10 Of The Best Laptops You Can Buy In 2025, According To Consumer Reports

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Computers are downright essential to modern life. Even if you don’t use a computer for work (e.g., data entry or accounting), you still need computers to do everything from communicating with friends and family to keeping track of finances. Early personal computers were big, bulky bricks of hardware that had to stay in one spot, but modern technology has made computers not only more powerful but also smaller and portable. 

While laptops are anything but new, they become more advanced with every passing year. It’s easy enough to keep track of the best PC brands and their desktops, but what about the best laptops? You need to consider so many metrics, from standard pieces of hardware such as CPUs and GPUs to elements unique to portable devices, including built-in screens and batteries. That’s not including the variations within a particular laptop lineup with more powerful (or weaker) hardware or larger screens. With so many options, how can anyone ever decide which laptop is right for them? That’s where sites like Consumer Reports come into play, which is one of the premier homes for product reviews. Here is what the experienced reviewers at Consumer Reports think are the best laptops currently on the market, ranked from lowest to highest.

When BGR ranked the 10 best PC brands, we placed HP very high on the list. Most HP products are solid choices, and while the HP Spectre Fold is one of the world’s thinnest laptops, the HP OmniBook X Flip is a superior product.

According to Consumer Reports, the HP OmniBook X Flip is a solid convertible laptop (i.e., a laptop with hinges and a touchscreen that lets it turn into a tablet) that received a score of 76. This device comes with an Intel Ultra 9 288V 3.3 GHz processor, 32GB of memory, an integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics card, and a 2TB solid-state drive. The site’s testers loved the computer’s ability to quickly manipulate filters on multiple images, as well as how it converts and edits videos. They also loved its 15-hour battery and vivid OLED display. With the inclusion of the Intel Arc 140V GPU, Consumer Reports claims the laptop is a solid choice for video games and software rendering tasks compared to other laptops using integrated graphics. 

Furthermore, 2TB worth of storage is more than sufficient (bordering on overkill) for most programs and portfolios. However, the reviewer had to dock the OmniBook points for its lack of a memory-card reader and middling customer satisfaction. Currently, the HP OmniBook X Flip is available from Best Buy for $1,529.99 and Amazon for $1,469.

Chromebooks are a special breed of computers. Compared to many other laptops on this list, Chromebooks look downright anemic, especially when it comes to components. Plus, Chromebooks offer limited functionality when not connected to the internet. However, you know what they say about judging a book by its cover.

By all accounts, the Asus Expertbook CX54 Chromebook could very well be your next favorite computer. According to Consumer Reports, the laptop scored perfect marks in all laboratory tests, helping it earn a score of 76. Despite only having an Intel Core Ultra 5 115U 2.1 GHz processor, 8GB of memory, and a 128 GB solid-state drive, the Expertbook was lightning fast for word processing, browsing the web, and playing games online. Moreover, at only 2.9 pounds, the Chromebook is very portable, has a screen with a wide viewing angle, and a keyboard with comfortably sized keys. 

However, the reviewer didn’t like that the Expertbook’s cable was only 6.7 feet long. So why isn’t the Asus Expertbook CX54 Chromebook Plus higher in this list? According to the review, owner surveys placed user reliability and satisfaction at around or below average, meaning that while the Consumer Reports’ testers found little wrong with the laptop, the general computer-using public has run into issues. You can buy an Asus Expertbook CX54 Chromebook from Amazon and Best Buy for $599.99.

Many people swear by Apple computers, and it’s easy to see why. The software is very user-friendly and integrates seamlessly with other Apple products, such as the Apple Watch Series 11. The MacBook line of laptops is one of Apple’s most popular devices due in part to its impressive build quality and powerful performance, so of course, it’s going to breeze past most Consumer Reports tests.

We previously reviewed the latest Apple MacBook Air and claimed it was the “only Apple laptop you should buy right now,” but don’t just take our word for it; Consumer Reports also gave the laptop a fairly glowing review and a score of 76. The device has an Apple M4 processor and GPU, 16 GB of memory, and a 256 GB solid-state drive. The MacBook Air handles things like composing documents, browsing the web, and calculating simulations with ease. Testers also found it lightweight and easy to carry. Plus, the computer lasted for almost 15 hours on battery power. Like most Apple products, the MacBook Air is well-built and boasts a colorful screen. 

