10 Best Lightweight Laptops 2025 in the United States

The Apple 2025 MacBook Air with the new M4 chip is a strong choice if you want a lightweight laptop that combines power and portability. Weighing just 2.73 pounds, it’s easy to carry around, making it ideal for students, professionals, or anyone frequently on the go. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display offers vibrant colors and sharp details, delivering a great viewing experience for everyday tasks like browsing, video watching, or light photo editing. With 16GB of unified memory (RAM), the laptop handles multitasking smoothly, whether you’re switching between work apps or streaming media. The M4 chip provides a good balance of speed and efficiency, letting you work or play without lag, including some photo and video editing or casual gaming.

Battery life is impressive, with up to 18 hours of video playback, so you can expect all-day use without needing to charge often. Storage at 256GB SSD is standard for everyday use but may feel limited if you keep large files or many apps, so consider external storage if needed. The build quality is typical of Apple’s high standards, with a sleek, sturdy design in an attractive Sky Blue color. It also offers solid connectivity options like two Thunderbolt 4 ports, MagSafe charging, Wi-Fi 6E, and Bluetooth 5.3, ensuring fast connections and support for multiple external displays.

The 12MP Center Stage camera, three-mic setup, and four-speaker system deliver clear video calls and good sound, useful for remote work or meetings. While the limited storage and lack of more varied ports might require adapters or external drives depending on your needs, the MacBook Air is well-suited for most everyday users who want a reliable, stylish, and lightweight laptop with excellent battery life. It is not designed for heavy gaming or very demanding professional software but fits well for general use.

The HP Stream 14" is a lightweight laptop weighing just over 3 pounds, making it easy to carry around for everyday tasks. It has a 14-inch HD BrightView screen with a resolution of 1366x768 pixels, which is decent for casual browsing, office work, and streaming videos, though it may not satisfy users wanting sharper or higher-resolution displays. The laptop runs on an Intel Celeron N4120 processor, which is an entry-level chip designed for basic activities like web surfing, video calls, and document editing but might feel slow with more demanding applications or multitasking.

A standout feature is its generous 16GB of RAM, which helps with smoother multitasking and faster response compared to many laptops in this price and category. Storage combines 128GB eMMC onboard and an additional 160GB via a docking station, offering a good amount of space for files and apps, though eMMC storage is slower than standard SSDs. The build quality is typical for budget laptops, with a slim silver design and a reasonable selection of ports including USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and a media card reader, supporting easy connection to peripherals. It uses Windows 11 in S mode, which enhances security but limits software installation to apps from the Microsoft Store, which might be restrictive for some users.

Battery life is generally moderate for laptops with this processor, suitable for light to moderate use. The inclusion of a 720p webcam and Wi-Fi 802.11ac ensures basic connectivity and video call quality. This laptop is suited for students, casual users, or professionals who need a portable, affordable device for everyday tasks and value extra RAM and storage space but do not require high processing power or a crisp display.

The HP 14 Laptop is an excellent choice for those seeking a lightweight and portable device. Its thin and light design makes it easy to carry around, and the 14-inch HD micro-edge display with a 79% screen-to-body ratio offers a good viewing experience with more screen space and less bezel distraction. However, the resolution of 1366 x 768 may not provide the sharpest image quality compared to Full HD screens.

The Intel Celeron N4020 processor, coupled with 4 GB of RAM, is suitable for basic tasks such as web browsing, document editing, and streaming. However, it may struggle with more demanding applications or multitasking. The 64 GB of eMMC storage is on the lower side and might not be sufficient for users with large storage needs, but it does offer faster boot times and reliability. The inclusion of Intel UHD Graphics 600 means it can handle some 4K content and older games, but it is not intended for heavy gaming or graphic-intensive tasks.

The build quality in Snowflake White gives it a stylish look, and the laptop comes with Windows 11 Home in S mode, which is streamlined for performance and security. Additionally, the one-year Microsoft 365 subscription is a nice bonus for productivity applications. Connectivity options are standard, with necessary ports available for typical usage. This laptop is best suited for students, casual users, or anyone needing a secondary device for everyday tasks. Those requiring more power or storage might want to consider other options.