Reddit is a super exciting place to start looking for a laptop recommendation.
One reason is that every recommendation is backed up by upvotes.
I’ve analyzed dozens of Reddit posts and today I’d like to show you some hidden gems I’ve found.
But before we go into detail, here are the winners up-front:
Best Laptop in 2023 According to Reddit:
Laptop | Best for? | Price approx. |
---|---|---|
MacBook Air M1 | Best Laptop acc. Reddit | $799 |
MacBook Pro M2 | Best Premium Laptop | $1,249 |
ASUS Vivobook S | Best Budget Laptop Reddit | $613 |
ASUS ZenBook 14 | Best Windows Laptop Reddit | $830 |
Razer Blade 15 | Best Gaming Laptop Reddit | $2,500 |
Disclaimer: The Amazon links you’ll find here are affiliate links.
So, according to Reddit, the MacBook Air M1 is the best laptop in 2023. The best premium laptop is the MacBook Pro M2 and for Windows users, it’s either the ASUS Vivobook S or the ASUS ZenBook 14.
Here’s a good summary I’ve found on the “Buying Advice” subreddit.
I’ve updated the MacBook Pro M1 version on this list to the newer M2 version.
As you can see the ASUS ZenBook is the perfect MacBook alternative. In case you don’t like the ASUS ZenBook, there is also the ASUS Vivobook. The ASUS Vivobook is the budget option.
So, let’s check out all the laptop recommendations in detail and what to look out for, in case you want a gaming laptop according to Reddit.
Table of Content
- The MacBook M1
- Best Windows Laptop Reddit
- Lenovo Thinkpad - Best Business Laptop
- Best Budget Laptop Reddit 2023
- Best Gaming Laptop Reddit 2023
- What About Intel vs. AMD?
The MacBook M1
Let’s talk about our winner and let me show you what Reddit users report about the MacBook M1.


It’s the favorite laptop of most students, and it’s even the favorite laptop for people who aren’t into Apple.

And no matter which subreddit I’ve checked, everyone has the same opinion.


The MacBook M1 completely changed the laptop market after it’s release in 2020.

No matter if the Air or Pro model, it was all over Reddit and the media. The speed and the overall performance of the M1 chip are truly amazing.
For instance, look at this post from a Redditor, who reports that the M1 is a life-changing device. (1)

That’s why the MacBook M1 is the winner on our laptop list according to Reddit. I’ve chosen the Air model, because most Reddit users say that there is no significant difference, in terms of performance, compared to the Pro.

But let’s take a closer look. What is the real difference between the M1 Air and the M1 Pro?
Difference acc. Reddit | MacBook Air M1 | MacBook Pro M1 |
---|---|---|
Battery Life | 10 hours | 16 hours |
Touch Bar | no | yes |
Cooling | no fan | fan |
Display | 365.8 nits | 434.8 nits |
Speaker | louder | more bass |
TrackPad | smaller | bigger |
You probably won’t notice the display difference, so that shouldn’t be a reason to go for the Pro. However, the battery life might be worth considering, as well as the cooling. The Macbook Air M1 doesn’t have a fan.
But here’s the deal: With the M1 chip you don’t necessarily need a fan, at least not if you’re not a professional video producer. I see a lot of Redditors reporting that, although they’ve bought the Pro version, they haven’t been able to tell one occasion where the fan kicked in.



For instance, I’m using the MacBook Air M1 version and I was able to use Final Cut Pro without missing a beat. It’s the preferred version, especially on Reddit. Just take a look at these posts.(2)


