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

But more than anything, the polish of the laptop’s design and the quality of its components are what 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 rounder corners. It’s brighter, too, and features a 120-Hz screen refresh rate, giving it an edge over the MacBook Air. Content looks vivid and sharp, even outdoors in broad daylight (but you’ll have to crank it up to about full brightness under direct sunlight).

My favorite thing about the screen is the aspect ratio. Because it’s 3:2 rather than 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 toward the 3:2 screen of the Surface Laptop, which is one of the few laptops that use this aspect ratio. The 1080p webcam, customizable haptic feedback trackpad, and snappy keyboard all feel every bit as strong as the MacBook Air, too.

None of that would matter if the performance and battery weren’t competitive though. Fortunately, the Surface Laptop 13.8 is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors, with options for the X Elite or X Plus. It was one of the first laptops to embrace these chips and has benefited from their exceptional battery life and efficient performance. We tested the Elite, and performance has been perfectly smooth, no matter how many windows, tabs, and apps are open. This is not a machine for graphics-intensive tasks, like video editing or gaming, but it’s perfectly capable of powering all the usual tasks most people do on a laptop.

The Surface Laptop 13.8-inch used to start with an option with only 256 GB of storage, which is how Microsoft was able to sell it at such a low starting price. But now that starts at 512 GB, regardless of if you choose the 13.8-inch model or the larger 15-inch. The 13.8-inch model now starts at $1,099, though you can often find it for less at Best Buy or Amazon. In addition, Microsoft has a newer (and more budget-oriented) option in the lineup called the Surface Laptop 13, which launched in 2025 and starts with 256 GB of storage. Although we haven’t tested this machine yet, it comes with several downgrades, including a lower-resolution screen (that isn’t 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 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, pairing a 13-inch tablet with a built-in kickstand to 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 pricey) upgrade—you can use the keyboard and Surface separately, so you can space your setup out a little.