Laptops are incredibly useful devices, and buying a new one can be very exciting, but also daunting. There's so much choice nowadays that finding the right laptop for you can be tough, but we're here to help. We already have a round-up of the best laptops overall, but what if you specifically want something that's lightweight and easy to carry around? Well, you can check out our list of the best lightweight laptops, or we can take a look at the best 13-inch laptops you can buy today.

While some users prefer bigger screens, 13-inch laptops are some of the most popular out there. Laptops are meant to be portable, and with this compact size, you can have something that's easy to take with you to school or work. Because it's such a popular segment, there are tons of great 13-inch laptops, and we've rounded up what we consider to be the best ones you can buy today.

The HP Spectre x360 lineup is home to some of the best laptops on the market, and it's no surprise that the 2023 Spectre x360 13.5 makes the top of this list. It's a phenomenal laptop in almost every way, and the convertible form factor gives it some extra versatility.

Powering the HP Spectre x360 13.5 are 13th-generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i7-1355U with 10 cores and 12 threads, which is all you need for great performance in daily tasks. The configurations available at writing time max out with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, though you should see more options show up in the future. Past models have gone up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

Part of what makes this such a great laptop is the display, which is a 13.5-inch panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio. The base model comes with a Full HD+ IPS panel, which is already solid for the size. If you want an even better experience, there's also a 3K2K OLED model, which is sharper and has benefits like true blacks and more vibrant colors. Since it's a convertible, all models support touch and pen input. Every model also includes a 5MP webcam with Windows Hello support, one of the best you can find on any laptop.

HP hasn't changed the design of the Spectre x360 13.5 for 2023, so it's still a premium aluminum laptop with great build quality. It has a dual-tone design in both Nightfall Black or Nocturne Blue colorways, though there's also a simpler Natural Silver option. It weighs 3.01 pounds, which makes sense for a convertible of this size made of aluminum. For ports, you get two Thunderbolt 4 connections, USB Type-A, a microSD card reader, and a headphone jack.

Whether it's the performance, display, or design, there's a lot to love with the HP Spectre x360 13.5, and it's an easy recommendation for almost anyone. You can read our review of last year's model, which is very similar in many ways.

No list of 13-inch laptops could go without mentioning the MacBook Air, and that's especially true with the latest model, which delivers some very welcome improvements in performance, design, and the webcam.

Focusing on performance first, the latest MacBook Air is powered by the Apple M2 with eight CPU cores, and it promises 18% more performance than the Apple M1. Plus, it also has an upgraded 10-core GPU (in some configurations), which delivers up to 35% more performance than the previous generation. This makes it one of the fastest lightweight laptops around, and it's also very efficient, so battery life is phenomenal. You can also configure the latest MacBook Air with up to 24GB of unified memory (RAM) and a 2TB SSD.

The display has also changed a bit in the latest MacBook Air. It's slightly taller and measures 13.6 inches diagonally, and the resolution is 2560x1664, so it's super sharp. It also now reaches up to 500 nits of brightness instead of 400 nits, so it's a bit more visible outdoors, and it supports P3 Wide Color. A potential downside is a notch that houses the webcam, but at least that webcam is now a 1080p sensor, so it has pretty good quality. It lacks Face ID support, though, so you still have to use Touch ID.

Design-wise, the latest MacBook Air is very different from its predecessors, ditching the wedge-shaped design for a flat, even look with rounded edges. It's still incredibly thin at just over 11mm, and it also weighs just 2.7 pounds. Plus, it comes in four colors, including the classic Silver and Space Grey, along with newcomers Starlight and Midnight. As for ports, you get two Thunderbolt/USB4 ports and a headphone jack with support for high-impedance headphones, along with MagSafe 3 support for fast charging, a major addition to this model. It's worth noting that the laptop only supports one external display, however.

While it has some shortcomings, the latest MacBook Air is easily one of the best 13-inch laptops on the market today.

Dell is another company well known for making some of the best laptops on the market, and the latest iteration of the XPS 13 Plus is yet another easy choice if you want a 13-inch laptop.

The latest model comes with 13th-generation Intel Core processors, specifically a Core i7-1360P with 12 cores and 16 threads, which gives it more than enough performance to handle all kinds of day-to-day tasks. This is a very fast processor, and it's combined with up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

It's got a great display, too, being a 13.4-inch panel with a tall 16:10 aspect ratio. The base model comes in Full HD+ resolution, which is already great, but you can upgrade to a stunning 3.5K OLED option that's very sharp while also having the usual benefits of OLED, like true blacks, vivid colors, and high contrast ratios. There's also an Ultra HD+ LCD option, which is ideal for creative work since it covers 100% of Adobe RGB. The webcam is a big downside since Dell insists on using a 720p sensor. However, it does support Windows Hello, so there's a positive there.