The MacBook Pro 14-inch
Last year apple added the 14-inch MacBook Pro to their product line. It’s also available as the 16-inch MacBook Pro.
The specs are just amazing:
- 14-inch/16-inch liquid retina display
- A sleek design and a performance beast
- The HDMI port is back
- More display space
- The M1 Max chip
The MacBook in the middle is the old 15-inch MacBook Pro.
What does Redditors report about the new MacBook Pro M1? Here are some nice Q&A’s I’ve come across on the latest posts:
Let’s summarize all the points:
- Deep bass speakers and a great sound
- No fan issues
- No heat issues
- Amazing built quality
I think it’s safe to say, that’s currently one of the best premium laptops you can get. As of early 2023, there’s already the M2 version available.
Best Windows Laptop Reddit
Now it’s Windows time. A lot of users don’t like Apple laptops or are simply used to Windows, so let’s try to find the best laptop for Windows users.
As mentioned in the beginning, this comment is still valid:
ASUS ZenBook 14
As of 2023, the ASUS ZenBook is Reddit’s choice if you want a Windows laptop. As one Redditor already pointed out, the ZenBook has the most M1-like experience. It’s a power performing laptop, has a sleek design and you can choose from three different models.
There is the ASUS ZenBook Ultra-Slim, the Flip and the Duo.
With the Flip version you can flip the display and use it as a tablet. The ASUS ZenBook Duo has an integrated touch display and the Ultra-Slim is simply the “normal” version. All of these models have excellent reviews, both on Amazon and Reddit.
The version Redditors was recommending a lot was the Ultra-Slim, but make sure to check out the others as well.
What Users Like About the ZenBook?
- A great battery life
- A sleek and modern design
- The glass trackpad
- The hardware is top-notch
- Brilliant screen
- The perfect travel laptop
What Users don’t Like About the ZenBook?
- The fact that you can’t update the RAM
If Windows is your choice, then the ZenBook is the best device you can currently get. At least according to Reddit.
Lenovo Thinkpad - Best Business Laptop
In case you don’t like the ASUS laptop for some reason, Lenovo offers great alternatives. You can choose between the Thinkpad and the IdeaPad.
The difference can be summarized like this:
So the question is, are you looking for a working machine or a multimedia beast? If you’re searching for the latter, go with the IdeaPad. Otherwise check out Lenovos ThinkPad.
Let’s first take a closer look at the ThinkPad.
Fun fact: Did you know that ThinkPads are 29 years old? They were used to be built by IBM, but Lenovo took over in 2005. Since then, they’ve evolved into one of the most popular laptop brands, not only on Reddit.
Best ThinkPad in 2023
Reddit is recommending Lenovo Thinkpads because they are quite good in terms of reliability.
If something is broken, it’s easy to repair it. They have a spill-resistant keyboard and ThinkPads are reliable beasts.
ThinkPads come in different models, categorized by letters. Here’s one Redditors take to show you the difference between each series:
The recommendation is definitely to go for the T-series.
Because of it’s popularity it can be tough to get one of those. But the T480 is currently available on Amazon.
And now let’s take a closer look at the IdeaPad.
Best Budget Laptop Reddit 2023
After searching Reddit for the best budget laptop, I’ve realised that ASUS Vivobook is the best budget laptop you can currently get.
It was easy to find it because it was being recommended on every budget laptop post.

Because it’s so affordable, it’s usually sold out really quickly. You can currently get it for approximately $550.
If you check out the reviews, users report that this laptop offers great value for the price.
Usually if you check out Amazon laptop ratings, you’ll find divisive opinions. But not with this laptop. Here’s what users love about the Vivobook:
- Best value laptop
- Very lightweight
- Great speakers
- You can convert it into a tablet
- Decent battery (Users report 8-hours)
Best Gaming Laptop Reddit 2023
So, what about gaming? What’s Reddit’s recommendation for 2023?
I was doing my best, browsing through different subreddits to find a recommendation for the best gaming laptop. There are tons of gaming laptop recommendations on Reddit, but I wanted to find the best ones.
From what I see, there are two gaming laptops that are currently being recommended. One is the MSI GE66 Raider and the other one is the Razer Blade 15 gaming laptop.
Let’s first check out the MSI GE66 Raider
This was the comment that stuck with me on the gaming laptop subreddit.
This baby has a RTX3070 GPU with an Intel i7 processor. It’s currently available on Amazon for approx $3.000.
A very Powerful Gaming Laptop
It’s a very powerful gaming laptop, everything runs ultra in 1080p and the building quality is superb. It comes with a super-clear display which has 15.6 Inches. The WiFi is called the “Killer LAN E3100” and you’ll get 5.2 Bluetooth. 32GB DDR4 Ram.
So, there is nothing missing right here. This laptop has it all, everything a gaming laptop needs in 2023.
One thing you should know is that the battery will last less than 2 hours while gaming, but that doesn’t come as a surprise and it’s the case with most gaming machines.
A lot of people prefer this portable and powerful laptop and it’s cheaper than building a desktop machine.
The other gaming laptop that was being recommended a lot on Reddit was the Razer Blade 15. It’s not a budget gaming laptop but you’ll get a lot for your money. It comes with a RTX 3070 GPU, 16 GB RAM and an OLED display. The choice is yours.
What About Intel vs. AMD?
Most Reddit recommendations include the AMD chip and not Intel. After reading tons of Reddit posts about this topic, AMD is currently the better option in terms of what you get for your money. However, this is still a pretty divisive topic.
So if you find a laptop with an Intel chip, don’t worry and go for it.
This Reddit user wrote a good summary (3):
That’s it for the best laptops according to Reddit. If you have any recommendations or comments, feel free to send me a message.
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