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The best laptops in Australia typically aren’t cheap. With advanced processors, graphics cards, bright high-resolution displays and large hard drives and batteries all inside, the high price is generally expected.
But it means that choosing the right laptop is incredibly important.
Whether you are shopping for a laptop for a student on their way to school or a dedicated business workhorse, we’re here to help.
We’ve done the research to come up with this list of the best laptops in Australia.
You can read more about the BTTR approach below, but the short version is that we went to Google, combined the recommendations of the top ranking sites and consolidated it into this list.
Of course, everybody’s needs are a bit different. You should consider what you need from a laptop before buying. We’ve listed some of the things to think about at the bottom of this guide.
If you’re specifically after a more versatile form factor, we’ve broken down the best 2-in-1 laptops in Australia.
And if you are after a powerhouse for gaming, then consider our list of the best gaming laptops as well.
These are the best laptops in Australia right now:
Apple MacBook Air (M2, 2022)
Recommended by 100% of review sites
Apple’s decision to build its own computing processors a few years ago has really helped the Cupertino giant stand out in the laptop space.
Recommended by 10/10 of the sites referenced for this guide, the 2022 MacBook Air is powered by the Apple M2 chip, which delivers incredible performance with exceptional battery life.
With customisation options for RAM and storage size, the M2 MacBook Air offers the perfect balance of portability with performance. It is the easiest choice for best laptop in Australia right now.
Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M3 Max, 2023)
Recommended by 50% of review sites
The late 2023 update to Apple’s epic 16-inch MacBook Pro wasted no time in climbing towards the top of this list.
Powered by the mind-blowing M3 Max processor and delivering up to 22 hours of battery life, this powerful machine is the perfect partner to professional workers.
Thanks to its impressive CPU and GPU combo, stunning 16.2-inch Retina XDR display and 16GB RAM, it can handle any task you throw at it.
Asus Zenbook 14 OLED
Recommended by 40% of review sites
Asus has crammed a stunning 2.8K 14-inch OLED display into this laptop, and it is glorious to look at.
It’s the centrepiece of what is a very nice laptop. With a nice hinge design and a massive touchpad, the Zenbook 14 OLED is comfortable and robust to carry around.
However, gamers should probably look elsewhere given the lack of a dedicated GPU. That also means you don’t get the same level of performance as more powerful laptops. Of course, you’ll pay more for those machines anyway.
Battery life is robust as well, making this a strong option for portability.
HP Spectre x360 13.5 (2022)
Recommended by 30% of review sites
If you’re looking for a sturdy 2-in-1 design, the HP Spectre x360 13.5 is one of the best 2-in-1 laptop options out there.
You get a stunning OLED touchscreen with a 3:2 aspect ratio that flips around so you can use the laptop as a tablet.
It delivers plenty of battery life and performance, and while it lacks an HDMI port, it does come bundled with a mini docking station and a magnetic pen.
Framework Laptop 13 (Intel)
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Framework is a relatively new brand in the laptop space, with a remarkably different strategy to the other manufacturers in this list. Its laptops are designed to be fixable and upgradeable.
With the latest Intel processor, a 13.5-inch LCD, and a range of RAM and storage options, you can customise the Framework Laptop 13 to your exact specifications.
Also worth pointing out is the interchangeable ports, which allow you to change the connections on your laptop based on your needs at the time. You can swap from ethernet at work to HDMI at home effortlessly.
It’s a novel concept that doesn’t sacrifice performance, and is a worthy entry in this list of the best laptops in Australia.
Dell XPS 13 (2023)
Recommended by 30% of review sites
Dell built its brand on having affordable laptops that can be customised to the users’ needs.
The 2023 version of the Dell XPS 13 offers that same customisation.
With the latest 13th generation Core i7 or Core i9 processor, the OLED XPS 13 comes with either a 1920 x 1200 60Hz non-touch display or a 3456 x 2160 60 Hz touchscreen
If you aren’t in the market for a laptop running MacOS, this is a brilliant choice.
Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020)
Recommended by 30% of review sites
It’s a testament to just how good this 2020 laptop is that it continues to appear in this list.
Powered by Apple’s M1 processor, the M1 MacBook Air is an ideal starting point for a student laptop or a more affordable work machine.
It only offers 256GB of storage, but it can get through the better part of the day on a single charge, and looks fantastic in its three colour options.
How we chose the best laptops in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending laptops on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best laptop” and identified 10 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often. The full list of sites we referenced is outlined below:
We listed out all of the laptops listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
For laptops this is quite challenging, as different sites may have tested different configurations. When in doubt, we combined products with the same name.
We calculated the frequency in which each product was mentioned across those 10 guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products that it is, indeed one of the best laptops in Australia.
We set a minimum of three mentions across all 10 guides to be eligible for inclusion here.
Before we created this page we took some time to remove products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
Best laptops in Australia buying guide: What to look for when choosing your next work device
Whether you decide to buy one of the laptops listed above or a different machine more suited to your own individual needs, the key things to consider when buying a laptop are the same.
