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

The polish of the laptop’s design and the quality of its components are what really 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. Content looks vivid and sharp, even outdoors in broad daylight (but you’ll have to crank it up to close to full brightness under direct sunlight).

My favorite feature 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 a square than a rectangle. This provides more vertical space for webpages, spreadsheets, and apps. When choosing between the two aspect ratios, I’ll always gravitate toward the 3:2 screen of the Surface Laptop, which is one of the few laptops that use it. The full HD webcam (1080p), customizable haptic feedback trackpad, and snappy keyboard all feel every bit as strong as on the MacBook Air, too.

None of that would matter if the performance and battery life 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. I 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 complete on a laptop.

A few months ago, the 7th Edition officially rose in price to $1,500, though throughout most of 2025, you could often get it for less than $1,000. While configurations have been limited on Amazon, you can snag some decent discounts right now, such as the 512-GB model for $1,200.

It’s still a steal compared with the 2026 model, which starts at $1,600. The only upgrades for the new Surface Laptop 8th Edition are options to get the Snapdragon X2 Plus or X2 Elite, plus some new colors. If you’re buying today, when the 2024 model is still available, I can’t imagine those upgrades are really worth the hefty price difference. They’re both configured identically, with 512 GB of storage and 16 GB of RAM. I’ve seen similar price increases on other devices with upgrades to the Snapdragon X2 Plus, such as the Asus Zenbook A16. While the chips offer a meaningful step forward in graphics performance, the price hikes make the devices way too expensive right now.

As long as the 2024 model is still around and being sold at a discount, it’s the one you should go buy today. How long it will stay around is anyone’s guess.

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) with 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 your lap, but on a desk, the new Flex Keyboard is an excellent (and pricey) upgrade—you can use the keyboard and Surface separately, allowing you to space out your setup a bit.