I review laptops for a living here at Tom's Guide, and I'm always on the hunt for the best 13-inch laptops on the market because many people find it to be a great size for getting work done on the go.
If you're in a hurry and just need the best 13-inch laptop for productivity work, I recommend the Apple MacBook Air M4 because of its winning combo of portability, performance and power efficiency. This thing can run all day on a full battery, and it's so thin and light you'll barely notice it's in your bag.
Personally I prefer Windows 11 over macOS because it's what I grew up using, and for those like me I recommend the Dell XPS 13 because it's just as fast, portable and long-lasting as the MacBook Air yet offers all the familiar comforts of Windows.
However, both of these ultraportables are a little underpowered for serious editing and graphically demanding work. If that's what you're interested in, I recommend the Asus ProArt PX13 instead because you can get it with an Nvidia Geforce RTX laptop graphics card that gives you enough power for seriously demanding tasks (and maybe some light gaming after work).
If you can afford to splurge a bit and want the luxury of an OLED display on your 13-incher, check out the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo. This pint-sized powerhouse sports a gorgeous OLED display, and with the latest Intel chips it has the speed to carry you through any task.
There are more machines we've reviewed that I could recommend, but this is getting a little long. Scroll down for further recommendations as well as links to our reviews and the testing data we gather to determine, once and for all, what the best 13-inch laptops really are.
The quick list
In a hurry? Here's a brief overview of the laptops on this list, along with quick links that let you jump down the page directly to a review of whichever laptop catches your eye.
The MacBook Air M4 is the best 13-inch laptop for the money — emphasis on "money" given Apple has chopped $100 off the price. That M4 chip delivers blazing performance, the Air's display is brighter than ever, and you're still getting that worry-free battery life.
Dell's XPS 13 (2024) is an elegant ultraportable with a great screen, speedy performance and MacBook-beating battery life. The capacitive touch row can be a stumbling block and the fact that it's an Arm laptop limits what software runs well, yet this remains the best 13-inch Windows laptop for most.
The Asus ProArt PX13 is a mini creativity powerhouse of a 2-in-1 — packing one of the best OLED displays we've ever seen on a super-versatile shell. On top of this, the top-of-the-line AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX and RTX 40-series combo makes it a monster for performance too
The MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo packs superb performance, a dazzling 2.8K OLED display and good battery life in an extremely lightweight and compact design, making it an excellent option for those after a powerful yet portable 13-inch notebook. Plus, it’s even lighter than a MacBook Air.
The Framework Laptop is a truly unique ultraportable that's remarkably repairable and upgradeable. It's basically the anti-MacBook, designed to be easy to upgrade and repair while delivering style and performance without compromise. Plus, the unique Expansion Card system is a must-see.
The best 13-inch laptops you can buy today
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The best 13-inch laptop overall
Who is this for?
The M4 MacBook Air is a great 13-inch laptop for most people reading this. With enough power coming from that M4 chip to get all your day-to-day tasks done (along with some pro tasks like 4K video edits), and stellar battery life, this is a solid option in a sleek, slim shell.
Why is it the best overall 13-inch laptop?
Building on the foundations of the already incredible M3 MacBook Air, the M4 Air brings small upgrades that make a big impact. That M4 chip is a screamer in all of my workload, and the 12MP webcam upgrade keeps me looking crispy in all my meetings. Pair that with a gorgeous display and stick it all in that super thin chassis that feels premium (and looks lovely in Sky Blue) and you're onto a winner.
What do we like?
👍 Impressive M4 performance: Apple's laptop excelled in all of our benchmarks — scoring over 14,000 in Geekbench 6's multi-core score and coming with 16GB RAM as standard for making multitasking and AI processes a breeze.
👍 Strong battery life: The M4 Air continues Apple's reputation for being one of the stamina champs in the laptop game today, with our testing showing this notebook packing just under 15 hours of longevity
👍 Premium design at a lower price: That aluminum unibody continues to exude a luxury vibe from every angle, and now it's available for $100 less at just $999 starting price.
What don’t we like?
👎 Improvements over M3 are marginal: We're heading into the realm of iterative improvements in Apple Silicon. While there is a 15% average jump in performance with M4 over M3, if you already have this machine (or even an M2 Air for that matter), this isn't worth upgrading to.
Bottom line
The M4 MacBook Air is an easy winner as the best 13-inch laptop — giving you everything you want and need in one stellar shell that is sure to last you a good long while.
Read our full MacBook Air 13-inch M4 review.
The best 13-inch Windows laptop
Who is this for?
The Dell XPS 13 is also great for most folks if Windows is more your vibe. The excellent build quality, Snapdragon performance and battery life make this another fantastic option.
Why is it the best 13-inch Windows laptop?
There's one reason why the Dell XPS 13 is the best 13-inch laptop sporting Windows: Snapdragon X Elite. Yes, you can get one with Intel's Core Ultra Series 2 chip inside — but for the best combination of raw horsepower and longevity on one charge, Snapdragon X Elite is the way to go.
What do we like?