A few things make this laptop a unique and appealing one in terms of design, too. It has an invisible touchpad that blends seamlessly with the chassis, and the zero-lattice keyboard combined with the touch-based function row all make for an incredibly modern-feeling laptop, though it may take some getting used to. It's also fairly light, at 2.71 pounds. A downside of this machine, however, is the ports, which are limited to just two Thunderbolt 4 connections, with adapters in the box for a headphone jack and USB Type-A.

The XPS 13 Plus certainly has its downsides, but it's still an incredible machine in more ways than one.

The Surface Laptop is kind of the Windows equivalent to the MacBook Air, and if you're looking for a premium laptop that runs Windows, then the Surface Laptop 5 is a safe bet.

For starters, the Surface Laptop 5 comes with 12th-generation Intel Core processors, specifically up to an Intel Core i7-1255U, with 10 cores and 12 threads. It's a very capable processor. It will handle day-to-day tasks just fine, though it's not the newest hardware around anymore. The 13-inch version of the Surface Laptop 5 goes up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, so you have a great experience with this machine.

One of the highlights of the Surface Laptop 5 is definitely the display. Microsoft uses its signature 3:2 aspect ratio and a very sharp resolution of 2256x1504, so you'll have a great experience with it in every way. The screen also supports touch and pen input, though this isn't a convertible. A big downside to this laptop is the 720p webcam that sits at the top of the display, though it does support Windows Hello facial recognition.

Premium design is also a trademark of Surface devices, and the Surface Laptop 5 is no exception. You get an all-metal design in four color options, those being Platinum, Matte Black, Sandstone, and Sage. The Platinum model also comes with an Alcantara fabric cover for the keyboard base, making it a bit more comfortable. At 2.8 pounds, it's a fairly portable laptop, too. Ports include one Thunderbolt 4 port, one USB Type-A port, a headphone jack, and a Surface Connect port for charging. This is the first Surface laptop model with Thunderbolt support, which is a major addition.

The older processors and 720p webcam are notable downsides, but the Surface Laptop 5 is still a great premium laptop for most users. However, the Surface Laptop 6 could be right around the corner, so it may be worth waiting.

Gaming usually requires pretty beefy hardware, but Asus managed to squeeze some gaming power into a portable machine with the ROG Flow X13, one of my favorite laptops ever.

The 2023 iteration of the ROG Flow X13 comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS processor with 8 cores and 16 threads, and that's paired with up to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU, delivering very impressive performance for such a small laptop. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. If you want more graphics power, you can also hook up an Asus ROG Xg Mobile external GPU, with options up to an RTX 4090.

The display on the ROG Flow X13 is a 13.4-inch panel with a 16:10 aspect ratio, with options up to a stunning ROG Nebula display with Quad HD+ resolution, 100% coverage of DCI-P3, and a 165Hz refresh rate. It's fantastic for gaming and everything else. It supports touch and pen input, too. Above that display is a 1080p webcam with Windows Hello support.

On to the design, the Asus ROG Flow X13 is very sleek with an all-black chassis that's just 18.7mm thick at its thickest point and a mere 2.87 pounds of weight, very impressive for these specs. It also has a solid supply of ports, with two USB Type-C ports (one integrated into the ROG Xg Mobile interface), USB Type-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader. That's very good for this size.

This is a very impressive 13-inch laptop, and if you're interested in gaming while still having a lightweight design, it's one of your best options.

Professional users need a reliable laptop that looks good in a business environment and is easy to carry around. The HP Dragonfly G4 ticks all these boxes, with some extra perks, too.

Inside the HP Dragonfly G4 are 13th-generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i7-1365U with vPro, featuring 10 cores and 12 threads for great performance while having solid battery life. It also comes with up to 32GB of RAM and a 2TB SSD.

You also get a 13.5-inch panel with a tall 3:2 aspect ratio here, and the base model comes in an average Full HD+ resolution with 400 nits of brightness. However, there are upgrade options including one with HP Sure View Reflect and 1000 nits of brightness, or a beautiful 3K2K OLED panel with vibrant colors. You even get a 5MP webcam, one of the best you'll find on any laptop, complete with Windows Hello support.

As for the design, it's as sleek and subdued as you could want. It comes in either Slate Blue or Natural Silver (though the former is more interesting), and it weighs just 2.2 pounds, meaning it's super portable and easy to carry. Plus, it has great connectivity options, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, USB Type-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and an optional nano-SIM slot if you get the LTE or 5G models. And yes, cellular connectivity is an option if you want to work on the move.

Outside of discounts, the HP Dragonfly G4 is pretty pricy, but it's a fantastic laptop for almost everyone, and especially for business.

There aren't a lot of premium Windows tablets out there, but that shouldn't take away from how great the Surface Pro 9 is. With a great display and cameras, plus other high-end specs, this is a fantastic device.

