10 Best Inexpensive Laptops 2026 in the United States

The Apple 2025 MacBook Air with the M4 chip is a sleek and powerful laptop that excels in speed and portability. Its new M4 processor, featuring 10 CPU cores and an 8-core GPU, handles multitasking, video editing, and some gaming smoothly. The 16GB of unified memory (RAM) ensures efficient app performance, while the 256GB SSD storage provides fast access to files, though the storage might be limited for users with large video or project files. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display delivers bright and colorful visuals, making photos, videos, and text appear crisp and vibrant—ideal for those who value screen quality.

Battery life is impressive, lasting up to 18 hours with typical use, allowing extended work or media consumption without frequent charging. The build quality is excellent, with a slim, lightweight design crafted from durable materials, making it highly portable. Running macOS, the laptop integrates seamlessly with other Apple devices and offers useful privacy and productivity features.

This MacBook Air may not be the best choice for budget-conscious buyers or those who prefer Windows laptops. Additionally, it has limited ports—only two Thunderbolt 4 and a headphone jack—so adapters might be necessary for additional connections. This device is ideal for users invested in the Apple ecosystem seeking a light, fast, and high-quality laptop for everyday tasks, creative work, and media consumption.

The Lenovo V15 Business Laptop offers a strong set of features for those seeking a budget-friendly yet powerful machine. It’s equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 7730U processor with 8 cores, which means it handles multitasking and everyday computing smoothly. The standout feature is its massive 40GB of RAM—far more than typical laptops in this range—allowing you to run many applications and browser tabs without slowdown. Storage is generous too, with a fast 1TB SSD that provides plenty of space and quick boot times.

The 15.6-inch Full HD display offers clear visuals suitable for work and entertainment, though it’s a standard panel without advanced color or brightness enhancements. Battery life is decent, lasting around 8 hours, which is sufficient for a full day of moderate use but might require charging during heavy workloads or travel days. Build quality is solid for an inexpensive laptop, featuring a numeric keypad and a variety of useful ports like HDMI and Ethernet (RJ45), which are handy for connecting to external displays or wired networks. It comes with Windows 11 Pro, which adds business-friendly features and a more secure, organized experience.

A possible downside is the laptop’s weight at about 3.6 pounds, which is a bit on the heavier side for portability. Also, the graphics are integrated, so it’s not suited for demanding gaming or graphic design but fine for regular office and multimedia tasks. This Lenovo V15 is a great option for business users or students who need a reliable, fast-performing laptop with a large amount of memory and storage, without spending too much. It excels in multitasking and storage capacity, while its display, battery, and portability are good but not exceptional.

The HP 14 Laptop is designed with portability and budget in mind. It features a dual-core Intel Celeron N4020 processor, which is suitable for everyday tasks like browsing the web, checking emails, and basic productivity work. With 4 GB of RAM, it can handle light multitasking, but it might struggle with more demanding applications. The 64 GB of flash-based storage is relatively limited, and users might need to rely on cloud storage or external drives for additional space.

The 14-inch HD display with a micro-edge bezel offers decent visual quality, although it's not Full HD, which might affect the clarity for detailed work or media consumption. One of its notable features is the ability to smoothly stream 4K content using Intel UHD Graphics 600, which is impressive for the price range. However, it's not suitable for intensive gaming or graphic design tasks. The laptop is thin and light, making it easy to carry around, but the build quality might feel less premium compared to higher-end models.

The battery life should be adequate for a day's use, though it depends on the workload. Running on Windows 11 Home, it provides a modern user experience with access to the latest features. Additionally, the inclusion of one year of Microsoft 365 adds value for productivity. This laptop is best suited for students or casual users looking for a budget-friendly, portable solution for basic computing needs.