10m in office use. The Apple MacBook Air 13" scores 8.8 at $999 and runs 18h 05m, fanless, at 1.24 kg. Those two sit at the top of the list for different reasons: one is a Windows machine that lasts a full day, the other is the cheapest pick here that still clears 18 hours.

Below them, the 2-in-1s trade battery for flexibility. The HP Spectre x360 14 scores 8.6 at $1,449 with a 2.8K 120Hz OLED that folds flat and a pen in the box, but 9h in office use. The Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 scores 8.5 at $1,399, weighs 1.34 kg, and its rotating soundbar hinge is the best laptop speaker setup we have heard — with 8h 40m of battery.

At the value end, the Acer Aspire 5 scores 7.7 at $649 with 16GB, a 512GB SSD, an upgradeable RAM slot and 9h 05m. The Acer Swift Go 14 also scores 7.7 at $849 and puts a 2.8K OLED on a Core Ultra chip, but only 7h. The Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15 scores 7 at $449 with 8h 30m and a full-size keyboard, and the HP 15" Laptop scores 6.8 at $479 with an IPS panel and 6h 40m.

What should you check before buying?

Our rubric weights Performance 30, Display 20, Battery 20, Build 15 and Value 15, so a machine can win on one column and lose on another. Read the disliked list as carefully as the liked one.

• Battery: the spread here runs from 6h 40m to 18h 05m. If you work away from a plug, that gap matters more than a spec bump.
• Memory and storage: the IdeaPad 1 15 and HP 15" both solder 8GB, and the MacBook Air starts at 256GB. The Aspire 5 is the one with an upgradeable RAM slot.
• Screen: the Aspire 5's 250-nit panel is dim, and the Spectre's glossy OLED reflects in bright rooms. The HP 15" uses an IPS panel with better angles than the IdeaPad's TN.
• Build: the Aspire 5 and Swift Go 14 both flex in the deck; the Surface Laptop 7 and Yoga 9i feel stiffer.
• Software: the Surface Laptop 7 runs some x86 apps emulated and has no discrete GPU option.

Which one for whom?

For the longest Windows battery and a keyboard worth typing on, the Surface Laptop 7. For the best laptop for most people at $999, the MacBook Air 13". For drawing and tablet mode, the Spectre x360 14. For speakers and a light 2-in-1, the Yoga 9i 14. For 16GB and an upgrade path on a budget, the Aspire 5. For an OLED under $850, the Swift Go 14. For the best laptop under $500, the IdeaPad 1 15. For a brighter sub-$500 screen, the HP 15".

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 suits Windows users who need the longest battery here, and the Apple MacBook Air 13" suits anyone who wants the best laptop for most people at $999. The HP Spectre x360 14 is the pick for pen and tablet use, while the Lenovo Yoga 9i 14 is for speakers and a light 2-in-1. On a budget, the Acer Aspire 5 gives you 16GB and an upgradeable RAM slot, the Acer Swift Go 14 gives you a 2.8K OLED, the Lenovo IdeaPad 1 15 is the best laptop under $500, and the HP 15" Laptop is the brighter sub-$500 option.