However, Apple had to make some sacrifices to make the MacBook Air lightweight. Consumer Reports found that the laptop was slower at graphical tasks compared to other models, and it lacked hardware components such as a memory card reader and USB-A ports. The site also had to dock some points due to the computer only shipping with three months of tech support. You can purchase the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air from Amazon and Walmart for around $1,079, and from Best Buy for $1,099.

In the article where we ranked the best PC brands, we put LG in dead last — the worst of the best. While LG is better known for producing peripherals such as dual-Hz gaming monitors, we still praised the LG Gram laptop. Some companies are arguably better at producing computers in general; few can make a laptop better than the LG Gram.

Most laptops on this list have just an integrated graphics card, but the LG Gram Pro 16 takes a page out of gaming laptop design and utilizes both an integrated and dedicated GPU. The computer has an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H 3.8 GHz CPU, both an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3050 and an Intel Arc Graphics card, 32 GB of RAM, and two 1 TB solid-state drives. According to Consumer Reports’ tests, the laptop was “adequate” for tasks such as video conferencing and web browsing, but it excelled at video games as it could swap between graphics cards depending on the task. More impressively, the battery lasted a whopping 17 hours, and the OLED display was virtually flawless, which helped it net a score of 76. While the laptop’s performance could have been better, Consumer Reports found the LG Gram Pro 16 to be a well-rounded laptop that pleased both testers and laypersons alike.

You can potentially purchase the LG Gram Pro 16 from the LG website for $2,799.99, but depending on where you live, it might be out of stock. You can buy a more powerful version with an Intel Core Ultra 9 285H CPU and an Nvidia RTX 5050 on Amazon for $3,147.

The Samsung Galaxy family covers a wide spectrum of devices. You can purchase Samsung Galaxy tablets, phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, and even Samsung Galaxy laptops. Like their smaller handheld relatives, Samsung’s Galaxy laptops are well worth the asking price.

According to Consumer Reports, the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 and the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro are two sides of the same coin, and both received an impressive score of 78. They have the identical components — an Intel Ultra 7 256V 2.2 GHz CPU, 16 GB of memory, an integrated Intel Arc 140V graphics card, and a 1 TB solid-state drive. The only difference is that the 360 is a convertible laptop and the non-360 variant features a standard design. Both Galaxy Book5 Pros scored identically in surveys and tests, receiving an above-average number of owners who were satisfied with the laptops. The computers speedily completed web browsing and video conferencing tasks, and the Book5s were comfortable to handle with their batteries holding around 20 hours’ worth of charge. Consumer Reports’ reviews found “nothing significant” to complain about, so the only thing holding these computers back was the middling reception by the average customer.

Aside from the ability to transform into a tablet, the only worthwhile difference between the Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro and the Book5 Pro 360 is the price. Stores such as Best Buy and the official Samsung website sell the Book5 Pro for $1,649.99, while Best Buy and Samsung have the Pro 360 model at $1,699.99.

It makes sense that the MacBook Air’s bigger cousin would also be on this list, especially when it dials up visual presentation well past 11. The Apple MacBook Pro comes in several flavors, including one with a nano-texture display. It features an Apple M4 Pro, 24 GB of RAM, a 16-core GPU, and a 512 GB solid-state drive. And we can’t forget the secret sauce behind this laptop’s name: the Liquid Retina XDR display. 

According to Consumer Reports’ tests, this laptop is blazingly fast regardless of the task, gets up to 17 hours of battery life, and is only slightly heavier than the MacBook Air. As for the main hook — the XDR display — Consumer Reports’ testers found that its bright, anti-reflective screen boasted better contrast and less glare than rival monitors. 

As with other MacBook models, however, Consumer Reports didn’t like that the laptop lacked USB-A ports or that its free tech support only lasted a paltry three months. But again, the computer scored top marks in user reliability and owner satisfaction, which increased its overall rating to 78. The 14-inch MacBook Pro with the nano-texture displays and similar specs can be found for $2,149 from Apple.

Compared to the LG Gram Pro 16, this particular LG Gram has a larger screen – 17 inches compared to 16 inches. While this laptop doesn’t have a dedicated graphics card and only a single 1 TB SSD, its other components are either on par with or superior to the Pro version. Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 9 288V 3.3 GHz CPU, this version is even faster than the LG Gram Pro at general tasks such as data spreadsheets and web browsing. Moreover, the battery lasted a slightly longer 18 hours, the screen was even easier to read, and it even included touchscreen functionality that impressed testers in the Consumer Reports review lab. 

