The 5 Best Ultrabooks of 2025

The best ultrabook we've tested in the 13-inch size is the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025). Sleek, compact, and exceptionally sturdy, Apple's most popular laptop is a near-perfect ultrabook. Performance certainly isn't an issue here; its M4 SoC has plenty of processing power for general productivity tasks like web browsing, text processing, and media consumption. It can handle some moderately demanding workloads like programming and light video editing, as long as the project isn't overly complex. Plus, you don't have to deal with loud fan noise since this is a fanless device.

The overall user experience is amazing. You get a sharp and bright display, a spacious and tactile keyboard, a large, easy-to-use haptic touchpad, and a 1080p webcam with Center Stage support. The latter is a feature that keeps you centered in the frame during video calls, which can be handy when you need to move around. Our main gripe with this laptop is its limited port selection, comprising only two USB-C ports and a MagSafe charging port. Another minor complaint is that the display is still limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, whereas most premium ultrabooks on the Windows side have adopted a high-refresh panel.

Our recommendation in the 14-inch category is the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024). This Windows ultraportable has an all-aluminum build that feels nearly as premium as the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) above. It also provides an amazing user experience, allowing you to work comfortably and efficiently. The Intel Meteor Lake CPU's performance isn't quite as good as Apple's M4 SoC, but it's still more than adequate for most general productivity tasks. Battery life is where it struggles a bit—at around eight hours of light use, you may need to plug it in to get through a typical workday.

You can configure this laptop with an FHD+ or a 2.8k OLED display. The latter is available with or without touch input, and it has a 120Hz refresh rate to provide better input responsiveness and smoother motion when navigating the desktop. While these OLED panels are very pretty, just remember that they flicker and may bother some people, causing eye strain. The keyboard feels comfortable to type on for long periods, and there's a good port selection, including two USB-C ports, a USB-A, and an HDMI. A nifty feature worth mentioning is the ability to turn the touchpad into a virtual numpad, which can be handy for those working with lots of numbers.

If you prefer the 15-inch size, check out the Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4, 2025), a larger version of the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025) mentioned above. Everything is the same as the 13-inch model, except you get a larger screen and slightly better-sounding speakers. The 15-inch size is more ideal for multitasking, especially when you need to place two windows side by side. Not that you can't do it on a 13- or 14-inch screen, but having two windows side by side does feel noticeably less cramped on a 15-inch screen. The larger screen size also translates to more space on the keyboard deck to rest your wrists while typing, resulting in a more comfortable user experience overall.

A great alternative for Windows users would be the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 15 Aura Edition (2025). Sporting a gorgeous OLED display, an amazingly comfortable keyboard, a haptic touchpad, and an excellent 1440p webcam, this model provides an equally premium user experience as the MacBook Air. You get more ports, including two USB-C ports, a USB-A, and an HDMI, as well as Wi-Fi 7 wireless connectivity. The only thing to remember is that, like the Zenbook above, its 120Hz OLED display flickers at 480Hz, which some people might find bothersome. Another downside is that it's more expensive than the MacBook Air.

Going further up in size, we have the 16-inch category, and our recommendation is the LG gram 16 (2024). What really sets this apart from most ultrabooks on the market is its incredible lightweight design. At 2.6 lbs (1.2 kg), it weighs the same as the Apple MacBook Air 13 (M4, 2025)! Its Intel Meteor Lake CPU is plenty fast for most people, and the laptop never gets hot or loud under load. Its battery life is outstanding at around 15 hours of light use or 12 hours of local video playback, so you likely won't need to bring a charger when working on the go.

The user experience is as expected of a premium ultrabook; the keyboard provides satisfying tactile feedback, and while the touchpad isn't haptic, it's very responsive to all movements and gestures. As for the display, all the available options are QHD+ panels; you just have to choose between a 60Hz or 144Hz refresh rate. The 60Hz panel is available with or without touch input support. Above the display is a decent 1080p webcam with facial recognition support for quick logins.

For fans of 2-in-1s, we recommend the Lenovo Yoga 9i 2-in-1 Aura Edition 14 (2025). This premium, well-built 14-inch model has a 360-degree hinge, allowing you to flip the screen around and use it as a tablet. You can get this laptop with a 120Hz 2.8k OLED or a 60Hz 4k+ OLED panel; the former is the better option for viewing HDR content, as it can get up to a whopping 1,000 cd/m² of brightness. Another design element that makes this device amazing for media consumption is the speaker system, which is built into the hinge, so the speakers fire directly at you in laptop mode or upwards in tent mode. There's pen input support if you want to take handwritten notes or draw, but you may have to buy the stylus separately, as it doesn't always come with the device.

If you typically spend more time using the device as a tablet, the Microsoft Surface Pro 11th Edition (2024) might be a better option because you can detach the keyboard, making the device easier and more comfortable to hold. It also supports pen input, and unfortunately, you'll have to buy the stylus separately, and the same goes for the keyboard. The most important thing to know about this device is that it runs on an ARM-based SoC, and since most programs don't run natively on an ARM chip, you must ensure that the apps you use are compatible. Something else worth mentioning is that although this device has an OLED display option, the OLED panel exhibits a 'screen door' effect, which some people might find very distracting.