Best Microsoft Surface Laptop (2026): Which Model to Buy or Avoid

But more than anything, it’s the polish of the laptop’s design and the quality of its components that make it feel on par with Apple. You can get it with either a 13.8- or 15-inch screen size. The smaller model has a slightly larger display than its predecessor (up from 13.5 inches) with thinner bezels and rounded corners. It’s also brighter and features a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, giving it an edge over the MacBook Air. The content looks bright and clear, even in broad daylight outside (but you’ll have to crank it up to almost full brightness under direct sunlight).

My favorite thing about the screen is the aspect ratio. Because it’s 3:2 instead of 16:10, the laptop has a taller screen that’s closer to square. This provides more vertical space for webpages, spreadsheets, and apps. When choosing between the two, I’ll always gravitate towards the Surface Laptop’s 3:2 screen, which is one of the few laptops that uses this aspect ratio. The 1080p webcam, customizable haptic feedback trackpad, and fast keyboard all feel just as solid as the MacBook Air.

However none of this would matter if the performance and battery weren’t competitive. Luckily, the Surface Laptop 13.8 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon It was one of the first laptops to adopt these chips and has benefited from exceptional battery life and efficient performance. We tested the Elite, and performance remained smooth no matter how many windows, tabs, and apps were open. This isn’t a machine for graphics-intensive tasks like video editing or gaming, but it’s perfectly capable of performing all the common tasks that most people do on a laptop.

The Surface Laptop 13.8-inch only started with a 256GB storage option, which is how Microsoft was able to sell it at such a low starting price. But it now starts at 512GB, whether you choose the 13.8-inch model or the larger 15-inch. The 13.8-inch model now starts at $1,099, although you can often find it for a lower price at Best Buy or Amazon. Additionally, Microsoft has a new (and more budget-oriented) option in the lineup called the Surface Laptop 13, which launches in 2025 and starts with 256GB of storage. Although we haven’t tested this machine yet, it comes with several downgrades, including a lower-resolution screen (that’s not a 3:2 aspect ratio), no Surface Connect magnetic charging port, and no Windows Hello IR camera. With all the discounts available on the larger models, I don’t find the price difference with the Surface Laptop 13 to be worth all the compromises.

Best 2-in-1 Laptop

The Surface Pro 13 is the best Surface tablet Microsoft has ever made. It uses the original Surface design, combining a 13-inch tablet with a built-in kickstand and a detachable keyboard. You get the same two USB-C connectors as before, along with Microsoft’s Surface Connect port. It’s still awkward to use on a lap, but on a desk, the new Flex Keyboard is an excellent (and expensive) upgrade — you can use the keyboard and the Surface separately, so you can space out your setup a bit.