Like the 16-inch LG Gram Pro, this model lacks a memory card reader, but its superior performance and included fingerprint reader gave it an extra nudge in the rankings, leading to a score of 80. You can purchase the LG Gram 17-inch laptop from sites such as Best Buy and Amazon for $1,999.99.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 and the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 are very similar devices, receiving scores of 81 and 80, respectively. Both are 14-inch Chromebooks with 8 GB of memory, an Intel Graphics card, and a 256 GB solid-state drive. The only difference is the CPU — Intel Core Ultra 5 115U 1.5 GHz for the Plus Spin 714 and i5-1335U 1.3 GHz for the Spin 714. This slight change in processing power gives the Plus Spin 714 the edge in performance, although both are fast enough for normal use. Testers also praised the battery for both Chromebooks, which was just shy of 19 hours for the Spin and under 16 hours for the Pro Spin.

Consumer Reports’ biggest complaints revolved around their displays’ lack of color accuracy and inability to handle glare from bright lights. Furthermore, consumer surveys indicated that many owners didn’t think highly of Acer’s Chromebooks. While Acer touts the Chromebook Plus Spin 714 as superior to the Chromebook Spin 714, Consumer Reports proclaims the opposite.

You can purchase the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 from Best Buy for $799. Amazon is selling a slightly different version of the Chromebook Spin 714 with an Intel Core i5-1235U CPU for $749.99.

When we reviewed the MacBook Pro M4, we called it the best laptop ever made, and while Consumer Reports’ reviewers might disagree with the letter of the summary, they don’t disagree with its spirit. The Apple MacBook Pro that got near-perfect marks from Consumer Reports is a 16.2-inch laptop with an Apple M4 Pro processor, 24 GB of memory, an integrated 20-Core GPU, and a 512 GB solid-state drive. 

While this particular MacBook is slightly heavier than the other models reviewed by the site, this weight is only a side-effect of its beefier hardware and superior performance. The Apple MacBook Pro was among the fastest laptops Consumer Reports had tested, both in terms of web browsing and application functionality. Furthermore, the battery lasted up to 18 hours, and this Mac also boasted a colorful and anti-reflective Liquid Retina XDR display. With so much going for it, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that it received a score of 81.

As with all other MacBooks, the only complaints came in the form of a short power cable, minimal free tech support, and a lack of USB-A ports. This top-of-the-line MacBook Pro laptop is available directly from Apple for $2,499 and on sites such as Amazon and Best Buy for $2,249.

The LG Gram Pro 2in1 is a convertible laptop with a 16-inch screen, an Intel Core Ultra 7 255H 2GHz processor, 16 GB of RAM, an integrated Arc 140T graphics card, and a 1 TB solid-state drive. This convertible laptop was able to perform tasks such as web browsing, video conferencing, and calculating datasheets quickly and easily, and its battery lasted a respectable 14-15 hours in Consumer Reports’ testing lab. 

However, reviewers were a tad miffed that the power cable was shorter than average and that the convertible laptop didn’t include a memory-card reader. One might assume that the MacBook Pro’s superior display, performance, and battery life would give it the edge in Consumer Reports’ ratings, but the site found the LG Gram Pro 2in1’s lighter weight and multiple USB-A ports pushed it slightly ahead with a score of 82. You can purchase the LG Gram Pro 2in1 from multiple websites. Amazon is selling the convertible laptop for $1,796.99; Best Buy and the official LG website are selling the device for $2,099.99.

This article summarizes laptops as reviewed by Consumer Reports, with entries organized by the scores the site gave each device. Every laptop was scored the same way to ensure consistent results. Each item reviewed on Consumer Reports is given a score from 0 to 100. In the case of laptops, this “Overall Score” is the sum of lab tests and owner surveys. 

Tests involve rating the computer’s performance in tasks such as web browsing and gaming (the less it slows down, the higher the score), display quality, ergonomics, versatility (e.g., the number of USB ports and built-in memory card readers), and battery life. Meanwhile, surveys revolve around owners judging the computer’s reliability and whether users are satisfied with their purchase.

Consumer Reports also lists key features and weaknesses that require special mention. If a laptop includes a special component such as facial recognition software or the ability to play modern video games with little trouble, you can rest assured that the outlet mentions it and takes it into account. On the flipside, Consumer Reports doesn’t pull any punches if a laptop lacks abilities like reading data from memory cards, can’t accept USB-A cables, or just falls short in terms of tech support. The site tries to remain as neutral as possible for reviews.