On the inside, the Surface Pro 9 features 12th-generation Intel Core processors up to a Core i7-1255U. That gets you 10 cores and 12 threads, so it's plenty fast. You can also configure it with up to 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, which is fantastic for a tablet. There's also the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, which is powered by an Arm-based Microsoft SQ3 chipset, along with up to 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's not as fast, but it's still great.

The display on the Surface Pro 9 is one of its best qualities. It has a 13-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, and it comes in a very sharp 2880x1920 resolution and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate, which can adjust dynamically. Being a tablet also means the Surface Pro 9 has one of the best webcams around. The front-facing camera is a 5MP sensor that supports 1080p video, in addition to Windows Hello facial recognition. There's also a 10MP camera on the back with 4K video support.

Microsoft didn't change much about the design of the Surface Pro 9, so it still weighs around 1.94 pounds depending on the configuration, and it's also 9.4mm thin, excluding the optional keyboard. This model does add new color options in the Intel version, with Forest and Sapphire joining the Platinum and Graphite colorways. Unfortunately, in terms of ports, you only get two USB-C ports (supporting Thunderbolt 4, on the Intel model) and Surface Connect, meaning there's not even a headphone jack.

Despite that, the Surface Pro 9 is easily the best Windows tablet on the market, though we're expecting a Surface Pro 10 to launch very soon.

Not many companies are willing to put their best efforts into making a premium Chromebook, but HP has challenged that trend with the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook. This is one of the most premium Chromebooks around, despite being a year old.

For starters, in terms of performance, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook packs Intel's 12th-generation Core processors, up to an Intel Core i7-1265U, which has 10 cores and 12 threads and can run Chrome OS like a dream. Plus, you can get up to 32GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is massive for ChromeOS.

The display on the Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a 13.5-inch panel with a 3:2 aspect ratio. It comes in Full HD+ resolution in the base model, with the option to add HP Sure View Reflect, a privacy screen that prevents people around you from seeing what's on your screen. You can also upgrade to a "Quad HD+" model (2256x1504), and all models include a stylus, since the touchscreen also supports pen input. Above the display, you get a great 5MP webcam, but instead of facial recognition, this one has a fingerprint reader.

Design-wise, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is a fairly standard business laptop, coming in a subtle Slate Blue colorway that's very close to black. The laptop weighs 2.8 pounds, so it's fairly portable, especially considering it's a convertible. As for ports, the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook has two Thunderbolt 4 ports (though external GPUs won't work with Chrome OS), USB Type-A, HDMI, a headphone jack, and a microSD card reader.

The biggest downside of the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook is its exorbitant price tag, but thankfully it gets discounted often. Otherwise, this is definitely one of the best 13-inch laptops on the market.

Not everyone can afford to spend over $1,000 on a laptop, but thankfully, the Lenovo Yoga 6 to give you an excellent laptop for a very reasonable price. Starting at just $700, it's a no-brainer.

For that price, you're getting an AMD Ryzen 5 7530U, with 6 cores and 12 threads, delivering solid performance for all kinds of day-to-day tasks, whether that's browsing the web or writing up documents. It also has 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, though you can upgrade both if you have the budget for it.

It also comes with a 13.3-inch display that has a 16:10 aspect ratio and Full HD+ resolution. That will give you a pretty great experience for the price, and the 300 nits of brightness are about what you might expect. It also supports touch and pen input, since it's a convertible. The webcam is a 1080p sensor, which is great to see in a budget laptop, and it even supports Windows Hello facial recognition.

Lenovo also has a fairly unique design here, with the top half of the laptop made of metal and the bottom half made of plastic. Some models also have a fabric cover on the top half, which makes it even more unique. Starting at 3.02 pounds, the laptop is also reasonably light. It even gets ports right, featuring two USB Type-C and two Type-A ports, HDMI, and a headphone jack to cover all your needs. There's no USB4 support, but that makes sense for a budget laptop.

Considering it's a convertible and everything else it offers, it's a very good deal. I reviewed the previous model, which was nearly identical aside from the processors, and praised it heavily.

Best 13-inch laptops in 2023: Bottom line

And those are the best 13-inch laptops you can buy today. We chose the HP Spectre x360 13.5 for the top spot because it has a fantastic combination of high-end performance, great display options, and a beautiful dual-tone design, plus the versatility of a convertible. It's a laptop you can't really go wrong with, so it deserves the top spot, but all the other laptops on this list are also great choices. A personal favorite of mine is the Asus ROG Flow X13 since it has the versatility of a convertible, but also some powerful internals that allow for some gaming.

Of course, if you want something cheaper, the Lenovo Yoga 6 is the one for you. This is a personal favorite of mine, and it's simply a great laptop for the price, with solid performance, display, and design. You can't go wrong with this one if you're on a tighter budget.

If you're more interested in bigger laptops, we also have a list of the best 15-inch laptops you can buy right now. This larger size also makes room for more power, so you can get much more powerful gaming laptops.