👍 Shocking Snapdragon performance: That Snapdragon X Elite chipset packs enough power to make even Apple blush — with Geekbench 6 multi-core scores soaring over 14,500.
👍 Long battery life: You thought the MacBook Air's battery life was good? Try 19 hours and 41 minutes on one charge! Yep, this Windows laptop can hang.
👍 Gorgeous display: Yes, you can get an OLED display on the XPS 13, but the LCD InfinityEdge panel is no slouch. It's both bright and vivid, while helping aid that battery life.
What don’t we like?
👎 The lack of physical function keys and a visible touchpad area is...a choice: There's a lot to like about the sleek aesthetic the Dell XPS 13 gives off here, but the lack of function keys is disappointing. And on top of that, there's no border around the touchpad, which you can feel a little lost trying to find at times.
Bottom line
If you can workaround Dell's odd user design choices here, this is the best XPS 13 that the company has ever released. That Snapdragon X Elite chip is a mini wonder that makes this a great small Windows laptop.
Read our full Dell XPS 13 review.
The best 13-inch 2-in-1 laptop
Who is this for?
The Asus ProArt PX13 (as the name suggests) is for the pro artists. The OLED display, beasty AMD Ryzen AI 9 chipset and RTX 4070 graphics make the case for this being the small MacBook Pro 2-in-1 that I always wanted.
Why is it the best 13-inch 2-in-1?
Asus' mini beast does three things exceedingly well — that 3K OLED panel is a amongst one of the best I've ever seen on a 13-inch laptop, the AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is a seriously monstrous performer alongside the RTX 4070 GPU, and all of this is crammed into a portable design with a lovely-feeling keyboard.
What do we like?
👍 A super-powered beast: AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 and RTX 4070 pairing in here makes this not just a power-packed machine for all prosumer tasks, but it can handle games capably too.
👍 Beautiful OLED screen: Yes, brightness may not be at the top of the charts at 350 nits in our testing, but that color-calibrated OLED brings a crispy 3K resolution and immersive contrast.
👍 Thoughtful design: 2-in-1 laptops can be a design challenge that makes for sacrifices in the ergonomics in favor of rigidity. The Asus ProArt PX13 gives you the best of both worlds — a seriously premium aesthetic and durable hinge, with a fantastically tactile keyboard and touchpad.
What don’t we like?
👎 Only 60Hz on the display: I get this is not for the gamers, so a faster refresh rate isn't exactly necessary. But come on, Asus! There are OLED laptops far cheaper than this $1,699 machine that have 120Hz.
Bottom line
With nearly 10 hours of battery life, an immersive display and impressive power, the Asus ProArt PX13 came from outta nowhere to become our best 2-in-1 laptop — provided you can afford its steep price tag.
Read our full Asus ProArt PX13 review.
The best thin and light 13-inch laptop
Who is this for?
The MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo excels at being a lightweight laptop for professionals and on-the-go remote workers, as it delivers plenty of power to easily breeze through everyday tasks while being light enough to slip into a backpack without weighing you down.
Why is it the best 13-inch 2-in-1?
At just 2.13 pounds (that’s just under a 1kg), it’s the lightest laptop that’s equipped with plenty of power in a compact chassis. With its Intel Intel Lunar Lake CPU, 32GB of RAM and 1TB for storage, it’s impressive what this 13-inch laptop can do despite its feather-like weight.
What do we like?
👍 Featherweight design: This is just about as portable as laptops get. The 13-inch laptop is so easy to pick up, move around and pack in a laptop bag with one hand, and you may even forget it’s in your bag from time to time. Plus, the hinge acts as a way to raise the laptop at a more comfortable angle, which is always handy to have.
👍 Colorful OLED display: With its 13.2-inch 2.8K (2880 x 1600) OLED screen, you can expect vibrant colors and strong details in all you see, from scrolling through websites to watching your favorite shows. Seriously, its color gamut coverage outclasses the MacBook Air M3 and Dell XPS 13.
👍 Great performance: While its benchmarks fall short of the best in its class, this laptop still packs a punch. That’s thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 258V CPU and 32GB of RAM, which grants you breezy multi-tasking performance and even some light gaming.
What don’t we like?
👎 Cheap-feeling build: Both the lid of the laptop and the keyboard area has quite a lot of flex, and that’s just from noticing it when lifting the lid or typing. There’s no sense of sturdiness like other 13-inch laptops and its material can feel cheap, despite its premium asking price.
Bottom line
As far as 13-inch laptops go, the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo is the lightest one around. That’s a huge perk to have if you’re after a small-yet-powerful notebook, and the 13 AI+ Evo nails it in the department. Plus, it’s hard to beat that superb 2.8K OLED display. It’s price is higher than many, but it’s sure not to disappoint.
Read our full MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Evo review.
The best 13-inch laptop for DIYers
Who is this for?
The Framework Laptop is the option for those with a DIY frame of mind — the modular construction may be a little pricey, but it's totally worth it for being able to upgrade this frame with new stuff as it's released.
Why is it the best 13-inch laptop for DIYers?
