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The best-selling laptops right now are Apple’s MacBook Air 13-inch with the M5 chip and the new, lower-cost MacBook Neo. The 15-inch MacBook Air and the 14-inch MacBook Pro follow close behind. On the Windows side, simple HP and Dell laptops sell the most. They’re fine for email, browsing, and schoolwork, but they aren’t built for heavy multitasking.
This list comes from Amazon’s Best Sellers in Traditional Laptops, checked on September 28, 2026. Apple specs come from Apple’s Mac comparison page. Rankings and prices change often, so check the current price before you buy.
Quick picks
- Best overall: MacBook Air 13 (M5)
- Cheapest new Mac: MacBook Neo
- Best big screen: MacBook Air 15 (M5)
- Best for creative work: MacBook Pro 14 (M5)
- Best budget Windows laptop: Dell 15 with Intel Core 3
- Lowest cost Windows laptop: HP 14-inch with Intel N150
- Best for kids: Lenovo 14-inch Chromebook
| Laptop | Screen | Chip | Memory / storage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacBook Air 13 (M5) | 13.6″ | Apple M5 | 16GB / 512GB | Most people |
| MacBook Neo | 13″ | Apple A18 Pro | 8GB / 256GB | A Mac on a budget |
| MacBook Air 15 (M5) | 15.3″ | Apple M5 | 16GB / 512GB | A bigger screen |
| MacBook Pro 14 (M5) | 14.2″ | Apple M5 | 16GB / 1TB | Creative work |
| Dell 15 (DC15250) | 15.6″ | Intel Core 3 100U | 8GB / 512GB | Budget Windows |
| HP 14″ (2026-2027) | 14″ | Intel N150 | 4GB / 128GB | Email, web, and school |
| Lenovo Chromebook 14″ | 14″ touch | MediaTek Kompanio 520 | 4GB / 64GB | Kids and students |
1. MacBook Air 13 (M5): best overall
This is the top seller for a reason. The M5 chip has a 10-core CPU, and this model has 16GB of memory and a 512GB SSD. Apple rates the battery at up to 18 hours. It has no fan, so it’s silent, and it weighs little enough to carry all day. Most students, office workers, and families will never outgrow it.
Check the MacBook Air 13 (M5) on Amazon
2. MacBook Neo: cheapest new Mac
The MacBook Neo is Apple’s new entry-level laptop. It uses the A18 Pro chip (the same family as recent iPhone Pro chips) with a 6-core CPU and 8GB of memory. The screen is 13 inches, and Apple rates the battery at up to 16 hours. It’s a good fit for browsing, streaming, homework, and light photo editing.
Keep two things in mind. The base model has 256GB of storage, and Apple lists Touch ID only on the 512GB model. If you keep lots of photos or videos, the MacBook Air is the safer pick.
Check the MacBook Neo on Amazon
3. MacBook Air 15 (M5): best big screen
This is the same M5 MacBook Air with a 15.3-inch screen. That extra room helps with spreadsheets, side-by-side windows, and watching video. It starts at 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage, and Apple lists the same 18-hour battery rating.
Check the MacBook Air 15 (M5) on Amazon
4. MacBook Pro 14 (M5): best for creative work
Choose the Pro if you edit video, work with large photos, or run demanding apps for hours. It has a brighter 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display, a fan to keep performance steady, and 1TB of storage to start. Apple rates the battery at up to 24 hours, the longest of any laptop here.
Need more power? The 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M5 Pro chip is also on the best-seller list, but it costs a lot more.
Check the MacBook Pro 14 (M5) on Amazon
5. Dell 15 (Intel Core 3): best budget Windows laptop
If you need Windows and want to keep costs down, this Dell is the one we’d pick from the best-seller list. It has a 15.6-inch Full HD anti-glare screen, an Intel Core 3 100U processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. It also has a full number pad, which is handy for spreadsheets. The trade-off is weight: the listing puts it at about 4.2 pounds.
6. HP 14-inch (Intel N150): lowest cost Windows laptop
Several HP laptops with the Intel N150 chip sit near the top of the list. They’re light, about 3.24 pounds, and come with a year of Microsoft 365. But 4GB of RAM is the minimum Windows 11 needs, and 128GB of storage fills up fast. It works for email, web browsing, and documents. Don’t expect it to handle dozens of browser tabs or games.
Check the HP 14-inch laptop on Amazon
7. Lenovo 14-inch Chromebook: best for kids
A Chromebook is a good choice for kids and students who mostly use Google Docs, Classroom, and the web. This Lenovo has a 14-inch Full HD touchscreen, a MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, and weighs about 2.9 pounds. Google gives Chromebooks 10 years of updates from the platform release date. Older models run out sooner, so check the update date before you buy, especially for used or renewed Chromebooks.
Check the Lenovo Chromebook on Amazon
How to choose the right laptop
- Decide on the operating system: macOS, Windows, or ChromeOS. Pick the one that runs the apps you need.
- Set your budget, and leave a little room for a case or a mouse.
- Get at least 8GB of memory (RAM), or 16GB if you keep many apps or tabs open.
- Pick your storage. 256GB is enough for most people who use cloud storage; get 512GB or more for photos and video.
- Choose a screen size. 13 to 14 inches is easy to carry; 15 to 16 inches is better at a desk.
- Check the battery rating and the weight if you’ll carry it every day.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best-selling laptop right now?
When we checked on September 28, 2026, the 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip was number 1 in Amazon’s Traditional Laptops best sellers, and the MacBook Neo was number 2.
Is 4GB of RAM enough for a Windows laptop?
It’s the minimum Microsoft lists for Windows 11. It works for simple tasks, but 8GB or more feels much faster when you switch between apps.
What about gaming laptops?
None made the top of Amazon’s Traditional Laptops best-seller list when we checked. For gaming, look for a laptop with a dedicated graphics card and at least 16GB of memory, since the budget models above use basic built-in graphics.
Should I buy a renewed laptop?
Renewed laptops can save money, but check the warranty, the battery health, and how long the laptop will keep getting updates. For Chromebooks, check the update date. For Macs, make sure the model supports the current version of macOS.
Is a Chromebook or a Windows laptop better for school?
Many schools use Google tools, so a Chromebook works well and costs less. Pick Windows if a class needs Windows-only software.
Related: how to check your laptop screen size in Windows 11, how to cast your laptop to a TV, and how to free up space on a MacBook Air.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read hundreds of millions of times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.