The 6 Best 13-14 Inch Laptops - Fall 2024

The best 14-inch laptop we've tested is the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023). This premium mobile workstation is one of the most well-built devices on the market. Its sleek and compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a full day of light use. Working on this laptop feels amazing, as it sports a sharp 120Hz Mini LED display, a spacious and tactile keyboard, and Apple's best-in-class haptic touchpad. You get plenty of ports for peripherals and external displays, including three USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1, a full-size SD card reader, and a high-output 3.5 mm headphone jack for hard-to-drive headphones.

This late 2023 model is available with Apple's M3 Pro/Max SoCs, which are fast enough to handle demanding tasks like programming, 3D graphics, video editing, and game development. You can also get this MacBook Pro 14 with a base M3 chip, similar to the discontinued 13-inch MacBook Pro with Touch Bar. This is a great option if you don't need a lot of processing power but still want the 'Pro' features like the Mini LED display and up-firing speakers. However, it has one fewer USB-C port and can only support a single external display. Like all MacBooks, the RAM and storage drive isn't user-replaceable, so get enough for your needs upfront.

If you have a lighter workload and don't need all the processing power of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M3, 2023), get the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2024) instead. This thin and lightweight ultraportable feels just as well built as the MacBook Pro above and provides a great user experience with its bright display (not Mini LED or 120Hz, unfortunately), a spacious keyboard, and a gigantic haptic touchpad. The speakers are among the best you can find on the market, and the same goes for the webcam. Though not as fast as the Pro/Max chips, Apple's base M3 SoC can easily handle general productivity tasks and even some light video editing and 3D graphics. Port selection is its biggest weakness, as it only has two USB-C/Thunderbolt 3 ports, and while it can output to two external displays, it can only do so with the lid closed. The battery lasts around 11 hours of light use but charges slowly, taking up to three hours to reach a full charge.

The best 13-inch laptop we've tested in the mid-range category is the HP Pavilion Aero 13 (2024). This ultraportable is available with Zen 4-based AMD Ryzen 5 or 7 CPU, up to a Ryzen 7 8840HS. These processors can easily handle light productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing, as well as some moderately intensive workloads like programming and photo editing. For the display, you can choose between an FHD+ or QHD+ IPS panel; both get bright enough to provide good visibility in well-lit settings. The keyboard feels spacious, albeit a tad fatiguing over an extended period of use, and the touchpad is responsive but makes some actions like dragging and dropping hard to perform. Its 1440p webcam supports Windows Hello facial recognition, allowing you to log in quickly and avoid typing your password in public areas.

The biggest difference between this model and the more premium models mentioned above is build quality. Its chassis—a mix of aluminum and plastic—exhibits a fair amount of flexing, and the device as a whole feels hollow. Additionally, the finish is prone to scratches even from regular, everyday use. In terms of upgradeability, only the SSD is user-replaceable, but you get 16GB of RAM as the baseline, which is likely enough for most people with a general productivity workload.

If you're shopping on a small budget and want something even more affordable, check out the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023). This compact 14-inch model is a great option if you only need a simple device for light tasks. It's available with an Intel N100, N200, or Core i3 processor; we recommend the latter paired with 8GB of RAM, which you can regularly find on sale via Lenovo. You can probably get by with an Intel N100 or N200 CPU and/or 4GB of RAM if you have an extremely light workload but know that they'll get bogged down quickly when multitasking, resulting in noticeable stutters and slowdowns.  

As for the display, we highly recommend getting a model with a 1080p IPS screen. Not only does it look sharper than the 768p TN panel, but it also has better viewing angles and color reproduction. Above the display sits a surprisingly excellent 1080p webcam, one of the best you can find on budget-friendly Chromebooks. Port selection is decent; you get two USB-As, a USB-C (supports charging and video output), an HDMI, and a headphone jack. Unfortunately, the keyboard feels a tad mushy, and the touchpad is small and sometimes unresponsive.

If you like 2-in-1 convertibles, check out the HP Spectre x360 14 (2024). This premium, well-built model provides a great user experience with its 120Hz 2.8k OLED display, tactile keyboard, and haptic touchpad. It also has an excellent 4k webcam, a rarity among laptops, even in the high-end tier. You get the latest Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity and a decent port selection that includes two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s. The display supports pen input, though you may have to buy the pen separately, depending on the retailer. Intel's Core Ultra 5 or Ultra 7 CPU perform well, and they also sport an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that can help with some A.I.-based tasks, like background blurring on video calls and image generation in photo editing apps. You can get this laptop from HP if you have trouble finding it elsewhere.

Another option to consider is the Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (2021), a tablet PC with a detachable type cover keyboard. This form factor is a bit more versatile, as you can detach the keyboard to make the device easier to hold as a tablet. It's also handy when you don't have a lot of space, like on a kitchen counter or airplane. The downside is that it makes the device harder to use on a lap because most of the weight is in the display, increasing the chance the device will tip over, and the kickstand can dig into your legs if you wear shorts. It has a sharp 120Hz display, but unlike the HP, it's an IPS panel, meaning blacks won't look as deep and inky. Also, it has a more limited port selection and an older, slower Intel 11th Gen CPU. FYI: we've purchased the new ARM-based Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition and will test it soon, so stay tuned!

The best 14-inch gaming laptop we've tested is the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2024). This compact model feels sturdily built and is easy to carry around. It has a 120Hz 2.8k OLED display with a fast response time and VRR support, so you get a clear image in fast-moving games with minimal screen tearing. It also sports a tactile keyboard and one of the best speaker systems you can find on a Windows machine. There's a wide port selection for peripherals and external displays, including four USBs, a MicroSD card reader, and an HDMI 2.1. Unfortunately, there's no Ethernet port, but you do get Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity.

Configuration-wise, you can choose between an AMD Ryzen 7 or 9 CPU paired with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 4060, or 4070 discrete GPU. Every configuration can handle gaming at 1080p, but if you want to play at 1440p (or at the display's native 2.8k resolution), it's best to upgrade to a 4060 or 4070. Storage configuration maxes out at 1TB, which will fill up quickly considering the size of most modern titles, but thankfully, the SSD is user-replaceable. Unfortunately, the battery life lasts less than two hours when gaming, so you'll need to bring the charger when gaming on the go.