In many ways, the Framework Laptop is the anti-MacBook — a modular 13-inch laptop that gives you the chance to repair, customize and upgrade at your own leisure. No longer are you confined to what it comes with. Now, you have a screwdriver and you can get to work.
What do we like?
👍 Unparalleled upgradeability: The DIY-friendly design may be a little thicker and heavier than other laptops on this list. But those enlarged dimensions give you an innovative Expansion Card system to add what you want. Whatever you want, be it an Ethernet port or microSD card reader, just add them in here. Or take it apart with the included screwdriver to add more to the mainboard.
👍 Great keyboard: One thing I'm really happy to see come to this 13-incher is a fantastic keyboard — packing even backlighting and 1.5mm of key travel for a tactile feel to each press.
👍 Decent performance: The model we tested with the Intel core i7-1370P CPU and 32GB of RAM gave us some strong performance across the board, including over 11,000 in our Geekbench multi-core tests. It's worth noting that Framework now offers this system with either Intel Core Ultra or 7th Gen AMD, which are going to be even faster!
What don’t we like?
👎 Loud fans under load: The modularity is great, but heat dissipation seems to be affected, as the fans kick into overdrive to keep this thing cool under heavier loads.
Bottom line
In many ways, the Framework Laptop 13 is a breakthrough in laptop design — a fully modular system that gives you endless levels of customization beyond anything you see from the competition. I wouldn't judge you if you'd rather just have a fully built laptop to last you a good long while, but if you're a tinkerer, the choice is obvious.
Read our full Framework Laptop 13 review.
Battery benchmarks: comparison
Battery life is one of the key things you should look at when deciding which laptop to buy, which is why we run every laptop we review through a series of battery tests to see how long it lasts on a full charge.
These tests do not reflect real-world use patterns since we have to set every laptop to the same settings in order to do fair comparisons. Thus, while the times listed here are accurate and useful as a comparison point, your own experience with a laptop's battery life will likely vary.
This is because when we run our battery test we set the laptop's display to 150 nits of brightness and have it endlessly browse the web via Wi-Fi until it dies. However, when you use your laptop you're likely adjusting brightness on the fly, doing all sorts of different tasks while perhaps listening to music or watching a video at the same time, and generally putting the machine through more of a workout than it gets in our test.
So while I stand by our testing and the battery life results we compare in the chart below, I want to be clear that your own experience will vary!
Laptop | Battery life (tested) |
Dell XPS 13 (2024) | 19:41 |
MacBook Air M4 | 14:51 |
Framework Laptop | 10:17 |
Asus ProArt PX13 | 09:28 |
How to choose the best 13-inch laptop for you
What kind of power do you need? If you only need something basic for surfing the web, consider a Chromebook like the Galaxy Chromebook 2 or a cheap Windows laptop If you want something that feels speedy and can handle more than basic browsing and typing, consider starting specs such as a Core i5 CPU, 8 to 16GB of RAM and a 256GB to 512GB SSD. Most of the laptops on this list are at least this powerful, since they're the best 13-inch laptops we've yet reviewed.
What kind of games do you want to play? Most mainstream laptops feature integrated graphics, which may be able to run simple, well-optimized games like Minecraft and Fortnite but can't handle graphically-demanding games or heavy visual work. For that, you'll want a laptop with a discrete graphics card, and we don't currently have one on this list.
Do you want Chrome, macOS, or Windows? Windows is the most common operating system, while macOS is more ideal for folks already tied into Apple's ecosystem. Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system built to allow for cheap, fast systems, though it has gotten a bit more robust over the years with support for full Android apps.
Whichever system you decide on, you may also want to consider investing in the best mouse and best keyboard for your needs so you can have some more ergonomic options for getting work done on your new laptop.
I also recommend getting yourself an affordable laptop stand, as a $45 stand revolutionized the way I work on the go.
How we test the best 13-inch laptops
Our path to finding the best 13-inch laptops for you is littered with test results. To help us better compare and recommend the best machines for you, we run every laptop we review through a rigorous suite of benchmarks and real-world tests to gauge how it will perform during everyday use.
We measure the average brightness and color quality of each laptop's display using our in-house light meter and colorimeter. For general performance, we run our machines through tests that include Geekbench 6 (CPU performance), as well as various 3DMark tests to measure graphics capabilities. We also run a file transfer test to measure how fast a machine's hard drive is, plus a video editing test to see how good it is at crunching video and a custom battery test that has the machine browse the internet over Wi-Fi until it runs out of juice.
We know many people also love to play games on their laptops, so we test the gaming horsepower of every laptop we review by putting it through the Sid Meier's Civilization VI: Gathering Storm graphical benchmark. This is an ideal test for us to use on 13-inch laptops because almost none of them have discrete graphics cards, which means they have a hard time running more modern or graphically-demanding games. Civilization VI is also one of the few relatively modern games with a graphical benchmark that runs on both Windows and MacOS, meaning we can easily compare the performance of MacBooks against that of Windows machines.
Alex Wawro is a lifelong journalist who's spent over a decade covering tech, games and entertainment. He helps oversee the computing department at Tom's Guide, which includes managing laptop coverage and reviewing dozens of laptops himself every year.