Operating system of choice
The first question you need to ask yourself when buying a new laptop is whether you want a Mac or PC (or a Chromebook).
As you can see by our recommendations, Macs are well-regarded by review sites. But the reality is that most laptops sold these days are running Windows.
A study from analysis firm Telsyte in June 2022 showed that only 36% of people looking to buy a laptop in Australia were considering buying a Mac.
The ultimate decision will come down to individual needs, particularly around software compatibility.
Deciding to buy a Mac limits the other criteria significantly thanks to the closed ecosystem of Apple’s laptops, but the decision factors still remain
Processing power
The laptops processor helps determine just how much work it can handle before it starts to slow down and not work properly.
So if you really need a machine to do complex computations or intense video editing, you’ll need a more powerful CPU than someone who just wants to browse the web and check email.
Either way, you should probably buy the most recent generation of chipset unless you’re looking to save a buck. For Intel-powered laptops, that’s the 12th generation.
It may cost a little more up front, but CPUs can’t be upgraded so you’re going to get a longer shelf life out of your laptop this way.
RAM
The other side of performance is your laptop’s RAM. typically, today’s laptops start at 8GB but can be expanded significantly, which helps for those more intensive work tasks.
For most people, buy as much RAM as you can comfortably afford. Alternatively, see if you can upgrade the RAM in your laptop in the future. Sometimes, increasing the RAM of an older computer can give it a new lease on life.
SSD or HDD?
SSDs are faster, but they cost more. Generally speaking, you’ll see much better performance out of an SSD than a traditional hard drive.
That said, cost is important. Photos and videos can take up a lot of space, and if you can’t afford a large SSD in your laptop, you may need to get a regular hard drive to manage costs.
Also look for hybrid machines that offers both SSD and HDD. These allow you to boot off the SSD for faster performance, but also give you the larger capacity for storing your files.
Display
When it comes to your laptop’s screen, there are a number of factors to consider.
Size
The size of your laptop’s screen is an important decision factor. Do you want a desktop replacement with a larger screen to make work easier? Or do you need a smaller, more portable screen?
Resolution
Resolution is the number of pixels on the screen. The more pixels, the better the image.
In 2022, you should probably only consider a resolution of at least 1920 x 1080 pixels, or what’s known as Full HD.
But in many cases, you want to get a machine with a higher resolution. 1440p screens are popular in gaming laptops and offer 2560 x 1440 pixels.
If you can afford it, 4K screens (3840 x 2160) can look incredible, but the human eye struggles to really differentiate that level of detail on such a small screen.
Refresh rate
The refresh rate refers to how frequently the screen will refresh the pixels. For gaming this is important to create a seamlessly smooth experience, but it can also help with video playback.
Generally speaking, the higher the refresh rate of the screen the smoother the picture. However, in order to really take advantage of higher rates, your GPU needs to be good enough to deliver it.
From a real world standpoint, 60Hz is probably enough for most people.
Keyboard style and function
Typing on a laptop is one of the core advantages it has over a tablet or phone, so consider the style and design of the laptop’s keyboard before buying.
Battery life?
In today’s connected world, being able to pick up the laptop and work from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection is essential. But you also need to know that your laptop has the battery life to get you through the day.
Laptop battery capacities are typically measured in Watt-Hours (WHr), and usually that means the larger the number the better the battery life.
Although it’s also important to remember that the software and processor and display size can all impact battery life as well.
Price
Price is important in every purchasing decision, but it is especially important for laptops, because they can get so expensive.
A cheap Chromebook can cost as little as a few hundred dollars, but you cannot expect high-end performance from devices at that price.
To get top tier performance, you should expect to spend at least $1,300, though the best premium laptops in Australia can cost as much as (and even beyond) $5,000.
Update history
- 16 January 2023 – First Published
- 13 April 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Lowered the minimum number of recommendations to 3. Added Apple MacBook Pro 16 (M2 Pro, 2023), HP Spectre x360 13.5 (2022), Razer Blade 14, Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, Dell XPS 17 (9720), Dell XPS 13 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro, 2021). Removed Apple MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2021).
- 13 July 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed Razer Blade 14, Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2, Dell XPS 17. Added Framework Laptop 13, Asus Zenbook 14 OLED, Apple MacBook Air 15 (M2, 2023), Microsoft Surface Pro 8.
- 26 October 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed the Dell XPS 15 2022, MacBook Air 15 (M2), MacBook Air M1, Microsoft Surface Pro 8, Dell XPS 13 and MacBook Pro 14 (M1 Pro). Added the Lenovo Yoga 9i, HP Envy 16, Dell XPS 15 (9530), ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14.
- 29 January 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 8, Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, HP Envy 16 (2023), Dell XPS 15 (9530, 2023), Asus ROG Zephyrus G14. Added Dell XPS 13 (9315) and Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020).
