Over the past year, we've seen no shortage of impressive new Windows laptops, from thin and light Copilot+ PCs like Microsoft's Surface Laptop to powerful business devices like HP's OmniBook X Flip 16. There are also models with fantastic battery lives, like Lenovo's ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition.
Also: The best laptops of 2025: Expert tested and reviewed
We've gone hands-on with dozens of new Windows laptops, evaluating portability, RAM, and storage, plus assessing the value of a laptop in relation to what it provides. We then took that data and experience to create a list highlighting our favorite Windows laptops in 2026.
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What is the best Windows laptop right now?
We've personally tested all of the best Windows laptops on this list, including the latest models from Lenovo, Asus, Dell, and HP. Our favorite Windows laptop overall is the Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition It's a bold refresh of the ThinkPad lineup that's versatile, portable, and a great all-around laptop for most users.
There are plenty of other options, so we've included several use cases to round out the list. Our experts took the time to test each device included here to help you find the best of the best. Let's take a look.
For the February 2026 update, we added Lenovo Legion 9i as the new best gaming Windows laptop and added HP's OmniBook 7 Aero as the best lightweight Windows model.
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The best Windows laptops of 2026
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