Part of my job here at Tom's Guide involves staying on top of what's happening in the world of PCs, from desktops to laptops and everything in between. So I regularly skim the news feeds and hubs like Reddit to see what's happening in the community, and recently I stumbled on a conversation that really struck a chord with me.
Over on the "BuyItForLife" subreddit someone asked for recommendations about which laptop to buy this year, and while they made it clear they didn't actually expect to buy it and use it for life, they wanted something durable that would ideally last over 5 years.
Now, I think almost every laptop we review here at Tom's Guide would probably remain viable and usable for half a decade with proper care and maintenance. Certainly many of the best laptops we've reviewed in the past year are durable enough and powerful enough that even by 2030 they'll still be useful and usable.
But there's one laptop on that list that I would recommend above all others if someone wanted a laptop they could actually buy once and use for life—and coincidentally it's also the most highly-recommended laptop in that Reddit thread.
I'm talking, of course, about the Framework Laptop.
There really is one laptop you could actually buy today and use for life
Of course, to be clear there is no one Framework Laptop—there's now 3 or 4. Most recently the company announced a new version of its gaming-ready Framework Laptop 16 is coming later this year, and the company has already released a Framework Laptop Chromebook Edition (for those who prefer ChromeOS) and a Framework Desktop mini PC.
But it all started in 2021 with the original Framework Laptop 13, and when I reviewed it at the time I called it the "anti-MacBook" because its almost as thin and light as a MacBook Air, yet you can fairly easily open it up and swap out or upgrade components at home.
This is why I think Reddit users hit it on the head with this one: Framework is the only company I know of that's successfully mass-producing fully user-repairable and user-upgradable laptops in the world. And based on my hands-on experience reviewing almost every laptop they've released to date, Framework's engineering really does allow you to replace or upgrade almost every bit of your laptop—from the display to the CPU to the graphics card (at least, on the upcoming Framework Laptop 16 with RTX 5070).
All you need is the spudger tool Framework packs in with every laptop and the company's handy online database of step-by-step repair guides. If you've not read about these laptops before, they're a bit scary the first time you open them—but once you get the hang of it you can start to feel empowered and gain a real sense of ownership and control over your laptop.
At least, I certainly did the first time I upgraded my Framework laptop CPU in an hour. Midway through I panicked and was sure I'd messed up the laptop, but after carefully studying Framework's guides and reseating and wiggling things a bit, everything worked out just peachy.
Every laptop Framework sells offer the same level of access and customizability, which means you could conceivably buy any Framework laptop and count on being able to upgrade it for years to come.
Plus, every Framework laptop has a unique Expansion Card design that lets you swap out ports on the fly. See, every Expansion Card is designed to slip securely into place on the side of the laptop and give you either a port or a bit of extra storage (256GB - 1TB).
So while you have to a pay a little more up front since you're buying each port you want individually, this means that for the rest of your life with the laptop you can add new ports or swap out the ones you have for whatever you need on a given day. That means that if your needs change five or ten years after you buy the laptop, you can just buy some new Expansion Cards to accommodate your needs instead of buying a whole new laptop.
Now, there are other laptops you can buy that do have some user-replaceable parts (typically storage and RAM), and more have launched in the years since Framework hit the market. But I've reviewed hundreds of laptops in the last five years, and I haven't seen or touched one that can hold a candle to the survivability of the Framework Laptop.
So while I'm not actually sure any electronic gadget could last you the rest of your life without a critical part giving up the ghost, I do think a Framework Laptop is the closest thing you could get to a "buy once and use it for life" laptop.
Because not only can you crack one open and replace or upgrade almost any component, you can also go to Framework's support team directly for help with any issues. And Framework has taken laudable steps towards future-proofing its products beyond itself, to the point that if the company deteriorates or goes out of business 5-10 years down the road you should still be able to count on the community of Framework users providing you with ongoing help and support with your laptop.
That's in large part because Framework as a company has committed to making its schematics and assembly drawings available to repair shops who request them. Framework has also released documentation, reference designs and CAD templates (under an open-source license) to help the community develop new Expansion Card modules, and it supports the community designing and discussing new modules (and new ways to re-use Framework Laptop parts) on its forum.
Bottom line
When I look at Reddit discussion about laptops it's typically rife with disagreements and casual vitriol, but not this time. When I clicked on that "BuyItForLife" laptop thread I couldn't think of any good answer besides a Framework, so I was pleasantly surprised that folks on Reddit seem to politely agree.
Now, I love these laptops but they're not all sunshine and roses. The Framework laptops I've used have typically felt a little less solid and seem to run a little louder and hotter than most laptops I review, which I've always chalked up to their more demanding and unique design. They also trust you not to accidentally damage or destroy the delicate components inside your laptop, and I'm always nervous the first few times I open one.
But if you can make peace with those foibles I think Framework laptops really are the only laptops on the planet that you could conceivably buy today and still be using 20 years from now. They're the most exciting laptops I've ever used, and I'm happy to see their outstanding repairability is earning a reputation among folks who like long-lasting tech that respects the owner's right to repair.
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